InterMat Staff

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois fans can escape their daily stressors Friday night when the seventh-ranked Fighting Illini host No. 19 Northwestern at 7 p.m. at Huff Hall, an event dubbed The Great Escape. One lucky University of Illinois student will win a scooter from Illini Scooters and two fans will have the opportunity to compete for the Illinois Wrestling Stimulus Plan during the intermission between the fifth and sixth matches of the evening. Illinois students - who receive free admission simply by showing their student ID - are encouraged to enter for the scooter giveaway as they enter Huff Hall on Friday. Then, one lucky student's name will be drawn by a former Illini wrestling star during the break between the first and second halves of the dual. Also during the intermission, marketing representatives will throw a number of Illinois wrestling t-shirts into the crowd, with two special shirts entitling their owners the right to a special prize. Those two fans will don blindfolds and $100 will be spread out on the main mat, with one $50 bill and 50 $1 bills. The fans will then have 30 seconds to collect as much cash as possible. Friday's match will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis by the Big Ten Network, with the dual being televised at 9:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for youth 18 and under and UI students gain free admission by showing their student ID.

THIS WEEK Top-ranked Iowa (18-0, 2-0 Big Ten) will hit the road for its first Big Ten road trip of the season. The Hawkeyes will wrestle at Michigan State (6-4, 1-2) Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) at Jenison Field House in East Lansing. Iowa will then face #22/#17 Penn State (7-8-2, 0-2-2) Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) at Rec Hall in University Park. 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). 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. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS Michigan State is 6-4 (1-2 Big Ten) with wins over North Carolina (18-12), North Carolina State (23-13), Eastern Michigan (18-15), West Virginia (25-15), Ohio (26-6) and Wisconsin (25-17), and losses to Virginia (15-23), Northwestern (6-31) and Minnesota (6-30). Head Coach Tom Minkel is 134-156-3 in 18 years at Michigan State, and 148-174-3 in 20 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Minkel is assisted by Roger Chandler (Indiana, 1997) and Chris Williams (Michigan State, 2002). The Spartans are led by junior 133-pounder Franklin Gomez. The 2008 Big Ten champion and all-American is 13-1 and ranked first in the nation by W.I.N. Magazine and Amateur Wrestling News, and sixth by Intermat./NWCA/NWMA. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS Penn State is 7-8-2 (0-2-2 Big Ten) with wins over Virginia (19-15), Edinboro (24-16), Binghamton (36-8), West Virginia (27-10), Missouri (20-19) Lock Haven (36-3), Michigan (21-18); losses to Hofstra (15-18), Cornell (10-24), Lehigh (16-17), Nebraska (16-20), Minnesota (18-21), Boise State (15-22), Minnesota (19-20) and Wisconsin (13-28); and ties with Indiana (17-17) and Purdue (19-19). Head Coach Troy Sunderland is 114-86-2 in 12 seasons at Penn State. He is assisted by former Hawkeye Mark Perry (Iowa, 2008), Matt Dernlan (Liberty, 1996) and Aaron Anspach (Penn State, 2007). Perry was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time all-American for the Hawkeyes from 2005-08. The Nittany Lions are led by senior Jake Strayer (133), juniors Bubba Jenkins (149) and Dan Vallimont (165) and sophomore Brad Pataky (125). Jenkins, who lost a 14-8 decision to Hawkeye junior Brent Metcalf in the NCAA finals, is 19-0, but is listed as day-to-day since sustaining an injury during Penn State's Jan. 23 dual with Indiana. Vallimont recently moved up to 165 and has a 15-6 season record. Strayer is 14-3, while Pataky is 23-5. MARQUEE MATCH-UPS There are five marquee match-ups based on the probable starters for this weekend's duals. The individual rankings listed below are the most recent from the NWCA/Intermat/NWCA poll. Iowa vs. Michigan State 133 - #1 Daniel Dennis vs. #6 Franklin Gomez This will be the first meeting between Dennis and Gomez, and it will be a very important one in terms of seeding for the Big Ten tournament. Dennis is 19-2 on the season and has won his last four matches. Gomez, who is 13-1, is the defending Big Ten champion and placed third at the 2008 NCAA meet. His only loss of the season was a 6-5 decision to Minnesota's Jayson Ness on Jan. 25. Iowa vs. Penn State 125 - #4 Charlie Falck vs. #13 Brad Pataky This will be the first meeting between Falck and Pataky. Falck opens the weekend with a 15-1 record, while Pataky is 23-5. Pataky has won 13 of his last 14 bouts, including a 4-3 decision over defending Big Ten champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana on Jan. 23. Falck has won his last three matches after returning from an ankle injury suffered at the Midlands Championships. 133 - #1 Daniel Dennis vs. #9 Jake Strayer Dennis has a 0-1 career record against Strayer, losing a 10-7 decision at the 2006 Iowa-Penn State dual. Strayer, who has a 14-3 season record, is 4-0 in Big Ten duals. Both wrestlers enter the weekend on four-match winning streaks. 141 - #1 Brent Metcalf vs. #2 Bubba Jenkins If Jenkins is healthy enough to compete, this would be a rematch of the 2008 NCAA Championship finals. Metcalf has a 3-0 lead in the series, scoring a 14-8 win in the NCAA finals, a 15-3 major decision at the 2008 Big Ten Championship semifinals and a 5:33 pin at the 2008 Iowa-Penn State dual in Iowa City. Jenkins is 19-0, but has not competed since his injury Jan. 23. Metcalf enters the weekend on a 55-match winning streak and boasts a season record of 24-0. 165 - #3 Ryan Morningstar vs. #20 Dan Vallimont Vallimont recently moved up to 165 after the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, and has a 15-6 season record. Morningstar lost both previous meetings (6-2 at tne 2008 dual and 2-1 in the first round of the 2008 Big Ten Championships). The Hawkeye junior is 20-3 this season. LAST MEETING - IOWA 33, MICHIGAN STATE 9 Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 30th career victory as Iowa pounded Michigan State, 33-9, Feb. 11, 2007, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes improved to 13-4 (4-2 Big Ten) with wins in eight bouts in front of 5,035 fans, including an upset by sophomore Charlie Falck (125) and a pin by sophomore Jordan McLaughlin (197) in his Iowa wrestling debut. Michigan State fell to 3-8 (2-4 in the Big Ten). Falck handed Spartan redshirt freshman Franklin Gomez his second dual loss of the season with a 5-3 win at 125. The Strawberry Point, IA, native scored a takedown in the first 30 seconds and another with one second remaining to secure his eighth straight victory and remain undefeated (6-0) in Big Ten duals. Michigan State scored its first of two wins on the day when Nick Simmons won by injury default over senior Mario Galanakis in 2:23 at 133. Junior Alex Tsirtsis accepted a forfeit at 141, and senior Alex Grunder followed up with a 5:32 pin over Spartan Jeff Wimberley at 149 to score his 30th career victory. Hawkeye redshirt freshman 157-pounder Ryan Morningstar took Iowa into the intermission with a 3-2 win over Tony Greathouse. Iowa junior Mark Perry climbed out of a sticky situation to defeat Spartan Rocky Cozart, 9-7, at 165. Perry had to bounce back from a 5-0 deficit after getting caught in his own offensive move and fighting off his back early in the match. He scored three reversals, two nearfall points and a point for riding time in the win. Hawkeye senior Eric Luedke improved to 23-2 with a 2-1 win over John Murphy at 174. Michigan State scored its second and final win of the night when Joe Williams defeated Hawkeye redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy, 6-3, at 184. Iowa sophomore 197-pounder Jordan McLaughlin made his Hawkeye wrestling and Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut a wild one, pinning Nick Palmieri in 6:33. Palmeiri scored three takedowns and two escapes to build an 8-4 lead with 1:04 remaining in the match. McLaughlin threw the Spartan redshirt freshman to his back and got the pin with 27 seconds left on the clock. McLaughlin was no stranger to the black and gold, as he has played linebacker and fullback on the Iowa football team. Hawkeye junior Matt Fields ended the dual with an 8-4 win over Alan O'Donnell at heavyweight. Iowa 33, Michigan State 9 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Franklin Gomez (MSU), 5-3 133 - Nick Simmons (MSU) won by inj. default over Mario Galanakis (I), 2:23 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) won by forfeit 149 - Alex Grunder (I) pinned Jeff Wimberley (MSU), 5:32 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Tony Greathouse (MSU), 3-2 165 - Mark Perry (I) dec. Rocky Cozart (MSU), 9-7 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. John Murphy (MSU), 2-1 184 - Joe Williams (MSU) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 6-3 197 - Jordan McLaughlin (I) pinned Nick Palmieri (MSU), 6:33 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) dec. Alan O'Donnell (MSU), 8-4 LAST MEETING - IOWA 27, PENN STATE 13 The top-ranked Hawkeyes extended their winning streak to six matches with a 27-13 win over #7 Penn State (8-3, 0-1 Big Ten) Jan. 20, 2008, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) snapped Penn State's two-match win streak in the series, taking seven of the 10 bouts. A crowd of 7,525 gathered to watch Iowa win its 820th dual win in school history. The dual started at 174 pounds, and Iowa jumped out to an 8-0 lead on wins by two Hawkeye sophomores. Jay Borschel (174) posted an 11-5 decision over Mark Friend and Phillip Keddy (184) scored a 19-3 technical fall in 6:35 over Philip Bomberger. Penn State answered at 197 when #2 Philip Davis pinned sophomore Chad Beatty in 4:57, to tighten the team score at 8-6. Iowa rolled off five straight wins and 19 unanswered team points to guarantee the win. Senior Matt Fields started the run with his 80th career win - a 7-3 decision over John Laboranti at heavyweight. Junior Charlie Falck followed with a 2-0 win over Mark McKnight at 125, extending his winning streak to 11 matches and remaining undefeated in duals (14-0). Sophomore Joe Slaton picked up extra team points at 133 with his 14-6 major decision over Tim Haas. At 141, sophomore Dan LeClere scored a late takedown to defeat Garrett Scott, 4-3. Sophomore Brent Metcalf fought off his back and rebounded from a 6-1 first-period deficit at 149, pinning Bubba Jenkins in 5:33. The win was Metcalf's 15th straight as he improved to 18-1, 13-1 in duals. The Nittany Lions closed out the dual with wins at 157 and 165. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar (157) dropped a 6-2 decision to Dan Vallimont and redshirt freshman Aaron Janssen (165) lost an 11-3 major decision to Dave Rella. Janssen was competing for injured starter Mark Perry. Iowa 27, Penn State 13 174 - Jay Borschel (I) dec. Mark Friend (PSU), 11-5 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) tech. fall Philip Bomberger (PSU), 19-3 in 6:35 197 - Philip Davis (PSU) pinned Chad Beatty (I), 4:57 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) dec. John Laboranti (PSU), 7-3 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Mark McKnight (PSU), 2-0 133 - Joe Slaton (I) maj. dec. Tim Haas (PSU), 14-6 141 - Dan LeClere (I) dec. Garrett Scott (PSU), 4-3 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Bubba Jenkins (PSU), 5:33 157 - Dan Vallimont (PSU) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 6-2 165 - Dave Rella (PSU) maj. dec. Aaron Janssen (I), 11-3 THE SERIES Michigan State - Iowa leads the series, 31-15-2, and has a 12-9-1 record in East Lansing. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting (33-9) in 2007. Michigan State's last win in the series was 19-17 in 2006 at East Lansing. Penn State - Iowa leads the series, 22-6-2, and holds a 9-3-1 advantage in University Park. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting (27-13) in Iowa City last season. Penn State's last win in the series was 24-13 at University Park in 2007. WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS For dates and more information about 2009 University of Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com. HAWKEYES POUND BUCKNELL, 40-3 Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands collected his 70th career victory last Friday night as his top-ranked Iowa wrestlers defeated Bucknell, 40-3, in front of 5,525 fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The top-ranked Hawkeyes improved to 18-0 on the season (2-0 Big Ten) and have won their last 32 duals. Iowa scored 32 takedowns in the dual, holding Bucknell (8-8, 2-2 EIWA) to one. The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 23-0 lead with wins at the first six weights. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck opened the dual at 125 with a 9-3 decision over Derek Reber to remain undefeated in dual competition (13-0). Iowa junior Daniel Dennis followed with his 35th career win at 133 - a 14-4 major decision over David Marble. Hawkeye senior Alex Tsirtsis showed no ill effects after having a wisdom tooth removed earlier in the week, sticking Adam Healey in 1:22 at 141. Iowa junior 149-pounder Brent Metcalf posted his 55th straight win to remain undefeated (24-0) with a 4:20 pin over Kevin LeValley. Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg posted his 20th career win with an 8-0 win over Tyler Riccio at 157. Iowa junior Ryan Morningstar posted his 20th season win with a 2-1 win over Andy Rendos at 165. Bucknell won its only match of the dual at 174 where Iowa sophomore Colby Covington was wrestling for injured Hawkeye starter Jay Borschel. Covington lost a 7-2 decision to Bucknell's Shane Riccio. Hawkeye junior Phillip Keddy got Iowa back on the winning track with a 14-0 major decision over David Thompson at 184. Keddy is now 18-0 in dual matches and has won his last eight bouts. Iowa junior Chad Beatty scored 13 takedowns to post a 26-11 technical fall in 6:20 over Rob Waltko at 197. Iowa junior Dan Erekson closed out the dual for the Hawkeyes by accepting a forfeit at heavyweight. Iowa 40, Bucknell 3 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Derek Reber (B), 9-3 133 - Daniel Dennis (I) maj. dec. David Marble (B), 14-4 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) pinned Adam Healey (B), 1:22 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Kevin LeValley (B), 4:20 157 - Matt Ballweg (I) maj. dec. Tyler Riccio (B), 8-0 165 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Andy Rendos (B), 2-1 174 - Shane Riccio (B) dec. Colby Covington (I), 7-2 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) maj. dec. David Thompson (B), 14-0 197 - Chad Beatty (I) tech. fall Rob Waltko (B), 26-11 in 6:20 Hwt. - Dan Erekson (I) won by forfeit 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 TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's two remaining home duals are on sale at the UI Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.iowawrestlingcamps.com. www.hawkeyesports.com. Against Purdue, tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets purchased at the meet are $12 for adults, $6 for youth. UI students and children ages five and under will be admitted free. Against Minnesota, tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Due to the possibility of a sellout crowd, the first 1,000 general admission University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge after they log-in to their student account at www.hawkeyesports.com to reserve a seat and download a free paper ticket. After that allotment is sold out, students may purchase reserved seats at the youth price. HAWKEYES LOOK TO EXTEND WINNING STREAKS Iowa has won its last 32 duals, and its last 25 duals away from Iowa City. The school record for overall consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97), and for consecutive away dual wins is 31 (1994-97). The 32 straight wins ranks third in school history, while the 25 away victories rank second. Hawkeye junior Brent Metcalf (149) also has a winning streak of his own, winning his last 55 bouts. Former Hawkeye Jim Zalesky (1981-84) holds the school record for consecutive wins with 89. HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 846-215-30 (.789) 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.

