InterMat Staff

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State wrestling head coach Kevin Jackson has announced the signing of eight prep wrestlers for the 2010-11 season. An influx of talent is set to join the Cyclones for their next campaign. Several of the future Iowa Staters are in-state talents and a few of the signees sport familiar names to Iowa State wrestling faithful. Joining the ISU squad next year will be Joey Cozart (Brandon, Fla.), Mikey England (Centerville, Iowa), Ryak Finch (Safford, Ariz.), Kyven Gadson (Waterloo, Iowa), Luke Goettl (Clarksdale, Ariz.), Brandon Jones (West Des Moines, Iowa), Michael Moreno (Urbandale, Iowa) and Trevor Voelker (Adel, Iowa). “We are very happy with the class we have coming in next year,” Jackson said. “They are going to make an immediate impact on our team and help our program accomplish its goals. They are highly-ranked guys that are full of potential and talent and they are excited to come to Iowa State. They know our tradition.” The Cyclone recruiting class is highlighted by star power and Cyclone legacy. Four signees (Cozart, 152 pounds; Finch, 119 pounds; Gadson, 189 pounds; and Moreno, 171 pounds) reside within Intermat’s Class of 2010 Top 100 ranking. Cozart, Finch and Moreno are all ranked within the top-30 wrestlers in the nation by the website. The foursome holds six state titles and 10 prep finals appearances between them. Moreno’s father, Mike, was an All-American at 134 pounds for ISU in 1992. The father of Kyven Gadson, Willie, was a two-time All-American (1975-76) at 177 pounds. “We are excited about the legacy wrestlers,” Jackson said. “Gadson, Moreno and Voelker are now Cyclones themselves. Their families’ love and passion for ISU has never waivered. They thought Iowa State University was a class school with the type of academic and athletic standards they were looking for their college educations.” Top local Iowa talent is prepared to hit the Cyclone wrestling room. Jones won the 2009 3A 112-pound title at Valley High school in West Des Moines. England, a three-time Iowa state placewinner (140 pounds, 145 pounds and 171 pounds), hails from Centerville. Voelker, the nephew of former Cyclone two-time 190-pound NCAA champion Eric Voelker, has placed twice at state, most recently at 189 pounds. Jackson knows the importance of finding home-grown talent that emerges from the state of Iowa’s rapid wrestling scene. “We are looking to communicate with all coaches in the state of Iowa,” Jackson said. “Our coaching staff at Iowa State is here with our arms open to welcome in-state kids. We will fight very hard to bring in the best athletes in our state.” Arizona standout Luke Goettl rounds out the eight-man class. Goettl is a three-time state champion hailing from Clarksdale, Ariz. He has taken titles at 112 pounds, 125 pounds and 130 pounds. “There are high expectations for everyone,” Jackson said. “We’d like all of them to make an impact.” Jackson notes the fact that he and his coaching staff are looking for student-athletes, with an emphasis on the “student”. “First and foremost, we push academics,” Jackson said. “ISU student-athletes graduate at a rate of 79 percent. We want student-athletes to come here first for academics, then for athletics. We have a great coaching staff which is going to challenge these student-athletes.” Class of 2010 Wrestling Signees Joey Cozart, Brandon, Fla. (Brandon) Three-time Florida state champion ... has taken titles at 125 pounds, 140 pounds and 145 pounds ... ranked 29th in his class by Intermat ... considered to be one of the top-five 152-pound preps nationally by Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat ... wrestled for storied Brandon High School program that has won 19 team championships and crowned 70 individual titlists ... coached by his father, Russ Cozart. Mikey England, Centerville, Iowa (Centerville) Three-time state 2A placewinner ... has compiled a 121-25 record ... took runner-up honors as a junior at the Iowa state tournament, competing at 171 pounds ... wrestled to third place as a sophomore at 145 pounds ... placed fourth at 140 pounds in his freshman year ... ranked 16th at 171 pounds by Intermat ... competed in the 2009 Junior Nationals. Ryak Finch, Safford, Ariz. (Safford) Considered the top 119-pounder in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat two-time Arizona state 3A champion ...stands at 154-2 on his career ... Junior Nationals double champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman at 112 pounds in 2009... two-time NHSCA national champion ... finished sophomore and junior seasons with perfect marks of 40-0 and 56-0, respectively ... rated by Intermat as the 23rd best wrestler in the class of 2010 ... was runner-up at both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the 2008 Junior Nationals ... state runner-up as a freshman at 103 pounds ... member of a five-time defending state champion team at Safford ... coached by Herman Andrews. Kyven Gadson, Waterloo, Iowa (East) Went undefeated, 38-0, as a junior en route to 3A 171-pound state title, winning by fall in four of five matches ...state runner-up as a sophomore at 145 pounds ... ranked in the top-10 at 189 pounds by both Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat ... 2009 FILA Cadet freestyle national champion at 85 kg (187.25 pounds) ... double state champion competing in Greco-Roman and freestyle as a sophomore ... took first place wrestling at 152 pounds at ASICS Folkstyle Nationals in 2008 ... coached by father, former ISU All-American Willie Gadson. Luke Goettl, Clarksdale, Ariz. (Mingus Union) Three-time Arizona state 4A-D2 champion ... titlist at 112 pounds, 125 pounds and 130 pounds ... Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman at 125 pounds in 2008 ... crowned champion at Southern Plains regional in 2009 ... ranked 12th and 10th at 135 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat, respectively ... coached by Tom Wokasch. Brandon Jones, West Des Moines, Iowa (Valley) Iowa state 3A 112-pound state titlist as a junior ... went 37-3 en route to the championship ... placed seventh as a sophomore at 103 pounds ... notched a 119-pound fourth-place finish at USA Wrestling’s 2009 Preseason Nationals ... took top-honors at the Northern Plains regional, competing at 119 pounds ... runner-up in state freestyle tournament at 119 pounds ... finished fourth at ASICS Folkstyle Nationals in 2009 ... coached by Travis Young. Michael Moreno, Urbandale, Iowa (Urbandale) State runner-up in Iowa class 3A at 160 pounds as a junior and at 152 pounds as a sophomore ... has recorded a career mark of 111-13 ... took fourth in the 145-pound division as a freshman ... considered one of the top 10 preps at 171 pounds by both Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat ... ranked 22nd best wrestler in the class of 2010 by Intermat ... runner-up finish competing in freestyle at 171 pounds at the Northern Plains regional ... saw action at Junior Nationals at 171 pounds ... coached by father and former Cyclone, Mike Moreno. Trevor Voelker, Adel, Iowa (Dallas Center-Grimes) Two-time Iowa state 2A placewinner ... finished fifth in the state at 189 pounds as a junior after compiling a 47-3 mark ... recorded a sixth-place showing at 171 pounds as a sophomore ... competed at Junior Nationals as a junior ... nephew of former Cyclone two-time NCAA 190-pound champion Eric Voelker ... coached by Clint Knoll.

You know that feeling of disappointment when you've been anticipating a specific matchup between two individual wrestlers or teams at a dual meet tournament ... only to have it not happen because things didn't go as expected in the bracket. That's not an issue at the third annual Journeymen/ASICS Sprawl & Brawl, to be held Sunday, November 22 at West Gym at Binghamton University in Vestal, New York. As event organizer Frank Popolizio explained it, "Our format is a bit different. Instead of using traditional brackets like most tournaments, all matchups at the Sprawl & Brawl have been determined in advance." For example, the University of Illinois, one of 14 college programs participating in the 2009 Sprawl & Brawl, knows that it will have three dual meets at the tournament, facing off against University of Pittsburgh in the opening round, then Davidson in the second round, and West Virginia in the third round. In addition to these schools -- and host Binghamton -- other programs competing at the 2009 Sprawl & Brawl include Edinboro, Harvard, Michigan State, Northern Iowa, Penn State, Rider, Rutgers, Sacred Heart, and Wyoming. An appetizing format for coaches The unique format for Sprawl & Brawl was originally created for the Northeast Duals, an event also organized by Frank Popolizio, now in its ninth year, which will be held the following weekend in Albany, New York. Frank Popolizio"A couple years ago, Iowa State wanted to participate in an event in the East, but had already scheduled something the weekend of the Northeast Duals," according to Popolizio. "We created Sprawl & Brawl as an alternative event for schools that liked the idea behind the Northeast Duals." Together, the two events straddle Thanksgiving Day, and offer coaches a choice. For programs seeking a pre-Turkey Day event, there's Sprawl & Brawl; Northeast Duals is held during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And, according to Popolizio, together the two events will feature fully one-third of the NCAA Division I wrestlers in a seven-day time span in upstate New York. The Sprawl & Brawl format is designed to answer various concerns of college wrestling coaches. Top of the list: "Because we're early in the season, we give college coaches matches that their programs can handle," as Frank Popolizio explains it. "We try to stair-step the team matchups, starting with an easier matchup, then getting progressively more challenging as the day goes on." Popolizio works hard to try to meet the wishes of participating coaches. "It's a real logistical challenge, trying to keep the gradient approach of more challenging matchups for each program, and have exciting matchups throughout the entire event," says Popolizio, who compared scheduling the matchups to solving a Rubik's Cube puzzle. This year's schedule was created manually; a computer program has been developed to help create matches for future events. Another draw for college coaches: "Programs don't always have the travel budgets to go out West to compete," said Popolizio. "By bringing top programs from the Midwest and West, it makes it possible for Eastern schools to broaden their competitive base, which helps wrestlers in terms of their individual rankings, and in qualifying for the NCAAs." Satisfies fan appetites for action, too "(The format) really helps with fan interest," continued Popolizio. "They know exactly what matchups they will see in advance. They can expect to see exciting team matchups like West Virginia vs. Wyoming, Penn State vs. Edinboro, and Michigan State vs. Northern Iowa -- dual meets that would never be part of a regular team schedule." In the second round of this year's Sprawl & Brawl, fans can anticipate a match between All-Americans J.P. O'Connor of Harvard (pictured) and Cyler Sanderson of Penn State (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Having matchups set up in advance also helps build interest in individual bouts. Popolizio cited one specific example: "In the second round, they can anticipate a barnburner of a match between Cyler Sanderson of Penn State, and J.P. O'Connor, a local guy, now at Harvard." The 'local flavor' idea goes beyond individual wrestlers, to include some of the coaches who will be at the 2009 Sprawl & Brawl, such as Joe Privitere, assistant coach at Davidson, a 2003 graduate of Binghamton ... and Brad Penrith, long-time head coach at Northern Iowa, who grew up in Windsor, New York. "It'll be a homecoming of sorts for these guys," said Popolizio. The "hometown heroes" aspect of guys like O'Connor, Privitere and Penrith making it big in amateur wrestling beyond upstate New York is one of the aspects of Sprawl & Brawl that is one of the prime reasons Popolizio puts so much effort into bringing this event to Binghamton. "It's all about bringing greatness to this area," said the event organizer. "It's about promoting college wrestling in an area that is rich in (high school) wrestling tradition. It not only helps fire up fans in the area, but shows young athletes what's possible, that they can achieve greatness from wrestling." Popolizio describes the venue for the 2009 Sprawl & Brawl -- West Gym at Binghamton University -- as "fan-friendly ... It seats just over 1,000 people. There are four mats, all in use for all five rounds, so there's always action." Josh Patterson"There's no such thing as a bad seat. Fans are really close to the action ... It's an incredible opportunity for fans to rub shoulders with great wrestlers and coaches they might not usually get this close to." The 2009 Sprawl & Brawl takes place the same day as the 2009 NWCA All-Star Classic, held at Cal State Fullerton outside Los Angeles. When asked if this has created a scheduling conflict for any of the participants, Popolizio cited one specific example: Josh Patterson of Binghamton, the school's first Division I All-American (placing seventh at the 2009 NCAAs at 184 pounds). Patterson is the program's first wrestler to compete at the All-Stars in the 44-year history of the event that features the best individuals in college wrestling. As Frank Popolizio put it, "My brother Pat (head coach at Binghamton) said, 'This is a true honor to be invited to compete at the All-Stars so he and his wrestler will be out in California, and miss our event." The Sprawl & Brawl organizer added, "It's interesting to note that Franklin Gomez, defending champ at 133, will be with his team (Michigan State) and us." "We're excited to be able to feature great wrestlers from a wide range of programs throughout the country," said Popolizio. "We're thrilled that this event has been so well-accepted by college coaches, wrestlers and fans in only its third year ... We're successful because of our volunteers. They truly make this event a success." For more information on the 2009 Journeymen/ASICS Sprawl & Brawl event on Sunday, November 22, visit the Web site: http://www.journeymenwrestling.com/competitions.htm.

