InterMat Staff

Projected Matchups 184: No. 16 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 13 Erich Schmidtke (OU), 6-1 197: No. 4 Clayton Foster (OSU) major dec. Keldrick Hall (OU), 14-3 285: Blake Rosholt (OSU) dec. No. 8 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 4-3 125: No. 7 Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. No. 5 Jon Morrison (OSU), 2-1 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (OSU) pinned Jordan Keller (OU), 3:51 141: No. 6 Zack Bailey (OU) dec. No. 20 Luke Silver (OSU), 8-5 149: No. 4 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. Nick Lester (OU), 5-2 157: Matt Lester (OU) dec. No. 10 Albert White (OSU), 1-0 165: No. 8 Dallas Bailey (OSU) dec. 18 Chase Nelson (OU), 2-1 174: No. 7 Tyler Caldwell (OU) dec. No. 11 Mike Benefiel (OSU), 3-0 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State

Day 1 is in the books and despite a setback at 133's, the Fresno City Rams are on top of the leader board. Fresno City still has all 10 of its wrestlers in the tournament and they hold an 11.5 lead over Cerritos College. As expected the race for third is especially tight. Third through fifth place are separated by a mere eight points. Sacramento City finished Day 1 with 52.5 points, followed by Sierra College with 47.5 and in fifth place, Cuesta College with 44.5. At 184, Fito Juarez, Fresno City College battles Logan Paul Eickhoff, Shasta College (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Day one upsets where everywhere to be found. Among the notables were: Chris Diaz of Cuesta beating the N-1 David Sok of Delta. Brian Magno, Bakersfield looked strong overcoming Marty Rubalcaba of Fresno. At 149, the S-5 Jesse Ponce of Cerritos had a strong performance, knocking off the N-4 and then beating the S-2 Chris Abeyta, Mt. SAC. In the 184 weight class Cerritos wrestler Ryan Collins scored an important win over Matt Lewellen of Palomar in the quarters to help keep his team within shouting distance of Fresno. At 197 a pair of upsets put Colin Hart of Santa Rosa and Lucas Keene of Fresno City into the semifinals. Semifinal Matchups 125 Estevan Cabanas, Cerritos vs. Chris Padilla, Fresno City Chris Diaz, Cuesta vs. A J Jaramillo, West Hills 133 Brian Magno, Bakersfield vs. John Gay, Cuesta Charlie Seang, Delta vs. Alex Perez, West Hills 141 Kyle Chene, Santa Ana vs. R J Pilkington Tyler Diamond, Sacramento City vs. Kevin Rojas, Fresno City 149 Conrad Rangel, Fresno City vs. Jesse Ponce, Cerritos Spencer Anderson, Cuesta vs. Anthony Harris, Sacramento City 157 Tyler Johnson, Sierra vs. Eric Lopez, Victor Valley Cody Bollinger, Cerritos vs. Taylor Sare, Mt SAC 165 Tigran Adzhemayan, Fresno City vs. Dustin Rocha, West Hills Vlad Dombrovs.kiy, Sierra vs. Eric Sauvageau, Cerritos 174 Sam Temko, Skyline vs. A J Smith, Bakersfield Martin Fabian, Fresno City vs. Nick Gil, Sierra 184 Jesse Hellinger, Sacramento City vs. Ryan Collins Sean Dougherty, Cuesta vs. Fito Juarez, Fresno City 197 Colin Hart, Santa Rosa vs. Trever Gwin, Palomar Lucas Keene, Fresno City vs. Jordan Wiliams, Sierra 285 Luis Contreras, Fresno City vs. Cheyne Cook, Victor Valley Jose Lopez, Cerritos vs. Juan Lucero, East LA

Event: UFC 124 Koscheck vs. St. Pierre 2 Venue: Bell Centre (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Date: December 11, 2010 The UFC Monster is in Las Vegas to watch the action of tonight's UFC 124 card. Unfortunately, the fights are in Montreal. Oh well, I'll be surrounded by rabid fight fans anyway, and I look to add to my Vegas bankroll with some winners! So, let's take a look and see where the bookmakers have screwed up. Here is my condensed version of dissecting tonight's to find weaknesses in the betting line. Tonight's main event features the Welterweight championship rematch between Canadian Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck. GSP won the first fight by three-round decision. Tonight, despite the rabid hometown fight support, the MMA world will be shocked when Kos nails a first round KO punch, stunning the champ, and follows it up quickly with some vicious ground-and-pound to end it early. The betting line of +345 on Koscheck makes this one difficult to pass on! I'm also adding a prop wager on Koscheck getting the fastest KO of the night at odds of 17:1. I love GSP, but this one has upset written all over it!!! Stephan Struve is a beanpole at 6'6" tall, and tonight finally fights someone his size. His opponent, the relative unknown, Sean McCorkle will have his hands full as Struve can probably submit him in any way he chooses. The public is betting Struve, as the betting line keeps moving upward. I got on at -150, a reasonable price. Struve by first-round submission. Jim Miller brings his 18-2 record into his fight with undefeated Brazilian Charles Oliveira, 14-0. Miller's only two losses were to lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, and Gray Maynard, who fights for that belt on January 1. Each fighter specializes in submissions. Oliveira was good enough to get Efrain Escudero bumped from the UFC. He should be good enough to get by Miller. The -130 is a very fair price for the risk. Take Oliveira to stay unbeaten with a second round rear-naked choke submission. Popular veteran, lightweight Joe "Daddy" Stevenson, has had 13 fights in the Octagon! He has been fighting MMA for over a decade with a 31-11 record. TUF show product Mac Danzig has shown a diverse fighting style, and is competitive in every fight he has been in. I think Stevenson's strong submission skill set will be enough to get the job done tonight. Experience and a guillotine choke spell victory for Stevenson at a steep -300 price tag. Welterweight Thiago Alves is a weight-cutting beast. He is the biggest, and maybe baddest welterweight on the planet. His powerful punching dominates his repertoire, giving him little reason to go to the ground. His opponent, John Howard, is a well-rounded striker with an adequate ground game. But I see a second round TKO battering ending this one, as the Pit Bull sends me to the winner's window to cash at -300. Now let's take a quick look at the intriguing undercard ... Dustin Hazelett, 12-6 with 9 submissions, will look for another when he drops down to the lightweight to battle the very capable Mark Bocek, 8-3, who is no slouch on the mat, as well. Will Hazelett at 6'4" tall be able to handle the weight loss? That will be tonight's question. Bettors are betting that he can't. I'm betting that he can. Take Hazelett at even money odds that he wins. I'll call it an armbar submission in the second round. The "other" Miller brother, Dan, 12-4 with eight submissions, has lost to Bisping, Maia, and Sonnen, but he is an adequate gatekeeper, who should have enough to get by Canadian veteran, Joe Doerksen, 46-13 with an incredible 33 submissions. Can you imagine having 60 mixed martial arts fights? Wow. How much wear-and-tear will that take on your aging body? At -260 I'll go with Miller's youth to win by decision. Brazilian Ricardo Almeida, 12-4 with no KOs, is coming off an embarrassing loss to Matt Hughes, who somehow submitted him in the very first round with an anaconda choke. TJ Grant, 16-4 with 12 submissions, has never been knocked out, and that streak won't end tonight. This one will be settled on the ground in a submission clinic. I look for Almeida to be the better of the two, winning a decision at fair odds of -160. Canadian Sean Pierson, 10-4, has won his last four fights by KO. Tonight he makes his UFC debut against Matt Riddle, whose 5-1 record is all in the Octagon. There is nothing like Octagon experience to quiet the hometown crowd. No Pierson KO tonight. Riddle at -285 wins the judge's decision. Can another Canadian, Jesse Bongfeldt, 21-7 with 12 submissions, stop the next highly-touted Brazilian, Rafael Natal, 12-3 with 7 submissions? Perhaps. I'm going to take a chance that he does at underdog odds of +145. A close split decision wins this one. Undefeated Canadian John Makdessi, 7-0 with 6 KOs, will get tested tonight by Pat Audinwood, 9-1-1, who recently lost his first fight to the cagey Thiago Tavares. In another upset, let's stay with home cookin' and take Makdessi at underdog odds of +120. Now, let's take a look at how to spread our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll to maximize our chances of having a profitable night ... Let's lay $50 to win $170 on Koscheck shocking the MMA world. Let's lay $ 90 to win $60 on Struve. Let's lay $104 to win $80 on Oliveira. Let's lay $90 to win $30 on Jo "Daddy" Stevenson. Let's lay $159 to win $60 on Thiago "Pit Bull" Alves. Let's lay $80 to win $80 on Dustin Hazelett. Let's lay $104 to win $40 on Dan Miller. Let's lay $128 to win $80 on Ricardo Almeida. Let's lay $114 to win $40 on Matt Riddle. Let's lay $40 to win $58 on Jesse Bongfeldt. Let's lay $40 to win $48 on Jon Makdessi. In total, we are risking $999 to win $746. Let's git 'er done! And, don't forget to donate some of your winnings to your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born! Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser announced Thursday that the staff is pulling the redshirt off 157-pounder Jesse Dong, with his permission, effective immediately. The junior from Westerville, Ohio, will make his official debut at the Southern Scuffle at the end of the month. Pete Yates, who is 16-0 as the 157-pounder, will bump up to 165 pounds for the rest of the season. Dong was 14-1 as an unattached wrestler this season, winning the Michigan State Open and placing second at the Penn State Open. “Jesse and I sat down on Monday and discussed this option and he wants to get back in the mix,” Dresser said. “Additionally, Pete is really struggling with 157 pounds, so he is excited about this move as well. Pete will be back on the mat next week [after suffering an injury at the Las Vegas Invitational] and Jesse is ready right now. This moves makes us a stronger team as we head into the second half of the season.” Dong was ranked as high as third last season at 157 pounds, winning the ACC title. He advanced to the round of 12 at the NCAA Championships and finished the season with a record of 32-4.

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- Freshman Wil Brown recorded a pin and junior Travis Coffey posted a major decision as the Army wrestling team defeated Rider, 19-16, in a non-conference dual match Friday evening. Army (3-1) and Rider (2-2) split the 10 bouts, but Brown's pin proved to be the difference as his three bonus points accounted for the final margin. Brown began the match by pinning Joe Ferber in 6 minutes, 16 seconds in the 184-pound bout. The verdict gave Army a quick 6-0 lead, but a pair of Rider wins, including a major decision, gave the Broncs a 7-6 advantage. The Black Knights seized control of the match by taking the next three bouts. Coffey began the surge as he registered an 11-2 major decision victory over Chuck Zeisloft at 125 pounds. Sophomore Jordan Thome and senior Casey Thome followed by posting decisions, as Army built a 16-7 cushion with just four bouts remaining. Jordan Thome earned a 5-3 win over Jimmy Kirchner in the 133-pound matchup, while older brother Casey Thome blanked Aaron Nestor, 5-0, at 141 pounds. Rider won three of the final four matches of the night, but junior Jimmy Rafferty's 9-4 triumph over Ramon Santiago at 157 pounds helped Army hold on for its third straight victory. Army will cap its busy weekend on Sunday, Jan. 12, when the Black Knights travel to Clifton Park, N.Y., to face Binghamton and Ohio in a pair of dual matches. Both contests will be hosted at Shenendehowa High School. Match Notes: Army is now 12-11-1 all-time versus Rider ... Coffey improves to 4-0 in dual matches this season ... this evening contest marked Army's first dual match since defeating Drexel, 26-13, on Nov. 9 ... the Black Knights had not competed since placing ninth at the Body Bar Invitational on Nov. 20 ... Rafferty moved into a tie for the team lead in victories (11) ... Casey Thome's victory was the 92nd of his career ... Brown is now tied for the team lead with three pins this season. Results: 184: Wil Brown (A) pinned Joe Ferber, 6:16 197: Tyler Smith (R) maj. dec. Daniel Mills, 11-3 285: Evan Craig (R) dec. Christian Botero, 8-3 125: Travis Coffey (A) maj. dec. Chuck Zeisloft, 11-2 133: Jordan Thome (A) dec. Jimmy Kirchner, 5-3 141: Casey Thome (A) dec. Aaron Nestor, 5-0 149: Zac Cibula (R) dec. Daniel Young, 6-2 157: Jimmy Rafferty (A) dec. Ramon Santiago, 9-4 165: Jim Resnick (R) dec. Jake Vetter, 6-4 174: Rob Morrison (R) dec. Collin Wittmeyer, 10-3

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The VMI wrestling team moved to 2-0 this season on Fri., Dec. 10, as the Keydets defeated the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs by a 22-15 tally. The Keydets won six matches on the night, including a forfeit victory at heavyweight en route to the win. VMI won the first three bouts of the night, as redshirt-senior Johnathan Pope began the night at 125 lbs. with a 5-3 decision over Gardner-Webb’s Brett Kostern, moving his season record to an even 4-4 on the season. Junior Luke Todd continued the VMI run at 133 lbs., downing Alex Hamm 8-2, and junior David Yost knocked off Richie Spicel by a narrow 5-4 decision to run the score to 9-0 in favor of the Keydets. After Ryan Medved defeated VMI’s redshirt-senior Michael Long at 149 lbs. by a slim 1-0 margin, Alex Medved picked up a major decision over freshman Nick Emison 13-2, trimming the Keydet advantage to 9-7. After consecutive defeats at the hands of the Medved brothers, junior Joe Munno defeated Justin Guthrie 7-3, and classmate Matt Brock earned a major decision over Bulldog opponent Erin O’Dell, 9-0 to bring the Keydet advantage to 16-7 with three matches remaining. However, the Runnin’ Bulldogs answered right back with a major decision of their own, as Jonathan Velasquez majored sophomore John Dommert to cut the Keydet advantage to 16-10. Travis Porter then beat VMI freshman Chris Gill, wrestling in his first dual match with a 16-0 tech. fall moved the tally to 16-15 in favor of the Keydets. With the Runnin’ Bulldogs not entering a heavyweight, VMI senior Josh Wine picked up a forfeit victory, sealing the 22-15 Keydet victory. VMI returns to the mat after an extended break, as the Keydets will travel to one of the premier tournaments on the east coast, the Southern Scuffle, on Dec. 29-30. The tournament will be hosted by Southern Conference rival, UNC-Greensboro. Results: 125 - Johnathan Pope (VMI) dec. Brett Kostern (GWU) - 5-3 (VMI 3-0) 133 - Luke Todd (VMI) dec. Alex Hamm (GWU) - 8-2 (VMI 6-0) 141 - David Yost (VMI) dec. Richie Spicel (GWU) - 5-4 (VMI 9-0) 149 - Ryan Medved (GWU) dec. Michael Young (VMI) - 1-0 (VMI 9-3) 157 - Alex Medved (GWU) maj. dec. Nick Emison (VMI) - 13 - 2 (VMI 9-7) 165 - Joseph Munno (VMI) dec. Justin Guthrie (GWU) - 7 - 3 (VMI 12-7) 174 - Matthew Brock (VMI) maj. dec. Erin O'Dell (GWU) - 9 - 0 (VMI 16 - 7) 184 - Jonathan Velazquez (GWU) dec. John Dommert (VMI) - 9 - 3 (VMI 16 - 10) 197 - Travis Porter (GWU) TF Chris Gill (VMI) - 16 - 0 (8:39) (VMI 16 - 15) 285 - #19/#29 Josh Wine (VMI) forfeit by GWU (VMI 22 - 15)

