InterMat Staff

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Behind pins from senior Matt Fisk and sophomore Brandon Hatchett, Lehigh won seven of ten bouts over Navy as the Mountain Hawks won their EIWA dual opener 28-9 over the Mids Saturday inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Senior Seth Ciasulli added bonus points with a major decision win at 141 for Lehigh, which improves to 11-3 on the dual season. The loss drops the Midshipmen to 2-1 in duals. “Those two seniors really did a nice job in getting us back where we needed to go,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “They were physical; they were there to score points. Any time you wrestle a conference match it’s a big match, but we knew they’d be prepared.” For the second straight night, Fisk was counted upon to give the Mountain Hawks a boost after Lehigh dropped the opening bout when Aaron Kalil blanked sophomore John McDonald 4-0 at 125. Fisk took down Pat McCaffrey in the first period and slapped on a cradle to force McCaffrey to his back where the fall was called in 2:46. Ciasulli also delivered bonus points with a 14-5 major decision over Matt Pagan at 141. The Easton native started strong with three first period takedowns and a fourth takedown in the second period, but Ciasulli cemented the major decision with a takedown and two point near fall with a leg scissors in the final seconds of the third period. Freshman Joey Napoli kept the momentum on Lehigh’s side with a 4-3 win over John Majka at 149, but a 10-3 win by Navy’s Bryce Saddoris over sophomore Sean Bilodeau put the Mountain Hawks up 13-6 at intermission. The second half of the dual began with bonus points as Hatchett scored his first fall in dual competition this season, pinning Robby Neill in 3:55. Hatchett led 2-1 after one period and in the second period, caught Neill trying to roll through on the bottom securing the fall with just over a minute remaining. Lehigh captured the next three bouts, all by decision. At 174, freshman Robert Hamlin overcame a slow start to defeat Matt DeMichiel 10-4. Senior David Craig was never in danger as he scored takedowns in each of the first two periods to defeat Greg Prioleau 6-1 at 184, while at 197 sophomore Joe Kennedy broke open a 1-0 bout with two third period near falls off tilts to defeat Charles Carafano 197. Almost all of the 1,565 in attendance stayed for the final bout of the dual, pitting eighth-ranked Scott Steele against fifth-ranked Lehigh sophomore Zach Rey. Steele went ahead in the second period with an escape and takedown and led 3-1 after two periods. In the third Rey escaped to pull within one, but his late shots were unsuccessful, as Steele held on for a 3-2 win. “Teams like Navy are teams we need to be seeing,” explained Santoro. “That’s the type of schedule we have. Navy pushes the pace and that’s why our conference keeps getting better; with these teams that really push it all the way through.” The Mountain Hawks will return to action next Friday night when they travel to Ithaca N.Y. to take on the seventh-ranked Cornell Big Red. First match is set for 7 p.m. from Newman Arena and all the action can be heard on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com.

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- Recording its third win of the campaign, the 16th-ranked Missouri wrestling team held off Chattanooga, 24-14, in its second straight week of road competition. Six Tigers notched wins in the evening dual, four recording bonus point victories. Missouri suffered an opening round match, beginning the dual at 184 pounds. Tiger redshirt freshman Brent Haynes (Kansas City, Mo.) brought Missouri even with the Mocs, managing a 15-4 win by decision over Nikolas Brown. Haynes’ win by major decision was the first of two four-point wins for Missouri. Next to the mat, senior Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) recorded his second fastest win of the season by fall. Ellis was quick to takedown Matt Letnner, squaring his shoulders for the stick in 1:41. His seventh fall of the season, Ellis is two shy of tying his career high for falls, nine. True freshman Eric Wilson (Centennial, Colo.) made his debut in the Tiger lineup, wrestling at 125 pounds. Wilson suffered a four point loss, 5-1, to Demetrius Johnson, but Missouri held on to a 10-7 advantage. Redshirt freshman Nathan McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) added to the Tiger team total, besting Josh Statum, 15-5, at 133 pounds. Teammate Nick Hucke (Pewaukee, Wis.) tacked on an additional three team points with his 6-1 win by decision over Moc 141-pounder, Bennett Johnson. Missouri suffered back-to-back losses at 149 and 157 pounds, and the Mocs pulled within three points of the Tigers. Tiger captain Nicholas Marable, a native of Collierville, Tenn., put on a show for his home state, winning the 165 pound match against Bond Davis, 22-7. The five-point technical fall is Marable’s third of the season, a mark that ties teammates Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.), Haynes and Luke Cherep (Naperville, Ill.) for the most on the team. The sole match of the evening to pit two ranked wrestlers against each other, No. 10 Henderson held off No. 20 Jake Young, 6-4, for his 18th win of the season and third dual victory. The Tigers will return to the mat Friday, Jan. 22, when they take on the Hofstra Pride beginning at 6 p.m. (CT) in Hempstead, N.Y. From there, Missouri will make its way south to Philadelphia for duals against George Mason and Nebraska, set for a 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. (CT) start time on Saturday, Jan. 23. Results: 184 - Jason McCroskey (UTC) - MAJ. DEC.12-1 - Todd Porter (MU) - UTC 4, MU 0 197 - No. 18 Brent Haynes (MU) - MAJ. DEC. 15-4 - Niko Brown (UTC) - Tied, 4-4 285 - No. 7 Mark Ellis (MU) - FALL (1:41) - Matt Lettner (UTC) - MU 10, UTC 4 Unsportsmanlike penalty to Mizzou - MU 9, UTC 4 125 - Demetrius Johnson (UTC) - DEC. 5-1 - Eric Wilson (Mizzou) - MU 9, UTC 7 133 - Nathan McCormick (MU) - MAJ.DEC. 15-5 - Josh Statum (UTC) - MU 13, UTC 7 141 - Nick Hucke (MU) - DEC. 6-3 - Ben Johnson (UTC) - MU 16, UTC 7 149 - Dean Pavlou (UTC) - MAJ.DEC. 10-2 - Brandon West (MU) - MU 16, UTC 11 157 - Josh Condon (UTC) - DEC. 2-1 (OT) - No. 16 Patrick Wright (MU) - MU 16, UTC 14 165 - No. 6 Nick Marable (MU) - TF5 22-7 - Bond Davis (UTC) - MU 21, UTC 14 174 - No. 10 Dorian Henderson (MU) - DEC. 6-4 - No. 20 Jake Young (UTC) - MU 24, UTC 14

