InterMat Staff

It's hard not to get excited about this year's Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Collegiate Duals, an event set to take place at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York on Saturday, November 28. This year's event will feature seven teams ranked in InterMat's Top 25, an individual NCAA champion, 11 All-Americans, 41 ranked wrestlers, and representation from nine of the 11 Division I wrestling conferences. In addition, UFC legend Randy Couture will be on hand for a VIP party, grappling clinic, and a meet-and-greet session. "The Northeast Duals has kind of been our marquee event," said tournament organizer Frank Popolizio, who also puts on the Sprawl & Brawl event the weekend prior to the Northeast Duals. "We're trying to keep building it and building it." Popolizio and his staff have literally built the event from the ground up. In just six years, the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Collegiate Duals event has transformed from a four-team local showcase event that drew just 300 fans to a 16-team premier early-season, dual meet event that attracts many of the nation's top collegiate wrestling programs. Popolizio founded Journeymen Wrestling to act as proverbial bridge in promoting collegiate wrestling in New York's Capital Region, which does not have a college wrestling program within a 65-mile radius. "We started (Journeymen Wrestling) a few years back and tried to break it into divisions," said Popolizio. "We called it the four Cs. Initially, it just started off as doing an annual clinic to bring greatness into our own backyard. That clinic still today is one of our four Cs. We evolved a little bit more into competitions, camps, and the club. Those four Cs have helped us tremendously." Mike Chaires and Zach Clemente, two of Popolizio's former pupils with Journeymen Wrestling, are now members of Steve Garland's No. 18-ranked University of Virginia team that will be competing in this year's Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Collegiate Duals. Chaires is currently ranked No. 14 in the country at 165 pounds, while Clemente, a two-time New York state champion, will likely redshirt this season as a true freshman for the Cavaliers. "Those are two guys that witnessed the Northeast Duals and they made a decision right then and there that they were going to wrestle Division I in college and they wanted to wrestle for Virginia in particular because they saw them compete," said Popolizio. "I think that's a pretty strong testimonial that what we're doing is working. Other wrestlers on rosters of teams competing in the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Collegiate Duals that have ties to the area include Ken Altarac of Appalachian State, Nate Graham of Bloomsburg, and Matt Kaylor of Binghamton, Matt Cubillos of Virginia, and Brandon Lapp of Sacred Heart, and Ben Krakower of American. There are several other New York natives competing in the event, including All-American Kyle Borschoff of American, who is ranked No. 3 at 149 pounds. Popolizio's younger brother, Pat Popolizio, will be bringing his Binghamton squad that experienced some program firsts in 2009. Josh Patterson became Binghamton's first All-American ever by finishing seventh at the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at 184 pounds. Patterson competed in last weekend's NWCA All-Star Classic, becoming the first Binghamton wrestler ever to compete in the annual showcase event. Every year, Frank Popolizio and his staff put together dual meet matchups for the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Collegiate Duals that are exciting from a fan's perspective, but also unique in that schools face off against other schools that typically do not see each other during the season. This year is no different. Northern Colorado, for example, a program that competes in the Western Wrestling Conference (WWC), will be making its event debut and is scheduled to face four Eastern schools: Binghamton, Hofstra, American, and Maryland. Central Michigan, a MAC powerhouse, will face teams from the ACC (Virginia and Maryland), EIWA (American), and the EWL (Bloomsburg). "I'm sure if you look through the history books, you wouldn't have found Iowa wrestling Binghamton as they did last year," said Popolizio. "Those are some of the things that we try to accomplish. We match up those smaller programs with some of these Midwest, traditional programs. We want to give everybody the opportunity to experience that thrill. With the new qualifying system in place, I think it helps those smaller programs. If they don't have the budget to go all over the United States, at least we created a platform in the Northeast where those Eastern teams can get to see some of those Midwest, ranked teams." In addition to intriguing dual meets, there will be several highly-anticipated individual matchups that are expected to take place, including No. 1 Mike Miller of Central Michigan vs. No. 5 Chris Henrich of Virginia at 174 pounds (Round 2), No. 7 Steve Bell of Maryland vs. No. 8 Scotti Sentes of Central Michigan (Round 3), No. 6 Zach Rey of Lehigh vs. No. 7 Tucker Lane of Nebraska (Round 3), and No. 5 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg vs. No. 7 Steve Brown of Central Michigan (Round 4). This year's event has all the makings of a spectacular event, but Popolizio says it wouldn't be possible without the support of the community. "Hands down the biggest element of our success has been involving our own community," said Popolizio. "They have catapulted us to a different level. I would, without a doubt, not have the opportunity to fathom the ideas that we have put together the last couple years without their support."

On Saturday night, two programs from two completely different worlds, two thousand miles apart, will meet in Minneapolis. On one side of the mat will be Cal State Bakersfield, a small school (less than 8,000 students) that is Division II in every sport except wrestling, which is Division I, and operates its wrestling program on a shoestring budget with limited resources. On the other side of the mat will be the University Minnesota, a Big Ten school with a student enrollment of 60,000, a national wrestling powerhouse that has won three national titles over the past nine seasons. T.J. KerrWhile it's not hard to mistake the two programs for one another, it is hard for some to mistake the two head coaches, T.J. Kerr of Cal State Bakersfield and J Robinson of Minnesota, for one another. Aside from their laundry list of coaching accolades and short first names, the two coaching legends, who have known each other longer than their wrestlers have been alive, have some physical resemblances. "People say we look like brothers, which isn't true," said Kerr, who is beginning his 26th season as head coach at Cal State Bakersfield. (Robinson is embarking on his 24th season at Minnesota.) "We've got the grey hair. We've been in the business for a long time. He's been through his battles. I've been through mine." Saturday night's battle between Cal State Bakersfield and Minnesota will mark the first time the two programs have met since the 1997-98 season. Minnesota leads the all-time series 8-0, but that's not to say the matches between the two programs have always been one sided. It was just over 10 years ago, at the 1999 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, that Cal State Bakersfield played a key role in preventing Minnesota from winning its first NCAA team title. There were two pivotal head-to-head matches between Cal State Bakersfield and Minnesota wrestlers, both matches won by Cal State Bakersfield, which helped Iowa finish two points ahead of Minnesota in the final team standings. Mike MendozaOne of those Cal State Bakersfield wrestlers that played a key role in preventing Minnesota from capturing its first NCAA team title in 1999 was Mike Mendoza, who is now on the coaching staff at Cal State Bakersfield. Mendoza entered the 1999 NCAA Championships unseeded at 149 pounds after an injury-plagued senior season. He drew fourth-seeded Troy Marr of Minnesota in the opening round. Marr, a Big Ten runner-up that season, was a wrestler Minnesota was expecting to reach the semifinals and ... if the stars aligned, possibly the finals. "For me, my mentality was, 'I didn't wrestle all season, so people don't know who I am,'" said Mendoza. "I thought it was a good draw for me. My goal was to place. It didn't matter who I had to wrestle or who I had to beat to get there." Mendoza used a first period takedown to help pace him to a 5-4 victory over Marr, which not only sent the Gopher senior to the consolation bracket, but also helped Mendoza gain some new fans. "I remember at the end of the match a lot of Iowa fans became Bakersfield fans," said Mendoza. While wrestlers, coaches, and fans can only speculate on the true impact that match had on the final NCAA team standings in 1999 (Marr went on to win four matches in the consolation bracket to place seventh and become an All-American), Mendoza is still reminded of the impact he had on the Gopher wrestling program. "I've done some wrestling camps for the J Robinson Camps ... and (Minnesota assistant coach) Joe Russell brought it up," said Mendoza. "He said, 'You're the guy that cost us the team title.' I laugh. It's kind of funny that he says that." Brock LesnarWhile Mendoza played a part in dashing Minnesota's national title hopes in 1999, another Cal State Bakersfield, Stephen Neal, played an equally as big a part. Perhaps bigger (no pun intended). At the time, Minnesota's heavyweight, Brock Lesnar, was a phenomenon to the college wrestling world. Standing 6'4" and weighing 265 pounds, Lesnar looked like he belonged in the World's Strongest Man Competition on ESPN, not on a wrestling mat competing in the NCAA finals on ESPN. As wrestling icon Dan Gable put it on an Iowa Public Television (IPTV) broadcast, "When Lesnar strips off his warmups, he turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong." Lesnar had been dominant against virtually every other Division I heavyweight. But Stephen Neal, a senior at Cal State Bakersfield, wasn't every other Division I heavyweight. Riding an 82-match winning streak, Neal was the best college wrestler in the country regardless of weight class, and ... as he would prove later that year, the best wrestler in the entire world by winning a gold medal at the 1999 World Freestyle Championships in Turkey and earning the FILA International Freestyle Wrestler of the Year award. The previous year, in 1998, Neal won by technical fall in the NCAA finals, 20-5, over Iowa State's Trent Hynek. Heavyweights don't put up 20 points, especially not in the NCAA finals. Neal was the complete package ... big, strong, fast, athletic, technically sound, and, as Kerr is quick to point out, super intelligent. Neal's patented freight train double leg had become unstoppable even for his opponents who knew it was coming. Stephen NealThe Lesnar-Neal showdown was a match the college wrestling world had been eagerly anticipating ... ever since Lesnar strapped on the Gopher singlet. To add to the excitement and drama of the event was the fact that the NCAA team title hung in the balance as the two behemoths stepped out on the mat in the final match of the 1999 NCAA Championships. The script couldn't have been written any better. Minnesota sat in second place, only two points behind Iowa. It was simple for even non-wrestling fans to follow ... if Lesnar wins, Minnesota wins its first NCAA team title ever. If Neal wins, Iowa wins its fifth consecutive NCAA team title. "Right before the match, I remember they had Brock Lesnar on the jumbo screen up top," recalled Mendoza. "It showed him jumping up and down. It just showed his enormous traps and no neck. You could hear the crowd ooing and awing. There was a lot of hype for that match. People thought if anybody could beat Steve Neal, that would be the guy who could do it." Lesnar, a native of Webster, South Dakota (a town of less than 2,000), had never been in an environment like he saw in the 1999 NCAA finals. One could surmise that there were about as many Iowa fans at Bryce Jordan Arena in 1999 as there were total fans in the arena when Lesnar captured his national junior college title in 1998. The pressure to win a national title for yourself is one thing, but the pressure to win a national title for an entire program is another thing. "Everybody says that the pressure doesn't bother them, but it does for everybody," said Minnesota coach J Robinson. "You can't help but think about it. You're going out and wrestling the defending national champion and if you don't win, your team loses. Would it affect you? It's got to." Fifteen seconds into the match, Neal shot his patented freight train double leg ... only to be stymied by Lesnar. Lesnar may not have scored off Neal's attack, but he sent a statement that he was ready for anything Neal was going to throw at him. Twenty seconds later, Neal attacked again. This time he used his quickness to get in deep on a single leg and switched off to a double leg. It looked like Neal was going to secure the takedown, but Lesnar sunk in a whizzer and powered out of it ... and the two wrestlers went out of bounds. It was on ... and the crowd erupted. Brock Lesnar and Stephen Neal faced off in one of the most anticipated NCAA finals matchups everThe two wrestlers went back to the center of the mat. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Lesnar got overly aggressive and took an ill-advised shot that Neal easily countered to go up 2-0. As it turned out, that would be the only takedown of the match. The rest of the points scored in the match were off escapes and Neal held on for a 3-2 victory, which gave the Hawkeyes the team title over the Gophers. It was obvious to everyone who watched the match that there was a great deal of mutual respect between Lesnar, who is the current UFC heavyweight champion, and Neal, who now plays in the NFL for the New England Patriots and has won three Super Bowl rings. "Steve Neal always respects everybody," said Kerr. "He knew what was on the line. Iowa came up to him afterwards and said, 'We're going to get you a letter jacket for winning the tournament for us.' Of course, that never happened, which was kind of disappointing." J Robinson (Photo/The Guillotine)Robinson admits that Mendoza and Neal played a part in the Gophers not winning the national title in 1999, but their victories were only part of the equation. "There were any one of probably 20 things that could have changed the outcome of that tournament," said Robinson. So does Minnesota harbor any animosity toward the program that played a part in denying the Gophers their first national championship? Said Robinson: "Other than us not speaking to Cal State Bakersfield and me not talking to T.J. for the last nine years, or Mendoza, or Neal? I don't want anything to do with any of them ... No, I'm kidding. That's a joke. It's just part of the story. I don't think there is any great animosity." T.J. Kerr (Photo/Kirby Lee, Image of Sport)Not only is there no animosity between the two programs, but there is respect and admiration between the coaches. "I have a lot of respect for J," said Kerr. "One of the things that he has been able to do is be real innovative. He figures stuff out. He has done things to put his program in the elite. It's amazing." Robinson has high praise for Kerr. "I think T.J. is a great example of what a wrestling coach needs to be," said Robinson. "The phrase I would use is actively involved. Not only actively involved in the wrestling room, but outside the wrestling room. I've preached this for years. It's the one thing that wrestling needs. If there were more coaches like T.J., wrestling wouldn't be where it is." On paper, Minnesota is heavily favored over Cal State Bakersfield. But Saturday night's event is about much more than who wins and loses a college wrestling dual meet. It's about two programs from two completely different worlds, two thousand miles apart, under the leadership of two legendary coaches, coming together 10 years, 8 months, and 8 days after an event that will forever link the two programs. Saturday's dual meet between Minnesota and Cal State Bakersfield is set for 7 p.m. CT at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. All tickets for the dual meet are $1. Call 612.624.8080 or visit GopherSports.com.

