InterMat Staff

For the third-straight year, Liberty dominated the competition at the NCAA East Regional Qualifier, en route to the Flames' third team title at the event. All nine of Liberty's grapplers placed at the tournament, including four individual title winners. Liberty clearly outdistanced the remaining six teams in the field, scoring 101.5 team points, which was 36.5 points ahead of second-place Millersville, who ended the day with 65 points. The 36.5-point margin was Liberty's second largest in the last three Regional Qualifiers, ranking behind last year's 41-point victory over Gardner-Webb inside the Vines Center. Gardner-Webb, who hosted the event inside Paul Porter Arena, finished third with 54 points, just edging out Delaware State's 53.5 points by a half point. Campbell finished fifth during the Camels' first go around at the regional qualifier with 45 points, just ahead of sixth-place Duquesne with 43 points. Wagner rounded out the seven-team field with 3.5 points. Liberty, who only fielded competitors in nine of the 10 weight classes, had seven of its grapplers advance to the championship round. Of the seven, four claimed victory in their bouts, earning automatic berths into the 2009 NCAA National Wrestling Championship. Liberty's first winner of the day came at 133 pounds, as Christian Smith earned his fourth career trip to the national championship, when the senior clearly dominated his weight class. The Suffolk, Va., native quickly pinned his first-round opponent, Tyler Harmer, in 20 seconds to advance to a semifinal matchup, where he received a win by medical forfeit over Delaware State's Harry Broomall. In the title match, Smith made it two-for-two this year against Millersville's Sean Reed, but this time around he picked up his fifth win by fall on the season, pinning Reed 88 seconds into the bout to claim the individual title. Harner followed suit, as the Norristown, Pa., native will also be making his fourth trip to the national championship with a victorious run at 141 pounds. The senior received a first-round bye, before pinning Delaware State's Kelvin Walford at 2:25 in the semifinals. In the title bout, the senior continued to dominate the field, picking up his second win by fall on the season over Jayk Cobbs of Duquesne (4:56) and his team-leading 11th on the year to earn a return trip to the national championship, where he will look to improve on last year's round of 16 finish. The 157-pound weight class proved to be one of the most competitive of the day. Shaun Smith looked to avenge last year's championship round loss with this year's opportunity, and he needed more than seven minutes to do so in the title bout. After pinning Wagner's Nicholas Dalcero in the first round (1:55) and picking up a 4-2 decision over Duquesne's Nathan Reinhart, Liberty's junior found himself up against No. 1 seed Brandon Gardner from Delaware State. The Hornets' grappler came into the matchup with a 19-5 overall record, but Smith netted an escape in overtime to pick up his first career NCAA East Regional title and punch his first ticket to the NCAA National Championship with a 4-3 decision in the extra period. Liberty's final victor of the day came at 184 pounds, as Chris Daggett allowed his opponents just one point during three bouts on the day. The senior, who came into the event riding a seven-match winning streak, pushed his run to eight with a 3-1 decision over Duquesne's Scott Black to open the day. After netting a technical fall win over Campbell's Kyle Higgins, 16-0, the Williamstown, W.Va., native kept his next foe scoreless in a 2-0 decision win over hometown favorite Alex Piasecki, earning his second-straight national qualifier. The Flames also had three runner-up finishes on the day, as Frankie Gayeski (149 pounds), Brad Clark (165 pounds) and Julian Colon (174 pounds) each scored key points toward Liberty's team victory with second-place finishes. Gayeski and Clark both finished the day 1-1, with Clark coming the closest to an individual victory, as the redshirt freshman dropped a 1-0 decision to Millersville's Jeremy Brooks in the title bout. Colon won his first two matchups of the day, with a 2-1 decision over No. 3 seed Kyle Skinner of Delaware State, 2-1, and a 10-6 triumph over No. 2 seed Ryan Sula of Duquesne. However, the East Parkersburg, Pa., native couldn't make it three-for-three against seeded foes, as he fell in a 4-1 decision to No. 1 seed Shane Smith of Millersville. Liberty, who did not field a competitor at 125 pounds, also found a third-place finisher in Brandon Johnson at 197 pounds and a fourth-place finisher in Andrew Wilson at heavyweight. The Flames' four individual winners on the day will now be making the trek to St. Louis, Mo., for the 2009 NCAA National Wrestling Championship. The four victors gives Liberty 14 national qualifiers in the last three years, as the Flames also sent four to the national tournament in 2007 and a program-best six qualifiers to the year-end event last year. Daggett, Harner and the pair of Smiths will return to the mats in two weeks for Liberty, when the nation's best grapplers will battle it out inside the Scottrade Center on March 19-21, 2009, at this year's national championship event.

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Central Michigan has advanced eight individuals to the finals of their respective weight classes at the Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships. The Chippewas sit atop the team standings after the tournament's first day with 62.5 points. Kent State is second with 49.5 points, while Northern Illinois is third with 30.5. Six of Sunday's 10 championship bouts will feature matchups between Central Michigan and Kent State competitors. Advancing to the finals for CMU were Scotti Sentes (125), Conor Beebe (133), Tony D'Alie (141), Steve Brown (149), Trevor Stewart (165), Mike Miller (174), Vince DiDona (184) and Jarod Trice (285). Five of the eight are seeking their first conference championship, while Brown, Stewart and Miller are looking to capture their second career MAC title. Still alive in the consolation bracket are Tyler Grayson (157) and Eric Simaz (197). Both will wrestle for third place on Sunday. CMU began the tournament with first-round byes in six of the 10 weight classes, and another three individuals—Beebe, DiDona and Trice—all won first-round matches to give the Chippewas nine semifinalists. Scotti Sentes was the first Chippewa to advance to the finals, dispatching of Eastern Michigan's Chris Jenkins in just 1:53. Sentes scored a takedown 30 seconds into the match and cradled Jenkins before sticking the pin just more than halfway into the opening period. Conor Beebe advanced to the finals via a 5-2 decision over Buffalo's Kevin Smith. Beebe scored takedowns in both of the first two periods for the victory. An 8-3 decision by Tony D'Alie in the 141-pound semis was upheld after a protest. Tied 3-3 with Northern Illinois' Pat McLemore, D'Alie scored a takedown on the edge of the mat that gave him the lead for good. NIU's protest of the tie-breaking takedown was denied. Steve Brown followed with a convincing 9-0 major decision over Northern Illinois' Steve Zimmerman in the 149-pound semis. Brown led 5-0 after a first period in which he scored a takedown and three-point nearfall and built a riding time advantage of 2:44. Brown finished with a riding time edge of 4:27. Trevor Stewart advanced to the 165-pound finals with a 9-1 major decision over Buffalo's Ron Majerus. Stewart tallied three takedowns, a reversal and a 4:38 riding time advantage in the win. At 174, Mike Miller scored six back points in a 14-1 major decision over NIU's Derrick Yant. Miller broke the match open with two takedowns a two back points in the second period. He added a pair of two-point nearfalls in the third while building a riding time edge of 4:06. Vince DiDona advanced to the 184-pound finals thanks to a late flurry in his semifinal matchup with Ohio's Erik Schuth. Schuth rode out DiDona in the second period, then took a 1-0 lead with an escape in the third. A stalling penalty on Schuth midway through the period evened the score at 1-1. DiDona shot with 20 seconds remaining and scored a double-leg takedown and two back points to take a 5-1 lead. Schuth tacked on an escape in the closing seconds and riding time, but DiDona's four-point move put the match out of reach. Jarod Trice was the eighth Chippewa to advance to the finals, posting an 8-3 decision over Eastern Michigan's David Wade. Trice scored three takedowns in the win. Eric Simaz (197 pounds) was CMU's lone semifinalist not to advance to the finals. He dropped a 3-1 sudden victory decision to Buffalo's James Hamel in the semis. Both Simaz and Hamel scored escapes in regulation, and Hamel scored a takedown 51 seconds into the sudden victory period. Simaz advanced in the consolation bracket with a pin of Northern Illinois' Scott Penny in 2:41. Earlier Saturday, CMU was 3-1 in its four first-round matches. Beebe opened the tournament for CMU with a 6-2 decision over Tristen DeShazer (Northern Illinios) in the first round at 133 pounds. Beebe led 3-0 entering the third period, during which he and DeShazer traded reversals. Beebe added riding time for the final margin. DiDona and Trice also were victorious in the first round. DiDona scored a first-period takedown and built a riding time advantage of 4:12 in his 4-0 decision over Eastern Michigan's Derek Foore, while Trice took down Buffalo's Brett Correll five times in a 12-3 major decision. Tyler Grayson was the lone Chippewa not to advance in the championship bracket. He was pinned by Northern Illinois' Bryan Deutsch in the first round at 157 pounds, but rebounded to post a 14-6 major decision over Eastern Michigan's Josh Moulton in the wrestleback semis. Competition at the MAC Wrestling Championships resumes at 11 a.m. Sunday with the fifth-place matches. The championship finals are scheduled to begin at noon.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- The Edinboro wrestling team came away with its seventh straight Eastern Wrestling League championship on Saturday at Lock Haven, as four Fighting Scots won individual titles. This also marks the 11th time in the last 12 years that Edinboro has been crowned the EWL champion. Edinboro finished with 126.5 points to easily outdistance second place West Virginia, who finished with 95.5 points. Bloomsburg took third (88.5 points) with Pittsburgh fourth (84.5 points). Lock Haven was fifth with 80 points, followed by Cleveland State with 62 points, and Clarion (60.5 points) rounded out the seven-team field. Jarrod King picked up his second EWL title at 165 lbs. with a fall over West Virginia's Donnie Jones in 23 seconds. King defeated Jones in last year's final, as well. Edinboro's other three champions were all first-time winners. Paul Donahoe, who also has a Big 12 title to his credit, breezed through the 125 lb. field, winning by technical fall over Clarion's Jay Ivanco, 24-9 (7:00). Donahoe, the top-rated wrestler at 125 lbs., remained undefeated with a 31-0 record. Chris Honeycutt won the 184 lb. crown after losing in last year's finals. The sophomore came away with a 5-4 decision over Zac Thomusseit of Pittsburgh. Finally, Pat Bradshaw outlasted Lock Haven's Ben Hepburn in overtime, 3-1, in the 197 lbs. final. The junior came up with his winning takedown with 23 seconds remaining in overtime. The one wrestler missing from the top step of the awards stand was Gregor Gillespie. In search of becoming just the sixth wrestler to win four EWL crowns, the senior was knocked off by long-time rival Matt Moley of Bloomsburg at 157 lbs. Gillespie had defeated Moley three times this year (3-0, 5-1 and 5-0) and was 9-0 against him. But Moley set the stage with a takedown just ten seconds into the match, and would add another for a 4-1 lead after one period. He would add a third takedown in the second period, and while Gillespie would rally, he eventually lost 8-5. For his efforts, Moley was named the Outstanding Wrestler. The loss was the first of the season for the top-ranked Gillespie, who is now 37-1. It snapped a 38-match winning streak. Two other Fighting Scots joined Gillespie with second place finishes. Ricky Deubel dropped a 5-2 decision to Pittsburgh's Jimmy Conroy at 133 lbs., but it was still the senior's best-ever showing at the conference tournament. Joey Fendone suffered a 5-4 loss to Rashard Goff of Cleveland State in the heavyweight bout. John Foley may have been Edinboro's biggest surprise. After joining the team just over a month ago and coming into the EWL's with an 0-4 record at 174 lbs., he would take home fourth place thanks to a 2-2 showing. Steve Waite, who was third at 141 lbs. while wrestling for West Virginia a year ago, placed fifth this year. Finally, Tortsen Gillespie suffered through a disappointing showing at 149 lbs., finishing sixth while losing all three of his matches. The loss leaves the younger Gillespie in a precarious situation in terms of qualifying for the NCAA Division I National Championships in St. Louis on March 19-21. Edinboro qualified seven wrestlers for Nationals today – the four first place finishers (Donahoe, King, Honeycutt and Bradshaw), along with Deubel, Gregor Gillespie and Fendone. The NCAA Division I Coaches Selection Committee will meet to decide 52 remaining qualifiers. Those selections will be announced on March 11. Gregor Gillespie, Donahoe and Fendone will be making their fourth trip to Nationals, with Gillespie and Donahoe in search of their second national titles. Gillespie is a three-time All-American and Donahoe was on the stand twice while competing for Nebraska. Deubel heads to Nationals for the third time, with Bradshaw, Honeycutt and King all going for the second time. Here's a look at how the Fighting Scots fared in Lock Haven.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Juniors Brendan Byrne, No. 11 Steven Bell and No. 10 Alex Krom all won individual Atlantic Coast Conference titles, giving the University of Maryland wrestling team enough of a lift to propel the Terrapins to the 2009 ACC championship Saturday at Virginia Tech's Cassell Coliseum. After finishing third in the regular season, the Terps out-lasted Virginia and 15th-ranked Virginia Tech to win their second consecutive conference championship and 22nd overall, the most of any ACC institution. The Terps finished with 70 points, out-scoring Virginia by two for the second consecutive season. The host Hokies, the undefeated regular-season champion and favorite coming in, finished third with 57.5 points. North Carolina (54.5), NC State (49.5) and Duke (30.5) rounded out the field. Virginia led all schools with four individual champions. NC State had two and Duke one. Virginia Tech had five grapplers in the championship round, but was shut out. "It feels pretty good," Maryland head coach Kerry McCoy said of winning the conference title in his first season in College Park. "I really want to thank all our fans who made it down here and all the administrators who came, too. We couldn't have done it without them." Byrne set the tone for the Terps in the first match of the final session by upsetting No. 12 Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech. Garnett led early, but Byrne gave Garnett fits on top, not letting the talented Hokie freshman gain any ground. Byrne led almost throughout the final period and his tough ride through the second period earned him the riding-time point, which proved to be the difference in his 7-6 victory. It was Byrne's first ACC title and the program's first-ever 125-pound ACC champion. Byrne got to the finals by defeating North Carolina's Nick Shields by a 10-1 major decision in the semifinals after receiving a first-round bye. Bell trailed North Carolina's Mike Rappo 4-1 early on in the 133-pound championship bout, but proved too strong for the Tar Heels' redshirt sophomore. Bell registered a couple takedowns and a three-point near fall en route to an 11-7 victory. Bell edged NC State's Darrius Little, 2-1, earlier in the semifinals. It was Bell's second straight conference title. Krom controlled the 141-pound championship match, easily dictating the action against No. 18 Chris Diaz of Virginia Tech. Other than a late score by Diaz, Krom set the tone and fended off almost all of Diaz's scoring attempts. In the end, Krom prevailed with an 8-5 decision. Earlier in the day, Krom was seriously challenged by No. 17 Nick Nelson of Virginia. However, Krom hung on for the 4-3 victory to advance to the finals. With Krom's victory, the Terps now own back-to-back ACC championships at 141 pounds, as Jon Kohler took the title a year ago. It was Krom's first ACC title. "Byrne, Bell and Krom have been setting the tone all year and they set the tone again with their victories," McCoy said. "It was another great week for those guys." No. 9 Hudson Taylor came into the 197-pound championship match as a heavy favorite against No. 19 Brent Jones of Virginia. However, Jones stunned the All-American Taylor, getting him on his back early and pinning the defending conference champion in just 38 seconds. Jones was named the ACC Championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler for his efforts. However, Taylor still earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Taylor got to the championship match with a first-round pin of NC State's Joe Trotto in 1 minute, 11 seconds, followed by a 10-0 major decision against Virginia Tech's D.J. Bruce. North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech each qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. Maryland and NC State claimed four NCAA bids apiece and Duke qualified one. Thanks to a pair of third-place finishes from Brian Letters (165 pounds) and Corey Peltier (174 pounds), the Terps gained ground on the field during the consolation stage and pulled into first place heading into the finals. Letters defeated NC State's Quinton Godley, 3-0, in the consolation semifinals before holding off Virginia Tech's Matt Epperly, 8-6, in the third-place match. Peltier, a freshman, defeated North Carolina's Ben Fiacco, 8-4, to get to the third-place match, where he beat Duke's Voris Tejada, 4-3. Despite their strong finishes, neither Letter nor Peltier earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Redshirt freshman Kyle John (157 pounds) and sophomore heavyweight Patrick Gilmore both finished fourth to add more points to Maryland's total. Gilmore needed a third-place finish to earn an NCAA bid, but lost a tough match, 3-2, to Virginia Tech's David Marone. "Without a doubt, those guys are the reason we won the championship," McCoy said of his consolation placers. "There's an old adage in our sport that championships are won in the trenches. The bonus points we got in some of those matches really got us in the hunt. "I told those guys they couldn't give up because they weren't going to the NCAA Tournament and that they could score some more points and help us win a conference championship. If they get down on themselves and roll over there, we don't win. It was a total team effort." The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will announce the wild card berth to the NCAA Championships Wednesday. Gilmore and Letters figure to be the Terps' best hopes for wild card berths. With today's first-place finish, McCoy won his first conference championship in four years as a Division I head coach.

