InterMat Staff

Happy Holidays wrestling fans- TDR returns to the Brute adidas home studios for our 3rd show of December. Thanks to Steve Foster and Gary McCall for filling in for me last week. This week we prepare for the 47th Midlands Tournament of Champions at Northwestern University. Our broadcast times Tuesday and Wednesday will mirror that of competition. Check it out. It's free courtesy of our great sponsors. TDR This week: 9:05 Mark Branch- Head Coach of Wyoming's Cowboys will join us to talk about his team and the years competition and his conference. 9:20 Barry Davis- Head Coach of Wisconsin's Badgers. Redshirt freshman Tyler Graff has enjoyed a successful start to his Badger career. He is ranked ninth in the nation at 133 lbs., boasts an 8-2 record and is coming off a third place finish at the Cliff Keen Invite.Last season, Graff tallied an 18-2 record in open tournaments with his only losses coming at the hands of wrestlers ranked in the top-five for the weight class. 9:40 Kevin Schlosser Founder of BuckeyeWrestling.com. It's Kevin's mission to provide comprehensive year round coverage of the four NCAA division I Ohio wrestling programs with supplamental coverage of Ohio high school wrestling. BuckeyeWrestling.com is not affiliated with the Ohio State University, Kent State, Cleveland State, Ohio University; or the OHSAA, Big Ten, MAC, EWL or NCAA. It does however have its finger on the pulse of wrestling in Ohio. 9:50 Maureen Roshar Joins us from Clinton, Iowa's Wildrose Casino 10:05 Jeff Murphy- Kemin Wrestling Report Jeff will give us the view from his chair on the season and what to expect at the 2 major events looming, The Midlands and the National Duals. 10:20 Jason Bryant- USA Wrestling and theMat.com's new director of viral and social marketing and content. Jason will fill us in on his new job and the plans for the future. 10:40 Mychal Grenawalt - Executive Producer/Host of Matside Michigan Radio Show on various radio stations including Supertalk 1570 Flint Saginaw Please note that Episode 37 of TDR TV is now up on all the top web sites around the country and is available for your viewing. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio and TV! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. TDR "the Radio Program" airs 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning we look forward to having you listen. Thanks and Happy Holiday's!