Following a pair of big wins over the weekend, Minnesota junior Gordon Bierschenk (Waynesville, Mo.) was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week today. Bierschenk, who returned to the Minnesota wrestling program this year after serving a two-year tour of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army, is the third Gopher to earn the weekly award this season. The Gophers' 197-pounder pinned Penn State's J.R. Brown to vault the Gophers to a 20-19 win over the Nittany Lions on Friday in State College. His 5-2 decision victory was the catalyst for a Minnesota comeback that resulted in an 18-16 upset win over No. 5 Ohio State on Sunday. With the wins, Bierschenk improved his season record to 11-9, including a perfect 3-0 mark in Big Ten duals. Although he competes this year as a redshirt junior for the Gophers, Bierschenk is on track to graduate with physiology degree this spring. He will be honored for his career at Minnesota during the Gophers' final dual meet against Indiana on Feb. 22 along with senior Tyler Safratowich. Bierschenk and the Gophers will put their perfect Big Ten record on the line when they host No. 18 Michigan and No. 19 Northwestern this weekend at the Sports Pavilion. Tickets for both duals are still available and can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Utah Valley University 125-pound sophomore Ben Kjar (Centerville, Utah/Viewmont HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Kjar defeated the No. 18 ranked Tony Mustari from Northern Colorado by decision, 7-4, Saturday evening as Kjar controlled the match from start to finish. Kjar's victory, which came in the final bout of the evening, sealed the win for Utah Valley in their first conference dual of the season as UVU downed UNC, 23-16. With the win, UVU won their seventh dual in a row to improve their record to 7-2 (1-0 WWC). Kjar, who has been ranked as high as No. 17 on the year, took early control in the matchup as he took down Mustari three times in the opening period to lead 6-2 after one and held on by winning, 7-4. With the win Kjar's season record now currently sits at 24-8 (8-1 duals). The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: Air Force - Justin Shadrix, Jr., 174, Bremen, Ga. (Bremen HS) North Dakota State - Ryan Adams, Jr., 149 lbs., Coon Rapids, Minn. (Coon Rapids HS) Northern Iowa - Christian Brantley, R-Fr., Heavyweight, Homewood, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS) South Dakota State - Tyler Sorenson, Jr., 197 lbs., Garretson, S.D. (Garretson HS) Wyoming - Eric Coxbill, Sr., 157 lbs., Wright, Wyo. (Northwest College-Wyo.)

Franc Freeman, who is one of six new members that will be inducted into the 2009 class of the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in April, as well as Chris Krueger, head wrestling coach at Denver-Tripoli High School (IA), will be radio show guests on Wednesday, February 4. Freeman had an excellent career as both a wrestler and as a high school coach. At Davenport High School (IA) he contributed to the team championship in 1956 with a 2nd place finish at 120 pounds. Freeman went on to be a two-time All-American at Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa), placing second in the nation as a senior in 1962 at 123 pounds. Freeman served 29 years as a high school head coach, the last 27 at Bettendorf, Iowa, where he consistently produced strong teams and won state team titles in 1982 and 1983. Krueger is the head wrestling coach at Denver-Tripoli High School and his Titans are currently ranked third in the state in class 2A with a dual meet record of 22-5. Denver-Tripoli has emerged as a consistent challenger for state individual and team championships over the last several years. The Titans have six ranked wrestlers including top rated juniors Levi Wolfensperger (119) and Blake Sorenson (145). "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.

Hofstra Athletics will honor its only national wrestling champion Nick Gallo '78 this Sunday, February 8 at halftime of the 21st-ranked Pride's match against third-ranked Cornell at the David S. Mack Sports Complex. Match time is 5 p.m. Gallo won the national title at 126-pounds in 1977. In an effort to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments of numerous former student-athletes during the University's nearly 75 years of existence, Hofstra University announced last year that a group of 20 past Pride athletes will have their jersey numbers retired. "The honoring of these 20 former student-athletes is a celebration of the outstanding history of Hofstra Athletics," commented Hofstra University Director of Athletics Jack Hayes. Gallo, a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, captured the 126-pound national championship and was named the NCAA Championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1977. He earned All-America honors in 1975, by placing fourth and 1977 with the national title. During his four years at Hofstra Gallo recorded a 104-14 record. He was a silver medalist in the 1980 World Cup, Pan American Trials Champion in 1979, and a member of the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Teams. In 1979, Gallo returned to Hofstra as the head wrestling coach and proceeded to record a 49-25-0 record over the next four years including East Coast Conference championships in 1980, 1982 and 1983. In his first season he led the Pride to a 15-6 dual match record. A year later Hofstra placed 26th at the NCAA Championships with only two participants, Ed Pidgeon and Mike Hogan. In 1982 the Pride returned to the top of the ECC with a 12-4 record and sent three wrestlers to the national tournament. In his final year as coach Gallo led the Pride to a 13-3 mark, captured their third ECC title, sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships and finished 24th in the country. Gallo, who was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, is also a member of the Suffolk Country Hall of Fame and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is currently the president of TW Promotions, the exclusive New York metropolitan area distributor of the RESILITE wrestling mat and protective wall padding line, and supplier of ASICS products. To purchase Hofstra wrestling tickets online for the Hofstra-Cornell match, visit www.Hofstra.edu/athletics or call 516-HOF-TIXX (463-8499).

BUFFALO, NY -- Desi Green (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) has been named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week. In the Bulls' dual meet against Central Michigan last weekend, the redshirt-freshman captured a one-point victory over the tenth ranked wrestler in the nation. In the 149-lb matchup, Steve Brown of Central Michigan entered the match ranked first in the latest MAC rankings followed by Green. The two wrestlers entered the final period tied at 2-2. With four seconds remaining on the clock, Green scored a takedown to take a 4-3 lead. Green held on for the win, scoring the Bulls only points on the day. With Green's victory, he now joins the UB wrestling greats in the record books. He is currently tied for 14th place in school history in dual meet wins in a season (14) and is only two wins away from 15th place for most overall wins in a season (30). Green is currently undefeated at 3-0 against MAC wrestlers. He currently leads the Bulls in takedowns (41), falls (3), overall wins and dual meet wins and is also tied for first in technical falls (1) and reversals (4). Green and the Bulls will return home for the first time since November 26 when they take on the 24th ranked team in the nation, the Kent State Flashes (8-4, MAC 1-0) on Saturday, February 7 at 7 pm.