Greg Williams

Frank Ramano

Hudson Taylor

Scott Goodale

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Utah Valley University junior 125-pounder Ben Kjar (Centerville, Utah/Viewmont HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Kjar the No. 11 ranked wrestler in the country (InterMat) had a very successful week last week where he went 6-0 overall, helped his team pick up three dual victories (as Utah Valley has started the season 3-0), and won the NC State Open at 125-pounds. On Saturday, Kjar went undefeated (3-0) at the NC State Open in Raleigh, N.C., as he defeated The Citadel's Tyler Sim, Hofstra's Jaime Franco and in the title match he beat Tennessee-Chattanooga's Demetrius Johnson by decision, 11-4. In dual action at NC State, at UNC Greensboro and against Gardner-Webb on neutral territory Kjar beat all three of his opponents. With UVU trailing in the team score late against UNC Greensboro Kjar defeated Eric Chandler by fall (2:15) to help the Wolverines win the dual. He also picked up a 15-3 major decision over NC State's Taylor Cummings, and with his team up big on Gardner-Webb won by forfeit over GWU. After the busy week in North Carolina Kjar is now 8-1 on the season. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: *Air Force - Tyler French, 174 lbs., Sr., Malta, Mont. (Malta HS) North Dakota State - Trent Sprenkle, 125 lbs. So., Billings, Mont. (Billings HS) Northern Iowa - Jarion Beets, 174 lbs., Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Kennedy HS) South Dakota State - Tyler Sorenson, 197 lbs., Sr., Garretson, S.D. (Garretson HS) Wyoming - Chase Smith, 141 lbs., So., Enumclaw, Wash. (Enumclaw HS) * 2009-10 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 10 - Tyler Sorenson (South Dakota State) Nov. 17 - Michael Martinez (Wyoming) Nov. 24 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley)

NEWARK, DE. --- The 17th Annual TGIFriday’s Beast of the East will be held December 19-20, 2009 at the University of Delaware's Bob Carpenter Center. Perennial powerhouse Blair Academy is seeking its 11th straight team title and returns five champions from a year ago: Mark Grey, Evan Silver, Chris Villalonga, and Austin Ormsbee as well as Cumberland Valley transfer Mike Evans. The 2009 TGIFriday’s Beast will feature nine returning champions: Grey, Silver, Villalonga, Simon Kitzis, Ormsbee, Anthony Baldasaro, Marshall Peppelman, Evans, and Bobby Telford. Villalonga and Peppelman look to become just the 5th and 6th three time Beast of the East Champions! Tickets, tournament information, and archived results are available online at http://www.beastwrestling.com. All proceeds benefit scholarships to our Delaware wrestlers who meet criteria in the fields of academics, sportsmanship, and community service. We have awarded over $495,000 from the proceeds of the previous 16 tournaments. Anyone seeking information on our efforts to "preserve the sport" or the TGIFriday’s Beast of the East can contact tournament director, Bob Shaw.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Three of Bucknell's four ranked wrestlers posted victories to help the Bison to a 25-6 victory over EIWA foe Army Tuesday night at Gillis Fieldhouse. The Bison won eight of the 10 bouts as they defeated the Black Knights for the first time in nine all-time meetings. The match started at 184 pounds and Bucknell (2-2, 1-0 EIWA) jumped out to a 9-0 lead behind three consecutive decisions by Rob Waltko at 184, Jay Hahn at 197 and freshman Joe McMullan at heavyweight. McMullan, who weighed in at 197 and wrestled up a class, posted a 4-0 victory over fellow freshman Alan Lutterman. After a loss at 125 by Derrik Russell, the Bison reeled off five straight victories, including three by ranked grapplers. No. 13 David Marble (133 pounds) and No. 6 Andy Rendos (165) posted major decisions, while No. 13 Kevin LeValley won a tight 8-6 decision at 149 over No. 6 Matthew Kyler in the only bout featuring a pair of ranked foes. LeValley trailed 5-1 at one point, but came back to tie it up and forced overtime with a riding time advantage. In overtime, neither LeValley nor Kyler scored in the 60-second sudden victory format, and LeValley ended up winning in the first tiebreaker. Freshman Zac Hancock (141) and Brantley Hooks (157) also claimed decisions, helping Bucknell to a 26-3 advantage heading into the final match. The fourth of Bucknell's four ranked wrestlers to compete Tuesday, Shane Riccio (174 pounds) suffered his first dual loss since last Feb. 15 against American. Riccio dropped a 9-6 decision to Ryan Mergen, concluding the match. With six wins by decision and two more by major decision, the Bison piled up 26 team points, but were docked a point for unsportsmanlike conduct. Bucknell will be back in action Friday, Nov. 27, when it hosts No. 1 Iowa and Rutgers at Sojka Pavilion. The first of the three matches that day begins at 4 p.m. with the Bison facing the Hawkeyes. A live video broadcast of the event will be available on Bison Vision. Tickets can be purchased by calling 570-577-1000 or at the door. Sojka Pavilion doors will open at 2:30 p.m. Results: 125: Lance Penhale (A) dec. Derrik Russell, 4-2 133: #13 David Marble major dec. Jordan Thome, 17-7 141: Zac Hancock (B) dec. Nicholas Bundy, 9-8 149: #13 Kevin LeValley (B) dec. #6 Matt Kyler, 8-6 TB1 157: Brantley Hooks (B) dec. Rudy Chelednik, 5-2 165: #6 Andy Rendos (B) major dec. Eric Gobin, 13-4 174: Ryan Mergen (A) dec. #9 Shane Riccio, 9-6 *184: Rob Waltko (B) dec. Jacob Vetter, 8-4 197: Jay Hahn (B) dec. Daniel Mills, 10-3 285: Joe McMullan (B) dec. Alan Lutterman, 4-0 * starting weight

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Notre Dame College (Ohio) is listed as the No. 1 team in the first regular season edition of the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Falcons earned 103 points in the poll. Missouri Valley is ranked second with 96 points and is followed by California Baptist with 95.25, Southern Oregon with 93 points and Lindenwood (Mo.) with 68 points. Notre Dame, who was second in the preseason poll, boasts 10 ranked grapplers, including top-ranked Adam Koballa at 141 pounds and Tomas Straughn at 157 pounds. Two Falcons occupy a ranking at 125 and 157 pounds. At 125, Tyler Savage and Dante Rini are listed second and third, respectively. No. 3 Jeffrey Pelton and No. 9 Ashtin Primus are ranked at 149 pounds. Southern Oregon also has a pair of top-ranked wrestlers in Mitchell Lofstedt and Chris Platt, headlining at 125 and 184 pounds, respectively. Enock Francois and Joshua Marquez come in as the No. 1 wrestlers at 174 pounds and heavyweight for California Baptist. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the groupings. The next poll will be announced on Dec. 8. Rank School Name Total Team Points 1 Notre Dame (Ohio) 103 2 Missouri Valley (Mo.) 96 3 California Baptist (Calif.) 95.25 4 Southern Oregon (Ore.) 93 5 Lindenwood (Mo.) 68 6 Great Falls (Mont.) 64.75 6 McKendree (Ill.) 64.75 8 Grand View (Iowa) 63 9 Oklahoma City (Okla.) 45 10 Campbellsville (Ky.) 37 11 Dana (Neb.) 36.5 12 Dickinson State (N.D.) 33.5 12 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 33.5 14 Cumberland (Tenn.) 29.5 15 Montana State-Northern (Mont.) 28 16 Missouri Baptist (Mo.) 19.25 17 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 17 18 Northwestern (Iowa) 12.5 19 Cumberlands (Ky.) 11.75 20 Jamestown (N.D.) 11 20 William Penn (Iowa) 11 Others Receiving Votes: Waldorf (Iowa) 8; Morningside (Iowa) 7.5; Hastings College (Neb.) 5; Menlo (Calif.) 4.25; Bacone (Okla.) 1.5; Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 1.25; Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 1. Wt Rank Total Points Name School Group 125 1 80 Mitchell Lofstedt Southern Oregon (Ore.) West Group 125 2 64 Tyler Savage Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 125 3 54 Dante Rini Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 125 4 45 Angel Olea Dickinson State (N.D.) North Group 125 5 38 Chauncey Philipps California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 125 5 38 Paul Hansen Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 125 7 26.5 Clayden McKim Dana (Neb.) North Group 125 8 19.5 Matt Chustz William Penn (Iowa) Central Group 125 9 15 Larone Madison Cumberlands (Ky.) East Group 125 10 4.5 Sean Blumhardt Jamestown (N.D.) North Group 125 11 4 Keith Klink Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) East Group 125 11 4 Jason Moorhouse Menlo (Calif.) West Group 133 1 69.5 Cameron Ream Oklahoma City (Okla.) Central Group 133 2 65.5 Wade Lowe McKendree (Ill.) East Group 133 3 54.5 Tommy Pretty Campbellsville (Ky.) East Group 133 4 52.5 Ryan Luu Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) West Group 133 5 45 Robert Costa Dana (Neb.) North Group 133 6 26.5 John Rojas California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 133 6 26.5 Anton Prater Missouri Baptist (Mo.) East Group 133 8 23.5 Travis Evans Grand View (Iowa) Central Group 133 9 10.5 Gary Brooks Missouri Baptist (Mo.) East Group 133 10 9 Joseph Michel Jamestown (N.D.) North Group 133 11 7.5 Joshua Chang Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) West Group 133 12 3.5 Corey Duncan Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 141 1 60 Adam Koballa Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 141 2 48 Barry Johnson Southern Oregon (Ore.) West Group 141 3 40.5 Jordan Harer Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) North Group 141 4 35 Michael Davis Cumberland (Tenn.) East Group 141 5 25.5 Eric Graham Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 141 6 20 Ian, Millan California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 141 12 17 Drew Smith Morningside (Iowa) North Group 141 8 12 Mitchell Newcomer Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) West Group 141 7 11.5 Nick Coffman Grand View (Iowa) Central Group 141 9 9 Adam Manz Dana (Neb.) North Group 141 10 9 Jeff Steele Cumberlands (Ky.) East Group 141 11 8 Christian Martinez Menlo (Calif.) West Group 149 1 60 Matt Burns Grand View (Iowa) Central Group 149 2 48 Samuel Schmitz Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 149 3 40.5 Jeffrey Pelton Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 149 4 37.5 Tyler Chang Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) West Group 149 5 29 Brian Graham Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 149 6 28 Byron Kuylen Great Falls (Mont.) West Group 149 7 15 Andrew Carrillo Dana (Neb.) North Group 149 8 14.5 Benjamin Garcia California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 149 9 13 Ashtin Primus Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 149 10 5.5 Andre Berry Cumberlands (Ky.) East Group 149 11 4.5 Danny Hutcheson Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) North Group 149 12 1.5 Tim McGoldrick Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 157 1 53.5 Thomas Straughn Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 157 2 47 Nikolas Turner Oklahoma City (Okla.) Central Group 157 3 44.5 Tommie Norton/Hooper Southern Oregon (Ore.) West Group 157 4 38.5 Joseph Cornejo Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 157 5 32.5 Ross Mosher Great Falls (Mont.) West Group 157 6 20 Brian Oeschner Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 157 7 15 Jose Serrato Dickinson State (N.D.) North Group 157 8 13 Josh Swanson William Penn (Iowa) Central Group 157 9 12.5 Levi Price Northwestern (Iowa) North Group 157 10 11.5 Josh Emmett Menlo (Calif.) West Group 157 11 8 Trace Billet Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) West Group 157 12 4 James Casadaban Cumberland (Tenn.) East Group 165 1 60 Aaron Winning McKendree (Ill.) East Group 165 2 48 John Murray Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 165 3 40.5 Lamar Reed California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 165 4 35 Chris Chionuma Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 165 5 31.5 Brad Lower Grand View (Iowa) Central Group 165 6 28 James Linker Campbellsville (Ky.) East Group 165 7 19.5 Ryan Tuzon Dana (Neb.) North Group 165 8 16.5 Rashad Moss Waldorf (Iowa) Central Group 165 9 6 Brandon Porter Waldorf (Iowa) Central Group 165 10 4.5 Kevin Hardy Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 165 11 3.5 David Dwyer McKendree (Ill.) East Group 165 11 3.5 Noah Hatton Great Falls (Mont.) West Group 174 1 56 Enock Francois California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 174 2 45.5 Brendon DeCock Great Falls (Mont.) West Group 174 3 42.5 Preston McKinney Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 174 4 36 Austin Ouellette Montana State-Northern (Mont.) West Group 174 5 31.5 Christopher Knowland California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 174 6 28 Glenn Rhees Grand View (Iowa) Central Group 174 7 23 Kurt Wolff Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 174 8 13.5 Damion Stephenson Cumberlands (Ky.) East Group 174 9 10.5 Jameon Rush Hastings College (Neb.) North Group 174 10 5 Phillip Oudhuis Campbellsville (Ky.) East Group 174 11 4.5 Anthony Clay Jamestown (N.D.) North Group 174 12 4 Nathan Downs Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) Central Group 184 1 60 Chris Platt Southern Oregon (Ore.) West Group 184 2 48 Michael French Great Falls (Mont.) West Group 184 3 40.5 Evan Hinebaugh Montana State-Northern (Mont.) West Group 184 4 34 Spencer Adams Campbellsville (Ky.) East Group 184 5 31.5 Jesse Alter Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 184 6 25.5 Chad Williams Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 184 7 23 Jacob Oberfoell Missouri Baptist (Mo.) East Group 184 8 12.5 Mark Peiffer Dana (Neb.) North Group 184 9 10 Alex Denman Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 184 10 5 Josh Geppert Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) North Group 184 11 4.5 Thomas Tuck Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 184 12 2 Tanner Wolk McKendree (Ill.) East Group 184 12 2 Shaun Ceremello Southern Oregon (Ore.) West Group 197 1 60 Andrew Sanchez McKendree (Ill.) East Group 197 2 45.5 Justin Rau Grand View (Iowa) Central Group 197 3 43 Jake Kallestad Dickinson State (N.D.) North Group 197 4 37.5 Alex Calvi Great Falls (Mont.) West Group 197 5 30 Nicholas Leither Northwestern (Iowa) North Group 197 6 21 Ronald Lee Southern Oregon (Ore.) West Group 197 7 17.5 Derek Foore Notre Dame (Ohio) East Group 197 8 14.5 Charlie Gibbs Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 197 9 13.5 Brandon Hudiburgh Hastings College (Neb.) North Group 197 10 10 Evan Mattingly Montana State-Northern (Mont.) West Group 197 11 4 James Alter Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 197 12 3.5 Joseph Lockett Morningside (Iowa) North Group 285 1 56 Joshua Marquez California Baptist (Calif.) West Group 285 2 47 Byron Stewart Cumberland (Tenn.) East Group 285 3 45.5 John Bates Southern Oregon (Ore.) West Group 285 4 32.5 Travis Ewart Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 285 5 31.5 Willie Wiggins Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 285 6 25.5 Corey Johnson Oklahoma City (Okla.) Central Group 285 7 21 Cedric Powell McKendree (Ill.) East Group 285 8 15.5 Willie Hernandez Jamestown (N.D.) North Group 285 9 10.5 Michael Wakim Missouri Baptist (Mo.) East Group 285 10 4.5 Michael Johnson Missouri Valley (Mo.) Central Group 285 11 3.5 Jeremy Colbert Bacone (Okla.) Central Group 285 12 3 Tyler Porras Lindenwood (Mo.) East Group 285 12 3 Frank Lopez Dickinson State (N.D.) North Group