The fourth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team earned a co-championship at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship on Saturday in Lincoln, with four Huskers capturing individual titles. Nebraska finished the meet at the NU Coliseum with 70 points to tie No. 3 Iowa State. "Iowa State has a heck of a team," Head Coach Mark Manning said. "They have 10 ranked wrestlers in the country and in this tournament, and it just shows the great spirit of our team. We just fought. Our wrestlers prepared well, that's what I'm most proud of. They really prepare well and you just have to let it hang out." The crown was the first Big 12 Championship for Nebraska and the first conference wrestling crown for the Huskers since winning the 1995 Big Eight title. Iowa State's tie for the title marked the third straight Big 12 crown for the Cyclones. The championship was also the first Big 12 title for a Nebraska men's team in any sport since the Huskers shared the 2007 Big 12 indoor track and field title. Missouri finished third with 55 points, followed by Oklahoma State with 40 points and Oklahoma at 38.5. Nebraska entered the finals nine points behind Iowa State, but went 4-1 in the championship round, while ISU won just two of seven championship bouts, resulting in the team tie. Juniors Jordan Burroughs (157) and Craig Brester (197), along with seniors Brandon Browne (174) and Vince Jones (184) captured individual titles for Nebraska. The titles for Burroughs and Browne marked the second straight Big 12 crowns for each. The four conference champions ties for the most in school history. NU also had four champions in 1949 and 1995. "I talked to them individually," Manning said. "I told all five of them to go out and win a championship for yourself. The team thing will take care of itself. This juncture of the year, it's about them reaching their goals." The second-ranked Brester supplied the crucial points for Nebraska with a 4-3 decision over top-ranked Jake Varner of Iowa State. Brester scored a takedown with nine seconds remaining in the second period for a 3-1 lead. Varner tied the match with a third-period takedown before Brester scored an escape with 52 seconds left in the final period to supply the winning margin. The meeting was the third between the two conference rivals this season, with Varner winning the first two meetings. Brester's performance earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors at the meet. He began the day with a dominant 15-5 major decision over Missouri's Max Askren in the semifinals. Brester's honor marked the second straight year Nebraska captured OW honors after Burroughs won the award in 2008. Burroughs earned his title with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Missouri's Michael Chandler. The Tiger wrestler jumped to a 2-0 first-period lead, but Burroughs scored takedowns in the final 10 seconds of both the first and second periods to key the victory. The Sicklerville, N.J., native remained perfect on the season, improving to 30-0 with a pair of victories on Saturday. Burroughs captured the 149-pound title last year as a sophomore and became the first Nebraska wrestler to win Big 12 titles at two different weights. Browne captured his second conference crown with a last-second 3-1 decision over Missouri's Raymond Jordan. The wrestlers battled to a 1-1 tie, before Browne scored a takedown with three seconds remaining in the match to secure the title. Browne improved to 26-3 on the season with the win. Jones controlled throughout a 3-0 decision over Iowa State's Jerome Ward in the 184-pound title. Jones scored a takedown near the end of the second period to take a 2-0 advantage, then added a third-period escape, while controlling the tempo to keep Ward off the scoreboard. Overall, the four Nebraska titlists scored five takedowns in the final 10 seconds of periods, including two by Burroughs and one each by Browne, Jones and Brester. "A lot of guys got big wins tonight," Manning said. "Brandon [Browne] got that takedown and he gotten beaten by him earlier in the year. It really shows a lot. I thought the fans here kind of gave us an 11th man. A lot of credit goes to these fans that traveled a long way to support the Huskers. They made a big difference." Junior Stephen Dwyer lost a narrow decision to top-seeed Nick Marable of Missouri in the 165-pound championship match. Dwyer and Marable completed regulation tied at 1-1, but Marable scored a takedown 30 seconds into overtime to post a 3-1 victory. In addition to the five Huskers in the finals, a pair of Huskers wrestled their way to third-place finishes at the meet. Senior Robert Sanders fought back after a semifinal loss for a pair of victories in the consolation bracket. He earned the third-place medal with a 4-3 decision over Oklahoma State's Luke Silver. At heavyweight, redshirt freshman Tucker Lane had an impressive day. After narrowly losing a semifinal match to top-seeded David Zabriskie of Iowa State in overtime, Lane rebounded with a 3-2 decision over No. 3 Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State. Huskers Andy Pokorny (125) and Matt Vacanti (133) finished in fourth place at their weight class, while 141-pounder Curtis Salazar was fifth. The Big 12 Championships drew 5,717 fans to the Nebraska Coliseum, including 2,644 for the first session and 3,073 for the evening matches. Nebraska will now continue its postseason at the NCAA Championships, set for March 19-21 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Six Huskers are guaranteed a ticket to nationals, while Pokorny, Vacanti, Salazar and Sanders will wait until next Wednesday to learn if they receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA meet.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The No. 2 nationally ranked Big Red wrestling team opened its EIWA tournament off to a great start on Saturday and is in first place with 63.5 points. Cornell wrestlers earned five pins for the day with Troy Nickerson notched two, while Corey Manson, Jordan Leen and Mack Lewnes each added one. Cornell recorded bonus points in 12 matches for the day. The Big Red is looking to win its third-straight EIWA team championship. At 125 pounds, Troy Nickerson opened his day with a pin against East Stroudsburg's David Luthy in 1:57. Nickerson notched a takedown nine seconds into the match and quickly got to work turning his opponent on to his back. He sealed his team's first bonus points with 1:03 left on the clock. In his second match, Nickerson made quick work of his opponent, Lehigh's John McDonald, in the quarterfinals winning by fall in 2:14. With a bye in the first round, sophomore Mike Grey faced Army's Whitt Dunning, the No. 7 seed, in the quarters. Grey looked to be in top form in the first period going up 6-1 with two takedowns and two back points as time ran out. Grey quickly twisted out to an escape from his opening down position in the second, and with two more takedowns was up, 9-1. With one more takedown, and 2:59 in riding time, Grey won a 15-2 major decision. Sophomore Corey Manson faced Frank Higgin of Franklin & Marshall at 141 to start his second EIWA tournament. Manson grabbed a takedown with 23 seconds off the clock. He went up 12-1 before pinning his opponent in 3:41. In the quarters, Manson took on the No. 1 seed Corey Jantzen of Harvard. Jantzen took a quick lead in the first with a takedown and racked up 2:30 in riding time. Manson got to his feet from his opening down position in the second and peeled Jantzen's hands away to make his escape. With a little under a minute left in the period, Manson nearly had a takedown but the ref whistled for the duo being at the edge of the mat. Jantzen chose to start the third down and Manson cut him loose. Manson almost notched another takedown again, but the pair was deemed off the mat. The Big Red wrestler earned a takedown with one minute left to tie the score, but with so much riding time in favor of the Harvard grappler, Manson cut him loose. Manson looked to have a takedown with time running out, but the buzzer sounded and with 2:45 in riding time, Jantzen won a 5-4 decision. In the consolation round, Manson won 7-4 over Adam Healy of Bucknell. After having a bye in the first round, sophomore DJ Meagher took on the No. 2 seed Bryce Saddoris of Navy. Saddoris notched an early takedown and went on to lead 11-4 after two periods. Meagher never stopped attacking, but wasn't able to make up ground and lost a 16-5 major decision. In the consolation round, Meagher won a 17-8 major over East Stroudburg's Scott Heckman. Returning NCAA Jordan Leen sprung to action from the opening whistle at 157 pounds in his bout against ESU's Ken Monarque. He notched a takedown with only 11 seconds off the clock and quickly titled his competition towards his back. Leen won by fall in 2:09. In the quarterfinals, Leen faced Brown's Bryan Tracey. Leen went up 4-0 after the first period with a takedown and a two point nearfall. Tracey chose to start the second at neutral and with 10 seconds off the clock earned another takedown. Leen started racking up points in the second and third and with 3:35 in riding time, won a 20-5 tech fall. No. 1 ranked Mack Lewnes faced Penn's Andrew Coles in the first round at 165 pounds. Lewnes opened with a low single to a takedown with 20 seconds off the clock to take a quick lead. He notched one more takedown in the first period to take a 4-1 advantage into the second. Lewnes cut Coles loose 30 seconds into the second, and countered a shot by the Penn wrestler for another takedown. Lewnes quickly escaped from his opening down position after spinning out at the whistle. The Big Red wrestler was close to a major decision, but Coles escaped with seconds ticking off the clock. Lewnes won a 12-5 decision. In the quarterfinals, Lewnes squared off against East Stroudsburg's Thad Thick. Lewnes kept shooting at his opponent, but Thick continued to counter to evade his clutches. With time running out in the first, Lewnes went up 4-0 with a takedown and a two-point nearfall. Thick chose to start the second period down but could not escape for the entire two minutes. Lewnes chose to start the third down and quickly escaped. He grabbed a takedown and worked to turn his opponent to his back. Lewnes picked up his first pin of the weekend in 6:25 to advance to the semifinals. Senior Steve Anceravage took on East Stroudsburg's Justin Herbert in the quarterfinals at 174 pounds. Anceravage notched the only two points of the first with a takedown. The Big Red wrestler grabbed another takedown into the third period. Anceravage cut Herbert loose to start the third period and started to rack up points with takedowns. Anceravage advances to the semis with a 13-4 major decision. At 184 pounds, sophomore Justin Kerber squared off against Columbia's Kenji Porter. Kerber took an 8-0 lead after the second with two takedowns, an escape and a nearfall. Kerber powered his way to a 12-2 major decision to earn bonus team points for Cornell. In the quarterfinals, Kerber took on Brown's Matt Gevelinger. Kerber took a 2-0 lead into the second after grabbing a takedown. The Big Red wrestler grabbed two more points with a reversal to start the second and notched another takedown before the period was over. Kerber notched enough points in the third to win an 11-3 major decision. After having a bye in the first round, freshman Cam Simaz faced Shane Mallory of ESU at 197 pounds in the quarterfinals. Midway through the first period, Simaz took control of the match and never looked back. He was up 6-1 after the first, and lengthened his lead to 12-3 after the second. The rookie continued to rack up points until he won a 21-5 tech fall in 6:44. After a scoreless first period, heavyweight Zach Hammond was down 0-1 to American's Quinton Pruett after he escaped from his opening down position. Hammond tied the match with an escape of his own in the third. With the match tied at one all, the match went into sudden victory. Midway through Hammond caught Pruett and quickly turned him. With two back points, Hammond won a 5-1 decision. In his second match of the day, Hammond faced No. 2 seeded Zach Rey of Lehigh. Rey notched a takedown in the first and had a 3-0 lead with an opening escape in the second. Hammond notched his only point of the match with an escape in the third. Rey won a 3-1 decision. After a scoreless first period in his consolation match, Hammond and Navy's Tyler Moyer were tied at 1-1 after regulation. In sudden victory, Moyer had one of Hammond's legs and was looking to sweep him to the mat for a takedown. Hammond muscled his way out and notched a takedown of his own to win a 3-1 decision. The semifinals will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