Columbia, Mo. -- Missouri senior All-American Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week as announced today by the league office. The Tigers' 174-pound starter, Jordan upset second-ranked Brandon Browne of Nebraska, 6-3, Saturday evening in the Hearnes Center to earn Missouri's second Big 12 weekly accolade of the campaign. Improving to 25-2 (.930) on the season, Jordan entered the dual ranked fifth in the nation at 174 pounds. Jordan held Browne to only three escapes throughout the seven minute match, earning his own points through a first period takedown, second period escape and third period takedown. Additionally, Jordan racked up 1:42 of riding time for his sixth and final point of the match. Saturday's win marked Jordan's second straight over a top-five ranked opponent. On Jan. 25, Jordan upset then-No. 5 Steve Anceravage of Cornell, 10-5, in Ithaca, N.Y. Jordan is currently riding a seven-match win streak that dates back to his Jan. 10 victory over Micah Bollinger of Penn State at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals. In all this season, Jordan is 5-2 against ranked opponents and owns a perfect 18-0 record in duals, Throughout his Tiger career, Jordan has tallied 114 wins, good enough for seventh-best in program history. Tiger teammate Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) was the last Missouri wrestler to earn the Big 12 Weekly award, doing so on Jan. 5. Jordan and the Tigers will travel to the state of Oklahoma for a pair of duals. First up, Missouri will take on 10th-ranked Oklahoma beginning at 7 p.m. (CT) in Norman on Friday, Feb. 6. The Tigers will then head to Stillwater, Okla., for a Saturday, Feb. 7, contest against the No. 12 Cowboys of Oklahoma State beginning at 7 p.m. Following the two Big 12 duals, Missouri will return home to host the third annual Beauty and the Beast event set for Friday, Feb. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center. The event, which pits the Missouri wrestling team against No. 9 Central Michigan, also features the Missouri gymnastics squad in competition with Illinois. Both events run simultaneously on the floor of the Hearnes Center. Tickets for the evening competition are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and can be purchased by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS.

When you need to find a restaurant, a doctor or a phone number, you call "411" -- the universal number for information. Likewise, when you're seeking the latest information on college wrestling, you call up Wrestling411. Wrestling411, launched in the fall of 2008, provides coverage of college wrestling in various forms -- through their Web site www.wrestling411.tv, via a twice-weekly radio show, and, eventually, a weekly highlights TV show. It's a product of Media Sports Productions, which, according to the Wrestling411 website, is "a Minneapolis-based organization whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling. Specifically, we have a team of highly motivated and talented individuals whose sole job is to produce sports highlight shows that educate and entertain the community. These shows will be distributed by way of satellite and cable broadcasts, streamed over the Internet, and heard on radio. Our goal is to make wrestling a front-page sport." Kyle Klingman and Jason BryantTwo members of the Wrestling411 team are award-winning journalists who are well-known and well-respected within the wrestling community: Jason Bryant, and Kyle Klingman. Before coming to Wrestling411, Bryant was arguably best known for his writing and operating the popular InterMat wrestling Web site; Klingman writes a column for WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine). The 411 on Wrestling411 "(Media Sports Productions) was started by J Robinson a couple years ago," according to Jason Bryant. "It's a marketing and promotions company, with the intent of getting wrestling on TV." J Robinson"We're committed to college wrestling," says Kyle Klingman. "We want to give the sport the coverage it deserves. Rather than depend on others, we decided to take the situation into our own hands." Bryant continues, "The Wrestling411 website has video and audio clips. We did our first live dual-meet webcasts last week." This is in addition to Wrestling411 Radio Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. Central, and accessible online at Wrestling411.tv live and in the Web site archives. "Our mission -- we want the website to be relevant in terms of interviews, articles," says Klingman. "If Iowa does something remarkable, we have Tom Brands on. We want to provide current information, and be up-to-date on what's happening in the sport right now. We also address issues like stalling, and the new qualifying procedures." "We see Wrestling411 as being content-driven, quality-driven." An all-inclusive package Another mission of Wrestling411: to incorporate all aspects of collegiate wrestling. "We want to cover everything -- Division 1, Division II, Division III," according to Kyle Klingman. "We've had every division, along with women's wrestling, California JUCO (junior college)." Jason Bryant echoes that sentiment: "There's much more to wrestling than Division I, the Big Ten or the Big Twelve." "As I enter scores, I know there are parents and fans who follow D3 programs. There are over 300 programs that don't get the coverage they should." Bryant gives a concrete example of Wrestling411's commitment to coverage: "(A couple weekends ago,) I drove six hours, covered the University of Nebraska-Omaha vs. Augsburg dual -- a matchup between the top D2 and D3 programs in the country -- drove back to Minneapolis, then put the story and package together, into the night." "Initially, some folks thought we were about Minnesota wrestling or just the Big Ten," says Bryant. "It's about getting our sport on TV and radio and in other media." A fresh approach to covering wrestling In addition to providing coverage of all levels of college wrestling, Wrestling411 provides fans with the latest information in a variety of ways. "We want to cover things from different angles," says Klingman. "Our radio shows are available over the air, online, and in our archives. We provide live updates. We have audio and video interviews. We want to offer different forms of content, not just results, but highlight clips and so much more." "Our goal is to provide fresh content every day. We want to give fans a reason to visit us everyday, to see what's new." "My goal is to be at as many events as possible," Klingman continues. "We want to be everywhere humanly possible." Additional goals of Wrestling411 "Another goal of ours is to make mainstream media more aware of college wrestling," says Klingman, citing specific national media outlets that have done a poor job covering major collegiate wrestling events such as the NCAA championships. Jason Bryant concurs: "Sports coverage is so clip-oriented. Whether it's (ESPN) SportsCenter, or the local TV news, or sports talk radio. We want to be able to provide them with ready-to-use material that helps keep wrestling fans informed, and raises awareness for the sport." "To help wrestling grow, it needs to grow not just from the top down, but from the bottom up." Developing and nurturing the existing fan base is yet another goal of Wrestling411, according to Kyle Klingman. "We want to help the fan whose kid is wrestling now to stay with the sport once the kid's out of wrestling… We want to reach fans of specific programs, to broaden their interests, to help them see the bigger picture." Meet the principals: Bryant the Virginian … In establishing Media Sports Productions and Wrestling411, promotionally-minded wrestling legends J Robinson and Wade Schalles couldn't have picked two better individuals to develop and sustain this new venture than Jason Bryant and Kyle Klingman. Bryant says, "I've always been interested in broadcasting. As a kid, I'd miss the bus because I was watching SportsCenter." Jason BryantThe Virginia native continues, "We moved to Poquoson, which is a real wrestling school. Sophomore year, I saw my first wrestling meet, and, my first pin. I was hooked right there." Even back in high school, Jason Bryant was adept at multi-tasking. "I was writing for the school paper, doing announcing eight sports. I went out for wrestling; got the piss beat out of me." As a senior in high school, Bryant started the Mat Talk radio show, which covered wrestling on the Virginia Peninsula. He was also sports editor for his school yearbook, and writing a column for a monthly paper. When it was time for college, Bryant chose Old Dominion University -- "It let me keep my local contacts and knowledge of wrestling." He was working at the Daily Press in Newport News, covering wrestling. ("It's important for wrestling journalists to write quickly, and do it well. You get that from writing for a daily newspaper.") And, if that weren't enough, in 1997, Bryant launched the Mat Talk On-Line Web site. In 2001, Jason Bryant stepped onto a larger stage by working as a freelance writer for TheMat.com, website for USA Wrestling, covering major events such as Fargo, and the 2003 World Championships in New York City. He then took the reins at InterMat, which had been purchased in 2004 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). In addition to covering all aspects of wrestling, Bryant was also the NWCA's Director of Media Relations. In his three years at InterMat, Bryant earned Journalist of the Year honors from WIN and the Dellinger Award for Wrestling Writer of the Year from Amateur Wrestling News. In August 2008, Bryant said goodbye to the NWCA, InterMat, and Amish Country, Pennsylvania and moved north to Minnesota, to join Wrestling411 as Production Manager/Writer. "My favorite thing is being behind the microphone, but I enjoy writing," says Bryant. "But I don't think I'm different than a typical wrestling fan." … and Klingman the Iowan Kyle Klingman is also a long-time wrestling fan. As the native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, describes it, "My mom went to Oklahoma State in the 1960s. We'd go to meets in Stillwater. Dad went to Northern Iowa, so we'd go to wrestling at the West Gym, too." "I went out for wrestling in junior high, but realized my body-build was better suited to track and cross country … I continued to go to events at Cedar Falls High, and had a blast." "I went to my first NCAAs at Iowa City in 1995." "Wrestlers were my heroes," Klingman continues. "But, unlike most sports, my heroes were accessible. For instance, Keith Young (three-time NCAA champ at Northern Iowa 1949-51, and long-time high school wrestling coach) was my substitute driver's ed teacher." Kyle Klingman and Dan Hodge"I was always around wrestling. I got my first break in 2001-2002, working for Scott Casber and Scott McLinn's radio show, Saturday Night Slam. They had an amateur wrestling segment, and I'd arrange for guests." "I started working for the (Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute &) Museum in October 2002, working both in Newton, and Waterloo (Iowa) … It was a great experience. I got to emcee pro and amateur wrestling events. I learned so much working with Mike Chapman. He does a great job preserving and promoting the sport." While at the museum, Kyle Klingman met Mike Finn, editor of WIN, and started writing a regular column for the wrestling magazine. "Mike believed in me early on," says Klingman, who continues to write for the publication. In fact, Klingman earned Journalist of the Year honors from WIN in 2008. "On September 1, 2008, I came to work for Wrestling411." "It's fun to do your job when you have a passion for it," says Klingman. "Jason and I are polar opposites. We have different backgrounds and skills, but we complement each other. I'm learning so much from Jason." Jason Bryant weighs in: "J Rob brought in Kyle and I because wrestling fans know who we are. We're fans ourselves. We know wrestling, and we're passionate about it." Contributing to the future The Wrestling411 website is supported in two ways -- by traditional advertising sponsors, and from contributions from individuals. "We have show sponsors, but we don't base our coverage on who the sponsors are," says Jason Bryant. "If we get 1,000 fans to each contribute $5, that would be great," Bryant continues. "These funds make it possible for us to cover events." When asked in separate interviews about future plans for Wrestling411, both Jason Bryant and Kyle Klingman mentioned their expectations to cover the 2009 NJCAA and NCAA Division I, II and III championships. "People are already recognizing the Wrestling411 brand," says Bryant. "We plan to continue to give wrestling the showcase it deserves." To learn more about Wrestling411 – and make a contribution to this venture -- visit their Web site at www.Wrestling411.tv.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team used a strong finish to complete a 20-18 comeback victory against 19th-ranked Indiana on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 1) in front of 486 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. For the second time in as many days, the Wolverines found themselves trailing early after a pair of IU falls, U-M but rallied with four wins in the final six bouts, including two bonus wins, to remain unbeaten in Big Ten Conference competition. Michigan (6-6-1, 1-0-1 Big Ten) twice found itself trailing by six points early in the dual. After the Hoosiers' sixth-ranked Angel Escobedo, the defending NCAA champion at 125 pounds, gave his team an immediate cushion with a pin in the first match, U-M knotted things up with back-to-back decisions in the following matches, but IU's Nick Walpole reestablished the six-point advantage with his pin at 149 pounds. The falls allowed for a deceptively close final score and overshadowed the fact that Michigan claimed three of the opening five contests and six total in the meet. Junior/sophomore Aaron Hynes (Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) kept his team in contention with a 7-6 upset against 12th-ranked Kurt Kinser at 157 pounds, pulling U-M within three points at the halfway mark. Hynes dictated the early pace of the bout, scoring on a takedown apiece in the opening two periods and building more than two minutes of riding time that proved the difference in the match. Kinser rallied in the final frame, converting on a pair of takedowns of his own to even the score, but Hynes avoided turn attempts in the waning moments to take the victory after his riding-time point. Michigan carried its momentum through the upperweights, where its ranked gauntlet picked up three straight wins -- two by major decision -- to essentially seal up the team victory. Fifth-year senior captain Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) controlled the 174-pound contest, using a combination of takedowns and penalty points to hang a 12-2 loss on 15th-ranked Trevor Perry. Luke, ranked No. 1 nationally, varied his leg attacks, converting on a pair of single legs in the first period before adding explosive double legs in the second and third frames. Deep on another single-leg shot in the third, Luke drove Perry across the mat, eliciting a fleeing call, and, adding a second-period stalling point and 2:58 in riding time, locked up his 11th bonus win of the season. He remains undefeated at 18-0 on the season. Junior/sophomore Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS), ranked 12th at 184 pounds, halted a recent slump with a dominant 10-0 major decision against Nick Avery. Biondo scored on a first-period single leg and a second-period head shuck and held the advantage position for 6:22 of the seven-minute match. With Avery content to lie on the mat, the Wolverine wrestler drew four stalling calls to add four penalty points to earn the bonus point and give Michigan its first lead of the dual. Fifth-year senior captain Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS), ranked sixth at 197 pounds, extended the Wolverines' lead to five points in the subsequent bout, using four single-leg takedowns to upend Matt Powless 9-4. Todd pushed the pace late with the major decision within reach, but he could not convert in the closing seconds and was forced to settle for the three-point decision. The win improved Todd's record to 12-1 on the season. Freshman Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) and sophomore Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) earned impressive victories at the lowerweights to offset Escebedo's opening pin. Stevens battled to a 10-8 decision in a wild match against Matt Ortega at 133 pounds, using three takedowns -- one in each period -- and a third-period reversal to seal the victory. The U-M rookie struck first on a first-period single leg but trailed at period's end after allowing a late takedown out of an extended scramble. Stevens made the most out of the next scramble in the following period, finishing on a late single leg on the mat before riding out the final 13 seconds. He used a standing switch early in the third to earn a reversal and retake the lead, and he padded it with an ankle pick out of yet another scramble on the mat with less than 10 seconds remaining. Ortega reversed him seconds later, but it proved insignificant as Stevens held on to win. Russell, ranked fifth at 141 pounds, controlled from start to finish against Scott Kelly en route to an 8-1 decision and his 12th consecutive win. The Wolverine wrestler gained the lead on a double leg midway through the first period and subsequently rode out the period to earn time advantage. He picked up an additional point after a pair of second-period stalling calls on Kelly and iced the match with a single leg in the closing moments of the bout. The Wolverines will hit the road next weekend for a pair of Big Ten duals. U-M will head to Minneapolis, Minn., face Minnesota on Friday (Feb. 6) at 7 p.m. CST before wrapping up the weekend in East Lansing, Mich., with a 1 p.m. meeting Sunday (Feb. 8) against intrastate rival Michigan State.

MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin wrestling team is back on track. After starting the Big Ten season 0-3, the 17th-ranked Badgers won their first conference meet Sunday in a 28-13 victory over No. 16 Penn State in College Park, Penn. The win moves Wisconsin to 7-6-0 on the season, 1-3-0 in conference. Penn State drops to 7-8-2, 0-2-2 in the Big Ten. The Badgers fell behind early, but used consecutive victories in the 141, 149, 157 and 165 lbs. weight classes to take the lead from Penn State. Despite a loss in the 174 lbs. class, Wisconsin won the final three matches, including two overtime bouts, to help achieve their first conference win. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 10-0 advantage with wins in the 125 and 133 lbs. weight classes. No. 17 Brad Pataky of Penn State won the meet's first bout in a 12-4 major decision over Badger junior Drew Hammen in the 125 lbs. class. No. 11 Jake Strayer scored the second straight victory for the Nittany Lions as he pinned Wisconsin junior Erik Senescu at the 2:59 mark in the 133 lbs. competition. After falling behind, the Badgers got their first points of the meet from senior Zach Tanelli in the 141 lbs. class. Tanelli won a 22-7 tech fall victory over Penn State's Frank Molinario, bringing Wisconsin within five. Ranked first in his weight class, Tanelli scored five takedowns in the third period to extend his lead in the victory. Fifth-ranked junior Kyle Ruschell kept the momentum going for the Badgers in the 149 lbs. class, scoring a 13-0 major decision win over Colby Pisani of Penn State. Wisconsin then grabbed their first lead of the meet in the 157 lbs. weight class as freshman Ben Jordan scored the Badgers' second major decision victory of the dual with a 13-4 win over Shane Everett of Penn State. With a 6-2 lead heading into the third, Jordan scored three takedowns and a riding time point for the final margin, helping Wisconsin take the 13-10 advantage. The lead stretched to 16-10 as Badger freshman Andrew Howe took on Penn State's Dan Vallimont in the 165 lbs. class. Vallimont is ranked eighth at 157 lbs., but has moved to the 165 lbs. weight class in recent competition. After a scoreless first period, tenth-ranked Howe grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second period with a takedown. Howe sealed the victory with an escape in the third to provide him a 3-2 decision victory. The win keeps Howe undefeated in dual meets this season with a 9-0 record. The Nittany Lions scored their final team points in the next bout which featured two freshmen in the 174 lbs. class. Travis Rutt of Wisconsin fell behind 2-0 after the first two periods, and could not overcome 16th-ranked Quentin Wright of Penn State, losing a 4-2 decision. Next for Wisconsin was sophomore Eric Bugenhagen, looking to extend the Badger lead in the 184 lbs. class. The first points of the bout came as Decker made an escape in the third period, but Bugenhagen responded by scoring a takedown to lead 2-1. A penalty on Bugenhagen for locked hands tied the score 2-2, sending the match into overtime. Bugenhagen scored a takedown in the extra period, giving him a 4-2 decision, and Wisconsin a 19-13 advantage. The Badger lead moved to 25-13 as senior Dallas Herbst built on his Wisconsin career pin record. Facing off against J.R. Brown of Penn State at 197 lbs., Herbst pinned his opposition in the first period at the 1:06 mark. The pin gives third-ranked Herbst eight on the season, and 54 for his career. Closing the day for Wisconsin was senior Kyle Massey, ranked ninth in the heavyweight class. Massey led 1-0 at the end of the second period from an escape, but Penn State's Stefan Tighe tied the score 1-1 with an escape in the third. Massey ended the bout by scoring a takedown in overtime, giving him a 3-1 decision victory. The win gave the Badgers an additional three points, providing the final margin of 28-13. Wisconsin returns to action at home next weekend against Illinois Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The meet will take place at the UW Fieldhouse, and is the first of four consecutive home meets for the Badgers.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Ninth-ranked Central Michigan completed a weekend sweep in Rose Arena with a 19-14 decision over No. 23 Old Dominion Sunday afternoon. The Chippewas (14-2-1 overall) won three of the match's final four bouts to secure the win. Old Dominion (13-6 overall) has lost just twice in its last 13 duals, with both defeats coming to CMU. The Chippewas posted a 24-12 win over ODU in the quarterfinals of the Virginia Duals on Jan. 9. A pair of top-10 ranked individuals opened Sunday's action at 125 pounds. CMU's Scotti Sentes, ranked seventh, had taken two of the three previous meetings against ODU's eighth-ranked James Nicholson this season. Nicholson evened the season series at 2-2, however, locking up a 5-4 decision with an escape after a restart late in the third period. Nicholson took Sentes down in the middle of the mat midway through the second period to break a 2-2 tie. Sentes, who began the third period in the top position, cut the lead to 4-3 when Nicholson was called for stalling. Sentes appeared set to ride Nicholson out and send the match to overtime, but a stalemate forced a restart late in the period. Nicholson escaped with less than 10 seconds remaining after the restart. Conor Beebe evened the team score at 3-3 with a 4-1 decision at 133 pounds. Leading 1-0 entering the third period, Beebe put the match away with a late takedown after ODU's Kyle Hutter was called for stalling. The Monarchs scored bonus points at 141 pounds, as seventh-ranked Ryan Williams majored CMU's Tony D'Alie, 14-4. CMU countered with back-to-back wins at 149 and 157 pounds to take its first lead. Steve Brown (149) and Tyler Grayson (157) recorded the Chippewas' decisions. In the dual's second matchup of ranked opponents, ODU's No. 14 Chris Brown topped No. 12 Trevor Stewart, 5-2. Brown scored a takedown in both the second and third period, while Stewart managed just a second-period escape and a stalling penalty point. CMU reclaimed the lead for good with Mike Miller's 2-1 decision at 174 pounds. Miller evened the score with ODU's Eric Decker at 1-1 with a third-period escape, then earned the win via a 1:04 riding time advantage he had built during the second period. Miller's decision gave the Chippewas a 12-10 lead. Vince DiDona followed with a convincing 15-5 major decision over Joe Budi at 184 pounds. DiDona tallied five takedowns, including three in the first period, and added a reversal in both the second and third periods. No. 15-ranked Jesse Strawn kept the Monarchs within striking distance with a 10-1 major decision over Eric Simaz at 197 pounds. CMU's Jarod Trice, however, controlled the heavyweight match from the outset and posted a 10-4 decision over ODU's Roy Dragon. Trice recorded four takedowns in his 18th win of the season. The Chippewas improved to 6-1-1 against ranked opponents with the victory and extended their winning streak during the month of February to 31 consecutive duals. CMU returns to action Feb. 13 when it visits No. 6 Missouri. The Chippewas' final appearance at Rose Arena is Feb. 19 against No. 24 Kent State.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The No. 3 ranked Big Red wrestling team picked up bonus points in four matches on its way to a 32-7 victory at Tennessee-Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon. Troy Nickerson won by fall, while sophomore Justin Kerber and Cam Simaz won by technical fall. Sophomore Mike Grey picked up a major decision to help the Big Red to improve to 6-2 for the season. The Mocs move to 11-8 for the season. The Big Red day opened with No. 2 Troy Nickerson facing off against Demetrius Johnson. The Cornell junior earned two quick points with a takedown. He was looking to score backpoints, but Johnston twisted out for an escape and earned a takedown of his own before Nickerson could retake his feet. The Big Red grappler immediately escaped and caught Johnson. Nickerson flipped the Moc wrestler on to his back and earned six team points with a pin in 2:32. At 133 pounds, No. 12 Mike Grey dominated Josh Statum of Chattanooga. The Big Red wrestler notched eight takedowns on his way to a 20-6 major decision. With Grey's four points, the Big Red took a 10-0 lead. The 141 pound bout featured Corey Manson taking on No. 9 Cody Cleveland. The two were scrambling each looking to earn the first points of the bout, but Cleveland came out on top to take a two point lead. Manson could not escape as time ran out in the first period. Manson was down on the mat in the second period and spun out to earn the escape. Cleveland used a double leg to capture Manson again and looked for back points, but Manson muscled away from the points. Cleveland cut him loose and earned another takedown to take a 6-2 lead. The Chattanooga wrestler grabbed another six points before the match was over to earn a 12-3 major decision. Sophomore DJ Meagher faced Dan Waddell at 149 pounds. Waddell shot in at Meagher and the two scrambled until Meagher turned over his opponent for a takedown. Waddell quickly escaped, and shot at Meagher once more but the Big Red wrestler counted again and took a 4-1 lead with a takedown. The two were at a stalemate and returned to center mat. Meagher earned two quick back points and was looking for more as time ran out in the period. Meagher started the second in the down position, and spun out for a reversal. Waddell was awarded a point for a technical for Meagher locking his hands. Meagher let him up for an escape. Waddell started the third down on the mat and with an escape brought the score to 8-4. The Moc wrestler earned his first takedown of the match, but with an escape and 1:36 in riding time, Meagher won a 10-6 decision. In the last bout of the first half, No. 5 Jordan Leen took on Joey Knox. Leen used a double leg to earn a takedown and rode his opponent out for the 1:40 remaining in the period. Knox chose to start the second down on the mat, and he earned his first point with an escape. Leen caught him right away to earn two more points to bring the score to 4-1 to end the second. The Big Red wrestler started the third down on the mat and quickly scrambled out to an escape. He earned another takedown, but cut his opponent loose looking for a major decision. Time ran out before he could score again, and with 3:24 in riding time, Leen won an 8-2 decision. As the second half began, John Basting squared off against William Garvin. Garvin earned the only points of the first with a takedown. Basting escaped from his starting down position in the second and earned a takedown to take a 3-2 lead. Basting was on top, but Garvin shook him loose over his head to grab a reversal. The Big Red wrestler escaped before the period was over. Garvin chose to start the third down on the mat and earned an escape and another takedown. He let Basting loose and earned another takedown. With 2:32 in riding time, Garvin won a 10-5 decision. At 174 pounds, No. 6 Steve Anceravage faced Jason McCrosky. Anceravage grabbed a quick lead with an early takedown. McCrosky came to his feet twice, but Anceravage threw him back to the mat each time before he finally escaped. As time was running out in the period, Anceravage spun around and earned another takedown over his opponent. The Big Red wrestler started the second period down on the mat and quickly escaped, almost earning a reversal, but McCrosky avoided his clutches for the time being. With time running out in the period, McCrosky earned a quick takedown bringing the match to 5-3. Anceravage cut his opponent loose from his starting down position in the third to put the score at 5-4. Neither wrestler scored in the last minute, and Anceravage walked away with a 5-4 decision. Next up for Cornell was No. 16 Justin Kerber against Tyler Roberson at 184 pounds. Kerber grabbed his opponent around the waist the drug him to the mat for a two-point takedown. Roberson made it back to his feet and escaped away from Kerber. The Big Red wrestler earned two more points, grabbing Roberson by one leg and twisting him down to the mat. The Moc grappler made it to his feet again, but this time Kerber flung him back to the mat and racking up 1:25 in riding time in the first period. Kerber started the second period in the down position and quickly got to his feet for the escape and twisted around for a takedown. Kerber tilted Roberson towards his back and earned two quick backpoints for a 9-1 lead. The Big Red wrestler continued to work his opponent and grabbed his leg to turn him to his back for a three-point nearfall before the end of the period. Kerber had locked up riding time heading into the third period with 3:16. Roberson chose to start the third at neutral. Midway through the period, Roberson shot at Kerber, but the Big Red wrestler countered and spun around for two more points with a takedown. Kerber cut his opponent loose and earned another takedown for a 17-2 tech fall victory. At 197 pounds, freshman Cam Simaz faced Ethan Winel. Right off the whistle the Moc wrestler shot at Simaz but the two scrambled to a stalemate. The wrestlers reached another stalemate before Simaz grabbed Winel's leg and swept him to the mat. Simaz titled his opponent for two quick backpoints before releasing him so he could take him down again for a 6-1 lead heading into the second. Simaz started the second down on the mat, but quickly got to his feet and worked his way to an escape. He looked to earn another takedown, but his opponent got off the mat before he could earn the points. At the neutral position, Simaz continued to work at his opponent but Winel evaded his clutches. Simaz pursued him until he earned another takedown and quickly let him go. The Big Red wrestler grabbed a leg and swept him to the mat yet again, and once again cut him loose. Simaz continued to use a leg sweep for another takedown to a 12-3 lead. Simaz cut Winel loose from his opening down position looking for more points, which he earned with less than 20 seconds off the clock to take an 18-5 advantage. Simaz racked up a bit more riding time before cutting his opponent loose, and circling again for a takedown. He would cut him loose once again with 49 seconds left, and grabbed his last takedown for a 23-8 win by technical fall in 6:35 to give Cornell a 29-7 lead going into the last match of the day. At heavyweight, senior No. 12 ranked Zach Hammond faced Cody Sliger. Hammond earned the first points of the match with a double leg and got a takedown on the edge of the mat. The two returned to the center of the mat, where Sliger fought to his feet, but Hammond swept out his leg to return him to the mat. Hammond was looking to tilt his opponent by his arm for the remainder of the period, but was unable to secure the back points. Hammond chose to start the second period down on the mat, and after working his way to his feet, escaped to take a 3-0 lead. Hammond had secured riding time heading into the third period with 2:14. Sliger chose to start the third period at neutral, and Hammond shot off the whistle to a quick takedown. Sliger eventually escaped, but Hammond earned another takedown and with 2:48 in riding time, Hammond won an 8-1 decision. The Big Red will continue road action next weekend as it travels to Columbia and Hofstra. The Big Red will be at Columbia on Sunday at 12 p.m. before traveling to Hofstra for a 5 p.m. dual. The Big Red's dual against Columbia marks the team's Ivy opener.