AMES, Iowa -- Second-rated Iowa State scored two pins and two technical falls en route to a 33-9 rout of 19th-ranked Illinois Saturday night in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones were missing regular starters Nick Gallick (141), Mitch Mueller (149) and Duke Burk (174) from their lineup. That fact didn’t stop the ISU squad from coming up with plenty of bonus points for the crowd of 2,812 Cyclone supporters on hand to witness the dual victory. Iowa State improves to 7-2 in duals this season. It was Iowa State’s 996th dual win in 94 years of Cyclone wrestling history. Illinois falls to 5-3. “I keep saying this, we are getting better,” said Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson. “You see guys using what we have been teaching them, trusting what they have been taught to do. Our guys were aggressive throughout the matches and that is what I like to see.” ISU’s Dalton Jensen was a pinning machine for the Cyclone team effort, once again. Jensen, hailing from Missouri Valley, Iowa, downed 10th-ranked 141-pounder Ryan Prater of Illinois at the 3:27 mark in the second period. Jensen secured a cradle hold on his opponent to turn the tide in the bout. The Cyclone’s last four victories have come by way of a fall. “We don’t know what (injured ISU 141-pound All-American) Nick Gallick’s situation is going to be,” Jackson said of his injured starter. “We very well could end up with Dalton in there for the Big 12 Championship and he is doing a good job. He wrestled aggressively and it paid off for him again.” Jensen says there is a lot more to learn. “I need more experience and training if I am going to be an All-American,” Jensen said. Three-time NCAA finalist Jake Varner improved to 18-0 in his senior campaign with a first-period stick of Illinois’ 10th-ranked Patrick Bond. Varner turned the Illini wrestler and scored the fall in 2:29. It is the second time this season that Varner pinned Bond in the first period, with the earlier fall occurring at the Midlands Championships. Varner has nine pins this season. “Jake is the best wrestler in our nation at the collegiate level,” Jackson said. “(Illinois 197-pounder Patrick Bond) is a good wrestler. But if you are going to stand in there and put your hands on Jake Varner you are forced to wrestle to his style because he is so strong.” ISU picked up two consecutive technical falls at 125-pound and 133-pound bouts. Cyclone redshirt freshman Andrew Long (125) continued his stellar first campaign with a 20-5 (6:57) technical fall of Illinois’s John Deneen. Iowa State senior Nick Fanthorpe (133) scored big against Illlini wrestler Daryl Thomas with a technical fall in 6:08 (18-3). Iowa Staters Jon Reader (165) and David Zabriskie (HWT) chipped in bonus points for the Cyclone team effort. Reader major decisioned Illinois’s Joe Barczak by a score of 16-6. Zabriskie also won by major decision with a 12-4 effort against Marty Smith of Illinois. ISU’s Andrew Sorenson started the dual on a good note at 157 pounds with a 12-6 decision of Illinois’s Conrad Polz. Cyclone redshirt freshmen Max Mayfield and Chris Spangler fell in backup roles for Iowa State at 149 pounds and 174 pounds, respectively. Mayfield, making the first dual start of his career, was edged by 20th-ranked Eric Terrazas of Illinois. Spangler dropped a close decision to Illinois’ 14th-ranked Jordan Blanton, 3-2. The Cyclones will travel south for road duals against Oklahoma (Jan. 22) and Oklahoma State (Jan. 24). Action in Norman, Okla. begins at 7 p.m. ISU returns to Hilton Coliseum for Big 12 Conference opponents Missouri and Nebraska, Feb. 14 and Feb. 21, respectively. Results: 157 pounds – Andrew Sorenson (ISU) dec. Conrad Polz (UI), 12-6 165 pounds – No. 4 Jon Reader (ISU) major dec. Joe Barczak (UI), 16-6 174 pounds – No. 14 Jordan Blanton (UI) dec. Chris Spangler (ISU), 3-2 184 pounds – No. 2 John Dergo (UI) dec. No. 8 Jerome Ward (ISU), 2-1 197 pounds – No. 1 Jake Varner (ISU) pinned No. 10 Patrick Bond (UI), 2:29 HWT – No. 4 David Zabriskie (ISU) major dec. Marty Smith (UI), 12-4 125 pounds – No. 5 Andrew Long (ISU) tech. fall John Deneen (UI), 20-5 (6:57) 133 pounds – No. 11 Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) tech. fall Daryl Thomas (UI), 18-3 (6:08) 141 pounds – Dalton Jensen (ISU) pinned No. 10 Ryan Prater (UI), 3:27 149 pounds – No. 20 Eric Terrazas (UI) dec. Max Mayfield (ISU), 4-2

ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- Claiming six individual champions, the Augsburg College wrestling team dominated in winning the Northwestern College (Iowa) Paul Bartlett/Red Raider Open on Saturday. Twelve of the 13 Augsburg wrestlers who competed in the tournament placed among the top four in their weight classes, as the Auggies scored 178.0 points to win the eight-team open tournament. Augsburg is the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division III standings. Host Northwestern (Iowa), ranked No. 15 in the NAIA national poll, finished second with 114.0 points. At 157 pounds, No. 5-ranked Jason Adams (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) won all four of his matches by bonus-point margins to claim his title, with three major decisions and a pin to improve to 28-2 on the season. At 133 pounds, No. 6-ranked Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) won each of his three matches by bonus-point margins for his title, with two pins and a technical fall. Bjorkstrand is now 22-5 on the season. At 141, No. 5-ranked Jafari Vanier (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) improved to 6-2 on the season with his weight class title, with two major decisions among his four victories. Andy Witzel (SR, Fulda, Minn.), ranked No. 7 nationally at heavyweight, had two pins of under a minute in length among his three victories en route to the championship. He scored a 42-second pin in the title match. At 125, Josh Roberts (SO, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) went 3-0 to score his title, while Beau Hansen (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.) went 3-0 with two first-period pins to claim the championship. Cody Hansen (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.) earned runner-up honors at 141, while Lucas Murray (JR, Anoka, Minn.) placed third at 149, as did Jake Grygelko (SR, Loretto, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) at 165 and Brad Baus (SO, Mukwonago, Wis.) at 184. Jamie Rocha (SR, Santa Maria, Calif./Righetti HS) placed fourth at 125, as did #Jake Saatzer (JR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) at 141. Augsburg returns to action next Friday (1/22) at 7 p.m., hosting Division II power Nebraska-Omaha at Si Melby Hall. Team results: 1. Augsburg 178.0; 2. Northwestern-Iowa 114.0; 3. Waldorf (Iowa) 99.5; 4. Baker (Kan.) 94.0; 5. St. John's 67.5; 6. Morningside (Iowa) 49.5; 7. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 38.0; 8. Winona State (club) 14.5.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team fought off a strong performance by No. 4 Oklahoma State, scoring a 19-16 win Saturday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A crowd of 10,967 was on hand to see the Hawkeyes pick up their 52nd straight dual win, beating the Cowboys for the first time in Carver-Hawkeye since December 4, 2000. Both teams won five bouts, but Iowa's bonus-point wins at 125, 149 and 174 were the difference in the final team scores. Iowa remains undefeated on the season at 14-0, while handing Oklahoma State (8-1-1) their first season loss. The match will be aired Sunday at 9 p.m. (CT) on the Big Ten Network. "I think two years ago when Oklahoma State came to town, looking back on it, I think we made a mistake not getting ready for them," explained Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands, who recorded his 90th career coaching victory with the win. "I think we did a better job getting ready for them (this year), but we left a lot of points on the mat. When you leave a lot of team points on the mat, you move a lot of team points from your column to theirs. That's what happened." "I'm not going to admit it, but I feel a little bit drained because it was big for us," said Brands. "It was a big statement for our program. I feel like our guys - as a team, as a whole -- rose to the occasion. I give them credit for last weekend (at National Duals), and we've got to get better going into this next phase (of the season)." Iowa jumped out to a 4-0 lead on redshirt freshman Matt McDonough's 13-4 major decision over ninth-ranked Oklahoma State senior Chris Notte at 125. McDonough, who is ranked fourth in the nation with a 20-0 record, scored three third-period takedowns and accumulated over four minutes of riding time in the match. Oklahoma State answered at 133 with No. 6 Jordan Oliver's 3-2 upset of No. 4 Daniel Dennis. The Hawkeye senior led 1-0 going into the final period. Oliver, who is a redshirt freshman, escaped to tie the score at 1-1. Dennis took a 2-1 lead with less than a minute remaining when Oliver was given his second stalling warning of the bout. But Oliver scored a takedown off a scramble as time expired to record the win, and hand Dennis (8-1) his first loss of the season. It was the first match back in the lineup for Dennis, who has been out injured since Iowa's dual with Iowa State at Ames on Dec. 6. Hawkeye sophomore Montell Marion had a tough task against fifth-ranked sophomore Jamal Parks at 141, but blanked Parks, 4-0, to record an upset of his own. After a scoreless first period, Marion scored an escape and takedown in the second period to take a 3-0 lead. Parks chose the down position to start the third period, but could not escape. The unranked Hawkeye sophomore accumulated 3:16 of riding time during the match, improving to 12-2 on the season. Iowa picked up critical team bonus points at 149 when top-ranked Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf scored a 21-5 technical fall over Oklahoma State junior Quinten Fuentes in 5:15. Metcalf, who improved to 20-0 on the season, scored three takedowns and a three-point nearfall in each of the first two periods. He ended the match with an escape and takedown early in the third period. Oklahoma State closed the gap to 12-10 with wins at the next two weights. At 157, Cowboy junior Neil Erisman recorded a 16-7 major decision over Hawkeye junior Aaron Janssen at 157. Janssen scored a second-period takedown to pull within two points (5-3), but Erisman rolled off nine straight points to score Oklahoma State's only team bonus points of the night. Cowboy redshirt freshman Alex Meade then pulled an upset at 165 with a 5-3 win over Iowa senior Ryan Morningstar. Meade, who is ranked between 10th and 13th in the nation, scored takedowns in the first and third periods, while holding third-ranked Morningstar to three escapes in the match. Hawkeye seniors Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) stepped up to put Iowa in position for the team win. Borschel, who is ranked first or second in the nation, recorded his 80th career victory with a 9-1 major decision over Oklahoma State sophomore Mike Benefiel. Borschel, who is undefeated at 19-0 this season, scored a takedown in each period and accumulated 4:37 of riding time to hand Benefiel, who is ranked between seventh and 14th in the country, his second loss of the season. Keddy followed with a tough 3-2 win over Oklahoma State junior Clayton Foster at 184, collecting his 90th career win. Leading 19-10 with two bouts left, Iowa's hopes for its 52nd straight dual win rested on reserves Luke Lofthouse (197) and Blake Rasing (Hwt.). Lofthouse fought hard against seventh-ranked sophomore Alan Gelogaev, but lost the bout 3-2. Oklahoma State needed a pin from top-ranked heavyweight Jared Rosholt to tie the dual, but Rasing had other plans. Down 5-0 to start the third period, Rasing escaped and scored two takedowns of his own to pull within one (6-5), but ran out of time and lost 7-5. The Hawkeyes also sent five unattached competitors to the annual Brand Open in Omaha, NE, Saturday. Freshman Ethen Lofthouse won the 174-pound title, while junior Tyler Clark placed second at 133 and freshman Dylan Carew placed third at 149. Up next for top-ranked Iowa is its first Big Ten road trip of the 2009-10 season. The Hawkeyes will wrestle Michigan (4-7) Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. (CT) at Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor. Then they will face Purdue (8-3) Jan. 24 at Noon (CT) at Lowell High School Gymnasium in Lowell, IN. Results: 125 - Matt McDonough (I) maj. dec. Chris Notte (OSU), 13-4 133 - Jordan Oliver (OSU) dec. Daniel Dennis (I), 3-2 141 - Montell Marion (I) dec. Jamal Parks (OSU), 4-0 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall Quinten Fuentes (OSU), 21-5 in 5:15 157 - Neil Erisman (OSU) maj. dec. Aaron Janssen (I), 16-7 165 - Alex Meade (OSU) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 5-3 174 - Jay Borschel (I) maj. dec. Mike Benefiel (OSU), 9-1 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Clayton Foster (OSU), 3-2 197 - Alan Gelogaev (OSU) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 3-2 Hwt. - Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. Blake Rasing (I), 7-5

