InterMat Staff

AMES, Iowa -- No. 3 Iowa State was able to overcome an early deficit to down 11th-ranked Oklahoma Friday night at Hilton Coliseum, 23-15. ISU won six out of the 10 contested weights. The Cyclone come-from-behind victory was powered by strong bonus-point performances by Cyclone middleweights Cyler Sanderson (157) and Jon Reader (165). Cyclone Jake Varner , the top 197-pounder in the nation, chipped in his own bonus points for the team to improve his personal record to 19-1 this season. ISU totaled 24 takedowns to OU's five in the dual. The Cyclones continue in action Sunday against 13th-ranked Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. at home in Hilton Coliseum. "We lost some matches we didn't need to lose," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "Some guys were out there fighting. I was happy with how Cyler (Sanderson) went out and wrestled. Reader also put the heat on his guy. We weren't 100 percent coming in but a dog on the hunt doesn't scratch its fleas." ISU's Sanderson was close to scoring a technical fall in his match. The returning All-American was up 17-5 and scored a late third-period takedown to run the score to 19-5. Following through on his own move, the Cyclone dumped the Sooners' 16th-ranked Shane Vernon to his back to score nearfall points. Sanderson didn't stop there. The Cyclone stuck the Oklahoma wrestler in 6:41 to rack up six team points towards to ISU effort. Following the thunderous applause given at the conclusion of the 157-pound bout, ISU's Jon Reader came out firing. The sophomore Cyclone held a 7-0 advantage heading into the second period against OU's Ryan Smith due to two nearfalls. Reader tallied two third-period takedowns to bring his match total to three and scored the major decision, 16-2. Redshirt freshman Jerome Ward continued his first Cyclone season with a victory at 184 pounds against Oklahoma's Pat Flynn. Ward sealed the deal in the third period with a takedown at 0:24 and added a riding-time advantage to score the decision, 5-2. "That was a good match for Jerome," Sanderson said. "The guy he beat is rated nationally and this will give him confidence heading into Sunday." At 197 pounds, Varner did not disappoint. With ISU holding on to a slim 16-15 team score lead, the No. 1 wrestler at 197 pounds major decisioned OU's Eric Lapotsky, 16-5. Varner recorded seven takedowns over the match. In the final match of the night, the heavyweights went all out. Cyclone David Zabriskie needed quadruple-overtime to edge Nathan Fernandez of Oklahoma. ISU's heavyweight won 4-2 in the second sudden-victory period off a takedown at 0:14 mark. Zabriskie improves to 22-2 on his junior campaign.

The University of Minnesota wrestling team improved its season dual meet record to 10-4 with a win over Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. on Friday night. Led by redshirt freshman Zach Sanders' 12th consecutive victory, a 14-5 major decision over the Sun Devils' David Prado, the Gophers won the final three bouts of the meet to claim the 26-12 win. Wins by Minnesota's 18th-ranked heavyweight Ben Berhow, Sanders at 125 pounds and a forfeit victory by two-time All-American Jayson Ness helped turn a 12-12 tie into a 26-12 victory for the ninth-ranked Gophers. The Gophers also got a big win at 157 pounds from No. 14 Tyler Safratowich when the senior pinned the Sun Devils' Michael Swigert in 4:29 to tie the meet at six points apiece after Arizona State captured the first two matches of the evening by decision. The pin was Safratowich's seventh of the season. Scott Glasser broke a seven-match losing streak with a 3-2 win at 165 pounds over Kyle DeBerry. The only match of the evening featuring a pair of ranked wrestlers came in the opening bout of the night. Arizona State's No. 6 Chris Drouin defeated Minnesota's ninth-ranked Mike Thorn with an 11-7 decision. The Gophers return to action on Sunday, when they open their Big Ten conference season with a dual against Michigan State at the Sports Pavilion. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080.