GREELEY, Colo. -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team captured its 24th straight regional title and six Panthers earned automatic berths into the 2009 NCAA Championships at the NCAA West Regional held in Butler-Hancock Hall on the University of Northern Colorado campus on Saturday. UNI's Trent Washington (141 lbs.), Trevor Kittleson (149 lbs.), Moza Fay (165 lbs.), Alex Dolly (184 lbs.), Andrew Anderson (197 lbs.) and Christian Brantley (285 lbs.) earned automatic berths to the NCAA Championships, which will be held March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo. The Panthers crowned four champions and Kittleson was the Panthers' only second-place finisher to earn the nod to St. Louis and the Scottrade Center. Finals Redshirt freshman Trent Washington (Omaha, Neb.) earned his first trip to the NCAA Championships by winning the 141-pound title. Washington scored a takedown in the first period and a reversal in the second period to go along with a riding time point in a 5-3 win over Kenny Hashimoto (UNC). Junior Tyson Reiner (Mitchell, S.D.) dropped the 157-pound title match to Justin Gaethje (UNC), 6-4. Reiner trailed 5-2 just into the third period and nearly completed the comeback as he tallied a takedown with 57 seconds left and the released Gaethje. Gaethje was hit with a stalling warning but Reiner could not secure the final takedown in the closing seconds. Senior Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) captured his third straight West Regional title by winning the 165-pound title with a 19-8 major decision over Alex Rieder (Wyoming). Fay's two victories moved him into a tie for seventh place on the Panthers' all-time wins list with 115 career wins. Fay is tied with Gary Steffensmeier (1988-1992). Senior Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.) earned his fourth trip to the NCAA Championships with a second-place finish at 184 pounds. Dolly lost a 6-2 decision to Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) in the 184-pound title match, but 184 pounds was a weight that the West Regional was awarded two automatic bids into the NCAA Championships. Senior Andrew Anderson (Sioux City, Iowa) secured his fourth trip to the NCAA Championships by winning the 197-pound regional title. Anderson captured the crown with a 3-1 victory over Tyler Sorenson (SDSU). Redshirt freshman Christian Brantley (Homewood, Ill.) won the heavyweight regional title with a 7-5 victory over Jason Stripling (SDSU). It is Brantley's first trip to the NCAA Championships. Brantley's win also secured the team title for the Panthers as UNI edged Wyoming, 94.0-92.5. Following the finals matches, UNI's Trevor Kittleson wrestled for a berth into the NCAA Championships as he wrestled a true-second match against Ryan Adams (NDSU). Kittleson scored a 7-6 victory over Adams and will advance to the NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. Consolation Finals Redshirt freshman Cruse Aarhus had to settle for fourth place at 125 pounds following a 7-6 loss to No. 3-seeded Justin Solberg (NDSU). The difference in the match proved to be a riding time point for Solberg. True freshman Steven Fitzgerald secured third-place honors at 133 pounds following a 10-7 victory over Derek Gillespie (Air Force). Fitzgerald scored the early takedown and added a two-point nearfall to take a 4-0 lead in the match. Gillespie gained a reversal to cut the margin in half midway through the first period. Fitzgerald took a 7-4 lead into the third period. Sophomore Trevor Kittleson had to work overtime to get a shot at true second place when he tallied a 4-2 sudden victory over Chase Smith (Wyoming). The match was scoreless through two periods, but Kittleson did ride out Smith in the second period. Kittleson escaped with 1:34 left in the match to take a 1-0 lead. Then Kittleson appeared the win the match at the buzzer, but the referees huddled and determined Smith was to be credited with a takedown prior to the buzzer sounding. So Kittleson took matters into his own hands in the sudden victory period by notching a takedown for the victory. No. 1-seeded Jarion Beets (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) finished his first regional tournament with a fourth-place finish in the 174-pound bracket. Beets fell to Scott Elliott (SDSU) in the third-place match, 6-5.

Chesapeake, VA -- The Hofstra Pride captured their eighth straight Colonial Athletic Association title on Saturday, winning the CAA Championships with 106.5 total points and six NCAA Automatic Qualifiers. Old Dominion finished second for the third straight year with 86.5 total points, while Rider nipped at third with 57.5 points. The conference will send 20 automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament in two weeks, including the six from Hofstra, five from Old Dominion, four from Rider, two from George Mason (including the CAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, 174 pound champ Bagna Tovuujav) and one each from Boston University, Binghamton and Drexel. The NCAA committee will meet on Monday and release the remaining at-large bids on Wednesday, March 11. The Hofstra Pride maintained its streak of consecutive CAA titles since joining the league in 2002, winning by 20 points at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. Hofstra had three champions, tying Old Dominion for the most at the tournament. In all, eight number one seeds won the title at their weight class, with only two upsets. The first was Most Outstanding Wrestler Bagna Tovuujav, who posted a sudden victory win over Hofstra's top seeded and 9th ranked senior Alton Lucas in the finals. Hofstra's Paul Gillespie was another terrific story at the 2009 CAA Championships. As a six seed, Gillespie beat the number three, number two and the top ranked wrestler at his weight to win the 149-lb weight class. Old Dominion junior Jesse Strawn also had an exciting day on the mats for the Monarchs, wrestling back in the consolation bracket. In his first match of the day, against Rider's Mike Miller, Strawn and Miller were tied with just ten seconds remaining in regulation when Strawn not only got the takedown, but got Miller on his back and scored a pin with just one second remaining. Strawn then had to face Hofstra's Joe Fagiano in the third/fourth place matchup and was trailing the whole match before reversing Fagiano with just seconds remaining to win by one, 5-4 and guarantee his second trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Colonial Athletic Association will be well-represented at the 2009 NCAA Tournament in St. Louis, Mo., as 13 of the 20 qualifiers were either the one or two seed at their weights. Eleven of the automatic qualifiers are nationally ranked, including eight in the current Top Ten, according to the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll.

The Lindenwood men's wrestling team proved they are the class of the NAIA winning their third straight national championship, the Lion's fifth title since 2002. The Lions finished with 167 points, the first three-peat champion since Montana State-Northern in 2000. Southern Oregon finished second with 121.5 points and McKendree climbed to third with 113 points. Missouri Valley, Notre Dame, Dickinson State and Campbellsville rounded out the Top Seven in the tournament. Lindenwood's Matt Cauley, the reigning 174 pound national champion, has some new hardware to display. Cauley won the Gorriarian Award for the outstanding wrestler of the year and NAIA-NWCA wrester of the year in the NAIA National Championship in Oklahoma City. Lindenwood Head Coach Joe Parisi took home his third coach of the year award and his fifth championship since taking over the reigns at Lindenwood's wrestling program. Lindenwood brings three national champions back with them to St. Charles: Matt Cauley (174), Ray Stephens (133) and Jeremy Powell (157) all can claim to be the best in their weight classes. Finishing second for the Lions were Sam Schmitz (149) and John Murray (165). Rounding out the All-Americans: Chris Chionuma (165), Jon Lloyd (133) and Ryan Moyer (149) earned fifth place honors in the tournament. Day Three Stephens successfully defended his national championship with a major decision over Southern Oregon's Trevor Lofstedt by a score of 19-9. Using his quickness and veteran savvy Stephens out maneuvered Lofstedt with a series of takedowns and reversals. The only points Loftsted earned were escape points. Cauley also successfully defended his national championship winning by pin over Missouri Valley's Alex McKinney. Cauley barely broke a sweat earning a pin victory in 2:50. Prior to the pin, he earned eleven points consisting of four takedowns and one near fall. Cauley pinned three opponents and had one winning decision in the tournament. Powell upset top ranked Joe Cornejo from Missouri Valley with a 5-1 decision in the 157 pound championship. Powell was close to pinning Cornejo but failed to gain complete control. The only scoring came in the first round where Powell scored a takedown and near fall. Murray fell to third-ranked Aaron Winning by pin in the finals. Murray had a pin, two major decisions and decision to claim second-place. Schmitz went 4-1 and earned runner-up in his weight clas. His only loss came in the championship match against Matt Burns from Grand View. Schmitz wrestled beautifully in Oklahoma City earning two tech falls and two decisions. After being pinned in his first match, Lloyd proved that turn about was fair play when he pinned his opponent. Chionuma fell in close decision in his first match of the day 3-2. He bounced back and earned a major decision against Dickson State's Stanton Schlecht 13-3. After dropping his first match, Moyer earned eight quick points with a takedown and two near falls in the first round. After that he simply wore down Missouri Valley's Brian Graham for the two remaining rounds. The former national champion's knee had been nagging at him for the entire tournament; if not for that he might have been able to defend his national championship. Day Two Recap The Lions have five wrestlers still in the hunt for a championship. Matt Cauley (174), Ray Stephens (133), Sam Schmitz (149), Jeremy Powell (157) and John Murray (165) all were victorious in the semifinals. Powell collected another pin today after winning his quarterfinal match by a 3-2 decision. He has three pins in the tournament. The 133 pound semifinal featured Lindenwood's Stephens and Jon Lloyd battling it out to make the finals. The first round was a stalemate with the two grapplers fighting for any edge they could. Stephens broke out in the second earning eight points to Lloyd's three. A Stephens' pin then ended the match. Schmitz used his raw aggression combined with skillful finesse to move on to the finals. Schmitz was down 4-1 before taking down Missouri Valley's Brian Graham twice. Schmitz scored a near fall good for three points and won the match 8-4 by decision. Cauley won by major decision defeating Northwestern's Tom Eaton 19-9. He defeated Oklahoma City's Dillion Blackmon by pin in the quarterfinals. Murray defeated teammate Chris Chionuma (165) by decision. Lloyd, Chionuma and Ryan Moyer (149) compete in the consolation round tomorrow. Brian Oechsner (157), Alptekin Oziclic (141) and Neil Kemp (184) won both matches in the consolation round before falling in the next round, all by one point. Elliot Martin (125) was eliminated by pin. Day One Recap Lindenwood has eight wrestlers move on to the quarterfinals in the first day of action. Ray Stephens (133), Jon Lloyd (133), Ryan Moyer (149), Sam Schmitz (149), Jeremy Powell (157), and John Murray (165) all won two matches, while Chris Chionuma (165) and Matt Cauley (174) each won once after a first-round bye. Powell had the best day collecting two pins and Schmitz ended his matches early with technical falls. Stephens and Murray each had one fall and one major decision, Cauley had a pin, and Moyer had a major decision. Elliot Martin (125), Alptekin Oziclic (141), Brian Oechsner (157), and Neil Kemp (184) all won their first matches of the day before falling. All four losses were close decisions in low scoring matches.