Corvallis, Ore. -- Eleventh-ranked junior Colby Covington (Springfield, Ore.) broke up the four-way tie for first on the team for falls, chalking up his 12th on the season, in the No. 22 Oregon State wrestling team’s 33-9 win over UC Davis on Friday evening in legendary Gill Coliseum. “It’s always good competition against Lennie,” head coach Jim Zalesky said. “We grew up wrestling against each other in tournaments and what not – it was just the way we were brought up competing. It’s good, friendly competition. I thought we started off kind of slow and gave up too many points, but I like how we finished.” Seventeenth-ranked redshirt sophomore Jason Lara (Midway City, Calif.) started things off for the Beavers, improving to a perfect 14-0 in duals with a 5-2 decision over Kody Klaus at 125 pounds with a late escape and takedown in the final period. UC Davis took the lead after a the second bout with a fall but redshirt freshman Mike Mangrum (Auburn, Wash.) put the Beavers back on top by three with a fall of his own in 3:44 at 141 pounds over Bryan Osuna, his second fall of the season. The Aggies tied things up after 149 pounds with a decision, making it nine all. But No. 12 Keegan Davis (Salem, Ore.) regained the lead for the Beavers with a 8-2 decision over Trevor Machado-Ching at 157 pounds. Eleventh-ranked junior Colby Covington (Springfield, Ore.) got the fans on their feet controlling the 174 pound match, pinning Alex Darkhovsky in 2:48 to continue to build on Oregon State’s lead, 21-9. Covington tied the 10th most for juniors in a single season and 30th most overall for a single season. In the eighth bout of the night, junior Brice Arand (Springfield, Ore.) secured the win for the Beavers with his 11-5 decision over Rory McBryde, nearly calculating the major decision and giving Oregon State the decisive 24-9 lead. Sophomore Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore.) continued the match winning streak with his fifth fall of the season coming over Brian Herrera at 197 pounds to widen the Oregon State lead by 21. Wrapping up the meet, No. 18 sophomore heavyweight Clayton Jack (Vacaville, Calif.) rebounded against No. 11 Ricky Alcala after falling to him last year at the Pac-10 Championships for true second. Jack scored first and continued to hold his lead to take the 9-3 decision over Alcala, improving to a perfect 14-0. Oregon State improves to 13-1 in duals, 2-1 Pac-10, while UC Davis falls to 0-6, 0-2 Pac-10. The Beavers are only two dual meet wins away from tying the 14-meet winning streak of 1986. And Oregon State head coach Jim Zalesky now leads the Zalesky brothers’ series 3-2. Oregon State completes the weekend by hosting Pac-10 opponent, Cal State Bakersfield, on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in legendary Gill Coliseum. Results: 125 Pounds – No. 17 Jason Lara (OSU) decision over Kody Klaus (UCD), 5-2 0 3 133 Pounds – No. 15 Brandon Low (UCD) fall over No. 16 Kelly Kubec (OSU), 2:07 6 3 141 Pounds – Mike Mangrum (OSU) fall over Bryan Osuna (UCD), 3:44 6 9 149 Pounds – No. 16 Barrett Abel (UCD) decision over No. 14 RJ Pena (OSU), 15-9 9 9 157 Pounds – No. 12 Keegan Davis (OSU) dec over Trevor Machado-Ching (UCD), 8-2 9 12 165 Pounds – Dan Brascetta (OSU) decision over Joey Wilson (UCD), 8-3 9 15 174 Pounds – No. 11 Colby Covington (OSU) fall over Alex Darkhovsky (UCD), 2:48 9 21 184 Pounds – Brice Arand (OSU) decision over Rory McBryde (UCD), 11-5 9 24 197 Pounds – Chad Hanke (OSU) fall over Brian Herrera (UCD), 5:57 9 30 Heavyweight – No. 18 Clayton Jack (OSU) decision over No. 11 Ricky Alcala (UCD), 9-3

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- The North Dakota State wrestling team pulled off a huge upset Friday night, defeating No. 6 Boise State, 25-22. NDSU notched three wins by fall in the victory. With the win, the Bison improve to 4-4 this year. It is also the first win over a ranked team in four tries this season. Sophomore Justin Solberg gave the Bison an early lead, pinning Mark Bleuze in 6:40 at 125 pounds. After Boise State wins at 133 pounds and 141 pounds, junior Andrey Patselov tied the meet at 9-9 with a 10-5 decision over Eli Hutchinson at 149 pounds. Junior Vince Salminen then pinned Brad Muri in 5:15 at 157 pounds. Michael Cuthbertson won a 6-4 decision over sophomore Tyler Johnson at 165 pounds, but redshirt freshman Mac Stoll gave the Bison a 19-12 lead with a 10-0 major decision win over Levi Holt at 174 pounds. No.1-ranked 184-pounder Kirk Smith won a 16-9 major decision over Kenny Moenkedick to pull the Broncos within three. Sophomore Drew Ross then notched the biggest win of his career at 197 pounds, pinning Matt Casperson in 5:22 and clinching the upset win for the Bison. The Bison will look to continue the momentum from tonight’s win as they travel to Greeley, Colo. for the first Western Wrestling Conference dual against Northern Colorado. Action is set to begin at 2 p.m. Central on Sunday, Jan. 17. Results: 125- Justin Solberg (NDSU) fall Mark Bleuze (BSU), 6:40 NDSU 6, BSU 0 133- Benjamin DeMuelle (BSU) win by forfeit NDSU 6, BSU 6 141- Levi Jones (BSU) dec. Ryan Adams (NDSU), 10-8 NDSU 6, BSU 9 149- Andrey Patselov (NDSU) dec. Eli Hutchinson (BSU), 10-5 NDSU 9, BSU 9 157- Vince Salminen (NDSU) fall Brad Muri (BSU), 5:15 NDSU 15, BSU 9 165- Michael Cuthbertson (BSU) dec. Tyler Johnson (NDSU), 6-4 NDSU 15, BSU 12 174- Mac Stoll (NDSU) maj. dec. Levi Holt (BSU), 10-0 NDSU 19, BSU 12 184- Kirk Smith (BSU) maj. dec. Kenny Moenkedick (NDSU), 16-9 NDSU 19, BSU 16 197- Drew Ross (NDSU) fall Matt Casperson (BSU), 5:22 NDSU 25, BSU 16 Hwt- Sam Zylstra (BSU) fall Joe Arthur (NDSU), 2:02 NDSU 25, BSU 22