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Collecting wins in eight of 10 bouts, including three pins and a technical fall, the Augsburg College wrestling team scored a 41-7 victory over Minnesota State University Moorhead in a dual meet on Sunday afternoon at MSU Moorhead's Alex Nemzek Hall. Augsburg (10-2 in dual meets), the top-ranked team in Division III wrestling, improved to 12-0 in the all-time series with the Division II Dragons, dating to the 1991-92 season. Augsburg is now 237-21 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 16 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Willy Holst (SR, Prescott, Wis.), ranked No. 1 nationally at 149, scored a first-period pin for the Auggies, while Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 5 at 157, and 184-pounder Brad Baus (FY, Mukwonago, Wis.) scored third-period pins. Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 5 nationally at 157 pounds, scored a 16-0, technical-fall victory in his bout. Augsburg also collected two forfeits in the match, and claimed a 5-2 win from Mitch Gerold (FY, Braham, Minn.) at 197 pounds and a 3-1, overtime win by heavyweight Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.), ranked No. 7 nationally, over MSUM's Jon Swart. MSU Moorhead's (6-7 in dual meets) lone wins came from Evan Forde at 141, with an 8-3 win over Nathan Lexvold (FY, Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS); and from Jarret Hall at 174, with a 13-2, major-decision win over Josh Kohler (FY, Monticello, Minn.). The Dragons are listed in the "others receiving votes" in the latest Division II national poll. Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (2/7) at 9 a.m., with competition at the St. John's University North Country Open. The Auggie White Team (junior varsity) will compete at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational on Saturday.

Jayson Ness recorded his second win over the nation's top-ranked 133 pounder in as many weekends, capping off a furious Minnesota comeback as the 10th-ranked Gophers (13-4, 3-0) upset No. 5 Ohio State (10-2, 1-1) on Sunday. The Gophers rallied from a 16-6 deficit by winning the last four matches of the dual to beat the Buckeyes at St. John Arena in Columbus. Just one week after defeating then-No. 1 Franklin Gomez of Michigan State in Minneapolis, Ness knocked off current No. 1 Reece Humphrey on Sunday. After a scoreless opening period, Ness used a reversal in the second period and a takedown following a neutral start in the final stanza to secure his victory and the 18-16 dual meet win for Minnesota. After wins by Gordon Bierschenk (197 pounds), Ben Berhow (Heavyweight) and Zach Sanders (125 pounds) cut the Ohio State lead to 16-15 entering the final match, the win by Ness over Humphrey put the finishing touches on the comeback and kept Minnesota perfect in Big Ten duals this season. After the Buckeyes sprang to a 16-6 advantage with three consecutive bonus point wins in the middle weights, Bierschenk stopped the bleeding with a 5-2 decision victory over Cody Gardner at 197 pounds. Berhow then scored another big win for the Gophers when he took a 6-2 decision from the Buckeyes' 17th-ranked Corey Morrison at heavyweight. Sanders' 13-7 decision win over Nikko Triggas at 125 pounds set the stage for Ness' heroics in the final match of the day. In one of the other most highly-anticipated matches of the day, the Gophers' Mike Thorn defeated Ohio State's J Jaggers with a 6-4 overtime victory in the opening bout of the dual at 141 pounds. The match between the Minnesota sophomore and defending NCAA champion Jaggers was the third between the two this season. Thorn stunned then top-ranked Jaggers at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 5 before Jaggers took a 7-2 decision from Thorn in the Buckeyes' 25-12 victory over the Gophers at the National Duals. With Jaggers holding a narrow 1-0 lead heading into the third period, two Thorn reversals and another by Jaggers netted Thorn a 4-3 advantage with :36 remaining. Jaggers was able to wriggle free for an escape 15 seconds later to tie the score and send the match to overtime. Following a neutral start, Thorn recorded a takedown with 26 seconds remaining in the extra period to secure his win. Minnesota senior Tyler Safratowich moved within two wins of 100 career victories with his 8-5 decision win over OSU's Sean Nemec at 157 pounds. Safratowich's win gave Minnesota a 6-3 lead in the dual through three bouts. The Gophers will return to the Twin Cities where they will host two more Big Ten duals next weekend. Minnesota will host No. 18 Michigan on Friday night and No. 19 Northwestern on Sunday afternoon at the Sports Pavilion. Tickets for both duals are still available and can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080.