CEDAR RAPIDS -- When it comes to winning NCAA Division III wrestling championships, Wartburg College head coach Jim Miller never gets tired of the feeling it invokes. "We're very excited," the 18th year head coach of the Knights said Saturday, March 6, after his 2008-09 team successfully defended what the 2007-08 crew had done just one year before. "(This team) overcame a little bit of adversity during the year, and it came down to the fact that everyone bought in into what we trying to tell them." "Along individual lines, it's very gratifying to see a young man like Justin Hanson win his national championship," he added. "I'm so proud of (Justin) and Aaron Wernimont. It's great to see their hard work pay off like that." Wernimont, concluding his unbeaten string at 80 matches and seeing his senior season wrap up at 44-0, received a strong match from Olivet's Jason Brew. A third period escape proved to be the difference in a 2-1 win. "It's a great feeling," he said of becoming a two-time national champion. "It's also great to share this weekend with this team." Hanson, winning his first national title, produced a 7-3 win over North Central College of Illinois' Gabe Youel. "This is awesome," Wartburg's first 165-pound champion said. "It was a total team effort, though. The guys who came back earlier today and got third place showed a lot of dignity and laid it on the line for the team." Senior 141-pounder Zach McKray of Iowa City nearly made it a three-for-three championship round. However, St. John's University of Minnesota's Myanganbayar Batsukh held off the bid with a 5-2 decision. The Orange and Black increased their string of consecutive national championships with two-or-more individual titlists to seven. Wartburg closed its second straight national championship and seventh since 1996 with 117.5 points, 12.5 more than runner-up Augsburg College of Minnesota. Miller and assistant coach Eric Keller gained National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year award winners.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- It might not have been prettiest Session 2 on Saturday night for defending Big Ten and NCAA champion Iowa Hawkeyes at the 2009 Big Ten Championships, but it was good enough to keep the Hawkeyes as the clear leader heading into Sunday's competition. Tom Brands (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Iowa sent nine wrestlers into the semifinals, but posted a losing record, 4-5, in the semifinal round. The Hawkeyes have accumulated 115 points and lead second-place Illinois by 25 points. "We had kind of had a let off," said Brent Metcalf, who advanced to the finals with a 16-4 victory over Wisconsin's fourth-seeded Kyle Ruschell. "It looks like it's going to end up like it was last year … and that's not progress. We need progress. It's up to me to get it going. Hopefully we can finish it the way it needs to be done for the rest of our bouts." In addition to Metcalf, three other Hawkeyes advanced to the finals: No. 3-seeded Ryan Morningstar at 165, No. 3-seeded Phil Keddy at 184, and No. 1-seeded Daniel Erekson at heavyweight. Morningstar scored a mild upset over second-seeded Colt Sponseller of Ohio State to advance to the finals. He'll take on No. 1-seeded Andrew Howe, a freshman at Wisconsin. Howe needed overtime to defeat fifth-seeded Luke Manuel of Purdue, 6-4. Phil Keddy (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Keddy, seeded No. 3 at 184, toppled defending Big Ten and NCAA champion Mike Pucillo, the No. 2-seed, for the first time in his career. The Hawkeye junior scored a takedown and nearfall points in the first tiebreaker period to win 5-2. "Overtime, you got to step it up," said Keddy. "You never stop wrestling until the match is over. That's why I lost to him in the quarterfinals at the NCAAs. That's been stuck in my head for a long time. Fifteen seconds left, you got to go to your go-to hold. That's what happened and it turned out in my favor." Keddy will now face 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert of Northwestern, who won 6-1 over fourth-seeded Jordan Blanton of Illinois to advance to the finals. Keddy is 0-2 against Herbert this season, losing by scores of 15-1 (December 29) and 3-2 (February 22). Erekson, seeded No. 1 at heavyweight, won 6-4 over fourth-seeded John Wise of Illinois to advance to finals. Mike Poeta (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Illinois, who sits in second place with 85 points, has only one finalist: No. 1-seeded Mike Poeta at 157. Poeta, the defending Big Ten champion, was pushed by No. 4-seeded Tyler Safratowich of Minnesota, but prevailed 8-5. Despite the win, Poeta was clearly frustrated after the match. "He got an early score right away," said Poeta, who was the NCAA runner-up at 157 last season. "That was the first time I was scored on this year. I was mad that he scored on me. I was offended. Screw him for even thinking he can. I just tried to put a lot of points on the board after that. But it's frustrating when a guy stays away from you for seven minutes." Wisconsin sits in third place with 83 points, but tied Iowa for having the most finalists with four. The four Badgers who advanced to the finals were Howe, No. 1-seeded Zach Tanelli at 141, No. 1-seeded Dallas Herbst at 197, and No. 3-seeded Kyle Massey at heavyweight. Tanelli, who moved up from 133 to 141 this season, knocked off defending NCAA champion J Jaggers of Ohio State, 3-1, in the semifinals. "I feel good," said Tanelli, who will face Michigan's Kellen Russell in the 141-pound finals. "I've got one match left in this tournament. I want to finish out this tournament strong. You know, I'm just competing. I'm trying to compete. Let the chips fall where they may. Hopefully I come out on top. I want to win this tournament. But ultimately, I'm two weeks out from my goal. That's what I'm focused on. This is just a tune up." Michigan is in fourth place with 77.5 points and has three finalists: Russell, No. 1-seeded Steve Luke at 174, and No. 2-seeded Tyrel Todd at 197. Quentin Wright (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Host Penn State finished Day 1 in fifth place with two finalists: No. 1-seeded Bubba Jenkins at 149 and No. 6-seeded Quentin Wright. Wright, a true freshman, pulled the biggest upset of the tournament and brought the crowd to its feet when he upset No. 2-seeded Jay Borschel of Iowa, a returning All-American, 11-10. The long and lanky Wright converted on two early double leg takedowns on Borschel, which built his confidence and energized the crowd, which helped propel him to the victory. "I can look up there and hear them scream," said Wright. "It's just that they believe in me that I can do it. It just gives me that extra energy, that extra shot, whenever I need to get off the bottom, to do it. I want to thank the fans for it." Related Content: Rev Audio: 2009 Big Ten Championships, Day 1 Updated Brackets Pick 'Em Contest Standings

RevWrestling.com provided a running blog for Session 1 of the 2009 Big Ten Championships from the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University. The most recent updates are listed at the top. Session 1 includes the preliminary and quarterfinal matches. RevWrestling will be providing a session recap and audio interviews after tonight's semifinals. 2:08 pm EST: Thanks for joining us for Session 1 at the 2009 Big Ten Championships! RevWrestling.com will be providing a session recap and audio interviews after tonight's semifinal action. Session 2 begins at 6 p.m. EST. 2:04 pm EST: Iowa leads the team race with 81 points and nine wrestlers in the semifinals. Illinois is in second with 53.5 points. Wisconsin (47), Penn State (38), and Ohio State (37) round out the top five. 2:00 pm EST: Tonight's semifinal matches are as follows: 125: No. 1 Brandon Precin (Northwestern) vs. No. 4 Brad Pataky (Penn State) No. 2 Charlie Falck (Iowa) vs. No. 3 Angel Escobedo (Indiana) 133: No. 1 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) No. 2 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) vs. No. 6 Jake Strayer (Penn State) 141: No. 1 Zach Tanelli (Wisconsin) vs. No. 5 J Jaggers (Ohio State) No. 2 Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. No. 3 Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa) 149: No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin) No. 2 Bubba Jenkins (Penn State) vs. No. 6 Andrew Nadhir (Northwestern) 157: No. 1 Mike Poeta (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Tyler Saftratowich (Minnesota) No. 2 Jason Welch (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Kurt Kinser (Indiana) 165: No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) vs. No. 5 Luke Manuel (Purdue) No. 2 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) 174: No. 1 Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. No. 5 John Dergo (Illinois) No. 2 Jay Borschell (Iowa) vs. No. 3 Quentin Wright (Penn State) 184: No. 1 Jake Herbert (Northwestern) vs. No. 4 Jordan Blanton (Illinois) No. 2 Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Phil Keddy (Iowa) 197: No. 1 Dallas Herbst (Wisconsin) vs. No. 5 Patrick Bond (Illinois) No. 2 Tyrel Todd (Michigan) vs. No. 3 Chad Beatty (Iowa) 285: No. 1 Daniel Erekson (Iowa) vs. No. 4 John Wise (Illinois) No. 2 Ben Berhow (Minnesota) vs. No. 3 Kyle Massey (Wisconsin) 1:54 pm EST: In the final match of Session 1, Minnesota's No. 2-seeded Ben Berhow looked solid in a 10-3 victory over seventh-seeded Eddie Phillips of Michigan at heavyweight. 1:52 pm EST: It was a workman-like victory for Wisconsin's third-seeded Kyle Massey, who defeated sixth-seeded Corey Morrison, 6-0, at heavyweight. 1:46 pm EST: No. 2-seeded Tyrel Todd of Michigan, wrestling with a wrapped leg, showed no signs having an injured knee when he pinned seventh-seeded Logan Brown of Purdue. 1:44 pm EST: Iowa's third-seeded Chad Beatty looked good in his 11-5 victory over sixth-seeded Matt Powless of Indiana at 197 pounds. 1:42 pm EST: No. 1-seeded Dallas Herbst of Wisconsin was up only 1-0 with just under a minute to go in his match against Northwestern's John Schoen, but scored a takedown with 48 seconds left to go up 3-0, which is how the match finished 1:40 pm EST: Patrick Bond of Illinois scored a takedown at the end of the secord period against Minnesota's Gordon Bierschenk to go up 3-0. But Bierschenk appeared to tweak his knee and was forced to take an injury timeout. Bond won 5-2. 1:32 pm EST: Michigan's sixth-seeded Anthony Biondo was game against Iowa's third-seeded Phil Keddy at 184 pounds, but couldn't score the upset, losing 6-3. 1:29 pm EST: Mike Puicillo of Ohio State looked like a man on a mission when he cradled and pinned Nick Palmieri of Michigan State at 184 pounds. 1:23 pm EST: At 184 pounds, No. 1-seeded Jake Herbert of Northwestern wasted little time in pinning Eric Cameron of Indiana. 1:20 pm EST: Indiana's Trevor Perry scored a controversial takedown on the edge of the mat with 18 seconds left in the match to go ahead of Quentin Wright of Penn State by a score of 4-2. But the resilient Wright never gave up, picking up an escape,and scoring the winning takedown as time expiried. The Bryce Jordan Center crowd goes crazy as Wright advances to the semifinals. 1:18 pm EST: No. 1-seeded Steve Luke of Michigan converted several leg attacks into takedowns to defeat Michigan State's Ian Hinton by a score of 12-4, at 174 pounds. 1:12 pm EST: Iowa's Ryan Morningstar, seeded No. 3, held on to win by a score of 3-2 over Penn State's sixth-seeded Dan Vallimont. The Penn State faithful was calling for a stalling call to no avail. Iowa coach Tom Brands barked at the Penn State worker who didn't throw the towel immediately as time expired. 1:08 pm EST: Wisconsin's top-seeded Andrew Howe, bounced back from a sluggish first-round match to score a 7-2 victory over No. 8-seeded Rex Kendle of Michigan State at 165 pounds. 1:02 pm EST: Great match between No. 3-seeded Lance Palmer of Ohio State and No. 6-seeded Andrew Nadhir of Northwestern at 149 pounds. The match was 7-7 after regulation. Palmer was in on a deep shot in overtime, but couldn't finish. In double overtime, Nadhir rode out Palmer, then scored a reversal and won 9-8. Palmer nearly scored the winning takedown as time expired, but wasn't awarded the points. A frustrated Palmer, a returning All-American, shoved Nadhir after time expired. No. 2-seeded Bubba Jenkins of Penn State won 7-3 over No. 7-seeded Nick Walpole of Indiana. 12:52 pm EST: No. 1-seeded Mike Poeta of Illinois scored early and often and dominated Wisconsin's Ben Jordan, 20-4, at 157 pounds. 12:48 pm EST: It was a wild match at 149 pounds between No. 4-seeded Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin and No. 5-seeded Jake Patacsil of Purdue. Ruschell led 2-0 after one period. But Patascil, who is a monster on top, scored nearfall points twice in the second period to grab the lead. Ruschell scored a reveral at the end of the second period to go back on top by a score of 6-5. Patacsil scored a takedown to go back on top, before Ruschell scored a reversal and put Patacsil on his back to win 11-7. No. 1-seeded Brent Metcalf of Iowa picked up a first period pin over Eric Terrazas of Illinois. 12:40 pm EST: The quarterfinal round goes from bad to very bad for Minnesota as No. 4-seeded Mike Thorn of Minnesota get dominated by No. 5-seeded J Jaggers of Ohio State, 12-3, at 141 pounds. Jaggers, the defending NCAA champion, put Thorn on his back early and cruised to the victory. 12:35 pm EST: No. 2-seeded Franklin Gomez of Michigan State defeated Zach Stevens of Michigan at 133 pounds. Gomez will now face Strayer in the semifinals. 12:33 pm EST: No. 6-seeded Jake Strayer of Penn State picked up a huge victory, 3-2, over No. 3-seeded Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois at 133 pounds. Strayer scored a crucial go-ahead takedown at the end of the second period and rode Kennedy hard in the third period. It appeared the Kennedy might get the winning reversal with seconds left, but the referee didn't award the points. The Illinois coaches were livid. 12:28 pm EST: Not a good quarterfinal round so far for Minnesota. No. 4-seeded Jayson Ness lost 11-4 to Ohio State's fifth-seeded Reece Humphrey at 133 pounds. Humphrey jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, putting Ness to his back, and cruised to the victory. 12:20 pm EST: Brad Pataky of Penn State, seeded No. 4, edged No. 5-seeded Zach Sanders, 8-5, at 125 pounds. Sanders mounted a comeback after falling behind early, but it was too little too late. It was the rubber match between the two wrestlers. Sanders pined Pataky at the National Duals, but Pataky won the second meeting by a score of 14-7. 12:17 pm EST: Northwestern's No. 1-seeded Brandon Precin handled Michigan's State's Eric Olanowski, 11-0, at 125 pounds. 12:13 pm EST: At 125 pounds, defending NCAA champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana, seeded No. 3, manhandled Purdue's Matt Fields, winning 16-3, in the first quarterfinal result. 12:06 pm EST: Iowa's top-seeded Daniel Erekson pinned Alan O'Donnell of Michigan State at heavyweight. Erekson was winning 4-2 at the time of the pin. 12:03 pm EST: John Wise of Illinois, seeded No. 4, pinned Cameron Wade of Penn State with three seconds left in the match. Wise was winning at the time of the pin. 12:00 pm EST: At 184 pounds, Minnesota's Sonny Yohn scored a 7-3 upset over No. 5-seeded AJ Kissel of Purdue. 11:57 am EST: Iowa's third-seeded Phil Keddy dominated Jack Decker of Penn State, 19-5, at 184 pounds. 11:51 am EST: At 174 pounds, Iowa's Jay Borschel, seeded No. 2, defeated Wisconsin's Travis Rutt by a score of 6-1, while No. 8-seeded Ian Hinton of Michigan State defeated Matt Everson of Minnesota, 6-3. 11:46 am EST: At 174 pounds, No. 3-seeded Quentin Wright got the Penn State State faithful on its feet when he used a spladle to pin Nicholoas Corpe of Purdue. 11:41 am EST: At 165 pounds, No. 6-seeded Dan Vallimont of Penn State won 7-2 over Dominic Marella of Northwestern. No. 7-seeded Paul Young of Indiana shut out Justin Zeerip of Michigan, 3-0. 11:38 am EST: Colton Salazar of Purdue avenged a loss to Jason Johnstone, winning 12-10 at 157 pounds. Johnstone, who is seeded No. 5, won their February 8 meeting by a score of 13-3. 11:36 am EST: Northwestern's Jason Welch, seeded No. 2, topped Tim Darling of Penn State, 7-2, at 157 pounds. 11:30 am EST: At 165 pounds, Wisconsin's top-seeded Andrew Howe survived a scare at 165 pounds, winning 4-3 over Minnesota's Scott Glasser. Howe tied the match at 3-3 with a takedown with just over a minute to go. He added a riding-time point, which proved to be the difference. 11:21 am EST: At 141 pounds, in a battle of New Jersey natives, Michigan's Kellen Russell cruised to a 10-2 victory over Penn State's Frank Molinaro. 11:20 am EST: In double overtime at 141 pounds, No. 6-seeded Keith Sulzer of Northwestern picked up three nearfall points, and added an escape point, to win 10-6 over Juan Archuleta of Purdue. 11:20 am EST: No. 4-seeded Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin wasted little time in pinning Minnesota Joe Grygelko at 149 pounds. 11:15 am EST: Iowa's No. 1-seeded Brent Metcalf overwhelmed Michigan State's David Cheza, pinning him in the first period at 149 pounds. 11:10 am EST: Both Franklin Gomez of Michigan State and Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois picked up pins at 133 pounds. Gomez pinned Matt Ortega of Indiana, while Kennedy pinned Tom Kelliher of Wisconsin. 11:08 am EST: At 125 pounds, Minnesota's Zach Sanders, seeded No. 5, won 11-5 over Wisconsin's Drew Hammen, while Purdue's Matt Fields upset No. 6-seeded Nikko Triggas of Ohio State, 8-3. 11:07 am EST: At 133 pounds, No. 5-seeded Reece Humphrey of Ohio State picked a pin over Eric Metzler of Northwestern. 11:05 am EST: Eric Olanowski of Michigan State pulled a mild upset when at 125 when he pinned No. 8-seeded BJ Futrell of Illinois in the third period. Olanowski was leading 5-2 at the time of the pin. 11:00 am EST: We are underway at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University. Thanks for joining us!