Shawn Charles

Randy Couture

R.C. LaHaye

Destin McCauley is one of the nation's top high school wrestlers. The 17-year-old McCauley, a junior at Apple Valley High School, is a three-time state champion with a career record of 188-7. In 2006, McCauley became the first seventh-grader in Minnesota State High School League history to capture a state wrestling championship when he won the 103-pound Class AAA title. He was a Cadet Nationals freestyle champion in 2008, Western Junior Regionals freestyle champion in 2009, and a third-place finisher at the 2009 Junior Nationals in freestyle. InterMat has ranked McCauley as the No. 4 junior in the country and fourth in the country at 145 pounds. InterMat recently caught up with McCauley and talked to him about this year's Apple Valley team, the disappointment of coming up short of a state title last season, whether he has started looking at colleges, his loss to Dylan Alton, his victory over Taylor Massa, and much more. Destin McCauley is a three-time state champion with a record of 188-7 (Photo/The Guillotine)Apple Valley is getting a lot of national attention heading into this season because of the No. 2 national team ranking. What makes this Apple Valley team special? McCauley: I think that makes this team more special than others is that this team is really a family. We all bond well together and each one of us has had some success in wrestling. How important is to you to help get Apple Valley to No. 1 in the country this season? McCauley: I mean, that would be great for our team to be ranked No. 1, but the only thing we can do is give every match and every dual all we got. The rankings don't matter too much to me ... just as long as I know we are doing what we do best out on the mat. Since there is not a true national championship event for high school wrestling teams, what would Apple Valley have to accomplish this season, in your opinion, to earn that No. 1 national ranking at the end of the season? McCauley: To earn that spot of course we would need to go undefeated throughout the season and win a state title. Also, that means our team would have to have a great showing at The Clash and Cheesehead. Destin McCauley lost three times to Bloomington Kennedy's Robby Fisher last season, including twice at the state tournament (Photo/The Guillotine)You wrestled Robby Fisher four times last season. How difficult was it to wrestle such a familiar opponent so many times? McCauley: I think anyone you wrestle multiple times each match after the first will get harder. You get to know your opponent so well, the way they wrestle, and the moves they hit. Last season did not go as planned for you. What did you learn about yourself last season? McCauley: Last year was a big eye-opener for me. I got complacent with what I had ... and didn't train the way I should have been. It taught me that no matter what your ability is that you can always get better and progress. Plus, if you think you are OK with what you got, sooner or later you are going to get beat ... because there is always someone out there trying to improve themselves to get better and be No. 1. From the outside, it would be easy for people to assume you are feeling less pressure this season compared to past seasons. Is that the case? McCauley: Yeah ... There is a little less pressure I think this year, but for myself I need to go out there this season and show people that it was just a bump in my journey to becoming one of the best wrestlers in the nation. Apple Valley is the wrestling program in Minnesota that people love to hate. Does the animosity toward Apple Valley bother you? Or is something you thrive on? McCauley: Ha ... I love it! That means that most of the time all the attention is on your team ... because everyone wants to see you lose. That just gets our team pumped for the dual meets so the crowds are actually doing us a favor. Destin McCauley placed third at Junior Nationals in freestyle this past summer (Photo/The Guillotine)More and more high school wrestlers are committing to colleges earlier than in the past. A couple of nationally-ranked juniors, Hunter Stieber and Nico Megaludis, recently announced their college commitments to Ohio State and Penn State respectively. Obviously, college wrestling coaches cannot have personal contact with you until July 1. Have you started looking at colleges? McCauley: I think that's great for those guys. They are really tough wrestlers and good friends of mine. I'm just starting to look at colleges. Right now I'm keeping an open mind to all colleges out there. Certain things that I'm looking for are obviously a great coaching staff I can get along with, good workout partners, a freestyle program for me in the summer, and just a place I feel comfortable with. A second home for me. This past summer, you finished third at Junior Nationals in freestyle at 145 pounds. You dropped a match to Penn State recruit Dylan Alton. What was the difference in that loss to Alton? McCauley: He is a real tough wrestler and I just couldn't get him out of position. I also think that I should have had more fun out there and tried to open up more and not have been so nervous about the outcome of the match. Destin McCauley celebrates after winning a Cadet Nationals freestyle title in 2008 (Photo/The Guillotine)Taylor Massa of St. Johns High School in Michigan has won everything under the sun in age-group events. But you were able to dominate Massa, outscoring him 10-1 in two periods at the Western Junior Regionals in freestyle. What was the key to that victory over Massa? McCauley: I think that my style of wrestling matches well against his. I really just had to keep my feet moving and not stand in one place. I made sure my shots were quick and explosive and when I got the takedown, I was looking for a turn right away. Last season, Apple Valley was ranked third in the final national high school team rankings ... behind Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio and Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. When you went to Graham coach Jeff Jordan's camp this past summer in Ohio, was there any ribbing or teasing going on between you and the Graham wrestlers and coaches about who has the better high school team? McCauley: Ha ... Yeah, there was a little bit here and there. Coach Jordan always loves to point out the fact that St. Paris Graham is up on Apple Valley in dual meets 1-0. I try telling him that it would be different now, but we can never really find out. If there is one wrestler past or present that you would pay to watch, who would it be? McCauley: Gable. No doubt. I liked his mentality towards wrestling and his matches. He is one of ... if not the greatest wrestler of all time. His style of wrestling is something that made wrestling exciting to watch. In recent years you have chosen to compete in more national freestyle events than national folkstyle events. Do you favor freestyle over folkstyle? McCauley: Yeah ... I do favor freestyle over folkstyle. My ultimate goal for wrestling is to make the Olympic team and medal at the Olympics. If I want that to happen, I really need to focus on freestyle because all the other countries are doing it year round when we are forced to wrestle folkstyle for half a year until we are out of college. This story also appears in the November 20 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe, click HERE.