Junior Stephen Dwyer and senior Brandon Browne notched major decisions in the final two matches to propel No. 4 Nebraska to a 23-14 dual win over Penn in the NU Coliseum on Friday. The Huskers ran their record to 11-2 on the season, while the Quakers dropped to 6-5. After a Penn forfeit at 157 pounds, the Quakers trailed the Huskers by just one at 15-14, but Dwyer and Browne closed the door on any hopes of an upset. Dwyer, ranked fifth in the country at 165, took a 5-1 lead into the third period over Penn's Andrew Coles, and poured it on with three takedowns in the final stanza to win 12-4. Browne, ranked second, accomplished the same feat at 174 pounds against Scott Giffin. After a scoreless first period, Browne took a 5-1 advantage headed to the third and notched three takedowns to claim a 14-4 victory. The win moved Browne to 20-2 on the season with three consecutive bonus-point victories, while Dwyer stands at 19-2. Nebraka opened a 6-0 lead to start the dual with decisions by senior Vince Jones and junior Craig Brester at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively. Jones was tied with Colin Hitschler at 4-4 after the first, but Jones earned an escape in the second period and rode Hitschler out in the final period to take the 6-4 win. Brester used two takedowns and a nearfall in the first two periods to cruise to an 8-1 victory. Trey McLean upset No. 16 Tucker Lane at heavyweight to get Penn on the board, as the Quakers used the momentum to capture three of the next four matches and take a brief 14-9 lead. No. 12 Rollie Peterkin downed NU's Andy Pokorny, 5-1, at 125 pounds, but Husker Matt Vacanti gained the points back with a 3-2 decision over Penn's Bryan Ortenzio at 133. The Quakers earned their only bonus-point win of the night with a 20-4 technical fall by Rick Rappo at 141. NU's Robert Sanders nearly upset No. 10 Cesar Grajales with a late charge, before losing 12-11. Junior Jordan Burroughs claimed the forfeit at 157 for the Huskers, keeping his perfect season alive at 20-0. Nebraska hits the road for two tough duals in Mount Pleasant, Mich., on Sunday. The Huskers face undefeated Virginia Tech (12-0) at 10 a.m. and square off with No. 6 Central Michigan at noon in Rose Arena.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, opened up the 2009 Big Ten dual meet season with a 17-17 tie at No. 21 Indiana. Head coach Troy Sunderland's squad was buoyed by sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), who downed the defending National Champion at 125, and senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) notched a technical fall at 184 to lead the Nittany Lions. Pataky got things started in a fine fashion for the Nittany Lions, notching the only takedown in a 4-3 win over Indiana's Angel Escobedo, the defending National Champion. Pataky entered the bout ranked No. 19. Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 133, followed with a win at 133 and red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) won at 141 to put Penn State up 9-0 early. Defending National Runner-Up Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) then posted an 8-3 win at 149. Jenkins, ranked No. 2, was hobbled early on in the bout but still dominated, notching three takedowns to none for his Hoosier opponent to post the win, giving the Nittany Lions a 12-0 lead. Indiana got on the board with a four-point technical fall from No. 12 Kurt Kinzer at 157. Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157, moved up to 165 and suffered a 4-1 upset loss to Indiana's Paul Young, cutting the Lion lead to 12-7. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 174, was upset by No. 17 Trevor Perry in overtime and Penn State's once 12-0 lead was down to 12-10. It was the senior Decker who stopped the IU comeback, notching a 15-0 technical fall at 184 with a series of three point turns. The win pushed Penn State out to a 17-10 lead with just two bouts remaining. Indiana got a major at 197, cutting the Lion lead to 17-14 and setting up the critical bout at heavyweight, where Penn State freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), met Indiana junior Nate Everhart. Everhart would fight his way to a 5-3 decision and Penn State managed a 17-17 tie. Penn State is now 7-6-1 on the year, 0-0-1 in conference duals. Indiana is 13-2-1, 0-0-1 in the loop. The Nittany Lions head to West Lafayette, Ind., tonight to prepare for tomorrow afternoon's battle with No. 25 Purdue. Penn State visits the Boilermakers for a 2 p.m. dual on Saturday. Penn State's next home dual is set for Friday, Jan. 30, when Minnesota comes to town for a 7 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. BOUT-BY-BOUT: * 125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 19 nationally, took on defending National Champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana, ranked No. 4, at 125 in one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups. Pataky used a solid double-leg shot at Escobedo's knees to record the first takedown of the match just seconds into the bout. Pataky was trying to keep Escobedo from fleeing the mat when he got hit with a stall warning and a reset was called. Escobedo then took an extended injury timeout before action resumed. Escobedo escaped to a 2-1 deficit after the reset. Pataky was the aggressor for during the entire period, forcing the All-American back towards the edge of the mat and keeping control of the action. Pataky took a shot at Escobedo's thighs but the IU junior countered to force a stalemate on the edge of the mat. Trailing 2-1, Escobedo chose down to begin the second period. Pataky maintained control of the Hoosier long enough to build up a riding time advantage but he got hit with a second stall warning in the process, tying the score at 2-2. Escobedo then escaped to a 3-2 lead and action returned to the middle of the mat with 1:10 left in the second period. Another low double leg by Pataky forced a scramble in the center circle. Pataky worked to get the takedown and Escobedo worked to tie him up himself. But time ran out and Escobedo carried the 3-2 lead into the final period. Pataky, with 1:07 in riding time, chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 3-3 tie while maintaining his 1:00 time advantage. Neither wrestler mounted a threat for the first minute. Pataky looked to tie Escobedo up, fighting off the Hoosier's efforts and forcing him out of the circle. With :30 left, Escobedo mounted a furious rally, trying to use a high throw to send Pataky to the mat and notch a winning takedown. But Pataky was able to stave off the efforts, fighting through a mad Escobedo scramble in front of the Penn State bench as time expired. The thrilling 4-3 win over the defending NCAA Champion gave Penn State an early 3-0 lead. * 133: All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 133, met Indiana's Matt Ortega, who entered the bout with a 19-5 record. Strayer wasted no time in gaining control of Ortega's right leg with a high single. The senior then battled his Hoosier foe for half a minute before getting the takedown at the 2:19 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. An Ortega escape cut Strayer's lead to 2-1. Strayer continued to work Ortega's right leg and added another takedown at the 1:10 mark to lead 4-2 after another Ortega escape. Strayer added a third takedown as the period ended, tripping a scrambling Ortega to the mat to lead 6-2 after one period. Strayer chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. Ortega countered a Strayer shot and nearly turned the Lion to his back. But the All-American fought off his back and only gave up a takedown. Strayer then escaped with :45 left to lead 8-4. Strayer nearly added another takedown with :15 left, but Ortega managed to work his way out of bounds. Trailing 8-4, Ortega chose down to start the third period and escaped to cut Strayer's lead to 8-5. Strayer shot high on Ortega, then slid down low and worked his way into control of the Hoosier's right leg once again. Ortega worked to force action off the mat, but Strayer pulled him onto the mat and continued to work the Hoosier for a takedown. A stalemate was called but only :23 remained in the bout. Strayer then wound out the clock to post a solid 8-5 win and keep Ortega from reaching the 20-win mark. The victory put Penn State up 6-0. * 141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) took to the mat at 141 to face IU's Scott Kelly. Molinaro notched the first takedown, taking an early 2-0 lead on the Hoosier senior with a solid double-leg at the 2:41 mark. Molinaro then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Kelly for 1:31 before he cut Kelly loose. Molinaro then immediately used a swift double-leg to take a 4-1 lead with just under a minute left and the Lion freshman began working for back points. Kelly got hit for one stall warning and Molinaro rode the Hoosier senior out to lead 4-1 with 2:33 in riding time after the opening period. Kelly chose down to start the second stanza and Molinaro let him loose to lead 4-2 seconds into the middle period. Molinaro continued to set the pace, trying to force the tempo. But Kelly was able to hang on top, winding the clock down and managing to end the period. Leading 4-2, Molinaro chose down to start the final stanza and was cut loose to a 5-2 lead. The Lion freshman then quickly gained control of Kelly's right thigh and forced Kelly to try and escape the mat. Kelly was hit with a second stall and Molinaro led 6-2 with 1:45 left. Molinaro fought off a high Kelly shot but Kelly regained control of Molinaro and notched his first takedown, cutting the Lion's lead to 6-4. Kelly cut Molinaro loose with :45 left and then battled his way to a second takedown to cut the lead to 7-6. But time ran out on the late Kelly flurry and, with the riding time point, Molinaro posted a hard-fought 8-6 win. The victory gave Penn State a 9-0 lead after the first three bouts. * 149: 2008 National Runner-Up Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, met Indiana's Nick Walpole in the next bout. Walpole entered the bout with 21 wins on the year. Jenkins notched the first takedown, tripping Walpole to the mat for an early 2-0 lead. But Jenkins had to call for a quick injury timeout, forcing a reset in the center circle, where Walpole escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 2:10 mark. Walpole was called for a stall warning as Jenkins forced action to the edge of the mat. With Jenkins hobbled a bit, Walpole looked to gain control of the Lion All-American's shoulders. But Jenkins countered a Walpole shot and nearly notched a takedown at the :46 mark before action moved out of bounds. Jenkins countered another Walpole shot and notched a huge takedown in front of the Penn State bench with just :11 left. Walpole managed to escape to a 4-2 deficit before the period ended. Jenkins chose down to start the second stanza and steadily worked his way up to his feet. He notched the escape to lead 5-2 with 1:20 left. Jenkins nearly completed a mixer with :35 left, but Walpole managed to roll through and keep the bout alive. Down 5-2, Walpole chose top to start the final period, hoping to turn Jenkins for back points. Jenkins, however, was steady, working his way out for an escape at the 1:36 mark to lead 6-2. Riding time, at this point, was not a factor. Walpole gained control of Jenkins' right thigh with 1:00 left, but Jenkins countered, worked his way around behind the Hoosier junior and got his third takedown to lead 8-2 with :35 left. Walpole escaped after the reset, cutting the lead to 8-3. Jenkins, wrestling at times on just one leg, continued to shoot, countering Walpole shots and rolling to the 8-3 win. The victory put the Nittany Lions up 12-0. * 157: Penn State sent red-shirt freshman Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.), a reserve 141/149-pounder, to the mat at 157 to take on Indiana's Kurt Kinzer, ranked No. 12 nationally. Pisani was moving up two weights to make his dual meet debut. The young Lion was aggressive out of the box, nearly completing on a flurry of early shots. But the ranked Kinzer fought through each one and kept things scoreless. Kinzer then notched his first takedown at the 2:20 mark to take a 2-0 lead. Pisani escaped, shot and nearly rolled Kinzer to his back, but was countered by the Hoosier and fell behind 4-1 with 1:25 left. Kinzer put together a strong ride, working to turn Pisani. But the Nittany Lion freshman maintained his position and Kinzer led 4-1 (with 2:11 in riding time) after one period. Kinzer chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 5-1 lead. Kinzer quickly took Pisani down, cut him loose, and led 7-2. Kinzer added a fourth takedown and another cut to lead 9-3 with :38 left in the second stanza. Pisani got called for a stall warning. He then shot low on Kinzer, nearly gaining control of his ankle, but the Hoosier countered and worked around for another takedown to lead 11-3 with 2:34 in riding time to start the final stanza. Pisani chose down to start the third period and was allowed out to an 11-4 deficit. Kinzer quickly added another takedown and led 13-5 after a Pisani escape. Kinzer added four more takedowns and picked up a stall point as well to roll to a 23-8 four-point technical fall (a wrestler must get back points to receive a five-point technical fall and Pisani did not give up any near fall points). The four point TF at the 7:00 mark (with riding time) cut Penn State's lead to 12-4 heading into an extended intermission. * 165: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157, made the move up to 165 for the rest of the season where he took on Indiana's Paul Young. Young, who entered the bout with a gaudy 22-7 record, quickly came at Vallimont, nearly taking an early 2-0 lead with a high shot. But Vallimont managed to fight off the move and force a reset with 2:30 left. Vallimont shot low on Young, but the Hoosier countered and gained control of Vallimont's shoulders, keeping the bout scoreless with 1:16 left. Vallimont got in on Young's leg with a high single, but this time it was the Hoosier who fought his way out of trouble to keep things scoreless after one period. Vallimont chose down to start the second stanza and escaped at the 1:29 mark to lead 1-0. Neither wrestler mounted a serious challenge for the remainder of the period and Vallimont carried the slim 1-0 lead into the final period. Young chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Young gained control of Vallimont's right ankle and began working his way for a go-ahead takedown. The Hoosier finally got the points, and a 3-1 lead, with just :45 left in the bout. Vallimont then found himself unable to escape and Young went on to post a 4-1 upset victory, cutting Penn State's lead to 12-7. * 174: In one of the dual's marquee match-ups, Nittany lion true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met Indiana's Trevor Perry. Wright entered the bout ranked No. 14 at 174 while Perry was ranked No. 17. Wright took a couple early shots on Perry, but the Hoosier grappler managed to block them off and keep things scoreless early on. Wright shot low once again and once again Perry worked his way around to a counter, nearly getting his own takedown. But Wright scrambled and worked his way to a near takedown himself before action moved out of bounds with 1:10 left. Neither wrestler found an opening for the rest of the period and the bout moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Wright chose down and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Wright continued to shoot for Perry's lower legs, but the Hoosier was able to block off the shots with high defense and keep from giving up the takedown. Like the first period, the second period's final minute saw neither wrestler with a chance to score and Wright led 1-0 heading into the final period. Perry chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Wright continued to shoot low and Perry continued to play high defense, looking to score on counter throws. But Wright was in no danger of giving up any points at any time and action moved to a first sudden victory period. Perry shot low on Wright and, after a short tussle, notched the winning takedown just :32 into the bout and posted a 3-1 upset victory. The win cut Penn State's once 12-0 lead to just 12-10 with three bouts left. * 184: Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) took to the mats at 184 for Penn State where he met Indiana's Eric Cameron, who entered the bout with a 19-10 record. The first minute-plus of the bout was an even struggle as each wrestler looked for control up high. Each wrestler was hit with a stall warning at the :15 mark and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Cameron chose down to start the second period. But Decker was able to gain control of Cameron's leg, use his strength to turn him to his back and pick up three near-fall points to take a 3-0 lead. While not picking up the pin on the first attempt, Decker turned him once more for three more back points with :18 left. Not to miss the chance, Decker turned him one more time, picked up three more back points, and carried a 9-0 lead with a 2:00 riding time edge into the final period. Decker chose top to start the final period and once again turned Cameron for a near pin and a 12-0 lead. One more three point turn and Decker posted a sizzling 15-0 technical fall. The five-point win put the Nittany Lions up 17-10 and snapped a streak of three straight IU victories. * 197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) met Indiana's Matt Powless at 197. Powless quickly opened up a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the opening minute. Powless worked up a :35 riding time edge before cutting Steadman loose to a 2-1 lead. The Nittany Lion freshman then battled Powless evenly for the remainder of the period, trialing just 2-1 but picking up a first stall warning. Powless chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Powless then added a second takedown and began looking to pick up back points. After Steadman fought off his first efforts, Powless cut the Lion freshman loose and led 5-2 with :50 left. Steadman gave up a stall point with :16 left and fell behind 6-2 heading into the final period (Powless had 1:06 in riding time). Steadman chose down to start the last period and was allowed out to a 6-3 deficit. Another Steadman stall gave Powless a 7-3 lead with 1:17 remaining. Each wrestler then lunged forward and collided. Steadman was knocked off his feat and with :47 took an extended injury timeout. The Lion freshman recovered, however, and picked up the pace. Another stall gave Powless two points and a 9-3 lead. But Steadman countered with his own shot gaining control of Powless' foot. The Hoosier, however, managed to work around for a key takedown with just :11 left and, with the riding time point, post a 12-3 major decision. The victory cut PSU's lead to 17-14 with one bout left. * HWT: With the dual meet on the line, red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) stepped up for the Nittany Lions at heavyweight where he took on IU junior Nate Everhart. Wade set the early tone, looking to gain control of Everhart's upper body for an opening. But the veteran Hoosier big man was able to keep Wade from connecting and action moved to the second period tied 0-0. Everhart chose down to start the second stanza, gained control of Wade's ankle, and notched a quick reversal to lead 2-0. Everhart then began working for a turning combination but Wade was able to fight off the effort. Wade appeared to have escaped with :08 left and Everhart seemed to have locked his hands, but no escape was awarded and no penalty point called and Everhart was able to ride Wade out. Trailing 2-0 (and giving up 1:21 in riding time), Wade chose down to start the third period. Everhart got hit with a stall point, cutting the lead to 2-1 with 1:29 left. Wade then got hit with a stall warning right before escaping to a 2-2 tie with 1:02 left. Everhart, however, had a 2:18 riding time edge and essentially led 3-2. With time winding down, Wade took a wild shot that Everhart countered and, with :18 left, iced the bout with a takedown. Everhart's 5-3 win earned Indiana a 17-17 tie.