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. -- In a tense, back-and-forth battle, the top-ranked Augsburg College wrestling team scored a 19-15 victory over in-state rival St. John's University in a dual of nationally-ranked teams on Thursday night at St. John's Sexton Arena. Trailing 15-12 after eight bouts to the No. 11-ranked Johnnies, the No. 1-ranked Auggies scored two key wins to close the match and preserve the win, improving to 8-0 on the season while sending the Johnnies to 9-7 in dual meets. Top-ranked and defending 197-pound national champion Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) scored five takedowns and a two-point near-fall to claim a 14-4, major-decision win over the Johnnies' Tony Willaert (JR, North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial HS) to put the Auggies ahead 16-15. In the final bout of the evening, No. 7-ranked heavyweight Andy Witzel (SR, Fulda, Minn.) scored a takedown with 1:05 left in the third period to break a 1-1 tie, en route to a 3-2 win over the Johnnies' Cody Socher (SO, Delano, Minn.), giving the Auggies the 19-15 win. Both teams won five matches on the evening, and the three early Auggie wins -- two by bonus-point margins -- proved to be key for the dual-meet win. Opening the match, Augsburg's Josh Roberts (SO, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) dominated in a 17-4, major-decision win at 125, and at 133, No. 6-ranked Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) scored an 11-5 win over No. 2-ranked Mogi Baatar (SR, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) HS), scoring two three-point near-falls in the third period to break a 5-5 tie. Bjorkstrand is now 19-5 on the season. At 157, No. 5-ranked Jason Adams (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) improved to 24-2 on the season with a 17-1, third-period technical-fall victory, taking advantage of three takedowns, a reversal and three 3-point near-falls to score the win. The Johnnies won two battles of ranked wrestlers on the evening, as No. 2-ranked and defending national champion Minga Batsukh (JR, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) scored a 4-2 win over Augsburg's No. 5-ranked Jafari Vanier (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), and No. 9-ranked Matt Pfarr (SO, Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson HS) scored an 8-5, overtime win over Augsburg's No. 3-ranked Zach Molitor (JR, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS). Against opponents from Divisions II and III since 1989-90, Augsburg is now 246-21, having lost just 16 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 campaign. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is now 248-23 since the 1979-80 season and 172-13 since the 1989-90 season. Both teams are scheduled to compete at the Northwestern (Iowa) Open in Orange City, Iowa, on Saturday (1/16) at 9 a.m. The Augsburg White Team (junior varsity) will compete at the Minnesota West CTC-Worthington Open on Saturday. Results: 125 -- Josh Roberts (AUG, 8-6) maj. dec. Scott Padrnos (SJU, 4-6) 17-4 (Augsburg 4-0). 133 -- No. 6 Paul Bjorkstrand (AUG, 19-5) dec. No. 2 Mogi Baatar (SJU, 14-3) 11-5 (Augsburg 7-0). 141 -- No. 2 Minga Batsuka (SJU, 4-1) dec. No. 5 Jafari Vanier (AUG, 2-2) 4-2 (Augsburg 7-3). 149 -- Drew Larson (SJU, 7-6) dec. Lucas Murray (AUG, 8-6) 5-2 (Augsburg 7-6). 157 -- No. 5 Jason Adams (AUG, 24-2) tech. fall John Vaith (SJU, 4-8) 17-1 at 5:24 (Augsburg 12-6). 165 -- Matt Baarson (SJU, 14-2) dec. No. 6 Orlando Ponce (AUG, 18-8) 4-3 (Augsburg 12-9). 174 -- No. 9 Matt Pfarr (SJU, 11-4) dec. No. 3 Zach Molitor (AUG, 15-3) 8-5 (OT-TB2) (TIED 12-12). 184 -- James Carlson (SJU, 4-5) dec. Caleb Lines (AUG, 10-11) 11-7 (St. John's 15-12). 197 -- No. 1 Jared Massey (AUG, 14-0) maj. dec. Tony Willaert (SJU, 9-4) 14-4 (Augsburg 16-15). HWT -- No. 7 Andy Witzel (AUG, 15-5) dec. Cody Socher (SJU, 6-3) 3-2 (Augsburg 19-15).

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Returning home for the first time in two months the ninth-ranked Lehigh wrestling team rolled to a 39-3 win over West Virginia Friday night inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The Mountaineers won at 125 but the Mountain Hawks captured the next nine weight classes, as Lehigh benefitted from forfeit wins at 141 and 157 and freshman Joey Napoli and senior David Craig delivered wins by fall for the Brown and White. With the win, Lehigh improves to 10-3 on the dual season, while West Virginia falls to 0-6. “It was a good effort,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “We got off to a slow start with a number of our guys giving up the first takedown. That’s not going to bode well for us at the NCAA tournament. The guys came back and fought well and came back to win those matches.” At 125, West Virginia picked up its only win as Shane Young edged sophomore John McDonald 5-4. Young scored a takedown in the second period, and benefitted from two penalty points, one for three cautions and one for stalling, plus an escape to negate a late takedown from McDonald in the third period. The Mountaineers looked to be extending their lead as No. 19 Colin Johnston scored an early takedown on senior Matt Fisk, who returned to the Lehigh lineup. Trailing 2-1 to start the third period, Fisk escaped and then converted a quick high double-leg takedown for the deciding points in a 4-2 win. After a forfeit to Seth Ciasulli at 141, freshman Joey Napoli made his home dual debut against Brandon Loro at 149. Loro scored first, but after an escape Napoli scored a takedown to lead 3-2 after one period. After starting the second neutral, Napoli took Loro down again and turned him with a half nelson to secure the fall with just five seconds remaining in the period. A forfeit to sophomore Sean Bilodeau put Lehigh up 21-3 at intermission. “Joey’s starting to turn the corner,” explained Santoro. “He’s wrestling really solid right now. He gave up the first takedown but stayed composed and got a couple takedowns of his own and was able to turn the kid and get a pin. That kind of sparked our team the rest of the way.” In the first bout following intermission, sophomore Brandon Hatchett made his first dual appearance of the season in front of the home fans. Like Napoli, Hatchett gave up an early takedown to his opponent, Donnie Jones, but rebounded to score two points of his own late in the first period to lead 3-2. Tied 3-3 in the third, Hatchett escaped, then took Jones down, and built up a riding time advantage to earn an impressive 7-3 win. Junior Alex Caruso also saw his first home dual action of the season and had little trouble with Matt Weston in an 8-2 victory. At 184, senior David Craig took down Robert DeSano early and tilted him for three to lead 5-0 after one period. DeSano surprised Craig by taking him down early in the second, a score which woke up the Mountain Hawk. Craig reversed DeSano then stacked him up for his first fall of the season, with referee George Chilmonik slapping the mat a 3:36. In a rematch from last year’s dual, sophomore Joe Kennedy defeated Kyle Rooney 7-2 at 197, while in the final bout of the dual, sophomore Zach Rey notched his 20th win of the season, 8-1 over Brandon Williamson. The Mountain Hawks will return to the mat on Saturday when they open up EIWA competition against Navy. First match is set for just after 3 p.m. from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Lehigh Ticket Office, located in Grace Hall prior to the dual. Results: 125: Shane Young (WVU) dec. John McDonald (Lehigh), 5-3 133: #14 Matt Fisk (Lehigh) dec. #19 Colin Johnston (WVU), 4-2 141: #17 Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh) wins by forfeit 149: Joey Napoli (Lehigh) pinned Brandon Loro (WVU), 4:55 157: Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh) wins by forfeit 165: Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Donnie Jones (WVU), 7-3 174: Alex Caruso (Lehigh) dec. Matt Weston (WVU), 8-2 184: #15 David Craig (Lehigh) pinned Robert DeSano (WVU), 3:36 197: Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) dec. Kyle Rooney (WVU), 7-2 HWT: #5 Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. Brandon Williamson (WVU), 8-1