USA Wrestling is pleased to announce that the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Senior National Wrestling Championships and the Men’s FILA Junior National Championships have been awarded to Cleveland, Ohio. This year’s event will be held at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University, April 21-25, 2010. The local host for the event is the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “Northeast Ohio has such a strong, vibrant wrestling community and we are thrilled to welcome the nation’s best to Cleveland this April and again in 2011,” stated David Gilbert, President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “The U.S. Senior Nationals is one of the premier wrestling events in the nation. It will truly be an exciting weekend with great competition.” The U.S. Senior National Wrestling Championships feature the nation’s top wrestlers in the three Olympic styles: men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. The Men’s FILA Junior National Championships include the nation’s top athletes who are 17-20 years old, competing in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Up to 850 athletes are expected to participate in the two competitions that weekend, with more than $850,000 expected to be infused into the local economy. “USA Wrestling is excited to partner with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to bring our U.S. Senior National Championships to Cleveland,” said Pete Isais, USA Wrestling National Events Director. “Cleveland is a great wrestling community, and we have great working relationship with the Sports Commission there. We are looking forward to showcasing our most talented athletes for fans to enjoy. We fully expect the event to be a huge success.” The U.S. Senior Nationals move to Cleveland from Las Vegas, Nev., where the event has been located for 20 of the last 22 years. The FILA Junior Nationals had been held in Las Vegas alongside the Senior Nationals for the last five years. The Cleveland Local Organizing Committee will include the following organizations: • USA Wrestling – Ohio • Greater Cleveland Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association • Cleveland State University • Mid-American Conference • City of Cleveland • Greater Cleveland Sports Commission • Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland The competition schedule and ticket price structure has not been finalized. More information will be announced shortly. The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission has rich history of hosting premier wrestling events, including the 1998 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland and the 2007-2009 USA Wrestling University and FILA Cadet Nationals in Akron. Other Olympic sports events hosted by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission included: 2000 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 2002 USA Gymnastics National Championships, 2002 USA Judo Senior Nationals, 2004 U.S. Speedskating Short Track National Championships, 2004 USA Boxing Olympic Trials Box-Off and the 2005 USA Weightlifting National Championship. Wrestling is a tremendously popular sport in Ohio and is considered one of the nation’s hotbeds. There are 618 high school wrestling teams in Ohio, with 13,804 high school wrestlers, and a tradition of competitive excellence. Ohio also has a rich tradition of college wrestling programs. With its central location, wrestling fans from across the nation will be able to easily travel to Cleveland to enjoy the action. The top seven athletes in each weight class at the U.S. Senior National Championships qualify to compete at the 2010 U.S. Senior World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa, June 10-12. The Men’s FILA Junior National Championships is a qualifying event for the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 21-22.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Far be it from Billy Kounoupis to understand David Craig's complicated relationship with wrestling. David CraigThe owner of Billy's Diner, the famous Bethlehem hotspot where Lehigh's 184-pounder is a regular, has known him for about two years. But for all the conversations they have had over Craig's usual eggs, bacon, and hash browns with coffee, one in particular sticks out in Kounoupis's mind. "I asked him about what he'd do if his son wants to get into wrestling," Kounoupis recalls. "And he told me he'll say, 'Wrestling, what's that?' He said there's no way he's going to let his kid wrestle, and that he'll do everything he can to talk him out of it." That includes hiding all his trophies and avoiding the sport entirely. Hate is too strong a word to use to describe how Craig feels about wrestling. But it's safe to say that Craig's past experiences will shape his future actions, especially when it comes to a sport that he wanted nothing to do with in the first place. When you've dedicated nearly two decades of your life to the manic pursuit of excellence in one sport, you can hardly be blamed for feeling burnt out by the end. But that isn't the case with Craig. The fact is that he's never loved wrestling because he didn't choose it. Soccer was his preferred sport. David Craig gets his hand raised after a victory (Photo/Lehigh Sports Information)"I never wanted to do it," Craig says. "My dad put me in wrestling and that was, 'No questions asked, this is what we're doing, period.' So I never chose to be a wrestler. I just started doing wrestling, and eventually, you develop accountability to the team, the (high school) community you grow up in. You can't let them down, so you have to stick with it." But the man who Lehigh coach Pat Santoro says has "a great, natural feel for the sport," thrived despite his lack of passion for it. He went 179-0 and won four Florida state titles while helping powerhouse Brandon High School extend its national-record streak of 459 consecutive dual match victories. His domination extended beyond the state when he was a Junior Nationals double champion in Fargo in 2005. But even then, signs like deciding against traveling to Fargo to defend his titles as a senior pointed to wrestling's place on Craig's priority list. For as much praise as Craig was given during his illustrious high school career, there have been equal amounts of scorn whispered in his direction for his failure to win multiple national championships on the collegiate level. David Craig, who went 179-0 and won four Florida state titles, was InterMat's No. 1 overall recruit in the country in 2006 (Photo/Jon Malinowski)"You see a lot of kids who have done well in high school, but don't do well in college and vice versa," says 174-pounder Dave Chirichello, a close friend of Craig's on the Mountain Hawks. "So I don't think it's fair to assume that just because a guy did well in high school, he'll do well in college." Fair or not, that was the level of expectation heaped on the No. 1 recruit of 2006 (according to InterMat), the only guy in the country more highly thought of than eventual 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. It was not a question of if he would ever stand atop the podium at Nationals, but merely when. But Craig claims those words go in one ear and out the other. "I never tuned in, originally," Craig says. "I really never heard, never cared what anybody else said. I never put any stock into the expectations of other people, personally. All I do is try to go out there and win matches. Most of those people are just fans, have never had to deal with as many things as college wrestlers have to deal with. The ones who have are more understanding. It's not peaches and cream ... it's not fun at all. None of it." Those who know Craig well describe him as a humble, mature, honest deep-thinker with varied interests outside of wrestling. He's an avid fisherman and loves to write. That was part of the reason he switched majors from business to journalism after he became academically ineligible midway through his sophomore season. Since then, he has posted over a 3.0 GPA every semester. In a sport that demands the heart and soul of most of its participants, Craig says wrestling doesn't define him one percent. David Craig is currently ranked No. 12 n the country at 184 pounds by InterMat (Photo/Lehigh Sports Information)"It shouldn't be the most important thing to people," Craig says. "Eventually, wrestling ends. (But) a lot of wrestlers fall under that spell, where wrestling is the driving force in their life. And whenever it ends, if they haven't been No. 1, they're lost within themselves; there's space that can't be filled. My main goal in everything is to just try to be a good person. That's it." Which is not to say that Craig doesn't try to win or doesn't care about his results (for the team's sake, if not his own). The senior is 4-1 this season, and ranked No. 12 in the country by InterMat. His only loss was by a narrow 4-3 margin to 2008 NCAA champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State. The talent and physical tools are there for Craig to go out and make Nationals for a third time at Lehigh, qualifying every year that he was eligible to do so. To make it onto the podium for a first time, however, Santoro feels he needs to open it up a bit and attack more, not merely settle for narrow 3-2 or 4-3 victories. "If David Craig is just himself and wrestles, he's pretty solid," Santoro says. "If he does that, he can wrestle anyone in the country. He's very intense, very smart on the mat, but I think just getting him to pull the trigger a little more will make a huge difference in March." To most people, Craig's accomplishments would constitute a very solid college career. As of Thanksgiving, he has compiled a 68-22 career record, won the 2009 EIWA title, and qualified for the NCAA Championships twice. Ultimately, however, Craig is bound and determined to define his own success, on and off the mat. "My goals are pretty simple," Craig says. "I want to win every match, and more importantly, help my team win every match. I feel worse when other people lose than when I lose, (and) especially bad if my loss contributes to a team loss. I want to win the EIWAs, do well at Nationals, become an All-American and possibly a national champion." He pauses, then shrugs. "(But) if none of that happens, so be it." For 18 years, wrestling is practically all David Craig has known. Hours upon hours of practices, study halls, workouts, dual meets, and tournaments. The void may, at first, feel substantial. "It's a lifestyle commitment until you finish up," Craig says. "Then you got all this free time and you have to decide what to do with it. It's like being a normal person. You have a lot of weight off of your shoulders, so I'm kind of anxious to see what that feels like." Craig makes no bones about the fact that, for him, wrestling is a means to an end; that end being a degree from a highly regarded academic institution, an academic opportunity that he would not have otherwise been afforded. As of Thanksgiving, David Craig has compiled a 68-22 career record, won the 2009 EIWA title, and qualified for the NCAA Championships twice (Photo/Lehigh Sports Information)"To me, college is about academics, and wrestling is a sidebar to that," Craig says. "(My wrestling scholarship) is a tool to help me get a degree from a great academic institution. And I think that should be the goal of all college students." It's that kind of big-picture perspective that gives Craig peace of mind, that allows him to live in the moment, but move on when it has passed. "There are greater things beyond wrestling," Craig says. "Wrestling ends ... and after that, it's done. To me, it's fleeting and there's only so much you can do, unless you want to dedicate your whole life to it. Some people do, and that's fine ... but I have other goals, I don't want do wrestling after college. Then it's not even important anymore." Once he does graduate, Craig says that he doubts that he'll ever truly know what he wants to do in life, but for now, the plan is to head back to Florida and get a graduate degree in public administration from the University of South Florida. And what will he do with his spare time, with those moments that he had spent practicing or working out, all those hours that wrestling had previously consumed? "Do some fishing, try to get my brother to teach me how to surf," Craig says with a smile. "Just enjoy life, not have to worry about wrestling."