The Fort Hays State wrestling squad took to the road on Thursday evening for a non-conference dual with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. The teams locked up in a very exciting dual that came down to the last match, which pitted 184 pounders Tyler Gonzales (FHSU) and Daniel Morrison (UCO). Gonzales scored a takedown in the waning moments of the match to grab a lead and lift the Tigers to a shocking 21-19 dual win. It was the first win ever for Fort Hays State in Edmond. Fort Hays State bolted out to a quick 6-0 lead with the dual beginning at 197 pounds. FHSU Redshirt-freshman Ben Evans pinned Zach James in 1:05 to give the Tigers the early edge. Evans moved to 14-5 with the win. Central Oklahoma would come back to win the next three matches. At heavyweight, No. 1-ranked Dustin Finn of UCO defeated redshirt-freshman Justin Glenn with a 6-2 decision. Glenn moved to 4-6 on the season. The Bronchos took the dual lead 9-6 after No. 4-ranked Tim Elliott pinned junior Tommy Edgmon in 5:28 at 125 pounds. It was Edgmon's first loss of the year and is now 6-1 overall. UCO extended the lead to 12-6 at 133 pounds with Scott Berens scoring a 7-0 decision over redshirt-freshman Travis Kuhn. Kuhn is now 5-6 this season. FHSU senior James Annon, ranked No. 2 in the nation at 141 pounds, pulled the Tigers back within three with a 4-2 sudden victory in overtime over No. 3-ranked Colby Robinson. Annon moved to 13-5 on the season. Levi Younkin almost pulled the Tigers even in the dual at 149 pounds, but lost by sudden victory in the second overtime to No. 6-ranked Luke Elmore by a score of 8-6. Younkin is now 19-11. At 157 pounds, No. 4-ranked Danny Grater pulled the Tigers back to within three points of the Bronchos with a 5-2 decision over Kelly Henderson. Grater moved to 17-6 with the win. Senior Troy Lussenhop would shift the whole momentum of the dual at 165 pounds by pinning No. 3-ranked Mikey Morgan in the second period in 3:25. Morgan nearly had the fall in the first period, but Lussenhop shocked the arena by putting the Tigers back on top 18-15 with two matches to go. Lussenhop is now 13-6. Junior Shawn Kuhlman would play a big role in setting up the drama for the final match by avoiding a pin at 174 pounds to No. 5-ranked Tommy McCarty. McCarty had Kuhlman on his back but could not get the pin. Kuhlman lost by a 15-1 major decision, but UCO was only able to take a 19-18 lead in the dual with the result. It put everything on the final match of the evening. Kuhlman moved to 21-6 on the season. Junior Tyler Gonzales would be up to the challenge at 184 pounds to deliver the Tigers a huge dual win on the road. In the fading seconds of the third period, he scored a takedown that would lead to his 4-1 win over Daniel Morrison. Gonzales is now 13-9 overall. Fort Hays State grabbed just its second dual win in history over Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos had won 27 of 28 dual meetings with the Tigers before Thursday evening. The only other win for FHSU over Central Oklahoma came during the 1999-2000 season (Bob Smith's final season as head coach) by a score of 21-20 in Hays. The Tigers are now 3-0 in dual action this season. The Tigers are currently unranked, but have received votes for the top 20 poll in each of the last three national ranking releases. The Tigers have two more ranked teams to face this weekend in Warrensburg, Mo., which includes No. 19 Minnesota State-Moorhead and No. 10 Wisconsin-Parkside.