USAFA, Colo. -- In its first home action of the season, the Air Force wrestling team won a pair of non-conference duals Friday afternoon in Clune Arena. The Falcons opened the day with a 21-13 decision over Coe, while defeating Western State, 26-12. Air Force (2-0) won seven bouts against Coe (5-2), which is currently ranked fourth at the Division III level. The Kohawks took the early lead, as Clayton Rush, ranked first at 125 pounds in Division III, earned a major decision. However, the Falcons gained the lead with consecutive decisions by Tyler Untrauer (Jr., Midwest City, Okla.), 11th-ranked Cole VonOhlen (So., Jackson, Minn.) and Josh Kreimier (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.) at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively. After a narrow loss at 157 pounds, the Falcons pushed their advantage to 12-7 with a decision by Clayton Gable (So., Dallastown, Pa.) at 165 pounds. However, Coe recorded a fall in the 174-pound bout to regain the team lead. Trailing by a single point with three matches left, the Falcons were solid down the stretch, adding nine more team points with decisions by Kazden Ikehara (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii), Neil Delaney (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Jared Erickson (So., Newton, Utah) to take the victory. Air Force followed its win over Coe with a tough match-up against Western State, the fourth-ranked team at the Division II level. The Falcons have had a rough time against the Mountaineers of late, as Western State has won five straight in the series. The Mountaineers took the lead after the opening match, winning a decision at 125 pounds, while the Falcons tied the team score with a close 7-6 victory by Untrauer at 133 pounds, starting a streak of seven straight individual wins for Air Force. VonOhlen was dominant in his bout at 141 pounds, recording an 18-3 technical fall in a time of 6:40. Kreimier posted another decision at 149 pounds, while Alec Williams (Jr., Fultondale, Ala.) and Gable added decision wins at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Senior captain Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) rebounded from an earlier loss at 174 pounds with the Falcons' first fall of the day, pinning Zach Frazier in a time of 1:55, while sophomore Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) earned a decision at 184 pounds in his first action of the day. The Falcons' winning streak ended with the 197-pound bout, as Delaney came up short to top-ranked Donovan McMahill in a 2-1 tiebreaker decision. Western State picked up its third win of the dual by recording a fall in the heavyweight match-up, but Air Force had already secured its first victory over the Mountaineers since the 2004-05 season. Also on Friday, Coe and Western State faced off in a dual of their own, with the Kohawks rolling to a 32-7 victory. Air Force is back in action next weekend, Dec. 17, when it hosts 12th-ranked Oregon State at 6:00 p.m. in Clune Arena. Air Force 21, Coe 13 125 Clayton Rush (Coe) maj. dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 16-5 133 Tyler Untrauer (AF) dec. Drew Hinschberger, 10-4 141 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Chris LeClere, 4-0 149 Josh Kreimier (AF) dec. James Locke, 2-0 157 Dale Handley (Coe) dec. Alec Williams, 6-4 165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec. Nick LeClere, 8-5 174 Scott King (Coe) fall Joseph Stafford, 4:28 184 Kazden Ikehara (AF) dec. Seth Rehn, 7-3 197 Neil Delaney (AF) dec. Matt Ferlitsch, 8-2 285 Jared Erickson (AF) dec. Alex Burkle, 9-2 Air Force 26, Western State 12 125 Kyle O'Brien (WSC) dec. Andrew Zwirlein, 5-3 133 Tyler Untrauer (AF) dec. Cody Cole, 7-6 141 No. 11 Cole VonOhlen (AF) tech fall Jesse Cruz, 18-2 (6:40) 149 Josh Kreimier (AF) dec. Justin Keys, 6-4 157 Alec Williams (AF) dec. Justin Morris, 4-3 165 Clayton Gable (AF) dec Cody Frankum,12-6 174 Joseph Stafford (AF) fall Zach Frazier, 1:55 184 Josh Mohr (AF) dec. Jorge Benitez, 5-1 197 Donovan McMahill (WSC) dec. Neil Delaney, 2-1 (TB1) 285 Kyle Graulus (WSC) fall Jared Erickson, 5:53

Rankings are from InterMat 103 No. 1 Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) vs. Armando Torres (Elyria, OH) Mike Rix (Akron SVSM, OH) vs. No. 9 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, NJ) Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, DE) vs. Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, NJ) Lance Hill (Parkersburg South, WV) vs. No. 2 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, OH) Five Cadet or Junior National placers from this past summer appear in the quarterfinal round. Most intriguing match is probably between the Cadet FS champ at 84 pounds, Fleetwood, and Preseason Nationals runner-up Jimenez. 112 No. 8 George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, OH) vs. Kaleb Lemaire (Caesar Rodney, DE) JR Wert (Christiansburg, VA) vs. No. 2 Jered Cortez (Marmion Academy, IL) No. 14 Ryan Taylor (Graham, OH) vs. Cory Stainbrook (Walsh Jesuit, OH) Evan Botwin (Wyoming Seminary, PA) vs. Edgar Bright (St. Edward, OH) Taylor and Stainbrook could be a preview of the Ohio Division II state tournament championship match at season’s end. 119 No. 2 Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area, PA) vs. Jake Smith (Robinson, VA) No. 11 Joey Dance (Christiansburg, VA) vs. No. 13 (at 125) Caleb Richardson (Blair Academy, NJ) Corey Keener (Blue Mountain, PA) vs. Mitch Newhouse (Massillon Perry, OH) Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) vs. No. 9 Dominick Malone (Wyoming Seminary, PA) Every wrestler in this quarterfinal round has a state or National Prep finals appearance to his credit. Gulibon, Dance, and Richardson won state titles last year. Dance and Richardson both winning in Virginia, and is your featured quarterfinal match in this weight class. 125 No. 2 Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA) vs. Chris Dinnien (Germantown Academy, PA) No. 8 (at 130) Alex Cisneros (Selma, PA) vs. No. 9 Kagan Squire (Wadsworth, OH) No. 4 Bricker Dixon (Park Hill, MO) vs. Eddie Greco (Marmion Academy, IL) No. 7 Geoff Alexander (Shady Side Academy, PA) vs. No. 3 (at 130) Mark Grey (Blair Academy, NJ) This is one of the tougher overall weights in the tournament, as indicated by the quarterfinal matchups. Beckman vs. Dinnien is a matchup of future Lehigh teammates; Beckman the defending Ironman champ, and Dinnien a three-time National Prep placer. Cisneros against Squire is a battle of top 20 Class of 2012 wrestlers in the country. Alexander vs. Grey is the featured quarterfinal bout, placing the Super 32 champ against a three-time double All-American in Fargo. 130 No. 4 Johnni DiJulius (Walsh Jesuit, OH) vs. Alfredo Gray (Wadsworth, OH) Dave Makara (Burrell, PA) vs. No. 7 Brandon Jeske (Cox, VA) No. 13 (at 135) Todd Preston (Blair Academy, NJ) vs. Dylan Durso (Reynolds, PA) Brent Fickel (Padua) vs. No. 9 Ben Whitford (Marmion Academy, IL) Three very solid quarterfinal bouts here with a nationally ranked wrestler facing a two-time state placer. Jeske was a National Prep runner-up and Cadet freestyle champion this summer; Preston was a National Prep champion at Junior National freestyle All-American; Whitford doubled as champion in Cadet Nationals and won a state title. Fickel is also a two-time Super 32 placer at 135 pounds. 135 No. 1 Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, OH) vs. Dan Mirman (Medina Highland, OH) No. 2 Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, PA) vs. No. 5 Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, OH) No. 16 Chase Ferman (Broken Arrow, OK) vs. Case Garrison (Graham, OH) No. 11 Chris Mecate (Redlands East Valley, CA) vs. No. 1 (at 140) Austin Ormsbee (Blair Academy, NJ) This is the showcase weight class of the entire tournament and has the featured quarterfinal of the morning session with Skonieczny facing Spearman. Skonieczny is a defending Ironman champion, while Spearman was a state champion and Super 32 champion. Ferman and Garrison is a battle of juniors, both placing twice at the Walsh Ironman; the winner places for a third time. Ormsbee and Stieber are top ten Class of 2011 wrestlers in the country. 140 No. 2 Cam Tessari (Monroeville, OH) vs. Andrew Romanchik (Padua, OH) Cohl Fulk (Wyoming Seminary, PA) vs. No. 3 Nick Pena (Selma, CA) No. 12 (at 145) Evan Henderson (Wyoming Seminary, PA) vs. Blake Kastl (Gilroy, CA) Jeremy Landowski (Burrell, PA) vs. No. 6 Nick Brascetta (Graham, OH) Tessari is a defending Ironman champion, while Brascetta won the title in December 2008. All wrestlers in the quarterfinal round are state placers with Tessari, Pena, and Henderson winning state or National Prep championships last year, and Brascetta winning in 2009. 145 No. 14 Henry Carlson (Cox, VA) vs. DJ Beauch (Toledo Central Catholic, OH) Ryan Todora (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) vs. Robert Henderson (Kiski Prep, PA) No. 8 (at 140) Travis Shaffer (Derry Area, PA) vs. No. 6 Bo Jordan (Graham, OH) Preston Crouse (Park Hill, MO) vs. No. 11 Travis Himmelman (Conifer, CO) The featured match of this quarterfinal weight class is two-time state placer and FloNationals champion Shaffer wrestling against the second-ranked Class of 2013 wrestler and state champion Jordan. Henderson has placed in the top three at state or National Prep the last two years, Carlson is a three-time state champion and Junior National freestyle All-American, while Himmelman is a two-time state champion and NHSCA Junior National runner-up. 152 No. 2 Ian Miller (Oak Harbor, OH) vs. Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, PA) vs. No. 15 Duke Pickett (Woodberry Forest, PA) Stephen Robertson (Montini Catholic, IL) vs. Tyler Bloniak (Medina Highland, OH) Mark Martin (St. Edward, OH) vs. No. 9 Matt Stephens (Graham, OH) Seven of the eight wrestlers in the quarterfinalists have a state or National Preps finals appearance during their career. Pickett and Morris were both National Prep runners-up and All-Americans in Fargo, Morris runner-up as a Cadet and Pickett placing seventh in Juniors. Robertson as a two-time state champion and Ironman placer and Miller are the lone state champs remaining in this weight class. Martin and Stephens are a battle of state runner-up from Ohio; Martin in 2010, Stephens in 2009. 160 No. 3 Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) vs. Travis McKillop (Burrell, PA) Cody Allala (Hopewell, VA) vs. Jacob Davis (St. Edward, OH) No. 15 (at 171) Geordan Speiller (Oviedo, FL) vs. Rich Eva (Christiansburg, VA) No. 12 (at 171) Vince Waldhauser (Oak Ridge, CA) vs. No. 14 Zach Skates (Broken Arrow, OK) The featured quarterfinal match places a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers in two-time state placer Waldhauser and two-time state champion Skates. Two-time state champion Eva faces state champion and Junior Greco-Roman medalist Speiller. Two-time state champion Allala draws the giant killer of today in Davis, who defeated state champion Isaac Jordan (Graham) in overtime during the second round. McKillop, a two-time state placer, draws Luster, who finished third twice here at the Ironman. 171 No. 3 Chris Phillips (Monroeville, OH) vs. Dakota DesLauriers (Burrell, PA) Trey Adamson (Bishop Lynch, TX) vs. Chico Cloyne (Oregon Clay, OH) Konner Witt (Oak Harbor, OH) vs. Austin Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) Marshall Willet (Brecksville, OH) vs. No. 17 Kyle Ryan (Graham, OH) Phillips is a three-time state champion, and won the Ironman in 2007. Adamson has placed three times at National Preps. Witt and Ryan were both state runners-up in 2010, and if they win their quarterfinal could have a state finals preview for Ohio Division II in the semifinal round. 189 No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA) vs. Jake Cramer (Oak Harbor, OH) Chaz Gresham (Goshen, OH) vs. James Suvak (St. Edward, OH) No. 7 Huston Evans (Graham, OH) vs. Kevin Marvel (McDonogh, MD) Perry Hills (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) vs. No. 6 Alex Utley (CVCA, OH) McIntosh is arguably the best wrestler in this whole tournament as a two-time state champion, Junior National freestyle champion, and the second-ranked wrestler in the Class of 2011. Suvak and Marvel both upset nationally ranked wrestlers in the round of 16. Evans and Utley are both two-time Ironman placers with a pair of state finals appearances (Evans a champion in 2010). 215 No. 2 Tanner Hall (Meridian, ID) vs. Ty Walz (St. Edward, OH) Mark Meyer (Graham, OH) vs. Brian Beattie (Burrell, PA) No. 9 Nick Tavanello (Wadsworth, OH) vs. David Denne (Mt. Carmel, IL) Jason Gott (Elyria, OH) vs. No. 4 Tank Knowles (Calvary Chapel, CA) The matchup between Hall and Walz is one between the Fargo freestyle champions at 215 pounds; Hall at the Junior level, Walz at the Cadet level. Meyer and Beattie met last year in the quarterfinal round, a match that Beattie won 2-1. Gott is twice an Ironman placer, while Knowles won titles last year at Ironman, Reno, and the state championship. 285 No. 5 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, NJ) vs. Nolan Smith (Park Hill, MO) Ross Ferraro (Montini Catholic, IL) vs. Ross Burbank (Cox, VA) No. 19 Terrance Jean-Jacques (Wyoming Seminary, PA) vs. Doug Mayse (Massillon Perry, OH) Marquis Porterfield (Christiansburg, VA) vs. No. 9 Doug Vollaro (Oviedo, FL) The featured match of this round places New England regional champion and NHSCA Junior runner-up Jean-Jacques against returning Ironman placer Mayse, who was injured prior to the state series last year. Black and Vollaro were matched up against one another in finals for both styles of the FILA Cadet and Cadet Nationals, Black winning all four matches. Black was a National Prep runner-up, while Vollaro won his state championship. Burbank was also a state champion. Team (Quarterfinalists are in parentheses) 1. No. 2 Graham, OH 90 (8) 2. No. 3 Blair Academy, NJ 89 (6) 3. No. 5 St. Edward, OH 75-1/2 (5) 4. No. 23 Massillon Perry, OH 66-1/2 (2) 5. Bethlehem Catholic, PA 60-1/2 (3) 6. No. 36 Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA 58-1/2 (4) 7. No. 17 Marmion Academy, IL 57 (4) T8. No. 43 Burrell, PA 53-1/2 (5) T8. No. 8 Wyoming Seminary, PA 53-1/2 (4) 10. No. 31 Cox, VA 50 (3) Other team with 4 in the quarterfinals: No. 33 Christiansburg, VA Others with 3 in the quarterfinals: Monroeville, OH; Oak Harbor, OH; Park Hill, MO; No. 48 Wadsworth, OH; Walsh Jesuit, OH