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt sophomore Tyler Nauman was named the Eastern Wrestling League’s Wrestler of the Week for his efforts on the weekend. Nauman went a perfect 3-0 at the Sprawl & Brawl duals, improving to 11-0 on the season. In the latest InterMat rankings, Nauman is ranked 10th and is ranked as high as seventh in other national polls. The Middletown, Pa., native will surely move up this week as he registered a tech fall (16-0) against Ryan Prater of Illinois, who was ranked No. 17 entering the weekend. Nauman, in addition to his tech fall, recorded two falls in his final two matches of the day. He defeated Davidson’s Ben Thompson by fall (1:28) and Rider’s Aaron Nestor in a fall (2:17). Nauman joins teammate Ryan Tomei as an EWL Wrestler of the Week recipient this year. Tomei was honored after the Panthers’ first tournament of the season -- the Buffalo Open. Pitt will send individuals to tournaments this weekend, but will not travel as a team. The Panthers’ next match will be Dec. 6 at the Penn State Open, an all-day event.

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- The Limestone College wrestling team defeated Spartanburg Methodist 48-0 on Monday night at the Timken Center. The Saints’ dual record climbs to 2-0 on the season with tonight’s win. Matt Hall (Hamptonville, N.C.), Jeremy Parker (Winchester, Pa.), Theran Goodale (Osage, Iowa), and Casey Bradley (Muncie, Ind.) recorded major decisions in their respective weight classes. Mike Magaha (Seaford, Del.), Mike Bush (Lakewood, N.Y.), and Tarek Alaruri (Gaffney, S.C.) pinned their opponents. Bryce Sopko (Brighton, Mich.) picked up a 12-5 victory and the Saints took the 184-pound and 197-pound weight classes by default. Limestone will face Seton Hill on November 27 in Belmont, N.C., at 7 p.m. The Pioneers travel to Kennesaw, Ga., on December 2 to face Darton College. Results: 125-Matt Hall (LC) maj. dec. Luke Cambell (SMC) 17-3 133-Mike Magaha (LC) pin Andrew Tillman (SMC) 4:47 141-Jeremy Parker (LC) maj. dec. Chris Teague (SMC) 12-2 149-Theran Goodale (LC) maj. dec. David Hardy (SMC)15-1 157-Mike Bush (LC) pin Jonathan Patterson (SMC) 5:00 165-Bryce Sopko (LC) dec. Austin Payner (SMC)12-5 174-Casey Bradley (LC) maj. dec. Alex Tozzlinio (SMC) 11-1 184-Landon Hall (LC) def. 197-Mike Walsh (LC) def. 285-Tarek Alaruri (LC) pin Jesse Deyo (SMC) 6:33

Iowa Central Community College head wrestling coach Luke Moffitt and Nick Mitchell, head wrestling coach at Grand View University (IA), will be radio show guests Wednesday night. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Moffitt has guided the Iowa Central Tritons to four consecutive NJCAA titles. This season’s junior college championships will be held at Veteran’s Auditorium in Des Moines on February 26 & 27. Iowa Central has also won the NWCA National Duals the last three seasons. Moffitt was a state champion for Estherville High School (IA) at 125 pounds in 1997. He won an NJCAA individual title for Iowa Central at 141 pounds in 2000. At the University of Iowa, Moffitt won a Big Ten title and the Outstanding Wrestler award in 2002. Mitchell is in his second year as the head coach of the Grand View Vikings. Last year, Grand View University began both wrestling and football programs. A native of Johnston, Iowa, Mitchell was a three-time Iowa Conference champion and three-time NCAA Division III All-American for Wartburg College. Mitchell placed second at the 1999 NCAA tournament and helped Wartburg win the team championship. He served as an assistant coach at Wartburg for nine years prior to coming to Grand View. At last season’s NAIA Championships, Grand View earned three All-American awards including Matt Burns’ title at 149 pounds.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head coach Tim Cysewski has announced the signing of seven current high school seniors to National Letters of Intent to wrestle for NU beginning in 2010. The incoming class, which draws from traditional recruiting hotbeds of Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania, includes six prospects ranked among InterMat's overall top 100 senior wrestlers. "We're really proud of the group of guys we have coming to join us next season, it's unquestionably one of the top classes we've signed in the last 20 years at Northwestern," Cysewski said. "All seven of them have achieved incredible things both athletically and academically and have won championships on many different levels. We see each of these young men challenging for Big Ten and NCAA championships down the road so this is an exciting day for NU wrestling." Below is a look at each individual wrestler's complete bio as well as a scouting report courtesy of Northwestern associate head coach Drew Pariano. Kaleb Friedley 141 � Kearney, Mo./Park Hill High School: Career record of 98-12 with 81 pins through junior season ... InterMat's 77th-ranked overall senior recruit in the nation ... State champion as a junior and third-place finisher as senior ... Helped Park Hill win the 2009 Class 4 Missouri state championship after it placed second in 2008 ... Two-time district champion and all-conference selection ... Took fifth at the 2009 Super 32 tournament at 140 pounds ... Second-place finisher at 2009 FILA Cadet Nationals at 152 pounds ... Member of Team Central Wrestling Club ... Two-time Cadet All-American. Personal: Born Kaleb N. Friedley ... Son of Dwight and Maureen Friedley ... Chose Northwestern over Wisconsin, Old Dominion and Iowa State ... Anticipated major is undecided. Quoting Coach Pariano: "Kaleb is a proven winner and he just loves to compete. He was a member of the FILA Cadet Pan Am team and was able to train at Northwestern this summer because of his association with the national team. We look forward to watching him contribute to the lineup immediately." Pat Greco 141 � St. Charles, Ill./Marmion Academy High School: Won a regional championship and placed second in his section at 140 pounds as a junior ... 2009 Suburban Christian Conference championship and first-team all-area selection ... Two-time All-Suburban Christian Conference honoree ... Garnered honorable mention in USA Wrestling's national rankings for high school seniors ... Two-time academic all-conference ... Team MVP in 2008 ... Trained at Overtime School of Wrestling for three seasons ... Freestyle state runner-up in 2007 and a USA Cadet National All-American in 2008 ... Illinois Junior National team member in 2009. Personal: Born Pasquale Peter Greco ... Son of Eduardo and Lisa Greco ... Chose Northwestern over Brown, Penn and Illinois ... Anticipated major is business institutions. Quoting Coach Pariano: "Greco is a local product who trains at Overtime and wrestles for one of the up-and-coming high school programs in the state. We're excited for him to join us and add some great quality depth in our room right away." Pierce Harger 165 � Loveland, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller High School: Owns a 116-22 record through his junior year ... Has placed third, sixth and seventh in his three trips to Ohio state championships ... InterMat's ninth-ranked senior recruit in the nation at 152 pounds (No. 61 overall recruit) ... 2009 Enquirer All-Stars First Team ... Competed in the 2009 Western Regionals in Las Vegas, where he was a champion in Greco-Roman and runner-up in freestyle at 152 pounds ... 2009 team MVP ... Led team in points and pins senior year ... 2009 State Duals MVP ... Three-time Disney All-American ... Two-time Ohio All-Academic team selection ... Ranked seventh in graduating class with a 4.0 GPA ... Member of National Honor Society. Personal: Born Pierce Everett Harger ... Son of Michael and Jodi Harger ... Chose Northwestern over Cornell, Stanford, Princeton, North Carolina, Missouri, and Indiana ... Brother Kyle wrestled at Maryland ... Anticipated major is industrial engineering or pre-med. Quoting Coach Pariano: "He's a southern Ohio product from a high school that has produced a lot of Division I wrestling talent. He's a dynamic wrestler who can score from anywhere and he takes a lot of chances trying to create offense. He wants to be a starter and contribute right away and I think he can do that." Michael McMullan HWT. � Easton, Pa./Wyoming Seminary High School: Four-year letterwinner ... Fourth-ranked senior recruit at heavyweight in the nation by WIN Magazine ... 2009 national prep heavyweight champion ... Ranked as the No. 81 overall recruit in the country by InterMat ... Member of Easton team that ranked No. 3 in the country ... Individually ranked fourth in the nation at 285 by Win Magazine ... Five-year member of Red Hawk Wrestling Club ... Also played varsity football and lacrosse ... Dean's List sophomore and senior years of high school. Personal: Born Michael John McMullan ... Son of John and Suzanne McMullan ... Chose Northwestern over Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Dartmouth, North Carolina and Virginia ... Grandson, John McMullan Sr., played football at Notre Dame and in the NFL with the New York Titans ... Anticipated major is undecided. Quoting Coach Pariano: "It's always important that we get a guy from Pennsylvania but especially from Wyoming Seminary, which is ranked third in the country and wrestles the first or second-hardest schedule in the nation. He's a super-athletic kid and he's just going to solidify our upper weights. He's ranked third in one poll but his coach assures us he's the best heavyweight in the country." Leroy Munster 184 � Fox Lake, Ill./Grant High School: Owns career record of 120-6 through junior season ... Ranked No. 1 senior recruit nationally at 171 pounds and No. 8 overall by InterMat ... Holds all-time single season pinning record at Grant (30) ... Two-time Illinois state champion (2007 at 119 lbs., 2009 at 171 lbs.) ... Finished 47-0 as a junior, when he won the Most Outstanding Wrestler award at every tournament he competed in where the honor was given ... Placed second at 2009 USA National Championships and fourth in 2008 ... Three-time North Suburban Conference, regional and sectional champion ... Team co-MVP junior year ... Has trained at the Overtime School of Wrestling since 2001 where he was a part of three USA National Club Team championship teams (2006-08) ... Scholar-athlete all four years. Personal: Born Leroy Arthur Munster ... Son of Leroy and Raedel Munster ... Sister, Trista, played four years of soccer at Jacksonville State University and sister, Kaela, played basketball at Carthage College ... Seven-time Judo National Champion (Junior Olympics) ... Six-time International Judo Champion (American/Canadian Championship) ... Anticipated major is undecided. Quoting Coach Pariano: "Lee's a local kid who we've seen since he was a state champion as a freshman. His background in judo makes him really comfortable on the mat and he can scramble really well for a big guy. He trains at Overtime and I think he's excited that a guy the caliber of Jake Herbert is sticking around to train here because they've had some opportunities to work together already. He's a potential four-time All-American-type wrestler." Alex Polizzi 197 � Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial High School: Placed second in the state at 215 pounds as a junior with a 43-1 record after placing third as a sophomore ... Ranked as InterMat's No. 6 senior recruit at 215 in the nation and No. 90 overall ... Third-place finisher at the 2009 Super 32 tournament at 215 pounds ... 2008 USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals champion. Quoting Coach Pariano: "Alex is the perfect combination of size and speed for his weight class. When you're able to sign a top national 197-pounder and a top national heavyweight in the same year as we have, we think you're destined for success at the upper weights. It's very similar to a few years ago when we brought in the combination of Jake Herbert, Mike Tamillow and Dustin Fox. I definitely see Alex as being in the same mold as those guys were for us.' Colin Shober 149 � Reading, Pa./Schuylkill Valley High School: 2009 PIAA state champion at 135 pounds ... Ranked No. 6 in the nation among seniors at 145 pounds and No. 45 overall by InterMat ... Set a Berks County record for wins in a season with 53 ... Won Berks County and District III individual championships ... Team won county and District III titles his junior season and placed third at the PIAA Championships ... Placed third in the state as a sophomore with one loss ... Champion at 2009 Super 32 Challenge. Personal: Born Colin Shober ... Son of Lori and Hugh Shober ... One brother, Glen, is the starter at 149 pounds for Navy ... Chose Northwestern over Lehigh and Maryland ... Anticipated major is undecided. Quoting Coach Pariano: "Another Pennsylvania guy right down the road from Michael McMullan, but one is a state champion and the other is a prep national champion so they haven't crossed paths too often. Shober just won the most important preseason national tournament at 145 which most people would say is the weight class in high school with the most depth across the board. His summer wrestling has elevated him to a new level." The Wildcats, whose next match is Thursday, Dec. 3 at Northern Illinois, are in their 20th season under the direction of Cysewski.