NEW YORK -- The Beat the Streets Wrestling Program announced that it will co-host the sixth annual Mayor's Cup Wrestling Tournament on January 25, 2009 at Harry S. Truman High School in the Bronx and on January 31 and February 1, 2009 at the Harlem Armory in Manhattan. The three-day tournament will bring together 800 high school wrestlers from 79 wrestling programs throughout the five boroughs, the largest gathering of high school wrestlers in New York City. Beat the Streets is co-organizing the event with the Metropolitan Wrestling Association (MWA), the organization that originally founded the Mayor's Cup. The Beat the Streets Wrestling Program offers free coaching, equipment, access to training centers, and training camps to any high school and middle school student interested in participating in amateur wrestling. The Mayor's Cup serves as the premier high school wrestling tournament in New York City for boys and girls from the Public School Athletic League (PSAL), Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA), and independent schools. This is the third year in a row in which all the New York City schools with wrestling programs will participate in the Mayor's Cup and the third year the tournament will include a separate girls division, a sign of the growing number of girls participating in school wrestling programs. "The Mayor's Cup is one of the most anticipated events of the year for New York City high school wrestlers because it offers them a platform to showcase their skills and compete with some of the best wrestlers in the city," said Brian Giffin, President and Executive Director of Beat the Streets. "Beat the Streets strives to expand wrestling to schools throughout the five boroughs, and the Mayor's Cup is a testament to how much wrestling in New York City has grown, continues to grow, and captures the attention of a wide array of students from different backgrounds." Founded in 2004, Beat the Streets' mission is to expand wrestling in the New York City Metropolitan area from beginner to the Olympic level. Approximately 3,500 boys and girls from New York City schools currently participate in Beat the Streets after-school programs. Beat the Streets recently helped raise more than $2 million, the largest contribution to any school sport in the history of New York City's public schools. The organization works closely with a wide range of partners including coaches, school administrators, and current and former professional athletes to provide opportunities for children of diverse backgrounds to participate in opportunities beyond its own programs, including wrestling clinics, tournaments and summer camps. In addition to the Mayor's Cup, Beat the Streets will host Beat the Streets Wrestling Day on February 1, 2009 at the Harlem Armory, where they will lead wrestling clinics for their middle school program. Mayor's Cup Wrestling Tournament Sunday, January 25, 2009 Harry S. Truman High School 750 Baychester Avenue, Bronx, New York 10475 The Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Novice Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, January 31, 2009 The 369th Harlem Armory One West 142nd Street, New York, New York 10037 The Senior Novice Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. The Varsity Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, February 1, 2009 The 369th Harlem Armory The Girls Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. The Senior Novice Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. The Varsity Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. All Championship Finals Wrestling begins: 1:00 p.m. Please visit www.beat-the-streets.org for more information on the Beat the Streets Wrestling Program.

North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell and Wartburg's Romeo Djoumessi will be the featured guests on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, January 22. This Thursday's edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 7 p.m. CST. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the "Listen Live" link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Caldwell is a junior at North Carolina State and is currently ranked third in the nation at 149 pounds. He placed fifth at the 2008 NCAA tournament, becoming the school's first All-American since 1996. Caldwell was also a three-time state champion in New Jersey. Djoumessi is a senior at Wartburg and is currently the top-ranked 184 pound wrestler in Division III. He is a two-time All-American and the defending NCAA Division III champion at 184 pounds. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- South Dakota State University 197-pound junior Tyler Sorenson (Garretson, S.D./Garretson HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Notching his biggest victory as a Jackrabbit, Sorenson scored a 13-11 victory over No. 11 Hudson Taylor of Maryland. After going up 12-6 in the third period, Taylor recorded a reversal and a two-point near fall to get within two at 12-10. Sorenson would end with an escape and Taylor would receive a riding time bonus to end the scoring, completing the upset. In 2008, Taylor placed third at the National Championships at 197 pounds. Sorenson is a perfect 5-0 in duals after coming back from an injury to start the season. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: North Dakota State - Tyler Hemmesch, So., Heavyweight, Elk River, Minn. (Elk River HS) Northern Colorado - Mitchell Polkowske, Fr., 149 lbs., LaJara, Colo. (Centennial HS) UNI - Christian Brantley, R-Fr., Heavyweight, Homewood, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS) Wyoming - Jacob Scharbrough, Fr., Heavyweight, Weiser, Idaho (Weiser HS) 2008-09 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 11 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) Nov. 18 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) Nov. 25 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) Dec. 2 - Mitchell Polkowske (UNC) Dec. 9 - Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) Dec. 16 - Moza Fay (UNI) Jan. 6 - Moza Fay (UNI) Jan. 13 - Jason Stripling (SDSU) & Michael Martinez (Wyoming) Jan. 21 - Tyler Sorenson (SDSU)