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

Cozart's pin propels Brandon over Collins Hill Two of the finest teams in the nation, and according to most the two best in the southeastern part of the United States, Brandon, FL and Collins Hill, GA met on Wednesday at the Kyle Maynard Duals hosted by Collins Hill. In front of a big home crowd of around 2,000 fans, Collins Hill fell just short against Brandon, 34-24, two days before the Christmas holiday. The dual meet started at 189, and after a 3-2 victory by Joel Smith over Clark Glass at 145, the host squad led 24-22 with three matches remaining. However, a pin by Joey Cozart and two subsequent decisions gave Brandon the close victory. Brandon won eight of the 14 weight classes. Poway tops Reno field with volume Despite only one finalist in Victor Lopez -- the champion at 103 pounds -- Poway was able to win the Reno Tournament of Champions in a very close team race with 143.5 points. Three other wrestlers placed for Poway -- Gabe Brown (119) was seventh, Will DeYoung (135) was fourth, and Ian Roy (160) finished fifth. However, the key for their victory was the ability of non-placers to win multiple matches during the course of the event. Right behind was Easton, PA with 142 points; the Rovers were anchored by champion Mark Hartenstine (140), who defeated Nate Hoffer (Anchorage East, AK) 2-1 in a battle of nationally ranked wrestlers. Their three other placers were Mitch Minotti (130) finishing second, and both Evan Disora (103) and Joey Rizzolino (135) taking fifth place. Also with a quartet of place-winners was Ponderosa, CO; which was enough to take home third place with 135.5 points. Their lone champion was Jake Snider (145) with Steven Kelly (152), Austin Gabel (171), and Derek Good (189) all taking home third place medals. Only two teams had multiple champions -- Clovis West, CA with Steven Knoblauch (112) and Zach Zimmer (119) rising to the top of the podium, and Bishop Gorman, NV had titlists in Steven Hernandez (152) and Johnny Field (171). Rounding out the champions were Isaiah Martinez (125) of Lemoore, CA; Louis Trujillo (130) of Rio Rancho, NM; Luke Goettl (135) of Mingus, AZ; Ronnie Balfour (160) of Tulsa Union, OK; Chase Eskam (189) of Carlsbad CA; Tank Knowles (215) of Calvary Chapel, CA; and Travis Morgan (285) of Stillwater, OK). Two other matches involving ranked wrestlers doing battle in the finals had Goettl defeating Kade Moss (Bingham, UT) 9-2 at 135 pounds, and Hernandez defeating Justin DeAngelis (Jenks, OK) 9-7 at 152 pounds. Montini repeats at the Dvorak In a tournament whose depth is ever-growing, and value is consistently underrated nationally, Montini Catholic, IL came home with the title at the 22nd Annual Dvorak Memorial Wrestling Invitational scoring 199.5 points. The event hosted by Machesney Park Harlem included the finest teams from Illinois as well as three out of state teams, two of which were very notable. The Broncos were anchored by their lone champion Kevon Powell (103) and a trio of other finalists in Colton Rasche (130), Stephen Robertson (140), and Frank Baer (145). Ross Ferraro (285) placed third, while five other Montini Catholic wrestlers placed in the top eight. Despite competing without Walsh Ironman placer Judson Preskitt (103) in the lineup, Bishop Lynch, TX finished a rather close second with 189 points. Tanner Eitel (171) was the Friars lone champion, as he avenged an early round loss from the Ironman against Charles Argue of Mt Carmel, IL -- this time winning a 2-1 decision in overtime. Nationally ranked Stephen McPeek (189) was a runner-up, as he lost by 17-6 major decision against Sterling Hecox of Machesney Park Harlem, IL. Finishing third were a trio of wrestlers -- Case Garrison (130), Troy Silver (135), and Trey Adamson (160). Four other wrestlers placed inside the top six for Bishop Lynch. One of only three teams to win multiple championships at the Dvorak -- all having a pair -- was Providence Catholic, IL. The Celtics finished in third place with 170 points, as seven wrestlers in all earned placement honors. Champions for Providence Catholic were the nationally ranked duo of Eddie Klimara (119) and Edwin Cooper (130); Cooper defeated Rasche, who is also nationally ranked, 5-2 in the championship final. Oak Park River Forest, IL and Iowa City West, IA were the other teams to have two champions. Chris (135) and Nick (140) Dardanes, both of whom are nationally ranked, were the champions for OPRF. Nick Dardanes defeated Robertson, a nationally ranked wrestler in his own right, by a 5-3 score in the final. Champions for Iowa City West were Jack Hathaway (112) and Nick Moore (160). Hathaway earned an upset pin in the final against Derek Elmore, a nationally ranked wrestler from the host school; while Moore, the second ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight, dominated the competition in the tournament’s feature bracket -- including a 7-3 victory over a fellow ranked wrestler in Nick Proctor of Providence Catholic. Rounding out the event’s champions were Joey Gosinski (125) of Glenbard North, IL; Demetrios Mitchell (145) of Hersey, IL; Joey Kielbasa (152) of Crystal Lake Central, IL; Robby Bain (215) of Bolingbrook, IL; and Lavelle Howard (285) of Plainfield Central, IL. Garden State best to convene on Sunday at Brick Memorial This coming Sunday is the Brick Memorial Mustang Classic, which is annually the best in-state regular season tournament for New Jersey. Seven of the top 17 teams statewide in the preseason Star Ledger poll will convene together for the one-day competition. This includes High Point, the number one team statewide; No. 4 Brick Memorial, the two-time defending Group 4 state champions; No. 7 Eastern Regional, just finished sixth at the Beast of the East; and No. 12 Paulsboro, champions of small-school Group 1 in 25 of the last 26 seasons. Two weight classes are projected to feature a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. Mike Morales (Brick Memorial) and Jordan Beverly (Point Pleasant Boro) both project to the 135 pound weight class, the pair met in last year’s 130 pound state final with Morales victorious. John Guzzo (High Point) and Preston Keiffer (Eastern Regional), a pair of Junior National freestyle All-Americans, are slated to compete at 160 pounds. Another pair of weights has a nationally ranked wrestler in them against another wrestler that is incredibly close to earning a national ranking. A battle of returning state champions at 119 pounds will feature Robert Deutsch (Eastern Regional) and Nick Francavilla (High Point), with Deutsch currently ranked 13th by InterMat. At 215 pounds, 20th ranked Zach Greenwald (Paulsboro) and Kevin Innis (St Peter’s Prep) are both projected to be present; Innis was runner-up at the Reno TofC this past weekend. Three other nationally ranked wrestlers are slated to be a part of this field -- Joe Duca (Paulsboro) at 125 pounds, Hank Stinson (Eastern Regional) at 140 pounds, and Anthony Baldosaro (Eastern Regional) at 145 pounds. Wildcats remain King(s) of the Mountain Central Mountain, PA was unkind hosts this past weekend in the midst of unkind weather in the Lock Haven area. The Wildcats dominated during Saturday’s wrestling to separate from the field and score 246.5 points. Jordan Rich (135), Andrew (145) and Dylan (152) Alton, and Cody Dolan (215) were champions for the host squad, which was the only team to have more than one wrestler atop the podium. Despite not having a single finalist, it was Massillon Perry, OH finishing in second place with 154.5 points. The Panthers had seven wrestlers finish between third and sixth, and a 5-2 record in the placement round. Six teams were within 17 points for third place -- Greater Latrobe, PA with 142 took third; Benton, PA had 141; Parkland, PA had 139; Reynolds, PA had 133.5; while Council Rock South, PA and High Point, NJ were tied for seventh with 125.5 points. Most Outstanding Wrestler honors went to repeat champion Mitchell Port (Bellefonte, PA) at 125 pounds with two pins and two majors prior to a 10-4 finals victory over Cameron Throckmorton (South-Western, PA). The other two highlight finals were at 119 where Walsh Ironman champion Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA) upended state champion Nick Francavilla (High Point, NJ) 6-2 in a battle of very tough unranked wrestlers; and at 285 pounds it was Evan Craig (Abington Hts, PA) pinning Tyler Demott (Benton, PA) in a battle of top ten