WATERLOO, Iowa -- The executive director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum (DGIWIM) is stepping down after leading the organization for over a decade. Mike Chapman founded the museum in 1998 following a successful career in journalism that spanned three decades to become the museum’s full-time executive director in 2002. “I have devoted a large part of my life to preserving the history of wrestling at all levels, amateur and professional, and the museum was the culmination of that effort,” said Chapman. A native of Waterloo, Chapman ran the museum’s day-to-day operations with his wife Bev. The museum opened on September 19, 1998, in Newton, Iowa, as the International Wrestling Institute and Museum before reopening in Waterloo on January 12, 2007. Dan Gable’s name was added to the museum name as a way of honoring this country’s most influential wrestling figure and Waterloo’s most famous resident. Chapman authored over 500 newspaper and magazine articles on the sport of wrestling. He has been named “National Wrestling Writer of the Year” five times, by four different amateur wrestling organizations. Additionally, he is the producer of three wrestling videos and the author of 21 books, 14 of them on wrestling. His knowledge of the sport and its historical roots are legendary, even among the sport’s most prolific and experienced journalists. In 1994, Chapman created Wrestling International Newsmagazine, a publication dedicated to the promotion of amateur wrestling. “Mike Chapman not only established the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum, but he also launched WIN Magazine and the WIN Memorabilia Show, as well as creating the Hodge Trophy which annually recognizes the outstanding collegiate wrestler in the nation,” said Bryan Van Kley, current publisher of WIN. “Mike’s impact on the sport of wrestling will be felt for generations to come.” A member of five halls of fame, Chapman received the prestigious Order of Merit for lifetime achievement from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., in 2007. In 2002, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club, an organization of boxers, wrestlers and movie actors. Among Chapman’s greatest achievements was restoring the museum after a catastrophic flood on June 10, 2008. Much of the museum was destroyed, but Mike and Bev Chapman, along with the help of many others, had the museum up and running in just seven months. The museum held its grand reopening on January 9, 2009. “Everyone in the sport of wrestling owes Mike and Bev Chapman a debt of gratitude for creating the museum, sustaining it, bringing it to Waterloo, and rebuilding it after the devastating flood of 2008,” said Bob Buckley, president of the Gable Museum board. “The Board of Directors and wrestling fans everywhere wish them the very best in their retirement.” Upon his retirement, which was effective on October 31, 2009, Chapman commented, “Now, it is time for Bev and me to turn our thoughts to other pursuits. I have written over 20 books and have four others I am presently working on. In addition, we started our own magazine entitled Iowa History Journal and we are busy with that.” While Chapman is retiring, there is little evidence of him slowing down. In addition to his books and magazine, he also has several screenplays under consideration in Hollywood. Replacing Chapman as executive director is Kyle Klingman. Klingman served as the museum’s associate director from 2002 through 2008. He returns to the museum following a one-year stint with Wrestling 411, a media organization devoted to covering wrestling at all levels. Klingman is also a featured columnist and writer for WIN magazine. He was named journalist of the year by WIN in 2008. "I am delighted that the board hired Kyle Klingman to take over as executive director,” said Chapman. “He worked at my side for six years, and truly understands the goals of the museum as well as anyone possibly could. He has the respect of everyone in the wrestling world and has developed into a superb writer and historian. The museum is in very good hands."

FULLERTON, CA -- University of Iowa senior Daniel Dennis scored two takedowns in the third period to beat Maryland's Steve Bell, 9-8, in the 133-pound match at the 44th annual NWCA All-Star Classic Sunday in Fullteron, CA. A standing room only crowd of 4,000 filled Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gymnasium for the event. After no scoring in the first period, Dennis put the first point on the board with an escape to start the second period. Bell was warned for stalling, and Dennis scored a takedown to go up 3-0. Bell responded with a reversal and two nearfall points to take a 4-3 lead, but Dennis escaped before the end of the second period to tie the score at 4-4. Bell chose the down position to start the third period and scored an escape and a takedown to take a 7-4 lead. Dennis responded with three points of his own on an escape and takedown to tie the score at 7-7. Bell escaped to take an 8-7 lead, but Dennis scored a takedown with 25 seconds left in the match to secure the 9-8 victory. The NWCA All-Star Classic served as a major fundraiser for the Cal State Fullerton wrestling program, which must fund itself. The Titans must raise $200,000 in funds by April 2010 and another $200,000 in pledges by August 2010 to survive. Top-ranked Iowa will take its 5-0 dual record and 43-dual match winning streak on the road next week. The Hawkeyes will head to Lewisburg, PA, Friday to face Bucknell (1-2) at 3 p.m. (CT) and Rutgers (3-1) at 4:30 p.m. at Bucknell's Sojka Pavillion. Fans can listen to both duals live on AM-800 KXIC or www.hawkeyesports.com using the All-Access subscription. Bucknell is also providing a live video broadcast of the Iowa-Bucknell dual at www.bucknellbison.com through the All-Access subscription.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Two Penn State All-Americans who are planning on redshirting this season made their open tournament debuts with outstanding performances on Saturday. Senior Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) won individual titles at the East Stroudsburg Open, with each defeating talented PSU true freshmen in the finals. In all, 11 Nittany Lions placed at the event. Jenkins went 5-0 at 157 on the day, 4-0 against collegiate grapplers, including one technical fall (note that competition against non-collegiate wrestlers does not count towards overall record or bonus results). The 2008 National Runner-Up met Penn State true freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) in the finals, where Jenkins claimed a hard-fought 4-3 win. Taylor took second place with a 4-1 record, 3-1 against collegiate competition. The Ohio-native got a pin, a tech fall and a major in the process (he also had a pin against a non-collegiate grappler). Wright posted a 4-0 mark at 184 at the event, including two pins and a major. The 2009 sixth-place finisher at 174 met Penn State true freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) in the finals, where Wright notched a tough 5-2 decision. Ruth's second place finish included two major decisions as well. Penn State also took third place at 184, with sophomore David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) taking third place. Crowell was upset in the first round but bounced back to win six straight in the consolation bracket to take third place. Crowell had two majors as well. True freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) was Penn State's other third place finisher, going 4-1 to take third at 165. Kemerer grabbed two majors during the tournament. Senior heavyweight Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) took fourth at the Open, going 5-2 overall, 4-2 against collegiate competition. True freshman Luke Macchiaroli (Tempe, Ariz.) placed tied for fifth at 197 (the fifth place bout was not contested due to time constraints), going 3-2 on the day. Red-shirt freshmen James English (York, Pa.) and Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) each tied for fifth as well. English placed at 149 with a 6-2 mark (6-0 against collegiate grapplers) while Fischer placed at 165, going 4-2 overall (2-2 against collegiate competition). True freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) was tied for seventh at 157 with a 5-2 mark, 1-2 against collegiate wrestlers. Eight other Nittany Lions competed at the event. Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) went 1-2 (1-1 collegiate) at 125, Jack Chidester (Conestoga, Pa.) went 3-2 at 133 (1-1 collegiate), Tom Reynolds (Skillman, N.J.) went 1-2 at 133, Jarret Freeman (Laurelton, N.Y.) went 0-2 at 149, Christian Harr (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) went 0-2 at 149 (0-1 collegiate), Eric Resch (Lititz, Pa.) went 2-2 at 157 (1-1 collegiate), Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) went 2-2 at 165 (1-1 collegiate) and Andrew Church (Conestoga, Pa.) went 2-2 at 174 (1-1 collegiate). In addition, two future Nittany Lions fared well at the event. Andrew and Dylan Alton, who both recently signed National Letters of Intent, combined for nine wins. Andrew went 4-0 at 141 to claim the title while Dylan went 5-1 at 149 and took third. Penn State's next home dual is set for Jan. 22 when it hosts Illinois at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $5 in advance and $6 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With a total of 12 teams hitting the mats in four sessions of wrestling, the No. 3 Ohio State wrestling team hosted the Buckeye Duals Sunday in St. John Arena. In an event that featured programs from both Ohio and Pennsylvania, Buckeye starters and nonstarters were able to see action on the day and help the Scarlet and Gray improve to 4-0 on the season. Wrestling Findlay (W, 42-3), Notre Dame College (W, 37-3) and Cleveland State (W, 51-3), Ohio State outscored its opponents, 130-9. Also of note, with his 5-3 decision over the Falcons' Adam Koballa in the second session, senior tri-captain Reece Humphrey won his 100th career collegiate match. In all, the Buckeyes recorded 14 falls. In fact, eight of Ohio State's wins against Cleveland State in the final session were pins, including three consecutive falls from 125-141 pounds and 184-285 pounds, respectively. Pat Harrington, Johnny Hiles, Jared Kusar, TC Pendleton and Jeremy Sanders, key workout partners in the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility, took advantage of an opportunity to compete in dual action. Harrington, a 125-pound native from Sandusky, Ohio, pinned Nick Weisjahn of Findlay in 1:32. Hiles, a Central Ohio product from Westerville, who is vying for a starting position at heavyweight, also won his lone match of the day, a 6-0 decision against the Roughneck's Cody Ruffer. With senior tri-captain and third-ranked Lance Palmer at Cal State Fullerton competing in the 44th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic, Kusar was a nonstarter who saw the most time at 149 pounds. The Akron, Ohio, native went 3-0, all decisions. Pendleton, who hails from Hoover, Ala., dropped a 5-1 decision to the Vikings' Marcus Effner in his first dual of 2009-10 at 174 pounds. Sidetracking to the West Coast where Palmer competed in the prestigious NWCA All-Star Classic, the native of Columbia Station, Ohio, suffered a 3-2 setback to No. 5 Kyle Borshoff of American. Palmer competed for All-Star Red, which lost to All-Star Green, 16-13, in the team standings. Up next, the Buckeyes will make their annual trip to Nevada for the Las Vegas Invitational in Primm, Dec. 4-5. No. 3 Ohio State 42, Findlay 3 125 Pat Harrington (OSU) pinned Nick Weisjahn (Findlay), 1:32 133 Ian Paddock (OSU) pinned Chris Andrews (Findlay), 2:16 141 No. 1 Reece Humphrey (OSU) pinned Josh Falk (Findlay), 4:58 149 Jared Kusar (OSU) dec. Jeremy Espinoza (Findlay), 12-3 157 Sean Nemec (OSU) mdec. Michael Lybarger (Findlay), 14-3 165 No. 8 Colt Sponseller (OSU) pinned Ian Giachetti (Findlay), 4:11 174 No. 15 Dave Rella (OSU) dec. Justin Shannon (Findlay), 5-4 184 Jeff Havelka (Findlay) dec. Jeremy Sanders (OSU), 10-5 197 Cody Magrum (OSU) mdec. Dan Stevenson (Findlay), 12-1 285 Johnny Hiles (OSU) dec. Cody Ruffer (Findlay), 6-0 No. 3 Ohio State 37, Notre Dame College 3 125 Nikko Triggas (OSU) pinned Tyler Savage (NDC), 5:25 133 Ian Paddock (OSU) mdec. Brian Dean (NDC), 8-0 141 No. 1 Reece Humphrey (OSU) dec. Adam Koballa (NDC), 5-3 149 Jared Kusar (OSU) dec. Ashtin Primus (NDC), 8-3 157 Sean Nemec (OSU) dec. Thomas Straughn (NDC), 6-5 165 No. 8 Colt Sponseller (OSU) wins by forfeit 174 No. 15 Dave Rella (OSU) dec. Kevin Hardy (NDC), 10-5 184 No. 3 Mike Pucillo (OSU) pinned Alex Denman (NDC), 1:42 197 Derek Foore (NDC) dec. Cody Magrum (OSU), 7-2 285 No. 16 Corey Morrison (OSU) dec. Orlando Scales (NDC), 7-2 No. 3 Ohio State 51, Cleveland State 3 125 Nikko Triggas (OSU) pinned Zach Zupancic (CSU), 1:02 133 Ian Paddock (OSU) pinned Zech Huff (CSU), :58 141 No. 1 Reece Humphrey (OSU) pinned Ronald Butler (CSU), 4:06 149 Jared Kusar (OSU) dec. Dan Castillo (CSU), 10-3 157 Sean Nemec (OSU) pinned Corey Carlo (CSU), 1:40 165 No. 8 Colt Sponseller (OSU) pinned Dustin Doty (CSU), 1:02 174 Marcus Effner (CSU) dec. TC Pendleton (OSU), 5-1 184 No. 3 Mike Pucillo (OSU) pinned Nick Anthony (CSU), 1:20 197 Cody Magrum (OSU) pinned Gahad Suleiman (CSU), :22 285 No. 16 Corey Morrison (OSU) pinned Chris Weber (CSU), 6:36