THIS WEEK The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team has a full slate of competition this weekend. First Iowa will host the six-team Iowa City Duals Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in its first home event of the season. Then the Hawkeyes will send competitors to the annual Kaufman-Brand Open, Saturday, in Omaha, NE. Senior Daniel Dennis will wrap up the weekend, Sunday, at the NWCA All-Star Dual in Fullerton, CA. IOWA CITY DUALS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 10:30 a.m. - 3 mats Iowa vs. Coe College Cornell College vs. North Carolina-Pembroke Iowa Lakes Community College vs. Southern Illinois Edwardsville Noon - 3 mats Iowa vs. Cornell College Southern Illinois Edwardsville vs. Coe College Iowa Lakes Community College vs. North Carolina-Pembroke 1:30 p.m. - 3 mats Iowa vs. Iowa Lakes Community College North Carolina-Pembroke vs. Coe College Cornell College vs. Southern Illinois Edwardsville 3 p.m. - 2 mats Iowa vs. North Carolina-Pembroke Cornell College vs. Iowa Lakes Community College 5 p.m. - 1 mat Iowa vs. Southern Illinois Edwardsville IOWA CITY DUALS TICKET INFORMATION The event is part of the wrestling season ticket package, which is $60 for the general public and $48 for UI faculty and staff. Tickets for the event are $10 for adults and $5 for youth if purchased in advance, and $12 for adults and $6 for youth if purchased at the door. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. for the event. Hawkeye men's basketball and football fans can also take advantage of special ticket prices for the Iowa City Duals and the Iowa basketball game vs. Bowling Green State, which is set for 8:05 p.m. Friday. Fans can show their Bowling Green State men's basketball ticket or their Iowa vs. Minnesota football ticket at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Athletic Ticket Office and pay only $5 to the Iowa City Duals. IOWA WRESTLING ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the Iowa City Duals action live on AM-800, KXIC. Video Internet Streaming - Hawkeye wrestling fans can watch Iowa's matches from the Iowa City Duals live using the XXL All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year)on www.hawkeyesports.com. Fans can also watch Iowa senior 133-pounder Daniel Dennis compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic Sunday at www.livesportsvideo.com. A $9.99 access fee will be charged for the webcast with 80% of the revenue will be donated to the Help Save Cal State Fullerton fund. Scott Casber of TakeDown Radio will announce the event. WWW.HAWKEYESPORTS.COM Press releases, meet results and audio broadcasts are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live scoring for home meets, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Live Results link. Results will be updated after each bout during the dual. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. LIVE BLOGGING FROM IOWA CITY DUALS A member of the University of Iowa Sports Information staff will offer interactive content live from the Iowa City Duals via www.hawkeyesports.com. This feature gives diehard Hawkeye fans the opportunity to voice their opinion by submitting questions and comments, while receiving up-to-the-minute play-by-play, notes and stats about the Hawkeyes. The live blog will begin at approximately 10:15 a.m. (CT) and run throughout Iowa's five duals. CONSTRUCTION ZONE Construction has officially begun on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Renovation Project, which will result in some changes regarding parking and entrance to the arena for wrestling matches. The North entrance will no longer be accessible from the outside of the facility. Fans can enter, and purchase tickets, at the West and South entrances. The East entrance will serve as the event pass gate. Fans can still purchase tickets to future events from the North ticket windows, but will only be able to access that location from inside the arena. Media parking for all meets, except the Iowa City Duals, will be in Lot 40, which is located across Elliott Drive from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, on the building's southeast side. For the Iowa City Duals, media members must request parking for Lot 46 (which is located at the top of Carver-Hawkeye Arena), from Assistant Sports Information Director Traci Wagner, by Nov. 19. For the Iowa City Duals, a continuous free shuttle service will be available to transport fans between Hancher Auditorium and the Hawkeye Commuter lots and Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A limited number of parking spaces in the Finkbine Commuter lot will also be open to the public at a cost of $5 per vehicle. Throughout the season, fans are encouraged to use free parking at Hancher Auditorium, the Hawkeye Commuter lot (which is located west of the UI Athletics Hall of Fame, Grant Field, UI Soccer Field and the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex), and the hard surfaced lots at the UI softball and outdoor track complexes. Parking is also available at the regular hourly parking rate in the Clock Tower (#3) and Field House (#4) ramps. HAWKEYES HEAD TO KAUFMAN-BRAND OPEN The University of Nebraska-Omaha will host the nation's largest collegiate wrestling meet Saturday with its annual Kaufman-Brand Open. The single-day event attracts between 500-700 wrestlers from approximately 35 teams in 12 stats to UNO's Sapp Fieldhouse. Tickets - $12 for adults and $7 for students - are available from the UNO Athletic Ticket Office at 402/5546287. DENNIS TO COMPETE AT NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC Hawkeye senior Daniel Dennis is scheduled to compete at the 44th annual NWCA All-Star Classic Sunday in Fullerton, CA. The event will be held in Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gym and is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. (CT). Dennis is scheduled to face fourth-ranked Steve Bell of Maryland in the 133-pound match. Bell won the pair's only meeting - a 4-3 decision in sudden victory - at the 2008 Journeyman Duals in Binghamton, NY. It is the first time Dennis will compete in the event. Tickets can be purchased through TicketLeap: http://savefullertonwrestling.ticketleap.com. Prices are $12, $15 and $20 if purchased in advance, and $15, $18 and $25 if purchased at the door. The event will serve as a major fundraiser for the Cal State Fullerton wrestling program, which must fund itself. The Titans must raise $200,000 in funds by April 2010 and another $200,000 in pledges by August 2010 to survive. In the 44-year history of the event, Iowa has had the second-most participants with 74. Oklahoma State has had the most with 81, while Iowa State ranks third with 69. Following is the scheduled lineup. The individual rankings are based on each wrestler's performance at the 2009 NCAA meet. 2009 NWCA All-Star Dual Match-Ups 125 - #2 Anthony Robles (Arizona St.) vs. #4 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) 133 - #4 Steve Bell (Maryland) vs. #5 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) 141 - #2 Nick Gallick (Iowa St.) vs. #3 Alex Krom (Maryland) 149 - #2 Lance Palmer (Ohio St.) vs. #5 Kyle Borshoff (American) 157 - #1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) vs. #2 Matt Moley (Bloomsburg) 165 - #4 Jon Reader (Iowa St.) vs. #6 Andrew Rendos (Bucknell) 174 - Chris Henrich (Virginia) vs. #7 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska) 184 - #4 Max Askren (Missouri) vs. #5 Josh Patterson (Binghamton) 197 - #1 Jake Varner (Iowa St.) vs. #2 Craig Brester (Nebraska) 285 - #1 Mark Ellis (Missouri) vs. #5 David Zabriskie (Iowa St.) WELCOME BACK The head coaches of four of the five teams coming to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the Iowa City Duals have ties to the Iowa wrestling program. John Oostendorp (Coe), Mike Duroe (Cornell), Ty Eustice (Iowa Lakes) and David Ray (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) will all be making a return to Iowa City. Oostendorp (1990-93) was a two-time Hawkeye all-American at heavyweight, winning the 1992 Big Ten title. He and Hawkeye coaches Tom and Terry Brands were part of Iowa teams that won three NCAA and Big Ten titles, and posted a 55-1-2 dual mark. Duroe served as head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Club from 2003-05. Eustice (2003-06) was a two-time all-American, placing second at the 2006 NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. Ray lettered for the Hawkeyes in 1984. IOWA CITY DUALS COMPETITION Coe College Kohawks - Coe is ranked third in the nation in NCAA Division III by the NWCA, returning five all-Americans and six NCAA qualifiers from the 2008-09 squad that went 15-5. Senior Tyler Burkle (184) and junior Clayton Rush (125) are each ranked third in the nation. Burkle, the 2008 national champion at 165 pounds, was 27-7 last year, while placing third at the NCAA Championships. He enters the season with an 88-15 career record. Rush is a two-time all-American, who won a conference title last season. His 62-8 career record includes a 26-3 record from 2008-09. Also in the national rankings are seniors Rob Kramer (4th-197) and Mitch Sander (6th-Hwt.), and junior Seth Rehn (8th-174). Former Hawkeye Nick LeClere, who is the younger brother of Iowa's 141-pounder Dan LeClere will be wrestling at 165. Assisting Head Coach John Oostendorp is Dustin Hinschberger, Eric Casey, Marcus Kurtz and Dustin Bliven. Iowa holds a 2-0 lead in the series, winning 50-0 in 2007 and 51-0 in 2009. Cornell College Rams - Cornell enters the season ranked ninth in the NWCA Division III pre-season poll. The Rams are coming off their second straight top-10 national finish, a feat that hasn't happened at Cornell since the 1950 and 1951 seasons. Cornell returns six starters and all-Americans Nick Nothern (133) and Kevin Donahue (141) from last year's squad that went 14-8. Nothern is ranked first in the nation, while Donahue is ranked third. Junior Ryan Mulnix (149) is ranked 10th. Head Coach Mike Duroe, who has a 51-37-1 record in four seasons at Cornell, is assisted by Shawn Voight, Andrew Knaack and Kyle Burkle. Cornell is one of only two opponents on Iowa's 2009-10 schedule that holds a lead in the series history. The Rams have a 3-2 advantage, winning the first three meetings in 1930 (17-13), 1932 (15.5-10.5) and 1933 (17-11), but Iowa has won the last two meetings (22-11 in 1970 and 51-0 in 2008). Iowa Lakes Community College Lakers - Iowa Lakes enters the season ranked eighth in the NJCAA national pre-season polls. Sophomore Tim Thurston is ranked first in the nation at 133, while sophomore Josh Marsh (197) is fourth, freshman Victor DeJesus (149) is sixth, freshman Danial McGillivray (165) is eighth and freshman Matt Catalano (141) is ninth. Head Coach Ty Eustice, in his first season with the Lakers, is assisted by Corey VanGroll. This will be the first meeting between the two teams. University of North Carolina Pembroke Braves - North Carolina Pembroke is 1-0, posting a 38-4 win over Belmont Abbey Nov. 3. The NCAA Division II Braves are led by senior J.J. Davis (174) and junior Russell Weakley (125), who are each ranked fifth in the nation at their respective weight classes. Head Coach Jamie Gibbs, a 2000 Coe College graduate and a former assistant coach for the Kohawks, is in his third season with the Braves. He is assisted by Othello Johnson. This will be the first meeting between the two teams. Southern Illinois Edwardsville Cougars - Southern Illinois returns four national qualifiers from the 2008-09 team that posted a 4-6 mark and placed second in the conference. The Cougars are ranked 16th in the most recent NCWA national coaches poll. Southern Illinois Edwardsville is led by juniors Derek Pousson (149) and Blake Reed (165), and sophomores Dillon Pousson (141) and Steve Ross (157). Head Coach David Ray is in his second season with the Cougars. Iowa holds a 4-0 lead in the series, winning the most recent meeting 45-3 in 1989. U.S.-RUSSIA FREESTYLE SHOWDOWN SET A team of top U.S. wrestlers will compete in a freestyle dual meet against a team from Russia in Mount Vernon, IA, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Cornell College's Small Multi-Sports Center. The 700 remaining tickets will be sold prior to the event at the Small Multi-Sports Center. Doors are set to open and tickets sales will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. The local organizing committee is the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. 2008 U.S. Olympians Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC), Doug Schwab (Coralville, Iowa/Gator WC) and Steve Mocco (Coralville, Iowa/New York AC) will be in the U.S. lineup. Schwab and Mocco both won NCAA titles at Iowa, while Zadick was an all-American for the Hawkeyes. Zadick, who will compete at 60 kg/132 lbs., won a World silver medal for the United States in 2006. Schwab will wrestle at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Mocco will compete at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Two of the other U.S. team members train full-time in Iowa City. Paul Donahoe, a past NCAA champion for Nebraska, will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Lloyd Rogers, who starred at Tennessee-Chattanooga, will wrestle at 74 kg/163 lbs. Also in the lineup is Bryce Hasseman (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Hasseman climbed to the No. 2 position on Freestyle Team USA's chart last season while training in Iowa City under Coach Terry Brands. Competing at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. will be Kyle Cerminara (Edinboro, Pa./New York AC), who was the 2009 U.S. Nationals runner-up at this weight class. Cerminara was an NCAA All-American for the Univ. of Buffalo. Russia is the defending World Team champions in freestyle wrestling, and has been a long-time U.S. rival for international supremacy. The Russian team is also expected to compete in dual meets in Illinois and New York, as well as wrestle in the New York AC International Open in New York City on Nov. 22. The Russian team features numerous athletes who have won international medals on the World or Continental levels. Included are some of the top young stars in the Russian program. Russia is currently the reigning World Champion team in freestyle wrestling. Leading the effort is Nariman Israpilov at 55 kg/121 lbs., a 2009 European champion and the 2008 Junior World champion. Two of the team members have won silver medals at the Russian National Freestyle Championships, Arsen Mairov at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Anzor Urishev at 84 kg/185 lbs. Mairov was a Russian National silver medalist in 2009, while Urishev won his Russian National silver medal in 2008. Urishev was also a Junior World silver medalist at 2008.Bronze medalists at the Russian Freestyle Nationals on the tour include Vladimir Vilmov at 60 kg/132 lbs., Magomed Magomedov at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Valeri Bedoev at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Bedoev won two Russian National bronze medals competing up at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Vilmov won a gold medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs, CO in 2009. U.S. vs. Russia Matchups 55 kg/121 lbs. - Paul Donahoe (US) vs. Nariman Israpilov (R) 60 kg/132 lbs. - Mike Zadick (US) vs. Vladimir Vilmov (R) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Doug Schwab (US) vs. Arsen Mairov (R) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Lloyd Rogers (US) vs. Rashid Kurbanov (R) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Bryce Hasseman (US) vs. Anzor Urishev (R) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Kyle Cerminara (US) vs. Magomed Magomedov (R) or Valeriy Bedoev (R) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Steve Mocco (US) vs. Alan Tsarikaev (R) HEAD COACH Tom Brands Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Tom Brands, is in his fourth season as head wrestling coach at Iowa. A 1996 Olympic gold medalist and member of wrestling's Hall of Fame, Brands is only the eighth wrestling coach at Iowa. The former Hawkeye wrestler was a four-time all-American and three-time national champion (1989-92) at Iowa. He has a 59-6 overall and 21-3 Big Ten coaching record at Iowa, and a 76-26 career mark. In his third season with the Hawkeyes, Brands led Iowa to its second straight NCAA and Big Ten team titles, crowning five all-Americans and two Big Ten champions. The 2009 national title was the school's 22nd, and it was only the second time in school history Iowa won the NCAA title without an individual champion. Brands earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors after guiding Iowa to the school's 33rd conference team title. The Hawkeyes ended the 2008-09 season with a 24-0 record, going undefeated for the first time since 1999-2000. The Hawkeyes, who ended the season on a 38-dual match winning streak that dates back to the 2007-08 campaign, clinched the 2009 Big Ten regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark in conference competition and won the 2008 Midlands team title. Brands served as head coach at Virginia Tech University for two seasons (2005-06), recording a 17-20 dual mark. Prior to taking the helm at Virginia Tech, Brands was an assistant coach at Iowa for 12 seasons (1993-2004). He helped the Hawkeyes to a 177-27 dual record, seven NCAA and eight Big Ten titles, while crowning 23 NCAA champions, 73 all-Americans and 36 Big Ten champions. He was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000. As a competitor, Brands won the 1996 Olympic freestyle gold medal at 136.5 pounds in Atlanta, GA. He also won a gold medal at the 1993 World Freestyle Championships in Toronto, two World Cup gold medals (1994, 1995) and was the 1995 Pan American Games champion. He won four U.S. National titles (1993-96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96). Along with his twin brother, Terry, Tom was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, the 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. He was inducted into wrestling's Hall of Fame in 2001. Brands was a four-time all-American at Iowa (1989-92). During his Hawkeye career, he won three NCAA titles and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the 1992 NCAA Championships. Also a three time Big Ten champion, Brands won 95 percent of his matches at Iowa. His career mark of 158-7-2, included an undefeated season in 1991 (45-0). SLATON, GAMBRALL WIN TITLES AT HAROLD NICHOLS OPEN University of Iowa senior Joe Slaton (141) and redshirt freshman Grant Gambrall (184) each took home titles from the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open in Ames Saturday. Ten of Iowa's 11 competitors placed fourth or higher at the season-opening tournament. Slaton, who was competing unattached, won all five of his matches by seven points or more. The #2 seed at 141, Slaton posted two technical falls, a major decision and a decision en route to his 14-7 win over unattached Mario Morgan in the finals. Gambrall, who was the #3 seed at 184, recorded a pin, technical fall and major decision on the way to his 6-2 victory over #1 seed Jerome Ward of Iowa State in the finals. Sophomore J.J. Krutsinger (125) and redshirt freshman Nate Moore (133) also wrestled in the finals of their respective weight classes, each placing second. Krutsinger, who was the top seed at 125, recorded two technical falls and a pin before losing a 10-2 major decision to #2 seed Andrew Long of Iowa State in the finals. Moore, who was seeded second, posted three first-period pins and a major decision before losing a 4-2 decision to #1 seed Cody Garcia of Nebraska-Omaha in the 133-pound finals. Placing third for the Hawkeyes were junior Luke Lofthouse (197), sophomore Blake Rasing (Hwt.), and true freshmen Derek St. John (157) and Ethen Lofthouse (174). Sophomore Vinnie Wagner (184) and true freshman Nick Trizzino (133) placed fourth. IOWA EARNS TOP PRE-SEASON RANKINGS The defending Big Ten and NCAA champion Hawkeyes earned the top spot in the Intermat Top 25 pre-season poll and the W.I.N. Magazine pre-season tournament power index. Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf (149) is ranked first in the nation at his weight class in pre-season rankings by Amateur Wrestling News (AWN), Intermat and W.I.N. Magazine, while five other Hawkeye are ranked in the top five. Metcalf is a two-time all-American and NCAA finalist with a 72-2 career record at Iowa. The two-time Big Ten champion is the first wrestler in conference history to earn Outstanding Wrestler honors at the conference meet two straight years. Senior Phillip Keddy is ranked second by A.W.N. and W.I.N., and third by Intermat at 184. Keddy is a two-time all-American and three-time Big Ten placewinner with a 76-32 career record. He went 34-5 in 2008-09, placing fourth at the NCAA Championships and second at the Big Ten meet. Senior Jay Borschel is ranked second at 174 by A.W.N., and fourth by Intermat and W.I.N. Borschel has a 61-10 career mark, going 29-5 and placing third at the Big Ten Championships last season. He went 19-1 in dual competition and 6-0 in Big Ten duals in 2008-09. He also earned all-America honors in 2008. Senior Ryan Morningstar (165) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) are ranked fourth by all three publications. Morningstar posted a 32-6 record in 2008-09, placing second at the Big Ten Championships and third at the NCAA meet to earn his first all-America honor. The three-time Big Ten placewinner has started 65 straight duals for the Hawkeyes. Erekson went 27-8 last season, winning a Big Ten title and earning all-America honors with a fourth-place NCAA finish. Senior Daniel Dennis is ranked fourth at 133 by Intermat, and fifth by A.W.N. and W.I.N. Dennis went 31-6 last season, including a 20-2 dual mark and an 8-0 Big Ten dual record. He placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships and seventh at NCAA's to earn all-America honors. HAWKEYES LOOK TO EXTEND STREAKS Iowa opens the 2009-10 season on a 38-match winning streak. The Hawkeyes have also won their last 14 home duals and their last 29 duals away from Iowa City. The school record for consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97), consecutive home dual wins is 55 (1977-83), and for consecutive away dual wins is 31 (1994-97). Both the overall and away current streaks both rank second in school history. SENIOR LEADERSHIP Iowa's 11 seniors - Chad Beatty, Jay Borschel, Daniel Dennis, Dan Erekson, Michael Fahrer, Phillip Keddy, Dan LeClere, Rick Loera, Brent Metcalf, Ryan Morningstar, Joe Slaton - bring a wealth of talent and experience to the mat. The group has a combined career record of 504-197, going 292-105 in duals, 94-48 in Big Ten duals and 91-36 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The group has scored 1,152 team points in dual competition and has started a combined 400 dual matches. Iowa's seniors have won one NCAA individual title, three Big Ten individual titles, nine all-America honors and qualified for the NCAA Championships 16 times. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 854-215-30 (.791) in 99 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 22 national titles and 33 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 49 NCAA champions have won a total of 57 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 14 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 101 Big Ten champions have won a total of 184 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 26 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 138 all-Americans have earned all-America status 278 times, including 17 four-time, 27 three-time and 35 two-time honorees. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 169-18 (.904) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 17 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (7-0) occurring in 2008-09. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,955, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State (20-15) on December 6, 2008. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. HAWKEYE WRESTLING TICKET INFORMATION Season and single meet tickets for Iowa's seven home events are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. Following are this season's prices. Season Tickets $60 - General public, $48 UI faculty/staff Single Meet vs. UNI, Michigan State, Northwestern & Iowa City Duals Advance Purchase: $10 - Adult, $5 - Youth Door Purchase: $12 - Adult, $6 - Youth Free Admission: UI students, Children ages 5 and under Single Meet vs. Oklahoma State, Penn State and Ohio State Advance Purchase: $13 - Adult, $7 - Youth, $2 - Age 5 and under Door Purchase: $15 - Adult, $8 - Youth, $2 - Age 5 and under Free Admission: UI students ALL IN THE FAMILY On the 2009-10 Hawkeye wrestling team, there is one set of brothers, two wrestlers whose fathers also wrestled at Iowa and two uncle-nephew combinations. Junior Matt Ballweg (157) and redshirt freshman Mark Ballweg (133/141) are brothers who hail from Waverly, IA. Senior Rick Loera (197), redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125/133) and true freshman Nick Trizzino all had fathers who wrestled for the Hawkeyes. George Loera (1975-76) and Mike McDonough (1974-76) wrestled on the same team, while Mark Trizzino was an all-American (1984) and four-year letterwinner (1981-84) for the Hawkeyes. Junior Luke Lofthouse (197) is the uncle of Hawkeye true freshman Ethen Lofthouse (174). Nick Trizzino's uncle, Scott Trizzino, was also a three-time all-American (1978-79-81) and four-time letterwinner (1977-79, 1981) for the Hawkeyes. There have been 10 sets of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye lineup since the 1950s. They are Don and Tom Huff (1961), Mark and Scott Trizzino (1981), Lenny, Larry and Jim Zalesky (1981-82), Ed and Lou Banach (1981-83), Marty and Lindley Kistler (1984-85), Jim and John Heffernan (1987), Tom and Terry Brands (1989-92), Troy and Terry Steiner (1991-93), Ryan and Randy Fulsaas (2001) and Luke and Ty Eustice (2003-04). There have also been five sets of twins to wrestle at Iowa. They are Ed and Lou Banach, Tom and Terry Brands, Ben and Brett Stedman, Troy and Terry Steiner, and Randy and Ryan Fulsaas. SEASON PROMOTIONS The UI Sports Marketing Office has created a great promotions schedule for the 2009-10 wrestling season. The Iowa City Duals (Nov. 20) has been designated Poster Day. Posters, schedule cards and magnets will be available at the door. Also, Hawkeye football and basketball fans can present their tickets for the Iowa-Minnesota football game and the Iowa-Bowling Green State men's basketball game at wrestling for a $5 ticket to the all-day event. The Iowa-Northern Iowa dual on Dec. 10 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 entrance and receive an Iowa wrestling decal. Hawkeye fans can break out their gold apparel for the "Gold Rush" dual when Iowa hosts Oklahoma State on Jan. 16. The Hawkeyes will also host their annual kids clinic that day at 5 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Doors for the clinic will open at 4:30 p.m. Youth, ages eighth grade and under, are eligible to participate in the clinic, and will receive a free ticket to the Iowa-Oklahoma State dual for participating. Participants' family members will be able to purchase tickets for the dual at a group rate price of $5 per ticket. When Penn State comes to town on Jan. 29 they will be welcomed with a "Blackout", as the Hawkeyes are encouraging all fans to wear black apparel to the dual. A special single-match Family Four Pack ticket and concession offer will be available for the Iowa-Michigan State dual on Jan. 31. Fans can purchase four tickets, four hot dogs and four cokes at a discounted rate. Please watch www.hawkeyesports.com for more information. The Iowa-Northwestern dual on Feb. 12 has been designated Autograph and Youth Wrestling Night. After the dual, Iowa wrestlers will sign autographs at tables around the Carver-Hawkeye Arena concourse. The Hawkeyes will close out the home season Feb. 19 against Ohio State with Fan Appreciation Night. Iowa will also honor its 11 seniors with Senior Night. WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS For dates and more information about 2010 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Danny Song earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 10 conference titles and 13 all-America honors. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR OMAHA The 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships are scheduled for March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE. The NCAA, University of Nebraska and the Omaha Sports Commission will co-host the event. Tickets to the event are available at (402) 422-1212 or ticketmaster.com.