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Hello Wrestling Fans! Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Ryan Freeman and Geoff Murtha will be LIVE in TDR's home based Brute Adidas studios for another 2 hour show this week for this weeks show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. LIVE 9 AM to 11 AM its Takedown Wrestling Radio. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeartRadio App. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Scott Hinkel- Head Coach of the Purdue Boilermakers 9:20 Joe Bastardi- Our Penn State Nittany Lion Insider 9:40 Rob Valerio- USA Wrestling California 10:01 Bucky Maughn- Head Coach North Dakota State 10:20 Jeff Murphy- with the Kemin Big 10 and Big 12 report 10:50 Amy Ruble- Wildrose Resort

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The seventh-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team extended its winning streak to 68 duals and improved to 7-0 on the season with a 39-0 win at Northern Iowa Thursday night. The Hawkeyes posted their 36th straight win over the Panthers (4-4) in front of a capacity crowd of 2,200 at the West Gym in Cedar Falls. Iowa held a 29-1 takedown advantage on the night, recording two pins and three major decisions in its 10 victories. The Hawkeyes were tough on top, with seven wrestlers accumulating at least 1:00 of riding time in their bouts. Six Iowa wrestlers kept their undefeated records intact with their wins. "Our guys were wrestling in positions they were comfortable in, and that they were good at," said Head Coach Tom Brands. "They were wrestling smart. Wrestling where guys were giving them advantages, and a lot of good things were happening." Iowa redshirt freshman Tony Ramos opened the dual at 133 with his 12-3 major decision of Northern Iowa sophomore Ryan Jauch. Ramos scored four takedowns and accumulated 2:23 in riding time to stay undefeated at 4-0. Hawkeye sophomore Mark Ballweg also kept his 7-0 record spotless with a 3-0 win over Panther junior Aaron Senzee at 141, collecting 3:49 in riding time. At 149, Iowa sophomore Jeret Chiri led Panther Jamal Lawrence, 8-3, in the third period before turning the Panther in 5:59 and collecting his second pin of the season. Redshirt freshman Derek St. John improved to 7-0 with his 8-4 victory over David Bonin at 157. Hawkeye senior Aaron Janssen gave Iowa a 19-0 lead going into the intermission with his 4-0 decision over Panther Nick Pickerell at 165. Janssen, who tallied 2:08 of riding time in the bout, is now 10-0 this season. Redshirt freshman Ethen Lofthouse kept the Iowa momentum going with his 16-5 major decision over redshirt freshman Brice Wolf at 174. Lofthouse snagged seven takedowns and totaled 1:07 in riding time. Sophomore Grant Gambrall kept his 7-0 record intact with a 4-2 decision over redshirt freshman Ryan Loder at 184. Hawkeye senior Luke Lofthouse scored eight takedowns and accumulated 3:24 in riding time for his 19-7 major decision over Joe Johnson at 197. Hawkeye junior Blake Rasing picked up his 15th career victory with a 2-0 decision over nationally-ranked junior heavyweight Christian Brantley. After a scoreless first period, Rasing rode Brantley the entire second period and scored an escape early in the third period for the 2-0 win. Hawkeye sophomore Matt McDonough ended the dual with his 1:12 pin of Terrance Young to remain undefeated at 7-0. Up next for Iowa is a trip to the 47th annual Midlands Championships, which will be held Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, IL. The Hawkeyes are the defending team champions and have won the most team titles (21) in the 47-year history of the meet. All matches will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Northwestern University's campus. Results: 133 - Tony Ramos (Iowa) maj. dec. Ryan Jauch (Northern Iowa), 12-3 141 - Mark Ballweg (Iowa) dec. Aaron Senzee (Northern Iowa), 3-0 149 - Jeret Chiri (Iowa) pinned Jamal Lawrence (Northern Iowa), 5:59 157 - Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. David Bonin (Northern Iowa), 8-4 165 - Aaron Janssen (Iowa) dec. Nick Pickerell (Northern Iowa), 4-0 174 - Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Brice Wolf (Northern Iowa), 16-5 184 - Grant Gambrall (Iowa) dec. Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa), 4-2 197 - Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Joe Johnson (Northern Iowa), 19-7 Hwt. - Blake Rasing (Iowa) dec. Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa), 2-0 125 - Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Terrance Young (Northern Iowa), 1:12

The No. 3 Minnesota wrestling team picked up a dominant win over its soon-to-be conference rivals on Thursday night as the Golden Gophers defeated No. 15 Nebraska 26-8 in Lincoln, Neb. The Gophers tallied wins in 8-of-10 matches on Thursday evening at the NU Coliseum to improve its 2010 dual record to 4-1 and bring its all-time record against the Cornhuskers to 48-19. All-American senior Mike Thorn picked up his fifth major decision of the year in the first match of the dual. Thorn, ranked fourth in the nation in his weight class, bested Nebraska's Mike Koehnlein 15-4 in a 141 lbs. matchup to give the Gophers a 4-0 advantage in the opening bout. At 149 lbs., Danny Zilverberg added to Minnesota's lead in the follow-up match to make it 7-0 when he scored a 6-2 decision over Ross Grande. The Cornhuskers struck back in the third and fourth matches when Tyler Koehn edged Alec Ortiz with a 6-4 decision at 157 lbs. before No. 2 Jordan Burroughs scored a 23-7 technical fall (5:54) against No. 6 Cody Yohn in a meeting of two of the nation's top 165 lbs. grapplers. The back-to-back wins for Nebraska gave the Cornhuskers an 8-7 lead, but that would be the only scoring of the night for the Big 12 team as Minnesota swept the remaining six matches. At 174 lbs., No. 10 Scott Glasser put the Gophers back on top with a 3-1 decision over Caleb Kolb that made the team score 10-8 in Minnesota's favor. No. 15 Kevin Steinhaus recorded his second-consecutive upset in the 184 lbs. matchup when he held off No. 8 Josh Ihnen to pick up a 3-2 decision. Steinhaus also picked up an 8-2 decision over then-No. 8 Chris Perry of Oklahoma State last Saturday in Minnesota's 17-16 loss to the Cowboys. With the Gophers already up 16-8 on the Huskers, Sonny Yohn, ranked fifth in the nation at 197 lbs., edged Andy Johnson in a low-scoring 2-0 match before No. 11 Tony Nelson scored an upset of his own when he bested No. 7 Tucker Lane with a 3-1 decision in overtime in the heavyweight match. In the 125 lbs. match, No. 6 Zach Sanders scored a 24-12 major decision over David Klingsheim before Bart Reiter tallied a 4-3 overtime decision over Ridge Kiley in his dual debut at 133 lbs, rounding out the nights score 26-8 in favor of the Golden Gophers. The third-ranked Gophers return to action this Saturday with a pair of duals in the Golden State. Minnesota takes on Cal State Bakersfield at 1 p.m. before traveling to Cal State Fullerton at 8 p.m. Both times are Central Standard. Results: 141- #2 Mike Thorn (UM) by major dec. over Mike Koehnlein (NU), 14-4 (NU 0, UM 4) 149-Danny Zilverberg (UM) by dec. over Ross Grande (NU), 6-2 (NU 0, UM 7) 157-Cody Compton (NU) by dec. over Alec Ortiz (UM), 6-4 (NU 3, UM 7) 165-#2 Jordan Burroughs (NU) by tech. fall over #6 Cody Yohn (UM), 23-7 (5:54) (NU 8, UM 7) 174-#10 Scott Glasser (UM) by dec. over Caleb Kolb (NU), 3-1 (NU 8, UM 10) 184-#15 Kevin Steinhaus (UM) by dec. over #8 Josh Ihnen (NU), 3-2 (NU 8, UM 13) 197- #5 Sonny Yohn (UM) by dec. over Andy Johnson (NU), 2-0 (NU 8, UM 16) HWT- #11 Tony Nelson (UM) by sudden-victory dec. over #7 Tucker Lane (NU), 3-1 (NU 8, UM 19) 125- #6 Zach Sanders (UM) by major decision over David Klingsheim (NU), 24-12 (NU 8, UM 23) 133-Bart Reiter (UM) by sudden-victory dec. over Ridge Kiley (NU), 4-3 (NU 8, UM 26) *Matches started at 141

Link: Event Coverage (Schedule, Articles, Links, Results) Link opens in new window InterMat and TOM have teamed up to provide a live blog throughout the 2010 Walsh Ironman. 2010 Walsh Ironman

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- UNCG redshirt sophomore Ivan Lopouchanski has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Month for the month of November, the conference office announced on Wednesday afternoon. Lopouchanski had a great month as he went 11-1 and won a pair of tournament titles and defeated three nationally-ranked wrestlers, including No. 6 Kurt Kinser from Indiana. He also won both Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week honors in the month. Lopouchanski began his season at the Hokie Open where he went a perfect 5-0, including a pin against Iowa State’s Nate Carr (who is now ranked No. 16) in the semifinals. In the finals, he defeated Virginia Tech’s Brian Stephens, then-ranked No. 16, 9-4. He followed that up the next weekend by winning the NC State Open with a pair of 16-0 technical falls and two other wins. UNCG then began the dual match portion of its schedule and Lopouchanski started off with a 9-7 victory over No. 16 Cole Schmitt from No. 4 Wisconsin. Two days later, he dropped his only match of the season in a rematch with Virginia Tech’s Brian Stephens, 9-7, in overtime. He rebounded later in the day with a win against North Carolina. The Spartans then went to the Hoosier Duals over Thanksgiving weekend and Lopouchanski continued to shine as he defeated No. 6 Kurt Kinser from Indiana, 6-2. He also had a pair of wins later in the day. Also nominated for the award was Appalachian State’s Austin Trotman, The Citadel’s Turtogtokh Luvsandorj and Davidson’s Alex Radsky.

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Scoring wins in six of 10 bouts, the top-ranked Augsburg College wrestling team claimed a 31-12 triumph over Minnesota State University Moorhead in a dual meet on Wednesday evening at MSUM's Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse. Augsburg (1-1 in dual meets), the defending NCAA Division III national champions and top-ranked team in the latest national poll, used three pins and one major decision to score the convincing victory over Division II MSU Moorhead (0-2). Augsburg leads the all-time series against MSU Moorhead 14-0, a series dating to the 1991-92 season. Since 1989-90, the Auggies are now 251-22 against opponents from Divisions II and III, losing just 17 matches to non-Division I teams since the 1995-96 campaign. Tony Valek (JR, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), the defending 149-pound national runner-up and current No. 2-ranked 149-pounder nationally, improved to 9-0 on the season with a third-period pin of Connor MacGregor. At 197 pounds, Brad Baus (JR, Mukwonago, Wis.) claimed a 1:23 pin of MSUM's Brian Woelfel to improve to 8-2 on the year, while Brandon Bahr (JR, Bemidji, Minn.) scored a 2:35 pin of Kody Kalkbrenner at 184 pounds. "We performed well tonight as a team," said Augsburg head coach Mark Matzek. "We were lead by our upperclassmen, who kept their momentum going from this past weekend. Tony Valek, Brad Baus, Brandon Bahr all ended their matches with falls." Augsburg's Cody Hansen (SO, Albert Lea, Minn.) improved to 7-1 on the season with a 12-3, major-decision win at 141, and Jon Priess (SO, Waconia, Minn.) scored a 6-1 win at 157. "Cody Hansen wrestled a great match versus a very tough opponent and not only won, but dominated the entire match," Matzek said. "Jon Priess is starting to get back into the swing of competition after a 5 year stint in the Army Rangers." Evan Forde (133), Jacob Bennett (165), Trent Sovde (174) and Jon Swart (HWT) all claimed decision victories for the Dragons. "The effort was there throughout the entire squad," Matzek said. "We still must make some adjustments and continue to improve, to be where we want to be at the NWCA National Duals." Augsburg returns to action with a pair of meets on Saturday (12/11) at 9 a.m., with the Augsburg varsity competing at the St. Cloud State Open, and the Auggie White Team (junior varsity) competing at the Wartburg (Iowa) Dick Walker Invitational. Results: 141 -- Cody Hansen (AUG, 6-1) maj. dec. Brady Schneeberger (MSUM, 5-6) 12-3 (Augsburg 4-0) 149 -- No. 2 Tony Valek (AUG, 9-0) pinned Connor MacGregor (MSUM, 5-6) 6:10 (Augsburg 10-0) 157 -- Jon Priess (AUG, 3-5) dec. Tyler Steinwand (MSUM, 4-6) 6-1 (Augsburg 13-0) 165 -- Jacob Bennett (MSUM, 10-8) dec. Justin Bowland (AUG, 4-4) 7-4 (Augsburg 13-3) 174 -- Trent Sovde (MSUM, 9-3) dec. Josh Kohler (AUG, 5-4) 3-1 (Augsburg 13-6) 184 -- Brandon Bahr (AUG, 5-4) pinned Kody Kalkbrenner (MSUM, 5-4) 2:35 (Augsburg 19-6) 197 -- Brad Baus (AUG, 8-2) pinned Brian Woelfel (MSUM, 3-5) 1:23 (Augsburg 25-6) HWT -- Jon Swart (MSUM, 6-5) dec. Niko Bogojevic (AUG, 7-2) 2-1 (Augsburg 25-9) 125 -- No. 2 Josh Roberts (AUG, 7-3) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 31-9) 133 -- Evan Forde (MSUM, 6-6) dec. Cody Madsen (AUG, 4-4) 6-1 (Augsburg 31-12)