Junior Craig Brester posted a 6-4 decision over Max Askren in the final match of the night to give No. 4 Nebraska a come-from-behind 16-15 victory over No. 6 Missouri at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday. In the Big 12 opener for both schools, NU moved to 13-2-1 on the season, while MU dropped to 15-3. In another classic matchup between the two, Brester, ranked second in the nation at 197 pounds, used a first-period takedown to take an early lead on fourth-ranked Askren, but the Tiger was able to escape just seconds later. Askren chose down in the second and Brester accumulated the riding time advantage before Askren could escape to tie the match at two. Brester chose down in the third and Askren cut him before earning a takedown with a minute to go and taking a 4-3 lead. The Husker was able to notch a reversal with 49 seconds left and rode Askren out to take the 6-4 win. He moved to 24-1 on the season, including a team-leading 15-1 in duals. Brester's heroics and the Huskers win were made possible by sophomore Matt Vacanti at 133 pounds. Vacanti collected the only bonus-point victory of the night with a 20-7 major decision over MU's Taylor Crain. Vacanti posted nine takedowns to move his dual record above .500 for the first time this season at 6-5. He is 16-11 overall with three major decisions. Jordan Burroughs, Vince Jones and Robert Sanders collected decisions for NU, as each team claimed five victories. Third-ranked Burroughs surrendered his first dual takedown of the season to ninth-ranked Michael Chandler late in the third period to tie the bout, but the junior escaped with 10 seconds left to take the 4-3 victory at 157 pounds. Burroughs improved to 23-0 on the season, the best start for a Husker since Travis Pascoe went 23-0 at 184 pounds in 2003-04. MU's Dorian Henderson held Jones scoreless in the first period at 184 pounds, but chose down in the second frame. Jones rode Henderson out in the second period and collected a quick escape in the final period to earn a 4-0 decision. Jones is 24-6 overall and 10-4 in duals this season. Sanders also rode out his opponent, MU's Andrew Sherry, the entire second period after giving up a lead in the first. Sanders escaped in the final period to tie the match at four and earned the winning takedown with a minute left in the match for a 7-4 decision. Sanders is now 22-12 overall and 8-6 in duals. Nebraska returns home for a 7 p.m. dual with No. 15 Oklahoma State in the Bob Devaney Sports Center next Thursday. The dual is Hometown Husker Day for Plattsmouth-native Brandon Browne, and also Pepsi Pack the House promotion. Admission and Pepsi products will be $1.

GLEN ALLEN, Va. -- A pin by Jarrodd Garnett midway through the team match proved to be huge as the 13th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team pulled away late Saturday afternoon, beating in-state rival Virginia 21-12 in front of a near-capacity crowd at Deep Run High School as part of the Rumble on the River. The match opened up at 165 pounds where Virginia's Matt Sewell picked up a 7-2 win over Matt Epperly. The two were scoreless heading into the third period, but Sewell got a pair of takedowns and three near fall points late in the match to pick up the win. At 174 pounds, ninth-ranked Chris Henrich of Virginia moved to 31-1 on the year with a 6-1 decision over Anthony Trongone. At 184 pounds, Tommy Spellman nearly picked up a big pin to tie things up, but settled for a dominating 8-1 decision over No. 16 Rocco Caponi. Spellman put Caponi on his back midway through the second period, but Caponi held it off. Spellman rode Caponi the entire second period and then took him down in the third period and rode him out for 4:21 over riding time and the win. Brent Jones of Virginia, ranked 20th in the country beat D.J. Bruce 2-1 at 197 pounds. Both wrestlers used escapes in their period, but Bruce was dinged for two stall warnings, giving Jones the deciding point and the win to make it 9-3, Cavaliers. At heavyweight, David Marone had his way with Calvin Cardillo as he picked up five takedowns in recording a 13-6 win. Marone had the major decision in hand, but gave up a takedown to Cardillo at the buzzer to save the Cavs a critical point. Moving to the little guys, the 13th-ranked Garnett gave Tech its first lead of the day when he picked up a second-period pin of Wyatt Anderson at 125 pounds. Garnett picked up four easy takedowns before putting Anderson on his back and sticking him halfway through the second stanza. At 133 pounds, UVa's Matt Bonson tied the match up with an 8-4 decision over Tech's Will Livingston, setting the stage for an exciting last three bouts. Chris Diaz, ranked 20th in the country, picked up a takedown 10 seconds into the match and made it hold up as he won 3-2. Pete Yates, ranked 20th in the country, rolled to a 9-3 win over Pete Ferrara to make it 18-12 with just one match remaining. Yates got a takedown and three near fall points early and had a big lead late, but again, UVa picked up a takedown late to avoid the major decision. In the final match, Jesse Dong picked up a takedown early and held on for a hard-fought 3-0 win over Jedd Moore at 157 pounds. Needing only not to get pinned to win, Dong gave the fans in attendance a brief scare when Moore flipped Dong to his back briefly in the second period. But Dong wiggled free without giving up any back points. He eventually escaped and led 3-0 heading to the final period. Tech (16-1, 1-0 ACC) will continue with ACC competition on Sunday, taking on the University of North Carolina (10-6) at Fetzer Gym in a 1 o'clock match at Chapel Hill. UNC is 3-0 in the ACC and 10-6 overall.

WAVERLY -- A tussle between second-ranked Wartburg and third-ranked Delaware Valley gave 1,100 fans at Levick Arena their money's worth and more Saturday, Jan. 31. The visiting Aggies, wrapping up a two-day trip to Iowa where they forged a 2-0-1 record with wins over fourth-ranked Coe and 19th-ranked Luther to go along with the tie against the Knights, used back-to-back late combination-point moves to score wins at 125 and 133. Fourth-ranked Chris Scheetz rallied past sixth-ranked sophomore Mark Kist of Eagle Grove 5-4 with a takedown and two-point nearfall in the final 45 seconds, while sixth-ranked Brandon Clemmer did the same thing to second ranked junior Matt Kelly of Dubuque in a 9-7 victory, scoring a takedown and three-point nearfall as the clock ran out. Wartburg (13-2-1), closing a dramatic weekend where they battled top-ranked Augsburg College of Minneapolis, Minn., to the wire in a 21-16 loss on the road Friday, Jan. 30, scored the next 14 points. Second-ranked senior Zach McKray of Iowa City and second-ranked senior Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg were 10-4 and 8-2 winners, respectively, and senior 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas, coming in ranked No. 1 in the nation, upped his win streak to 72 with a 7:00 technical fall to give Wartburg its first lead. Top-ranked senior 165-pounder Justin Hanson of Dakota City added to the advantage with a 12-7 win. The final four bouts saw plenty of see-saw momentum. Delaware Valley's No. 5-ranked 174-pounder Rocky Mantella used an overtime takedown to subdue senior Grant Jenkins of Manchester 9-7, while in the battle of number one and two at 184. Mike Wilcox stopped senior Romeo Djoumessi of Waverly's 35-match win streak with a first period fall. Freshman 197-pounder Byron Tate of Clinton turned the tide for the Knights with a thrilling 5-4 win, riding out Delaware Valley's Martin Porter the entire final period for the decision. Sophomore heavyweight John Helgerson of West Union and the Aggies' Kyle Bilquist, each ranked in the top four nationally, closed the dual with another nail-biter. A Bilquist escape in the final minute led him to the 2-1 win and the draw in the team score.

USAFA, Colo. -- Winning five of nine contested bouts, the Air Force wrestling team picked up its first Western Wrestling Conference victory of the season Saturday night, defeating South Dakota State, 31-19, in Clune Arena. With the win, the Falcons move to 4-9 on the season, 1-2 in the WWC, while the Jackrabbits fall to 7-8-1 overall, 0-2 in the conference. The dual was fast-paced with five bouts ending by fall, while the 133-pound match was uncontested due to a forfeit by South Dakota State. The Falcons' Andrew Zwirlein (So., Nashotah, Wis.) was the first to register a pin, putting SDSU's Alan Marvin on his back with just five seconds remaining in the second period of the 125-pound bout. The fall was the first of the season for Zwirlein, who gave Air Force an early 6-0 lead in the team scoring After the forfeit at 133 pounds increased the Falcons' advantage to 12-0, the Jacks came back to win the next two matches. Dustin Walraven gave SDSU their first fall of the night at the 141-pound weight class, while Nick Flynn added a decision at 149 pounds to bring the Jacks back within three points. However, the Falcons began to turn it on again, starting with the 157-pound match. Sophomore Joseph Stafford (Loomis, Calif.) racked up an 8-0 lead over Marc Wermersen before pinning his opponent late in the opening period, while senior captain Stephen Crozier (Monona, Iowa) shut out his opponent to win a 12-0 major decision at 165 pounds. Justin Shadrix (Jr., Bremen, Ga.), who posted the Falcons' first win in last night's contest, again came up on the winning end, picking up a 7-3 decision over Justin Retallic. Shadrix, who entered the starting lineup at last week's Borah Duals, improves to 4-2 on the season and remains undefeated in dual action at 4-0. At 184 pounds, Brett Boyce (So., Brigham City, Utah) saw his first dual action of the season, facing Zach Blindert. Blindert scored a takedown against Boyce early in the opening period to gain the advantage and held the upper hand for nearly two minutes. However, Boyce was able to counter with a reversal, and with just 31 seconds left in the first period, Boyce registered a fall to give the Falcons an insurmountable 31-9 lead. With the outcome of the match already determined, the Jackrabbits closed out the evening with wins in the final two bouts. In the 197-pound match-up, 16th-ranked Tyler Sorenson scored a 19-5 major decision after putting together a strong second period. Meanwhile, in the heavyweight bout, Jason Stripling scored the second fall of the evening for South Dakota State, using a quick third-period reversal to put the Falcons' Stephen Larson on his back. Air Force will take a break from dual action next week, Feb. 7, as it heads to Lexington, Va., for the annual All-Academy Championships, hosted this year by VMI. Meanwhile, a second group of Falcons will compete in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open in Golden, Colo.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- With the result coming down to the final match at heavyweight for the third time this season, fifth-year senior Dustin Rogers delivered a 9-1 major decision to give the West Virginia University wrestling team a 20-16 victory over Lock Haven Saturday night at Thomas Fieldhouse. WVU moves to 6-4 overall, 3-0 in Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) competition. "Fortunately for us, Rogers was the better wrestler and he competed as the better wrestler tonight," Coach Craig Turnbull said. "I don't want to minimize that he's under a lot of stress with the match coming down to him, but being able to keep your focus and get the job done when the match is on the line is something he's doing very well right now." Rogers, now 12-4 on the season and 3-0 in league play, jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first period. After increasing his lead by a point with an escape in the second session, the Corning, Calif., native tacked on two more takedowns with 1:54 in riding time for the major decision. Freshman Colin Johnston (141) earned the team's first points with his first collegiate major decision. The Eighty Four, Pa., resident registered two takedowns in the first period and two more in the second to go ahead 8-3. In the third session, Johnston worked quickly, earning an escape after starting in the defensive position and then recorded a takedown followed by a three point near fall. Before the match was over, Johnston added in one more takedown and had 2:06 worth of riding time for the 17-4 victory. Two bouts later at 157 pounds, redshirt-freshman Ryan Goodman faced a difficult task in Lock Haven's Ollie Cooperwood. Goodman, who trailed 3-1 through two periods, saved his best wrestling for the final session. After tying the match with escape and stalling points, the Latrobe, Pa., native registered the go-ahead takedown with less than 10 seconds left in the match for the 5-3 victory, bringing the Mountaineers to within three, 10-7. "Probably the one that really won the match for us was Goodman's match at 157," Turnbull added. "We weren't getting much help from the official with the stall call, but Goodman stayed diligent and got rewarded with a takedown. That was critical." Redshirt-junior Donnie Jones, riding a four-match winning streak entering his bout against Lock Haven's Aaron Ernest, continued his impressive stretch. Flexing his muscle and using his quickness, Jones tallied five takedowns through two sessions. In the third period, Jones earned a two-point reversal and then quickly worked his way to second tech fall this year. The Slickville, Pa., native added to his total with two takedowns followed by a two-point near fall and then one more takedown, moving his takedown total to 30 on the season. With the 2:14 in riding time, Jones easily took a 21-6 victory – also giving WVU the 12-10 lead. Fifth-year senior Kurt Brenner added to WVU's lead with a 19-8 major decision at 174 pounds. Showing why he is ranked 12th nationally, Brenner wrestled aggressively, getting four takedowns through the first three minutes of the bout. After earning another two in the second session, Brenner accrued six more points in the final period, plus a point for 2:14 in riding time for his second major decision of the season. The Freedom, Pa., native is tied with Rogers for a team-leading 12 overall victories. Lock Haven falls to 6-8-1 overall, 1-3 in EWL action. The Mountaineers are now 17-14-0 all-time against the Bald Eagles. WVU ends its five-match road trip with a contest at EWL rival Pitt on Feb. 7. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m. at the Fitzgerald Field House.