Cowboy Wrestling This Week No. 4 Oklahoma State vs. No. 20 Arizona State Nov. 20, 2009 :: 7 p.m. :: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611 capacity) TV: None Radio: 93.7 KSPI-FM (Rex Holt and Roger Moore) Live Audio & Video Broadcast: okstate.com Live Results & Play-by-Plays: okstate.com -------------------------------------------------------- The Basics The Oklahoma State wrestling team takes the mat for its first dual of the season when it hosts Arizona State (2-0 overall; 2-0 Pac-10) at 7 p.m. Friday. Ticket Information Season tickets for OSU wrestling cost $75 for the general public and $60 for OSU faculty & staff and senior citizens. OSU students are admitted free with ID. Single-dual tickets for Friday's dual cost $10 with the group rate $6 per person in a group of 15 or more. The group rate is only available if booked in advance. Gameday Promotions vs. Arizona State OSU Students can enter an orange VESPA S50 drawing with their student ID in east lobby of Gallagher-Iba Arena at Orange Rewards table. Special thanks to Amy & Malone Mitchell for their generous donation to make his program possible. Bring your OSU vs. Colorado Football Ticket to receive free admission to the home opening match MidFirst Show Me the Money-Bring a MidFirst sign for your chance to win $150 On The Air The dual will be aired live on KSPI 93.7 FM radio in Stillwater with Rex Holt and Roger Moore on the call. Watch The Dual Live Fans can watch the dual live online at okstate.com. Simply go to the site, then click on "Multimedia" and roll your mouse over to "Live Events" on the left-hand side and scroll down to the dual of your choice and click the link to the video feed. The video feed also includes the audio from the radio broadcast. Live Stats And Play-by-Play Fans can also follow the action online through live results and play-by-play on www.okstate.com. Simply go to the main wrestling site and click the link to the primary story on the page. OSU vs. Arizona State Series Capsule Overall: OSU leads, 35-4-0 In Stillwater: OSU leads, 17-0-0 In Tempe: OSU leads, 10-4-0 At Neutral: OSU leads, 8-0-0 John Smith vs. Arizona State: 17-1-0 Shawn Charles vs. Oklahoma State: 0-1-0 Series Trends: OSU has won last 15 meetings. Individual Head-to-Head There isn't much history between the probable starters for Friday's dual. In fact, Chris Drouin's 7-5 win over Jamal Parks at last year's Reno Tournament of Champions stands as the only head-to-head clash between individuals expected to wrestle this week. Last Meeting vs. Arizona State (2006) - OSU 38, ASU 3* 125: Scott (OSU) dec. Mendoza (ASU); 8-2 133: Morgan (OSU) tech fall Hickey (ASU); 16-1 141: D. Frishkorn (OSU) fall Johnson (ASU); 2:44 149: Esposito (OSU) win by forfeit 157: Ward (OSU) dec. Stith (ASU); 3-2 TB 165: Hendricks (OSU) maj. dec. Pitsch (ASU); 14-5 174: Mason (OSU) tech fall Robbins (ASU); 17-0 184: Dollaway (ASU) dec. Blackmon (OSU); 12-6 197: Jake Rosholt (OSU) dec. Bader (ASU); 5-1 285: Mocco (OSU) dec. Velasquez (ASU); 6-4 * National Duals (Cedar Falls, Iowa) A Familiar Face The Arizona State roster includes a familiar face to Cowboy fans in junior 133 pounder Ben Ashmore. Ashmore is the brother of current OSU wrestler Luke Ashmore and competed for OSU in 2008, compiling a 9-7 overall record before transferring. Scouting The Sun Devils Arizona State has one of America's top wrestlers at 125 pounds in junior Anthony Robles and boasts a very strong 141-pounder as well in junior Chris Drouin. Born with only one leg, Robles finished fourth at the 2009 NCAA Championships and won the Pac-10 title. Drouin took sixth at the 2009 NCAA Championships. More OSU-ASU Connections First-year Arizona State coach Shawn Charles is very familiar with OSU and the entire Big 12, for that matter. He has been on staff at four of the five schools in the league, serving stints at Iowa State (1993-95), Oklahoma (1996-97), Nebraska (2001-05) and Missouri (2007-09). While serving as the head coach at Fresno State in 2005-06, Charles coached his Bulldogs in a dual against Oklahoma State, with the Cowboys winning by a 44-3 score. Last Time Out: Central Missouri Open 125: Ladd Rupp (1st); Tyler Dorrell (4th); Zach Tull (dnp) 133: Jordan Oliver (1st), Tyler Shinn (2nd); 141: Jamal Parks (3rd) 149: Albert White (1st); Jake Peck (5th); Luke Silver (6th) 157: Neil Erisman (1st); Alex Munoz (6th) 165: Alex Meade (3rd); Joe Ali (dnp) 174: Mike Benefiel (2nd); Chris McNeil (3rd); Darnell Bortz (dnp) 184: Clayton Foster (1st); Chris Perry (2nd); Elliott Hellwege (dnp) 197: Alan Gelogaev (1st); Zach White (5th); Blake Rosholt (6th) 285: Jared Rosholt (1st); Tyson Yoder (dnp); Dalton Salisbury (dnp) Still Undefeated A total of six Cowboys are undefeated through two open tournaments, as Chris Notte (4-0), Jordan Oliver (7-0), Albert White (8-0), Neil Erisman (8-0), Clayton Foster (7-0) and Alan Gelogaev (8-0) are all expected to put their unblemished records on the line against the Sun Devils. Rosholt Nears The Century Mark Senior heavyweight Jared Rosholt, already a Big 12 champion and two-time All-American, continues to etch his name into the OSU record books. Entering the Arizona State dual, Rosholt has 97 career victories. A total of 32 Cowboys have hit the 100-win mark for their careers, with coach John Smith's 152 victories from 1984-88 topping the list. Winning Is The Family Business Jared Rosholt would become the second member of his family to hit the 100 career win mark at OSU, as older brother Jake was 104-21 from 2003-06. The only other set of brothers to win 100 for the Cowboys were the Smiths. John's 152-8-2 record from 1984-88 leads all OSU wrestlers, with brother Pat going 122-4-2 from 1990-94 and Lee Roy going 114-13-4 from 1977-80. Speaking Of Family... John Smith is coaching a pair of his nephews this year in true freshmen Chris Perry and Zach White. Perry is the son of John's sister, Cathy and White is the son of Smith's sister Mary Ann. Both Perry and White are expected to redshirt this season. Trading Spaces While some returning starters are in the lineup for the Cowboys this year, it should be noted that three of them are suiting up at new weight classes, with Chris Notte moving from 133 pounds to 125 pounds, Chris McNeil moving from 184 pounds to 174 pounds and Clayton Foster moving from 197 pounds to 184 pounds. All three were NCAA qualifiers last year, but are cutting down this year as a result of the increased talent in the OSU wrestling room. Red, White and OSU A quartet of Cowboys represented the United States on the international scene during the summer of 2009, with John Smith coaching the USA senior freestyle team at the FILA World Championships in Herning, Denmark, head assistant coach Eric Guerrero serving as head coach for Team USA at the FILA junior freestyle world championships in Ankara, Turkey and Jordan Oliver and Chris Perry both suiting up for Team USA at the FILA junior freestyle world championships. Oliver won bronze in the 60-kilogram bracket and Perry placed sixth in the 84-kilogram bracket at junior worlds. Foster Has Team USA Experience As Well Though he did not suit up in the Stars and Stripes this past summer, 184-pounder Clayton Foster represented the USA at the 2008 FILA junior world freestyle championships and had a nice showing, winning the bronze medal at the event. Call Him "Z" One of the most talked-about wrestlers in the country during the preseason was Oklahoma State 197-pounder Alan Gelogaev. Born in Chechenya, Gelogaev claims Moscow, Russia as his hometown. Prior to enrolling at OSU, he trained for five years under Russian wrestling legend and nine-time world champion Buvaisar Saitiev in Siberia. During his training in Siberia, he connected with former Cowboy Olympian Daniel Cormier and followed Cormier to Stillwater, where he is now mentored by six-time world champion John Smith. His nickname, "Z" comes from his middle name, Zelim. Fargo Champions Everywhere The 2009-10 Oklahoma State roster includes a staggering eight different Fargo junior freestyle national champions. The list: Luke Ashmore - 2006 Clayton Foster - 2006 Albert White - 2006 Mike Benefiel - 2007 Jon Morrison - 2007 Jordan Oliver - 2007 Jamal Parks - 2007 Chris Perry - 2008 Benefiel To Suit Up At Start Of Spring Semester Sophomore 174-pounder Mike Benefiel will not be eligible to compete for the Cowboys until the spring, 2010 semester begins at OSU, meaning that the Aurora, Ill., native won't be able to suit up for the Cowboys until the Jan. 16 dual at Iowa. Benefiel redshirted as a true freshman at Northwestern in 2007-08 before transferring to St. Louis CC in Meramec, Mo. Benefiel enrolled at Northern Oklahoma College for summer school in 2009 before coming to OSU in time for the fall, 2009 semester.