The 17th edition of the Walsh Ironman yet again features a star studded field. Four wrestlers ranked No. 1 in their weight class are scheduled to compete, along with seven that are ranked second in the nation. Four of the nation's top eight teams are in the field, as are 15 of the Fab 50. What: The 17th Walsh Ironman Where: Walsh Jesuit High School -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH When: Friday 12-10-10 and Saturday 12-11-10 Schedule: Preliminary rounds (up to the quarterfinals) start at 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Saturday wrestling starts at 10:00 a.m. with the quarterfinals, the semifinals will follow, as will all consolation matches including those for seventh place. Matches for first, third, and fifth will be wrestled Saturday evening starting at 6:30 p.m. Tournament Website: http://www.walshironman.com Special Honoree: Bill Barger will be honored as the Ironman Legacy Award winner this year. Barger, the long-time head coach at Walsh Jesuit High School is the primary founder and visionary of the Walsh Ironman tournament. His squads won nine out of ten state championships from 1991-2000. Seven Walsh Jesuit alumni have gone on to earn nineteen All-American medals at the NCAA Division I Championships. InterMat Coverage: InterMat will be providing live blog coverage of all three sessions, available from the InterMat home page. In addition, a recap will be provided on Friday night, with a finals recap to be published on Sunday. 103: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, PA), No. 2 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, OH), No. 9 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, NJ). Commentary: The opening weight class features the top two ranked wrestlers in the country, who have met twice in the last five months. Cruz won the pair of meetings in the pool stage of the Cadet National freestyle tournament, and in an overtime championship final match at the Super 32 Challenge. The other legitimate contender for the championship is the freshman McKenna, who was Cadet National Greco-Roman champion this summer. Outside of these three wrestlers, the high end quality is rather limited with Cadet National Greco-Roman medalist Micah Hight (Caesar Rodney, DE) representing the best of the rest. Other Cadet freestyle All-Americans include Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, DE) -- champion at 84 pounds -- and Armando Torres (Elyria, OH) -- eighth at 91 pounds. Roadblocks to the Cruz-Tomasello final are as follows based on the seeding. Cruz is likely to face Torres in the quarterfinal round and McKenna in the semifinal. Tomasello is looking at a relatively clear path to a semifinal date with either Fleetwood or Preseason Nationals runner-up Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, IL). Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: A trio of freshmen -- Anthony Tutolo (Walsh Jesuit, OH), David Bavery (Massillon Perry, OH), and Tyler Ponte (Wyoming Seminary, PA). Friday Match to Watch: McKenna v Hight. Predicting a Finals Match: Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic) over Tomasello (CVCA) 112: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Jered Cortez (Marmion Academy, IL), No. 8 George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, OH), No. 11 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, PA), No. 14 Ryan Taylor (Graham, OH). Commentary: Last year's champion from 103 -- DiCamillo -- received no favors with his draw. Prior to the quarterfinal round, he could see a returning state placer at 112 pounds in Artem Timchenko (Massillon Perry, OH). In addition, the pre-tournament favorite Jered Cortez (Marmion Academy, IL) -- twice a Cadet National freestyle finalist is the projected semifinal opponent. The bottom half of this weight has a similar dynamic with second seed Max Hvolbek (Blair Academy, NJ) -- second at National Prep last year, third at the Ironman -- possibly facing a returning state placer at 112 pounds in Edgar Bright (St. Edward, OH) prior to the quarterfinal. The projected semifinal would be against state champion Ryan Taylor (Graham, OH) -- with whom Hvolbeck split matches last year. However, there is a big-time poison pill in this weight class with two-time Super 32 Challenge placer Moisey being an unseeded wrestler. His placement within the bracket could play huge implications in the overall course of the tournament. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Moisey, Michael Olsen (Park Hill, MO), and Michael Screptock (Oregon Clay, OH). Friday Match to Watch: The two previously mentioned matches -- DiCamillo vs. Timchenko, and Hvolbek vs. Bright. In addition, Ironman and National Prep placer Judson Preskitt (Bishop Lynch, TX) vs. Cody Stainbrook (Walsh Jesuit, OH). Predicting a Finals Match: Cortez (Marmion Academy) is the pick to win the weight. Should Moisey draw into the bottom half, he is my pick to reach the final, if not, it's wide open, and the pick is Taylor (Graham) to set up a very intriguing matchup with a boatload of history behind it. 119: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area, PA), No. 9 Dominick Malone (Wyoming Seminary, PA), No. 11 Joey Dance (Christiansburg, VA), No. 12 Dean Heil (St. Edward, OH), No. 13 (at 125) Caleb Richardson (Blair Academy, NJ). Commentary: The number one ranked wrestler in this weight class is Evan Silver (Blair Academy, NJ) -- and he can't even make it out of the practice room. That would be testament to the depth within the Blair program. Multi-time state champion Richardson was able to upend Silver, despite having finished behind him in a couple of tournaments last season. He is the fourth seed in this weight class, and is likely to face a very familiar foe in Dance at the quarterfinal stage of this tournament. The winner of that match is looking at a semifinal date against Gulibon, a two-time state champion that has lost a grand total of two matches in his career -- one of them coming in last year's Ironman semifinal at 112 pounds to Silver. The bottom half of this bracket possesses more overall depth despite having just the two nationally-ranked wrestlers in Malone and Heil. Malone, seeded second, is looking at a quarterfinal match against either two-time state champion David Jeffrey (Parkersburg South, WV) or Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, PA). Heil, seeded sixth, is looking at a matchup against state runner-up Mitch Newhouse (Massillon Perry, OH) prior to the quarterfinals with state runner-up Corey Keener (Blue Mountain, PA) waiting in the semifinal round. Friday Match to Watch: Heil vs. Newhouse, in what could be a preview of the Division I state final in Ohio, Jeffrey vs. Cruz, and Nick Goebel (Elmwood, OH) vs. Jake Smith (Robinson, VA) in a matchup of third place-finishers at the state tournament. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Micah Jordan (Graham, OH) -- ranked 19th in the Class of 2014 -- along with George Fisher (Marmion Academy, IL) who went 4-2 in Cadet freestyle and gets to practice with Cortez on a daily basis. Predicting a Finals Match: Gulibon (Derry Area) over Malone (Wyoming Seminary) 125: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA), No. 3 (at 130) Mark Grey (Blair Academy, NJ), No. 4 Bricker Dixon (Park Hill, MO), No. 7 Geoff Alexander (Shady Side Academy, PA), No. 8 (at 130) Alex Cisneros (Selma, CA), No. 9 Kagan Squire (Wadsworth, OH). Commentary: Finally we hit upon a weight that has the traditional fireworks associated with an Ironman weight class. Six wrestlers that are top ten in the nation caliber, with multiple kids that are close to the top in the nation. The weight class also features some legit names behind the first six plus three solid freshmen. None of the four quarters provides a clean path to the semifinal round. Defending Ironman champion Beckman, who beat a true gauntlet to win the 119 pound weight class last year, is looking at a quarterfinal against either two-time National Prep medalist Chris Dinnien (Germantown Academy, PA) or Preseason Nationals runner-up Courtland Hacker (Broomfield, CO). The other quarter up top could feature a battle of top 20 Class of 2012 wrestlers in Kagan Squire and two-time state champion Alex Cisneros. Two-time National Prep champion Grey, second seed in this weight class, is looking at a quarterfinal date with returning Ironman placer and Super 32 Challenge champion Alexander or state champion and Super 32 placer Chris Caton (Northside Christian Academy, NC). The other quarter bracket of the bottom half is led by two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Bricker Dixon (Park Hill, MO) who will likely face three-time state champion and FloNationals runner-up Josh Fisher (Roane County, WV) in the quarterfinals. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: A trio of freshmen -- Shawn Spearman (Erie McDowell, PA), Tony Dailey (Massillon Perry, OH), and Jack Bass (Robinson, VA). Friday Match to Watch: Alexander vs. Caton and Squire vs. Joey Ward (Moeller). Squire beat the former state placer Ward in overtime this past weekend. Predicting a Finals Match: Beckman (Reynolds) over Grey (Blair Academy) 130: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 4 Johnni DiJulius (Walsh Jesuit, OH), No. 7 Brandon Jeske (Cox, VA), No. 9 Ben Whitford (Blair Academy, NJ), No. 13 (at 135) Todd Preston (Blair Academy, NJ). Commentary: One of the few shortcomings in the sensational high school career of DiJulius is his inability to earn an All-American honor in four Fargo appearances. However, each time he has left with a winning record. This sensational career includes two third place-finishes at the Ironman along with three state finals appearances (two titles). It would be a storybook start to his senior season if he could win an Ironman title in his home gymnasium. While his path as the top seed is not easy, it could be harder. Take for instance the position of Preston, Junior National freestyle All-American and National Prep champion, who is the third seed in this weight. He is looking at a match prior to the quarterfinals against Jack Clark (McDonogh, MD), ranked third in the Class of 2014 and a FILA Cadet freestyle champion. Then, a quarterfinal match with multi-time state champion Rusty Maness (Graham, OH) would be next. Only after that could he even think about the semifinal round against most likely second seed Whitford. The four-time Cadet National finalist (double champion this year), Whitford is looking at a quarterfinal match against one of two wrestlers that finished third at their state tournament -- Dylan Durso (Reynolds, PA) or Brandon Choate (Blue Mountain, PA). In the top half, DiJulius is looking at a quarterfinal match against returning Ironman placer and Super 32 Challenge placer Brent Fickel (Padua, OH) prior to a likely semifinal with Jeske -- second at National Preps, champion at the FILA Cadet and Cadet National freestyle tournaments, and ranked third in the Class of 2013. Projected quarterfinal opponent for Jeske would be either two-time state placer David Makara (Burrell, PA) or state runner-up and Super 32 Challenge placer Russell Coleman (Park Hill, MO). Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Tanner Bailey (Broken Arrow, OK) -- a freshman whose older brother Dallas is a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma State and currently ranked seventh at 165 pounds. Friday Matches to Watch: Makara vs. Coleman, Durso vs. Choate, and Preston vs. Clark. Predicting a Finals Match: DiJulius (Walsh Jesuit) over Whitford (Marmion Academy) 135: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, OH), No. 1 (at 140) Austin Ormsbee (Blair Academy, NJ), No. 2 Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, PA), No. 5 Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, OH), No. 11 chris Mecate (Redlands East Valley, CA), No. 16 Chase Ferman (Broken Arrow, OK). Commentary: Like the 125 pound weight class, it is weights such as these that make the Walsh Ironman arguably the nation's pre-eminent tournament. Stieber and Ormsbee are also ranked seventh and eighth overall in the Class of 2011 as college prospects. While the top half of this bracket -- where Stieber is the first seed - is stronger than the bottom half, it can be argued that the second seed Ormsbee has the harder journey to the anticipated finals match. The other quarter of the top half is absolutely brutal with projected preliminary matches featuring defending Walsh Ironman champion Skonieczny against Cadet National freestyle runner-up Bryce Brill (Marmion Academy, IL) with Super 32 Challenge champion Spearman facing a local rival in the solid Adam Matthews (Reynolds, PA). Stieber is looking at what is by Ironman standards a manageable quarterfinal match against either state champion Gabe Lavey (Hanover, VA) or state runner-up Dan Mirman (Medina Highland, OH). Three-time National Prep champion, and Junior National freestyle champion Ormsbee is looking at a quarterfinal date against two-time state placer and 2009 Super 32 Challenge champion Mecate prior to an open-ended semifinal match. Ferman has finished fifth and seventh at the Ironman the last two years and was fourth in Junior National freestyle this summer though yet to win a state title. He is projected to face either two-time Ironman placer Case Garrison (Graham, OH) or Zach Dailey (Massillon Perry, OH). Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Willie Fox (Gilroy, CA), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion, RC Ramirez (Wyoming Seminary, PA), and state qualifier Tyler Zymroz (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) Friday Match to Watch: Lavey vs. Mirman, Skonieczny vs. Brill, Spearman vs. Adam Matthews, and Garrison vs. Dailey Predicting a Finals Match: Stieber (Monroeville) over Ormsbee (Blair Academy) 140: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Cam Tessari (Monroeville, OH), 3 (at 135) Nick Pena (Selma, CA), No. 6 Nick Brascetta (Graham, OH), No. 12 (at 145) Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep, PA). Commentary: Tessari seeks to win a second consecutive Ironman championship, though this is a tournament in which he suffered his only career scholastic losses during his freshman and sophomore years. Should he get through the projected path of Cadet National freestyle All-American Angelo Silvestro (Marmion Academy, IL) and Super 32 Challenge placer Andrew Romanchik (Padua, OH) -- which is a very reasonable presumption -- Tessari is looking at a semifinal date with state champion Pena. Pena is a three-time state placer who placed fourth in Tessari's Ironman weight class last year. Pena's path through the semifinal involves projected matches against National Prep medalist Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, NJ) and either two time state runner-up Nick Babcock (Broomfield, CO) or National Prep medalist Cohl Fulk (Wyoming Seminary, PA). The bottom half of this drawis similar in terms of structure, there is solid balance and two big names. However, it can be said the peripheral names are slightly more credentialed than those in the top half. Two wrestlers that finished third in last year's Ironman are on a collision course for the semifinal round this year: three-time state placer (2009 state champion) Brascetta and National Prep champion (two-time finalist) Evan Henderson. Brascetta is looking at a quarterfinal match against one of two state placers -- Nate Ball (Wadsworth, OH) or Jeremy Landowski (Burrell, PA) -- while Henderson has a tougher path to the quarterfinal with returning state placer and Super 32 Challenge placer Austin Matthews (Reynolds, PA) standing in his way. The quarterfinal would be against one of two state placers, Blake Kastl (Gilroy, CA) or returning Ironman placer Tyler Argue (Mount Carmel, IL). Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: State qualifier Tyler Manion (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA), former state qualifier Chase Boontjer (Foothill PC, CA), and Logan Bosley (Christiansburg, VA). Friday Matches to Watch: Babcock vs. Fulk, Ball vs. Landowski, Evan Henderson vs. Austin Matthews, and Argue vs. Kastl. Predicting a Finals Match: Tessari (Monroeville) over Brascetta (Graham) 145: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 6 Bo Jordan (Graham, OH), No. 8 (at 140) Travis Shaffer (Derry Area, PA), No. 11 Travis Himmelman (Conifer, CO), No. 14 Henry Carlson (Cox, VA). Commentary: Beyond the top four wrestlers in this weight class, there is not much overall depth at the national level. Therefore, since the top seed Carlson is opposite of the other three nationally-ranked wrestlers, the bracket is rather lopsided. The only realistic hurdle to the final for the three-time state champion and Junior National freestyle All-American Carlson is two-time National prep medalist Robert Henderson (Kiski Prep, PA). However, the bottom of the draw features NHSCA Junior National runner-up, two-time state champion, and Junior National Greco-Roman medalist Himmelman as the second seed. His path to the semifinal is manageable with only state champion Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, VA) really standing in his way at the quarterfinal level. The other quarterfinal in the bottom half is likely to feature FloNationals champion Shaffer facing state champion Bo Jordan, who is the second ranked wrestler in the Class of 2013. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Two-time state qualifier and FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Matt Van Curen (St. Edward, OH) and Dylan Milnoas (Blair Academy, NJ) who is ranked tenth in the Class of 2014. Predicting a Finals Match: Bo Jordan (Graham) over Carlson (Cox) 152: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Ian Miller (Oak Harbor, OH), No. 9 Matt Stephens (Graham, OH), No. 15 Duke Pickett (Woodberry Forest, VA). Commentary: Despite the lack of truly heavy hitters on the national level, this is a rather deep weight overall in terms of national quality. The top seed in this weight, Miller, broke out as a star in last year's Ironman when he reached the final and took Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy/Cornell) to the absolute brink. Miller would go on to win a state title and go undefeated this summer at the Junior National Duals in freestyle. The path to a second consecutive Ironman final will not be easy, starting with state runner-up Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) as the projected quarterfinal opponent. The other quarterfinal in the top half should feature a pair of National Prep runners-up in Junior National freestyle All-American Duke Pickett (Woodberry Forest, VA) facing Cadet National freestyle runner-up Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, PA). Second seed Stephens, twice an Ironman placer and state runner-up in 2009, is looking at a very tough quarterfinal match against one of two state runners-up: Mark Martin (St. Edward, OH) or Kyle Dehaut (Bethlehem Catholic, PA). The likely semifinal opponent for the wrestler exiting this quarter is third seed Stephen Robertson (Montini Catholic, IL), twice an Ironman placer and state champion. Robertson would have to escape a quarterfinal match against either returing state placer and Cadet National freestyle All-American Victor Pereira (Newark Memorial, CA) or freshman Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, NJ) who was a Cadet National champion in Greco-Roman this past summer. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: State qualifier Mike Petrime (Massillon Perry, OH) and Cadet National Greco-Roman medalist Tyler Metzler (Oviedo, FL). Friday Matches to Watch: Martin vs. Dehaut and Pereira vs. Coover. Predicting a Finals Match: Miller (Oak Harbor) over Stephens (Graham) 160: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA), No. 12 (at 171) Vinny Waldhauser (Oak Ridge, CA), No. 14 Zach Skates (Broken Arrow, OK), and No. 15 (at 171) Geordan Speiller (Oviedo, FL). Commentary: Four nationally-ranked wrestlers appear in this weight class, though one of them stands out ahead of the rest of the field. Despite a sub-standard Super 32 Challenge while competing up one weight class at 171 pounds in the midst of football season, Luster is a sensational talent as shown by twice being a National Prep finalist (champion this past year) and twice finishing third at the Ironman. His path to the final most likely involves a quarterfinal match against two-time state placer Travis McKillop (Burrell, PA) -- the only wrestler to defeat Cody Wiercioch during his freshman season in which he won titles at Powerade and the state tournament. The other quarterfinal in the top half of the draw is likely to feature a battle of state champions with Isaac Jordan (Graham, OH) facing Cody Allala (Hopewell, VA). The other three nationally-ranked wrestlers then populate the bottom half of the draw with top 100 Class of 2011 prospects Waldhauser and Skates paired to meet in the quarterfinal round. Waldhauser was a state runner-up this past year and a two-time state placer, while Skates is a multi-time state champion and Ironman placer. Speiller -- a state champion and Junior National Greco-Roman medalist -- has a path to the semifinal round most likely involving a quarterfinal match against two-time state champion Rich Eva (Christiansburg, VA). Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Adam Morris (Wyoming Seminary, PA) and Michael Mocco (Blair Academy, NJ) Friday Match to Watch: Eva vs. state placer Kyle Roddy (Brecksville, OH). Predicting a Finals Match: Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) over Waldhauser (Oak Ridge) 171: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 Chris Phillips (Monroeville, OH), No. 17 Kyle Ryan (Graham OH). Commentary: Like last year's 171 pound weight class, this weight class features limited high profile wrestlers at this point. However, last year, multiple wrestlers emerged to be higher profile by season's end. This weight class is arguably the tournament's weakest overall. Three-time state champion, and Ironman champion as a freshman, Phillips should absolutely walk through this weight class starting with a quarterfinal against either Dakota DesLauriers (Burrell, PA) or Lee Wildes (Oviedo, FL). DesLauriers is placed at state as a freshman and is Cadet National freestyle All-American, while Wildes was a Junior National Greco-Roman medalist. The semifinal match for Phillips should be against either three-time National Prep medalist Trey Adamson (Bishop Lynch, TX) or state champion Chris Smith (Parkersburg South, WV). The bottom half of the draw features a pair of state runners-up and Ironman placers in the former state champion Ryan and Konner Witt (Oak Harbor, OH). Those two are seeded to meet in the semifinal, and it is my guess that they will. Friday Match to Watch: DesLauriers vs. Wildes Predicting a Finals Match: Phillips (Monroeville) over Ryan (Graham) 189: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA), No. 6 Alex Utley (CVCA, OH), No. 7 Huston Evans (Graham, OH), No. 7 (at 215) Jay Taylor (Burrell, PA), No. 12 Sam Wheeler (Copley, OH). Commentary: There are very few wrestlers in the country that have the natural talent, ability, and tenacity to maintain contact with -- let alone match up against -- the sensational McIntosh, a Junior National freestyle champion who is ranked second in the Class of 2011. Bound for Penn State next year, he is a two-time state champion and three-time state placer. Even with four other nationally-ranked wrestlers present in this weight, and Ironman championship should notched to the resume of McIntosh on Saturday night. Seeded first, McIntosh should breeze his way into a semifinal match against either Taylor or Chaz Gresham (Goshen, OH). Taylor won state last year in Florida before moving up to the Keystone State, and has earned All-American honors in many national tournaments. Twice a state placer, Gresham increased his visibility nationally when he placed fourth at 171 pounds in the Super 32 Challenge. Down in the bottom half of the draw is three nationally-ranked wrestlers. Utley, the second seed, has twice placed in the Ironman and earned state runner-up honors to superstar wrestlers (Zach Toal in 2009 and Phillips this past year). As a key piece to a winning football program, Utley does have limited off-season competitive wrestling, though what he has done has been successful, and he already is signed with the University of North Carolina. His projected quarterfinal match is against Preston Quam (San Clemente, CA), fifth in the state last year and fourth at FloNationals. The other part of the bottom half features state champion Evans facing state runner-up Wheeler in a battle of absolute physical specimens. Friday Matches to Watch: Gresham vs. Joe Tayse (Massillon Perry, OH) -Tayse qualified for state as a freshman as district champion, but went a disappointing 0-2 at state. Taylor vs. James Suvak (St. Edward, OH) -- despite failing to make the state tournament, Suvak was a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Predicting a Finals Match: McIntosh (Calvary Chapel) over Utley (CVCA) 215: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Tanner Hall (Meridian, ID), No. 4 Tank Knowles (Calvary Chapel, CA), No. 9 Nick Tavanello (Wadsworth, OH). Commentary: Compared to last year's bracket at this weight class, there is a lot of depth. Only Knowles was a nationally-ranked wrestler in last year's bracket. This year's grouping has two more nationally-ranked wrestlers and some others whom are credentialed. None the less, the pair of favorites is pretty clear -- and they are Hall and Knowles. Twice a state champion, Hall came into the past off-season as by no means a superstar. However, he left it one of the elite wrestlers in the Class of 2011. That is what happens when you compete in almost everything and thrive all the time. Hall was a FILA Cadet double champion, FILA Junior double All-American, and Junior National double finalist (champ in freestyle). Knowles won a state title last year after earning titles at the Ironman and in Reno, during the postseason, he was runner-up at FloNationals and a Junior National Greco-Roman medalist. Looking at the top half of the draw, in which Hall is the number one seed, his likely quarterfinal match would be against either Cadet National freestyle champion Ty Walz (St. Edward, OH) or state qualifier Matt Meadows (CVCA, OH). The other quarter bracket is intriguing with two-time state placer Brian Beattie (Burrell, PA), Carlos Martinez (Oviedo, FL), Ironman placer and state champion Cody Johnson (Broken Arrow, OK), as well as former state placer Mark Meyer (Graham, OH). Knowles is the second seed and headlines the bottom half of the draw. His likely quarterfinal is against two-time Ironman placer, but zero-time state qualifier, Jason Gott (Elyria, OH). The other quarterfinal in the bottom half of the draw should place state champion Tavanello against Ironman and state placer Anthony Wise (Massillon Perry, OH). This matchup has played out many times -- virtually every time the score has either been 3-2 or the match has gone to overtime with Tavanello winning. Predicting a Finals Match: Hall (Meridian) over Knowles (Calvary Chapel) 285: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 5 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, NJ), No. 9 Doug Vollaro (Oviedo, FL), No. 19 Terrance Jean-Jacques (Wyoming Seminary, PA). Commentary: This is one of those weights where the absence of a specific wrestler can be truly felt, and that is the case with Junior National freestyle champion Greg Kuhar (St. Edward, OH) not entered in the tournament. Kuhar, ranked 11th in this weight class nationally, was a key contributor on the defensive line of a state title winning football team whose season ended last weekend. As for those competing, Cadet National and FILA Cadet double champion Black is the favorite. Last year, Black placed at both the Ironman and Beast as a freshman, and was runner-up at the National Prep Championships, he is currently the top ranked Class of 2013 wrestler in the country. His most formidable challenger should be Vollaro, a state champion who was runner-up to Black in all four major tournaments this spring/summer, Greco-Roman and freestyle at both the FILA Cadet and Cadet Nationals. Vollaro was also runner-up at the Preseason Nationals, losing to top-ranked Cody Krumwiede in the final. The two other contenders in this weight are Jean-Jacques, a New England Regional champion and NHSCA Junior National runner-up last year, and state champion Ross Burbank (Cox, VA). Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Levi Pickerel (Toledo Central Catholic, OH), backup to a state finalist last year, and state alternate Carlos Lugo (Akron SVSM, OH) Predicting a Finals Match: Black (Blair Academy) over Vollaro (Oviedo) Team: There are fifteen of the top fifty teams in the nation in this field, starting with four of the top eight: No. 2 Graham (OH), No. 3 Blair Academy (NJ), No. 5 St. Edward (OH), and No. 8 Wyoming Seminary (PA). However, of these teams only Graham comes into Ironman at perceived full strength. As discussed in the 119 pound preview, Evan Silver has been closed out of the Blair Academy lineup, which effects overall squad depth. After winning a state title in football this past weekend, St. Edward is without two starters in nationally ranked Kuhar and Cadet National freestyle All-American Dominic Abounader (160). Wyoming Seminary has seen National Prep medalist Garrett Hammond return to his home school, lost former Cadet freestyle All-American Matt Bilodeau due to injury, and will be without the services of double Junior National All-American Tyler Fraley (125) and NHSCA Sophomore National champion AJ Vizcarrando (215). Two of the few teams operating with all hands on deck are No. 17 Marmion Academy, IL and No. 23 Massillon Perry, OH. These two teams have quality depth across their lineups and could be legit threats for third place given the question marks across the field. No. 19 Montini Catholic, IL has their lone nationally ranked Kevon Powell (112/119) not entered in the tournament. Though No. 22 Selma, CA was only slated to send a partial squad, they bring even less than expected with nationally ranked Joey Lozano (160/171) and two-time state placer Nathan Zarate (145) out of the lineup. Other nationally-ranked teams in the tournament include No. 31 Cox (VA), No. 3 Christiansburg (VA), No. 34 Broken Arrow (OK), No. 36 Pittsburgh Central Catholic (PA), No. 43 Burrell (PA), No. 48 Wadsworth (OH), and No. 50 Oviedo (FL). Look for the team race to be very close between Graham and Blair Academy with the superior depth of the Graham squad making it the favorites to come home with the Ironman trophy for the second time in three years. St. Edward is my pick to finish in third, while the race for fourth is wide open.