The Lindenwood men's wrestling team are close to securing a third straight NAIA National Championship, the Lions lead the championship with 147 points. Southern Oregon is in second with 107.5 points and Missouri Valley falls to third with 103 points. McKendree and Dickinson round out the top five in the tournament. Day Two Recap The Lions have five wrestlers still in the hunt for a championship. Matt Cauley (Fort Zumwalt) (174), Ray Stephens (133), Sam Schmitz (149), Jeremy Powell (157) and John Murray (165) and all were victorious in the semifinals. Powell collected another pin today and won his first match 3-2 by decision. He has three pins in the tournament. The 133 pound semifinal featured Lindenwood's Stephens and Jon Lloyd battling it out to make the finals. The first round was a stalemate with the two grapplers fighting for any edge they could. Stephens broke out in the second earning eight points to Lloyd's three. A Stephen's pin ended the match. Schmitz used his raw aggression combined with skillful finesse to move on to the finals. Schmitz was down 4-1 before taking down Missouri Valley's Brian Graham twice. Schmitz scored a near fall good for three points. He won the match 8-4 by decision. Cauley won by major decision defeating North Western's Tom Eaton 19-9. He defeated Oklahoma City's Dillion Blackmon by pin in the quarterfinals. Murray defeated teammate Chris Chionuma (165) by decision. Lloyd, Chionuma and Ryan Moyer (149) compete in the consolation round tomorrow. Brian Oechsner (157), Alptekin Oziclic (141) and Neil Kemp (184) won both matches in the consolation round before falling in the second round, all by one point. Elliot Martin (125) was defeated by pin. Eight Lions moved on to the semifinals earlier in the day. Ray Stephens (133), Jon Lloyd (133), Ryan Moyer (149), Sam Schmitz (149), Jeremy Powell (157), John Murray (165), Chris Chionuma (165) and Matt Cauley (174). Day One Recap Lindenwood has eight wrestlers move on to the quarterfinals in the first day of action. Ray Stephens (133), Jon Lloyd (133), Ryan Moyer (149), Sam Schmitz (149), Jeremy Powell (157), and John Murray (165) all won two matches, while Chris Chionuma (165) and Matt Cauley (174) each won once after a first-round bye. Powell had the best day collecting two pins and Schmitz ended his matches early with a technical fall. Stephens and Murray each had one fall and one major decision, Cauley had a pin, and Moyer had a major decision. Elliot Martin (125), Alptekin Oziclic (141), Brian Oechsner (157), and Neil Kemp (184) all won their first matches of the day before falling. All four losses were close decisions in low scoring matches. Powell and Stephens both won by pin, Cauley won by major decision. The remaining Lions wrestle tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. with the consolation matches. The championship round begins at 6:30 p.m.

Event: UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine Date: March 7, 2009 Venue: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio) Saturday night brings another UFC event to Columbus, Ohio. Let's take a look at the card. Quinton "Rampage" JacksonIn the main event, light-heavyweight, Keith "The Dean of Mean" JARDINE (14-5-1) is coming off a split decision victory over Brandon Vera. And a devastating beating that he took at the hands (and feet) of Wanderlei Silva. He was also overwhelmed and KO'd by Houston Alexander. Yet, he's cut down Chuck Liddell and upset Forrest Griffin. That's the problem. He's incredibly inconsistent. He will have his hands full with former champion Quinton "Rampage" JACKSON (29-7), whose dehydration and mental meltdown last year make him a mystery to figure out as well. For Jardine to win, he will need to be persistent and relentless with his kicks, as he was against the Iceman, effectively keeping his opponent away. I don't see that happening, as I think Rampage will unleash his fury early and end the bounty-hunter's night early with a second-round KO, as he positions himself once again for a UFC title shot. Take JACKSON and lay the juice @-320. The public is pounding the favorite and driving the betting line upward. In an interesting match-up of heavyweight sluggers, Shane CARWIN (10-0) is the very popular underdog with a perfect record, ending each of his fights in the very first round! His mission will be to show if he is ready for the likes of one Gabriel "Napao" GONZAGA (10-3), who is best known for decapitating Mirko Cro-Crop with a vicious kick to the head. This is a real matchup of crowd-pleasing fighters. And, this one ain't going to the judges scorecards! Though Carwin is known as a powerful wrestler, he usually stands and brawls. Gonzaga's best shot is on the ground where his far superior jiu-jitsu skills will take over. Take GONZAGA @ -170 to win by second- round submission by rear-naked choke. Two fighters fighting to stay in the UFC are matched up in a questionable main card appearance. Welterweight, Matt BROWN (11-7), brings an aggressive, well-rounded fight game to the octagon. He seems to be in every fight, but wins only slightly more than he loses. Same with his opponent, Pete "Drago" SELL (8-5), another brawler who likes to push the pace. This fight should have lots of action. Take BROWN as a slight underdog @ +115 to do enough to win a close decision. In what is a wrestler's dream, rising UFC newcomer, and former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Mark "The Philippine Wrecking Machine" MUNOZ (5-0) meets Matt "The Hammer" HAMILL (7-2) in a light-heavyweight battle. Hamill opened as a -250 favorite, but the public quickly bet on Munoz, who still stands at a tempting +140 underdog. I like Hamill's experience and improved striking techniques, but I also like the value offered with Munoz, and the fact that he is seen by Dana White as a quick and rising star in order to get main card exposure like this. A win over Hamill would go a long way towards rewarding that confidence. Take MUNOZ @ +140 to upset Matt Hamill with a shocking chicken-wing-to-a-pin move that leads to a third-round ground-and-pound TKO. Former Michigan State All-American, lightweight Gray MAYNARD (7-0-1) brings his undefeated record into the Octagon to be tested by Jim MILLER (13-1). The answer to tonight's winner can be found in Frankie Edgar, whose only loss was to Maynard, and who also gave Miller his only loss! If form holds true. Maynard will use his brute strength to overpower a feisty Miller who will be frantically looking for submission holds to end his misery. Take MAYNARD @ -165 to beat Miller by second-round armbar submission. On the undercard: Take welterweight Tamden "the Barncat" McCRORY (11-2) @ -290 to use his lanky body and reach advantage to frustrate UFC newcomer, Ryan "the Lion" MADIGAN (5-0). If he doesn't get his 1st round KO, he will end it in the second- round with a guillotine choke submission. Take middleweight, Kendall "Da Spyder" GROVE @ -185 to also use his distance advantage to score a decision over Jason "Dooms" DAY (17-6). Take light-heavyweight Brandon "The Truth" VERA (9-3), @ -500 to put his opponent, Michael PATT (15-3), away early with some vicious Muay Thai knees to the head. This is my one "bridge jump" play of the night. Take Big Tim "The Barbarian" BOETSCH (8-2) @ -130 to shove Jason BRITZ (16-1-1) against the cage and unload his relentless arsenal of fists and elbows to score a first-round KO of his startled opponent. … and take energetic and experienced Aaron RILEY (27-10-1) @ -200 to outscore an overmatched Shane NELSON (12-3) and win a decision. So, now let's put our handicapping to the test and see what we can do with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll … ready? Let's go big on Rampage Jackson. We'll lay $192 to win $ 60. Easy money. Lay $102 to win $60 on Gabriel Gonzaga. Let's lay $70 to win $98 on Mark Munoz. Let's lay $40 to win $46 on Matt Brown. Let's lay $99 to win $60 on Gray Maynard. Lay $116 to win $40 on Barncat McCrory. Lay $111 to win $60 on Kendall Grove. Lay $ 65 to win $50 on Tim Boetsch. Lay $100 to win a Jackson ($20) on Brandon Vera's bridge jump. Lay $100 to win $50 on Aaron Riley. That's it. In summary, we are laying $995 to win $544. Let's donate the remaining $5 and our winnings to our local youth wrestling programs! Enjoy the fights. I know I will. More later. The UFC Monster

LINCOLN -- Official seedings for Saturday's Big 12 Wrestling Championship were announced by the league office tonight. Seedings are finalized by a vote of the conference coaches and are based on head-to-head competition against Big 12 opponents, highest-ranked common opponents and current national rankings. Six NU wrestlers earned a top-three seed to avoid the pigtail round, including junior Jordan Burroughs (157) and Vince Jones (184) at No. 1. The two natives of Sicklerville, N.J., both enter the Big 12 Championship undefeated in conference action. Craig Brester (197) and Brandon Browne (174) are No. 2 seeds, while Robert Sanders (149) and Stephen Dwyer (165) earned the third seed in their respective weight class. A full list of the final seedings is below. Doors to the NU Coliseum open at 10 a.m. with the pigtail round set to begin at 11 a.m. and semifinals at noon. The second session commences at 4 p.m. with consolation matches, while the finals start at 7 p.m. Tickets can still be purchased at the door. All-session packages are $20 for reserved seating or $15 for general admission, while single-session tickets are $12 for reserved and $8 for general admission. 2009 Big 12 Championship Official Seedings: 125 Pounds 1. Joey Fio – OU 2. Obenson Blanc – OSU 3. Tyler Clark – ISU 4. Troy Dolan – MU 5. Andy Pokorny – NU 133 Pounds 1. Nick Fanthorpe – ISU 2. Chris Notte – OSU 3. Brian Shelton – OU 4. Matt Vacanti – NU 5. Todd Schavrien - MU 141 Pounds 1. Marcus Hoehn – MU 2. Nick Gallick – ISU 3. Jamal Parks – OSU 4. Seth Vernon – OU 5. Curtis Salazar – NU 149 Pounds 1. Kyle Terry – OU 2. Mitch Mueller – ISU 3. Robert Sanders – NU 4. Andrew Sherry – MU 5. Luke Silver – OSU 157 Pounds 1. Jordan Burroughs – NU 2. Michael Chandler – MU 3. Cyler Sanderson – ISU 4. Robert Erisman – OSU 5. Chad Terry – OU 165 Pounds 1. Nick Marable – MU 2. Jon Reader – ISU 3. Stephen Dwyer – NU 4. Brandon Mason – OSU 5. Ryan Smith – OU 174 Pounds 1. Raymond Jordan – MU 2. Brandon Browne – NU 3. Newly McSpadden – OSU 4. Jeff James – OU 5. Duke Burk – ISU 184 Pounds 1. Vince Jones – NU 2. Jerome Ward – ISU 3. Pat Flynn – OU 4. Dorian Henderson – MU 5. Chris McNeill – OSU 197 Pounds 1. Jake Varner – ISU 2. Craig Brester – NU 3. Max Askren – MU 4. Clayton Foster – OSU 5. Eric Lapotsky – OU Heavyweight 1. David Zabriskie – ISU 2. Mark Ellis – MU 3. Jared Rosholt – OSU 4. Tucker Lane – NU 5. Nathan Fernandez – OU

