InterMat Staff

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

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Five West Virginia University wrestlers won titles on Nov. 14 at the Washington and Jefferson College Open in Washington, Pa. Redshirt senior Donnie Jones took first place at 165 pounds, as he cruised to a 4-0 record in the open and was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler. He earned a first-round bye and posted a 17-6 major decision over University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown's Zach Wolford. After earning another victory, Jones defeated Penn State's Jake Kemerer, 5-3, and pinned UPJ's Kyle Keane in 2:35 for the title. “Donnie wrestled very well,” coach Craig Turnbull says. “He had some good competition. Jake Kemerer from Penn State made the team after defeating the All-American, Dan Vallimont, who beat Donnie last year at the NCAA Tournament. As a freshman, Penn State decided to redshirt him so he was at the tournament. It was a hard-fought match.” Sophomores Colin Johnston (133) and Matt Ryan (184), freshman Cameron Gallaher (197) and junior Brandon Williamson (HWT) also won titles at their respective weight classes. Johnston, an Eighty-Four, Pa., native, wrestled the 2008-09 campaign at 141 pounds, but dropped to 133 pounds this year. He showed no problems wrestling at a lower weight class with three of his five wins coming by bonus decision. In his opening match, he majored Shippensburg's Simon Rice, 15-5, and then earned a 13-1 major over UPJ's Matt Scherich. Johnston faced freshman teammate Nathan Pennesi in the quarterfinals and registered a 3-2 victory. Johnston then won the finals by pinning Mercyhurst's David Bolger in 4:29. Pennesi finished third at 133 pounds. His first three matches were indicative of his ability to transfer his high school success to the collegiate level. He pinned Thiel College's Adam Householder in 2:30, tech falled Shippensburg's Russell Davidson, 17-1, and then posted a 12-4 major decision over Duquesne's Jake Swink. "The purpose of the tournament was really the same as when we ran the WVU Open,” Turnbull adds. “We really wanted an opportunity to get everyone in there, get multiple matches in a day and get used to competing again. We want to let them find out what's working and what isn't and let us (coaching staff) assess that, as well as their conditioning level. It's good feedback for the individuals, but it's really good feedback for the coaches." A Grafton, W.Va., native, Gallaher went 4-0 at the tournament. He pinned Washington and Jefferson's Nathan Miller in 1:25, blanked UPJ's Petros Gerogilas, 7-0, and then defeated teammate Kyle Rooney, a junior, 4-1, for the title. Of the six remaining weight classes that the Mountaineers did not capture, the team had four runner-up finishes. Freshman Shane Young took second at 125 pounds, while redshirt sophomore Mark Tsikerdanos placed second at 149 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Eason (157) and redshirt senior Chance Litton (174) also took second place at their respective weight divisions. "The day was very successful,” Turnbull says. “The guys found out things that were working and things that were deficient. I think it'll make our practices much more focused now, getting everybody matches to where they get back in the room with a much clearer idea of what they need to work on and the intensity they need to compete at to be successful. I think many had very good success." WVU returns to action this weekend, with part of the team traveling to Annapolis, Md., for the 2009 Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Mountaineers' dual meet starters will compete at the Sprawl & Brawl dual meet on Sunday, Nov. 22, in Vestal, N.Y. WVU faces Wyoming at 11:30 a.m., and then Illinois at 1:15 p.m.

The Russian Wrestling Federation has released its final lineup for the freestyle team which is traveling to the United States this week to compete in four events. The Russian freestyle team will face Freestyle Team USA at the Chicago Cup at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, Ill. on Sunday, November 15. The Chicago Cup will be webcast live on TheMat.com. It will then face a different lineup from Freestyle Team USA in a World Dual meet at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa on Wednesday, November 18. The dual meet in Iowa will be webcast by TakedownRadio.com and LiveSportsVideo.com. Broadcast team for the Iowa event includes Mark Ironside, Dan Gable and Hawkeye Play by Play radio voice Steven Grace. Event coverage set to get underway at 6:30 PM CST. On Friday, November 20, there will be a third Freestyle Team USA vs. Russia dual meet, held at the New York Athletic Club in New York, N.Y. The final appearance for the Russian team will be at the New York Athletic Club International Freestyle Championships at the New York Athletic Club in New York, N.Y. on Sunday, November 22. Information on additional broadcasts will be announced when available. 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, Colo. in 2009. RUSSIAN FREESTYLE LINEUP 55 kg/121 lbs. - Nariman Israpilov 60 kg/121 lbs. – Vladimir Vilmov 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Arsen Mairov 74 kg/163 lbs. – Rashid Kurbanov 84 kg/185 lbs. - Anzor Urishev 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Magomed Magomedov 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Valeriy Bedoev 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Alan Tsarikaev Team Leader – Christakis Alexandris Coaches – Andzor Tembotov, Alan Abaev Referee – Soslan Zaseev Russian Freestyle Biographies 55 kg/121 lbs. - Nariman Israpilov Seventh in 2009 Golden Grand Prix finals… 2009 European champion… 2009 Ivan Yarygin Memorial champion… 2008 Junior World champion… 2008 Shamil Umakhanov International champion… Third in 2008 Medved International (Belarus)… Born: February 23, 1988 60 kg/121 lbs. – Vladimir Vilmov Third in 2009 Russian Nationals… Fifth in 2009 Ziolkowski International (Poland) at 66 kg… 2009 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion… Fifth in 2009 Ivan Yarygin Memorial… Second in 2007 Ivan Yarygin Memorial… 2005 European Junior champion… 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Arsen Mairov Second in 2009 Russian Nationals…. Born: July 15, 1989 74 kg/163 lbs. – Rashid Kurbanov 2007 European Junior champion… Fourth in 2007 New York AC International Open… 2004 European Cadet champion… Born February 16, 1987 84 kg/185 lbs. - Anzor Urishev 10th in 2009 World Cup… 2009 Chechen Ramzan Khadyrov Cup champion… Third in 2009 Ziolkowski International (Poland)… Third in 2009 Ukrainian International… Third in 2009 Russian Nationals… Third in 2009 Ivan Yarygin Memorial… 2008 Henri Deglane Challenge champion (France)… Third in 2008 Medved International (Belarus)… Second in 2008 Russian Nationals… Second in 2007 Junior World Championships… 2004 Cadet European champion… Born: January 23, 1987 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Magomed Magomedov Third in 2009 Russian National Championships… Born: January 29, 1986 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Valeriy Bedoev Second in 2009 Dave Schultz Memorial International… Fifth in 2009 Ivan Yarygin Memorial… Third in 2008 and 2009 Russian Nationals at heavyweight… Third in 2008 New York AC International… Born: May 3, 1988 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Alan Tsarikaev Seventh in 2009 Junior World Championships… 2009 Russian Junior National champion… Third in 2007 Cadet European Championships… Born: January 1, 1991

Cornell College head wrestling coach Mike Duroe and Tolly Thompson, NCAA champion and World medalist, will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, November 18. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Duroe is the current head wrestling coach at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Cornell placed eighth at the 2009 NCAA Division III tournament with three All-Americans. NCAA runner-up Nick Nothern returns as the Rams' highest placer. Duroe will have a prominent role in the USA versus the World dual taking place on the campus of Cornell College on Wednesday, November 18. A team from the United States will face Russia in an international freestyle dual at 7 p.m. Thompson was an NCAA champion for Nebraska in 1995. The former three-time All-American had a solid international freestyle career highlighted by making two World teams at heavyweight. At the 2005 World Championships Thompson earned a bronze medal. Thompson will be in studio as a special co-host for this edition of "On the Mat."