AMES, Iowa -- Former Iowa State wrestler Andrew Long intends to transfer to Penn State to continue his collegiate wrestling career it was announced Wednesday. Long was the 125-pound runner-up for the Cyclones at the NCAA Championships in March. He finished the season with a 27-7 record. Andrew Long (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)“We gave Andrew a series of steps he needed to accomplish to rejoin our team,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. “During that process, Andrew decided that he could best address those issues in a place where he would be starting over. We will honor his decision and support his efforts to address his personal issues.” Long was dismissed from the Iowa State wrestling team in June after violations of team rules. He is currently enrolled as a student at Iowa State. “I want to thank coach Jackson for his support while I have been here,” Long said. “We were working on a process through which I would be able to join the team for the second semester. As I worked through this process I came to the conclusion that I needed a chance to start over somewhere else. ” Andrew Long Kevin Jackson

BALTIMORE, MD -- The 2010 -11 Johns Hopkins Wrestling team has dedicated its season to taking down Autism. This year the Blue Jay wrestling team has partnered with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute to create the "Take Down Autism Program". This program will raise awareness of autism and allow the wrestlers to raise money for CARD with each takedown they complete. Today the odds of a child being diagnosed with Autism is 1 in 110. Our goal is 110 takedowns during the dual meet season. The wrestlers will also be visiting students and volunteering their time at Kennedy Krieger Institute and local schools. The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute is a multi-faceted, multidisciplinary program for children with autism spectrum disorders and their family members. CARD combines research, clinical (assessment and intervention) services, as well as community outreach and training to help improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders, their families, and the community who cares for them. CARD endorses a flexible approach to treatment, adjusting the core set of methods used and goals of intervention to meet the needs of each child and his or her family. We have created three levels so that everyone can help take down autism. Please click on the Take Down Autism Letter to find out how you can help or visit http://www.giving.jhu.edu/unlimited to make a donation online. Bronze Medal $ .20 for each takedown Total Donation: $22 Silver Medal $1.00 for each takedown Total Donation: $110 Gold Medal $10.00 for each takedown Total Donation: $1,100 Keep track of how many takedowns the Hopkins Wrestling team has during the season at http://www.hopkinssports.com or come out and watch Johns Hopkins Wrestling Take Down Autism. January 5, 2011 at 6:00 pm, Goldfarb Gym on the Homewood Campus January 29, 2011 at 1:00 pm, Goldfarb Gym on the Homewood Campus[cid:37CE88E1-BA45-4AF2-A65A-9FD9B53BF573]