Josh Henson

Rome, Ga. -- Shorter College Director of Athletics Bill Peterson announced today the hiring of Josh Henson as the College's first-ever head wrestling coach at a press conference held this morning on the College's campus. Henson comes to Shorter from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an All-American wrestler before serving as an assistant with the Quakers from 2002-04 and again from 2005 until his recent hiring with the Hawks. "I am very excited to be in Georgia and at Shorter College," said Henson. "The wrestling community here is passionate about wrestling and the excitement about a four-year school adding wrestling is almost palatable. At the same time, the athletic department at Shorter is expanding in every direction and achieving unprecedented success. "This is a perfect combination for building a wrestling program and growing wrestling in the southeast." "We are excited to welcome Josh into our family at Shorter College," said Peterson. "Josh comes from a tremendous wrestling pedigree and is an extremely bright young coach. We look forward to a positive future for our wrestling program under his leadership." In a deep and talented applicant pool to fill the head job at Shorter - Georgia's only four-year collegiate varsity wrestling program - Henson emerged as the best of the best. He began his collegiate wrestling career at the University of Nebraska where he was a two-year letter winner for the Huskers. Henson transferred to Penn in 2000, where he developed into one of the program's most successful grapplers. In his senior season in 2002, Henson won the EIWA Championship title at 165 pounds and finished seventh at the NCAA Nationals, earning All-American honors in the process. That year, Henson set a Penn record for single-season wins, posting 36 victories - a record he still holds to this day. Henson stayed on with the Quaker wrestling program upon his graduation in 2002 with a degree in Psychology. He assisted legendary Penn head coach Roger Reina from 2002-04, helping guide the 2003-04 Penn squad to an upset of No. 3 Iowa State University and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA National Duals. In 2004, Henson left the Penn program to train and instruct at the United States Olympic Wrestling Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co. During his training, Henson placed seventh in Greco Roman style at the 2005 U.S. Open where he earned All-American status. He climbed as high as No. 3 in the 2005 Senior National Rankings at 74 kilograms in Greco Roman. He returned to Penn in 2005 as an assistant coach and has enjoyed tremendous success in all phases. Henson has coached seven NCAA All-Americans, two NCAA national champions, five first team Academic All-Americans, 13 conference champions, and 40 NCAA national qualifiers while also helping his teams to three top 25 finishes in team GPA. In his second tenure with the Quakers, Henson honed his coaching skills under former Penn head coach and current head coach of the United States Freestyle Wrestling Team, Zeke Jones. Shorter will begin competition on the mats in the fall of 2010 and compete in the Mid-South Conference, and Henson feels that while building a program certainly has its challenges, the ingredients are in place to potentially enjoy some instant success not only in the win loss column, but in the lives and futures of young athletes. "The biggest challenge with starting a new program is building the right culture that will produce success not only on the wrestling mat, but also in the classroom and in the community," said Henson. "This is a very exciting time to be involved with Shorter Wrestling and we are looking for wrestlers who are excited about building a legacy of excellence and integrity." Henson will pioneer one of three new wrestling programs to be introduced in the 2010-2011 academic year, and understands that Shorter may serve as a litmus test for future grappling programs in the state and region - a task for which he is very prepared. "I really believe the wrestling program at Shorter is important to the wrestling community as a whole and especially wrestling in the southeastern part of the country," Henson said. "The support has been tremendous so far and I am confident and excited to see the wrestling community in Georgia and the southeast step up to this great opportunity."

Please Note: All times Eastern Midlands Championships Event Date: Wednesday, December 30 All Day Air Date: Sunday, January 3 at 7:00 p.m. Oklahoma State at Iowa Event Date: Saturday, January 16 at 8:00 p.m. Air Date: Sunday, January 17 at 10:00 p.m. Indiana at Wisconsin Event Date: Friday, January 22 at 8:00 p.m. Air Date: LIVE Penn State at Ohio State Event Date: Sunday, January 24 at 2:00 p.m. Air Date: Same Day Delay at 7:00 p.m. Ohio State at Purdue Event Date: Friday, January 29 at 7:00 p.m. Air Date: Same Day Delay at 11:00 p.m. Illinois at Northwestern Event Date: Sunday, January 31 at 3:00 p.m. Air Date: Same Day Delay at 7:00 p.m. Minnesota at Illinois Event Date: Friday, February 5 at 8:00 p.m. Air Date: LIVE Michigan at Ohio State Event Date: Friday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m. Air Date: Same Day Delay at 11:00 p.m. Purdue at Michigan State Event Date: Sunday, February 7 at 1:00 p.m. Air Date: Same Day Delay at 7:00 p.m. Iowa at Minnesota Event Date: Sunday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m. Air Date: LIVE Ohio State at Iowa Event Date: Friday, February 19 at 8:00 p.m. Air Date: Same Day Delay at 12:00 a.m. Michigan at Northwestern Event Date: Sunday, February 21 at 7:00 p.m. Air Date: LIVE Iowa at Wisconsin Event Date: Sunday, February 21 at 2:00 p.m. Air Date: Same Day Delay at 11:00 p.m. Big Ten Championships Event Date: Sunday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m. Air Date: LIVE

Eric Guerrero

WESTMINSTER, Md. -- McDaniel won three of the final four matches, including getting major decisions from Will Yeo (Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills) and Brock Glotfelty (Grantsville, Md./Northern Garrett), to take a 17-15 victory over Waynesburg in non-conference wrestling action on Wednesday. The Green Terror (3-3) and Yellow Jackets (2-4) split the 10 bouts with five victories apiece but the two major decisions proved to be the difference. Clinging to a 3-2 lead but facing overtime with Matt Zimmerman's 1 minute, 38 seconds of advantage time, Scott Forrester (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Twp.) took his shot off a restart late in the third period and recorded the bout-winning takedown just before the final horn sounded for a 5-3 victory at 174. Yeo notched a takedown and near-fall late in the third period to extend his 13-9 lead to a 18-9 victory and earn a major decision to give the Green Terror a 13-12 edge. A late three-point near fall gave Cody Catalina turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 victory at 197. Glotfelty recorded a 10-0 win at heavyweight to overcome the two-point deficit and give his team the victory. Alex Crown staked the Yellow Jackets to a 3-0 lead in the match with a 6-2 victory at 125. Tommy Goretsas (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) evened the match with a 2-1 win at 133. After a pair of escapes in the final two periods, Goretsas recorded a takedown midway through the first sudden victory period for the victory. Nick Garber re-established a three-point margin for Waynesburg with a 5-0 win at 141. Keyed by a four-point near fall in the second period, Brent Lowe (Dumfries, Va./Forest Park) once again knotted the match with an 8-2 win at 149. A 7-0 Jon Sanko victory at 157 once again gave the Yellow Jackets the advantage before a Jared Roberts 8-2 win at 165 stretched the lead to 12-6. The Green Terror returns to action at home against No. 12 Delaware Valley on Friday. Match time is 7 p.m. Results: 125: Alex Crown (W) dec. Earl Eppard 6-2; 133: Tommy Goretsas (M) dec. Josh Mollica 2-1 (SV1); 141: Nick Garber (W) dec. Michael Tancredi 5-0; 149: Brent Lowe (M) dec. Garrett Johnston (W) 8-2; 157: Jon Sanko (W) dec. Matt Peters 7-0; 165: Jared Roberts (W) dec. Tony Vorndran 8-2; 174: Scott Forrester (M) dec. Matt Zimmerman 5-3; 184: Will Yeo (M) maj. dec. Robert Schultz 18-9; 197: Cody Catalina (W) dec. Joe Camlin 5-3; HWT: Brock Glotfelty (M) maj. dec. Melvin Warrick 10-0.

BLACKSBURG -- Fresh off a successful weekend at the Virginia Duals, the Virginia Tech wrestling squad (10-3) will host three dual meets this weekend, including its ACC opener against the University of North Carolina on Saturday. Tewch, which moved up to 15th in the country as a team in the latest InterMat team poll, will host UNC (3-4-1, 1-1 ACC) Saturday at 2 p.m. On Sunday, the Hokies will take on Gardner-Webb at 4 p.m., and then will take on UNC Greensboro immediately following that match. G-W and UNCG will wrestle each other at 2 o’clock. Saturday’s match will feature one of the top individual matchups nationwide this weekend as Tech’s Jesse Dong will take on UNC’s Thomas Scotton at 157 pounds. Dong defeated No. 2 Cyler Sanderson last weekend at the Duals en route to a 5-0 weekend where he earned Outstanding Wrestler honors from the Duals and ACC Wrestler of the Week. Dong is 20-2 in attached matches and 24-3 overall. He is ranked fifth in the country while Scotton is ranked third. Scotton defeated Dong 4-2 in overtime earlier this year at the Hokie Open in Salem. Scotton holds a 22-2 record on the season and has defeated six opponents ranked in the top 15. Virginia Tech features four ranked wrestlers in its injury-depleted lineup. Jarrod Garnett is 16th at 125 pounds, Chris Diaz is ninth at 141 pounds, Dong at 157 pounds and Tommy Spellman re-entered the top 20 this week at 184 pounds, coming in at 20th. The Hokies will rely on these four for bonus points to try and offset forfeits and injuries. Tech beat Gardner-Webb 46-3 earlier this year at the ACC Challenge. G-W is 0-6 on the year and wrestles Friday night at home. The Hokies have not faced the Spartans (1-4) this season. Head coach Kevin Dresser also announced Thursday that sophomore Anthony Trongone has left the team and school for personal reasons. The starting 174-pounder was 9-4 this year and qualified for the NCAAs last season.