The Kent State Golden Flashes are definitely making a splash in collegiate wrestling this season. In an early January 2009 dual meet, the team made headlines by nearly defeating 2008 NCAA runner-up Ohio State in Columbus, with fifth-year senior Drew Lashaway pinning defending 141-pound champ J Jaggers in the first period. In late December 2008, Jermail Porter, fifth-year senior heavyweight, joined an elite handful of Kent State wrestlers who've earn 100 career wins in the 80-year history of the program … with Eric Chine closing in on the century mark himself. Dustin KilgoreAlong with the accomplishments of these KSU veterans, the Golden Flashes are celebrating the contributions of Dustin Kilgore, redshirt freshman at 184 pounds. As of this writing, Kilgore is 21-3, with those three losses coming against opponents ranked in the top five at 184. (In RevWrestling.com's rankings, Kilgore is sixth in his weight class, and is the highest-ranked freshman.) Seven of those wins were by pin; four by technical fall, and three by major decision. He claimed the 184-pound crown at both the 2008 Oklahoma Gold and Southern Scuffle tournaments. The new year is off to a great start for Dustin Kilgore. On January 2, he was named Mid-American Conference (MAC) wrestler of the week. At the 2009 Virginia Duals held January 9-10, Kilgore got a 6-3 win over Bucknell's David Thompson, and defeated David Craig of Lehigh, 8-4, on the first day … while, on Saturday, he scored a 23-9 major decision over University of Virginia's Rocco Caproni (ranked ninth at RevWrestling.com), a 16-5 major decision over Colin Hitschler of the University of Pennsylvania, and a 17-1 technical fall over Old Dominion's Derek Coffey to go five for five. No Golden Flash in the pan Dustin Kilgore's phenomenal 2008-2009 season was foreshadowed by an impressive redshirt season last year. As an unattached wrestler, the Berea, Ohio, native built a 27-1 record, winning tournaments at Kent State, Cleveland State, Michigan State, Ashland and Edinboro … and placing second at Penn State. At the 2008 FILA Cadet Nationals, Kilgore was 5-2, earning All-American honors, and qualifying for the University World Team Trials. Kilgore won the FILA Junior National Championship title in Las Vegas, winning his first three matches by fall. In the finals, Kilgore beat Kirk Smith, 2008 NCAA All-American from Boise State. Dustin Kilgore is 21-3, with those three losses coming against opponents ranked in the top five at 184 (Photo/Kent State University Sports Information)So far this season, the beat goes on for Dustin Kilgore. He's lost only three matches -- to Northwestern's Jake Herbert in the Boilermaker Challenge … to Kirk Smith in the Body Bar Invitational finals … and to 2008 NCAA champ Mike Pucillo at the Ohio State-Kent State dual. As noted earlier, Kilgore has won seven of his matches this season by putting his opponents' shoulders to the mat. All but one of these falls took place in the first period, with three in less than a minute. That might leave the impression that Kilgore is a pinning machine. When asked if he considers himself a 'fall guy,' Kilgore responds, "It just happens to work out that way. I'm looking to win, not necessarily going for a pin." What works: Sticking with the basics Ask Kilgore to describe his wrestling style, and the 184-pound Golden Flash answers, "Nothing fancy, just sticking to the basics. The stuff that worked for me at age 8 still works for me." "I like to think of myself as a hard worker." Jim AndrassyKent State head coach Jim Andrassy agrees. "His work ethic is incredible … He's got everything in perspective. He's focused on wrestling and the classroom." "You get a guy like him and it trickles down. Other guys in the wrestling room feed off him." When asked to analyze Dustin Kilgore's on-the-mat style, coach Andrassy says, "He moves a lot, especially for an upper-weight wrestler. He's constantly working, but he never gets tired. His conditioning is incredible." "He knows how to get a guy on his back, and is strong enough to keep him there. I think that's why a number of his matches have ended with a fall." "Dustin's very aggressive, always going for the takedown … We're working with him to be more selective on his shots, to develop patience, to sharpen his handfighting skills." Along with Dustin Kilgore's never-stop work ethic, Andrassy is impressed with his 184's character. "He's definitely not one to brag. He's very modest about his accomplishments." Andrassy, a 1995 Kent State grad now in his sixth year as head coach, immediately followed up with a specific example of Kilgore's conscientious attitude: "At the Oklahoma (Gold), in one of his matches, the ref awarded him a point, and Dustin told him, 'I didn't earn it.'" Back in Berea … Dustin Kilgore was destined to wrestle. He grew up in a natural wrestling hotbed, northeast Ohio. And there's a family connection, too. "My dad wrestled in high school, and wanted me to take it up," says the nineteen-year-old Kent State wrestler, referring to his father, Kevin Kilgore. "I started at age seven or eight." "I grew up in Berea, and started wrestling in a 'biddy' program in nearby Strongsville." Dustin Kilgore compiled a record of 149-20 as a prep prior to coming to Kent State (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)In his four seasons at Berea High School in suburban Cleveland, Dustin Kilgore compiled a 149-20 record … winning at least thirty bouts each year. In his last three years as a Berea Brave, Kilgore placed in the top three at the Ohio high school state championships. He won the state title as a junior, was a runner-up as a senior, and placed third his sophomore year. "Winning state was the best feeling," says Kilgore. "Senior year, taking second was a bummer, especially after working so hard." Dustin Kilgore also made a name for himself beyond the borders of the Buckeye state. He was a Junior Nationals champion, and placed third at the Senior Nationals. In recounting his prep career, Kilgore is not one to reminisce about the past. "Going to college is a clean slate." How Kilgore came to Kent When asked how he chose Kent State University (located in Kent, Ohio, just east of Akron), Dustin Kilgore replies, "I didn't want to go too far from home. I'm close to my family. They try to come watch me wrestle as often as possible." "It's a beautiful campus. I like the small-town atmosphere." "We have really phenomenal coaches here. They really care." "Coach Andrassy is really turning the program around. Everyone's putting a lot of work into the program to make us more successful." "When you really look at it, it's your own decision, you have to go where you feel comfortable," Kilgore continues. "In terms of how much success you have, it comes down to how hard you're willing to work." Jim Andrassy weighs in: "We contacted him. We visited him at home, and were impressed from that first meeting. We offered him a full ride right away." "He's definitely a blue-chip recruit." Beyond the mat When Dustin Kilgore isn't on the mat or in the classroom, he enjoys being outdoors. "I love camping, hiking, hunting and fishing," says the Ohio native. "My dad introduced me to the outdoors." "I welcome the escape from the feelings and pressures of life. It's an amazing feeling to get away." Kilgore also enjoys traveling, especially trips to Canada. Back in the classroom, Kilgore is majoring in criminal justice at Kent State, with the possibility of a career in law enforcement, whether its local police work (perhaps as a member of a SWAT team), or maybe even serving in the FBI. Dustin Kilgore is currently ranked No. 6 in the country at 184 pounds by RevWrestling.com (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)However, in talking about careers he's considering, he quickly interjects, "I've done wrestling all my life. I love it … I have trouble imagining getting out of the sport." When asked if that means a possible career in coaching, Kilgore answers, "I enjoy helping others. I've always had great coaches who are willing to work with others, who want their wrestlers to succeed." "They also stressed the importance of academics. Two of my high school coaches were also my teachers. They've also become my friends." "That kind of attitude really helped me in my life, and I'm truly grateful for that." Jim Andrassy sees a possible coaching career in Dustin Kilgore's future. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep him here after graduation. He brings so much to our wrestling program. He's valuable just for his work ethic alone." Right now, Dustin Kilgore is focused on his on-the-mat career and his studies. He's modest about his collegiate wrestling achievements and goals, but enjoys freestyle ("It's a great help with my college wrestling," says Kilgore) and hopes to compete in national and world competition. His never-stop, back-to-basics wrestling style and solid work ethic should continue to make him one of the most talked-about college wrestlers in the nation.

The UNI wrestling team is partnering up with the American Heart Association's Start! Heart Walk to help raise funds for the Cedar Valley Start! Heart Walk on May 16. The Panthers will be raising money for the heart walk to reduce the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of Americans - heart disease and stroke. Beginning with this Sunday's wrestling dual with Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center, Panther wrestling supporters can compete for a cause. The Panthers will be collecting donations for the UNI Wrestling Start! Heart Walk Team that will take part in the walk on May 16 at George Wyth State Park in Waterloo. The Heart Walk chairperson Chuck Yagla will be in attendance Sunday and will speak to the crowd about the Heart Walk during the intermission. UNI head coach Brad Penrith and the Panther wrestling team have agreed to participate in the walk as well as raise money ahead of time, which includes online donations at www.waterlooiaheartwalk.org. Individuals can also call in donations to (319) 352-4825 or (888) 619-7980 and specify the donation should go to the UNI Wrestling Start! Heart Walk Team.

Hempstead, NY -- Hofstra junior Lou Ruggirello has been named CAA Wrestler of the Week and freshman Justin Accordino has been named the conference's Rookie of the Week for all competition from January 12-18, the CAA announced Tuesday. Ruggirello, a junior from Walden, New York (Valley Central), was one of three wrestlers for the Pride to go 4-0 at the CAA duals. The top ranked 133-pounder in the CAA, Ruggirello won three bouts by fall, including pins of the second and fourth ranked wrestlers in the CAA. Currently ranked ninth by InterMat and 13th by Amateur Wrestling News, Ruggirello is now 19-2 overall, 9-0 in duals and 5-0 in the CAA. Accordino, a freshman from Wilkes-Barre, PA (Coughlin), went 3-1 at the CAA Duals, his only loss coming to the top-ranked 141-pounder in the CAA. Accordino won by fall over the fourth-ranked wrestler in the CAA, by tech fall, and also defeated the fifth-ranked 141-pounder in the CAA to improve to 15-8 and 7-2 in duals. Ruggirello shares the CAA Wrestler of the Week honor with Chris Brown from Old Dominion University. A junior from Chesapeake, Virginia (Great Bridge), Brown is the top ranked 165-pounder in the CAA and defeated the second, fourth and sixth-ranked wrestlers in the CAA. Currently ranked 13th by Amateur Wrestling News, Brown improved to 19-6 and 14-3 in duals. Accordino shares the CAA Rookie of the Week award with Joe Budi from Old Dominion. A freshman from Appleton, Wisconsin (Kahkauna), Budi, the fourth-ranked 184-pounder in the CAA, pinned the top-ranked wrestler, and beat the third-ranked grappler in the CAA. Budi improved to 20-12. The Pride will return to action this Sunday, January 25 at home at the David S. Mack Sports Complex when they host the Buckeyes of Ohio State at 1 p.m. Prior to Sunday's match the Hofstra Wrestling Brunch will be held at 10 a.m. at the Hofstra University Club. Tom Ryan, the current Ohio State University wrestling coach who served in the same capacity for the Pride from 1995 through 2006, will be the guest speaker. Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach Tom Shifflet will announce at the brunch the Hofstra Wrestling Project that will provide the program with the finest wrestling facility on Long Island and one of the best wrestling facilities in the northeast. Once completed, the renovated home of Pride Wrestling will feature: a new wrestling floor and wall mats; a new cardio room; a student-athlete lounge; a sports medicine room equipped with state-of-the-art technology; and a refurbished coaches office suite. The complex will be named The Teague Ryan Wrestling Complex, in memory of Tom and Lynette Ryan's youngest son who passed away suddenly at age 5 in February, 2004. Proceeds from the brunch as well as $1 from all ticket sales for the 1 p.m. match will benefit the Teague Ryan Memorial Wrestling Fund. Tickets for the brunch are priced at $100 each in advance and $125 at the door, and can be reserved by calling Chrissy Arnone at (516) 463-5281. Tickets for the Hofstra-Ohio State match are priced at $16 for premium seats, $11 for adult general admission, and $6 for youth (12 and under) and senior citizens, and can be purchased online at www.Hofstra.edu/athletics or by calling 516-HOF-TIXX (463-8499).