HOBOKEN, N.J. -- The Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team fell to NCAA Division I foe Sacred Heart University, 28-15, on Wednesday night in Walker Gymnasium. The Ducks fell behind early but never quit, getting wins in four of the last five bouts in what was a very competitive match. Sophomore Joe Favia (Brick, N.J.), junior Bobby Bishop (Wayne Valley, N.J.), junior Vincent Termini (Mount Laurel, N.J.), and senior James Roarty (Hyde Park, Mass.) all were victorious on the evening. Junior Pat Feely (Johnston, R.I.) earned a win by fall (1:33) at 125 lbs. over sophomore Brad Warren (Brookeville, Md.) to put Sacred Heart (1-3) up 6-0. Sophomore Anthony Ricco (Paramus, N.J.) made it 10-0 Pioneers with a major decision (16-4) over freshman Ryan Neugebauer (Baldwin, N.Y.), and senior Cory Dunn (Rutherford, N.J.) followed with a pin of senior Frank Maselli (Rye, N.Y.). Duck freshman Ryan Owens (Fallston, Md.) lost by pin fall to junior Paul Galipeau (Randolph, N.J.) to make it 22-0 SHU, but senior Charles Favia (Brick, N.J.) came out and wrestled well for Stevens (0-1) at 157 lbs. to really change the momentum. Though the Duck captain lost an extremely tight, 6-5 decision, he battled hard, taking junior Anthony Priore (Garwood, N.J.) to the brink. Following a 10-minute intermission after Charles Favia’s battle, brother Joe Favia put the Ducks on the board with an 8-3 decision over Jonathan Rizzitello (Paramus, N.J.) at 165. Up 4-1 heading into the third period, Favia earned an escape early on and a take down at the midway point to seal the win. Bishop made it 25-6 with a 10-4 decision in the 174-lb. weight class. After senior Michael Hartman (Cranston, R.I.) took a 2-1 lead into the second, Bishop really changed the momentum and controlled things the rest of the way. He earned three points in period number two before outscoring Hartman 5-1 in the final two minutes. Termini earned six team points with a win by forfeit at 184 lbs. and after senior Ernie Guaimano (Hillsborough, N.J.) dropped a close, 2-0 decision at 197, Roarty, a co-captain, ended the evening with a nice win at heavyweight. He defeated junior Paul Schwighhardt (Tinton Falls, N.J.), 3-1, and controlled the match. He got a reversal early in the third and added more than three minutes of riding time. Stevens will return to action when it heads to the Doug Parker Invitational on November 21. After a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Ducks will head to the Messiah College Invitational in Grantham, Pa. before looking for their first dual-match win when they host Elizabethtown College on December 11. Results: 125 lbs. – Feely, P (SHU) def. Warren, B (SIT) – Fall (1:33) (6-0 SHU) 133 lbs. – Ricco, A (SHU) def. Neugebauer, R (SIT) – 16-4 Major Decision (10-0 SHU) 141 lbs. – Dunn, Cory (SHU) def. Maselli, F (SIT) – Fall (2:06) (16-0 SHU) 149 lbs. – Galipeau, P (SHU) def. Owens, R (SIT) – Fall (2:59) (22-0 SHU) 157 lbs. – Priore, A (SHU) def. Favia, C. (SIT) – 6-5 Dec. (25-0 SHU) 165 lbs. – Favia, J (SIT) def. Rizzitello, J (SHU) – 8-3 Dec. (25-3 SHU) 174 lbs. – Bishop, B (SIT) def. Hartman, M (SHU) – 10-4 Dec. (25-6 SHU) 184 lbs. – Termini , V (SIT) won by forfeit (25-12 SHU) 197 lbs. – Lapp, B (SHU) def. Guaimano, E – 2-0 Dec. (28-12 SHU) 285 lbs. – Roarty, J (SIT) def. Schwighardt (SHU) – 3-1 Dec. (28-15 SHU)

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- The Lycoming College wrestling team needed just 35 minutes to defeat Gettysburg College 54-3 in the Warriors’ home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Lycoming’s grapplers scored pins in seven of the ten matches. The win improves Lycoming 4-0 on the season, while the Bullets slip to 0-1 overall. Walker Faison (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox) started things off at 125 pounds with a pin of Abe Evans just 53 seconds into the second period. After a Bullets forfeit at 133, 141 pound Warrior Jonathan Quiggle (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) earned the second Lycoming pin of the night at 2:14. Another forfeit at 149 pounds gave Lycoming a 24-0 lead. 157-pounder Colton Eyer (Millville, Pa./Millville) continued the pinning trend, doing so in just 48 seconds. Chris Dahlheimer (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion), currently ranked No. 4 in the nation, downed his 165-pound opponent in 1:03. At 174 pounds, Kyle Crouthamel (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Freedom) pinned Colin Pryor of Gettysburg in just 1:55, giving Lycoming a 42-0 lead. Troy Hayre (Falls Church, Va./McLean) picked up the sixth fall of the night at 184 pounds at 1:07 of the second period. 197-pounder Russel Korbul (Asbury, N.J./North Hunterdon) grabbed the final Lycoming points of the night, pinning Marshall Puls 57 seconds in the second period. Lycoming’s next match with be a battle of two ranked teams as it takes its No. 22 ranking on the road to Ithaca College, currently ranked No. 4 according to the Brute-Adidas coaches poll. The match is set for Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Results: 125 - Noel Faison (L) pinned Abe Evans (G), 0:53 133 - Andrew Lewis (L) wins by forfeit 141 - Jonathan Quiggle (L) pinned Jack Bostrom (G), 2:14 149 - Isaiah Britton (L) wins by forfeit 157 - Colton Ever (L) pinned Joe Fiore (G), 0:48 165 - Christopher Dahlheimer (L) pinned Michael Picciani (G), 1:03 174 - Kyle Crouthamel (L) pinned Colin Pryor (G), 1:55 184 - Troy Hayre (L) pinned Luke Mitchell (G), 1:07 197 - Russel Korbul (L) pinned Marshall Puls (G), 0:57 285 - Kevin Poplaski (G) dec. Zach Eckstrom (L), 4-3 (TB-2)

MITCHELL, S.D. -- The Northern State University wrestling squad earned their first dual win of the season Wednesday in dominating fashion, as they handed NAIA No. 19 ranked Dakota Wesleyan University a 42-10 beat down at the Christen Family Recreation/Wellness Center in Mitchell, S.D. With the win, the Wolves open up their season with a 1-0 mark in dual meets. The Wolves earned three wins via forfeit, all in the upper weight classes. They got pinfall victories from Jimmy Marx (125), Jacob Butrous (133), and Phil Downs (165), with Butrous’ victory coming over no. 9 ranked Malik Stewart. They got two wins via decision from Donnie Bowden (165) and Beau Voegeli (149) on the night to total out their 42 points. Results: 125 lbs. Jimmy Marx (NSU, 3-2) pinned Alan Stuber (DWU, 3-5); 1:49 133 lbs. Jacob Butrous (NSU, 3-4) pinned No. 9 Malik Stewart (DWU, 5-4); 5:11 141 lbs. No. 3 Jordan Harer (DWU, 2-0) maj. d. Benton Crow (NSU, 1-3); 16-2 149 lbs. Beau Voegeli (NSU, 3-4) d. Danny Hutcheson (DWU, 8-4); 4-1 157 lbs. Noah Ruml (DWU, 2-2) pinned Ryan Larsen (NSU, 0-1); 2:54 165 lbs. Donnie Bowden (NSU, 6-2) d. Tanner LaValliere (DWU, 6-5); 7-6 174 lbs. Phillip Downs (NSU, 2-2) pinned Blake Hodne (DWU, 3-6); 8:00 184 lbs. Cale Cornemann (NSU, 1-0) wins by forfeit 197 lbs. Matt Meuleners (NSU, 8-3) wins by forfeit Heavyweight Jared Little (NSU, 7-3) wins by forfeit The Wolves are next in action on December 5 when they travel to Chadron, Neb. to tangle with Chadron State.

BRISTOL, R.I. -- The 29th-ranked RWU wrestling team improved to 2-0 this season and 1-0 in the Pilgrim League with a 41-6 victory over the visiting Coast Guard Academy Wednesday evening in the Recreation Center Gymnasium. Three Hawks posted wins by fall while two earned wins by forfeit. RWU freshman Kaare Stokdal (Olive Bridge, N.Y.) and senior Jay Mahoney (Madison, Conn.) combined to give the Hawks the early 8-0 lead after both wrestlers recorded major decisions of 11-3 and 13-4, respectively. Coast Guard senior Andrew Armstrong (Bethel Park, Pa.) put the Bears on the board after earning an 8-2 win in the 141 weight class, but Hawks junior Nicholas Herrick (Paramus, N.J.) quickly put a stop to any Bears momentum as he pinned his opponent at 6:05 for six points to put RWU ahead, 14-3. Another 8-2 win for Coast Guard at 157 were the final points scored by the visitors with Andy Snyder (Tamaqua, Pa.) earning the victory. In the 165 match, RWU freshman Robert Markowski (Wayne, N.J.) needed 1:47 to pin his opponent, followed by an 8-6 win for senior Chris Nadeau (Granby, Conn.) at 174. Another RWU freshman, Philip Ernst, (Succasunna, N.J.) earned a win by fall at 5:12 of the 184 bout to put the Hawks ahead, 29-6. RWU sophomore John Battista (Brick, N.J.) and junior Nick Cambi (Cohasset, Mass.) earned wins by forfeit at 197 and 285, respectively. Both teams return to action Saturday in Springfield, Mass., at the Doug Parker Invitational held on the campus of Springfield College. Results: 125: Kaare Stokdal (RWU) Major Dec. over Joseph Kidwell (USCGA), 11-3: 4-0 133: Jay Mohoney (RWU) Major Dec. over Anthony Sionoriello (USCGA), 13-4: 8-0 141: Andrew Armstrong (USCGA) dec. over Chris O’Shea (RWU), 8-2: 8-3 149: Nick Herrick (RWU) pinned Curtis Hayes (USCGA), 6:05: 14-3 157: Andy Snyder (USCGA) Dec. over Robbie Crothers (RWU), 8-2: 14-6 165: Bobby Markowski (RWU) pinned Shane Stringfellow (USCGA), 1:47: 20-6 174: Chris Nadeau (RWU) Dec. over Matt Leisy (USCGA), 8-6: 23-6 184: Phil Ernst (RWU) pinned Daniel Pereira (USCGA), 1:57: 29-6 197: John Battista (RWU) Forfeit victory: 35-6 285: Nick Cambi (RWU) Forfeit victory: 41-6

PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Norwich University used a pair of wins by fall to defeat Plymouth State University in a collegiate wrestling match, 21-19, Wednesday evening at Foley Gymnasium. Each team posted five victories in the match, but the Cadets (1-2) won the team scoring by recording a pair of pins. PSU (1-2) nearly pulled out the match in the final bout when Jake Gagnon, needing a pin in the 285-pound weight class to give the Panthers the victory, recorded a three-point near-fall in the closing seconds but could not pin his opponent's shoulders to the mat. The top performances by Norwich came from senior Nick Monaco, who took four minutes, 26 seconds to pin his opponent at 141 pounds, and sophomore Ray Gauthier needed only 44 seconds to record the fall at 184 pounds. Other winners for the Cadets included freshman Robert Butts at 133, freshman Joey Eon at 149, and senior Jordan Ferguson in overtime at 197 pounds. In addition to Gagnon, PSU got a forfeit victory at 125 pounds and decisions by sophomore Mike Willey at 157, freshman Seth Carter at 165 and freshman Jesse Bilodeau at 174. Norwich returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 21, when the Cadets travel to Springfield, Mass., to participate in the Doug Parker Invitational hosted by Springfield College. Bouts are slated to begin at 10 a.m. Results: 125: Fred Wilkinson (PSU) won by forfeit 0-6 133: Robert Butts (NU) def. Josh Huber, 9-4 3-6 141: Nick Monaco (NU) pinned Pete Bronder, 4:26 9-6 149: Joey Eon (NU) def. Femi Wheeler, 6-2 12-6 157: Mike Willey (PSU) def. Adam Edgerton, 4-1 12-9 165: Seth Carter (PSU) def. Zach Wetzel, 19-8 12-13 174: Jesse Bilodeau (PSU) def. Matt Valnoski, 7-6 12-16 184: Ray Gauthier (NU) pinned Jacob Greenwood, 0:44 18-16 197: Jordon Ferguson (NU) def. Eric Larcomb, 3-1/SV 21-16 285: Jake Gagnon (PSU) def. Raistlin Delisle, 6-1 21-19

It is now being reported by InterMat that two-time defending Suffolk County champion/2008 NYS champion Ken Collado has given a verbal commitment to the University of Maryland and its head coach, former Section XI legend, Kerry McCoy. The 2009 NYS placewinner (sixth at 112) is the latest member in what is already a very impressive recruiting class to join the Terrapins. He joins InterMat Top 100 recruits Spencer Myers (No. 53; projected as a heavyweight) and Frank Goodwin (No. 65; projected as 133), as well as Jenkins Mozey (projected as 125) and returning Pennsylvania State placewinner Mark Hartenstine (projected at 141) as members of the Class of 2010 to formally announce that they will be College Park, MD bound next fall. Heading into his senior year, the Hauppauge High School wrestler will be looking to add on to a resume that already includes a pair of Suffolk County titles/three-time placewinner (2007- sixth at 96; 2008- first at 103; 2009 first at 112), as well as back-to-back trips to spots on the podium in Albany, having followed up his 2008 State title with a 6th place finish last season at an ultra-competitive 112 weight class. Should the Eagle wrestler be successful in accomplishing his mission to return to the top of the mountain, he will become the first Hauppauge wrestler since Mike Messina '99 (who went on to wrestle on the Division I level at Boston University/Sacred Heart) to win multiple state crowns. By virtue of his commitment, Collado, who is being projected as a 125-pounder on the collegiate level, becomes the fifth wrestler from Suffolk to solidify his spot on a D1 roster. He joins a trio of Rocky Point wrestlers Stephen Dutton (Lehigh), Anthony Volpe (Rutgers), and Billy Coggins (Virginia), as well as Hofstra signee Nick Terdick. When Collado arrives at UMD, he should have no trouble finding his fair share of quality workout partners to push him in the Terrapin Wrestling Room. In addition to former ACC champion Brendan Byrne, who joined his alma mater’s coaching staff this season as a volunteer assistant, the future University of Maryland lightweight will have the privilege of being molded by former two-time All-American/four-time Big-12 placewinner Todd Beckerman, a mainstay on the coaching staff who will celebrate his fifth anniversary on the UMD bench in 2010. Socially, the adjustment to college life should be made quite easier by the fact that the perennial Atlantic Coast Conference contender has been a very popular destination among Empire State wrestlers these past few years. Future teammates include fellow Suffolk residents Dan O’Malley (Sachem East) and Shawn Mazzarone (Sayville). Brockport’s Christian Boley is the third NYer on the Maryland roster. On behalf of everyone at LHW, we congratulate Ken, his family, and the Hauppauge Wrestling program for this accomplishment!!! InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

Listen to Audio Interview Mayer Lutheran High School (MN) wrestler Drew Fleming signed a National Letter of Intent today to wrestle for Division I South Dakota State University following his upcoming senior season. SDSU competes in the Western Wrestling Conference with Northern Colorado, Wyoming, Air Force, Utah Valley, North Dakota State and Northern Iowa. He is projected to wrestle at the 125-pound weight classes. Fleming becomes the first wrestler in the school's history who will compete at the Division I level. Founded in 1961, Mayer Lutheran High School is a school of approximately 250 students in grades 9-12, 40 miles West of Minneapolis, with students who commute from 52 surrounding communities. Currently the school does not have a wrestling team and they rely on a co-op partnership with nearby Watertown-Mayer High School. Fleming is currently a two-time state champion, winning the 112-pound Class AA title last winter as a junior and the 103-pound title as a sophomore. Fleming is the favorite to win state again this year at his weight class and if successful will be the sole wrestler in this year's Minnesota senior class with three titles. Fleming enters his senior season with a 108-13 record in his three years wrestling at the high school level, with one of the states' senior classes highest win percentage of .893. He also placed second at112 in 2008 and third at 103 in 2007 in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament, which is nationally recognized by many as one of the top five toughest high school tournaments in the country. Fleming also earned MSHSL all state team honors in 08 & 09, three-time all-conference honors and twice earned his team's MVP and hardest worker awards. Nationally, Drew was a 2007 USA Wrestling Cadet Freestyle All-American, 2008 USA Wrestling FILA Cadet Greco All-American and a 2008 USA Wrestling Junior folkstyle All-American, finishing second. Fleming has also won Minnesota USA state freestyle and Greco-Roman titles at both the cadet and junior levels, along with consistently placing in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in USA Wrestling's Northern Plains and Central Regional's over the last three years. Fleming is currently ranked by InterMat as Minnesota's No. 2 overall senior recruit and is nationally ranked No. 19 at his weight class in USA Wrestling Magazine's October 1 preseason edition featuring the Nations Best 2009-10 High School Seniors.

AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State wrestling team will be in two locations over the Nov. 21-22 weekend. A Cyclone group of wrestlers will take part in the Kaufman-Brand Open on the Nebraska-Omaha campus Nov. 21 throughout the day. Action begins at 9 a.m. in the Sapp Fieldhouse. ISU's four 2009 NCAA All-Americans (Nick Gallick, 141; Jon Reader, 165; Jake Varner, 197 and David Zabriskie, HWT) will be in Fullerton, Calif. at Cal State-Fullerton's campus for the NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by the William and Mary Wrestling Alumni Group. Cyclone Notebook • Iowa State is taking a 10-man contingent to the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, Neb. Six freshman will compete unattached. • Cyclones Nick Gallick (141), Jon Reader (165), Jake Varner (197) and David Zabriskie (HWT) will participate in the NWCA All-Star Classic in Fullerton, Calif. Nov. 22 at 12 p.m. • Head coach Kevin Jackson’s Cyclones were victorious in the first dual of his coaching career, winning 43-3 over South Dakota State Nov. 12. • The Cyclones are 80-12-1 in season openers since 1916. ISU has won 13 straight season-opening duals since 1996. • ISU carried the success of its first dual into the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open. Seven Cyclone wrestlers won individual titles. • ISU is currently ranked 2/2 in the Intermat and W.I.N. Magazine polls, respectively. Scouting the Kaufman-Brand (Omaha) Open • The University of Nebraska at Omaha hosts the na­tion’s largest collegiate wrestling meet each November. The Ryan Kaufman-Glen Brand Open attracts 500-700 wrestlers from 35 teams in 12 states to the UNO campus. • Action begins at 9 a.m. Saturday morning in Nebraska-Omaha’s Sapp Fieldhouse. Four Cyclones Invited to NWCA All-Star Classic • Four Iowa State wrestlers will sport cardinal and gold singlets in the 44th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic in Fullerton, Calif. on the campus of Cal State-Fullerton in Titan Gym Nov. 22. at 2 p.m. Cyclones Nick Gallick (141), Jon Reader (165), Jake Varner (197) and David Zabriskie (HWT) are set to compete. • Iowa State has had 69 participants in the NWCA All-Star Classic since its inception in 1967. The total ranks third behind Oklahoma State (81) and Iowa (74). • The last time four ISU wrestlers competed in the event was 1992, when Erik Akin (118 pounds), Torrae Jackson (150 pounds), Steve Hamilton (167 pounds) and Matt Johnson (177 pounds) represented the Cyclones.

TEMPE -- Arizona State University wrestler Anthony Robles, who is ranked third nationally at 125 pounds, has withdrawn from the upcoming 44th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the William and Mary Wrestling Alumni Group that will be held Sunday in Fullerton, Calif. Robles, a national semifinalist and All-American at 125 pounds last year with his fourth-place finish, made his decision today based upon the Sun Devils’ weekend schedule of road duals at No. 5 Oklahoma State on Friday night and at No. 18 Oklahoma on Sunday. “This was a very difficult decision for me to make and I apologize for it being at the last minute,” Robles said. “I approached the coaches about making the change and my coaches support me 100-percent no matter where I chose to wrestle [this weekend]. It came down to me being part of this team and I want to support them in whatever way I can and for me, that is wrestling in the Oklahoma dual. “It is an honor to be selected to compete as an all-star and I apologize again to the NWCA for pulling out so late,” Robles continued. “I was planning on going and competing hard, but my team needs me and right now. I need to prioritize and, for me, that means staying with the team and trying to defeat Oklahoma. I hope that my decision doesn’t look disrespectful to the NWCA and the wrestling community and I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes, but I am just trying to do what is best for the team and that is me staying with them and hopefully pulling out two wins on the road.” Head Coach Shawn Charles, an all-star competitor himself during his days on the mats for the Sun Devils, echoed Robles’ reasoning for forgoing competing in the Classic. “Anthony decided that he would rather travel with the team and wrestle for the team instead of for himself on November 22,” Charles said. “He came up to me and told me that he wanted to stay with the team. I told him that we didn’t expect him to be at the Oklahoma dual since he was going to the All-Star Classic and he told me that he really wants to be with the team and participate with the team and be able to contribute to the success of the team. “As a coach, no matter where he decided to wrestle on Sunday, we were going to support him 110-percent on his decision,” Charles continued. “Ultimately, it is his decision and I really hope the wrestling community respects that. This is an individual sport with team scoring. We have an individual that is buying into the program and what we want to accomplish as a program and he is determined to contribute to its success in every way he can. At the end of the day, that is what it is all about and I respect him for making this difficult decision.” The Sun Devils enter the weekend with a 2-0 record after defeating Pac-10 foes UC Davis (38-6) and CS Fullerton (37-4) on the road last weekend.