The pre-seeds have been released for the 2009 EIWA Championships. 125: 1. Troy Nickerson CORNELL (Jr 16-0) 112 2. Rollie Peterkin Penn (Jr 18-4) 98 3. Derek Reber BUCKNELL (Fr 27-9) 84 4. Thomas Williams AMERICAN (Fr 18-12) 69 5. Prescott Garner NAVY (Fr 25-12) 57 6. Lance Penhale ARMY (Jr 23-12) 42 7. Greg Einfrank BROWN (So 11-7) 24 8. John McDonald LEHIGH (Fr 8-8) 7 9. Matt Fusco RUTGERS (Fr 18-12) 6 10. Kevin Tao COLUMBIA (Fr 16-11) 5 David Luthy ESU (So 5-19) Robert Benitez PRINCETON (Sr 3-22) 133: 1. Joe Baker NAVY (Sr 11-0) 112 2. Mike Grey CORNELL (So 20-7) 98 3. Matt Fisk LEHIGH (Jr 22-6) 84 4. David Marble BUCKNELL (Jr 24-8) 70 5. Bryan Ortenzio Penn (So 20-13) 55 6. Jasen Borshoff AMERICAN (So 16-10) 40 7. Whitt Dunning ARMY (Sr 17-13) 27 8. Thomas Picarsic HARVARD (Sr 8-5) 15 9. Matt Swallow ESU (Sr 17-11) 3 Eli Harris BROWN (Sr 8-11) Ross Baldwin BROWN (Sr 4-6) Andrew Grabfelder COLUMBIA (Fr 13-11) Matt Murray F&M (Fr 4-18) Mike DeMarco RUTGERS (So 12-18) 141: 1. Corey Jantzen Harvardvard (So 11-1) 112 2. Seth Ciasulli LEHIGH (Jr 20-8) 98 3. Rick Rappo Penn (Sr 15-6) 79 4. Trevor Melde RUTGERS (Fr 22-7) 73 5. Matt Mariacher AMERICAN (Fr 17-10) 56 6. Stephen DeLorenzo BROWN (So 16-6) 40 7. William Simpson ARMY (Sr 14-4) 18 8. Corey Manson CORNELL (So 7-12) 13 9. Matt Pagan NAVY (Jr 16-13) 12 10. Adam Healey BUCKNELL (Fr 17-18) 3 Matt Michaels ESU (Fr 0-3) Frank Higgin F&M (Fr 4-12) 149: 1. Matt Kyler ARMY (Jr 36-4) 112 2. Bryce Saddoris NAVY (So 36-5) 96 3. Trevor Chinn LEHIGH (Sr 25-7) 83 4. Cesar Grajales Penn (Sr 23-7) 63 5. Kyle Borshoff AMERICAN (So 24-4) 60 6. Kevin LeValley BUCKNELL (So 25-10) 47 7. D. J. Meagher CORNELL (So 13-8) 29 8. Walter Peppelman HARVARD (Fr 19-11) 10 9. Scott Heckman ESU (Sr 14-14) 3 10. Kellen Bradley RUTGERS (Jr 18-12) 1 Dave Foxen BROWN (So 10-16) Nick Standish COLUMBIA (So 8-7) Al Gianforti F&M (Sr 11-19) Daniel Kolodzik PRINCETON (Fr 9-11) 157: 1. J. P. O'Connor HARVARD (Jr 26-2) 111 2. Jordan Leen CORNELL (Sr 20-2) 99 3. Matt Dragon Penn (Jr 23-5) 81 4. Scott Winston RUTGERS (Fr 34-6) 73 5. Joel Ahern NAVY (Sr 26-12) 54 6. Marty Everin PRINCETON (Sr 16-10) 43 7. Derek Sickles COLUMBIA (Jr 24-12) 20 8. Sean Bilodeau LEHIGH (Fr 14-13) 12 T9. Patrick Graham AMERICAN (Fr 18-15) 4 T9. Bryan Tracy BROWN (Jr 14-14) 4 11. Rudy Chelednik ARMY (So 18-16) 3 Scott Sechler BUCKNELL (So 9-13) Ken Monarque ESU (Fr 5-5) Matt Gittleman F&M (Jr 0-12) 165: 1. Mack Lewnes CORNELL (So 31-0) 112 2. Andy Rendos BUCKNELL (Jr 25-5) 98 3. Mike Galante LEHIGH (Jr 24-5) 84 4. Matt Pletcher RUTGERS (Sr 29-9) 65 5. Matt DeMichiel NAVY (So 27-15) 59 6. Zack Shanaman Penn (Sr 9-6) 43 7. Eren Civan COLUMBIA (So 15-9) 29 8. Christopher Stout AMERICAN (Jr 9-8) 10 9. Thad Frick ESU (Fr 11-7) 4 Brian Rowan ARMY (Sr 1-2) Jeff Lemmer BROWN (Fr 3-6) Andrew Bongarzone F&M (So 13-15) Bryan Panzano HARVARD (Fr 2-12) Andy Lowy PRINCETON (Fr 10-10) 174: 1. Mike Cannon AMERICAN (Jr 26-0) 108 2. Steve Anceravage CORNELL (Sr 25-3) 102 3. Scott Giffin Penn (So (14-7) 84 4. Luke Rebertus NAVY (Fr 32-7) 69 5. Alex Caruso LEHIGH (So 15-7) 49 6. Shane Riccio BUCKNELL (Jr 27-13) 46 7. Justin Herbert F&M (Sr 21-9) 26 8. Michael Whalen RUTGERS (Sr 20-13) 17 9. Ryan Mergen ARMY (Jr 19-10) 3 Bran Crudden BROWN (So 7-9) Mike Wolfer COLUMBIA (Jr 10-17) Jeff Jacobs ESU (Fr 13-16) Andy Olsen HARVARD (So 4-3) Travis Erdman PRINCETON (So 11-18) 184: 1. David Craig LEHIGH (Jr 21-4) 110 2. Louis Caputo HARVARD (Jr 26-4) 100 3. Justin Kerber CORNELL (So 28-8) 84 4. Casey Caldwell NAVY (Sr 29-11) 63 5. David Thompson BUCKNELL (So 18-12) 61 6. Matt Gevelinger BROWN (Sr 21-10) 42 7. Colin Hitschler Penn (Sr 13-11) 24 8. Kurt Brendel PRINCETON (Fr 15-11) 17 T9. Kenji Porter COLUMBIA (Sr 8-12) 1 T9. James Schulz F&M (Sr 7-11) 1 T9. McPaul Ogbonna RUTGERS (So 12-16) 1 Andy Semple AMERICAN (Jr 1-6) John Drew ARMY (Sr 9-8) Eddie Ebewo ESU (Fr 8-9) 197: 1. Richard Starks ARMY (Jr 30-6) 112 2. Cam Simaz CORNELL (Fr 30-8) 98 3. Joe Kennedy LEHIGH (Fr 20-11) 83 4. Phillip Neese NAVY (Sr 21-21) 65 5. Andy Silber AMERICAN (Sr 19-10) 59 6. Thomas Shovlin Penn (Jr 14-7) 43 7. Shane Mallory ESU (Jr 19-8) 17 8. Louis Miller COLUMBIA (Jr 17-10) 16 9. Branden Stearns BROWN (Jr 13-14) 7 10. Karim Mahmoud RUTGERS (Jr 11-18) 4 Nathan Jones BUCKNELL (Fr 8-18) Colin Ely F&M (Fr 10-15) Sean Murphy HARVARD (Fr 3-15) Zach Morse PRINCETON (Sr 3-17) 285: 1. Ryan Flores COLUMBIA (So 27-3) 106 2. Zach Rey LEHIGH (Fr 19-3) 104 3. Trey McLean Penn (Sr 17-7) 84 4. Chris Birchler ESU (Jr 19-4) 68 5. Michael Sprigg ARMY (Sr 28-11) 54 6. Zach Hammond CORNELL (Sr 14-10) 39 7. D. J. Russo RUTGERS (So 27-12) 29 8. Zach Zdrada BROWN (Sr 13-12) 19 9. Nico Somers F&M (Sr 13-12) 1 Quinton Pruett AMERICAN (Sr 8-14) Andrew Knapp HARVARD (Jr 4-10) Tyler Moyer NAVY (Sr 7-12) Stephen Turne PRINCETON (Fr 1-11)