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Winning six of 10 matches, including key bonus-point victories by Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) and Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.), the Augsburg College wrestling team, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III national rankings, claimed a 21-12 victory over Augustana College, ranked No. 18 in Division II, in a dual meet on Tuesday night at Augustana's Elmen Center. The victory is the latest in a stretch of triumphs over higher-division and nationally ranked opponents for the Auggies, now 7-1 in dual meets. Last Friday, the Auggies claimed a 22-18 win at Division I North Dakota State. The Auggies will travel to face Nebraska-Omaha, the top-ranked team in Division II, this Friday (1/23), then will host Wisconsin-La Crosse, the No. 11-ranked team in Division III, on Sunday (1/25). Augsburg will have a rematch with No. 2-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) on Jan. 30; a meet at Minnesota State Moorhead, the No. 19-ranked team in Division II, on Feb. 1; and a meet with Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the No. 8-ranked team in Division III, on Feb. 13. Augsburg leads the all-time series with Augustana 9-1, in a series that dates to the 1999-2000 season. Augsburg is now 234-20 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 15 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Augsburg claimed three wins in the first four bouts to build a 9-3 lead in the dual with Augustana (6-3 overall), before the Vikings scored two wins to tie the match at 9-9 after six bouts. But at heavyweight, Augsburg's Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.), ranked No. 4 in Division III, claimed a 6-2 lead over Lance Peters (SO, LeRoy, Minn.) to give the Auggies the lead to stay. At 125, defending Division III national champion Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.), currently ranked No. 5 nationally, claimed two reversals and three 3-point near-falls to score a 16-2, major-decision win over Augustana's Al Meger (SO, Owatonna, Minn.). And at 133, top-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) remained perfect at 26-0 on the season with his 23rd bonus-point victory, a 17-2, third-period technical-fall win over Sid Bice (FY, Winner, S.D.), taking advantage of three takedowns and three 3-point near-falls. This season, Lang now has 16 pins, three technical falls, three major decisions and a forfeit. Augsburg's Willy Holst (SR, Prescott, Wis.), the top-ranked wrestler nationally at 149, opened the match with a 7-3 win over Augustana's No. 5-ranked Mike Long (SR, Parkston, S.D.), rallying from an early deficit with two takedowns and 3:06 of riding time. Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 5 at 157, improved to 25-3 on the year and gave the Auggies a 6-0 lead with a 4-2 win over Augustana's Carl Serck (FY, Hudson, S.D.). Zach Molitor (SO, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS), ranked No. 7 at 174, improved to 20-5 on the season with a 6-4 win over Augustana's Marcus Edgington (FY, Sioux City, Iowa). In the other meeting of ranked wrestlers on the night at 197 pounds, Augustana's No. 5-ranked Ty Copsey (SO, Glenwood, Iowa) claimed a key takedown in the closing seconds of the second period and held off a comeback by Augsburg's No. 2-ranked Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS), handing the Auggie his first loss of the season with a 4-3 decision. Massey is now 14-1 on the campaign. Augustana also claimed a match-ending upset, as Jay Sherer (SO, Columbus, Neb.) scored a 6-4 win over Augsburg's No. 7-ranked Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) at 141. Augustana's other wins came from Gavin Nelson (SO, Missouri Valley, Iowa), 10-6 at 165 over Augsburg's Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.), and from Nick Henning (SO, Fulda, Minn.) at 184, 8-2 over Augsburg's Garrett Long (JR, Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS). Both teams return to action with duals on Friday (1/23) at 7 p.m., with Augsburg traveling to face Nebraska-Omaha, while Augustana hosts Minnesota State Mankato.

As we head into the final two months of the college wrestling season, there is much talk about who is the best college wrestler in the nation this season. The college wrestler who is deemed the best after the NCAA Division I Championships conclude in St. Louis will be named the InterMat Wrestler of the Year by InterMat and/or be presented the Dan Hodge Trophy by WIN Magazine. In the case of Rev Wrestler of the Year award, RevWrestling.com writers and executives vote with no preset criteria. Each RevWrestling.com voter is asked to interpret "best college wrestler" as he sees fit. Each voter is asked to select five wrestlers and rank them in order. The votes are then tallied. WIN Magazine, on the other hand, awards the Dan Hodge Trophy based on preset criteria that takes into account a wrestler's record, number of pins, dominance on the mat, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship, and heart. Ever since the Rev Wrestler of the Year started in 2006, the winners of the award have matched the winners of the Dan Hodge Trophy. In 2006 and 2007, Ben Askren of Missouri took home both awards. Last season, Brent Metcalf of Iowa won both awards. Will the same wrestler win both awards this season? That remains to be seen. There is still a lot of wrestling left this season. But since I'll be casting my vote for Rev Wrestler of the Year in two months, I'll share with you what my ballot would look like if the season ended today. 5. Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) Jared Rosholt (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)While many believe the heavyweight division this season in college wrestling is one of the weakest in recent memory, Rosholt, who placed fourth at the NCAAs last season, has clearly separated himself from the rest of the pack. He's 24-0 this season and has scored bonus points in 15 of those matches. Rosholt defeated No. 2-ranked Mark Ellis of Missouri, 4-1, on November 16. Rosholt and Ellis will likely meet again on February 7 when the Cowboys host the Tigers on February 7. Oklahoma State has produced 10 NCAA heavyweight champions in its storied history, which is more than any other program. Can Rosholt become Oklahoma State's 11th NCAA heavyweight champion? We shall see. 4. Jake Varner (Iowa State) I have to admit, I'm one of those people who had grown frustrated watching Varner win narrowly over inferior opponents the last few seasons. No, not because I'm an Iowa State alum (which I am) … but because Varner has been more than capable of getting bonus points in his several of his matches, but didn't seem very interested in putting a lot of points on the scoreboard. Clearly something has changed with Varner this season. Maybe he was cutting too much weight at 184 and the move up to 197 is giving him more energy. Or maybe his coach, Cael Sanderson, who used to light up college scoreboards on a regular basis, has instilled a new attitude in Varner. He's 18-1 this season and has scored bonus points in 16 of his 19 matches. His lone loss came to Dallas Herbst of Wisconsin, 2-1, at the Midlands. Herbst has proven to be a tough matchup for Varner as he has not only beaten him this season, but wrestled him to a 4-0 loss in November 21. 3. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) Jordan BurroughsBurroughs, who moved up from 149 to 157, has had a phenomenal season wrestling in the toughest weight class in the country. He's 19-0 this season. He has wins this season over NCAA champions Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota and Jordan Leen of Cornell. In addition to those victories, he has beaten All-Americans J.P. O'Connor of Harvard, Dan Vallimont of Penn State, and Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State. He has yet to face Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro or Mike Poeta of Illinois, but clearly Burroughs has proven that he at least belongs in the discussion for Rev Wrestler of the Year at this point in the season. 2. Brent Metcalf (Iowa) The Hawkeye junior, who won the Rev Wrestler of the Year award last season, has been … well … Brent Metcalf this season. He has dominated his competition. If Metcalf's technical fall victory over North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell, the only wrestler who has beaten him in his college career, at the NWCA All-Star Classic, didn't impress you, then his season statistics should. 21-0. Eight pins. Seven technical falls. Three major decisions. Three decisions. Interestingly, aside from his victories over No. 3 Caldwell and No. 5 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin, Metcalf has yet to face a wrestler ranked in the top 10. If he's able to dominate top 10 opponents, like he did all of last season, he'll be one of the frontrunners. If it weren't for the No. 1 guy my ballot (see below), Metcalf would be a no-brainer pick for the top spot. 1. Jake Herbert (Northwestern) Jake Herbert (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Herbert, a 2007 NCAA champion who took an Olympic redshirt last season, has been a monster this season competing at 184. He's 18-0 with 11 pins, two technical falls, three major decisions, a decision, and a forfeit. At the Midlands, on his home mat, Herbert needed only 1:15 to pin No. 5 Doug Umbehauer of Rider. Herbert then crushed No. 3 Phil Keddy of Iowa, 15-1, in the finals of the Midlands. He decked No. 13 Vince Jones of Nebraska in 4:47 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Herbert has yet to face defending NCAA champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State this season. Herbert won 11-5 over Pucillo in their only college meeting, which took place in February of 2007. Since Northwestern and Ohio State do not dual each other this season, the two won't square off against each other until the postseason.