TEMPE -- The No. 20 Arizona State University wrestling team concluded its first weekend of action on the road Sunday as the Sun Devils won 9-of-10 matches to easily defeat host CS Fullerton, 37-4, at a dual held inside Titan Gym in Fullerton, Calif. The Sun Devils, who defeated UC Davis, 38-6, on Friday, improved to 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-10 Conference while the Titans slipped to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the league. Of the nine matches won by the Sun Devils, five produced bonus points, giving ASU bonus point in 11 of its 17 wins on the weekend. Overall, eight individuals exited the weekend with perfect 2-0 records including four Sun Devils that won both of their matches by major decision or better. Those individuals included Anthony Robles at 125 (two technical falls), Ben Ashmore at 133 (forfeit and pin), Vicente Varela at 149 (pin and major) and Eric Starks at 174 (two major decisions). The dual with the Titans opened at 165 pounds and Kyle DeBerry put the Sun Devils ahead for good as he built a 6-2 lead midway through the second period before pinning Blake Ginbsburg in 4:18 to give the visitors a quick 6-0 lead. At 174, Starks took a 6-1 lead through two periods and finished with an 11-1 major decision over Todd Noel to push the advantage to 10-0. Jake Meredith extended the lead to 13-0 after his 8-3 decision over Mark Savalle at 184 pounds. The hosts picked up their only win of the afternoon at 197 pounds with Dylan Klink scoring an 11-1 major decision over Michael Hawkins, cutting the lead to 13-4. Heavyweight Erik Nye got the Sun Devils back on track, however, as he took a 2-0 lead through the first period and fought off a takedown at the end of the match for the 3-2 win. Leading 16-4, the Sun Devils added 11 more over the next two matches as No. 3 Robles recorded a 22-5 technical fall over Andre Gonzalez before Ashmore stuck Eddie Garcia at 6:15 of the 133 match after leading 10-2 through the first two periods. With a 27-4 lead, the Sun Devils added three more hard-earned points at 141 as No. 5 Chris Drouin needed a late takedown to come back from an early 2-1 deficit for a 7-5 win over Adin Duenas. Varela added his second bonus point win of the weekend one match later as he took the 149 contest with a 17-4 major decision over Mario DeCaro before Te Edwards closed out the team victory with a 14-8 decision over Nick Jordan. ASU remains on the road next weekend with a pair of clashes with nationally ranked Big 12 teams as the Sun Devils meet No. 5 Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. CT in Stillwater, Okla., on Friday night before facing No. 16 Oklahoma on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT in Norman, Okla. Results: at Fullerton, Calif. 165 - Kyle DeBerry (AS) pinned Blake Ginsburg, 4:18 174 - Eric Starks (AS) major Todd Noel, 11-1 184 - Jake Meredith (AS) dec. Mark Savalle, 8-3 197 - Dylan Klink (CF) major Michael Hawkins, 11-1 285 - Erik Nye (AS) dec. Kurt Klimek, 3-2 125 - #3 Anthony Robles (AS) tech fall Andre Gonzalez, 22-5 (6:18) 133 - Ben Ashmore (AS) pinned Eddie Garcia, 6:15 141 - #5 Chris Drouin (AS) dec. Adin Duenas, 7-5 149 - Vicente Varela (AS) major Mario DeCaro, 17-4 157 - Te Edwards (AS) dec. Nick Jordan, 14-8