THIS WEEK The seventh-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team (6-0) will travel to Cedar Falls to face Northern Iowa (4-3) Thursday at 7 p.m. in the West Gym. Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for children, and are available at unipanthers.com. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time All-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC and hawkeyesports.com. Live audio broadcasts from all events will be available online at hawkeyesports.com using the All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year). Television - The dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television. Tim Johnson, former Hawkeye Head Coach Dan Gable and former Iowa State Head Coach Jim Gibbons will call the action. Internet - The 2010-11 Hawkeye wrestling media guide, press releases, meet results, and audio broadcasts are available on the University of Iowa's website, hawkeyesports.com. Current wrestling staff and student-athlete head shots are available at pics.hawkeyesports.com. IOWA WINNING STREAKS Iowa has won 67 straight dual matches, which is a school record. The current streak started with a win over Cornell (32-3) on Jan. 12, 2008, which was the first match after Iowa lost to Oklahoma State (19-14) on Jan. 5. The 67-match winning streak ranks fourth-best in NCAA wrestling history behind three Oklahoma State streaks. The Cowboys won 76 straight duals from 1937-51, and had two 69-match streaks (1921-32 and 1996-99). The Hawkeyes have also won 43 consecutive duals on the road, which is also a school record. That streak started with a 20-13 win at Iowa State on Dec. 9, 2007. Iowa has also won its last 29 duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That streak, which ranks fourth-best in school history, started with a 27-13 win over Penn State on Jan. 20, 2008, which was also the first home match after the loss to the Cowboys. The school record is 55 (1/9/1977-12/18/1983). Against Big Ten foes, the Hawkeyes have won their last 28 duals, including 13 at home and 15 on the road. The 28 league duals rank second in school history, while the 13 home duals rank third and the 15 road duals rank fourth. Iowa's school record for consecutive Big Ten wins is 98 (12/13/1975-1/28/1989), while the records for Big Ten home wins is 63 (1/17/1975-1/3/1998) and road wins is 54 (1/19/1974-1/28/1989). NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS The University of Northern Iowa Panthers are 4-3 with wins over McKendree (34-9), Wisconsin-Parkside (34-6), Old Dominion (19-15) and Binghamton (18-15), and losses to Northwestern (6-26), Maryland (16-19) and Bloomsburg (14-18). Head Coach Doug Schwab, who is in his first year with the Panthers, served as an assistant coach at Iowa from 2006-07 to 2009-10. He was a three-time All-American and Big Ten champion for the Hawkeyes from 1998-2001. He won the 1999 NCAA title at 141 pounds and finished his collegiate career with 130 wins, which ranks 10th-best in school history. Schwab is assisted by UNI alums Mark Schwab (1990) and Randy Pugh (2000), as well as former Hawkeye Joe Slaton and Nebraska alum Tolly Thompson (1997). The Panthers are led by junior heavyweight Christian Brantley, who is ranked 14th by WIN, 16th by Intermat and 17th by AWN with a 7-0 dual record. THE SERIES Iowa leads the series with Northern Iowa, 42-8-2. The Hawkeyes have won the last 35 meetings with the Panthers, and hold a 20-5-1 advantage in Cedar Falls. Iowa won the last meeting, 48-3, Dec. 10, 2009, in Iowa City. Northern Iowa's last win in the series was a 17-15 victory during the 1973-74 season. HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are past collegiate career results of potential Iowa-Northern Iowa match-ups: 125 - Matt McDonough (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Caleb Flores (Northern Iowa) McDonough pinned Flores in 4:39 at 2009-10 dual 133 - Nate Moore (Iowa) is 4-0 vs. Ryan Jauch (Northern Iowa) Moore pinned Jauch in 1:39 at 2008 Northern Iowa Open Moore dec. Jauch, 15-8, at 2009 Brand Open Moore pinned Jauch in 4:00 at 2009 DuHawk Open Moore pinned Jauch in 2:42 at 2009-10 dual 133 - Tony Ramos (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Ryan Jauch (Northern Iowa) Ramos dec. Jauch, 7-4, at 2010 DuHawk Open 141 - Mark Ballweg (Iowa) is 0-1 vs. Alec Hoffman (Northern Iowa) Hoffman maj. dec. Ballweg, 14-4, at 2008 Northern Iowa Open 174 - Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Brice Wolf (Northern Iowa) Lofthouse dec. Wolf, 6-5, at 2010 Brand Open 184 - Grant Gambrall (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) Gambrall dec. Loder, 8-3 0 at 2010 Grand View Open Hwt. - Blake Rasing (Iowa) is 1-1 vs. Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa) Rasing dec. Brantley, 11-9 in TB-1, at 2007 Jim Fox Open Brantley dec. Rasing, 3-2, at 2009-10 dual LAST MEETING - IOWA 48, NORTHERN IOWA 3 The top-ranked Hawkeyes (9-0) recorded six pins and three major decisions en route to a 48-3 win over Northern Iowa (3-4) Dec. 9, 2009, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The 45-point victory margin was Iowa's largest in the 79-year series. The Hawkeyes collected 29 takedowns on the evening, allowing just one for the Panthers. Hawkeye redshirt freshmen Matt McDonough (125) and Nate Moore (133), sophomore Montell Marion (141) and senior Brent Metcalf (149) gave the Hawkeyes a convincing 24-0 lead with their pins. Moore, who was filling in for senior starter Daniel Dennis, made the most of his dual meet debut by scoring a first-period pin over Ryan Jauch in 2:42. Marion, who was also making his first dual appearance in a Hawkeye singlet, built a 6-2 lead over Trent Washington before decking him in 3:28. Junior Aaron Janssen took Iowa into the intermission with an 11-1 major decision over Tyson Reiner at 157. Seniors Ryan Morningstar (165) and Jay Borschel (174) got the Hawkeye fans back on their feet with second-period pins, giving Iowa a 40-0 lead. Morningstar led 1-0 going into the third period before recording the fall over David Bonin in 5:32. Borschel had a 5-0 lead over Jarion Beets before recording the pin in 4:44 to pick up his 70th career win. Major decisions from seniors Phillip Keddy (184) and Chad Beatty (197) built the Hawkeye lead to 48-0. Keddy recorded the most takedowns of the night (6) in his 14-5 win over Andy O'Loughlin, while Beatty tallied five takedowns in his 15-5 victory over Dustin Bauman. Northern Iowa's Christian Brantley recorded the Panther's only win and takedown of the night, scoring a 3-2 decision over Hawkeye sophomore Blake Rasing at heavyweight to end the dual. Iowa 48, Northern Iowa 3 125 - Matt McDonough (I) pinned Caleb Flores (UNI), 4:38 133 - Nate Moore (I) pinned Ryan Jauch (UNI), 2:42 141 - Montell Marion (I) pinned Trent Washington (UNI), 3:28 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Trevor Kittleson (UNI), 3:49 157 - Aaron Janssen (I) maj. dec. Tyson Reiner (UNI), 11-1 165 - Ryan Morningstar (I) pinned David Bonin (UNI), 5:32 174 - Jay Borschel (I) pinned Jarion Beets (UNI), 4:44 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) maj. dec. Andy O'Loughlin (UNI), 14-5 197 - Chad Beatty (I) maj. dec. Dustin Bauman (UNI), 15-5 Hwt. - Christian Brantley (UNI) dec. Blake Rasing (I), 3-2 HAWKEYES BEAT IOWA STATE, MICHIGAN STATE Iowa kept its 67-match winning streak intact with a 22-13 victory over #14 Iowa State Friday night and a 29-10 win over Michigan State Saturday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The sixth-ranked Hawkeyes improved to 6-0 on the season, while handing the Cyclones (4-1) and Spartans (4-1) their first dual losses. Against Iowa State, the Hawkeyes used wins at six weights - including four major decisions - to post its seventh-straight win over Iowa State, and it's 30th over the Cyclones in Iowa City. The win also gave Iowa a 7-6 edge in the 2010-11 Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk series. A crowd of 13,378 saw the Hawkeyes record their 28th straight win in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That attendance total ranks ninth in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history, and is the 15th largest dual crowd in NCAA history. At the intermission, officials from both schools announced the creation of the Dan Gable Traveling Trophy, which will be presented to the winner of the intrastate rival each year. Highlights for Iowa included Mark Ballweg's 3-1 upset over Cyclone senior Chris Drouin at 141, as well as major decisions from sophomores Matt McDonough (125) and Grant Gambrall (184) and redshirt freshmen Tony Ramos (133) and Derek St. John (157). Ballweg, who was not ranked, took Drouin, who was ranked 11th in the nation by Intermat, 13th by WIN and 19th by AWN, down with 11 seconds left in the bout for the win. Iowa opened the 2010-11 Big Ten season against the Spartans, winning seven bouts on the night. The Hawkeyes came out strong in front of 6,031 fans, scoring two pins and second-period technical fall to take a 17-0 lead. McDonough recorded his first pin of the season, sticking Eric Olanowski in 3:48 at 125. Ramos accumulated eight nearfall points and scored three takedowns to defeat Josh Harper, 16-1 in 5:13. Ballweg followed by scrambling off his back and pinning Joel Trombly in 2:05. St. John, senior Jake Kerr (165), Gambrall and senior Luke Lofthouse (197) each recorded decisions. Gambrall led 1-0 early in the second period of his match with Ian Hinton when both wrestlers were awarded one point for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Hawkeye sophomore kept his cool and rode Hinton the entire third period to post the 3-1 win. WRESTLERS CROWN FOUR CHAMPIONS AT NORTHERN IOWA OPEN The Hawkeyes sent 16 competitors to Saturday's Northern Iowa Open in Cedar Falls, crowning four individual champions and 12 placewinners. Senior Aaron Janssen won the 165-pound title for the Hawkeyes, while true freshmen Michael Kelly (157), Mike Evans (174) and Bobby Telford (Hwt.) each won titles while competing unattached. Iowa's other placewinners included junior Vinnie Wagner (184-2nd), redshirt freshman Nick Trizzino (133-4th) and Tomas Lira (184-5th), and true freshmen Ethan Owens (141-6th), Jake Ballweg (149-3rd), Nick Moore (157-3rd), Walt Gillmor (165-3rd) and Jeremy Fahler (174-6th). All of Iowa's true freshmen were competing unattached. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 881-215-30 (.796) in 101 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 23 national titles and 34 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 51 NCAA champions have won a total of 78 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 15 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 102 Big Ten champions have won a total of 186 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 27 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 140 all-Americans have earned all-America status 286 times, including 17 four-time, 29 three-time and 37 two-time honorees. PARDON OUR PROGRESS! As friends of the UI and fans of the Hawkeyes know, the UI Athletics Department is well into a multi-million dollar revitalization of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This important and exciting project has reduced for this season the number of ticket windows that are operational on game nights. Fans attending Iowa's home wrestling are invited to avoid meet night delays by purchasing their event tickets online or in advance. If your schedule doesn't allow for an advance purchase, we recommend you consider arriving at the arena a little earlier than originally planned. The North entrance is no longer accessible from the outside of the facility. Fans can enter and purchase tickets at the West and South entrances. Arena doors will open 90 minutes before an event. The East entrance will serve as the event pass gate. USA WRESTLING ANNOUNCES 2012 OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS BIDS USA Wrestling has received seven proposal packets from bid cities and their potential local organizing committees to jointly host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Weightlifting. The target date for the event is the weekend of April 20-21, 2012. Each bid proposal includes hosting both the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Weightlifting. The wrestling event will feature competition in the three Olympic styles of the sport - men's freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. The weightlifting event will include both men's and women's weight divisions. The competition will determine the U.S. athletes in both sports who will qualify to represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. Listed alphabetically below are the bid cities, with the organizations which have submitted the bid, along with the proposed arena where the event might be held: Columbus, OH (Greater Columbus Sports Commission - Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center); Council Bluffs, IA (Council Bluffs Convention & Visitor Bureau & Council Bluffs Olympic Trials Committee (Iowa) - Mid-America Center); Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Sports Commission - Greensboro Coliseum Complex); Hampton, VA (Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau - Hampton Coliseum); Iowa City, IA (University of Iowa Athletics Department and Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau - Carver Hawkeye Arena); Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma City All Sports Association and Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau - Cox Arena); Pontiac, MI (Triple Sports & Entertainment, LLC/Silverdome Venue - The Silverdome). The group of seven bid cities will be reduced to between three and four finalist bids, with an announcement from USA Wrestling and USA Weightlifting expected on Dec. 20. The organizing committees selected as finalists will be invited to make an in-person presentation on behalf of their bid during the week of Jan. 10-14, 2011. A committee will review the finalist bid presentations. The committee will include USA Wrestling staff and athletes, as well as representatives from USA Weightlifting. An announcement on the bid selected to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Weightlifting is targeted for Jan. 17, 2011. This will be the second consecutive Olympic quadrennium in which USA Wrestling will partner with another National Governing Body within the Olympic family to hold the U.S. Olympic Team Trials side-by-side. In 2008, USA Wrestling partnered with USA Judo for a joint U.S. Olympic Team Trials event. Since USA Wrestling became the sport's National Governing Body for the sport in 1983, eight different cities have hosted the U.S. Olympic Team Trials event. In 1992 and 1996, the final U.S. Olympic Team Trials event for wrestling was split into two events, with men's freestyle in one city and Greco-Roman in another city. Women's freestyle wrestling was added to the event in 2004, after the International Olympic Committee included the discipline for the first time in the Olympic program at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. INTERVIEW POLICIES & PROCEDURES Members of the Hawkeye wrestling team and coaching staff are available for interviews Tuesday afternoons from 2:40-3:25 p.m. in the Field House Practice Facility. If you are interested in scheduling an interview outside that time, please contact Assistant Sports Information Director Traci Wagner at 319-430-6349. ALL IN THE FAMILY On the 2010-11 Hawkeye wrestling team, there are three sets of brothers, two wrestlers whose fathers wrestled at Iowa and two uncle-nephew combinations. Senior Matt Ballweg (157), sophomore Mark Ballweg (133/141) and freshman Jacob Ballweg (141) are brothers who hail from Waverly. They are the fifth set of three brothers to wrestle at Iowa, and the third set to be on the roster at the same time. The other sets of three brothers to compete for the Hawkeyes are Ed Banach, Lou Banach and Steve Banach; Marty Kistler, Harlan Kistler and Lindley Kistler; Mike Uker, Ben Uker and Joe Uker; and Lenny Zalesky, Larry Zalesky and Jim Zalesky. Junior Stew Gillmor (149/157) and freshman Walt Gillmor (165) are brothers from Donahue, while sophomore Nate Moore (133) and freshman Nick Moore (157/165) are brothers from Iowa City. Sophomore Matt McDonough (125/133) and redshirt freshman Nick Trizzino have fathers who wrestled for the Hawkeyes. Mike McDonough wrestled at Iowa from 1974-76, while Mark Trizzino was an all-American (1984) and four-year letterwinner (1981-84) for the Hawkeyes. Senior Luke Lofthouse (197) is the uncle of Hawkeye redshirt freshman Ethen Lofthouse (174). Nick Trizzino's uncle, Scott Trizzino, was a three-time all-American (1978-79-81) and four-time letterwinner (1977-79, 1981) for the Hawkeyes. WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS For dates and more information about 2011 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Mike Zadick, Kurt Backes and Danny Song earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, five NCAA titles, nine conference titles and 12 All-America honors. UP NEXT The Hawkeyes (6-0) will try for their 22nd Midlands title Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, IL. The defending team champion, Iowa has won the most team titles (21) in the 46 years of the meet. All matches will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Northwestern's campus.