wrestlers in the nation. Other weight class champions included Zane Retherford (Line Mountain, PA) at 103 pounds; Billy Gould (High Point, NJ) at 112; Tyler Zymroz (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) at 130; Matt Martoccio (Council Rock South, PA) at 140; Eric Hess (Benton, PA) at 160; Nathaniel Brown (Lewisburg, PA) at 171; and Eric Shaffer (Greater Latrobe, PA) at 189. Apple Valley doles out lumps of coal at MN Christmas Tournament Even without ace wrestler Destin McCauley (152) in the lineup, it was Apple Valley emerging as champion of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament held this past weekend in Rochester, MN with 265.5 points. The Eagles accomplished the title on the strength of six top three finishers; four champions, one runner-up, and one third place finisher. Despite only one finalist in Dylan Wright, the champion at 119 pounds, it was Simley finishing relatively close behind with 243 points. Key to that feat was six wrestlers finishing in third place. Apple Valley wrestlers were involved in both of the evening’s finals matches involving a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers, and the Eagles split those matches. Jake Waste defeated Joe Latham (Bismarck, ND) at 171 pounds; while Ben Morgan (Forest Lake, MN) upended Matt Kelliher 6-3 in the most recent revisit of their rivalry at 130 pounds. Also winning titles for Apple Valley were Dakota Trom (125), Brandon Kingsley (140), and Steven Keogh (160). West Fargo, ND was the one of two other teams with multiple champions -- Tyler Lehmann (189) and Scott Schiller (189) -- which enough to propel them to third place with 157 points, outlasting the 154 point total put up by Bismarck, ND. The squad from Bismarck lost all three championship matches, as Latham, Joe Schumacher (140), and Drew Spauling (145) fell short in their bouts. Along with Morgan, Kevin Nelson (135) also earned a Minnesota Christmas Tournament title for Forest Lake, MN. Other weight class winners were Nate Thomas (Kasson Montourville, MN) at 103 pounds; Cody Paulsen (Totino Grace, MN) at 112; Dylan Ness (Bloomington Kennedy, MN) at 145; Tucker Freeman (Jackson County Central, MN) at 152; and Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake, MN) at 285 pounds. Power of the Peach Despite the dominance shown by Park Hill, MO at the Toshiba Midwest Classic -- 6 finalists, 4 champions -- it was Collins Hill, GA that came out on top at the end of the tournament in Kansas City, MO this past weekend by more than 100 points (649.5-531). Finishing third was Blue Springs, MO with 443 points; while Tuttle, OK was fourth with 409.5 points. Key to the Eagles’ tournament title was the squad’s overall depth. Joel Smith (140) and Jamie Hertica (152) won championships, while TJ Mitchell (125) came in second place. However, Collins Hill had eight more placers inside the top seven (one third, three fourth, two fifth, one sixth, and one seventh). On the other hand, Park Hill only had one other in such a position, and that was a seventh place finisher. Three championship matches involved a ranked wrestler falling in defeat. At 112 pounds, Bricker Dixon (Park Hill, MO) defeated No. 15 Thomas Gilman (Skutt Catholic, NE) 7-4; No. 6 Alan Waters (Park Hill, MO) defeated No. 17 TJ Mitchell (Collins Hill, GA) 2-0 at 125 pounds; while Jace Bennett (Canyon Randall, TX) earned a 10-2 major decision over No. 20 John Eblen (Park Hill, MO) at 189 pounds. Other title winners for Park Hill were Skylar Wood (119) and Kaleb Friedley (145), while Hayden Bock (215) took home second place. Despite no champions, Blue Springs, MO had three runners-up on the way to a third place team finish; Keenan Hagerty (135), Josh Howk (140), and Derick Sanders (171) were one step short of first place. On the other hand, fourth place Tuttle, OK was the only team other than Collins Hill, GA and Park Hill, MO to have multiple champions as Cole Gracey (171) and Shane Woods (215) stood atop the podium. Other champions at the Toshiba Midwest Classic were Brad Perkins (Oak Park, MO) at 103 pounds; Daniel Baucke (Christian Brothers, TN) at 130; Ian Fisher (Perry, OK) at 135; Drake Houdashelt (Fort Zumwalt West, MO) at 160; Jace Bennett (Canyon Randall, TX) at 189 and Jake Hasz (Skutt Catholic, NE) at 285. Lake Stevens wins at the Tri-State Lake Stevens, WA affirmed its status as the best team in Washington State, and one of the best in the northwestern United States with its win at the Tri-State Tournament hosted by Northern Idaho College this past weekend. It was a team effort anchored by two titles and two third-place finishers, leading to a total of 191 points. Champions for Lake Stevens were Josh Heinzer (112) and Josh Villani (152). With three in the finals, University, WA took home second place as they totaled 170 points. Anchoring the effort was champion Jake Mason (160), as Ryan Zumwalt (152) and Jake Laden (285) finished as runners-up. Finishing third in the tournament despite three champions -- Steven Hopkins (103), Tyler Lamb (140), and Konner Knudtson (215) -- was Tahoma, WA with 165.5 points; they also had Nick Bayer (189) take home second place honors. The only other team with multiple champions was Orting, WA -- as Antonio Brown (125) and Taylor Meeks (189) earned championships. Other top of podium performances came from Martin Mesa (119) of Caldwell, ID; Kurtis Giberson (130) of Kelso, WA; Casey George (135) of Lewistown, ID; Scotty Bacon (145) of Republic, WA; Dylan Rutledge (171) of Auburn, WA); and Shawn Burton (285) of Deer Park, WA.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Notre Dame College (Ohio) remained at No. 1 in the third edition of the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll, the NAIA announced Tuesday. The Falcons earned 108 points with 10 wrestlers listed among the top-12 individuals in their respective weight class. California Baptist is ranked second with 91 points and also has 10 ranked grapplers. The top five is rounded out by No. 3 Great Falls (Mont.) with 87 points, No. 4 McKendree (Ill.) with 80.5 points and No. 5 Southern Oregon with 75 points. Notre Dame boasts two top-ranked wrestlers to California Baptist's one for the edge in the team ranking. Topping the 141-pounders is Notre Dame's Adam Koballa and Thomas Straughn is No. 1 at 157 pounds. Enock Francois of California Baptist is No. 1 at 174 pounds. Two weight classes feature a pair of ranked Falcons. At 125 pounds, it's Tyler Savage and Dante Rini at second and third, respectively, and 174-pounders Jon Bittenger and Kurt Wolff rank seventh and 10th, respectively. Jeffrey Pelton is listed second at 149 pounds. There are only three weight classes in which a Falcon is not rated: 133, 165 and heavyweight. California Baptist also has a pair of ranked individuals at two weight classes. No. 5 Samuel Fragoza and No. 7 Chauncey Philipps are listed at 125, while Francois is joined by No. 11 Christopher Knowland at 174 pounds. Joshua Marquez is ranked second for the Lancers at heavyweight. Like Notre Dame, California Baptist is only absent from three weights: 157, 184 and 197. McKendree, who moved up two spots in the team poll to No. 4, sports two No. 1s with 165-pounder Aaron Winning and Andrew Sanchez at 197 pounds. Other schools with top-ranked grapplers include No. 5 Southern Oregon's Mitchell Lofstedt (125), Tommy Pretty of No. 11 Campbellsville (Ky.) (133), No. 6 Grand View's (Iowa) Matt Burns (149), Michael French of No. 3 Great Falls (184) and No. 12 Cumberland's (Tenn.) Byron Stewart (HWT). The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the groupings. The next poll will be announced on Jan. 19. Rank School Total Team Points 1 Notre Dame (Ohio) 108 2 California Baptist (Calif.) 91 3 Great Falls (Mont.) 87 4 McKendree (Ill.) 80.5 5 Southern Oregon (Ore.) 75 6 Grand View (Iowa) 72.5 7 Missouri Valley (Mo.) 65 8 Oklahoma City (Okla.) 48.5 9 Lindenwood (Mo.) 45.5 10 Dickinson State (N.D.) 44 11 Campbellsville (Ky.) 40 12 Cumberland (Tenn.) 39 13 Dana (Neb.) 33.5 13 Missouri Baptist (Mo.) 33.5 15 Northwestern (Iowa) 24.5 15 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 24.5 17 Montana State-Northern (Mont.) 20.5 18 Morningside (Iowa) 17 19 Jamestown (N.D.) 15.5 20 Simon Fraser (B.C.) 12.5 Others receiving votes: Waldorf (Iowa) 9; Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 9; Hastings College (Neb.) 5.5; Menlo (Calif.) 3; William Penn (Iowa) 2.5; Baker (Kan.) 1. Please click here to view the individual ratings.