UFC 106 is on Saturday, November 21 in Las Vegas. Many fans are clamoring to see the main the event, a rematch between former UFC light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz. Amateur wrestling fans will find former NCAA wrestling champions Josh Koscheck and Jake Rosholt are on the card. Koscheck, a UFC veteran, has a big following after being on the first-ever The Ultimate Fighter reality television show. Rosholt has a nice following as a member of Team Takedown and because of his appearance on the popular profile television series Tapout. In short, we have former UFC champions, top contenders, UFC veterans, reality television fighters, and a licensed doctor debuting on the UFC 106 card. You did not read a typo ... A licensed doctor will be making his UFC debut. I would like to introduce Dr. Jacob Volkmann D.C. Jacob VolkmannOn Saturday, when the undercard begins, many will watch Jacob Volkmann's debut against Brazilian black belt Paulo Thiago. They may scratch their heads and wonder who these guys are. Thiago, who beat the aforementioned Koscheck by TKO and lost to former Purdue wrestler Jon Fitch by unanimous decision in his two UFC matches, will have a big Brazilian fan base. Many in the wrestling community will know that Volkmann was a three-time All American wrestler at the University of Minnesota, but to the general public he's a virtual unknown. Without a profile or photo on the official UFC Web site, you would be hard-pressed to find any information about Volkmann's MMA career. He hopes to turn all that around with a successful victory in his debut. Before his amateur wrestling accomplishments or his world grappling titles, Jacob Volkmann's journey started in a small town called Henning, located in west central Minnesota. Growing up on a farm, he started working at four years old. At four years old? What does a four-year-old do on a farm? "I don't know ... Whatever my dad told me to do," replied Volkmann. "My whole family went to a chiropractor, so that's how I got interested in it. My neck and back were always messed up from picking rocks, baling hay, moving pigs. I started seeing a chiropractor at six years old." At six years old, the seed was planted for the future doctor. Jacob VolkmannAfter winning three Minnesota high school state titles in Minnesota's small-school division, Volkmann was an unheralded recruit who decided to attend the University of Minnesota. While many athletes struggle to balance academics and athletics, Volkmann, a tireless worker, thrived, graduating with a double major in geology and geophysics. Not only did he thrive in the classroom, but also on the wrestling mat. He was a Big Ten champion and three-time All-American for the Gophers. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Volkmann attended Northwestern Health Science University in Bloomington, Minnesota, earning his Doctor of Chiropractic degree. He studied, interned, and earned his degree while competing in senior level Greco-Roman wrestling events. A little over a year later, he met then-UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk and Coach Greg Nelson in the Gopher wrestling room. At the time, Sean Sherk was the newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion preparing for his first title defense against Hermes Franca. Volkmann knew little to nothing about mixed martial arts. "They came into the wrestling room and showed some submissions," recalled Volkmann. "(Sherk) asked me to help him train for the title fight ... and it went from there." Volkmann, meanwhile, is the latest UFC signee from the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, which is home to fighters such as Sherk, UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, welterweight contender Brock Larson, recent UFC arrival Nik Lentz, among others. In 2008, Jacob Volkmann was a World champion in grappling (Photo/AmateurWrestlingPhotos.com)Volkmann has been a professional fighter for less than three years and has kept a hectic fight schedule. He is currently 9-0 with seven first-round submission victories. In 2008, he had six professional fights and found time to win the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials and then went on to capture the FILA World Grappling title, defeating black belt Brazilian Marcello Salazar Mousinho. Last month, while attempting to defend his World title, Volkmann lost at the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials to Olympic wrestler and two-time NCAA champion Ben Askren. Volkmann would like to fight every three to four months in the UFC. Ironically, he signed a four-fight UFC contract. The contract is voidable if Volkmann loses any of the four fights. Nik Lentz, who recently defeated Rafaello Oliveira this past September in his UFC debut, is not surprised by Volkmann's steady rise in MMA. "He's tough on the mat," said Lentz. "I mean, look at his World title. He's just really tough and aggressive in all aspects." Lentz says that it's important that Volkmann stay focused on the task at hand. "I would tell any first-time UFC fighter that it's such a blur," said Lentz. "You have weigh-ins, press ... all that stuff. You have to just cut all of it out and focus on the fight. Volkmann is going to be alright." Volkmann's first test in the UFC is no small challenge. His opponent not only has an impressive 11-1 record, but already has two UFC fights under his belt. He is also a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu ... Not that Volkmann is losing too much sleep over that fact. "His strength is jujitsu," said Volkmann. "That's pretty obvious. I'm not too worried about that because that's my strength." Volkmann's biggest advantage with Thiago, besides his experience competing in world grappling event, is that he is an accomplished amateur wrestler. He can dictate if he would like to keep the fight standing or take it to the mat. While analyzing the fight, Thiago would be hard-pressed to take Volkmann down. Jacob Volkmann brings a 9-0 record into the UFC"Maybe get him in a front head lock so I can work the body shots, wear him out that way so I'm not worried about an uppercut that comes out of nowhere or not worried about a knee bar or a heel hook. He likes to do those ... the leg submissions." So what advice would Volkmann give to someone looking to parlay a wrestling career into an MMA career? "Start training boxing, jujitsu, and wrestling," said Volkmann. "Get a good gym, a coach that knows what he's talking about. Find one that is actually credentialed ... like Greg Nelson is credentialed." For most wrestlers turned MMA fighters, learning the technical part of striking can be difficult. Leg kicks, boxing, muay thai, among other things related to striking seem to be the last things that former wrestlers develop. Volkmann agrees and is no different in his personal assessment. "The hardest part is the footwork with boxing," said Volkmann. It's a little different from boxing and doing MMA, so you kind of have to learn the MMA part of boxing. It's not just street boxing." Volkmann remains confident while training and sparring with various former champs in his camp. Different guys push him on a daily basis. One of those guys is Paul Bradley, former two-time All-American for Iowa. Bradley currently sports a professional MMA record of 12-1. "The wrestling and boxing ... Paul Bradley is pretty hard. He's got good takedown defense and is pretty quick." Jacob Volkmann with his family"Everyone has their parts," continued Volkmann. "I would say Sean Sherk is the toughest on the mat ... well, Nik Lentz and Sean Sherk. They are so different, but they both give me a tough time on the mat with the jujitsu part. On the wrestling and boxing, I'm going to say Paul is the toughest." Volkmann is still actively involved in the sport of wrestling ... just not as a competitor. He serves as the head coach of the Ice Bears, a youth wrestling club in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where he resides and runs his new chiropractic clinic, Volkmann Chiropractic. He also gives his time and expertise to high school wrestlers. But Volkmann has little desire to one day coach at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. "I'm going to stick with the little guys and high school wrestlers," said Volkmann. A professional MMA fighter, World champion grappler, three-time All American college wrestler, three-time high school champion, wrestling coach, father, husband, and a doctor. You can choose whatever title you want when describing Jacob Volkmann, and it would carry validity. Nonetheless, when I think of Jacob Volkmann only one phrase resonates during the time I have researched, interviewed, and asked questions about him as an athlete and person: An inspirational role model.

Drew Fleming

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of four recruits to national letters of intent on Tuesday. Jerome Robinson, Matt Tourdot, Tristan Warner and Matt White will make up the class that will attend ODU starting in the fall of 2010. “The coaching staff feels very fortunate to fill heavy needs in our lineup in four weight classes,” said Martin. “We were looking for kids that fit our university, our program and our goals. All four of these kids were perfect fits. We feel that this recruiting class has tremendous potential to not only win national titles and be All-American’s, but to also be Academic All-Americans.” Robinson will come to Old Dominion ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit at 112-pounds by both WIN Magazine and Wrestling USA. He is the No. 32 overall recruit regardless of weight class. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio and wrestling out of St. Ignatius High School, Robinson is a three-time state qualifier and two-time state place winner. He won the state title during the 2008-09 season. Additionally, Robinson was a two-time Ironman Placer and the Super 32 champion in 2009. Robinson is expected to wrestle at 125-pounds as a Monarch. MARTIN ON ROBINSON: Jerome comes from a High School with extremely high academic standards and that should allow him to transition very easily to becoming a collegiate student-athlete. He choose to attend ODU over numerous Big 10 and Big 12 schools. He’s the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight class because he’s so athletic and explosive. Tourdot finished his high school career at Sparta with 109 wins and 54 pins. The Wisconsin native placed third in the state during the 2008-09 season. He also gained All-American status at the USA junior folkstyle nationals (4th), USA junior freestyle nationals (6th) and USA preseason nationals (3rd). Tourdot ranks fourth nationally on themat.com future Olympian rankings. He also played football and tennis in high school, garnering all-conference honors in football. MARTIN ON TOURDOT: Matt is an excellent student-athlete. He had a great spring, summer and fall by becoming an All-American at all his events. He wrestled at 215-pounds, but he’ll be a 197-pounder for us. He is a diamond in the rough and he’ll make huge gains at the 197-pound weight class because he wrestles very hard. Athletes that wrestle hard at any weight class have a high probability of getting onto the podium. Warner is ranked No. 12 by WIN Magazine and is projected to wrestle at 165-pounds, but could compete at a higher weight class if needed. He is a two-time PIAA state qualifier and recently won the Super 32 Challenge at 171-pounds. In 2007-08, Warner finished third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, wrestling at 152-pounds. In 2008-09, he finished sixth at the Super 32 Challenge and claimed seventh at the Beast of the East. He was ranked third in Wrestling USA for juniors. MARTIN ON WARNER: Tristan is an outstanding student and wrestler. He is serious about succeeding both on and off the mat. He is from the same high school as national finalist Ryan Williams (Cumberland Valley). One of the reasons we recruited Tristan is because he mirrors Williams academically, athletically and socially. Warner was heavily favored to place high in the PIAA state tournament last year, but he contracted pneumonia before the event. We believed in him so those results didn’t make a difference to us. We know we have a solid wrestler as he just recently won the Super 32, which is a preeminent tournament in the U.S. for high school wrestlers in folkstyle. He is a typical Cumberland Valley wrestler and has tremendous skills. White, out of Woodward High School in Oklahoma is a two-time state placer in both 2008 and 2009. He garnered All-American status by finish seventh at the USA Junior freestyles. White, who is ranked No. 17 by Wrestling USA and No. 18 by WIN Magazine, is projected to wrestle at 157 or 165-pounds at ODU. MARTIN ON WHITE: Matt comes from good blood lines as he is John Smith’s (Head Coach at Oklahoma State, five-time World Champion and two-time Olympic Champion) nephew. We feel very fortunate to be able to snag Matt away from the Big 10 and Big 12 schools. Matt is very explosive on his feet and came out of nowhere this past summer to place at the prestigious junior freestyle nationals in Fargo, ND in a loaded weight class. “We expect all four of these student-athletes to compete for national titles and to gain All-American status,” said Martin. “Although this is not a huge recruiting class, it’s a talented one that fulfills needs at the lower, middle and upper weights.”

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for action ending Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. Sanderson, a transfer from Iowa State who made his Penn State debut this past weekend, is the first Penn State Wrestler of the Week since February of 2008. Sanderson entered last week ranked No. 5 at 157, and made his Rec Hall dual meet debut with a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 2 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg. The victory helped spark the Nittany Lions to a 23-15 win over the visiting Huskies in head coach Cael Sanderson’s home dual debut. Two days earlier, he beat Lehigh’s Sean Bilodeau (5-2) in his PSU dual debut. In two bouts, Sanderson did not get taken down. Penn State is now 1-1 on the year while Bloomsburg falls to 2-1. The Nittany Lions trek to Binghamton, N.Y., to take part in the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Sunday, Nov. 22. Penn State will face Rutgers (9:45 a.m.), Harvard (11:30 a.m.) and Edinboro (3 p.m.) at Binghamton University. Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $5 in advance and $6 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) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Wyoming sophomore 125-pounder Michael Martinez (Pagosa Springs, Colo./Pagosa Springs HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Martinez, a returning NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds, started his season in a big way this past weekend by going 5-0 and getting a huge win over No. 9 ranked Ben Kjar of Utah Valley in the final of the Cowboy Open. On Friday, Martinez, ranked No. 17, opened the Cowboys' home dual with Northwest College (24-13 team win) by cruising to a technical fall victory. He used four takedowns, three nearfalls and a reversal to beat Phillip Grout, 18-3. Then on Saturday at the 37th annual Cowboy Open tournament, Martinez won the 125-pound Elite weight class. He was 4-0 and recorded three major decisions on the day. In the finals he got one of the biggest wins of his young career, over Kjar by sudden victory decision 5-3. After forcing the pace in the closing minutes, Martinez earned the decisive takedown near the edge of the mat late in the overtime period. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: Air Force - Cole VonOhlen, Fr., 141, Jackson, Minn. (Jackson County Central) North Dakota State - Tyler Johnson, 165 lbs, So., Bismarck, N.D (Bismarck H.S.) Northern Colorado - Justin Gaethje, 165, lbs., Jr., Safford, Ariz. Northern Iowa - Charlie Ettelson, 149 lbs., Sr., Hudson, Iowa (Hudson HS) South Dakota State - Tyler Sorenson, 197 lbs., Sr., Garretson, S.D. Utah Valley - Jeff Newby, 133 lbs., Sr., Brigham City, Utah (Box Elder HS) 2009-10 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 10 - Tyler Sorenson (South Dakota State) Nov. 17 - Michael Martinez (Wyoming)