OREM, Utah -- Northern Iowa 184-pounder Ryan Loder (Granite Bay, Calif./Granite Bay HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced Tuesday by the league. Loder picked up his first tournament title of the 2010 season, claiming the 184‑pound title at the UNI Open. The redshirt freshman finished the day with a perfect 4‑0 record including three wins by fall. Loder picked up a 6‑2 decision over Timmy McCall (Wisconsin) before pinning Iowa’s Tomas Lira in 5:52. The Granite Bay, Calif. native continued to roll, pinning Missouri’s Westin Keleher in 6:30 before taking the title with a pin over Iowa’s Vinnie Wagner in 6:54. The conference award is Loder's first of his career. The Western Wrestling Conference, which is in its fifth year of competition, 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, 141 pounds, SO, Jackson, Minn. (Jackson County Central HS) North Dakota State: Vince Salminen, 157 pounds, SR, Billings, Mont. (Skyview HS) Northern Colorado: Brandon Kammerzell, 174 pounds (usually 165), JR, Eaton, Colo. (Eaton HS) Utah Valley: Ben Kjar, 125 pounds, SR, Centerville, Utah (Viewmont HS) Wyoming: Joe LeBlanc, 184 pounds, JR, Meeker, Colo. (Meeker HS) 2010-11 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 16 – Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming)/Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) Nov. 24 - Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming/Flint Ray (Utah Valley) Dec. 1 - Vince Salminen (North Dakota State) Dec. 7 - Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa)

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Mike Letts has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week for the second consecutive week, the league office announced Tuesday. Letts, a senior, won the 174-pound title at the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday by going 6-0, including a 9-4 decision over No. 14 Ed Ruth of Penn State. Letts, currently ranked eighth by Intermat, is 3-1 against top-15 opponents. The Parkesburg, Pa., native started the open tournament with a 16-0 technical fall over Virginia Tech’s Angel Malvestuto followed by a 10-2 major decision over Shane Stark of Lehigh. After topping J.C. Oddo of Citadel, 3-1, Letts advanced to the finals thanks to a decision over Rutgers’ Alex Caruso, ranked No. 20 by AWN Magazine. On the season, Letts is 15-1 with his only loss coming in overtime to then-No. 8 Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma. Maryland has won three of the five ACC Wrestler of the Week awards this season. Josh Asper won the award on Nov. 16. Letts is expected to take on No. 15 Ryan Patrovich this weekend when the Terps travel to Hofstra for a duals meet.

Youth Movement at Ray Oliver Invitational Though the field lacked the cache of having a plethora of nationally-ranked teams and wrestlers, one could have came to The McDonogh School to identify the stars of the future. Five freshmen emerged as weight class champions in a tournament that had remarkable balance among the 21-team field. Nine schools had a champion, and no school came home with more than two wrestlers standing on top of the podium. Coming off an off-season marked by multiple major injuries, Jack Clark (McDonogh, Maryland) made his returning to competitive wrestling with a championship at 130 pounds. Ranked third among all wrestlers in the Class of 2013, the FILA Cadet freestyle champion navigated through close matches against two National Prep placers and a Beast of the East runner-up. In Friday's quarterfinal round, Clark knocked off Daniel Sanchez (Georgetown Prep), who finished fifth at National Preps, by a 4-3 score. He then defeated Beast of the East runner-up Tyler Pendergast (St. Mark's, Delaware), 7-4. In the championship final, it was a pin at the 6:20 mark in overtime against Shane Arechiga (Good Counsel, Maryland), who was sixth at National Preps after taking seventh at the Beast of the East. Another freshman champion was Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Maryland) who won his three matches prior to the final at 215 by fall, fall, and 17-5 major decision. In the championship final, he earned a 3-1 victory against state runner-up Joey Spicer (Sussex Central, Delaware). Older brother Stephen Snyder was champion at 285 pounds. Team champions Archbishop Spalding, Maryland, were anchored by two champions -- freshman Logan Breitenbach at 125 pounds and No. 15 (at 140) Charlie Lynch at 145 pounds. The squad also had three other finalists, as finishing in second place were Michael Still at 103 pounds, Brady Gaynor at 135 pounds, and K.K. Smith at 189 pounds. They also had a wrestler take home third and fifth place honors in totaling 182-1/2 points as a team. Finishing in second, also with seven placers, was Caesar Rodney, Delaware. Freshman Micah Hight and senior Issah Meade were champions for the Riders at 112 and 160 pounds respectively. Three others finished in third, two in fifth, as the squad totaled 169-1/2 points. Despite having a tournament high eight placers, anchored by their lone champion freshman Brent Fleetwood at 103 pounds, it was not enough for Smyrna, Delaware, to rise up above third in the standings. Other placers for Smyrna were John Archangelo, second at 112 pounds, with two wrestlers in third and fifth and a single wrestler taking fourth and sixth respectively. Other weight class champions included: Paul O'Neil (Gonzaga, DC) at 119 pounds, John McClanahan (Great Bridge, Virginia) at 135 pounds, the duo of Josh Snook and Michael Mauk for St. Mark's, Delaware at 171 and 189 pounds, and a pair of wrestlers from Sussex Central, Delaware, in Cody Broomall at 145 and No. 3 Codey Combs at 152 pounds. Combs was named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament. Top-ranked team showcases its depth at Keith Young Invitational Without the presence of two nationally-ranked wrestlers -- Brandon Kingsley at 140 and Steven Keogh at 160 - Apple Valley, Minnesota, still dominated an elite field of Iowa teams at the Keith Young Invitational hosted by Cedar Falls High School. With five champions, three other finalists, and placing all but one wrestler inside the top six, the Eagles scored 273-1/2 points. Though also with five champions, No. 11 Waverly-Shell Rock only had three other placers in totaling 214 points. Tied for third were No. 12 Bettendorf and Denver Tripoli, which was last year's Class 2A state champion, with 147-1/2 points. The Class 1A state champions of last year, Don Bosco, finished in sixth with 121-1/2 points. Two of the five champions for Apple Valley defeated a fellow nationally-ranked wrestler to win their weight class; No. 1 Destin McCauley earned a 12-3 major decision against No. 7 Cody Caldwell of Waverly Shell-Rock at 152 pounds, while No. 20 Dakota Trom pinned No. 15 Brandon Sorensen (Denver-Tripoli) in 1:59. That result was the first loss of Sorensen's high school career after an undefeated freshman season. Also earning titles for the Eagles were No. 7 Matt Kelliher at 135 pounds, Daniel Woiwor at 145 pounds, and No. 6 Jake Waste who won his title at 171 pounds in the tiebreaker. Anchoring the Go-Hawks effort was Cody Krumwiede, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 285 pounds. With four pins in the tournament, including one in the final against No. 12 Brody Berrie (Bettendorf) at the 3:37 mark, Krumwiede now has 100 such outcomes in his career. Other Waverly-Shell Rock champions were Andrew Steiert at 103 pounds, No. 16 Eric Devos at 119 pounds, Tanner Werner at 125 pounds, and Jordan Rinken at 140 pounds. Despite being without the services of three two-time state placers, and finishing without a champion, Bettendorf still showed their tremendous depth in placing nine wrestlers. That was the second most in the tournament. Finishing as runners-up were Nate Shaw at 189 pounds and No. 12 Brodie Berrie at 285 pounds. Those out of the lineup were two-time state runner-up Connor Ryan at 125 pounds, state champion No. 10 Bo Schlosser at 140 pounds, and Dominic Chase at 152 pounds. Affirming that depth, "backup" wrestler Taylor Wickett is a returning state placer finished third at 140 pounds, one of three wrestlers to do so. Denver-Tripoli tied for third place with a pair of champions, Garrett Smith at 160 pounds and No. 13 Dylan Peters who defeated No. 19 Jordan Kingsley of Apple Valley 6-2 at 112 pounds. Sorensen was a runner-up, while four other wrestlers earned placement honors. Rounding out the weight class champions were Jared Bartel (Mason City) at 189 pounds and Connor Herman (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) at 215 pounds. 'Super Seven' rules Cougar Invite for Brandon No. 4 Brandon dominated a field that featured two other nationally-ranked teams -- No. 23 Springstead and No. 50 Collins Hill, Georgia -- along with five other teams that finished inside the top five of their state tournaments last year. Going seven-for-seven in championship bouts, the Eagles scored a total of 293 points. Those champions were No. 13 (at 130) Kevin Norstrem winning the 125-pound weight class, No. 8 (at 125) Rossi Bruno winning the 130-pound weight class 2-1 in the ultimate tiebreaker, No. 6 Tyler Liberatore wining 3-1 in overtime at 135 pounds, No. 10 Clark Glass at 152 pounds and earning Outstanding Wrestler honors for upper-weights, No. 8 Wally Figaro at 160 pounds, Kyle Koziel at 171 pounds, and Michael Ettore at 189 pounds. Another pair of Brandon wrestlers placed third, while yet another pair finished fifth. On the strength of their overall depth, which manifested itself in wrestling through the quarterfinals, Collins Hill scored 213 points to distance itself from the rest of the field. Their lone champion was Nick Holbert at 215 pounds. Four others for Collins Hill finished in second place: Sean Russell lost a narrow 3-2 decision to Richie Bliss at 103 pounds, Drew Ferguson-Mitchell lost 3-2 at 112 pounds, Bazell Patridge was runner-up at 125 pounds, while Mac Bennett lost a 5-3 match at 189 pounds. Four other wrestlers earned top six placements to give the squad a total of nine on the podium; one in third, two in fifth, and one in sixth. Finishing third in this stellar field was Springstead with 191 points, which was close to 60 points ahead of fourth place Winter Springs. Six wrestlers from this squad made it to the championship match, where they split the matches. Champions were No. 3 Richie Bliss at 103 pounds, Cody Ross at 140 pounds, and John Dreggors at 285 pounds. Runners-up were Virgil Toms at 130 pounds, Nick Soto at 135 pounds, and Shawn Landgraff at 160 pounds. Rounding out the champions at the Cougar Invitational were Dalton Langford (Riverdale) at 112 pounds, No. 14 Earl Hall (South Dade) at 119 pounds who was named Outstanding Wrestler among the lower weights, and No. 9 Pete Baldwin (Osceola) at 145 pounds. Another Hawkeye State showdown Last weekend at the Keith Young Invitational, the field included all three Iowa state champions, national No. 1 Apple Valley (Minnesota), and four other teams ranked in the top ten of Iowa's big-school division. The season's second weekend brings about another showcase event in Iowa -- the 19th annual Five Seasons Duals, which are co-hosted by Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Cedar Rapids Washington. Five of the top eight teams in Iowa's big-school division appear in the fifteen team dual meet bracketed tournament. Bracket chart link is here, http://www.scribd.com/doc/44605568/2010-5-Season-s-Pairings-Poster. This includes the three top teams, all of which appear in the top 15 of the InterMat Fab 50 rankings: No. 11 Waverly-Shell Rock, No. 12 Bettendorf, and No. 14 Iowa City West. Bettendorf is opposite of the other two "big three" teams, and have the easier overall path, with only Mason City realistically standing in the way as a semifinal opponent; Mason City ranked seventh in Iowa's big-school division. Iowa City West and Waverly-Shell Rock are slated to meet in the other semifinal match, though Iowa City West would have to get past a quarterfinal match against Urbandale after a first round bye; Urbandale is ranked eighth in the big-school division. The 15-team field features seven wrestlers ranked first in their weight class during the preseason for Iowa's big-school division, according to The Predicament. Another ten wrestlers are ranked second in the big-school division, with another ranked second in the medium-school division. Eight wrestlers are nationally ranked (*). 103: Andrew Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock) 112: Colby Knight (Urbandale) 119: Eric Devos (Waverly-Shell Rock)* 125: Connor Ryan (Bettendorf), Jack Hathaway (Iowa City West)* 130: Alex Hernandez (Bettendorf), Jesse Etherington (Charles City) 135: Grady Gambrall (Iowa City West) 140: Bo Schlosser (Bettendorf)*, Elijah Sullivan (Iowa City West)* 145: Gabe Moreno (Urbandale) 152: Cody Caldwell (Waverly-Shell Rock)*, Britt Thompson (Iowa City West) 160: Justin Koethe (Iowa City West)* 171: Travis Mallo (Mason City) 189: Jared Bartel (Mason City) 285: Cody Krumwiede (Waverly-Shell Rock)*, Brody Berrie (Bettendorf)* Terrific Tulsa Mid-America Nationals field Tulsa, Oklahoma will be home to a formidable field of 30 schools from three states this coming weekend. Anchoring the tournament is a trio of nationally-ranked teams: No. 18 Tulsa Union, Oklahoma, No. 21 Claremore, Oklahoma, and No. 25 Allen, Texas. Tuttle, Oklahoma joins Claremore and Allen in this field as teams that won state championships during the prior season. Seven nationally-ranked wrestlers are present in the field, including a pair of wrestlers at 112 and 152 pounds. Freshman sensation No. 12 Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Oklahoma) and two-time state champion No. 15 Calib Freeman (Claremore, Oklahoma) lead a field at 112 pounds that also includes Junior National freestyle All-American Justin Lombardo (Tulsa Union, Oklahoma). A pair of InterMat Top 100 Class of 2011 prospects anchor the 152-pound weight class - No. 12 Ryne Cokeley (St. James Academy, KS) and No. 13 Jeromy Davenport (Sallisaw, Oklahoma). Also in this weight class is two-time state placer Kyle Ash (Tulsa Union, Oklahoma). Yet another Top 100 Class of 2011 prospect Taylor Moeder (St. James Academy, KS) is ranked 14th nationally, and could have a terrific finals matchup at 140 pounds with two-time state champion Nick Haugen (Claremore, Oklahoma). The 145-pound weight class is led by a pair of super sophomores, both winning state titles as freshmen, No. 17 Oliver Pierce (Allen, Texas) and Zach Beard (Tuttle, Oklahoma). Junior National double All-American Kyle Crutchmer (Tulsa Union, Oklahoma) is ranked ninth in the nation at 160 pounds, and could see state champion Dylan Ussrey (East Central, Oklahoma) in the championship match. The 119-pound weight class features a pair of wrestlers from the Class of 2014 that rank in the top 20 nationally, Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) and Cadet National freestyle All-American Will Steltzen (Collinsville, Oklahoma). In addition, this bracket could also include two-time state champion Josh Walker (Tulsa Union, Oklahoma). Six seek repeat War on the Shore Some of the best wrestlers in the mid-atlantic region of the United States will be battling it out at the War on the Shore Invitational hosted by Stephen Decatur High School at the Wicomico Youth and Center in Ocean City, Maryland. Thirty-two teams from four states and Washington, D.C. constitute the field, which features six wrestlers seeking to defend titles they earned last year. Thomas Payne (Poquoson, Virginia) won the 103-pound weight class last year and enters the tournament favored to do so at 112 pounds. Charlie Lynch (Archbishop Spalding, Maryland) is ranked 15th at 140 pounds, won last weekend's Ray Oliver Invitational at 145 pounds, and is projected to compete at either 145 or 152 this coming week. Should he be at 152 pounds, that would place him in the same weight as another defending champion -- Codey Combs (Sussex Central, Delaware), who is ranked third nationally in this weight class. Lynch and Combs are but two of the formidable names that will populate the 145 and 152-pound weight classes. Two-time National Prep medalist Brady Massaro (Mt. St. Joseph's, Maryland), state runner-up last year as a freshman Anthony Cimirosi (Rising Sun, Maryland), and multi-time state champion Ron Vaughters (Old Mill, Maryland) are also slated to be in this area of the field. Codey Combs is one of three Sussex central wrestlers seeking to defend tournament championships. Joey Spicer seeks a repeat championship in the 215-pound weight class, while Jay Matheus did not wrestle in the Ray Oliver Invitational this past weekend, but if competing would be wrestling at either 160 or 171 pounds. Finally, KK Smith (Archbishop Spalding, Maryland) is favored to repeat in the 189-pound weight class. Though Spicer is a defending champion in this event, he is not the favorite in this weight class, as he lost in the Ray Oliver final to freshman sensation Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Maryland). A rematch is highly likely during the course of this tournament. A third nationally-ranked wrestler, Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Maryland) is present in this tournament field. Ranked 10th nationally, Kraisser will find himself challenged by National Prep medalist Paul O'Neill (Gonzaga, DC) and Beast of the East placer Chris Donaldson (Salesanium, Delaware). Two other featured weight classes in this tournament are those at 130 and 285 pounds. Three-time state champion and Kent State signee Kyle Bauer (Wheeling Park, West Virginia) is the headline wrestler at 130 pounds. However, two-time National Prep medalist Shane Arechiga (Good Counsel, Maryland) and National Prep medalist Tito Onyekweli (DeMatha, Marylad) stand in his way of a championship. The 285-pound weight class features both returning Delaware state finalists --Wayne Purnell (Salesanium) and Katteem Harmon (Indian River) -- as well as Ray Oliver Invitational champion Stephen Snyder (Good Counsel, Maryland). Cox over Christiansburg at Hopewell Classic Despite five champions at the Hopewell Classic, No. 32 Christiansburg finished in second place to No. 35 Cox in a field that featured seventeen teams exclusively from Virginia. Champions for the Blue Demons were Kyle Dulaney at 103 pounds, J.R. Wert at 112 pounds, No. 11 Joey Dance at 119 pounds, Logan Bosley at 140 pounds, and Ryan Wade at 171 pounds. Two other wrestlers took second, while one took fifth, as Christiansburg totaled 246-1/2 points. It was superior depth ruling the day for Cox, as they had nine finishers inside the top three to end up with 285 points overall. Champions were No. 7 Brandon Jeske at 130 pounds, No. 14 Henry Carlson at 145 pounds, and Ross Burbank at 285 pounds. Another trio of wrestlers was runners-up, another trio in third place, while it was a single wrestler in fourth and a pair in fifth. The featured bout of the finals had a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers competing for the title at 152 pounds, No. 17 (at 160) David Wesley of St. Christopher's defeated No. 10 (at 145) Blake Roulo 5-3 in the tiebreaker. Caravan Falls to pair of nationally-ranked teams Over the weekend No. 30 Mount Carmel, Illinois did battle with a pair of nationally-ranked teams. The Caravan fell short in both dual matches -- falling to defeat against No. 18 Marmion Academy, Illinois, 54-20 on Thursday evening and No. 20 Montini Catholic, Illinois, 32-24 on Saturday. Catching up with Oklahoma Open A listing of championship and consolation finals results: http://web.me.com/short.bits/ITW_Results_2010-11/OK_Open.html Fab 50 team rankings updated The second Fab 50 of the season was posted today. The following notable movements occurred: Oviedo, Florida drops from No. 17 to No. 50. State champion, multiple-time national tournament placer, and nationally-ranked Jay Taylor transferred to Burrell, Pennsylvania. In addition, the Lions lost an early season dual to South Dade, Florida. Springstead, Florida drops from No. 23 to No. 30 after a third place finish at the Cougar Invitational -- Brandon, Florida won the tournament with Collins Hill, Georgia finishing in second place. Mount Carmel, Illinois falls out of the rankings from No. 30 after being blown out in dual meets by Minooka, Illinois and Marmion Academy, Illinois as well as losing to Montini Catholic, Illinois. Christiansburg, Virginia and Cox, Virginia essentially swaps positions in the rankings after Cox finished first with Christiansburg second at the Hopewell Classic. Cox goes from No. 35 to No. 31, with Christiansburg sliding down one position from No. 32 to No. 33. Glenbard North, Illinois is one of two new teams to the rankings, moving in all the way to No. 29 after a dominating championship at the Conant Invitational, a field that included No. 35 Crystal Lake Central, Illinois. The Panthers also blew out No. 44 Minooka, Illinois, in an early season dual meet. Burrell, Pennsylvania is the other addition to the rankings. Their stock was boosted by the move in of Jay Taylor, which bolsters a squad that already had five state tournament medalists on the roster. Blue Springs, Missouri also dropped out of the rankings falling from the No. 49 position.