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the initial NWCA Coaches Poll, downed Bloomsburg 23-15 in the home opener for head coach Cael Sanderson's squad. Over 4,000 Penn State faithful watched as Penn State's young line-up won six of ten bouts for the win. Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, downed No. 2 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg in the day's signature bout. Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 8 nationally, put Penn State up 4-0 early with a four-point tech fall at 125, downing BU's Jason Guffey 22-7. Lion freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) was up 11-5 at 133 in his Penn State debut but got caught with a quick pin at 133 as BU's Dan Gaylord got the fall at the 5:28 mark to put the Huskies up 6-4. Bloom's Frank Hickman picked up a win at 141 and BU quieted the Nittany Lion fans and led 9-4 after three bouts. But two Nittany Lion All-Americans sent the Penn State faithful into a frenzy in the next two bouts. Sophomore Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) posted a 12-3 major over BU's Josh Roosa a 149, setting up the dual's marquee match-up at 157. Penn State senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) thrilled the Lion crowd with a superb 3-2 win over Bloomsburg's Matt Moley. Sanderson was ranked No. 5 at 157 while Moley entered the bout ranked No. 2. The decision gave Penn State an 11-9 lead heading into intermission. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, pushed Penn State out to a 14-9 lead with a 2-1 win over No. 19 Rick Schmelyun. Bloomsburg, however, was not done. The Huskies countered with an 11-5 win from Nate Graham at 174 and a 4-0 win from Derek Coffey at 184 to give BU a 15-14 lead with just two bouts left to wrestle. Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) was re-ignited the Penn State fans, however, with a thrilling late takedown in a 3-1 win over Bloomsburg's Jake Dabashinky, putting Penn State back on top 17-15. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at HWT, put the exclamation point on the win by pinning Bloomsburg's Zach Walsh at the 4:42 mark, giving Penn State a 23-15 win. Penn State won six of the ten bouts and notched 20 takedowns to Bloomsburg's 11. Penn State had five bonus point in the bout while Bloomsburg picked up three on the quick pin at 133. 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. #15 Penn State 23, Bloomsburg 15 State College, Pa. - Rec Hall - November 15, 2009 125: #8 Brad Pataky PSU tech. fall Jason Guffey BU, 22-7 (7:00, 4-pt) 4-0 133: Dan Gaylord BU pinned Bryan Pearsall PSU, WBF (5:28) 4-6 141: Frank Hickman BU dec. Colby Pisani PSU, 19-12 4-9 149: #6 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Josh Roosa, 12-3 8-9 157: #5 Cyler Sanderson PSU dec. #2 Matt Moley BU, 3-2 11-9 165: #9 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. #19 Rick Schmelyun, 2-1 14-9 174: Nate Graham BU dec. Nick Fischer PSU, 11-5 14-12 184: Derek Coffey BU dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 4-0 14-15 197: Clay Steadman PSU dec. Jake Dabashinky BU, 3-1 17-15 HWT: #20 Cameron Wade PSU pinned Zach Walsh BU, WBF (4:42) 23-15 Attendance: 4,063 Records: Penn State 1-1, Bloomsburg 2-1 Up Next for Penn State: At Sprawl and Brawl Duals, Binghamton, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Nittany Lion junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 125, took on Bloomsburg's Jason Guffey. Pataky, as is his norm, wasted no time in getting in deep on his opponent's leg. But Guffey was able to fight off the move and force a stalemate. Pataky shot again and got his first two points at the 1:57 mark, using another low single to score and take the lead. He then put together a strong ride, building up :50 in riding time before cutting the Huskie loose at the 1:00 mark. Pataky then gained control of the Huskie's shoulders and worked his way around behind Guffey to up his lead to 4-1 with 1:34 in riding time, after the first period. Pataky chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. The Lion junior used a strong high double for a third takedown and a 7-2 lead after cutting the Huskie loose with 1:30 left. Guffey took a lunging shot that Pataky countered, with a nice side step takedown. Pataky quickly cut Guffey loose and added another takedown and cut to lead 11-4 with :32 left in the period. Pataky was relentless, adding two more takedowns in the final :30 to lead 15-5 with 2:29 in riding time heading into the third period. Guffey chose down to start the third period. Pataky controlled Guffey long enough to secure the riding time point and pick up a stall point before cutting him to a 16-6 lead. Another Guffey stall gave Pataky a 17-6 lead and Pataky quick scored with a low double off the reset to up his lead to 19-6 with :33 left. With :15 left, Pataky cut Guffey loose and quickly added a final takedown to post a 22-7 tech fall. With no back points scored, Pataky's tech fall put the Lions up 4-0. 133: Freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) took to the mat at 133 to face BU's Dan Gaylord. Pearsall, making his Penn State dual meet debut, was fierce out of the gates, taking a quick shot that he looked to turn into a quick takedown. But Gaylord deftly countered the move to take Pearsall down. He then quickly completed a cradle for two quick back points and was up 4-0 just :40 into the bout. Pearsall, however, quickly escaped to cut into the lead and then used a solid low shot to notch his first collegiate dual meet takedown and cut Gaylord's lead to 4-3. He then turned the Huskie to his back for three near fall points and then rode him out to lead 6-4 at the end of a furious first period. Pearsall chose down to start the second period and quickly worked his way out from underneath Gaylord for a reversal. A nice turn gave the Lion freshman two more near fall points and with 1:00 left in the middle stanza, Pearsall led 10-4. Another ride out allowed the Lion to secure the riding time point and lead 10-4 heading into the final period. Gaylord chose down to start the third period and was cut loose by Pearsall. Pearsall shot quickly, looking to work for team bonus points, but Gaylord stunned the Lion freshman, turning into the shot, rolling him to his back for a quick pin. The swift move, at the 5:28 mark, put the Huskies up 6-4 after two bouts. 141: Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) to meet Husky Frank Hickman at 141. Pisani quickly broke out to a 4-0 lead, turning a two point takedown into two nearfall points and a 4-0 lead. The Lion sophomore continued his dominant ride, letting the Huskie reset himself and then turning him for two more back points and a 6-0 lead with 1:05 left. Hickman then escaped with just :15 left and added a critical takedown as the period ended. Pisani led 6-3 with 2:40 in riding time heading into the second period. Hickman chose down to start the stanza, but Pisani quickly began looking to complete a cradle on the Huskie. Hickman worked his way out of trouble and quickly escaped to a 6-4 deficit. He pressured Pisani into a quick takedown and added three near fall points. Allowing the Lion sophomore to reset, Hickman picked up another three point near fall to lead 14-7 after two periods. Pisani chose down to start the third period and was allowed up by Hickman. Trailing 14-8, the Nittany Lion sophomore gave up another takedown and fell behind 16-9. The Huskie freshman added another takedown with 1:20 left to move out to an 18-9 lead. Pisani managed a reversal to cut into the lead, trailing 19-11 with :30 left. Pisani nearly added another late shot by Pisani nearly led to another score, but time wound out and Hickman escaped with a 19-12 lead (Pisani picked up a riding time point to avoid the major). Bloomsburg led 9-4 after three bouts. 149: All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 141, met Bloomsburg's Josh Roosa at 149. Molinaro quickly opened up a 2-1 lead with a takedown at the 2:18 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore was relentless, adding another quick high double to lead 4-2 with 1:30 left in the opening period. The same move just a minute later led to the same result as Molinaro worked his way to a 6-2 lead after the ride out on the third takedown. Trailing by four, Roosa chose down to start the second stanza. Molinaro put together a dominant ride, working the Huskie hard while looking for a chance to turn him. The Lion cut Roosa with :50 left and quickly gained control of his right thigh off the reset, lifting him high off the ground and taking him down for another takedown and an 8-3 lead. A ride out gave the Lion sophomore an 8-3 lead heading into the third. Molinaro chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead (with 2:38 in riding time). Molinaro continued to pressure Roosa and picked up a critical takedown with :55 left to up his lead to 11-3. With the riding time point secured, Molinaro continued to work the Huskie head into the mat, looking for a chance to turn him for back points. Roosa managed to stay off his back and keep damage to a minimum. Molinaro's 12-3 major cut the Huskie lead to 9-8. 157: Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, met Bloomsburg's Matt Moley, ranked No. 2, in the marquee match-up of the day. Sanderson took the first shots of the bout, looking to get in on the Huskie All-American's upper legs. But Moley was able to step back and stay out of trouble and keep the bout scoreless halfway through the opening period. Neither wrestler managed to get on the scoreboard through the first three minutes and action moved to the second period tied at 0-0. Sanderson chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Moley took an early shot off a reset, but Sanderson was able to step out of trouble and maintain his 1-0 lead with 1:35 left in the period. Sanderson took a shot at a high single that Moley nearly countered and turned into two points. But Sanderson was able to avoid trouble and still led 1-0 with :50 left. Sanderson shot high at the :30 mark, but this time Moley was able to step back and stay off the mat. Trailing 1-0, Moley chose down to start the third period. A quick escape tied the bout at 1-1 with 1:57 left in the hotly contested bout. Sanderson got in deep on a high single right away, but Moley was able to break free of the hold and keep the bout tied. Sanderson then took a quick low shot and then fought off a scrambling effort by Moley on the edge of the mat, lifting the Huskie high in the air and taking him down to the mat for a 3-1 lead with :55 left in the bout. Moley escaped to a 3-2 deficit with :35 left, but Sanderson continued to pressure the Huskie back on his heels, forcing action to the edge of the mat. Sanderson then scrambled away from a late Moley shot on the edge of the mat and secured a thrilling 3-2 win over the second-ranked Huskie. The win put Penn State up 11-9 heading into intermission. 165: Senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, took on No. 19 Rick Schmelyun of Bloomsburg. Vallimont shot low off a reset with 2:10 left, gaining control of the ranked Huskie's right ankle. But Schmelyun was able to step over the Lion All-American and force a reset with 1:38 left in the first period. Vallimont took another low shot and spent the next minute-plus working for a takedown. Schmelyun, however, was able to fight off the move and the clock wound down to zero with the grapplers still tied up in the center of the mat. Vallimont chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to a reversal at the 1:12 mark to lead 2-0. The senior then put together a strong ride, gaining control of Schmelyun's wrist and looking to turn the Huskie for near fall points. While the BU senior was able to stay parallel, the ride out allowed Vallimont to lead 2-0 with :34 in riding time heading into the final period. Schmelyun chose top to start the final period, hoping to turn the Lion for back points. But Vallimont did not panic, fighting off every Huskie effort and forcing a reset with 1:00 left. Schmelyun managed to ride Vallimont out, but the Lion was never in any danger and walked away with a solid 2-1 win. The victory put Penn State up 14-9. 174: Freshman 165-pounder Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) took to the mat at 174 for Penn State to face Bloomsburg's Nathan Graham. Graham notched a quick takedown of Fischer, bolting out to an early 2-0 lead. Fischer escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 1:00 mark and then shot low on Graham. But Graham countered the move, stepping behind the Lion freshman for a 4-1 lead. A ride out allowed the Huskie to hold that lead heading into the second period. Graham chose down to start the middle stanza and worked his way to a reversal and a 6-1 lead just :10 in. Fischer nearly got his own reversal, but Graham was able to work his way out of bounds with 1:10 left. The escape cut the BU lead to 6-2. Trailing by four, Fischer chose down to start the third period. Graham rode the Lion freshman long enough to secure the riding time point before Fischer escaped to a 6-3 deficit. The Loin freshman then looked to score on a high single, but Graham was able to step behind the shot and get a takedown of his own to up his lead to 8-4. Fischer shot again but could not break through the Huskie's defense. Graham added another takedown with :15 left to post an 11-5 win and cut Penn State's lead to 14-12. 184: Nittany Lion Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) met Bloomsburg's Derek Coffey at 184. Coffey took a couple early shots that Ortega was able to easily step away from. The Lion sophomore then began looking for his own offense after a reset in the middle of the mat with :30 left. But Coffey was able to work his way out of bounds as Ortega worked his upper body and the bout was scoreless after one period. Coffey chose down to start the second period and worked his way to a 1-0 lead after the escape at the 1:52 mark. The duo traded shots over the next minute, with neither grappler finding a solid opening to move into. Ortega finished a low single with :15 left, but action moved out of bounds and the second period ended with the Lion sophomore trailing 1-0. Ortega chose down to start the final period but Coffey was able to turn the Lion for two nearfall points and a 3-0 lead. Coffey then continued to pressure Ortega, securing the riding time point and ended the bout on top. The ride out allowed the Huskie to post a 4-0 win and put BU up 15-14 with two bouts to wrestle. 197: Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) battled Bloom's Jake Dabashinky at 197. The duo spent the first minute-plus looking for a scoring opportunity, but defense ruled the opening period. Steadman picked up the offensive pressure as the first period wound down under the one minute mark. While Steadman forced the Huskie backwards, he could not find a way to score and the bout moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Dabashinky chose down to start the period and maintained control of the Huskie long enough to build up a 1:28 riding time edge before the Huskie escaped to a 1-0 lead. Trailing 1-0, Steadman chose down to start the third period, needing to escape in :28 to maintain his time advantage. But Dabashinky was able to keep control long enough to erase the advantage. Now Steadman needed the escape to tie the bout. A tie-up forced a reset with 1:12 left. Dabashinky got hit with a stall for hanging onto Steadman's ankle with :59 left. Steadman finally escaped to a 1-1 tie with :45 left and immediately used a quick high single to take Dabashinsky down and take a 3-1 lead with just :28 left. The Lion sophomore then rode the Huskie out to post a thrilling 3-1 win and give the Nittany Lions a 17-15 lead. HWT: Sophomore heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 20 nationally, met Zach Walsh. Steadman got the first takedown at the 2:09 mark, taking a 2-0 lead. He then began looking to turn the Huskie sophomore and build up a riding time advantage. Walsh escaped to a 2-1 deficit as Wade built up a 1:00 time edge. Wade carried the 2-1 lead into the second period. Walsh chose down to start the middle frame, but Wade spent the bulk of the period looking for a chance to turn the Huskie for back points. With :45 left, Wade picked up two near fall points to up his lead to 4-1. He then reset the Huskie and turned him once more and this time, pinned the Huskie at the 4:42 mark. The quick fall gave Penn State a 23-15 victory.