KENT, Ohio -- The M.A.C. Center is KSU's house, and Pittsburgh was quickly made aware of this fact. The 24th-ranked Kent State Golden Flashes improved to 9-4 this season by declawing the 3-6 Pittsburgh Panthers 27-3. After the match, Kent State head coach Jim Andrassy talked being aggressive against the Panthers. "It was a very strange match as far as what their fans and coaches were complaining about. I thought our guys kept their composure... I thought Pittsburgh did not do much and our guys came out, attacked and put pressure on them. Just because you do a lot in the third period with 30 seconds left doesn't mean our guys are stalling. Our guys are working their butts off for 6:30 and they are trying to keep their lead. You cannot wrestle for 30 seconds and try to get stalling calls." Last year's slugfest between these two teams featured three overtime matches. It looked as the 2009 version might feature more of the same. At 125, sophomore Nic Bedelyon and Chris Albright needed extra time after solving nothing after seven minutes. Bedelyon would waste no time, grabbing the quick takedown in the extra session for the 7-5 win. A crucial penalty point for Danny Mitcheff proved the difference at 133. Both tallied escapes from the defensive position in the second and third periods, but a locking hands penalty on Jimmy Conroy of Pitt in the third was the difference as Mitcheff won 2-1. KSU led 6-0. Pitt looked to eighth-ranked Tyler Nauman to stop the bleeding at 141, but 11th-ranked fifth-year senior Drew Lashway would have none of it. Both grapplers were in a stalemate after the first period. In the second, Nauman chose defense and quickly jumped out with an escape. It would be his first and only lead. Lashaway took the lead with a takedown, but Nauman knotted the score with his second escape. Lashaway countered with his second takedown to take the lead for good, but Nauman escaped before the horn to cut the deficit to 4-3 after two. In the third, Lashaway chose neutral and built a commanding 6-3 lead with his third takedown and held on for the 6-4 upset win. Redshirt junior Jeremy Depoy dropped a 5-2 decision to Mark Powell at 149, but redshirt freshman Ross Tice quickly took any momentum away from the Panthers at 157. After a scoreless first period, Phil Sorrentino chose down and recorded the only points with an escape. In the meantime, the two did not have a clean start and Sorrentino was hit with a caution. In the third, Tice took the lead before any time passed in the period. Sorrentino was hit with three more cautions and Tice quickly took a 2-1 lead. Tice made the escape and won 4-1 when Sorrentino was penalized for misconduct. Losing close matches all season, redshirt junior Obie Simpson had a perfect opportunity for a marquee win as he battled 18th-ranked Ethan Headlee. Headlee looked as if he had Simpson's number as he got the early takedown, but Simpson quickly turned the tables with a reverse and two back points. The lead ballooned to three when Headlee was hit for misconduct. In the second, Headlee chose down and cut the deficit to two with an escape. In the final stanza, Simpson started down and broke the hold for an escape, but not before Headlee secured the riding point. Essentially up 6-4, Simpson was hit for stalling twice but held on for the 6-5 triumph. Redshirt sophomore Chris Estep used a different approach to defeat A.J. Brentzle at 174: the riding time. After a scoreless opening three minutes, Brentzle chose down and could never grab the escape as Estep rode him the entire period. In the third, Estep held the riding point with a quick escape and secured the win with a takedown. Golden Flashes held a commanding 18-3 lead after seven matches. With tight matches in the first two matches in front of the hometown crowd against Clarion and Northern Illinois, redshirt freshman Dustin Kilgore wanted to leave nothing in doubt at 184. Kilgore recorded the takedown in the early seconds in the match and took a 5-1 lead in the second with another takedown and a stalling point. Looking for the major, Kilgore went to work in the third. Starting down, Kilgore jumped out to a 7-1 lead when he reversed Pitt's Zac Thomusseit. Thomusseit earned the escape, but Kilgore quickly countered with another takedown. With the riding point secure, Kilgore looked as if he would record the major decision. However, Tomusseit escaped with seconds left and final shots by Kilgore were unsuccessful in a 10-3 win. Fifth-year senior Eric Chine immortalized himself in Kent State athletic history with the 100th win at 197. Chine began the match with a takedown, but escapes in the first and second by the Panther's Matthew Wilps knotted the score at two. However, Chine recorded the takedown to go up 4-2 after two. In the third, Chine chose defense and the lead ballooned to three with the escape. Chine all but secured the match with his third takedown, but Wilps quickly escaped and recorded his own two-pointer. However, it was two little to late as Chine held on for the 7-5 win. "No one recruited him out of high school," coach Andrassy said of Chine after the match. "He was a guy I saw at high school nationals, brought him in, and he has done a good job for us. I am really happy for him and I am happy for his family. He has done a good job for us." Chine joins fifth-year senior teammate Jermail Porter as the two Kent State wrestlers to record win number 100 this season. Ranked third in the country, Porter looked to make a little history of his own as he took on sixth-ranked Zach Sheaffer. After another scoreless first period, Porter chose down and got the escape to go up 1-0 after two. Tempers would flare in the third, but Porter would hold his ground. Sheaffer started down and tied the match with his escape, and both wrestlers would fight to a draw most of the period. Porter took a shot with about 25 ticks remaining and got the lead for good with the takedown and three quick back points. Sheaffer would break the hold and proceeded to slap at Porter's head. With 12 seconds to go, referee Joe Chesbrough added insult to injury for Sheaffer by whistling two misconduct penalty points on him and both wrestlers had to be restrained. Order was quickly restored and the final seconds ticked away on Porter's 8-2 win. With the win, Porter is now tied for third in 110 career wins with Steve Reedy (1977-81) and Mike Tolar (99-2004). The Golden Flashes continue their quest for a Mid-American Conference championship next Saturday (Feb. 7) when they travel to Alumni Arena to take on the Buffalo Bulls at 7 p.m.

Philadelphia, PA -- Five Hofstra wrestlers went 2-0 as the Pride split two matches in Philadelphia Saturday afternoon, losing to Penn, 18-16, before downing CAA-rival Drexel, 30-10 in the nightcap. Hofstra improved to 8-4 on the season and 5-1 in the CAA. In the first match of the day in the Palestra at Penn, the Quakers jumped out to an early 6-0 lead behind a win by fall by senior Cesar Grajales in 6:50 over Pride sophomore Jeff Rotella (4-7). But Hofstra came back and captured the next four matches to take a 13-6 lead in the contest. At 157 Pride junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (17-6) rolled to a 15-6 major decision over sophomore Gabriel Burak. Sophomore Ryan Patrovich (14-5) gave the Pride a 7-6 lead with a 7-4 decision over senior Andrew Coles at 165. Hofstra's 10th-ranked senior Alton Lucas (18-4) won his eighth straight match with a hard-fought, 6-4 decision over sophomore Scott Giffin at 174 pounds. Pride freshman Ben Clymer (17-7) won his fourth consecutive match with a 4-3 decision over senior Colin Hitschler on a takedown in the final seconds. But the Quakers, trailing by seven, did not roll over and would capture the next three match-ups to regain the lead, 15-13. At 197, Penn junior Thomas Shovlin posted a 12-6 decision over Pride senior Anthony Tortora (14-13) while senior Trey McLean wore down Hofstra freshman Jordan Enck (14-14), 10-5 at 285 pounds. Then, Penn's 12th-ranked junior Rollie Peterkin gave the Quakers the lead with a 4-2 win over Hofstra newcomer Steve Bonanno (23-10) at 125 pounds. Hofstra regained the lead, 16-15, at 133 pounds when ninth-ranked Lou Ruggirello (20-3) posted a 4-0 decision over sophomore Bryan Ortenzio on a first period takedown and a third period reversal setting up the deciding match at 141 pounds. In the finale, freshman Mark Rappo jumped out to a 5-0 lead after one period on the way to an 8-2 victory over Pride red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino (15-10) and the match. In the second match of the day, just several blocks down the street from Penn, the Pride captured seven of the 10 matches, including a victory by fall by Accordino and tech fall wins by Ruggirello, Bonilla-Bowman and Patrovich to take a 30-10 CAA victory over the Drexel Dragons. The Pride improved to 5-1 in the CAA and 8-4 overall. Hofstra captured the first three matches of the contest to take a 15-0 lead. At 125 pounds, Steve Bonanno (24-9) recorded a 12-3 major decision over sophomore Michael Gomez. Lou Ruggirello (21-3) remained undefeated in the CAA with a tech fall decision over Drexel freshman Frank Cimato. Red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino recorded his seventh fall victory of the season, pinning freshman Matt Dugan in 2:30. Accordino improved to 16-10 on the year. Drexel captured the next match at 149 pounds as Dragon freshman Robert Robinson downed Jeff Rotella (4-8), 9-5. Rotella was filling in for starter P.J. Gillespie, who is out with a shoulder injury. Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (18-6) started another run of four consecutive wins with a 25-9 tech fall victory over senior Billy Haydt at 157 pounds. Ryan Patrovich boosted the Pride lead to 24-3 in the contest with a tech fall victory over junior Scott Hunter at 165 pounds. It was Patrovich's third tech fall of the season as he improved to 15-5. Alton Lucas (19-4) posted a 10-4 decision over sophomore Dave Woodall at 174 pounds while freshman Ben Clymer captured his second match of the day with a 3-1 decision over sophomore Justin Wieller to boost the Hofstra lead to 30-3. The Dragons captured the final two matches of the day as 12th-ranked senior Jon Oplinger recorded a 16-8 major decision over Pride senior Anthony Tortora (14-14) at 197 pounds and sophomore Kyle Frey downed freshman Jordan Enck (14-15) at 285 pounds. The Pride return to action on Sunday, February 8 at 5 p.m. when they host the third-ranked Big Red of Cornell at the David S. Mack Sports Complex. Nick Gallo, who captured the Pride's only national championship in 1977 at 126 pounds, will have his singlet retired and raised to the rafters during halftime ceremonies.