THIS WEEK The top-ranked Hawkeyes will vy for their 33rd conference team title at the 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The event will be hosted by Penn State University, March 7-8, at the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park, PA. CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Following is the Big Ten Championships event schedule. Times are Central. Session- Day - Time (CT) - Competition Session I - Saturday - 10 a.m. - Through quarterfinals and consolation 1st round Session II - Saturday - 5 p.m. - Through championship semifinals and up to the consolation semifinals Session III - Sunday - 11 a.m. - Consolation semifinals, followed by 7th place matches. Championship, 3rd, and 5th place matches for each weight will start at 1 p.m. TICKET INFORMATION All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students/youth. Fans can purchase tickets from the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office at 814-865-5555. IOWA WRESTLING POST-SEASON MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands will take part in a pre-Big Ten championships press conference Friday, March 6 at 1:30 p.m. (CT) at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center Media Room. Ohio State Head Coach Tom Ryan and Penn State Head Coach Troy Sunderland will also take part in the press conference. Brands will meet with the Iowa media Tuesday, March 10 at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Press Room at 3:15 p.m. (CT) to discuss Iowa's performance at the Big Ten Championships, and the upcoming NCAA Championships. The Press Room is located on the arena's ground floor. Hawkeye wrestlers and the rest of the coaching staff will be available for interviews and photo opportunities in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex practice room following the press conference. BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS Brackets and team standings will be available throughout the tournament at www.bigten.org and www.gopsusports.com. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC and www.hawkeyesports.com. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year). Television - The Big Ten Network will air a live broadcast of Sunday's finals at 1 p.m. (CT). Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and Ken Chertow will call the action. Internet - Press releases, meet results and audio broadcasts are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. THREE HAWKEYES EARN TOP BIG TEN PRE-SEEDS Three Hawkeyes earned top preliminary seeds for this weekend's Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Penn State. Conference officials announced the preliminary seeds, which are determined by a vote of conference head wrestling coaches after consideration of regular-season results. The official Big Ten Championships brackets will be set on Friday. Five different schools are represented as No. 1 seeds in the 10 weight classes. Iowa and Wisconsin lead the way with three top seeds, while Northwestern features two wrestlers atop the preliminary seeding chart. Overall, of the 10 No. 1 seeds, nine rank among the top three in the nation in the latest USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Poll. Hawkeye juniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) earned the top pre-seeds at their respective weight classes. Metcalf brings a 29-0 record to the tournament and is on a 61-match winning streak. The defending Big Ten champion at 149 pounds, he was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Wrestler of the Championships in 2008. Dennis enters the tournament with a 25-2 record and has won his last 10 matches. Erekson is 18-6 this season. The other top pre-seeds are Zach Tanelli (141), Andrew Howe (165) and Dallas Herbst (197) from Wisconsin, Brandon Precin (125) and Jake Herbert (184) from Northwestern, Michael Poeta (157) from Illinois and Steve Luke (174) from Michigan. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck (125) and junior Jay Borschel (174) each earned the second seed at their respective weight classes, while senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and juniors Ryan Morningstar (165), Phillip Keddy (184) and Chad Beatty (197) are seeded third. NCAA QUALIFIERS The Big Ten Conference is alloted 61 automatic qualifiers for the 2009 NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 19-21 in St. Louis, MO. The breakdown of qualifers per weight class is as follows: 125-7, 133-6, 141-7, 149-5, 157-7, 165-8, 174-6, 184-6, 197-4, Hwt. 5. The Hawkeyes advanced nine qualifiers in 2008. After all of the national qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 52 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class. HAWKEYES EARN BIG TEN TITLE, GO 24-0 The Hawkeyes earned their second straight Big Ten regular season title Feb. 22 when they defeated Northwestern, 34-13, in Evanston,IL, going undefeated (24-0, 8-0 Big Ten) in dual competition for the 2008-09 season. It was the first time the Hawkeyes posted an undefeated season since 1999-2000, and the team ended the regular season on a 37-match winning streak. The school record for consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97). The current streak ranks second in school history. The Hawkeyes have posted 12 undefeated and untied seasons in school history, and the 2009 season produced the most victories ever. 2008 BIG TEN REVIEW - METCALF, IOWA WIN BIG TEN TITLES The top-ranked Hawkeyes came back with a strong second-day performance to win their 32nd Big Ten team title at the conference championships in Minneapolis, MN. The Hawkeyes scored 127 points, while runner-up Minnesota tallied 112.5. Sophomore Brent Metcalf became Iowa's 101st Big Ten Champion when he won the 149-pound title. The Hawkeyes qualified nine wrestlers to the 2008 NCAA Championships. It was the first time Iowa had advanced nine competitors since 2004 when it qualified its entire 10-man lineup. Iowa nearly swept the post-meet team awards as Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, and Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Metcalf is the third Hawkeye to earn both honors in the same season. Former Hawkeyes Tom Brands (1989), Terry Brands (1992) and Mark Ironside (1997) also accomplished the feat. Brands is the third Hawkeye coach to earn the annual Big Ten honor. Former Hawkeye Head Coaches Dan Gable (1993, 1995, 1996) and Jim Zalesky (2000, 2004) also earned the honors for Iowa. Metcalf, who is the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, earned his first Big Ten title when he defeated two-time Big Ten champion and two-time all-American Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, 5-3. It was the first collegiate meeting between the two. The Hawkeye sophomore scored his 30th season and career win and extended his winning streak to 27 matches with the decision over Schlatter, who was ranked third in the country. Schlatter scored the first takedown, but Metcalf countered with two escapes to tie the score at 2-2 after two periods. Schlatter escaped to start the third period, but Metcalf was awarded a point when the Golden Gopher junior was given his second stall warning of the match to tie the match at 3-3. Metcalf secured the win by scoring a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the bout. Metcalf scored 24 team points at the two-day tournament, which was the most of all 110 competitors. Senior 165-pounder Mark Perry wrestled in his fourth Big Ten finals match, but came up short in defending his 2007 conference title. Perry lost a 3-2 decision to Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum. Perry, was the nation's top wrestler at 165. Hawkeye senior Matt Fields (Hwt.) and sophomores Joe Slaton (133), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) helped the team win its first conference title since 2004 when they wrestled back for third place at their respective weight classes. Fields won both of his Sunday matches in the tiebreak overtime, picking up his 90th career victory in the third-place match. Junior Charlie Falck placed fourth at 125 and sophomore Dan LeClere placed fifth at 141. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar picked up his 20th season win when he posted a 6-1 decision over Purdue's Nick Bertucci to place seventh at 157 and automatically advance to the NCAA meet. BIG TEN RECORDS Iowa holds records in five of seven Big Ten Championship categories. The Hawkeyes hold records for most individual champions in one tournament (9 in 1983), most consecutive team titles (25 from 1974-98), most falls by a team in one tournament (12 in 1979), largest victory margin (118.5 points in 1983) and fastest fall in all matches (Bart Chelesvig's 23-second pin over Illinois' Keith Bolman in 1992). The Hawkeyes have won the most Big Ten team titles (32) and crowned the most individual champions (182). Seven of the Big Ten's 10 four-time conference champions were Hawkeyes, and Iowa has had 18 of the conference's 47 three-time champions. BIG TEN HONORS The Iowa wrestling team has earned several individual Big Ten honors since they were initiated in 1986. Thirteen Hawkeyes have been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, eight have been named Wrestler of the Championships and four have been named Freshman of the Year. Only two Hawkeyes (Mark Ironside, 1996-97-98 and Royce Alger, 1987-88) have earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors more than once. Three of Iowa's head coaches (Dan Gable, Jim Zalesky and Tom Brands) have earned conference Coach of the Year honors a combined six times. Three Hawkeyes - Ed Banach (1983), Barry Davis (1985) and Brent Metcalf (2008) have been named Jesse Owens Big Ten Conference Male Athlete of the Year. A total of seven wrestlers have been named Iowa's Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year and eight were named Iowa's Conference Medal of Honor winners. WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS For dates and more information about 2009 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com. HAWKEYES SET ATTENDANCE RECORD Iowa set the national collegiate dual meet attendance record of 15,955 when it hosted #2 Iowa State Dec. 6 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The previous record of 15,646 was set Feb. 1, 2002, when Minnesota hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes won the Iowa State dual, 20-15. HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 852-215-30 (.790) in 97 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 21 national titles and 32 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 49 NCAA champions have won a total of 76 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 14 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 101 Big Ten champions have won a total of 182 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 135 all-Americans have earned all-America status 273 times, including 17 four-time, 27 three-time and 33 two-time honorees. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Jared Frayer earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 11 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.858). UP NEXT The top-ranked Hawkeyes will vy for their 22nd NCAA team title at the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships, March 19-21, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. The Scottrade Center was the site for the NCAA meet in 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2008. The NCAA, University of Missouri and the St. Louis Sports Commission will co-host the event. Sessions I (11 a.m.) and II (6:30 p.m.) will be held Mar. 19, sessions III (10 a.m.) and IV (6 p.m.) will be Mar. 20, and session V (9:30 a.m.) and the championship finals (5:30 p.m.) are set for Mar. 21. Sessions III and V will be aired live on ESPNU, session IV will be shown live on ESPN2 and ESPNU and the championship finals will be aired live on ESPN. ticketmaster.com. All-session tickets are priced based on seat location. The price breakdown is as follows: Plaza - $150, Mezzanine Center & Mezzanine Corner (1st 2 rows) - $120, Mezzanine Corner & Mezzanine End (1st 2 rows) - $95, Mezzanine End - $60.

Jeff Pratt of Nashville, Tenn. has been selected as the Leadership Board Chairman for FCA Wrestling, the new national sports ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Pratt's leadership role was approved and endorsed by the special task force for FCA Wrestling. He will begin immediately in helping form the new volunteer Leadership Board which will ultimately oversee the program. With a strong background in wrestling, ministry and leadership within the FCA, Pratt brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to his new post. "It is time to roll our sleeves up and get to work," said Pratt. "I have a saying with my wrestling team about strapping our shoes on. That time has come for FCA Wrestling. We will be able to instill values in young people. FCA Wrestling on the national level will be able to do just that." The task force, chaired by USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, was formed in September and tasked to recruit a national leadership board to oversee the program. The selection of Pratt as Leadership Board Chairman for FCA Wrestling will be followed by announcements of the leaders who have agreed to serve alongside Pratt on the leadership board. Pratt currently serves as the Director of Student Ministry Training and Events for LifeWay Christian Resources, located in Nashville, Tenn. where he as served since 2006. He has previously been a camp speaker, guest lecturer and teacher in various seminary and college classes on the topic of student ministry He has served in a number of ministry positions since his career began in 1988. He served as Bi-vocational Pastor with Green Level Baptist Church. He was the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Gray, Ga. and Perryville Baptist Church in Perryville, Ky. Pratt was also student minister at Shirley Hills Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Ga. and South Garland Baptist Church in Garland, Tex., as well as church planner/pastor for Long Branch Baptist Chapel in Dahlonega, Ga. Pratt received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1992. He received a bachelor's degree in recreation from Carson-Newman College in 1986. Pratt competed in wrestling at Carson-Newman, where he earned All American honors and represented the USA on an NAIA All-Star team in 1985 in Greece, Paris and Yugoslavia. "My passion for this project involves my personal experience of coming to Christ," said Pratt. "I became a Christian through wrestling. I went to Carson Newman for college. I went there to wrestle. Carson Newman was close to my home and offered me a scholarship. On my team, there was a gentleman who loved the Lord and was a testament for Christ. He showed me what it meant to be a Christian. I came to Christ on January 11, 1985. Prior to that, the wrestlers on our team were often rowdy. Many of the wrestlers became Christians and were saved. In just one semester, eight of the guys became Christians. It showed us the power of coming to Christ. God was transforming our lives. Many of those wrestlers are now in fulltime ministry. That is my story and that is what drives my life. Wrestling is such a big part of all of this." Pratt is the head wrestling coach at Donaldson Christian Academy in Nashville, Tenn. for the second year. He has served as a volunteer coach in the communities where he has lived, and has helped start wrestling programs there. For example, he worked with 1988 Olympian Nate Carr to get wrestling started in Gray, Ga. when he lived there. FCA Wrestling became the eighth national sports ministry for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. FCA National Sports Ministries focuses on ministry to a community of people who are united around a particular sport by providing opportunities to serve athletes and coaches in that particular sport. "My involvement with FCA began as a college student. Before becoming a Christian, my exposure to the Bible came through FCA activities on my campus. Once I got out of college, the more I got involved in student ministry, I found FCA was a great way to get connected to students at the youth level," said Pratt. Once the Leadership Board for FCA Wrestling is established, it will be tasked to hire a national director, and begin fundraising for the new ministry of FCA Wrestling. Pratt is very excited about the many leaders who are stepping forward to serve on the Leadership Board. "To me, one of the most exciting things is the level of involvement and commitment of our Leadership Board, which is now being formed," said Pratt. "Outstanding people who are actively involved in wrestling are stepping forward. God is doing great work. Those who are stepping forward are amazing people. When wrestling coaches and athletes see our Board when it is completed, there will be a ton of credibility for this program. As a group, we will have the opportunity to influence coaches, and they will have the opportunity to influence their athletes, not just in wrestling but in life." Pratt was married to Julie Renee Lay in 1986, and they have three children, Cole, Madison and Alec. He spends most of his spare time raising his three children, hunting ducks, and occasionally playing a round of golf. FCA Wrestling is expected to name its Leadership Board members during the next few weeks.

It is ironic that the first article I write for RevWrestling.com is about a wrestler from the Naval Academy. My grandfather, Glenn "Frank" Johnson, trained pilots in Pensacola, Florida during World War II for the Naval Academy. He passed away due to complications from pneumonia just a few months ago. My first RevWrestling.com story is for my grandfather. If you have spent any amount of time in or around wrestling you know what kind of a grind it is on a wrestler's body. People in and around wrestling know it also takes an enormous toll on a wrestler mentally. Even when things go well, the struggle to get in shape, make weight, grind through practices and perform on the mat, even when the body is 100 percent is too much for most people. Wrestlers are not most people. 2008 All-American Joe Baker from the United States Naval Academy is not most wrestlers. As Baker prepares for his final run toward the NCAA Championships, he will have done so by the shear will and determination he has inside. Joe BakerBaker didn't even start wrestling until he was in sixth grade. A friend of his convinced him to try it. "I didn't really want to wrestle," said Baker. "I was little. I weighed maybe 60 pounds. He kind of forced me into it." Even as Baker's wrestling career was starting, even if he didn't know it, he was displaying the mental toughness he would need as his career in wrestling would continue. "I didn't win a single match the first two years, but by eighth grade it took off." Baker didn't really know why he stuck with wrestling though the two winless seasons. He kept going mostly because all his friends were doing it. Baker attended high school in Poway, California … and his high school had one of the most successful wrestling programs in the state. Baker remembers going into the high school wrestling room and seeing the Wall of Fame. It was filled with all the past champions from the conference level up to the state level. After looking up at that wall Baker said, "I remember thinking I didn't care where, but I wished I had my name somewhere up there." After two years of struggling to get even one win, Baker made up for lost time. He wrestled on the junior varsity his freshman year and went undefeated. By the end of his sophomore season he was wrestling in the California State High School Wrestling Tournament. It was at that point that Baker "realized I could be good." As a junior he placed fourth at state and as a senior he solidified his spot on the wall by winning a state championship. To go from no wins just a few years earlier to a state champion didn't happen overnight. Baker didn't have an ahh ha moment. "It was just little steps. (Improvement) slowly came about." One man that took notice of Baker was the head coach at the Naval Academy, Bruce Burnett. After seeing Baker on tape, and knowing what it took to win that title at the end of his senior year, Burnett knew he might have found a gem. Joe Baker defeated Ohio State's Reece Humphrey at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic in Columbus, Ohio (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"I knew he was mentally tough," said Burnett. "He won the California state championship on a bad ankle." Turns out, it was a perfect match. Burnett wanted him, but more importantly Baker wanted to come to Navy. Baker's father is a career Navy man. Currently he serves as the chief engineer on one of the Navy's aircraft carriers. Even so, young Joe "just always wanted to go to the Naval Academy. It is the only college I applied to." He had offers to wrestle other places, but he said, "I've always wanted to fly planes." Young athletes who decide to compete at the Division I level at one of the military institutions are already not like most athletes. Baker, the RevWrestling.com's eighth-ranked wrestler at 133 said, "You don't go to Navy to just wrestle. You have a job. You are in the military and you are going to go serve your country. A lot of guys are a year or two away from combat, so it is a different mindset." With that known up front, Baker and all other military athletes have to be ready for a different athletic experience. "This institution is here to get you ready to serve," said the 12-0 Baker, "not necessarily to wrestle. It's a struggle to find time to get your workouts in and do what you have to do to compete at a DI level, but still do what the Academy needs you to do. It's rewarding, though. I don't regret anything." Moving all the way across county, Baker brought to the Midshipmen an aggressive offensive wrestler who is a good rider, but an exceptional takedown machine. "I feel I can take down anyone," said Baker. "Whenever I have wrestled, I've been able to do that. Even when I've lost I've taken people down." Bruce BurnettCoach Burnett described his 133-pound senior as someone with "great athletic ability. He has fast-twitch muscles that are coiled like a spring -- ready to just pop." The only problem with those tightly coiled muscles is that they have often popped -- the wrong way. In just his four years in college, Baker has had to overcome a M.A.S.H. list of injuries. He has had surgery on his ankle, on both shoulders, on his knee, and he has had a broken pelvis. Baker has refused to let the injuries keep him down. "It happens," said Baker. "Twelve years of wrestling will break your body down. It's just learning how to get up and doing what you can to prevent it or make the recovery time shorter. When I am out I do everything I can to speed up the recovery time and when you do get back to prevent hitting the brick wall -- the shocking change getting your body back in wrestling shape. Wrestling is a lot different than running." Baker said one of the biggest challenges is repeatedly having to "build momentum and getting your body into shape. Your body kind of stalls out so you have to get your body back and your timing down." The number of comebacks Baker has had to make has challenged him more than any opponent ever could. "It's extremely frustrating", said Baker. "I can't tell you how many times I've been on the verge of freaking out. Why does this keep happening? Things happen for a reason, I can't complain. You just can't let it bother you. You just have to get up and do it again. You can't feel sorry for yourself. It's not going to get any better if you don't get up and do something about it." Even after all the injuries, including an October knee surgery and an injured quad shortly after that, Baker keeps coming back. "I'm a competitive person," said Baker. "I like seeing where I am at. I like winning and the competition. I am proud to say I am a wrestler." Joe Baker is ranked No. 8 in the country at 133 pounds by RevWrestling.com (Photo/Navy Sports Information)He will get a final chance to find out where he is at as his senior season winds down and the EWL Championships and NCAA Championships begin. The coach and the wrestler both think he is ready. "Joe is hitting his stride," said Burnett. "That's important because he has been hurt and it's been a process for him to get back. But I saw it when he had his match with Steven Bell from Maryland. Truly he shouldn't have been wrestling a guy of that caliber at that time. He wasn't ready, but he made it work. He just willed himself to win and kept wrestling. The only points Bell scored were off of Joe's shots." "I think I am better than I was last year at this time," said Baker. "I know I can be Eastern champ again. I know I can do much better than I did last year at Nationals. I'm in good shape and have been wrestling well. I've worked as hard as I could, so what happens happens." Whatever happens in the next couple of weeks for Baker will not change what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future. After overcoming everything he has on the mat, he will be going to Pensacola, Florida to start flight school. After two or three years of flight training, Baker will become an active part of a squadron. The military is not for most people. It takes a level of commitment most people are not willing to reach. Joe Baker is not most people. He has displayed that kind of commitment and determination that is perfect for our county. Baker has shown what it takes to overcome and become an All-American wrestler. With all he has overcome, there is no doubt as he moves into the next phase of his life that he knows what it takes to protect and serve all Americans.