Steve Costanzo

Dan Severn

Kent Sesker

Jon Jones

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Air Force Academy freshman 141-pounder Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn./Jackson County Central HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. VonOhlen made the most of his return from injury, compiling a 2-0 record in a pair of duals for the Falcons last week. VonOhlen, who missed nearly a month of action, posted an 18-6 decision over Southern Oregon’s Barry Johnson, who is currently ranked eighth in the NAIA at 141 pounds. He then added an 8-5 decision over Oregon State’s Mike Mangrum to give Air Force its only individual win over the 25th-ranked Beavers. VonOhlen now leads the Falcons in win percentage on the young season with a 9-3 overall record (.750) and a 2-0 dual record. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming.

Frank Perrelli

Leigh Jaynes

Former Northern Iowa head coach Don Briggs and former Northwestern head coach Ken Kraft will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, Dec. 23. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 p.m. CST on AM 1650, The Fan. Briggs coached at the University of Northern Iowa from 1982 through 1997, compiling a 164-98 dual meet. He continues to teach at UNI and is known for his worldwide adventures, including skydiving in 10 different states and ice climbing. Kraft was the long-time head wrestling coach at Northwestern and the founder of the prestigious Midlands tournament. The Midlands will take place at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill.

His mother left when he was five. Lived in three states as a youngster. A three-time state champ in high school who often found himself sitting on the bench in college ... until this season. Shane VernonAfter a lifetime of challenges, senior Shane Vernon seems to be coming into his own in his last season as a University of Oklahoma wrestler. The Sooner 157-pounder, who InterMat has ranked No. 11, has overcome adversity as a youngster -- and ongoing struggles to be the starter for Oklahoma -- to experience a successful start to the 2009 season. Vernon has an 11-2 record as of this writing, including a big, end-of-match win over Neil Erisman of Oklahoma State on November 30. A rude welcome Shane Vernon was born in Albuquerque. At age 5, his parents separated, and he -- along with his sister and younger brother Seth, who wrestles 141 for Oklahoma -- remained with their dad, Rian. (Shane disclosed that he hasn't seen his mother "in years.") Early in Shane Vernon's life, his family moved to Arkansas for about a year, then returned to Albuquerque. It was back in New Mexico that he started wrestling. "I was seven years old. I was introduced to wrestling at age 7 by my dad, who tells me he was 'an average to above-average wrestler in high school in New Mexico.'" Shane Vernon (Oklahoma Sports Information)"We would travel from school to school in Albuquerque, getting (wrestling) experience in the early years," Vernon continued. "After a while, dad took us to the Tulsa Nationals. Got our butts kicked. We went back the following year, with similar results. Dad said, 'What about moving to Oklahoma?' with the idea of giving us better competition." With that in mind, Rian Vernon moved his kids to the Sooner State. "When we first moved to Oklahoma, it was kinda rough," said Shane Vernon. "We stayed in a hotel in Tulsa. Woke up one morning, saw that our Ryder truck was stolen, with all our stuff inside. It made the local news, which ended up being a blessing. Folks saw our story, gave us a place to stay, clothes, furniture." "Later, we saw kids on what looked like our bikes, wearing shirts that said 'Manzano' -- that's a school in New Mexico." "We asked them where they got the stuff. They said it was from their dad. He had died in a drug raid. They showed us other stuff he had given them, that was ours." High school success Shane Vernon went to Union High School for one year, then transferred to Broken Arrow High just outside Tulsa, which he described as "having a good reputation in wrestling ... They were usually ranked No. 1 or 2 before we got there." By his own admission, Shane Vernon lost seven or eight matches his freshman year -- "three to one guy, and two to another." He wrestled at 140 pounds, and was runner-up in the Oklahoma high school state finals. In his sophomore year, Vernon moved up to 145 pounds, and won the 2003 Oklahoma 5A state title. Junior year brought even more mat accomplishments. Shane Vernon won his second Geary Tournament, defeating frequent high school foe Newly McSpadden (former Oklahoma State wrestler) in the finals, and earning Outstanding Wrestler honors. After wrestling the regular season at 152 pounds, Vernon jumped to 160 for the 2004 Oklahoma state championships, winning his second 5A title. Shane Vernon capped off his final year of high school competition with an undefeated season, a third Oklahoma state title (this time, at 152), and was a Reno Tournament of Champions winner. In addition, Vernon was a three-time All-American at the Cadet/Junior Nationals in Fargo, placing eighth his sophomore year, sixth his junior year, and, in his senior year, runner-up in the finals to future University of Iowa wrestler Ryan Morningstar. Welcome to the Sooners When asked how he came to wrestle at Oklahoma, Shane Vernon responded, "I didn't know much about colleges, other than, as a kid, I wanted to go to Iowa." Shane Vernon (Oklahoma Sports Information)After making official visits to the University of Oklahoma and the University of Nebraska, Vernon chose to stay in state. "I felt really comfortable, near friends, close to home," said the wrestler who grew up in Tulsa. "Coach (Jack) Spates did a good job letting me know their history over the years. And that the Sooners had been in the top three in recent years." As a freshman during the 2005-2006 season, Shane Vernon competed in open tournaments, but then had knee surgery that took him off the mat. The following year, Vernon took a redshirt, and, as he described it, "Had lots of fun, went out too much, but it had repercussions, and I did poorly in school." "I looked at various options. I saw that I had gotten As in my economics classes, so that's my major now ... It's really interesting. Requires a lot of critical thinking, which suits me well. I tend to analyze things, and that ties in well with econ, and with wrestling, too." In the 2007-2008 season as a redshirt sophomore, Shane Vernon compiled a 13-5 record, mostly in tournaments ... including a championship at the Wilkes, and runner-up at the Oklahoma Open. He was 3-2 in dual-meet competition, but found himself at the losing end of a number of wrestle-offs -- or "ranking matches" as they are called at Oklahoma -- to teammate Chad Terry, who then became the principal starter at 157 for the Sooners. Last season, Shane Vernon was the starter before Christmas, placing second at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, and at the Oklahoma Open (losing to Chad Terry in the finals). "After Christmas, I lost some matches that Coach Spates thought I should've won," disclosed Vernon. "I got ranked, Chad beat me (in ranking matches). I couldn't get out of a slump for about a month. Hurt my confidence to the point where I was about to quit -- I was inches from it." "I had wrestled so hard, and thought, 'what else can I do?'" "I took the whole summer off, cleared my head." Coming back, with a vengeance Shane Vernon started this season -- his fifth year at Oklahoma -- "beyond out of shape." However, in working out, the redshirt senior "started to feel better, and get into serious shape, then got sick right before the ranking match. I lost to Chad. We then had another ranking match, and this time, I pinned Chad. Shane Vernon (Oklahoma Sports Information)Vernon got off to a good start, winning the mid-November Brockport/Oklahoma Gold with an 8-7 victory over fellow Sooner Chad Terry in the finals ... followed by decisive dual-meet wins against opponents from Arizona State and Oklahoma City University. Despite that great start, Vernon described the November 30 Bedlam Series dual with Oklahoma State at the Fieldhouse in Norman as "a turning point." At the time, Vernon was ranked No. 9 at 157, while his opponent, Neil Erisman, was ranked eighth. A bit of background: The Bedlam Series is one of the all-time great college wrestling rivalries in nation. Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State has been an annual event since 1920, with the twice-a-year Bedlam Series format going back more than 75 years. The Vernon-Erisman match was the first of the evening at the Bedlam dual. The first period ended with no score. Erisman started the second on top, riding Vernon for nearly a half-minute before the Sooner scored an escape. In the third, Erisman escaped from the down position to knot the score at 1-1. In the closing seconds of the match, there was a scramble, with Vernon scoring a takedown with just six seconds left to win the match in regulation, 3-1. Why was it a turning point? "To beat a top ten guy in front of all the OU fans," responded Vernon. "It felt great to get that win to spark the team at the beginning of the Bedlam dual." (The dual ended with a 16-16 tie.) Since that win, Shane Vernon competed in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December, which he described as "the toughest in my college career," bringing together wrestlers from 44 of the top collegiate programs in the entire nation. "We viewed it as a mini Nationals. Really dense with talent -- all the top 20 wrestlers. A battle in every match." Vernon won his first two matches against opponents from Western State College and Ohio State before being sent to the consolation bracket by Chase Pami of Cal Poly. Vernon eventually placed seventh at the tournament. Henson helps turn things around Shane Vernon gives credit to this season's success to Sammie Henson, who was hired as head assistant coach in June. Sammie HensonTo be sure, Henson has a wrestling resume rich with accomplishments as a competitor and coach. He was a two-time NCAA champ for Clemson University in the mid-1990s, and can claim 15 international freestyle titles, along with a gold medal at the 1998 World Championships, bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, and a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games. He has served on the coaching staffs of Cal Poly, Penn State, University of Nebraska, and the US Military Academy at West Point, as well as freestyle coach for Sunkist Kids. "When Sammie came in, he turned things around for me," said Vernon. "I can't point to any one single thing that he has done, but he has been a tremendous help to me." Another change this season that suits Shane Vernon just fine: Fewer ranking matches. "(Ranking matches) are hardest on my mind," said the 157 pounder. "It was hard for me to focus on my next dual meet match when I was thinking about the ranking match." When asked about going up against Chad Terry -- in practice, in ranking matches, and at open tournaments -- Shane Vernon replied, "Every match is close. We know each other's moves so well." "Off the mat, we're good friends. We hang out together ... That kinda makes it harder. We both want the same position." Continuing on the subject of reported internal rivalries, Vernon said, "Some people think that Will Rowe (Oklahoma's 149-pounder) and I are enemies, but nothing could be further from the truth. We're best friends." That comment led to the subject of fan comments posted at online wrestling discussion groups and forums. Asked how he handles those comments, Shane Vernon responded, "I just laugh. They like to think they know what's going on ... I usually don't read that stuff. If I find out about something, it's from friends ... I take it as a compliment if they're talking about me." Shane Vernon also talked about what it's like to have younger brother Seth with him at Oklahoma: "I've grown up with him in the same wrestling room pretty much all my life, so it's no big deal. Actually, it's awesome. In fact, we lived together for two years. He's a great kid, majoring in religious studies. Even though I'm the older brother, I actually look up to him." Keeping Shane Vernon grounded As for his life off the mat and out of the Oklahoma wrestling room, Shane Vernon doesn't really have any hobbies to help him unwind ... but gave credit to two women in his life who help make him who he really is: his girlfriend, and his grandmother. Shane Vernon (Oklahoma Sports Information)"Who really grounds me is my girlfriend (Mikelynn Reed) and my life with her. We have a house with two dogs and rabbits -- 'our kids.' If I have a bad day at practice, I know I will be coming home to see her. With her, I'm not as stressed out." In talking about his strong bonds with his grandparents and his dad, Shane Vernon singled out his grandmother for particular praise. "I think I get my toughness from her. She's battling cancer for a second time. She has been very much a mother to me." What does the future hold for Shane Vernon? "I'm not sure what to do after school. I'm throwing around the idea of grad school. I'm thinking about either going for my masters and coaching, or, if I start working, I also might do some coaching."

Head Coach Mark Manning and the Nebraska wrestling program have announced senior 157-pounder Jordan Burroughs will not be able to compete the rest of the 2009-10 season due to a left knee injury suffered Saturday against Central Michigan. An MRI revealed Burroughs has a torn PCL and LCL and he will undergo surgery in January. “Unfortunately, we have lost Jordan Burroughs for the season, but we’re fortunate that we will seek a medical redshirt to get this year back,” Manning said. “I believe he will qualify for that due to him not competing more than 30 percent of this season. With successful surgery and good rehab, he’ll be back better than ever next year.” Burroughs ends his shortened 2009-10 season with a 7-1 record. The only loss came Saturday in his injured match to No. 13 Steve Brown of Central Michigan - a 3-2 overtime defeat. Prior to the setback, Burroughs had won 44 straight matches, including a perfect 38-0 junior season in 2008-09 that took the Sicklerville, N.J., native to the 157-pound national championship and his second straight All-America honor. “You don’t replace a young man like Jordan,” Manning said. “On the other hand, it gives other guys on the team an opportunity to step up. It also gives our team great lessons in life that relate to athletics. It shows them you have to protect yourself and make the most of your opportunities because you are not promised anything. We’ll move on from this and our team will be fine.” Nebraska has two weeks away from the mat before returning to face North Dakota State and North Carolina State on Sunday, Jan. 3 at the NU Coliseum at 2 p.m.