NORMAN, Okla. -- Trailing 11-0 after the first three bouts to No. 20 Arizona State (2-2), No. 12 Oklahoma (2-0) stormed back with authority, capturing the final seven matches to take the victory, 24-11. "We knew we were wrestling a great team today and that it had a chance to go down to the wire," head coach Jack Spates said. "We knew we were not wrestling badly and that if we would keep wrestling hard, good things would happen. That's exactly what happened." Senior Kyle Terry posted Oklahoma's first points of the day with a 4-0 decision over Vicente Varela. Fifth-ranked Terry recorded a takedown in the first, an escape in the second and rode the Sun Devil for the entire third period to post his sixth win of the season. Shane Vernon then chipped away at ASU's lead by outlasting Te Edwards at 157 pounds, 17-10. The Sooner senior recorded five takedowns, a near-fall and a reversal to extend his perfect season to 6-0. The gap closed to an 11-9 ASU advantage after OU true-freshman Tyler Caldwell posted a 5-2 decision over Kyle DeBerry at 165 pounds. It was the Wichita, Kan., product's first dual appearance and win of his young career, pushing his season record to 13-3. Oklahoma took its first lead of the afternoon, 12-11, after Jeff James extended his perfect season (6-0) by edging Eric Starks by a 4-3 final. James trailed 2-1 after the opening period but posted a takedown and an escape in the second period to overtake the Sun Devil. At 184 pounds, a takedown and escape in the second period proved to be enough Erich Schmidtke, as the redshirt freshman claimed a 3-1 victory over Jake Meredith. Senior Eric Lapotsky, ranked No. 7 nationally, then needed just 47 seconds to record a pin over ASU's Anthony Pike at 197 pounds. With the fall, Lapotsky (6-0) ensured an Oklahoma victory by putting Oklahoma on top, 21-11, entering the final bout. "It is my goal to come out looking for the pin," Lapotsky said. "It was big because it clinched the win." The pin was Lapotsky's fifth of the season in six victories. "Eric is a leader on this team in terms of aggressiveness," Spates said. "He is always looking for the pin and is a great example and role model for this team." In the heavyweight battle, Nathan Fernandez and Erik Nye were locked at one late in the third period. With one minute 22 seconds remaining, the Sooner junior posted a takedown to lead 3-1. Nye could only muster an escape the rest of the way to give Fernandez the win, 3-2. Arizona State All-American Anthony Robles, ranked third in the country at 125 pounds, recorded four near falls and two takedowns to win by a 16-0 technical fall over Justin Forrest to begin the match. Ben Ashmore then recorded a 7-5 decision over OU's Alex Ekstrom at 133 pounds to put the Sun Devils up by a 8-0 team score. It became an 11-0 lead for ASU after fifth-ranked Chris Drouin downed 18th-ranked Sooner Zack Bailey at 141 pounds, 3-1. "This was a great win today," Spates said. "Our guys are improving every day and we are really concentrating on us early in the season, not our opponents." The Sooners will return to the mat this Saturday, Nov. 28 when they host a double-dual against Oklahoma City and North Carolina State at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. Oklahoma will wrestle OCU at 9 a.m. and the Wolfpack at 4 p.m. Results: 125: No. 3 Anthony Robles (ASU) tech fall Justin Forrest (OU), 16-0 133: Ben Ashmore (ASU) dec. Alex Ekstrom (OU), 7-5 141: No. 5 Chris Drouin (ASU) dec. No.17 Zack Bailey, 3-1 149: No. 5 Kyle Terry (OU) dec. Vicente Varela (ASU), 4-0 157: Shane Vernon (OU) dec. Te Edwards (ASU), 17-10 165: Tyler Caldwell (OU) dec. Kyle DeBerry (ASU), 5-2 174: No. 9 Jeff James (OU) dec. Eric Starks (ASU), 4-3 184: Erich Schmidtke (OU) dec. Jake Meredith (ASU), 3-1 197: No.7 Eric Lapotsky (OU) fall Anthony Pike (ASU), 0:47 285: No. 13 Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Erik Nye (ASU), 3-2

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The No. 8 ranked (NWCA/USA Today) Boise State wrestling team earned a pair of big wins on Sunday, Nov. 22, when the Broncos traveled to Corvallis, Ore. for a double-header of duals against No. 13 Wisconsin and Oregon State. The Broncos won seven matches against the Badgers and eight matches against the Beavers to improve their overall record to 3-0, 1-0 against Pac-10 Conference opponents. No. 13 Wisconsin vs. No. 8 Boise State No. 8 Boise State earned its' first win of the afternoon, taking down No. 13 ranked Wisconsin 30-9. The Broncos earned victories in seven matches, which included three wins by fall to blow open what was a close dual early. After dropping the 125-pound match, Boise State evened the score at 3-3 with Andrew Hochstrasser's narrow 5-4 decision over Tyler Graff. Hochstrasser, who entered the dual ranked No. 3 nationally (intermatwrestle.com), earned a hard fought win over No. 10 Graff to even the team score after two matches. Levi Jones gave Boise State its' first lead of the night, 9-3, recording a win by fall (3:53) over Cole Schmitt at 141 pounds. Jason Chamberlain (No. 10 ranked) recorded the Broncos' second loss of the dual, falling to No. 2 Kyle Ruschell in a 7-2 decision at 149 pounds. Boise State would rebound, though, winning at 157 pounds with Adam Hall's pin (4:04) of Greg Burke. Wisconsin would score its' final points of the night at 165 pounds, as No. 3 Andrew Howe earned a 10-4 decision against Michael Cuthbertson to narrow the score to 15-9 with just four matches to go. Fortunately for the Broncos, they would sweep the final four matches to put the dual well out of reach. No. 8 Nate Lee first earned a win by fall (3:51) against Brendan Ard at 174 pounds. He was followed by No. 7 Kirk Smith, who beat Travis Rutt by a 10-4 decision at 184. At 197 pounds, Matt Casperson defeated Jackson Hein, 6-1. Sam Zylstra capped off the dual with a 5-2 decision against Eric Bugenhagen at heavyweight to give the Broncos their final 30-9 lead. Oregon State vs. No. 8 Boise State No. 8 Boise State completed its' sweep of Sunday's double-header by earning a 25-7 win over Pac-10 conference rival Oregon State in the evening night-cap. The Broncos won eight matches in a row, dropping only the 125-pound and heavyweight matches to the Beavers. Andrew Hochstrasser earned his second win of the day at 133 pounds with a 3-0 decision over Kelly Kubec. He was followed by Levi Jones, who took down Michael Mangrum with a 10-4 decision at 141 pounds. At 149 pounds Jason Chamberlain evened his record to 1-1 on the day with a 5-3 decision over Roger Pena at 149 pounds to give Boise State a 9-4 lead. Adam Hall extended the Bronco lead with a 17-5 major decision over Keegan Davis at 157 pounds. He was followed by Michael Cuthbertson, who won the 165-pound match against Ryan Smith, 4-2. Nate Lee also earned a 4-2 decision, beating Colby Covington at 174 pounds. The Broncos next scored points from Kirk Smith at 184 pounds with a 10-4 decision against Brice Arand. Matt Casperson concluded the scoring for Boise State, taking down Chad Hanke with a 4-2 decision to give the Broncos a 25-4 lead going into the final match. Looking ahead for the Broncos ... Boise State is off the mat again until Dec. 4-5, when the Broncos travel to Primm, Nev. for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Boise State returns home on Dec. 11 (Friday) for it's second of three home duals this season. The Broncos will host Montana State-Northern at 7 p.m. in Taco Bell Arena. Wisconsin 9, Boise State 30 125 – Drew Hammen (WISC) dec. Allen Bartelli (BSU) 3-0 133 – No. 3 Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) dec. No. 10 Tyler Graff (WISC) 5-4 141 – No. 20 Levi Jones (BSU) fall Cole Schmitt (WISC) 3:53 149 – No. 2 Kyle Ruschell (WISC) dec. No. 10 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) 7-2 157 – No. 6 Adam Hall (BSU) fall Greg Burke (WISC) 4:04 165 – No. 3 Andrew Howe (WISC) dec. Michael Cuthbertson (BSU) 10-4 174 – No. 8 Nate Lee (BSU) fall Brendan Ard (WISC) 3:51 184 – No. 7 Kirk Smith (BSU) dec. Travis Rutt (WISC) 10-4 197 – Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. Jackson Hein (WISC) 6-1 HWT – Sam Zylstra (BSU) dec. Eric Bugenhagen (WISC) 5-2 Oregon State 7, Boise State 25 125 - Jason Lara (OSU) major dec. Alan Bartelli (BSU) 12-4 133 - Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) dec. Kelly Kubec (OSU) 3-0 141 - Levi Jones (BSU) dec. Michael Mangrum (OSU) 10-4 149 - Jason Chamberlain (BSU) dec. Roger Pena (OSU) 5-3 157 - Adam Hall (BSU) major dec. Keegan Davis (OSU) 17-5 165 - Michael Cuthbertson (BSU) dec. Ryan Smith (OSU) 4-2 174 - Nate Lee (BSU) dec. Colby Covington (OSU) 4-2 184 - Kirk Smith (BSU) dec. Brice Arand (OSU) 10-4 197 - Matt Casperson (BSU) dec. Chad Hanke (OSU) 4-2 HWT - Clayton Jack (OSU) dec. Sam Zylstra (BSU) 3-2