Wartburg College head wrestling coach Jim Miller and WIN Magazine editor Mike Finn will be radio show guests this week "On the Mat." Jim Miller's Wartburg Knights (IA) have enjoyed tremendous success in his 19 years at the helm. Under Miller's guidance, Wartburg has won six NCAA Division III championships, 17 consecutive Iowa Intercollegiate Wrestling Conference titles and over 130 straight duals in the IIAC. Wartburg is currently ranked second in the nation behind arch rival Augsburg College (MN) heading into this weekend's national tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As an athlete, Miller won two NCAA Division II titles as a UNI Panther and was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. Mike Finn is the editor of WIN Magazine, considered by many the best wrestling publication on the market. Finn does a terrific job covering wrestling at the high school, collegiate and international levels and is one of wrestling's most respected journalists. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 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.

The Eastern Wrestling League Tournament finals will be televised and available in over 40 million homes. Below is a schedule with dates and stations that will cover the two-hour event.

The mobile Brute Adidas studios will hit the road Friday and then will prepare for Saturday morning at 9:05 AM the voices of Steve Foster and Scott Casber will present this tough tournament in its entirety free of charge to our listeners. Our Thanks go to Brian Smith and the Tigers of the University of Missouri, Iowa State University's Cyclone Wrestling Club and Livesportsvideo.com. America's Wrestling Radio Show will present a complete presentation of the 2009 Big 12's Live from Lincoln, Nebraska. Who will win? Will ISU Repeat? Will the Tigers present an early surprise to the conference? Will the Cowboys Rise again? Will the Sooners continue their phenomenal season? Will the Huskers come alive and dominate at home? Tune in and find out. This Saturday at 9:05 CST on Takedownradio.com

Fullerton, Calif. -- Two will pack their bags for St. Louis at the end of the month for the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships, held at the Scottrade Center from March 19-21. Senior Heinrich Barnes (Pretoria, South Africa) and redshirt freshman Kelly Kubec (Lake Stevens, Wash.) both finished second at the 2009 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships, concluding Monday evening. Oregon State finished second to defending champion, Boise State (172.5), with 128.0 team points. The Beavers had three second place finishes, two third placers, one fourth, three fifth and one seventh, edging out Cal State Bakersfield, who finished with 124.5 points. "We lost two matches today because our wrestlers didn't wrestle, and we were on the edge in those matches," head coach Jim Zalesky said. "But we got two qualifiers in, so that's good, but we have two on the bubble and that's not the situation you want to be in to let a selection committee making the decision on whether you're in." After securing the automatic bid on Sunday, Kubec finished second to top-seeded Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State. A controversial opening takedown by Hochstrasser set the tone for the match. Kubec, who competed through most of the beginning of the season with a knee injury, tweaked it again on the initial takedown, but held on to keep Hochstrasser from earning bonus points. Barnes struggled against Jason Chamberlain of Boise State in the championship match. Barnes scored first and seemed to be in control, but Chamberlain battled his way back, forcing the bout into overtime. Unable to score in the sudden death minute, Barnes was unable to escape with Chamberlain making his way out to take the 6-5 decision. Wrestling for true second, Barnes returned to true form, pinning Barrett Abel of UC Davis in 2:27 to totally secure the second automatic bid for St. Louis and the 2009 NCAA Championships. Sophomore Jon Brascetta (Aurora, Colo.) finished according to his seeding in fourth, unable to score against No. 3 Lucas Espericueta of Stanford in a 5-0 final. And junior Keegan Davis (Salem, Ore.) took the third place matchup over No. 5 Joseph Granata of Cal State Bakersfield in an 11-6 decision. Senior Kyle Bressler (Federal Way, Wash.) wrestled his way to third place and a shot at an at-large NCAA bid, winning his third overtime match this season. Bressler defeated Ryan DesRoches, 6-4. In the heavyweight championship match of the night, redshirt freshman Clayton Jack (Vacaville, Calif.) took the early lead 2-0 before top-seeded Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield tied things up at three points. Monteiro tallied the one-point escape in the beginning of the third period to take the heavyweight title. In the true second place match, Jack was unable to hold off Ricky Alcala of UC Davis, falling 11-6. In the Beavers' first match of the day, senior Jake Gonzales (Enumclaw, Wash.) fell in a highly controversial bout. Gonzales looked to have a takedown with just seconds remaining in the third period but was not awarded the points as time expired. Gonzales, a four seed at 125 pounds, fell to seventh-seeded Brian Owen from Boise State, despite controlling the tempo throughout most of the match. Brascetta advanced to the third place match on a major decision over sixth-seeded Joseph Wilson of UC Davis at 157 pounds. Brascetta racked up 10 points, allowing only a pair of escapes to Wilson. Davis followed closely behind Brascetta, earning his second major decision of the tournament over seventh-seeded Bryan Cantrell of Portland State. Davis racked up the points quickly with an 18-7 final. At 174 pounds, Bressler advanced on a 12-3 major decision. Bressler racked up the final five points he needed on a takedown and three-point near fall over No. 4 Todd Noel of Cal State Fullerton as time expired. After the end of the consolation semifinals, Oregon State was in second place with 117.0 total team points, edging out Cal State Bakersfield by 4.5 points. During placement matches, Gonzales defeated Micah Ferguson of Cal Poly in overtime with a reversal, winning 3-1. Gonzales finished the tournament fifth at 125 pounds. Sophomore Brice Arand (Springfield, Ore.) and redshirt freshman Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore.) both picked up extra team points for the Beavers, finishing fifth at 184 and 197 pounds. Arand pinned Jake Meredith of Arizona State in 4:33, while Hanke earned the win on a medical forfeit. Wrestling will head to St. Louis, Mo., next for the 2009 NCAA Championships beginning on March 19.

The pre-seeds have been released for the 2009 Big Ten Championships. 125 lbs. 1. Brandon Precin, NU 2. Charlie Falck, IOWA 3. Angel Escobedo, IND 4. Brad Pataky, PSU 5. Zachary Sanders, MINN 6. Nikko Triggas, OSU 7. Michael Watts, MICH 8. Bernard Futrell, ILL 133 lbs. 1. Daniel Dennis, IOWA 2. Franklin Gomez, MSU 3. Jimmy Kennedy, ILL 4. Jayson Ness, MINN 5. Reece Humphrey, OSU 6. Jake Strayer, PSU 7. Zac Stevens, MICH 8. Carson Beebe, PUR 141 lbs. 1. Zach Tanelli, WIS 2. Kellen Russell, MICH 3. Alex Tsirtsis, IOWA 4. Mike Thorn, MINN 5. J Jaggers, OSU 6. Keith Sulzer, NU 7. Ryan Prater, ILL 8. Andrae Hernandez, IND 149 lbs. 1. Brent Metcalf, IOWA 2. Bubba Jenkins, PSU 3. Lance Palmer, OSU 4. Kyle Ruschell, WIS 5. Jake Patacsil, PUR 6. Andrew Nadhir, NU 7. Nick Walpole, IND 8. Eric Terrazas, ILL 157 lbs. 1. Michael Poeta, ILL 2. Jason Welch, NU 3. Kurt Kinser, IND 4. Tyler Safratowich, MINN 5. Jason Johnstone, OSU 6. Aaron Hynes, MICH 7. Anthony Jones, MSU 8. Ben Jordan, WIS 165 lbs. 1. Andrew Howe, WIS 2. Colt Sponselier, OSU 3. Ryan Morningstar, IOWA 4. Roger Smith-Bergsrud, ILL 5. Luke Manuel, PUR 6. Dan Villamont, PSU 7. Paul Young, IND 8. Rex Kendle, MSU 174 lbs. 1. Steve Luke, MICH 2. Jay Borschel, IOWA 3. Quentin Wright, PSU 4. Dave Rella, OSU 5. John Dergo, ILL 6. Trevor Perry, IND 7. Robert Kellogg, NU 8. Ian Hinton, MSU 184 lbs. 1. Jake Herbert, NU 2. Mike Pucillo, OSU 3. Phillip Keddy, IOWA 4. Jordan Blanton, ILL 5. A.J. Kissel, PUR 6. Anthony Biondo, MICH 7. Nick Palmieri, MSU 8. Eric Bugenhagen, WIS 197 lbs. 1. Dallas Herbst, WIS 2. Tyrel Todd, MICH 3. Chad Beatty, IOWA 4. Gordon Bierschenk, MINN 5. Patrick Bond, ILL 6. Matt Powless, IND 7. Logan Brown, PUR 8. John Schoen, NU HWT 1. Daniel Erekson, IOWA 2. Ben Berhow, MINN 3. Kyle Massey, WIS 4. John Wise, ILL 5. Nate Everhart, IND 6. Corey Morrison, OSU 7. Edwin Phillips, MICH 8. Chris Kasten, PUR

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Wyoming's Michael Martinez (Pagosa Springs, Colo./Pagosa HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Wyoming's 125-pound redshirt freshman got the key win for Wyoming in their season-ending road dual victory over Northern Colorado last Wednesday. The decision by Martinez over Tony Mustari avenged a narrow loss earlier this season and helped the ‘Pokes secure a portion of the league's regular season title. Martinez solidly beat Mustari 8-2 in a bout that ultimately determined UW's team fate and was the Cowboys' biggest win of the night. Wyoming's light-weight was aggressive from the start and kept the pressure on Mustari all match, breaking through with a takedown late in the second period and then dominating the third period with two more takedowns, plus riding time. Mustari had beaten Martinez earlier this season in sudden victory overtime in the championship match at the Cowboy Open. Wednesday's win should give a boost to Martinez' NCAA qualification resume, as Mustari was an NCAA qualifier in 2008 and has spent parts of this season in InterMat's Top-20 rankings. Martinez now has a season record of 34-9, 15-3 in duals and 4-1 in the WWC. The win by Martinez gave the Cowboys a 6-0 lead in the dual, which would turn out to be key in a narrow 21-15 win. By remaining undefeated in the WWC at 5-0, the Cowboys claimed a share of the WWC regular season dual championship. 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. The NCAA West Regional will take place March 7 in Greeley, Colo.