Ken Kraft, the tournament director of the 2009 Midlands Championships, has announced the pre-tournament rankings for the event, which takes place at Northwestern University on Dec. 29-30. Although the final seeds for Midlands may extend beyond the top eight at each weight class, the tournament rankings reflect only the first eight wrestlers and are subject to change. Final seeding for the event will be determined on Monday, Dec. 28. 125: 1. Brandon Precin, Northwestern (UN) 2. Jarrod Garrett, Virginia Tech 3. Matt McDonough, Iowa 4. Andrew Long, Iowa State 5. Matt Steintrager, Central Michigan 6. Ben Kjar, Utah Valley State 7. Jason Lara, Oregon State 8. Jasen Borshoff, American 133: 1. Daniel Dennis, Iowa 2. Nick Fanthorpe, Iowa State 3. Scotti Sentes, Central Michigan 4. Steve Bell, Maryland 5. Tyler Graff, Wisconsin 6. Lou Ruggirello, Hofstra (UN) 7. Kyle Hutter, Old Dominion 8. Kelly Kubec, Oregon State 141: 1. Jimmy Kennedy, Illinois (UN) 2. Daniel LeClere, Iowa 3. Joey Slaton, Iowa (UN) 4. Alex Krom, Maryland 5. Tyler Nauman, Pittsburgh 6. Seth Ciasulli, Lehigh 7. Ryan Prater, Illinois 8. Montell Marion, Iowa 149: 1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa 2. Kyle Ruschell, Wisconsin 3. Kyle Borshoff, American 4. Kevin LeVally, Bucknell 5. Mario Mason, Minnesota 6. Anthony D’Alie, Central Michigan 7. Mitch Mueller, Iowa State 8. RJ Pena, Oregon State 157: 1. Steve Fittery, American 2. Jake Patacsil, Boiler Elite 3. Steve Brown, Central Michigan 4. Keegan Davis, Oregon State 5. Kyle John, Maryland 6. Conrad Polz, Illinois 7. Jake Deitchler, Minnesota 8. Colton Salazar, Purdue 165: 1. Andrew Howe, Wisconsin 2. Jon Reader, Iowa State 3. Ryan Morningstar, Iowa 4. Nick Marable, Missouri 5. Andy Rendos, Bucknell 6. Scott Winston, Rutgers (UN) 7. Nick Amuchasteui, Stanford 8. Bekzod Abdurakhmanov, Wash. WC 174: 1. Jay Borschel, Iowa 2. Ben Bennett, Central Michigan 3. Mike Letts, Maryland 4. Luke Manuel, Purdue 5. Jordan Blanton, Illinois 6. Duke Burke, Iowa State 7. Dorian Henderson, Missouri 8. Shane Riccio, Bucknell 184: 1. Max Askren, Missouri 2. Mike Cannon, American 3. Phillip Keddy, Iowa 4. John Dergo, Illinois 5. Mike Miller, Central Michigan 6. David Craig, Lehigh 7. Jerome Ward, Iowa State 8. Zach Giesen, Stanford 197: 1. Jake Varner, Iowa State 2. Hudson Taylor, Maryland 3. Travis Brandvold, Wisconsin 4. Wynn Michalak, Chippewa WC 5. Chad Beatty, Iowa 6. Brent Haynes, Missouri 7. Logan Brown, Purdue 8. Chad Hanke, Oregon State 285: 1. Aaron Anspach, Nittany Lion WC 2. Zak Rey, Lehigh 3. Dom Bradley, Missouri 4. David Zabriskie, Iowa State 5. Ryan Tomei, Pittsburgh 6. Mark Ellis, Missouri 7. DJ Russo, Rutgers 8. Ed Bordas, Rider

LAS VEGAS, NEV. -- Wartburg increased its Desert Duals win streak to 28 straight and improved to 7-0 on the 2009-10 season with four wins Sunday, Dec. 20, inside the ballrooms of the Flamingo Las Vegas. The No. 5-ranked Knights toppled No. 14-ranked Elmhurst College of Illinois 30-9, Southern Maine 50-3, No. 8-ranked UW-Stevens Point 31-3, and No. 6-ranked Concordia College of Minnesota 28-12. Junior 165-pounder Carrington Banks of Stockbridge, Ga., and sophomore 174-pounder Dylan Azinger of DeWitt each picked up four wins to lead the way individually. Wartburg’s II team was just as impressive. They rolled up wins over Embry-Riddle of Arizona 32-4, Concordia College of Minnesota’s II squad 37-13, and North Central of Illinois’ II team 39-15. The Knights now break from competition to observe the Christmas holiday. Head coach Jim Miller’s squad returns to the mat for the Cornell College of Mount Vernon Matman Invitational Saturday, Jan. 2.

RENO, Nev. -- For the second year in a row the Edinboro wrestling team turned in a strong showing at the Reno Tournament of Champions at the Reno Events Center. The Fighting Scots finished second in the field of 25 teams with 85.5 points, edging Penn State. The Nittany Lions finished with 83 points. Oklahoma State had five champions and finished with 154 points to repeat as the tournament champion. Arizona State and Ohio tied for fourth with 77 points. A pair of Fighting Scots – Eric Morrill (125 lbs.) (below right) and Jarrod King (165 lbs.) (left) -- came away with individual championships, with a total of five Boro wrestlers placing. Making the showing even more impressive was that Edinboro did not have anyone competing at 141 lbs., and freshman John Greisheimer was competing as the starter at 157 lbs. for the first time and lost both of his matches. King repeated as the champion at 165 lbs., and in the process the sixth-year senior picked up his 100th career win, including his time at Oklahoma. King, the top-ranked wrestler at 165 lbs. and the defending national champion, won all five of his matches to improve to 18-0 on the season and 100-25 for his career. His title came thanks to a 2-1 decision over second-seeded Dan Vallimont of Penn State. It marked the second win for King over Vallimont, ranked eighth by Amateur Wrestling News and ninth by InterMat. He earlier won a 4-3 decision over the Penn State All-American in a dual match. King breezed through the rest of a very difficult field, winning his first two matches by fall, the defeating North Carolina’s Kyle Kiss in the quarterfinals by a 5-1 decision. In the semifinals he posted a 12-4 major decision over Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford, the fifth seed and ranked 16th by InterMat. Morrill, meanwhile, came away as the champion at 125 lbs. thanks to the biggest win of his career, a 4-3 decision over All-American Anthony Robles of Arizona State. Robles came in as the number one seed and was ranked second by Amateur Wrestling News and third by InterMat. A year ago Robles reached the semifinals at Nationals before losing to Edinboro’s Paul Donahoe. Morrill, ranked seventh and the number three seed, improved to 17-2 with four straight wins, three of those against seeded opponents. In the quarterfinals he won a 10-4 decision over Alan Bartelli of Boise State, the sixth seed and ranked 14th by Amateur Wrestling News and 15th by InterMat. That was followed by a 10-8 upset of Penn State’s Brad Pataky, the second seed and ranked sixth, in the semifinals via a 10-8 decision. Pataky had defeated Morrill in the earlier dual match. Three other Fighting Scots placed, led by an impressive showing by Phil Moricone (below left). He came in unseeded after wrestling for the first time since November 2008 with a pair of matches last weekend in the CSU Open. Since that time he had been out with a back injury, followed by a knee injury. Moricone quickly served notice that he was back with an 11-0 major decision over Chance Litton of West Virginia, the number one seed, in his opening match. He would lose to eventual champion Mike Benefiel of Oklahoma State, the fourth seed, in the semifinals by a 13-6 decision, but won twice more in the consolation round to go 5-1 on the day. In the third place match he won an 11-3 major decision over Ohio’s Jacob Ison. Pat Bradshaw brought home fifth place at 184 lbs. The fourth seed, the senior finished with a 5-2 record to improve to 17-7. He is ranked 20th by Amateur Wrestling News. He captured the fifth place match with a 6-2 decision over North Carolina’s Nick Tenpenny, the sixth seed. Torsten Gillespie finished sixth at 149 lbs. for the second straight year. The junior is now 14-9 after winning three of five matches. Arizona State’s Vicente Varela was awarded a medical forfeit in the fifth place match. His wins included a 4-1 decision over Navy’s Glen Shober, the sixth seed. Gillespie came in seeded seventh.