Team: 1. Cornell 2. Lehigh 3. American 4. Navy 5. Penn 6. Army 7. Rutgers T8. Bucknell T8. Harvard Individual: 125: 1. Troy Nickerson, Cornell 2. Rollie Peterkin, Penn 3. Derek Reber, Bucknell 4. Thomas Williams, American 5. Prescott Garner, Navy 6. Lance Penhale, Army 133: 1. Joe Baker, Navy 2. Mike Grey, Cornell 3. David Marble, Bucknell 4. Matt Fisk, Lehigh 5. Bryan Ortenzio, Penn 6. Jasen Borshoff, American 141: 1. Corey Jantzen, Harvard 2. Rick Rappo, Penn 3. Seth Ciasulli, Lehigh 4. Casey Thome, Army 5. Matt Mariacher, Army 6. Trevor Melde, Rutgers 149: 1. Kyle Borshoff, American 2. Matthew Kyler, Army 3. Bryce Saddoris, Navy 4. Trevor Chinn, Lehigh 5. Cesar Grajales, Penn 6. Kevin LeValley, Bucknell 157: 1. JP O'Connor, Harvard 2. Jordan Leen, Cornell 3. Matt Dragon, Penn 4. Scott Winston, Rutgers 5. Joel Ahern, Navy 6. Derek Sickles, Columbia 165: 1. Mack Lewnes, Cornell 2. Andy Rendos, Bucknell 3. Mike Galante, Lehigh 4. Zach Shanaman, Penn 5. Matt DeMichiel, Navy 6. Matt Pletcher, Rutgers 174: 1. Steve Anceravage, Cornell 2. Mike Cannon, American 3. Alex Caruso, Lehigh 4. Scott Giffin, Penn 5. Luke Rebertus, Navy 6. Shane Riccio, Bucknell 184: 1. Louis Caputo, Harvard 2. Justin Kerber, Cornell 3. David Craig, Lehigh 4. Matt Gevelinger, Brown 5. Casey Caldwell, Navy 6. David Thompson, Bucknell 197: 1. Richard Starks, Army 2. Cam Simaz, Cornell 3. Joe Kennedy, Lehigh 4. Philip Neese, Navy 5. Branden Stearms, Brown 6. Shane Mallory, East Stroudsburg 285: 1. Zach Hammond, Cornell 2. Ryan Flores, Columbia 3. Zach Rey, Lehigh 4. Trey McLean, Penn 5. Mike Sprigg, Army 6. Chris Birchler, East Stroudsburg

IRVING, Texas -- Oklahoma's Joey Fio picked up his second-career Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor for matches through January 19, the conference office announced. Competing in the 125-pound division, Fio is the first in his weight class to win the leagues' weekly award this season. Joey Fio, Oklahoma, 125 pounds, So., Sandpoint, Idaho The No. 11-ranked sophomore went 2-0 last week in duals against Maryland and Arizona State. He began his sweep by taking a 2-1 decision over the Terps' Brendan Byrne. Against the Sun Devils, Fio recorded a pin over No. 8 Anthony Robles to improve to 13-3 on the season. He posted the fall over Robles in the first period (2:08), marking his second top-10 victory this season. Fio's victories led Oklahoma to wins over both Maryland (22-15) and ASU (36-7), and helped guide the Sooners to a 14-0 record, 1-0 in the Big 12, and the best start in program history.

University of Wisconsin head wrestling coach Barry Davis and Augsburg College interim head wrestling coach Mark Matzek will be guests this week 'On the Mat.' Davis is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in American history. He won three state titles at Cedar Rapids Prairie (IA) High School and three NCAA titles for the University of Iowa. Davis was a silver medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles at 125.5 pounds. He also won bronze and silver medals at the 1986 and 1987 World Championships and was an Olympian in 1988. Davis has been the head coach at the University of Wisconsin since 1994 and has coached 19 All-Americans, including national champions Donny Pritzlaff and Jeff Walter. Matzek was a two-time NCAA Division III national champion and three-time All-American wrestler at Augsburg College at 133 pounds. Matzek finished his wrestling career with a 42-match winning streak, which included a 34-0 record as a senior in 2005. Matzek helped Augsburg win national team championships in 2002 and 2005. He was also a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American. Matzek took over the Augsburg program on an interim basis in July 2008. The Auggies recently won the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA, on January 11 with a 21-20 victory over their arch rival, Wartburg College. "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.

Join the voice of the Kent State Golden Flashes, Ty Linder for the play by play on the mat as Kent State welcomes the Huskies of N. Illinois Saturday January 24th. The broadcast is scheduled to get underway just after 11:00 AM CST at Takedownradio.com. Click the listen live button and land and click on the green bar. If not already registered on Livesportsvideo.com, save yourself some time and do that now. This special broadcast is being brought to you by our TDR sponsors, By Livesportsvideo.com and by the Kent State Wrestling department. Tune in for Linders play by play. He does a great job.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Adding to the most wins to begin a season in program history, Oklahoma, now 14-0, continued to roll Sunday evening by dominating the Arizona State Sun Devils by a 36-7 final margin. Following a brief one-day break after defeating Maryland Friday night, Oklahoma hit the road and claimed its ninth road win of the season. "We had some great performances today, led by Joey Fio's pin of No. 8 Anthony Robles," head coach Jack Spates said. "Kyle Terry and Eric Lapotsky also had pins, so to have three in the match was satisfying. We showed great energy and really came out here to wrestle." Setting the tone of the evening was Fio's pin at 125 pounds. Fio, ranked No. 11, was pinned by Robles in the previous two meetings between the two. The Sandpoint, Idaho, native now owns three pins on the year and a 13-3 overall record. Sooner Brian Shelton was dominant in his victory over Angel Alegre at 133 pounds, winning by a 13-1 major decision to give OU a 10-0 lead after the opening bouts. ASU picked up its first win of the night, as No. 6 Chris Drouin defeated Seth Vernon by a 15-6 final. At 149 pounds, No. 15 Kyle Terry extended his impressive 18-match winning streak by pinning Vicente Varela to extend the Sooner lead, 16-4. Terry is now 20-1 on the season, including a perfect 12-0 in duals. Chad Terry kept the Sooners on track with a 13-4 major decision of Tejovan Edwards at 157 pounds. Terry was inserted back into the starting lineup against the Sun Devils and with the win, improved to 15-3 on the year. Ryan Smith next fell to Kyle DeBerry, 7-3, at 165 pounds before Jeff James edged Eric Starks by a 4-2 margin at 174 pounds. James, ranked ninth, is on a 17-match winning streak. Pat Flynn then blanked Jake Meredith by a 4-0 final to put Oklahoma on top, 26-7 at 184 pounds. Flynn, No. 19, now stands at 20-2 on the year. Eric Lapotsky quickly disposed of Thor Moen at 197 pounds by recording his team-leading 11th pin this season (0:58). Tenth-ranked Lapotsky bounced back after losing his match versus Maryland on Friday. "It was great to see Eric bounce back after some adversity and get a pin tonight," Spates said. "We have been working and preaching on getting pins in practice and we are really pleased." Quietly extending his winning streak to 10 matches, heavyweight Nathan Fernandez (No. 20) picked up OU's last win of the evening with a 16-7 major decision over Imanibom Etukeren. The competition stiffens for Oklahoma, as the team travels to Ames, Iowa, this Friday, Jan. 23, to take on the No. 3-ranked Iowa State Cyclones. The Sooners will look to go 2-0 in the Big 12. "The matches leading up to this have been great building blocks, but Iowa State presents a huge challenge," Spates said. "They have handled us the past couple of times we have wrestled and we look forward to a great week of practice to prepare."