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 19 in the NWCA Coaches Poll, hammered No. 15 Edinboro 22-9 in its final dual of the morning at the 2009 Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton, N.Y. Penn State won seven of ten bouts for the win, going 3-0 at the Duals. Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 125, opened up the dual with a solid 4-0 win over No. 8 Eric Morrill to give Penn State an early lead. Sophomore Tyler Saltsman (Concord, N.H.) followed with a 7-3 decision at 133 before Edinboro got a win at 141. All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) posted a convincing 8-4 win over EU's Torsten Gillespie to put Penn State up 9-3 and then All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) got a 16-5 major over Edinboro freshman Matt Laird at 157 to put Penn State up 13-3 at the midway point. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, took on defending national champion Jarrod King of Edinboro, ranked No. 2. Each wrestler managed a takedown in the first period, but King got his with just one second left in the opening stanza. The lateness of that takedown would be the difference as King posted a tough 4-3 win, cutting Penn State's lead to 13-6. Edinboro got a decision at 174 to cut the Lion lead to 13-9, setting up three critical bouts to close out the dual. Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) posted a convincing 6-4 win over two-time NCAA qualifier Pat Bradshaw of Edinboro, getting his second win of the day at 184 and putting Penn State up 16-9. Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) then clinched the dual win with a 2-0 victory over Edinboro's Tim Murphy, putting PSU up 19-9 with one bout remaining. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 19 at HWT, put a resounding capper on the win with a 9-2 win over No. 11 Chris Birchler of Edinboro, giving Penn State the 22-9 final victory. The Nittany Lions won the battle of the takedowns, posting a 15-5 edge in that category. Penn State got the only bonus point of the dual with Sanderson's major at 157. Overall, Penn State won 20 of its 30 bouts in its 3-0 run in Binghamton. Penn State is now 4-1, having won four straight, while Edinboro is now 2-1. The Nittany Lions return to action on Sunday, Dec. 6, when they will take part in the Nittany Lion Open at Rec Hall. The open tournament, which will feature many of Penn State's red-shirts, begins at 8:30 a.m. in Rec Hall and runs all day. Penn State's next home dual is set for Jan. 22 when it hosts Illinois at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $5 in advance and $6 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC?(1390 AM) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Binghamton, N.Y. - Sprawl and Brawl Duals -- November 22, 2009 125: #6 Brad Pataky PSU dec. #8 Eric Morrill EUP, 4-0 3-0 133: Tyler Saltsman PSU dec. Ashton Osterberg EUP, 7-3 6-0 141: Joel Webster EUP dec. Colby Pisani PSU, 2-0 6-3 149: #8 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Torsten Gillespie EUP, 8-4 9-3 157: #4 Cyler Sanderson PSU maj. dec. Matt Laird EUP, 16-5 13-3 165: #2 Jarrod King EUP dec. #9 Dan Vallimont PSU, 4-3 13-6 174: Joe Loffredo EUP dec. Michael Lorenzo PSU, 6-1 13-9 184: David Erwin PSU dec. Pat Bradshaw EUP, 6-4 16-9 197: Clay Steadman PSU dec. Tim Murphy EUP, 2-0 19-9 HWT: #19 Cameron Wade PSU dec. #11 Chris Birchler EUP, 9-2 22-9 Attendance: 500 Records: Penn State 4-1, Edinboro 2-1 Up Next for Penn State: Nittany Lion Open, Sunday, Dec. 6, 8:30 a.m. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Penn State's Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), carrying a No. 6 ranking at 125, took on No. 8 Eric Morrill of Edinboro in one of the day's most anticipated bouts. Pataky took an early shot, only to have Morrill counter and fight back to neutral. But the Lion junior then got in on Morrill's left leg and continued to work his way to a takedown and a 2-0 lead with 2:04 left in the opening period. Pataky then put together a strong ride, building up a solid riding time edge but getting hit for one stall warning in the process. Pataky's ride out led to a 2-0 lead (with 2:04 in time) after one period. Pataky chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Morrill gained control of Pataky and lifted him in the air, but Pataky forced a tie up and a reset with 1:31 left in the period. Pataky shot low at Morrill's left ankle again and began working his way towards another takedown. But Morrill managed to force a stalemate with :55 left. Pataky countered a Morrill shot and forced a furious scramble that nearly led to a takedown for each wrestler. But neither man got the takedown and Pataky held the 3-0 lead with 1:51 in time heading into the final stanza. Morrill chose down to start the third period but could not break free of another strong Pataky ride. The Lion junior secured the riding time point and then continued dominating the Scot grappler for remainder of the period. The strong third period led to a 4-0 win and put Penn State up 3-0. 133: Sophomore Tyler Saltsman (Concord, N.J.) faced off with `Boro grappler Ashton Osterberg at 133. Osterberg got in deep on Saltsman's right leg, but the Lion sophomore flipped underneath the Scot, countering the shot and working his way up and under for an early takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 1:41 mark. Osterberg escaped to cut into the lead and action returned to the center circle. Saltsman got in deep on Osterberg's ankles one more time and finished off a second takedown with just :08 left to lead 4-1 after one period of action. Osterberg chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 deficit. Saltsman got in on another low single, gaining control and looking to drive through for the score. But Osterberg worked off the mat and a reset was called with :26 left. Leading 4-2 with :36 in riding time, Saltsman chose down to start the final period. A quick escape gave the Lion sophomore a 5-2 lead :15 into the final period. Saltsman immediately turned into Osterberg and used a low single force the action again. This time, Osterberg stepped out of trouble and action resumed in the center circle at the 1:00 mark. Saltsman worked to ice the bout with a strong, driving double leg and upped his lead to 7-3 with another takedown and Osterberg escape. Saltsman's superb performance in a 7-3 decision put Penn State up 6-0. 141: Sophomore Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) met Edinboro senior Joel Webster at 141. Pisani gained control of Webster's right ankle and worked for an early score, but the Scot senior forced a stalemate at the 1:44 mark. Pisani countered a Webster shot with an outside trip but Webster backed out of bounds to keep things scoreless at the :40 mark. The match moved into the second period deadlocked in a scoreless tie. Pisani chose down to begin the second stanza, only to find himself fighting off a tilt. Webster nearly turned the Lion to his back, but Pisani rolled through the turn and maintained his position. Still, the strong ride by Webster allowed the Scot to build up a 2:00 riding time edge with the ride out. Tied 0-0, Webster chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead (with 1:51 in riding time). Needing takedowns, Pisani began forcing the action, looking for an opening. Pisani's offense forced Webster into a first stall warning with :40 left. The Lion sophomore could not get a takedown and Webster walked off with a hard-fought 2-0 win, cutting Penn State's lead to 6-3. 149: Penn State's Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 149, met Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro. Gillespie nearly got an early takedown, but Molinaro used his speed and strength to break free and keep things scoreless at the 2:15 mark. Molinaro quickly answered and took a 2-0 lead with 2:02 left, using a nice high double on the edge of the mat. The Penn State All-American then put together a very strong ride, looking for a turning combination while build up a sizeable riding time edge. Molinaro dominated the Scot sophomore for the rest of the period, taking a 2-0 lead with 2:02 in riding time into the second period. Molinaro chose down to begin the middle period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He continued to pressure Gillespie, forcing the EU grappler back on his heels for the first half of the period. Molinaro shot quickly off a reset, upping his lead to 5-0 with a swift double leg at the :40 mark. A ride out gave Molinaro a 5-0 lead with 2:46 in riding time heading into the final period. Gillespie chose down to start the final period and Molinaro cut him loose to a 5-1 deficit. The Nittany Lion quickly added another takedown, cutting him loose and upping his lead to 7-2 (with a secured riding time point). Looking for a major decision, Molinaro continued to pressure the Fighting Scot, but Gillespie countered a Molinaro shot for his first takedown to cut the lead to 7-4 with :45 left. Molinaro could not break free of Gillespie, but still posted a convincing 8-4 win to put the Lions up 9-3. 157: Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 4 at 157, met Edinboro freshman Matt Laird. Sanderson got an early takedown to take a 2-1 lead over the talented Edinboro true freshman. Another high double gave Sanderson a 4-2 lead after the Linesville native escaped. Sanderson kept pouring on the offense, getting a third takedown and cut to lead 6-3 with 1:10 left in the opening period. A low ankle pick led to a fourth takedown and an 8-4 lead for the PSU All-American. Sanderson countered a Laird shot, gained control of the Scot freshman and opened up a 13-4 lead after one period, getting the takedown and three near fall points. Sanderson nearly got the pin but Laird managed to fight off his back to stay alive. Laird chose down to begin the second period and was cut loose by Sanderson to a 13-5 deficit. Sanderson fought off some Laird offense in the second period and maintained his lead throughout the frame. Leading 13-5 with 1:13 in riding time, Sanderson chose down to begin the third period. Sanderson fought off a quick tilt effort by Laird but could not break free of the Scot's control. But Sanderson steadily worked his way free at the :40 mark after a reset, escaping to a 14-5 lead. He then added a final takedown with :18 left to notch another takedown and post a convincing 16-5 major over the Edinboro freshman. The major put Penn State up 13-3. 165: Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, met defending national champion and second ranked Jarrod King of Edinboro in a much-anticipated meeting at 165. King entered ranked No. 2. Vallimont used a fast low single, turning it into a 2-0 lead at the 2:39 mark. King escaped :31 later to a 2-1 deficit and action resumed in the center circle. King shot low on Vallimont at the 1:25 mark, but the Lion All-American countered and began working his way around for another takedown. But King forced a reset with 1:00 left with Vallimont still up by one. King used a low single to gain control of Vallimont, lifted him off the mat and got a late takedown to lead 3-2 after the first period. Vallimont chose down to start the second stanza and steadily worked his way free to a 3-3 tie at the 1:16 mark. Neither man would notch a takedown for the remainder of the period and action moved to the third period tied 3-3. King chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. Vallimont shot low, but King countered to gain control of Vallimont's shoulders and tried to work his way around for a takedown. But a stalemate was called and the match was reset with 1:10 left. Vallimont nearly scored with a single leg in front of the Penn State bench, but King managed to flee the mat and force a reset with :40 left. Vallimont was relentless, however, gaining control of King's right leg, but King tied up Vallimont again and forced a reset with :14 left. Vallimont kept shooting, King kept fleeing but time would run out and King escaped with a 4-3 decision. The `Boro win cut PSU's lead to 13-6. 174: Penn State sent Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.) into action at 174 to face off with Edinboro's Joe Loffredo. Loffredo opened up an early lead with a takedown in front of the Edinboro bench at the 2:00 mark. Lorenzo could not work out of Loffredo's control until getting an escape with :41 left to cut the lead to 2-1. Lorenzo fought off a Loffredo shot with :02 left to keep things close after one period. Up by one with 1:20 in riding time, Loffredo chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Lorenzo continued to look for an outside trip to tie the bout. But Loffredo was able to play defense for the rest of the period and led 3-1 after two periods (with 1:14 in riding time). Lorenzo chose down to start the third period but could not work his way out of Loffredo's control. The Scot freshman then turned Lorenzo for two near fall points off a reset to up his lead to 5-1 (with a guaranteed riding time point). Loffredo would ride Lorenzo out and post a convincing 6-1 win. The decision cut Penn State's once ten point lead to just four, 13-9, with three bouts remaining. 184: Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) met Edinboro's Pat Bradshaw at 184. Bradshaw took the first shot of the bout, but Erwin countered and looked to work his way behind the two-time national qualifier for a takedown of his own. Erwin steadily gained control and got the takedown at the 1:57 mark to go up 2-0. Erwin then maintained control of Bradshaw for the remainder of the period, not letting Bradshaw free and building up a 1:57 riding time edge to go along with a 2-0 lead. Erwin chose down to start the second period. After working his way to his feet at the :40 mark, Erwin steadily shook Bradshaw off his shoulders and worked his way free for a critical reversal and a 4-1 lead with 1:27 left. Erwin came off a head butt by Bradshaw to use a beautiful high double, taking a 6-1 lead with 1:06 in riding time, at the buzzer. Bradshaw chose down to begin the final period and put together another solid ride until a Bradshaw escape with 1:23 left cut Erwin's lead to 6-2. Erwin was taken down by Bradshaw at the :58 mark, cutting the Lion's lead to 6-4. Bradshaw spent the rest of the period trying to turn Erwin for back points, but the Nittany Lion senior would have none of it and would fight his way to a superb 6-4 win. The victory upped PSU's lead to 16-9 with two bouts remaining. 197: Nittany Lion sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) took on Edinboro freshman Tim Murphy at 197. Steadman, who went to high school at Edinboro's General McLane High School, battled Murphy evenly for the first period, with neither wrestler managing to find an opening to score. Tied at 0-0, Steadman chose down to begin the second stanza. A quick escape gave Steadman a 1-0 lead at the 1:40 mark. The Lion sophomore continued pressuring Murphy, looking for an opening to get the bout's first takedown. Forcing Murphy back towards the outside of the mat, Steadman kept his lead for the period. Trailing 1-0, Murphy chose down to begin the final period. Steadman quick broke the Scot down and began looking for a chance to tilt the Scot for back points. Murphy was able to belly out and stay parallel but Steadman was working his way towards a riding time edge. A reset was called at the 1:07 mark and Steadman once again maintained control of Murphy. Steadman moved his time edge over the 1:00 mark and then continued to work towards breaking Murphy down and a potential ride out. Steadman maintained control of Murphy's right leg and clinched the dual meet victory with a 2-0 decision. The victory put Penn State up 19-9. HWT: In a key match-up of ranked grapplers, Penn State's Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) met Edinboro's Chris Birchler. Wade entered the bout ranked No. 19, Birchler No. 11. Birchler had an early chance to score but Wade forced a reset. The Lion sophomore then countered a Birchler shot, stepping behind the Scott grappler, to take a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 1:34 mark. Wade put together a very strong ride, nearly tilting Birchler during the ride-out to lead 2-0 with a solid riding time edge after one period. Birchler chose down to start the second period and Wade began working for a quick near fall. But Birchler rolled through and gained control for a reversal of his own to tie the bout at 2-2. Birchler then put together a solid ride of his own, working away most of Wade's time edge before Wade escaped to a 3-2 lead with :40 left in the period. Birchler shot low on Wade, but Wade countered, gaining control of Birchler's head and working his way to a scramble that would end the period. Leading 3-2, Wade chose down to begin the third period. Wade turned a Birchler tilt effort into a reversal and a 5-3 lead with 1:22 left. Wade then nearly pinned Birchler and picked up three back points to up his lead to 8-2 with 1:00 left in the bout. Wade then dominated the ranked Scot grappler for the rest of the period, finishing on top and, with the riding time point, posted a convincing 9-2 win over the 11th-ranked `Boro grappler. The win gave Penn State a 22-9 final victory.