Clarion, Pa. -- Trailing 15-7 at the midway point, No. 14 Kent State (5-0) won the final five matches to secure a 24-15 comeback victory over Clarion Sunday at Tippin Gym. Ross Tice started the rally at 165 to help give the Golden Flashes their 12th straight dual meet victory. "It was a little nerve racking for a while" Head Coach Jim Andrassy said of the first five matches. "You're going to have ups and downs with a young team, but as long as everyone isn't down on the same day we're going to be fine. And our upper weights were pretty solid today." Tice ignited the comeback with a 6-0 shutout of Nick Milano. A redshirt sophomore, Tice (15-5) turned Milano with a tilt and never let him free. Redshirt freshman Keith Witt (174) followed with a 4-2 win over Steven Cressley to cut Clarion's lead to 15-13. Witt improved to 13-7 on the year. Momentum completely swung back the Flashes' way when Dustin Kilgore tore apart Clint Podish with an 18-1 technical fall in just two periods. Kilgore, a redshirt sophomore, jumped out to an 8-0 lead after the first period and put Podish on his back four different times. Now 13-0 on the season, Kilgore has totaled seven pins, two tech falls and one major decision. "They had wrestled three other times prior to this season and each time it got closer," Andrassy said of Kilgore and Podish. "So you can tell how much better Dustin's gotten. He was dominant again." Redshirt freshman Adam Cogar (197) worked his front headlock to perfection in an 8-4 win over Alex Thomas. Cogar improved to 12-3, while Thomas fell to 10-4 as the Flashes took a 21-15 advantage into the final match. Redshirt sophomore Brendan Barlow (285) never let Quintas McCorkle threaten in a 6-1 victory, the Flashes fifth straight win of the afternoon. Barlow improved to 16-3 as McCorkle dropped to 9-6. Sophomore Troy Opfer (125) gave KSU an early lead with a 4-0 blanking of Joe Waltko.Senior Danny Mitcheff (13-0) extended the team lead to 7-0 with a 13-5 major decision over Jay Ivanco at 133. "Danny & Dustin are really the strong part of our lineup," Andrassy said. "They've been leaders for us no matter who we're facing." Redshirt freshman Chase Skonieczny (141) led by as many as three and trailed by only a point before getting pinned by Cameron Moran with just one second left in the match. Moran's pin brought the crowd to life and cut the lead to 7-6. Freshman Tommy Sasfy (149) then had his seven minutes cut short in a 15-0 technical fall loss to James Fleming. Redshirt freshman Mallie Shuster (157) suffered the Flashes third straight setback, a 9-1 major decision to Hadley Harrison. The Golden Eagle senior improved to 14-3, dropping Shuster to 10-4. "This has traditionally been a tough week for us following finals," Andrassy said. "We only practiced three times, but now this team can concentrate more on wrestling for the next few weeks." The Golden Flashes now have over a week to prepare for their toughest test of the season at the Southern Scuffle Dec. 29-30 in Greensboro, N.C. Results: 125- Troy Opfer (KS) dec. Joe Waltko, 4-0 3-0 133- Danny Mitcheff (KS) maj. dec. Jay Ivanco, 13-5 7-0 141- Cameron Moran (CL) pin Chase Skonieczny, 6:59 7-6 149- James Fleming (CL) tech fall Tommy Sasfy, 15-0; 6:25 7-11 157- Hadley Harrison (CL) maj. dec. Mallie Shuster, 9-1 7-15 165- Ross Tice (KS) dec. Nick Milano, 6-0 10-15 174- Keith Witt (KS) dec. Steven Cressley, 4-2 13-15 184: #2 Dustin Kilgore (KS) tech. fall Clint Podish, 18-1, 4:59 18-15 197: Adam Cogar(KS) dec. Alex Thomas, 8-4 21-15 285: #14 Brendan Barlow (KS) dec. Quintas McCorkle, 6-1 24-15

Zach Bridson (Timberlane, NH) -- Sophomore, 103-Pound Champion About wrestling as the top seed but being an underdog in the last two matches: "I put no pressure on myself coming into the event. My coaches just told me to wrestle the best I could and give it all I had. Just let my results (on the mat) do the talking." Thoughts about winning the Beast of the East: "It's the best Christmas present I could ever receive." Evan Silver (Blair Academy, NJ) -- Junior, 112-Pound Champion On his improvement from last week at the Ironman to this week at the Beast: "I worked all week on riding my opponent better and not giving up quick escapes, and made opponents earn every point they got." Thoughts about the performance in becoming a two-time Beast champion: "It wasn't as dominant as I hoped, but I got it done, and that's what it's about." Mark Grey (Blair Academy, NJ) -- Sophomore, 119-Pound Champion This was a second title at the Beast of the East for Grey in as many seasons, and no wrestler has ever won four titles at the Beast of the East. Any thoughts about becoming the first to ever win four titles at the Beast: "Nothing yet. Just take it one match at a time, one tournament at a time. Maybe if I get the three-peat next year it will come into my mind." On the difference between last week, taking sixth, and this weekend's title: "Just tried to get more movement going on my feet, push the opponent to get them off balance, and capitalize for scores off their mistakes." Devin Carter (Christiansburg, VA) -- Senior, 125-Pound Champion About what was the most impressive aspect of his performance over the two days: "I was always trying to score, regardless of the score. Everything was aggressive, no thoughts about holding on for wins." On getting that elusive Beast title after two previous runner-up finishes: "The previous two years I felt under-matched, and was just ‘happy to be there.' This time, I felt better about things and just wrestled my match." Nick Schenk (St. Mark's, DE) -- Senior, 130-Pound Champion This was also his third Beast of the East final and second title -- as he was champion at 103 pounds as a freshman, second at 119 as a sophomore, and third at 130 as a junior. About wrestling during the tiebreaker: "I just hit a 'quick sit' to get that reversal early in the first tiebreak. Then did what I had to do to ride out the (first tiebreak set and all but two seconds of the second tiebreak). (It was) all about heart, prayer, and confidence." Jason Bastianelli -- Head Coach -- St. Mark's, DE On the sudden victory period and Schenk's overall tournament: "Nick just funked his way out of the Sherlock takedown attempt. The ref originally called it a takedown as an anticipatory reaction, but (correctly) waved it off. Beating two ranked wrestlers is a testament to his hard work, overall performance, and taking the next step." Simon Kitzis (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- Senior, 135-Pound Champion On becoming a two-time champion at the Beast: "I feel successful in my performance. It was the goal going into the weekend, and it was accomplished." Coping with the physicality and superior strength of his finals opponent: "I used my technique and overall knowledge of the sport to create advantages and opportunities." Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ) -- Senior, 140-Pound Champion Villalonga becomes the fifth wrestler to ever win three titles at the Beast of the East, and has not lost a scholastic match since very late December of his freshman year. About wrestling with the high expectations that come with his successes to date: "It's obviously an honor to win a third title in such a prestigious event. The results reflect my hard work, as well as growth and learning from previous matches. On recovering from some early match struggles: "Giving up the early scores serves as a wake-up call me. I'm just coming out for matches too tight, and I have to work on starting the matches like I wrestle in the second and third period. The good thing is that I get more confidence and rhythm as the match progresses. Ben Dorsay (Cox, VA) -- Senior, 145-Pound Champion About beating a defending champion, Anthony Baldosaro (Eastern Regional, NJ): This was my first time I had ever wrestled him. I let it all hang out, and wanted to end my (Beast of the East) career with a boom." Goals for the rest of the season: "Just to keep on winning, this is one piece of the puzzle. I want to win a state title and possibly a national title on the back end of the year." Jesse Shanaman (Blair Academy, NJ) -- Senior, 152-Pound Champion The difference in performance from last year to this year: "I'm down one weight from last year (wrestling at 160). I feel much stronger in this weight class, as opposed to last year." About the continual improvement that comes with the Blair Academy program: "I'm always growing as a wrestler, competing against the best. I'm closing out matches much better, and poaching the close victories (unlike last year)." Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin, NJ) -- Senior, 160-Pound Champion Peppelman joins Villalonga as a three-time Beast champion, the sixth in history; and like Villalonga, will be headed to Cornell in the fall of 2010. On winning three Beast titles: "It's really exciting, and took a lot of hard work to get there. While the match was a nail-biter, closer than I hoped, I'm still ecstatic." About that crucial third period ride out: Peppelman and Visicaro were tied at 2-2 after two periods with Visicaro scoring one takedown to two Peppelman escapes. "Honestly, I didn't think Visicaro would choose down. Then, I knew I had to either ride him out or turn him to win. Almost got the tilt, but couldn't finish. I also was able to resist the (Visicaro) stand up attempts." Explaining the match winning takedown in overtime: "I shot in on the hi-crotch, almost got it but he fended it off; though he then rolled right into a great re-score position for me. My concern was just making sure to stay in bounds because I wanted the match to end right there." Kenny Courts (Central Dauphin, PA) -- Junior, 171-Pound Champion Strategy for wrestling Tristan Warner (Cumberland Valley, PA) for the fourth time, and what could be four times after this: "The last match, I was able to separate the margin a little bit. This match, just wanted to build off that and keep on the attack. I know what he does well, how to counter that, and the keys to winning the matches." About battling varying injuries: "Haven't really been able to wrestle as much (as desired) in the offseason. But I feel the healthiest I've felt in awhile right now. Just have to try and keep in shape, continue to improve, and finally get that elusive PIAA state title." Michael Evans (Blair Academy, NJ) -- Senior, 189-Pound Champion On repeating as Beast of the East champion: "It's pretty sweet. Didn't dominate as much as hoped, but wins are wins." Looking ahead to the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic: There is potential for matches with Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, NJ) and/or Antonio Giorgio (Warwick, PA). Campolattano, a junior, is undefeated for his career; Giorgio hast not lost prior to the state tournament since his freshman year, but is currently recovering from injury. "Just have to keep getting better, improving in neutral, and actually finishing (more of) my shots." Matt Idelson (Garnet Valley, PA) -- Junior, 215-Pound Champion He is the first unseeded wrestler ever to become champion in the 17-year history of the Beast of the East. About being a rather obscure and unexpected champion: "I just wanted to come here this weekend, wrestle the best I could, and see what happened." Discussing the fact that the Beast of the East was his first ever high school tournament title: "It feels great, and it's overwhelming." Thoughts on the rest of the season: "Just keep training hard, building upon this victory, and hoping to win many more." Mike McMullan (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- Senior, 285-Pound Champion On beating two wrestlers ranked in the top four to win the title: "I just took it to the opponent right from the start. I'm in it to win it." About the last thirty second scramble and flurry to end the championship finals: "I got the reversal with a merkle, just tried to hang on to the position. At the end, I didn't know if I won or lost. I'm thankful that the refs made the right call." Winning the Most Outstanding Wrestler award: "I've never been MOW before. I've got lots of hardware and woodwork to take home with me (also the Major Ray Mendoza Award for most team points scored in the tournament). It wasn't expected (not with Villalonga and Peppelman winning third titles), but I'm totally pumped but drained." John Gordon -- Head Coach -- Wyoming Seminary, PA "There's some good and bad. We don't train to finish in third place, but we also aren't afraid of facing this high level of competition. It's truly a privilege to be among the best and competing against the nation's best. We're growing as a team with the tough schedule. The younger kids (seven freshmen and sophomores in the lineup) are starting to come into their element, and the veterans (Kitzis, Moon, and McMullan in particular) stepped it up and were leaders this weekend." Jeff Sweigard -- Head Coach -- Central Dauphin, PA "I'm pretty happy overall, even though we came here to win a title. The tournament's a meat-grinder. Wins are wins, losses are losses; and we had more wins than losses with placing about half the lineup. We'll diversify the attacks overall, as we can't hide our (go-to moves) forever." Jeff Buxton -- Head Coach -- Blair Academy, NJ Jeff Buxton's quotes came from a Flowrestling.com interview following the finals. "You get excited about each individual person. You try to perform at the highest level for each individual person. If they do their job, they're going to take care of the team. That's the one thing that we focus on ... You do your job and you'll take care of the team score." "We have some great events coming up where I think the team is going to get challenged, so it's going to be important for our good guys to really step up. That's the one thing I'm going to focus on. "