BOONE, N.C. -- UNC Greensboro won seven of the 10 bouts to lead from wire to wire and stay unbeaten in the Southern Conference as they defeated Appalachian State, 28-13, on Thursday evening in Varsity Gym. The Spartans improved to 2-4 overall this season in dual matches and 2-0 in the SoCon. The Mountaineers fell to 2-7 on the year and 0-1 in the league. The match began at 133 pounds where Casey Boyle scored a 5-3 decision over Jacob Earp. Freshman Ivan Lopouchanski followed with his 25th win of the year as he pinned Chris Collura at the 2:53 mark of the first period. Appalachian State’s Savva Kostis cut into the Spartan lead with a second period pin of Matt Barbo at 149 pounds. Travis Sheehy built UNCG’s lead to 12-6 with his 11-4 decision over Chip Powell. Kyle Blevins pulled the Mountaineers within 12-10 after his major decision victory over Victor Hojilla at 165 pounds. That was as close as the home team would get the rest of the evening as Byron Sigmon answered with a major decision of his own at 174 pounds to put UNCG ahead, 16-10. Appalachian’s Austin Trotman scored a 15-8 win over Andrew Saunders at 184 pounds, but the Spartans would go on to win the final three matches of the night. Ryan Sughrue started it off with a 5-1 decision against Dylan Temple at 197 pounds. Peter Sturgeon followed at heavyweight by defeating Ken Altarac, 3-1, to clinch the victory for UNCG. True freshman Eric Chandler capped off the evening for the Spartans with a pin over Brett Boston just 31 seconds into the second period at 125 pounds. The Spartans return to action on Sunday as they travel to Blacksburg, Va. for a pair of dual matches. UNCG will take on Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m. before facing No. 15 Virginia Tech at 6 p.m. Results: 133: Casey Boyle (UNCG) dec. Jacob Earp (ASU) 5-3 UNCG 3-0 141: Ivan Lopouchanski (UNCG) fall Chris Collura (ASU) 2:53 UNCG 9-0 149: Savva Kostis (ASU) fall Matt Barbo (UNCG) 4:11 UNCG 9-6 157: Travis Sheehy (UNCG) dec. Chip Powell (ASU) 11-4 UNCG 12-6 165: Kyle Blevins (ASU) major dec. Victor Hojilla (UNCG) 10-1 UNCG 12-10 174: Byron Sigmon (UNCG) major dec. Carter Downs (ASU) 9-1 UNCG 16-10 184: Austin Trotman (ASU) dec. Andrew Saunders (UNCG) 15-8 UNCG 16-13 197: Ryan Sughrue (UNCG) dec. Dylan Temple (ASU) 5-1 UNCG 19-13 285: Peter Sturgeon (UNCG) dec. Ken Altarac (ASU) 3-1 UNCG 22 13

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Four consecutive technical falls by Filip Novachkov, Nick Fisher, Geoff Doss and Travis Rasmussen sparked the Cal Poly wrestling team to a 32-9 victory over San Francisco State in a non-conference dual meet Thursday night in the Golden Gators' Main Gym. With the win, Cal Poly improved to 5-2 on the year, two more victories than all of last season. San Francisco State fell to 1-6 and is now 1-37 all-time against the Mustangs in dual meets. Novachkov earned an 18-2 win over Kamil Smart at 141 pounds to improve to 17-4 while Fisher was a 20-4 winner over Aaron Wilson at 149 to lift his mark to 9-2. Doss posted a 19-2 triumph over Isaiah Jimenez at 157 and is now 9-5 for the season. Rasmussen (pictured above) completed the blitz of technical falls with a 22-7 win over Ian Wrenn at 165. Rasmussen is now 11-9. The Mustangs led 20-6 at that point. The winning streak didn't stop there as Steven Vasquez, Kelan Bragg and Ryan Smith all won by decision, giving Cal Poly seven straight wins after a forfeit at 133 pounds, the opening bout of the evening. Vasquez beat Gene Choi 4-1 at 174, Bragg was a 6-2 winner over Zach Jimenez at 184 and Smith earned a 10-7 win over Vince Bordi at 197, giving the Mustangs a 32-6 advantage. San Francisco State's lone win on the mat was a 5-3 overtime decision by Steve Franklin against Jim Powers at 285. Mustang 125-pounder Micah Ferguson completed the scoring with a 6-1 decision against Pierre Bondoc at 125. Cal Poly returns home to host Stanford next Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Boise State on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m. for Pacific-10 Conference dual meets. Results: 133 – Naveed Bagheri (SFS) won by forfeit 141 – Filip Novachkov (CP) tech. fall Jamil Smart (SFS), 18-2 149 – Nick Fisher (CP) tech. fall Aaron Wilson (SFS), 20-4 157 – Geoff Doss (CP) tech. fall Isaiah Jimenez (SFS), 19-2 165 – Travis Rasmussen (CP) tech. fall Ian Wrenn (SFS), 22-7 174 – Steven Vasquez (CP) dec. Gene Choi (SFS), 4-1 184 – Kelan Bragg (CP) dec. Zach Jimenez (SFS), 6-2 197 – Ryan Smith (CP) dec. Vince Bordi (SFS), 10-7 285 – Steve Franklin (SFS) dec. Jim Powers (CP), 5-3 SV 125 – Micah Ferguson (CP) dec. Pierre Bondoc (SFS), 6-1

Les Gutches of Corvallis, Ore. has been named to the new position of Director of Program Development for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States. Gutches, who has a strong business background and a lifetime in wrestling as an athlete and coach, will be responsible for developing new or expanded programs, events and activities for USA Wrestling. He will work closely with state associations to increase membership and programs in underdeveloped markets in all styles of the sport. He will also expand strategic partnerships with other organizations, and assist in promotion and marketing activities. He will also oversee the State Services staff of the organization, and work with a talented team which includes Manager of State Services Tony Black, Membership Services Assistant Shonna Vest, Manager of Coaches Education Cody Bickley and State Services Assistant Marge Civil. “Les Gutches has an incredible reputation for integrity and performance,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. “He is a tremendous motivator, a wonderful father, a respected coach and one of our greatest champion athletes. His presence, leadership and work ethic will take USA Wrestling membership to new heights. We are excited to welcome Les Gutches to our team and are confident that his efforts will impact the entire wrestling community.” Gutches will begin at his new job at the USA Wrestling corporate headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. on February 1. “I have been involved with USA Wrestling from my time as a PeeWee wrestler through the Senior level. I also went into coaching and remained active in the organization,” said Gutches. “To come back with the opportunity to help grow USA Wrestling and the sport in general is an exciting prospect to me. I have been in the business world for a number of years and am very excited to return to wrestling. I’m going to have the opportunity to combine my passion for the sport with an ability to apply my professional and academic experience. This is the perfect place for me.” Gutches comes to USA Wrestling after serving as four years as a commercial lender and credit analyst for Citizens Bank, Inc. in Corvallis. Among his duties was to generate and develop new business relationships for the company, as well as assisting business clients in measuring performance and strategic decision making. He received a Masters of Business Administration from the Oregon State University’s College of Business in 2006, where he was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. His undergraduate degree at Oregon State was in Anthropology with a minor in German Language and Literature. He was a three-time NCAA First-Team Academic All-American as an undergraduate. He served eight years as an assistant wrestling coach at Oregon State, helping build the Beavers into one of the nation’s top programs. Gutches helped coach five athletes to NCAA All-American honors. In addition to athlete instruction, he had responsibilities that included business and alumni relations activities for the program. He was also a club coach with the Orange Crush Wrestling Club, working with athletes from the university as well as the Corvallis community. Gutches has also been an active clinician for many years, teaching young athletes on many levels. “Membership is the lifeblood of USA Wrestling. Our membership allows USA Wrestling to invest in and grow the sport at all levels. It is exciting to me that I can make an impact in an area that is so important to the organization. I see this as a position where I can make a difference in the sport on a daily basis,” said Gutches. As an athlete, Gutches grew up within the USA Wrestling system, competing on the local, state and national level for many years in Oregon. In fact, he was the first athlete to win USA Wrestling national titles in all five existing age group levels at the time – Cadet, Junior, Espoir, University and Senior. He competed in the World Championships on four age-group levels, as well. He won a Cadet World silver medal in 1989 and an Espoir World bronze medal in 1993. Gutches won three state high school titles at South Medford High School Gutches had a remarkable career at Oregon State Univ., winning NCAA titles in 1995 and 1996, and placing fifth in the 1994 NCAA Championships. He received the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s top college wrestler in 1996. He became one of the best U.S. freestyle athletes of his era. His top achievement was winning the gold medal at the 1997 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia at 85 kg/187.25 pounds. He added a World bronze medal in 1999. After his senior year in college, Gutches won both the U.S. Nationals and Olympic Team Trials to make the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team. He placed seventh in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. Gutches won all of the major events on the international circuit, including 1999 World Cup, the 1999 Pan American Games and the 1998 Goodwill Games. He also captured five straight U.S. Nationals titles. Gutches was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2009, and was a James E. Sullivan Award finalist in 1997. He was the 1997 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year, as well as Freestyle Wrestler of the Year for USA Wrestling and the U.S. Olympic Committee. He and his wife Jennifer have two young children, Lexi (5) and Logan (2). “I have been involved in wrestling clubs as a competitor and coach on the local, state and national levels,” said Gutches. “I have seen firsthand what makes a great club. It all comes down to one thing – investment. For coaches, the most important resources they have to invest are their time and expertise. They invest in each of their wrestlers, to help them become the best athletes and individuals that they can. USA Wrestling is committed to investing in the success of its state organizations. We will look at everything, from how we market our programs to the product itself, and how to best serve all of our members.”