Decision, discipline and devotion -- that’s the theme for Augsburg College in its push to claim its 11th NCAA Division III national championship in wrestling this season. “Every man on this roster must decide they want to be national champions; have the discipline to push themselves and their teammates to new limits in the classroom, weight room and wrestling room; and live a devoted lifestyle to the Augsburg wrestling program. This team is full of great young men that are living this motto,” said Mark Matzek, entering his second season as Augsburg’s head coach in 2009-10. With six national tournament qualifiers and four All-Americans returning to a lineup with depth at virtually every weight class, prospects are positive for the Auggies to continue their reputation as one of the crown jewels of small-college wrestling. Augsburg finished second at last year’s Division III national tournament, extending its streak of top-four national-meet finishes to 21 straight years -- a record currently unmatched by any other NCAA wrestling program in any division. Augsburg finished 11-2 in dual meets last season, claimed the Great Lakes Regional championship for the seventh straight season and won the title at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals for the fourth time in the tournament’s eight-year run. Augsburg enters the 2009-10 season in the No. 2 spot in the NWCA/Brute-Adidas preseason national rankings, with six Auggies ranked among the top 10 nationally in their weight classes. “It’s always on our minds, winning the national championship. It’s an achievable goal,” said Matzek, a 2005 Augsburg alumnus who was named the ninth head coach in the history of Augsburg wrestling last season. Six national qualifiers return Keying the optimism for the 2009-10 campaign is the return of six national tournament qualifiers, including returning 197-pound national champion Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS). A two-time Minnesota high school state champion wrestler who competed at Division I Wisconsin in the 2003-04 season, he returned to collegiate wrestling last season after four years away from the sport and dominated throughout the season, finishing 30-1 with 16 pins and three major decisions to claim the 44th individual national title in Augsburg wrestling history. Massey will also benefit this season from a change in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference redshirt transfer rules, which will enable him to gain back a previous year of eligibility, making him a junior this year. Though Augsburg is an independent school in wrestling (the MIAC does not sponsor wrestling as a championship sport), its student-athletes are subject to MIAC eligibility rules. “No one in the nation trains harder than Jared Massey,” Matzek said. “He’s a great leader on this team. You have a big guy that everyone looks up to in the wrestling room. Especially when we have some younger guys who are wondering how hard should they be drilling and how hard should they be lifting, all they have to do is look over to Jared Massey’s circle and there it is.” At 157 pounds, Jason Adams (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) will attempt to become a three-time All-American and make Augsburg history in the process. Adams’ father, Bob Adams ’83, was a three-time All-American and 1983 national titlist, and should Jason Adams win a national title this season, the father-son duo could become the first in Augsburg history to accomplish the feat. The duo is already the first father-son All-American combo in Auggie wrestling history. After earning national runner-up honors at 141 pounds in 2008, Adams moved up two weight classes and finished third nationally at 157 in 2009 with a 39-6 record. He is 90-20 on his career. Zach Molitor (JR, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) shined in his first season at Augsburg after transferring from Division I North Dakota State, finishing sixth nationally at 174 pounds with a 31-10 record. Heavyweight Andy Witzel (SR, Fulda, Minn.) also returns to the starting lineup, after finishing fifth last season for his first All-America honors. After finishing 34-9 last year, he is now 82-35 in his career. In his first season as an Auggie, Orlando Ponce (JR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS) qualified for the national tournament at 165 pounds, and is aiming for a return to the national tournament this season. Tony Valek (SO, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West HS) and Lucas Murray (JR, Anoka, Minn.) will also battle for spots in the middle of the Auggie lineup. Valek qualified for the national tournament last season at 141 pounds, but may move up to 149 and provide a challenge for Murray, a varsity competitor in the 2007-08 season. Depth, plenty of competition There’s plenty of depth in the Augsburg roster, with at least three wrestlers at every weight class. There will be serious competition at several weight classes this season. At 184 pounds, returning starter Brad Baus (SO, Mukwonago, Wis.) will face competition from newcomers Tyler Bowling (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Apple Valley HS), a 2006 state high school runner-up who earned junior college All-American honors at Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) in 2008, Doug Fuller (FY, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.), a Wisconsin state runner-up from last season, and Caleb Lines (FY, New Prague, Minn.), who missed last season due to injury. Joining Murray and Valek in the middleweight battle will be returners Nathan Lexvold (SO, Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS), Justin Koob (SO, New Ulm, Minn.), Jake Saatzer (JR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) and Torey Stewart (SO, Jackson, Minn./Jackson County HS). Returner Zach Enrico (SO, Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins HS) and newcomer Ryan Seidler (FY, Adams, Wis./Adams-Friendship HS), a Wisconsin state titlist and three-time state placewinner, will battle with Adams at 157. There’s plenty of experience at 165, as returners Spencer Flodeen (JR, Cannon Falls, Minn.), Jake Grygelko (SR, Loretto, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS), Beau Hansen (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.) and John MacCormick (SR, Minnetonka, Minn.) will battle with Ponce for the spot. At 174, Molitor will face challenges from returners Brandon Bahr (SO, Bemidji, Minn.), Josh Kohler (SO, Monticello, Minn.) and Jackson Mboma (SO, Maple Grove, Minn.). Battling the returning All-Americans at the upper weights will be 197-pound returners Mitch Gerold (SO, Braham, Minn.) and Alex Krautkremer (SO, Jordan, Minn./Scott West), and heavyweight returners Tyson Barrett (SR, Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka HS) and Nick Creamier (SO, Coon Rapids, Minn.). Youth in lower weights Fifteen wrestlers -- including 11 first-years and sophomores -- will make the battles for the 125- and 133-pound weight class spots an interesting one. At 125, returner Freddie Vigil (SR, Bakersfield, Calif./South HS) has seen varsity action in his career, and is the front-runner for the starting spot. Returners Ky Olsen (JR, Kansasville, Wis./Westosha Central HS) and Minh Huynh (SO, Eagan, Minn./Eastview HS) will be joined by Josh Roberts (FY, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS), who missed last season due to injury, and Jesse Hylton (FY, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS), a two-time state tournament qualifier. A large group of wrestlers will battle at 133 pounds. Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.), a three-year letterwinner who did not compete last season, returns this year, joined by returner Alex Johnson (SO, Foxhome, Minn./Breckenridge HS). Several newcomers will join the 133-pound battle, led by state tournament champions Devon Bonds (FY, St. Paul, Minn./Humboldt HS) and Boyd Suparat (FY, North Branch, Minn.). Four-time state entrant and three-time state placewinner Cody Hansen (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.), three-time North Dakota state placewinner Dusty Holmes (SO, West Fargo, N.D.), and three-time state qualifiers Cody Madsen (FY, Stillwater, Minn.) and Matthew Bailey (FY, Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) will also be in the mix, along with Brian Gaffney (JR, Portage, Wis.), a transfer from the University of Dubuque (Iowa), and Michael Orange (FY, Southfield, Mich.). Academic excellence Augsburg has a tradition of academic excellence in wrestling that is just as strong as the team’s accomplishments on the mat. Last season, the Auggies finished 13th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Scholar All-American team race with a 3.346 team grade-point average. Over the last 27 seasons, Augsburg has earned 105 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, the most of any college in any division in the nation, including 82 athletes honored since 1997. Augsburg has finished among the top 25 wrestling teams in the Scholar All-American team program every season since it was started in 1998, and has had a team GPA of 3.2 or better every season during the 11 years of the program. Augsburg had the top GPA in the country in the 1999 season (3.480) and finished second three times (1998, 2000, 2006).

Jamie Moffatt

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The No. 17 Virginia wrestling team swept three matches Sunday at the ACC Challenge at Eddie Smith Field House in Chapel Hill, N.C. UVa capped the day with a 20-19 victory over No. 16 American, marking the Cavaliers' first-ever win over a ranked team. Virginia (5-0) earned a 20-15 win over Bucknell in the opening match of the day, then piled up the points in a 50-0 triumph over Gardner-Webb. In the opener against Bucknell (1-2), UVa rallied from 13-9 deficit by winning the final three weight classes. With the match hanging in the balance and UVa leading 15-13 going into the final bout, heavyweight Calvin Cardillo (Sr., Alexandria, Va.) scored a 16-1 technical fall over the Bison's Conor Sweeney to propel UVa to a 20-15 win. UVa then dominated Gardner-Webb (0-4), winning all 10 weight classes in a 50-0 romp. The 50 points is the fifth-highest point total in school history, and the 50-point margin of victory also ranks fifth in school annals. The Cavaliers racked up five falls, while eight matches resulted in bonus points for UVa. In the finale against American (0-3), the Cavaliers lost the first five classes to drop into a 16-0 hole, then won big at the next four matches to rally. No. 16 Michael Chaires (R-So., Scotia, N.Y.) won by major decision at 165 and No. 3 Chris Henrich (Jr., Lansdale, Pa.) followed with a pin. Mike Salopek (R-Fr., North Huntingdon, Pa.) won by forfeit at 184 and No. 9 Brent Jones (R-Sr., Burke, Va.) then recorded a major decision at 197. Cardillo lost by decision in the finale as UVa squeaked out a 20-19 win. At 197 pounds, Jones added to his school pins record, recording his 36th career fall against Gardner-Webb's Travis Porter. Jones posted three wins on the day and now has 85 for his career as he moved into an 11th-place tie with Derek Capanna (1985, 1987-89) on the all-time UVa wins ledger. Salopek also swept his three matches Sunday to run his season record to 5-0. Henrich suffered his first loss of the year and just his fourth defeat in two seasons, dropping a 10-9 overtime decision to No. 13 Shane Riccio of Bucknell. Henrich rebounded with a vengeance, pinning American's Thomas Barreiro in just 37 seconds - the fastest fall of Henrich's career. Sunday also marked the return of Ross Gitomer (R-Sr., Flemington, N.J.), who made his first appearance after his 2008-09 season ended prematurely because of a knee injury. Gitomer scored a major decision over Gardner-Webb's Marc Rocha at 125, then moved up to 133 and dropped a 6-1 decision to American's Thomas Williams. Freshman Stephen Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) made his college debut at 174 pounds against Gardner-Webb and responded with a pin of Dave Sweeney in 2:28. UVa is off from team competition next week, although several Cavaliers will compete unattached in the Wolfpack Open on Nov. 21 in Raleigh, N.C., while Chris Henrich will wrestle in the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 22 in Fullerton, Calif. Henrich is slated to take on No. 7 Stephen Dwyer of Nebraska. The Cavaliers return to team competition Nov. 28 at the Northeast Duals. No. 17 Virginia 20, Bucknell 13 125: Matt Snyder (UVa) dec. Derrik Russell (BU) 8-2; UVa 3-0 133: No. 13 David Marble (BU) major dec. Matt Cubillos (UVa) 9-1; BU 4-3 141: Derek Valenti (UVa) dec. Zac Hancock (BU) 8-5; UVa 6-4 149: Kevin LeValley (BU) dec. Shawn Harris (UVa) 1-0; BU 7-6 157: Dan Gonsor (UVa) dec. Brantley Hooks (BU) 8-3; UVa 9-7 165: No. 6 Andy Rendos (BU) dec. Michael Chaires (UVa) 10-4; BU 10-9 174: No. 13 Shane Riccio (BU) dec. No. 3 Chris Henrich (UVa) 10-9 OT; BU 13-9 184: Mike Salopek (UVa) dec. Rob Waltko (BU) 4-2; BU 13-12 197: No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa) dec. Joe McMullan (BU) 9-7; UVa 15-13 HWT: Calvin Cardillo (UVa) tech. fall Conor Sweeney (BU) 16-1; UVaz 20-13 No. 17 Virginia 50, Gardner-Webb 0 125: Ross Gitomer (UVa) major dec. Marc Rocha (GWU) 18-6; UVa 4-0 133: Matt Cubillos (UVa) dec. Brett Kostern (GWU) 10-5; UVa 7-0 141: Derek Valenti (UVa) pins Kurt Wentick (GWU) 2:40; UVa 13-0 149: Kellon Balum (UVa) dec. Ryan Medved (GWU) 8-1; UVa 16-0 157: Pat Riley (UVa) major dec. Alex Medved (GWU) 8-0; UVa 20-0 165: No. 16 Michael Chaires (UVa) pins David Pelsang (GWU) 3:38; UVa 26-0 174: Stephen Doty (UVa) pins Dave Sweeney (GWU) 2:28; UVa 32-0 184: Mike Salopek (UVa) pins Jonathon Velazquez (GWU) 2:38; UVa 38-0 197: No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa) pins Travis Porter (GWU) 6:56; UVa 44-0 HWT: Calvin Cardillo (UVa) wins via forfeit; UVa 50-0 No. 17 Virginia 20, No. 16 American 19 125: Jasen Borshoff (AU) dec. Matt Snyder (UVa) 2-1; AU 3-0 133: Thomas Williams (AU) dec. Ross Gitomer (UVa) 6-1; AU 6-0 141: Jordan Lipp (AU) dec. Derek Valenti (UVa) 6-2; AU 9-0 149: No. 4 Kyle Borshoff (AU) dec. Kellon Balum (UVa) 3-2; AU 12-0 157: Steve Fittery (AU) major dec. Dan Gonsor (UVa) 17-4; AU 16-0 165: No. 16 Michael Chaires (UVa) major dec. Tanner Shaffer (AU) 13-2; AU 16-4 174: No. 3 Chris Henrich (UVa) pins Thomas Barreiro (AU) 0:37; AU 16-10 184: Mike Salopek (UVa) wins via forfeit; tied 16-16 197: No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa) major dec. Kenneth Clessas (AU) 12-2; UVa 20-16 HWT: Mingo Grant (AU) dec. Calvin Cardillo (UVa) 6-4; UVa 20-19