RENO, Nev. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team won its second straight team title at the Reno Tournament of Champions by storming through the field on Sunday. The fourth-ranked Cowboys finished with 154 team points, a total that was 68.5 points greater than second-place Edinboro. Sophomore 174-pounder Mike Benefiel was singled out as the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. In addition to Benefiel, individual champions for Oklahoma State included 133-pounder Jordan Oliver, 141-pounder Jamal Parks, 197-pounder Alan Gelogaev and heavyweight Jared Rosholt. No Cowboy was more overwhelming Sunday than Benefiel, who pinned second-seeded Ryan DesRoches of Cal Poly in the first period of the championship bout. Benefiel hit a fireman's carry early in the bout that led to a five-point move, then cut DesRoches loose before continuing his domination and eventually getting DesRoches into a front headlock, forcing him to back, locking in a cradle and recording a pin just 2:33 in. The title bout was indicative of Benefiel's day as a whole, as the Cowboy sophomore recorded two falls and two major decisions in his conquest of the bracket. Not counting his two falls, Benefiel racked up at least 13 points in each of his bouts in Reno. At 133 pounds, Oliver's finals matchup with No. 9 Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly started slow but picked up steam as it went on. After a scoreless first period, Oliver mounted up over a minute of riding time before Novachkov wiggled free for the escape and the only point of the second period. Oliver escaped quickly to start the third then added a double-leg takedown to go up, 3-1. A Novachkov escape trimmed Oliver's advantage to 3-2, but when the clock hit zeroes and Oliver's 1:37 riding time advantage was factored in, the Cowboy was a 4-2 winner. Oliver racked up pins in two of his three bouts leading up to the finals, and won the third bout when Eastern Michigan's Sean Clair was disqualified. Parks won his championship bout over Ohio's Germane Lindsey by medical forfeit. The Tulsa Union graduate punched his ticket into the finals with an impressive win over No. 10 Chris Drouin of Arizona State in the semifinals. After a scoreless first period, Drouin escaped immediately to start the second for the only scoring of that stanza. The third period started with a Parks escape, then the Cowboy sophomore took the Sun Devil All-American down with 1:30 left for the decisive moment of the match. The win was Parks' third straight over a ranked opponent and avenged a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Drouin earlier in the year. Gelogaev was never in trouble during his 14-5 major decision win over North Carolina's Dennis Drury in the 197-pound title bout, racking up five takedowns and a reversal to claim the crown. Gelogaev posted OSU's quickest pin Sunday when he needed only 19 seconds to dispose of Southern Oregon's John Harrison in the quarterfinals. Rosholt pinned his first two opponents before claiming decisions over North Carolina's Ziad Haddad in the quarterfinals and Arizona State's Erik Nye in the semifinals. After a scoreless first period, Alcala and Rosholt traded escapes to open the second and third periods, respectively. Both wrestlers had good takedown opportunities in the third, but neither was able to finish their respective attempts and the bout went into overtime deadlocked at one. The first sudden victory period yielded no scoring and Rosholt finally broke the ice when he escaped in the first tiebreak period. He then rode Alcala out to seal his second-straight Reno tournament individual title. At 125 pounds, senior Chris Notte took third by pinning No. 8 Michael Martinez 3:50 into the consolation final. It was the second time that the underdog Notte recorded bonus points over Martinez Sunday, as Notte was a 13-3 major decision winner over Martinez in the championship quarterfinals. With Notte starting the second period of the third-place bout on top, Martinez tried to sit out, but Notte threw him down onto his back then ended the bout by finishing the pin. Notte came within only moments of earning a spot in the finals, but No. 3 Anthony Robles of Arizona State took Notte down with only eight seconds left in the third period to hand the Cowboy senior a 2-1 defeat in their semifinal bout. In an interesting matchup in the consolation finals at 149 pounds, junior Quinten Fuentes was pinned by No. 18 Barrett Abel of UC Davis in the second period. The bout was a rematch of Fuentes's win by fall over Abel just two nights earlier in a dual between the Cowboys and the Aggies. Sunday's bout went Abel's way, however, as the Aggie locked up Fuentes's upper-body and threw him down to his back and pinned him. Leading up to the consolation final, Fuentes recorded three pins on the day, most notably over Edinboro's Torsten Gillespie in the consolation semifinal. Redshirt freshman 165-pounder Alex Meade was one second away from a berth in the championship round, but instead suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of Penn State's Dan Vallimont in the semifinals. Trailing, 3-2, in the third period, Meade took Vallimont down to go up 4-3. Vallimont, however, was able to escape with only one second remaining to even the score. Making the escape even more significant is the fact that when the clock hit zeroes, Meade had 59 seconds of riding time. Nevertheless, the two wrestlers went into overtime, where Meade sealed his own fate when he was slapped with two different penalty points for false starts. He then suffered an injury in his consolation bout and was forced to injury default The Pokes return to action when they host Cal Poly at 7 p.m. on Jan. 2 at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Final Team Standings (Top 10 teams only) 1. Oklahoma State - 154 points 2. Edinboro - 85.5 points 3. Penn State - 83 points T4. Arizona State - 77 points T4. Ohio - 77 points 6. Cal Poly - 70.5 points 7. Wyoming - 69.5 points 8. Boise State - 57 points 9. North Carolina - 54 points 10. Cal State Fullerton - 50.5 points