What comes to mind when you think of the state of Wisconsin? America's Dairyland. The Green Bay Packers. Beer. Brats. Cheese. An outdoor paradise for hikers, hunters and fishermen. For those outside Wisconsin, the sport of wrestling may not immediately come to mind. However, the state has a rich mat history, with a number of all-time great wrestlers and coaches whose careers were nurtured in the Dairy State, including Olympians John and Ben Peterson, Russ Hellickson, Lee Kemp, Dennis Hall, Jim Gruenwald, Garrett Lowney, and Ben Askren ... as well as NCAA champs such as Jim Jordan, Tim Hartung, and Cole Konrad. Now there's a book that celebrates and shares that history: Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007, a 194-page book edited by the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Alumni Chapter. Go-to source for Wisconsin high school history Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007 starts with a concise presentation of Wisconsin coaching history ... then outlines the history of the Wisconsin high school state tournament. It then provides the names of the individual state champs and place winners from the very first state tournament that brought 150 grapplers to Appleton in late March, 1940, up through 2007, as well as team titlewinners and dual meet champions. The book is a mother lode of high school stats for prep wrestling in the state. Want to know who has the most career wins? Most takedowns in a career -- or within a season? Most pins (career and season)? Fastest falls? The names of wrestlers who secured at least 40 wins within a season? It's all in there. There are even some neat bonus features, such as an "All in the Family" list of wrestling families who made names for themselves on the mats within the state of Wisconsin. Brother acts, as well as fathers and sons. Beyond high school Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007 isn't limited to high school wrestling. It also takes a look at the college wrestling scene within the Dairy State, with stats on career wins, career pins, career takedowns, fastest falls, and wins within a season, and other individual statistics. The book also lists three- and four-time national qualifiers. The state of Wisconsin can also lay claim to a surprising number (at least to those of us outside the state) of wrestlers who competed for the U.S. at the Olympics. Two-time Olympic medalist Ben Peterson -- a native of Comstock, Wisconsin -- penned the chapter on the great mat Olympians who grew up in the state. Along the same lines, Larry Marchionda wrote a chapter about the history of Wisconsin's international wrestling experience beyond the Olympics. Ben Peterson at the 1980 Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007What's more, women's wrestling in Wisconsin is presented in an informative write-up by Jill Gurtner, a high school principal and wrestling official for two decades. Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007 also honors the greats of the state, with its history of the George Martin Wrestling Hall of Fame, and photos of the hall's honorees. (Martin, known as the "father of Wisconsin wrestling," was long-time head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badger wrestling program.) The history behind this historical book The book describes itself as "perpetuating (Wisconsin wrestling) history and the vision of George Martin." "We saw a need for a definitive book on wrestling in Wisconsin," according to Jim Stephenson, former high school wrestling coach in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Alumni Chair. "We wanted something that would settle arguments, and be a reference folks could turn to whenever they had a question about a wrestler or wrestling program within the state." Cole Konrad, a native of Freedom, Wisconsin, was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at the University of Minnesota (Photo/The Guillotine)"When I look at books like From Gotch to Gable: A History of Wrestling in Iowa and The History of Collegiate Wrestling, I see the value in preserving the history of wrestling," Stephenson continued. "We wanted to do the same here in Wisconsin." In his letter in the opening of Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007, Stephenson provides a quick sketch of how the book came about: Four years ago, I received an email from Hall of Fame member Don Hartman. He asked if I and a few other retired coaches would assist in writing a history of the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association. It was something we all discussed occasionally and decided to tackle the project ... We set a course to organize Wisconsin's wrestling history ... Luckily for the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Alumni Chapter, much of the groundwork had already been laid. "For years, Ken Manning would gather stats and put them into little annual booklets, sold at the state tournament," Jim Stephenson said in an interview with InterMat. "Then the Sages(the alumni coaches) decided to put it all together in one book." "After we had gathered the stats, we recognized that we had other neat stories to tell -- girls' wrestling, Olympics, more. So we incorporated those into the book." Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007 made its debut at the Wisconsin high school state tournament in March 2007. "We had to explain what it was about," Stephenson said. "It's hard for us to understand that the new generation isn't as interested in history, about how wrestling got started in Wisconsin. In talking to InterMat about how the book came together, Stephenson made it clear that Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007 was very much a team effort of the Sages ... and definitely a labor of love. "The book came together over the course of 3-6 months on my computer. After we finished, I didn't want to look at another computer screen." But Stephenson and the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Alumni Chapter are already working on a new edition of their book, which they hope to unveil in 2012. They already see ways to improve the 2007 book, with additional historical features ... a chapter on officiating ... coverage of university wrestling programs within the state ... coaches' stories ... and even a quiz on Wisconsin wrestling trivia. Also on the list of enhancements for the second edition: more photos and newspaper clippings, to help provide even more of a visual history of the sport. As it is now, Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007 is a winning first effort. Chock-full of statistics, and sprinkled with interesting feature stories and historical photos, the book provides a valuable record of wrestling in the state of Wisconsin. To learn more about Wisconsin Wrestling 1940-2007 -- or to purchase a copy -- visit the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Web site: http://wiwrestling.com/ads/wwca/indexwwca.htm