For wrestling fans Dan Gable is someone that needs no introduction. As a coach and competitor he gained fame and acclaim that transcended the boundaries of his sport. On Friday night he will cross the lines into another sport, mixed martial arts. No, Gable won’t be stepping in the cage; but he will be an invited guest on the Inside MMA show on January 15, 2010. "This is a unique opportunity for the sport of wrestling to get national television coverage," stated Scott Casber, host of the Takedown Wrestling TV Show. "Dan Gable is one of the biggest names in the sport of wrestling and I think people are going to be very interested in what he has to say." Inside MMA will air live from the University of Iowa on Friday night at 9:00 pm (ET) on HDNet. The show will preview the Oklahoma State-Iowa dual on Saturday and examine the relationship between wrestling and mixed martial arts. Dan Gable and Scott Casber will both be on the discussion panel with MMA legends Guy Mezger and Pat Miletich, and hosts Bas Rutton and Kenny Rice. "This is going to be quite a production," said Scott Casber. "Normally they shoot the studio in Los Angeles but they have taken the whole production on the road for this broadcast. They spent the week shooting in Stillwater and Iowa City and have interviewed John Smith and Tom Brands." The Iowa-Oklahoma State is one of the most highly anticipated dual meets of the year. The top-ranked and undefeated Hawkeyes just won the 2010 National Duals while the fifth-ranked Cowboys won the 2010 Virginia Duals. The Inside MMA broadcast will feature a panel discussion that looks at all sides of the wrestling-MMA relationship. "We will talk about a number of wrestlers that have made the transition to mixed martial arts; discuss how MMA can promote and support wrestling as well as what wrestling can continue to do for MMA,; and we will look the future of both sports,"said Casber. For Casber and wrestling fans alike the spotlight on wrestlers in mixed martial arts has been a long time coming. "For a long time wrestling distanced itself mixed martial arts and that is something that is something that is changing,"offered Casber. "The more wrestlers that are moving into MMA and having success, the closer the two sports are being drawn together. Wrestling has a lot to offer mixed martial arts and it can benefit tremendously from the exposure that MMA can offer."