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Sixth-ranked Central Michigan improved to 7-0 overall with a pair of dual wins at Nebraska on Saturday. The Chippewas opened the day with a 37-3 win over Neb.-Kearney, the nation's No. 3-ranked team in Division II, before posting a 29-6 victory over No. 12 Nebraska. CMU is now 3-0-1 in its last four duals against Big 12 Conference opponents. The Chippewas own wins over Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Missouri since the start of the 2008-09 season. CMU scored bonus points in six of its nine individual wins over Neb.-Kearney, including a pair of victories by fall. Scotti Sentes, competing at 141 pounds for the first time in his career, pinned Kazuhiro Fujinawa in the third period, and Steve Brown pinned Jordan Gienger in the second period at 157 pounds. The Lopers' lone victory came at 174 pounds. Marty Usman, ranked No. 1 nationally in Division II, defeated Ben Bennett, 5-4, in the first tiebreaker. Bennett was called twice for stalling in the first 30-second tiebreaker and could manage only an escape in the second 30-second tiebreaker. CMU improved to 3-0 this season against ranked opponents with its 29-6 decision over No. 12 Nebraska. Highlighting the win was Steve Brown's 3-2 decision over defending national champion Jordan Burroughs at 157 pounds. Both individuals scored escapes in regulation and in the first set of 30-second tiebreakers. Brown chose down for the second sudden victory period, and his third escape of the match provided the decisive point and ended Burroughs' 44-match winning streak. CMU and Nebraska split the other two matchups of ranked individuals. No. 3 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska) was a 4-1 winner over No. 5 Ben Bennett at 174 pounds, while No. 15 Jarod Trice (CMU) defeated No. 12 Tucker Lane, 3-2, at heavyweight. The Chippewas scored bonus points at 141 and 149 pounds. Sentes posted a 13-3 major decision at 141, while Tony D'Alie won by fall at 149. The Chippewas close the calendar year at Midlands Dec. 29-30. No. 6 Central Michigan 37, Neb.-Kearney 3 125: No. 14 Matt Steintrager (CMU) maj. dec. Jordan White, 10-2 133: Conor Beebe (CMU) maj. dec. Josh Smith, 13-4 141: No. 6 Scotti Sentes (CMU) pin Kazuhiro Fujinawa, 6:50 149: No. 13 Tony D'Alie (CMU) dec. T.J. Hepburn, 9-7 157: No. 13 Steve Brown (CMU) pin Jordan Gienger, 3:54 165: No. 20 Tyler Grayson (CMU) maj. dec. Taylor May, 13-3 174: Marty Usman (UNK) dec. No. 5 Ben Bennett, 5-4 184: No. 8 Mike Miller (CMU) maj. dec. Derek Ross, 17-4 197: Eric Simaz (CMU) dec. Justin McKain, 6-4 285: No. 15 Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. Ben Hohensee, 4-2 No. 6 Central Michigan 29, No. 12 Nebraska 6 125: No. 14 Matt Steintrager (CMU) maj. dec. David Klingsheim, 9-1 133: Conor Beebe (CMU) dec. C.J. Napier, 3-0 141: No. 6 Scotti Sentes (CMU) maj. dec. Mike Koehnlein, 13-3 149: No. 13 Tony D'Alie (CMU) pin Chris Hacker, 3:57 157: No. 13 Steve Brown (CMU) dec. No. 1 Jordan Burroughs, 3-2 165: No. 20 Tyler Grayson (CMU) dec. James Nakashima, 6-2 174: No. 3 Stephen Dwyer (NU) dec. No. 5 Ben Bennett, 4-1 184: No. 8 Mike Miller (CMU) dec. Josh Ihnen, 6-5 197: No. 2 Craig Brester (NU) dec. Eric Simaz, 11-4 285: No. 15 Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. No. 12 Tucker Lane, 3-2

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The second-ranked Iowa State wrestling team scored its biggest-ever victory over Northern Iowa Saturday, beating the Panthers 42-0 in West Gym. ISU’s first shutout of UNI in 43 years came via bonus-point victories in seven of the 10 bouts. A boisterous contingent of visiting Cyclone fans urged the ISU squad on to its second dual victory of the 2009-10 campaign, to improve to 2-1. UNI drops to 3-6. The dual victory was ISU’s first shutout of the Panthers since 1966 (35-0). ISU is 52-16 all-time against UNI. “Having our guys winning in all 10 of the matches is important,” said ISU head coach Kevin Jackson. “To be where we want to be in March, we want the team to be wrestling like how we are training them.” Sophomore Dalton Jensen, a native of Missouri Valley, Iowa, had to wait until the end of the dual to score the most points for the Cyclone squad. Jensen, filling in for two-time All-American Nick Gallick at 141 pounds, cradled UNI’s Alec Hoffman in 1:17 to notch a pin and six team points for Iowa State. “To have Dalton (Jensen) get out there and pin the guy is just awesome,” Jackson said. “He’s a pinner and if he gets on top of a guy, he’s looking for it. He was filling in for a good wrestler in Gallick so that is saying something for him to go out there and get the fall.” To begin the event, ISU senior 149-pounder Mitch Mueller scored the first victory with a 22-8 major decision showing against UNI’s Jamal Lawrence. Mueller recorded six takedowns in the third period to power his way to the bonus-point victory. Another gutsy third-period performance was turned in by Cyclone 157-pounder Andrew Sorenson. The sophomore hailing from Woden, Iowa recorded three takedowns and a three-point nearfall in the final period to distance himself from Panther Tyson Reiner by major decision, 13-3. Three Iowa Staters turned in technical falls for the team effort. Jon Reader (165) won over UNI’s David Bonin, 19-4 (5:51). At 125 pounds, freshman Andrew Long was victorious over Terrance Young of Northern Iowa, 19-4 (6:46). Following Long’s win, senior Nick Fanthorpe turned in his own five-team point performance with a 22-5 (6:47) victory over UNI’s Ryan Jauch. Cyclone three-time NCAA finalist Jake Varner major decisioned Northern Iowa’s Dustin Bauman, 13-4. Varner, the returning NCAA champion at 197 pounds, notched over four minutes of riding time in the victory. ISU heavyweight David Zabriskie notched an escape, a takedown and a two-point nearfall in the first tiebreaker overtime period to outpace Panther Christian Brantley, 6-1 (TB1). Senior 174-pounder Duke Burk notched a decision for the Cyclones with a 7-5 win over Jarion Beets of Northern Iowa. Sophomore Jerome Ward followed Burk’s victory with his own decision over UNI’s Andy O’Loughlin, 8-2. The Cyclones hit the road Dec. 29-30 for the prestigious Midlands Championships on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. The first session kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 29. ISU will then travel for a dual meet Jan. 3 at Minnesota. Mat action begins at 2 p.m. Results: 149 – Mitch Mueller (ISU) major dec. Jamal Lawrence (UNI), 22-8 157 – Andrew Sorenson (ISU) major dec. Tyson Reiner (UNI), 13-3 165 – Jon Reader (ISU) tech. fall David Bonin (UNI), 19-4 (5:51) 174 – Duke Burk (ISU) dec. Jarion Beets (UNI), 7-5 184 – Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Andy O’Loughlin (UNI), 8-2 197 – Jake Varner (ISU) major dec. Dustin Bauman (UNI), 13-4 HWT – David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Christian Brantley (UNI), 6-1 (TB1) 125 – Andrew Long (ISU) tech. fall Terrence Young (UNI), 19-4 (6:46) 133 – Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) tech. fall Ryan Jauch (UNI), 22-5 (6:47) 141 – Dalton Jensen (ISU) pinned Alec Hoffman (UNI), 1:17

Dorian Henderson

Todd Schavrien

Jacob Volkmann