Lincoln -- Leading by just three points heading into the final match, senior Stephen Dwyer notched a pin at 174 pounds to secure a 26-17 victory for the seventh-ranked Nebraska wrestling team over No. 11 Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers improve to 10-0 in season-opening duals under head coach Mark Manning. Nebraska claimed three-straight victories to open the dual, but a Wisconsin comeback capped by a Andrew Howe fall at 165 pounds closed the Husker lead to 20-17 with one match remaining. Dwyer, who is ranked No. 6 in the nation at 174 pounds, broke a 3-3 tie in the third period when he pinned Brendan Ard in 5:25 to send Nebraska away with its 15th consecutive victory in season openers. The Huskers won 6 of 10 matches overall and grabbed a nine-point lead (20-11) with two bouts remaining when defending national champion Jordan Burroughs pinned Wisconsin’s Greg Burke at 157 pounds in just 25 seconds. The senior from Sicklerville, N.J., registered a takedown 11 seconds into the match, before putting Burke away with the sixth fall of his career and 86th overall victory. Burroughs’ pin (0:25) is the quickest fall by a Husker in a varsity match during the Big 12 era. Nebraska also turned in a pair of major decision wins from senior Craig Brester (197 pounds) and junior Mike Koehnlein (141 pounds). Brester defeated Jackson Hein, 14-2, behind three takedowns and a near fall in the first period, while Koehnlein used two near falls en route to a 12-2 triumph over Trey Bertram. Koehnlein was one of five newcomers in the NU startling lineup, including 184-pound redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen, who opened the dual with a 6-1 decision over Jimmy Duffy. Ihnen’s win was the first of three Husker victories to start the match, which was concluded by an exciting 4-3 overtime decision from sophomore Tucker Lane at Heavywight. Lane and Eric Bugenhagen went to overtime tied at 1-1 and remained even at the end of three overtime periods, when Lane was declared the winner due to a one-second riding time advantage. Wisconsin won matches at 125, 133, 149 and 165 pounds. Nebraska will now send its top wrestlers to the 44th annual NWCA All-Star Classic, as Burroughs, Dwyer and Brester were invited to the prestigious event in Fullerton, Calif., next Sunday, Nov. 22. Meanwhile, the majority of the Huskers will travel to down Interstate-80 to the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday, Nov. 21.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan opened the dual meet portion of its schedule with a 32-6 win over Chattanooga Sunday at Rose Center. The 13th-ranked Chippewas won nine of 10 individual bouts, with the lone loss being a void at 141 pounds. CMU scored bonus points in three matches and allowed a total of just two takedowns and three reversals in the victory. Matt Steintrager built a 5-0 lead on takedowns in the first and second period against Demetrius Johnson at 125 pounds, but Johnson reversed Steintrager late in the second period, escaped to open the third and took Steintrager down on the edge of the mat to tie the score at 5-5. Steintrager scored an escape with one minute remaining for the decisive point. Scotti Sentes was victorious in his debut at 133 pounds, pinning Josh Statum at the 4:49 mark. After a scoreless first period, Sentes quickly worked Statum to his back in the second period and scored three back points before eventually sticking the pin. UTC scored its only team points when CMU voided the 141-pound match. Tony D'Alie scored a takedown 10 seconds into his 149-pound match with Dean Pavlou, and he added three more takedowns and built a riding time advantage of 2:02 in a 10-2 major decision at 149 pounds. In the only matchup of ranked opponents, Steve Brown earned a 6-5 decision over Joey Knox at 157 pounds. Brown, ranked eighth nationally, scored a pair of first-period takedowns and added a reversal in the second period of take control of the match. Knox, ranked No. 16 nationally, tallied an escape early in the third period and a takedown in the closing seconds for the final margin. Tyler Grayson added three team points for the Chippewas with an 8-3 decision at 165 pounds. Grayson scored a takedown in each period while building a riding time advantage of 2:03. Mike Miller, the nation's top-ranked 174-pounder, opened his season with a 3-1 decision over Chattanooga's Jake Young. Miller and Young traded escapes before Miller scored the decisive takedown in the third period. Redshirt freshman Ben Bennett earned his first career victory at 184 pounds, claiming a 5-4 decision over UTC's Jason McCroskey. Bennett scored the only takedown of the bout in the first period, but the pair traded reversals before Bennett added an escape late in the opening period. A pair of escapes accounted for the rest of the scoring. Eric Simaz scored an escape and a takedown in the second period on his way to a 4-0 victory at 197 pounds. Simaz held a riding time advantage of 2:28 in the match. Jarod Trice capped the win with an 11-1 major decision at heavyweight. Trice scored four takedowns in the victory and added riding time. CMU is off until Nov. 28 when it travels to Northeast Duals. Results: 125: Matt Steintrager (CMU) dec. Demetrius Johnson, 6-5; CMU leads 3-0 133: No. 9 Scotti Sentes (CMU) pin Josh Statum at 4:49; CMU leads 9-0 141: No. 20 Cody Cleveland (UTC), win by forfeit; CMU leads 9-6 149: No. 19 Tony D'Alie (CMU) maj. dec. Dean Pavlou, 10-2; CMU leads 13-6 157: No. 8 Steve Brown (CMU) dec. No. 16 Joey Knox, 6-5; CMU leads 16-6 165: Tyler Grayson (CMU) dec. Brandon Wright, 8-3; CMU leads 19-6 174: No. 1 Mike Miller (CMU) dec. Jake Young, 3-1; CMU leads 22-6 184: No. 16 Ben Bennett (CMU) dec. Jason McCroskey, 5-4; CMU leads 25-6 197: Eric Simaz (CMU) dec. Niko Brown, 4-0; CMU leads 28-6 285: No. 11 Jarod Trice (CMU) maj. dec. Tom Minwell, 11-1; CMU leads 32-6

Hempstead, NY -- Each team won five matches but freshman Andrew Schutt’s come-from-behind victory in the final 15 seconds in the final match of the day allowed the Bulls of Buffalo to tie the Hofstra Pride, 16-16, at the David S. Mack Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. The Bulls improved to 1-0-1 on the season while the Pride is 0-0-1. Schutt trailed 3-0 in the 141-pound finale after Hofstra red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks’ takedown with 16 seconds remaining in the third period. But the newcomer reversed the Pride wrestler three seconds later and then added three back-points for a 5-4 victory after Banks took the riding time point. Sunday’s contest opened up at 149 pounds with Buffalo’s 16th-ranked Desi Green posting an escape with 1:51 in the third period to take a 3-2 victory over Hofstra sophomore Justin Accordino. Ninth-ranked Hofstra senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman started a four-match Pride winning streak and tied the match at 3-3 with a 10-5 victory over Andrew Stella at 157 pounds. Sophomore P.J. Gillespie posted a 5-2 win over John Martin Cannon at 165 before junior Ryan Patrovich, ranked 10th by Intermat, cruised to a 10-3 victory over Matt Bogardus at 174 pounds. Sophomore Ben Clymer’s 8-0 major decision over Buffalo’s Josh Peters gave the Pride a 13-3 lead at the intermission. Accordino, Gillespie and Patrovich made their debuts at their new weights Sunday. But 20th-ranked Jimmy Hamel put Buffalo back on the winning track with an 8-6 decision over Pride senior Anthony Tortora at 197 pounds and sophomore Brett Correll posted a second period escape to snap a 3-3 tie and go on to a 5-3 decision over Hofstra red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder at 285 to close the deficit to 13-9. Hofstra freshman Jamie Franco, who moved down a weight class to 125 pounds to fill in for the injured starter Steve Bonanno, recorded an escape with 53 seconds remaining to post a 1-0 victory over sophomore Dylan Dabolt and boost the Pride lead to 16-9. But Buffalo sophomore Kevin Smith tallied a 27-12 tech fall win over Hofstra junior Jeff Rotella at 133 pounds but didn’t have any back-points for a four-point victory to close the deficit to 16-13 setting up Schutt’s match-tying win. The Pride return to action next Saturday, November 21 when they compete in the North Carolina State Wolfpack Open in Raleigh, North Carolina. Results: 149 - No. 16 Desi Green (UB) dec. Justin Accordino (HU), 3-2 157 - No. 9 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU) dec. Andrew Stella (UB), 10-5 165 – P.J. Gillespie (HU) dec. John Martin Cannon (UB), 5-2 174 - No. 10 Ryan Patrovich (HU) dec. Matt Bogardus (UB), 10-3 184 – Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Josh Peters (UB), 8-0 197 - No. 20 Jimmy Hamel UB) dec. Anthony Tortora (HU), 8-6 285 – Brett Correll (UB) dec. Paul Snyder (HU), 5-3 125 – Jamie Franco (HU) dec. Dylan Dabolt (UB), 1-0 133 - Kevin Smith (UB) tech fall Jeff Rotella (HU), 27-12 (6:56) 141 – Andrew Schutt (UB) dec. Tyler Banks (HU), 5-4