On Saturday, two college wrestling dynasties, Oklahoma State and Iowa, will meet at 7 p.m. CST at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Between them, the two programs have won 56 NCAA championships. The Big Ten Network will air a taped-delay broadcast of the dual meet on Sunday at 9 p.m. CST. No. 1 Iowa has won a school-record 51 consecutive dual meets. The last team to defeat Iowa was Oklahoma State on January 5, 2008. The Cowboys, who are ranked No. 3, have won nine of the last 10 meetings against the Hawkeyes. Last weekend, Iowa won its third straight NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals title, while Oklahoma State won the Virginia Duals. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of Saturday's dual meet. Matchups are subject to change. 125: No. 9 Chris Notte (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 4 Matt McDonough (Iowa) McDonough, an undefeated freshman with a record of 19-0, is wrestling with a lot of confidence right now. He won a Midlands title last month and then went 4-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals last weekend, which included victories over No. 5 Andrew Long of Iowa State, No. 6 Zach Sanders of Minnesota, and No. 14 Alan Bartelli of Boise State. Notte, a returning NCAA qualifier, made the move down from 133 pounds to 125 pounds this season. He is 15-4 this season with his last loss coming to Anthony Robles in the semifinals of the Reno Tournament of Championships on December 20. Bottom Line: With the way McDonough is wrestling right now, it would be surprising to see him lose this match, especially in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Notte, though, is a solid competitor and should be in the match. Looking at common opponents, McDonough defeated Minnesota's Zach Sanders, 6-4, while Notte lost to Sanders, 11-5. Prediction: McDonough (Iowa) dec. Notte (Oklahoma) 133: No. 6 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. Nate Moore (Iowa) The expectations were very high for Oliver entering the season ... and the freshman has lived up to the hype. He is 17-2 this season with his only losses coming to No. 2 Jayson Ness and No. 5 Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly. Iowa has listed both Moore and Dennis as potential starters. Indications are that Moore will get the start over Dennis, who is recovering from an ankle injury and did not compete last weekend at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Moore, a two-time Iowa state champion with a prep record of 181-3, has done a nice job filling in for Dennis. He placed sixth at the Midlands, which included victories over No. 9 Scott Sentes of Central Michigan and No. 14 Matt Fisk of Lehigh. Bottom Line: Two years ago, Oliver and Moore were two of the nation's top recruits from the Class of 2008. Both have progressed nicely after redshirt seasons and the expectations remain high for both wrestlers. This could potentially be a rivalry in the making ... if both stay in the same weight class in the coming years. Oliver is the pick, but expect it to be a very competitive match. Prediction: Oliver (Oklahoma State) dec. Moore (Iowa) 141: No. 5 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 11 Montell Marion or Dan LeClere (Iowa) Parks, an NCAA qualifier last season, has been solid for the Cowboys. He is 20-3 and won the Reno Tournament of Champions. The Hawkeyes are deep in this weight class with Marion, LeClere, and possibly Joe Slaton if he becomes eligible to compete. Marion is 16-4, while LeClere is 10-3. Marion defeated LeClere at the Midlands ... and then wrestled three of the four matches at the NWCA Cliff/Keen Matches, so it appears he has the upper hand. Bottom Line: This is a crucial match for both teams. Parks defeated Marion, 11-5, at the 2007 Kaufman-Brand Open, but both have come a long way since that meeting. Marion was pinned in his last match against Minnesota's Mike Thorn, a wrestler Parks has beaten the past two seasons. Regardless of whether it's Marion or LeClere that gets the call for the Hawkeyes, Parks is the pick. Prediction: Parks (Oklahoma State) dec. Marion (Iowa) 149: Quinten Fuentes (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) Metcalf is 19-0 and has picked up bonus points in 16 of his 19 matches. He has beaten four wrestlers ranked in the top 10, including No. 2 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin, who he defeated 9-2 in the finals of the Midlands. Fuentes has stepped in for the injured Albert White, who may miss the remainder of the season. Fuentes has struggled with consistency this season. He won seven of his first nine matches this season, but has lost five of his last seven heading into Saturday's dual meet. His most notable win this season came against No. 16 Barrett Abel of UC Davis on December 18, but Abel came back to pin him last weekend at the Virginia Duals. Bottom Line: Metcalf should dominate this match from start to finish. He won 20-8 over Fuentes last season. Expect a similar result on Saturday. Prediction: Metcalf (Iowa) major dec. Fuentes (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 13 Neil Erisman (Oklahoma State) vs. Aaron Janssen or Jake Kerr (Iowa) Erisman, a Big 12 runner-up last season, comes into Saturday's match with an 18-6 record. Last weekend, Erisman went 3-1 at the Virginia Duals, losing only to No. 6 Cyler Sanderson of Penn State, 5-4. The Hawkeyes have used both Janssen and Kerr in dual meets this season. Janssen went 3-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals ... and will most likely get the start against Erisman. Bottom Line: All six of Erisman's losses this season have come to wrestlers ranked above him, so he should be able to beat whoever Iowa puts out on the mat. No bonus points here. Prediction: Erisman (Oklahoma State) dec. Janssen (Iowa) 165: No. 12 Alex Meade (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 3 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) Morningstar is 15-2 with both losses coming to Iowa State's Jon Reader in December. Morningstar came back to beat Reader last weekend at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Meade, a freshman, is 20-4 with his signature win coming against Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter on December 4. Two of his four losses have come to No. 8 Dan Vallimont of Penn State. Bottom Line: Although Meade is a confident and talented freshman who should have a very successful career in a Cowboy singlet, it will be a tall order to go into Carver-Hawkeye Arena and beat the senior Morningstar. Both are tough to score on, so expect a tight, low-scoring match that could be decided by one takedown. Meade will be game, but Morningstar's big match experience could prove to be the difference. Prediction: Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Meade (Oklahoma State) 174: No. 7 Mike Benefiel (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) Borschel is at the top of his game right now. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals after going 4-0 with wins over four ranked opponents. Not only has he been winning, but he has been putting a lot of points on the scoreboard. Benefiel was one of the nation's top recruits in 2007. He began his career at Northwestern, but some unfortunate circumstances led to Benefiel leaving the program in December of 2008. He enrolled at Oklahoma State in the fall. However, because of transfer rules, Benefiel was not eligible to compete for the Cowboys until mid-December. He has been impressive this season, going 24-1. He was name Outstanding Wrestler at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Bottom Line: This is one of the most anticipated matches in the dual meet. Both wrestlers are hot and wrestling at a very high level right now. Benefiel, though, has yet to beat an opponent ranked in the top 10, while Borschel continues to knock off ranked opponent after ranked opponent. Benefiel certainly has the tools to win this match, but he has never been in an environment like he will see at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Prediction: Borschel (Iowa) dec. Benefiel (Oklahoma State) 184: No. 13 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Phil Keddy (Iowa) Keddy, a two-time All-American, has as many losses this season (five) as he had all of last season, but he has wrestled a brutal schedule, already facing five of the top 10 wrestlers in his weight class. He went 2-2 at the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals last weekend, but both losses were in overtime ... one being a tiebreaker loss to No. 1 Kirk Smith of Boise State. Foster, who moved down from 197 pounds to 184 pounds, started the season with a bang, winning his first 10 before suffering an injury that kept him out of the Reno Tournament of Champions and two dual meets. He came back at the Virginia Duals last weekend, where he lost 9-3 to No. 12 David Erwin of Penn State. Bottom Line: This could be a swing match in the dual meet. Neither wrestler is firing on all cylinders right now, which makes it difficult to predict. Keddy has not lost at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since February 17, 2008. Prediction: Keddy (Iowa) dec. Foster (Oklahoma State) 197: No. 7 Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) vs. Brodie Ambrose or Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) Gelogaev was a bit of a phenomenon entering this season. He trained under Russian wrestling legend Buvaisar Saitiev in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia for five years before moving to the U.S. His wrestling resume is littered with impressive freestyle wrestling credentials, but he is still transitioning to folkstyle wrestling. He is currently 20-1 and ranked No. 7. The only blemish on his record came on December 1 against Oklahoma's Eric Lapotksy, a match he lost 10-4 and struggled mightily from the bottom position. Since then, Gelogaev has reeled off 11 straight victories, which includes a tournament title at the Reno Tournament of Champions, where he dominated the competition. With Chad Beatty out of the lineup for the Hawkeyes, either Ambrose or Lofthouse will get the call. Ambrose has yet to compete this season, while Lofthouse is 14-9. Bottom Line: Gelogaev's confidence seems to be growing as he becomes more and more comfortable with folkstyle wrestling. Since the Reno Tournament of Championships, Gelogaev has completely crushed his competition. Oklahoma State will be looking for bonus points here. Prediction: Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) major dec. Lofthouse (Iowa) 285: No. 1 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. Blake Rasing or Jordan Johnson (Iowa) Rosholt, a two-time All-American, is the No. 1 heavyweight in the country. He is currently 20-1 and has not lost since the first week of the season. He was dominant at the Virginia Duals last weekend, going 4-0 with three pins, which included a pin over No. 5 Zach Rey of Lehigh. Iowa starter Dan Erekson, a returning All-American, has been out all season, so Raising and Johnson have filled the void. Johnson is 11-2 with losses to No. 4 David Zabriskie of Iowa State (4-1) and No. 9 D.J. Russo of Rutgers (pinned). He scored a 3-2 victory over No. 10 Tucker Lane of Nebraska at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Rasing is 9-8 on the season, but has dropped seven of his last nine matches. Bottom Line: Rosholt should win this match, but bonus points would be a surprise. Both of Iowa's reserve heavyweights have shown they can compete with the top heavyweights. Prediction: Rosholt (Oklahoma State) dec. Johnson (Iowa) Dual Meet Prediction: Iowa 16, Oklahoma State 16 This article also appears on the official site of the Big Ten Network.

Kirk Ledger

Shane Onufer

On Friday at 9 p.m. EST, Inside MMA on HDNet will be in Iowa City to preview one of the biggest NCAA wrestling duals of the year between Iowa and Oklahoma State. Guests Dan Gable, Guy Mezger, Scott Casber, and Pat Miletich discuss the impact of college wrestling on MMA. The impact college wrestling has had on mixed martial arts (MMA) is undeniable. Of the 22 fighters on the UFC 100 card, 11 were former college wrestlers. MMA icon Randy Couture was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma State and three-time Olympic team alternate in Greco-Roman. Current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was an NCAA champion at Minnesota. The list goes on and on. In a series of interviews discussing college wrestling's impact on MMA, Scott Casber talks with several wrestlers who have entered the world of MMA, including Randy Couture, Daniel Cormier, Cole Konrad, Tommy Rowlands, Marty Morgan, and others. Randy Couture Tommy Rowlands Aaron Simpson Mark Munoz Cole Konrad Marty Morgan Daniel Cormier Ben Askren Thom Ortiz B.J. Thomas Dennis Deliddo & DeWayne Zinkin

This week: From the University of Iowa, Inside MMA previews one of the biggest NCAA wrestling duals of the year between Iowa and Oklahoma State. Guests Dan Gable, Guy Mezger, Scott Casber and Pat Miletich discuss the impact of college wrestling on MMA. Additional featured interviews with Iowa Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands and Oklahoma State Cowboy head coach John Smith on Friday night. http://hd.net/insidemma.html Where to Watch: Cable Providers Dish Network Direct TV

Clarion University freshman 149-pound grappler James Fleming (West Mifflin) was named today as the PSAC and EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) “Wrestler of the Week” for his performance for the Golden Eagles at the 30th Annual Virginia Duals over the weekend. Fleming, a true freshman, boosted his season record to 14-5 as he registered three impressive wins in Clarion’s three dual meets. He had a technical fall and two pins for his 3-0 weekend. On Friday Fleming led Clarion to a 20-18 upset win over #25 ranked Old Dominion as he notched a 17-2, technical fall win over ODU’s John Nicholson, who entered the match with a 19-4 record. In Clarion’s second dual the Golden Eagles lost 42-6 to #4 ranked Oklahoma State, but Fleming pinned the Cowboys Quinten Fuentes (#14 by WIN) at 4:06. Fuentes had a 14-6 record and a team leading 11 pins entering the bout. Fleming pinned Michigan’s Mike Sears at 3:46 in his last match, although the Eagles fell 29-15. “Jim had a great weekend and is really deserving of these honors,” said Clarion’s fourth year head coach Teague Moore. “He works very hard every day to improve his skills and has a great attitude towards wrestling. We’re proud to have him in blue and gold.” Fleming, the son of John Fleming and Regina Fitzgerald, was a 4-time PIAA placewinner at West Mifflin High under coach Tony Salopek. He had a career record of 130-15. CLARION NOTES: The Golden Eagles wrestle at Eastern Michigan on Friday night, then return home to host #16 ranked Edinboro on Sunday, January 15th at 2pm.