Fullerton, Calif. -- Seniors Jordan Burroughs and Stephen Dwyer solidified their positions among the best college wrestlers in the country, as each Husker brought home a title from the nationally-recognized NWCA All-Star Classic at a soldout Titan Gym Sunday afternoon in Fullerton, Calif. In its 44th year, Nebraska’s three participants at the NWCA All-Star Classic for were the most ever in school history. The Huskers won two of their matches, as Burroughs defeated No. 2 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg in the 157-pound bout, 10-4, and Dwyer upset No. 2 Chris Henrich of Virginia at 174 pounds, 7-6. Senior Craig Brester represented Nebraska at 197 pounds, but fell to No. 1 Jake Varner of Iowa State, 5-2. Ranked No. 7 in the nation, Dwyer upset Henrich in one of the day’s most competitive matches, overcoming an early three-point deficit before turning in the winning takedown with 30 seconds remaining in the match for a 7-6 decision. Dwyer took his first lead over Henrich in the second period with a takedown to gain a 5-4 advantage, but a pair of escapes put Dwyer in a 6-5 deficit with under a minute remaining in the match. Dwyer then turned in his second takedown with just over 30 seconds left on the clock and out the time to the victory. It was a second-straight clutch performance for Dwyer, who pinned Wisconsin’s Brendan Ard last Sunday to give Nebraska a 26-17 season-opening win. Burroughs left little doubt that he has earned the No. 1 national ranking at 157 pounds, using a dominant third period to defeat Moley by a 10-4 decision. The Sicklerville, N.J., native led just 3-1 heading into the final period, but registered two takedowns and drove Moley to the mat for a three-point near fall in the last two minutes of the match. Moley scored his only points on four escapes and never led Burroughs after the two-time NU All-American took a 2-0 lead in the first period. The defending NCAA champion, Burroughs has now won 39 straight matches dating back to the 2007-08 season. In the most anticipated match of the event, Brester and Varner battled to the final horn at 197 pounds, but a Varner reversal in the first minute of the third period led the Cyclones to a 5-2 win. Brester held a short 1-0 advantage in the second period, but then gave up a takedown and was unable to overcome Varner’s late advantage. The Big 12 Conference was strongly represented at the event, as nine of the 20 NWCA All-Star Classic participants were from NU's league. After facing tough tests through its first two weekends of action, Nebraska continues its 2009-10 season with a busy and challenging day this Saturday, Nov. 28 when the Huskers travel to the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y. Nebraska will dual Binghamton (8:15 a.m.), No. 16 Lehigh (12:15 p.m.), Hofstra (2:15 p.m.) and Appalachian State (4 p.m.).

FULLERTON, Calif. -- The atmosphere of the NWCA All-Star Classic is different from virtually all other wrestling competitions in that there is no team contest involved. The result is a an uncommonly non-partisan and unified tone from a crowd simply present to appreciate man's oldest sport performed at an exceptionally high level. The standing-room-only crowd of over 4,000 at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gym got just that in an afternoon, which saw six of the ten matches decided on third-period heroics. The event concluded a weekend of fundraising for the Cal State Fullerton wrestling program, which was told last spring that it needed to finance itself in order to continue. The buildup for the event gained a lot of media attention for the program as it seeks to buck the trend of colleges dropping the sport. At 125 pounds, University of Minnesota sophomore Zach Sanders found himself trailing James Nicholson of Old Dominion 5-3 late in the third period. With little time left, Sanders secured a takedown to tie the match. Sanders was not satisfied to simply send the bout into overtime so he quickly seized an opening to turn Nicholson for back points and ended the match in regulation with a 7-5 victory. "Things didn't go my way in the first period," Sanders said. "I have confidence in my conditioning and know that I'm always in a match. Giving up points early is something that I'm working on." Over 4,000 fans packed Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton for the NWCA All-Star Classic (Photo/Tony Rotundo/Tech-Fall.com)While Sanders enjoyed the victory, he felt the day was really about something else. "It's great to be here, but this match doesn't mean much," said Sanders. "It's just important to be here and promote wrestling." The 149-pound matchup between Ohio State's Lance Palmer and American University's Kyle Borshoff was a defensive chess match, with both wrestlers employing supreme skill in neutralizing each other's attacks. Palmer had thwarted off several Borshoff attacks early in the match and pressed the action enough to get a stall call against Borshoff near the end of the first period. But Borshoff got his rhythm in the third period to score the match's only takedown and won 3-2. Borshoff said he adapted his strategy as the match wore on. "In the beginning of the match, Lance started out strong," said Boschoff. "He was tying me up, pushing me out of bounds. I had to rethink my game plan right then. Stay away from the ties stay low on shots. I knew if I stayed low on him, I'd be able to finish one of my shots at least. I got that takedown and it was a good match for me." A one-point lead and a stall warning in the third period is often reason to worry, but not so with Borshoff's match. "I wasn't too worried about it," said Borschoff. "There was about a minute left. I realized the ref would probably be looking to see if I was stalling because I was ahead by one point. I really had to be super aggressive on my feet. That's why I also circled to the middle of the mat." At 157 pounds, Nebraska star Jordan Burroughs was as sharp as ever, opening up a close match in the third period to finish with a 10-4 decision. Burroughs stressed that his motivation remains the same this year despite fewer marquee names in the weight class. "It really doesn't affect me at all," said Burroughs. "I'm not looking at it as defending a title," said Burroughs. "I'm looking at it as going out there and getting another one. I'm in the same field as all these other 157-pounders ... No matter what they placed last year. I can't doubt anyone else." Burroughs also confirmed that after the conclusion of the collegiate season, he will compete in freestyle and attempt to make the U.S. World Team. "Definitely. Definitely," said Burroughs. "Two world titles would be great, but my goal is winning that Olympic gold in 2012. That's what I'm really working for right now. I think my style would help me out because I'm good on my feet. We got a lot of good guys in the U.S. A lot of guys cutting down from 174, going up from 157, so it's going to be tough. I'm looking forward to the competition and hopefully making the team. I'll definitely be at U.S. Nationals in Vegas." Despite winning a thrilling 7-6 match by scoring a takedown in the last minute of the third period, Burroughs' teammate, Stephen Dwyer, wasn't happy about his win at 174 pounds. "If I lose but I feel I did everything that I could, that makes it a little easier on me," said Dwyer. "But if I go out and not execute on things that I've practiced on, or make mistakes and know that I didn't wrestle my best, that's disappointing. Even if I win. If I didn't give my best performance." When asked to elaborate, Dwyer said, "I didn't wrestle my style of wrestling in the beginning of the match. I usually lead with my right leg. I tried to bring my leg back to adapt to my opponent's style. And I ended up giving up a high crotch to my left leg. I ended up circling in a direction that I don't like to go. I didn't like that I ended up doing that." Despite his frustrations, Dwyer was thrilled to be a part of the meet, especially when Fullerton's situation is so critical. "I'm very honored to be invited to this," said Dwyer. "I definitely think that people need to care a little more when programs start disappearing. People might think that it doesn't affect their own conference, but it all starts adding up and affecting everything. People who love wrestling need to care about it and do something." The final two matches of the night got the crowd very excited as two California high school products came away with victories. Standing NCAA champ Jake Varner of Iowa State used a third period reversal to take a 4-2 lead against Nebraska's Craig Brester and held on to win 4-3. Varner, originally from Bakersfield, had a huge cheering section who roared each time he scored. However the noise was easily eclipsed in the next match as the crowd as a whole was literally on its feet to see Cal State Bakersfield's Mitch Monteiro score a last second takedown to beat Iowa State's David Zabriske 4-3. A personality who attracted much attention at the event was Randy Couture, former two-time NCAA runner-up at Oklahoma State, Olympic alternate, and UFC legend. After the matches ended, Couture demonstrated extreme patience taking his picture with an almost endless stream of fans. When asked about how much wrestling helped his MMA career, Couture said, "I'm biased in favor of the sport I come from, but I think it helps a lot." He felt that collegiate wrestling was especially useful because of the importance of mat wrestling (not found in the international disciplines of freestyle or Greco Roman). But mostly Couture wanted to help out the Cal State Fullerton program. "It's very important for me to show support for the sport I've been involved with since I was ten, especially when collegiate wrestling programs are having trouble surviving," said Couture. Results: 125: No. 4 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) dec. No. 5 James Nicholson (Old Dominion), 7-5 133: No. 4 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec. No. 8 Steve Bell (Maryland), 9-8 141: No. 4 Alex Krom (Maryland) dec. Adin Duenas (Cal State Fullerton), 8-0 149: No. 4 Kyle Borshoff (American) dec. No. 3 Lance Palmer (Ohio State), 3-2 157: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) dec. No. 5 Matt Moley (Bloomsburg), 10-4 165: No. 5 Jonathan Reader (Iowa State) maj. dec. No. 6 Andrew Rendos (Bucknell) , 11-2 174: No. 6 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska) dec. No. 5 Chris Henrich (Virginia), 7-6 184: No. 1 Max Askren (Missouri) dec. No. 9 Josh Patterson (Binghamton), 14-7 197: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) dec. No. 2 Craig Brister (Nebraska), 5-3 285: No. 6 Mitch Monteiro (Cal State Bakersfield) dec. No. 2 David Zabriskie (Iowa State), 4-3 Featured match: 184: No. 13 Zach Giesen (Stanford) dec. Enoch Francois (Cal Baptist), 3-1 OT