Plenty of Wyoming Cowboy wrestlers won multiple matches on Saturday at the 37th annual Cowboy Open in UW's War Memorial Fieldhouse, however five `Pokes sauntered all the way to the top of their brackets and won individual titles at their home tournament. The event is sponsored by UniWyo Federal Credit Union. A total of nine UW student-athletes placed in the top three of their weight groups. Wyoming also won Outstanding Wrestler awards in both the Elite and Amateur divisions, sophomore Joe LeBlanc and freshman Tyler Cox respectively. "As a whole we wrestled harder today," head coach Mark Branch said. "I want perfection and we still did not wrestle technically well, but we did come out and compete. "We struggled on bottom, which is disappointing because we have spent a lot of time on that this preseason. The team should expect to spend more time on that in the weeks to come. "There is a group of our guys wrestling with the attitude that I want, so hopefully the rest of the team takes notice and learns from the example of their peers. That is a great way to learn." No. 5-ranked LeBlanc led the UW team by example at the Elite 184-pound level. He simply dominated his competition, going 4-0 en route to his weight class win with all four wins coming by way of technical fall. LeBlanc beat Charlie Pipher of Western State College by a score of 16-1 in the final. Sophomore and No. 17-ranked Michael Martinez was one of the Cowboys who competed with the fire that Branch looks for, and in doing so won the 125-pound Elite weight class. Martinez 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, beating No. 9-ranked Ben Kjar of Utah Valley 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. Cox, a UW freshman who will redshirt this season and competed unattached, had little difficulty winning the Amateur 125-pound bracket. Cox wowed the crowd with his array of moves, going 5-0 and winning one match by technical fall and one by major decision. He beat Jesse Hillhouse from Northwest College, 2-1 in the final. Junior Cole Dallaserra looked strong in every match on his way to the Elite title at 149 pounds. Dallaserra, 5-0, had a win by fall, a technical fall and a major decision to his credit. He beat T.J. Hepburn from Nebraska-Kearney by a score of 7-3 in the final. No. 19-ranked Shane Onufer, UW sophomore at 165 pounds, posted a perfect 4-0 record with one pin and two major decisions. Onufer beat Northern Colorado's Justin Gaethje, 3-2 in their Elite title bout. With the match tied 2-2 heading into the final period, he dominated physically on top and rode Gaethje the entire period to earn a riding point and the win. It was Onufer's second consecutive Cowboy Open title, winning last year at 174 pounds. The Cowboy team will travel to the East Coast next weekend for two days of competition. They will compete in the Body Bar Classic in Ithaca, N.Y. on Saturday, Nov. 21, and then dual Michigan State and West Virginia the following day in Binghamton, N.Y. at the Sprawl & Brawl.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State wrestlers took seven individual crowns and put on a stellar performance at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open Saturday at the Lied Recreation Center on ISU’s campus. ISU wrestlers went a combined 78-27 over the entire tournament. The Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open featured 270 total wrestlers spanning NCAA Division I to NAIA schools. Fourteen Iowa Staters advanced to the semifinals of the event. Head coach Kevin Jackson saw the successful action as being part of his plan early this season. “I want to congratulate our champions and placewinners,” Jackson said. “Those guys were doing the things we’ve been asking them to do. Our errors in concentration remain the same. We still need to work on those certain areas and improve. We are going to get better and will continue getting better.” Jackson is confident in the Cyclone squad’s ability to progress as the season continues. “We’re happy with where we are at,” Jackson said. “Come Monday, it is back to work though and we’ll be hitting it hard.” Two Cyclones took Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open titles to finish with a clean sweep of the event during their Cyclone careers. ISU three-time NCAA finalist Jake Varner took his fourth Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open title with a finals pin in a rematch with his opponent from Thursday’s dual with SDSU. Varner stuck the Jacks’ Tyler Sorenson in the first period in 2:27. Cyclone senior 149-pound Mitch Mueller added his fourth title at 149 pounds with a victory over Lindenwood’s Sam Schmitz by decision, 8-2. Mueller recorded two technical falls to start the action Saturday morning. Iowa State heavyweight David Zabriskie was victorious at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open for the third time in his career. The Cyclone held off Wartburg’s upset-minded John Helgerson by a score of 3-0 in the finals. Helgerson edged ISU’s Eric Thompson 5-3 in the first round to start his run to the finals. Two-time All-American and Pan-Am Games silver medalist Jon Reader got his third title. The Cyclone took the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open 165-pound title in convincing fashion, with two pins, a technical fall and a major decision in four matches. Reader handled Ryan Pankoke of Nebraska-Omaha 17-6 for a major decision in the finals. Sophomore 157-pounder Andrew Sorenson took the crown with a finals victory over UNI’s Brett Robbins, 8-2. Sorenson took down Iowa’s Derek St. John in the semifinals with a 7-5 decision. The Cyclone recorded three pins over opponents in earlier rounds. “(Jake) Varner was impressive and so was (Jon) Reader,” Jackson said. “But Andrew Sorenson really stepped it up today. He beat a kid from Iowa that won their wrestle-off. Andrew performed well all day long. He’s made big strides since the intrasquad.” Redshirt freshman Andrew Long took his first title with a major decision of Iowa’s J.J. Krutsinger, 11-2 in the finals. Long was 5-0 in the tournament with three major decisions and a pin. In a rematch from the Cardinal and Gold Intrasquad, Cyclone 174-pounders Duke Burk and Chris Spangler clashed in the finals. Burk was the winner again, edging Spangler 3-1 to take the title. Iowa State continues the early stages of its 2009-10 campaign Nov. 21 at the Kaufman-Brand (Omaha) Open on Nebraska-Omaha’s campus. Mat action begins at 9 a.m. Click the links in the video slideout tab above for a PDF of the full results and a photo album.

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- The 18th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team won its 11th straight Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic title Saturday over an impressive field that included 2009 NCAA runner-up Ohio State and sixth-place finisher Edinboro. Additionally, three Sooners claimed individual titles and seven more garnered top-four finishes. “This was an outstanding team performance,” head coach Jack Spates said. “Everybody battled hard and our guys recorded some big upsets and we had some clutch performances.” The Sooners edged the Buckeyes 144.5 team points to 144. Oklahoma took the lead from Ohio State on the final bout of the night, a heavyweight matchup between OU’s Nathan Fernandez and OSU’s Corey Morrison for third place. Fernandez claimed a 7-2 decision to give the Sooners the team championship. Rutgers (120.5), Edinboro (110) and Kent State (100.5) rounded out the top five. Recording 4-0 outings on the day to capture individual crowns were Shane Vernon (157 pounds), Jeff James (174) and Eric Lapotsky (197). Lapotsky recorded three falls on the day, giving him a team-leading four pins on the young season.