In the high desert town of Victorville, California's top community college wrestlers will do battle this weekend for the state championship. Victor Valley College will play host to what should be the coronation of the Fresno City College Rams as champions. But things in the desert are not always as they seem. Campaigns in this hostile and unforgiving environment can just as easily be triumphant like T.E. Lawrence and the Battle of Aqaba, or end in bitter disappointment like Rommel in North Africa. Fresno City has used great depth in their lineup to wear down all competitors, while in turn getting stronger as the campaign nears its end. At last week's North Regionals, Fresno had an astounding nine finalists and crowned seven champions. The championship trophy is within their sight, but in the desert you need to guard against chasing a mirage. The 125 weight class should provide plenty of fireworks. Estevan Cabanas of Cerritos was the dominant wrestler, until losing a close match to Fresno's Chris Padilla at the State Dual Championship. A rematch is possible in the semifinals. Padilla's second place finish at regionals placed him and Cabanas on the same side. The bottom half of the bracket features Delta's David Sok and West Hills' A. J. Jaramillo. Shasta's Gonzalez and Santa Rosa's Pilgrim should provide a strong test for the contenders. Fresno City's Tigran Adzhemyan lifts Cerritos' Eric Sauvageau at the State Dual Championship (Photo/John Sachs)Fresno City's Marty Rubalcaba has been the dominant wrestler all season at 133. His superior technical skills and strength should carry him through to the finals. The bottom half of the bracket should be very competitive with Alex Perez of West Hills, Charlie Seang of Delta, and Chabot's Alex Williams leading the charge. Any journey through the desert is full of danger and surprise. Deadly snakes and poisonous spiders lurk at every turn. The finalists at 141 will have to be at their most vigilant from the first whistle. This weight class should provide the tournament's most competitive quarter finals. Strength and speed are the hallmarks of the 149 weight class. The strength and size of Sierra's Marquez Ford, Sac City's Anthony Harris, and Santa Rosa's Wesley Young will be put to the test by the quickness and cunning of the likes of Fresno's Conrad Rangel, Mt. San Antonio's Chris Abeyta, and Victor Valley's Jimmy Arazia. At 157 Eric Lopez of Victor Valley leads the way. Jake Shilling of Fresno is fresh off an impressive performance at the North Regionals. Sierra's Tyler Johnson, Mt. SAC's Taylor Sare, and Cody Bollinger of Cerritos will be strong contenders. Early in the season 165 looked to be the toughest weight class in the State. Nothing has happened since to alter that view. The top four wrestlers should make safe passage to the oasis of the semi-finals, with Tigran Adzhemyan, Fresno City versus Dustin Rocha, West Hills and Eric Sauvageau, Cerritos meeting Vlad Dombrovskiy from Sierra. Similar to the 149 weight class, 174 is loaded with talent. Sam Temko of Skyline College has dispatched all comers this year, but an injury default in the finals last week puts Sam on the same side as the South-1, A. J. Smith of Bakersfield. A deep field competes on the bottom half of the bracket, led by Fresno's Martin Fabbian. Picture your hard working, blue collar, tough guys at 184. There are very few first period pins in this weight class. Grueling, hard fought seven-minute matches will be the norm. Regional winners Jesse Hellinger of Sac City and Sean Dougherty of Cuesta need to avoid the quicksand if they hope to survive to the finals. At 197 the top four seeds should march through to the semifinals. Brad Carls, Bakersfield and Marco Delgado, Modesto should rendezvous on the top half of the bracket. Mario Delgado, Cerritos and Jordan Williams, Sierra are the highest seeds in the bottom half. Lucas Keene of Fresno City is capable of making some big noise and might benefit from a Fresno City sirocco. If there is anything that can be considered a shoo-in it would be the heavyweight finalists. Jose Lopez of Cerritos and Luis Contreras of Fresno City have been on a collision course for the State Finals, but the beauty of heavyweight wrestling is its unpredictability. The team title is Fresno City's to lose. The race for second and third should be spectacular. Sac City, Cerritos, and Sierra are favored; but Mt. SAC and West Hills will press hard to make themselves known. Journeys that began in the late summer heat, now come to a dramatic conclusion in the California desert.

Wrestling bills itself as "the oldest and greatest sport." Yet, sadly, too many wrestlers, coaches and fans have little understanding of the history of wrestling, and the famous individuals who have participated in the sport. Richard White has set about to correct that situation with Wrestlers in History: Real People and Legends. This new 246-page book, published by Westview, Inc., tells the stories of an incredible variety of individuals who have wrestled, from figures from mythology, to military leaders, to U.S. Presidents and corporate CEOs. Meet the author Richard White has an interesting history of his own. Born in northwest Indiana 85 years ago, White was introduced to wrestling at Roosevelt High in East Chicago, Indiana. White then headed south to Terre Haute, where he did his undergraduate studies at Indiana State. During White's time at ISU during World War II, the school did not have a wrestling program ... but White competed in an AAU (American Athletic Union) tournament in Indianapolis, where he placed third in the heavyweight bracket. Continuing in the world of academia, White later earned a Ph.D. in physiology, and taught medical students at the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee for 44 years. So how did White come to write Wrestlers in History? "My interest in writing a book came from Don Sayenga, the wrestling historian," White said in an interview with InterMat. "Reading his work 30 years ago in Amateur Wrestling News, I called Don to talk about Teddy Roosevelt and his involvement with wrestling. That gave me the idea that I should write a book about the history of wrestling." White may have known he'd be destined to write such a book even earlier. "Since high school I collected books and magazines about wrestling and wrestling history, along with books from ancient times," said White. (That's nearly 70 years worth of materials.) White's quest to obtain knowledge about wrestling knew no bounds. In his research trips to nine countries over the years, White acquired books on wrestling, and visited various sites of interest to fans of the sport, including the Tokyo Museum of Sumo Wrestling, and the home of early 1900s professional wrestling champ George Hackenschmidt. "I thought there would be general interest in a comprehensive history of wrestling," White continued. "There are other books that have taken on this subject in different ways -- Graeme Kent's 1968 book, Pictorial History of Wrestling, and Mike Chapman's American Encyclopedia of Wrestling. In the summer of 2008, I decided, 'Heck, I'm going to do this!' So I started writing a book at age 83." Covering a lot of ground, one individual at a time When asked how he would describe his book, White said, "It's a comprehensive history of the sport that non-wrestlers or any history buff would enjoy. It captures the scope of the times of the individuals I write about." In a nutshell, Wrestlers in History tells the stories of famous individuals who have wrestled. White's book organizes these stories into broad sections, starting with characters from ancient times ... then an overview of great Americans who have wrestled ... a presentation of the connections between amateur and professional wrestling ... then wrestling in other parts of the world. Art GriffithReaders of Wrestlers in History will come to learn the wrestling backgrounds as well as "big-picture" aspects of some giants of history, including ancient Greek Olympians such as Plato, Pythagoras and Milo ... and the thirteen U.S. Presidents who had wrestled at one time, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. The book also provides historical perspective on organized amateur wrestling in the U.S., starting with the first AAU mat event in 1888. Into this narrative White weaves in concise biographies of legendary coaches such as Oklahoma State's Ed Gallagher and Art Griffith, and Charles Mayser at Iowa State who helped shape the sport ... along with the stories of all-time amateur mat greats like Bruce Baumgartner and Dan Gable. Pleasurable time-travel Ask Richard White what he enjoyed most about writing Wrestlers in History, and a couple things came to mind. "The biographies are the most engrossing," said White. "I felt like I really came to know the people I wrote about." In addition, White said, "I had a great deal of fun describing the various styles of wrestling over time�collar and elbow, Cornish, Westmoreland. Some books mention these styles without describing them." From reading Wrestlers in History, it appears White also enjoyed writing about the connections between amateur wrestling and old-school professional wrestling in the chapter titled "Real Professionals." In that chapter, White provides fascinating details about the life of the pro wrestlers from early in the 20th century, including William Muldoon, Tom Jenkins, Frank Gotch, and George Hackenschmidt. The popularity of these early sports superstars helped give amateur wrestling a firm toehold in much of the U.S. Wrestlers in History: Real People and Legends brings together a wide range of facts from various sources about individuals who participated in wrestling at some point in their lives. The book provides readers of all ages a sense of the importance of wrestling as it shaped the lives of individuals and whole societies. And it incorporates positive historical comments about wrestling -- such as historian Will Durant's assertion that in ancient Greece, no one could be considered to be intelligent unless they wrestled -- that could be used to help promote the sport even today. Wrestlers in History: Real People and Legends may be purchased at major bookstores, as well as online at Amazon.com