TEMPE -- On the strength of three wins by fall and seven victories overall, the Arizona State University wrestling team snapped a three-dual losing skid on Saturday night as the Sun Devils handed visiting Cal Poly a 36-10 defeat in Pac-10 action inside Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The victory squared the Sun Devils' record at 5-5 on the year with a 3-1 mark in the Pac-10 while the Mustangs fell to 3-10 overall and 0-5 in the league. Opening at 157 pounds, the visitors took an early 3-0 lead as No. 14 Chase Pami won a 6-2 decision over ASU's Te Edwards. The Sun Devils tied the dual at three one match later when Kyle DeBerry scored a 6-1 decision over Joel Shaw. ASU took the lead for good at 174 when Eric Starks won by forfeit, claiming for the first of the team's four, six-point victories. Jake Meredith followed at 184 points as he used two takedowns and four, three-point near falls to score a 16-0 technical fall over Ben Crosby just 4:50 into the match. Jake Cranford followed that up with a victory by fall at 1:50 of the 197 match as he took Bo Lukehart to his back and stuck him for the 20-3 lead. The Mustangs won the heavyweight bout for three more points as Kelan Bragg scored a 3-2 decision over Imanibom Etukeren. David Prado, in only his second collegiate dual for the Sun Devils, picked up an impressive victory as he scored on two takedowns and was working for near fall points before he stuck Andy Nowak at 4:48 for the pin and his first collegiate win. The Mustangs won at 133 with Jake Tanenbaum taking an 11-2 major decision over Angel Alegre, bringing the team score to 26-10. But, the Sun Devils closed out the dual in strong fashion, starting at 141 where No. 6 Chris Drouin piled up takedowns and near fall points to win a 13-3 major over Andy Wagner. The final match of the night saw another exciting finish for Vicente Varela. Although the 149-pound freshman didn't need overtime, he did bring the crowd to its feet for the second time in as many duals as grabbed Eric Maldanado, swung him to his back and tightened his hold before pinning the Mustang in 2:32 to close out the win for the Sun Devils. A pair of tough road conference duals await the Sun Devils next weekend as they face Stanford and Oregon State in their final road duals of the season. First up, the Sun Devils and Cardinal of Stanford meet in Palo Alto, Calif., at 7 p.m. PT on Friday night before ASU travels to Corvallis, Ore., to face the Beavers of Oregon State at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team stormed back from a 10-point halftime deficit to force a 17-17 tie against 19th-ranked Northwestern on Friday evening (Jan. 31) in front of 549 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines claimed wins in four of the five individual bouts after the intermission and picked up a pair of major decisions to complete the comeback. With his team down by three points entering the final match, junior/sophomore heavyweight Eddie Phillips (Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS) used the first round of tiebreakers to upend Ben Kuhar 3-2 and even the team score. After a scoreless first period, Phillips put himself in control with a switch and immediate reversal in the middle frame. Kuhar earned an escape and picked up another early in the third, holding Phillips' riding-time advantage below a minute to force overtime. After a scoreless sudden-victory frame and a U-M escape midway through the first 30-second tiebreaker, Phillips rode out the entirety of the second tiebreaker to seal up the decision and his third straight win. Sophomore/freshman Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) and fifth-year senior Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) earned major decisions at 165 and 197 pounds, respectively, to neutralize the Wildcats' bonus wins. Zeerip dictated the pace against Kyle Bertin -- younger brother of former Wolverine standout Ryan Bertin -- in the former bout and locked up a cradle off a NU shot midway through the second period to gain the only advantage he needed. The Wolverine rookie blew the match open, however, midway through the third, driving Bertin to his back during a flurry on the mat and picking up an additional five points late to claim a 9-1 major decision after riding time. Todd, ranked sixth in the latest NWCA/InterMat poll, appeared poised to stall out his second opponent in as many matches but had to settle for a 16-5 major decision over John Schoen at 197 pounds. The Wolverine captain scored five takedowns, converting on a spin around and an ankle pick before finishing three single legs in the final period. Schoen, meanwhile, was hit with four stalling calls in the match's first six minutes but avoided the fifth as Todd took him down twice in the final minute of regulation. With the win, Todd improved his record to 11-1 on the season with eight bonus victories. Michigan's other fifth-year senior captain -- top-ranked Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) -- perfected his record to 17-0 on the season with an 11-5 decision over Robert Kellogg at 174 pounds. Luke secured three double-leg takedowns in the opening period and added a single leg along the edge in the second to control the bout from start to finish. Sophomore Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) claimed the Wolverines' lone victory at the lower weights, taking a 4-2 decision against 16th-ranked Keith Sulzer in the marquee match at 141 pounds. Russell, ranked fifth, scored the bout's only offensive points, initiating a flurry midway through the opening period before countering on a Sulzer half shot to come around for the points. The Wolverine wrestler rode out the remainder of the period and picked up a second-period escape -- sacrificing his time advantage -- to pad his lead to three points. Sulzer earned a reversal out of an early scramble in the third period, but Russell escaped quickly and held on to claim his 11th straight win. The Wolverines will wrap up their weekend homestand tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 1) with a 2 p.m. meeting against No. 19 Indiana at Cliff Keen Arena. Volunteer coach Andy Hrovat will host a free pre-meet clinic, slated to begin at 11:30 a.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The fifth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team started its 2009 Big Ten dual action with a tightly contested 18-16 victory over No. 19 (tied) Indiana Friday night in St. John Arena. A crowd of 1,473 watched the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers battle through four lead changes before Colt Sponseller scored an 8-3 decision for Ohio State in the final bout. The Scarlet and Gray received decisions from Sponseller (165), Lance Palmer (149), J Jaggers (141), Dave Rella (174) and a pin from Mike Pucillo (184). The Buckeyes move to 10-1 and 1-0 in the Big Ten Conference while the Hoosiers drop to 13-3-1 (0-1-1 Big Ten). In addition, the Buckeyes recognized more than 40 alumni at halftime of the meet and Luke Fickell, Ohio State football co-defensive coordinator, served as the honorary captain. Fickell was a three-time Ohio high school state champion while wrestling at Columbus' DeSales High School. Starting the meet was the 174-pound division, Rella decided No. 15 Trevor Perry, 6-4. After a scoreless first period, the Buckeye jumped ahead in the second period, scoring an escape and a take down to move the score to 3-1 heading into the final stanza. In a tightly contested third period, Perry posted a late takedown and Rella an escape to make it tied at 4-all with 13 seconds left. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Rella recorded a pivotal takedown to win, 6-4. Second-ranked Pucillo pinned Hoosier Eric Cameron in 2:41 to put the Buckeyes up, 9-0, after two weight divisions. With the pin, the Cuyahoga, Ohio, native remains perfect on the season and owns a 9-0 record. At 197, Ohio State freshman Cody Gardner fell behind in the first period, 4-1, to Indiana's Matt Powless and was unable to battle back, dropping a major decision, 11-4. After three weight classes, Ohio State held a 9-3 lead. The heavyweights were up next. Representing the Buckeyes was No. 17-ranked Corey Morrison taking on Hoosier Nate Everhart. The match was close with Indiana's Everhart up by only one after the first. Everhart opened the second period with a reversal to move the score to 3-0 before Morrison scored an escape to take it to 3-1 after two. Despite tying it at 3-all in the final period, Morrison dropped to Everhart, 4-3, in the last 40 seconds. Indiana pulled within three points of Ohio State with the decision, 9-6. Wrestling at 125, Ohio State's Nikko Triggas fell to No. 6 Angel Escobedo, 7-1. The grapplers were scoreless after the first and Indiana's Escobedo was only up 2-0 after the second but in the third, Escobedo scored two takedowns and an escape for the win and tie the conference dual at 9-all heading into the break. The second half was started with Buckeye Pat Harrington going up against Hoosier Matt Ortega at 133 pounds. Ortega, 20-6 on the season, scored a 12-4 major decision over the freshman from Sandusky, Ohio, to give Indiana a 13-9 lead after six rounds. With Ohio State trailing for the first time in the evening, Jaggers, ranked 12th in the nation, posted three takedowns and a reversal to earn a 9-6 decision over IU's Andrae Hernandez at 141. With the victory, Jaggers pulled the Buckeyes to within one of the Hoosiers with the score standing at 13-12 Indiana. With two takedowns and a reversal, No. 4 Palmer battled Nick Walpole to an 8-2 decision at 149, giving Ohio State its second lead of the evening. The Buckeyes held a 15-13 advantage heading into the second to last round. At 157, the Scarlet and Gray's Sean Nemec fell to No. 12 Kurt Kinser. The match was scoreless after the first before Nemec, a Lakewood, Ohio, native, opened the second period with a takedown, holding a slight, 2-1, lead. However, a Kinser takedown with a minute left in the third would prove enough to take the match, 4-2, and regain the lead for Indiana, 16-15, with one round remaining. The final bout of the day, and the deciding match, pitted Ohio State's second-ranked Sponseller vs. Paul Young. Sponseller, a sophomore for the Buckeyes, moved to 22-3 on the season after downing Young, 8-3, and securing the Ohio State 18-16 win.