Matt Lackey

Fargo, N.D. -- The Minnesota wrestling team opened their season today (Nov. 14) at the Bison Open, and did so in dominating fashion, winning titles in seven weight classes with 14 wrestlers making it to the championship round. Five Gopher wrestlers defended titles led by Jayson Ness (Bloomington, Minn.) at 133 who is now a three-time Bison Open Champion. Ness' only Bison Open loss came in his freshman season in the championship round. As a senior in 2009 he tallied three first period falls before matching up with teammate David Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) in the finals where the two shared the title. In the first action of his college career, Thorn won three matches by two decisions and one third period tech fall to advance to the finals. At the top of the line-up, Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.) claimed the 125-pound title for the second consecutive season, again beating Trent Sprenkle of host North Dakota State in the finals. Sanders won his first two matches by fall before a 13-6 decision in the semifinals and 17-7 major decision in the finals for the title. At 141 pounds, Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) also repeated as champion, beating teammate Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa) to do so. As was the case for the Gophers throughout the day, Thorn was dominant, winning two matches by fall and one by major decision before a tech fall in the finals. Reiter, in his first collegiate action, earned two wins by decision and a third by major decision en route to his appearance in the finals. A year ago Mario Mason (Moorestown, N.J.) shared the title at 149, but this season it was all his as he went 5-0 in the tournament. Mason won his first match by tech fall and also tallied a major decision on his way to the championship round. His opponent was Gopher rookie Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.) who won his first career match by fall in the first period before making his way to the finals. In the championship match Mason tabbed a 7-4 decision for the win. The final Gopher to defend a title was heavyweight Ben Berhow (Hayward, Minn.), who shared champion honors with freshman Tony Nelson (Cambridge, Minn.). Berhow ended his first match with a pin in less than two minutes and then added a 15-4 major decision for a berth in the championship. On the other side of the bracket, Nelson earned a close 2-1 decision for his first career win and then notched a 7-0 win over fellow freshman Jake Kettler (Ramsey, Minn.) in the semifinals. Continuing in dominating fashion, the Gopher boasted three of the four heavyweights competing in the semifinals. One-upping the heavyweights, however, were the 174-pounders who claimed all four semifinal spots in their class. Scott Glasser (Bismarck, N.D.) earned a 5-2 win over Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.) for a berth in the finals and Nate Matousek (Glencoe, Minn.) tallied a tight 2-1 win over Matt Everson (Mitchell, S.D.) in the other semifinal. Glasser would go on to win the 174 title with a 14-1 win. The last all-Gopher final was at 197 where Sonny Yohn (Alamosa, Colo.) met up with Joe Nord (Waconia, Minn.). Yohn tallied two tech falls and one major decision in advancing to the championship round while Nord notched a fall and two major decisions on his way to the finals. In the championship, Yohn was able to score a 10-2 victory. The final Gopher to appear in the finals was Alec Ortiz (Grand Ronde, Ore.) at 165, who got there via major decision, fall and decision. In the championship, Ortiz came up just short of a title, falling 9-7. The Gophers also claimed three third place finishes on the day for a very successful season opener. "There was a lot of good," head coach J Robinson said. "I think we learned a lot, and got a good look at where we're at. I think our young recruiting class showed a lot. We had a lot of freshman in the finals, and they really went out and got after people. Overall our guys went out at battled and it was really good to see." The Golden Gophers will return to the mat in one week when the head to Nebraska-Omaha and the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 21. Always highly competitive, Minnesota won two titles at the Kaufman-Brand in 2008, and they will look to continue their early season success as they build towards their first dual meet on Nov. 28 at Williams Arena, when they host Cal State-Bakersfield.

AMES, IA -- 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 No. 2 seed at 141, Slaton posted two technical falls, a major decision and a decision en route to his 14-7 win over unattached competitor Mario Morgan in the finals. Gambrall, who was the No. 3 seed at 184, recorded a pin, technical fall and major decision on the way to his 6-2 victory over No. 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 No. 2 seed Andrew Long of Iowa State in the finals. Moore, who was seeded second, posted three first-period pins and a major decision at the tournament before losing a 4-2 decision to No. 1 seed Cody Garcia of the University 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) both placed fourth at the tournament. The Hawkeyes will host the six-team Iowa City Duals Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in their first home event of the season. Matches are set for 10:30 a.m., Noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., and the teams competing are Coe College, Cornell College, the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, Iowa Lakes Community College and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. 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. Hawkeye men's basketball and football fans can also take advantage of special ticket prices for the Iowa City Duals. Fans can show their men's basketball ticket for Friday's 8:05 p.m. game with Bowling Green State or their Saturday Iowa vs. Minnesota football ticket at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Athletic Ticket Office and receive a $5 ticket to the Iowa City Duals. Contact the UI Athletic Ticket Office at www.hawkeyesports.com or 800-424-2957 to order tickets.

When Tyler Lehman moved from West Fargo, North Dakota to Apple Valley, Minnesota after his eighth-grade year to wrestle for one of the nation's top wrestling programs, his goal was to become the best wrestler he could be and put himself in a position to wrestle at the Division I level. Tyler Lehman (Photo/The Guillotine)That difficult decision to leave his family and friends behind paid off on Friday when Lehman, who has since moved back to West Fargo for his senior year, signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle for the University of Minnesota. "I improved a lot at Apple Valley," said Lehman, who projects collegiately at 184 pounds. "It helped me get to where I am now." While at Apple Valley, Lehman won back-to-back state titles at 171 pounds during his sophomore and junior campaigns. As a junior, Lehman went 49-0 and pinned his way through the state tournament, which included a first-period pin in the state finals. He won an NHSCA Sophomore Nationals title in 2008 and finished fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in 2009. He has placed in the top four at Junior Nationals (freestyle and Greco-Roman) three times over the past two summers. He is ranked as the No. 62 recruit in the country by InterMat and eighth at 189 pounds. Lehman chose Minnesota over Iowa and Missouri. "I like the coaches at Minnesota, " said Lehman of his decision to wrestle for the Gophers. "The program is really coming up right now. They have a bunch of good recruits coming in. They're in the Big Ten. I feel like they're going to help me be the best I can possibly be." Lehman joins Dylan Ness (Bloomington Kennedy, MN), Chris and Nick Dardanes (Oak Park River Forest), Joel Bauman (Kerkhoven-Murdock, MN), and Seth Lange (Sturgis, SD) as early signees in Minnesota's 2010 recruiting class. "I know Dylan Ness real well," said Lehman. "He's a good friend of mine. I also know Joel Bauman. I haven't met the Dardanes' yet, but I look forward to meeting them." Lehman's decision to move back to West Fargo for his senior year centered around his family. "I decided to move back for one more year to be with my family," said Lehman, who was a part of the West Fargo football team that reached the state semifinals this fall. "My family means a lot to me. I didn't want my last year with my family to be as an eighth-grader. I wanted to spend some time with them one more year before I head off to college." Tyler Lehman (Photo/The Guillotine)Moving back West Fargo also allowed Lehman to reunite with Scott Schiller, a close friend and training partner who is also nationally ranked. Both were Junior Nationals double All-Americans at the same weight class (189) in Fargo this past summer. Lehman defeated Schiller 6-0, 2-2 in the freestyle competition. "Scott and I are good friends," said Lehman. "We're pushing each other in the room and making each other better." Lehman will wrestle at 189 pound for his senior season, while Schiller will compete at 215 pounds. Before Lehman heads off to college at the University of Minnesota, he wants to "improve every day, prepare for the next level, and win state." As for college wrestling goals? "I plan to be a four-time All-American and multiple-time NCAA champion," said Lehman.

TEMPE -- The Arizona State University wrestling team won eight matches in a row with six of those victories producing bonus points to easily down host UC Davis in Davis, Calif., on Friday night to open the 2009-10 season and give new head coach Shawn Charles a win in his debut with the program. Ranked No. 20 in the nation according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), the Sun Devils are now 1-0-0 on the season and 1-0-0 in the Pac-10 Conference while the Aggies fell to 0-1-0 and 0-1-0 in the conference. The dual opened at heavyweight with Sun Devil senior Erik Nye dropping a tough 4-3 decision to Ricky Alcala, spotting the hosts an early 3-0 lead before ASU took over. Starting with the 125-pound match, the Sun Devils won eight in a row and took the lead for good with its first victory of the night as No. 3 Anthony Robles scored a 20-3 technical fall over Mark Jay Acosta to put ASU on top, 4-3. After Ben Ashmore won his Sun Devil debut at 133 pounds by forfeit to put ASU on top, 10-3, No. 5 Chris Drouin added to the lead as he defeated Justin Arredondo in the 141-pound match with a 17-1 technical fall. The Sun Devils picked up wins in the next two matches win pins as Vicente Varela stuck Randall Watts in 2:30 and Te Edwards pinned Trevor Machado-Ching in 4:42. Leading 28-3, the visitors tacked on 10 more points over the next three matches, first with Kyle DeBerry taking a 10-4 decision over David Watts at 165. From there, Eric Starks won the Sun Devils’ sixth bonus-point match as he scored a 16-3 major decision over Joshua Esparza before Jake Meredith took a 4-1 decision over Stephan Hampton at 184. In the final match of the night, UCD’s Rory McBryde spoiled the debut of Michael Hawkins as the Sun Devils’ redshirt freshman lost a 3-2 decision to bring the final score to 38-6 in favor of ASU. With the win, the Sun Devils improved their all-time record to 5-0-0 against the Aggies with a perfect 3-0-0 mark in duals held in Davis while making Charles the fourth Sun Devil coach to win his debut. ASU also improved to 35-13-0 all-time in its first dual of the year and 32-16-0 in its first road dual of the year while improving to 28-4-1 all-time in its first Pac-10 dual of the year and 23-5-0 in its first conference road dual of the season. The Sun Devils will remain on the road this weekend for a second Pac-10 dual as they travel to Fullerton, Calif., for a 2 p.m. PT contest with CS Fullerton inside Titan Gym. #20 Arizona State def. UC Davis, 38-6 at Davis, Calif. 285 - Ricky Alcala (UCD) dec. Erik Nye, 4-3 125 - #3 Anthony Robles (ASU) tech fall Mark Jay Acosta, 20-3 133 - Ben Ashmore (ASU) won by forfeit 141 - #5 Chris Drouin (ASU) tech fall Justin Arredondo, 17-1 149 - Vicente Varela (ASU) pinned Randall Watts, 2:30 157 - Te Edwards (ASU) pinned Trevor Machado-Ching, 4:42 165 - Kyle DeBerry (ASU) dec. David Watts, 10-4 174 - Eric Starks (ASU) major Joshua Esparza, 16-3 184 - Jake Meredith (ASU) dec. Stephan Hampton, 4-1 197 - Rory McBryde (UCD) dec. Michael Hawkins, 3-2

WAYNESBURG, Pa. -- Waynesburg built up a 14-0 lead over Division II Shippensburg and then got a big pin from junior 184-pounder Corbin Semple en route to a 20-15 win over the Raiders on Friday night at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. It was the second year in a row that the Yellow Jackets were able to down Shippensburg. The Jackets are now 1-0 in dual match competition, while the Raiders are 0-1. Sophomore Rico Borz got the night started off right with an impressive 10-2 major decision victory over Justin Morris that put his team up 4-0. Freshman Brandon Grainy made his first collegiate dual match start a memorable one as he put the Jackets up 7-0 by beating Russell Davidson 6-2. Grainy actually trailed 2-0 after two periods, but rebounded with five points in the third period and a point for riding time. Despite battling the flu, junior Nick Garber kept the winning ways going with a 15-4 major decision victory over Tom Wiechelt. Garber actually led the bout 11-1 after two periods. Sophomore 149-pounder Jesse Byerly made it 14-0 Jackets after holding on for an 8-6 win over a bigger, stronger opponent in Devan Jones. Shippensburg was able to cut the lead down to 14-9 after three-straight decision wins, including a heart-breaking 9-8 win for David Sunderland over Waynesburg’s Alex Evanoff, who managed to put Sunderland on his back in the third period, despite fighting off an illness. That brought Semple to the mat to face highly touted freshman Keith Dahlheimer. The Waynesburg native looked like the sixth-ranked grappler in Division III as he stuck Dahlheimer to his back in just 2:41 and gave Waynesburg a 20-9 lead. Ironically, the match was clinched during a Jacket loss as junior Matt Zimmerman wrestled a smart match and didn’t give up bonus points to Brian Hindle. Hindle took the bout by the final of 6-1 with riding time, but Waynesburg sealed the victory on the night. Waynesburg won’t have long to celebrate the victory, as they hit the road tomorrow to take part in the Washington & Jefferson Open, an event which is expected to include the likes of West Virginia University, Penn State and Division II powerhouse Pitt-Johnstown. The event is scheduled to get underway at 8 a.m. Results: 125 Borz (WAY) maj. dec. 10-2 (RT) Morris (SHI) 4-0 133 Grainy (WAY) dec. 6-2 (RT) Davidson (SHI) 7-0 141 Garber (WAY) maj. dec. 15-4 (RT) Wiechelt 11-0 149 Byerly (WAY) dec. 8-6 (RT) Jones (SHI) 14-0 157 Claar (SHI) dec. 7-3 Jon Sanko (WAY) 14-3 165 Sunderland (SHI) dec. 9-8 Evanoff (WAY) 14-6 174 Reese (SHI) dec. 2-1 Jared Roberts (WAY) 14-9 184 Semple (WAY) fall 2:41 Dahlheimer (SHI) 20-9 197 Hindle (SHI) dec. 6-1 (RT) Zimmerman (WAY) 20-12 285 Zittle (SHI) dec. 3-2 Rich Janicki (WAY) 20-15 Pre-match Exhibitions: 141 Cody Renner (WAY) dec. 3-1 Riley (SHI)

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith announced the signing of Josh Kindig (Auburn, Pa./Blue Mountain HS) to a National Letter of Intent today. Kindig is the nation’s top-ranked 140-pounder entering the 2009-10 season according to Intermat. He is also No. 1 in the preseason WIN Magazine rankings. He is considered as a top-10 overall prospect nationally at any weight class. A 2009 runner-up at the USA Wrestling freestyle national championships, Kindig ranks among America’s top prep wrestlers in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. He has finished no lower than fourth in any national tournament in either discipline since 2007. He won the cadet freestyle national title in 2007. As a junior wrestling for Blue Mountain HS, Kindig won the Pennsylvania state title at 135 pounds to cap a 53-1 season. He enters his senior year with a 130-11 high school record. “We’re excited to have Josh join us,” Smith said. “He has had a lot of success, both in freestyle and in Greco-Roman and has won state championships. We look forward to seeing him continue our success with wrestlers from Pennsylvania.” Kindig is the latest Keystone State star to sign with Oklahoma State, joining 2008 NCAA Champion Coleman Scott (Waynesburg) and current Cowboy Jordan Oliver (Easton), in addition to former NCAA Champion Teague Moore (Pittsburgh). Kindig had his choice of schools, ultimately selecting Oklahoma State over Ohio State.