Columbia, Mo. -- Wrapping up an afternoon of wrestling in the Hearnes Center, the 12th-ranked Missouri wrestling team improved to 14-2 on the campaign after besting Chattanooga, 32-7. Five Tigers earned wins for Missouri and two were credited with victories by forfeit in the second of two home duals held in the Hearnes Center. Earlier in the day, Missouri held on for a 33-12 win over instate opponent Missouri Valley. Missouri's 14-2 record marks the most Tiger wins for a squad since the 2004-05 campaign when Missouri finished at 15-6. Seven members of Missouri's 10-man lineup finished the day at 2-0. True freshman Taylor Crane (Columbia, Mo.) got things started for the Tigers with his 6-1 win by decision over Chattanooga's Josh Statum at 133 pounds. Between his two duals, Crane outscored his opponents, 30-7, and improved to 20-10 on the year. "I was pleased with how well Taylor wrestled today," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "He really fought hard and had two intense matches. He's the only true freshman wrestling for me this season and he's doing a nice job." A tough loss at 141 pounds put Missouri down by four points entering the 149 pound match. Senior Andrew Sherry (Sewickley, Pa.), who lost his first dual of the day, rebounded with a 16-5 win by major decision over Mocs' grappler Kelly Felix. Sherry dominated his opponent and held a 9-1 lead at the close of the first period. Credited with his 10th win of the season, and two wins shy of 50 on his career, Sherry accumulated 3:38 of riding time and added five points in his final two minutes of competition. As in the first Missouri dual of the day, the Tigers won an additional six straight matches. Wrestling at 157 pounds, senior Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) recorded his 90th career victory by way of 10-1 major decision over Brandon Wright. Wright was hit early in the first period with stalling and Chandler shot and took down the Moc with 20 seconds remaining in the first. Chandler chose down to start the second and escaped in only 12 seconds, returning Wright to the mat juts a few short seconds later. By the close of the bout, Chandler wracked up 1:21 of riding time for the win. All-American Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) followed Chandler's win with a 7-3 decision at 165 pounds. Marable, a native of Tennessee, battled with 19th-ranked Seth Garvin and held on for the win. Scoreless through the first period, it was Marable who earned the first points of the match with a reversal in the second after choosing down. Marable refused to give up the takedown but landed Garvin on the mat two times in the third period. Missouri received two wins by forfeit, the first at 174 pounds, the latter at 197. Senior Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.), now with 112 career wins, stands alone at seventh in the Missouri career wins record book and needs eight more victories to take the No. 5 spot from former Tiger grappler Kenny Burleson (157 pounds). Redshirt freshmen Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) and Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) scored Missouri's last two wins of the night. Henderson, wrestling at 184 pounds, held off Jason McCroskey, 7-5, while Bradley came through with a 6-3 win over heavyweight Cody Sigler. The Tigers will use the week ahead to practice and prepare for their Sunday, Jan. 25 dual with Cornell in Ityaca, N.Y. Cornell is ranked as high as second in the nation and boasts eight ranked wrestlers in their lineup. Missouri's next home dual is slated for Saturday, Jan. 31, when the Tigers open the Big 12 portion of their schedule against Nebraska at 7:30 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center.

Senior Brandon Browne posted two pins on Sunday to propel No. 4 Nebraska to dual wins over South Dakota State (43-3) and Maryland (26-13) in the NU Coliseum. Browne, Vince Jones, Craig Brester, Matt Vacanti and Robert Sanders notched 2-0 records on the day to help the Huskers move to 10-2 in dual competition this season. The Jackrabbits fell to 6-5-1 and the Terps dropped to 4-7-1. In the marquee dual of the day, NU claimed seven of the nine contested matches to top Maryland. After a slim 3-2 victory by junior Stephen Dwyer at 165 pounds to start the contest, the Huskers started to roll behind a 48-second pin by Browne at 174. Browne took down UM's Patrick Klenkel with 2:17 left in the first period and ended it shortly thereafter to notch his ninth fall of the season. Jones continued the momentum with an 11-0 major decision over Maryland's Ryan Gray at 184. The senior nearly accomplished the same feat as Browne, notching a three-point nearfall 1:44 into the match. Jones couldn't seal the pin, but did come away with his team-leading 21st victory of the season. Brester won the only matchup of two ranked wrestlers with a 7-4 decision over No. 11 Hudson Taylor. Brester, ranked second at 197 pounds, used two takedowns and two reversals to gain a measure of revenge against Taylor, who beat him in the consolation finals at last season's NCAA Championships. An upset at heavyweight, a forfeit at 125, and a win at 141 brought the Terps within six (19-13) with two matches left, but Robert Sanders closed the door with a 10-3 decision over Steve Fehnel at 149 pounds. Sophomore Matt Vacanti (133) picked up NU's other victory, and junior Jordan Burroughs (157) closed the dual with a 22-9 major decision. In NU's first dual of the day, the Huskers sprinted to a 22-0 lead against South Dakota State with four bonus-point wins to start the dual, including three pins. Sophomore Alex Ward opened with an 11-0 major decision at 165 pounds, but Browne once again really got the Huskers rolling with a pin of SDSU's Justin Retallic in 4:56. Browne was well on his way to another victory, posting four takedowns in the second period, before earning the fall. Jones followed with a pin of his own, falling Zach Blindert in 3:25, and Brester made it three in a row by downing Jeremy Swier in 3:25. The trio of Browne, Jones and Brester have combined for 21 pins this season. Redshirt freshmen Tucker Lane and Andy Pokorny earned decisions at heavyweight and 125 pounds, before the Jackrabbits forfeited 133 to Vacanti. Sophomore Curtis Salazar claimed a 6-5 victory at 141 and Sanders pinned his SDSU opponent in 4:13 to round out Nebraska's victories. NU's 43 dual points are the second time the Huskers have topped the 40-point mark this season. Nebraska returns to action on Friday when the Huskers host No. 25 Penn for Parents Night. Wrestling starts at 7 p.m. in the NU Coliseum.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- No. 3 Iowa State got started early and didn't look back en route to a 29-6 wrestling win over Oregon State Sunday in Gill Coliseum. The Beavers could not match the bonus points scored by the Cyclone wrestlers and the outcome reflected that fact. The Cyclones improve to 12-1 all-time against Oregon State. The ISU squad sits at 9-2 in duals this season. Oregon State drops to 4-6. "We wrestled pretty well," ISU head coach Cael Sanderson said. "Oregon State is making good progress. They are a well-coached team. We're making progress in inches right now and that is our focus. We are going to keep plugging away." Iowa State's Jake Varner (197) continued his pinning ways this season, recording a fall over OSU's Chad Hanke in 4:42. Varner tallied four takedowns before sticking his opponent. Varner is currently the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight with an 18-1 season mark. Varner's career mark stands at 78-9 and the fall was the 30th pin of his career. Before the intermission, Cyler Sanderson, a returning All-American at 157 pounds, demonstrated offensive prowess by scoring a technical fall over Beaver 157-pounder Cody Weishoff. Sanderson took a 12-1 lead into the third period and added two more takedowns to finish the match in 6:38 with a score of 17-2. At 165 pounds, ISU's redshirt sophomore Jon Reader had a familiar foe in OSU's Keegan Davis. Reader beat the OSU wrestler in a match at the Midlands Championships, 4-0. Reader was victories once again in the rematch, 9-7. Jerome Ward, the Cyclone 184-pounder, also had a repeat Beaver matchup from the Midlands. Ward decisioned OSU's Brice Arand 5-2 in Corvallis Sunday to improve to 2-0 against the Oregon Stater this season after a 2-1 (TB1) win for Ward at the Midlands Championships. At the beginning of the dual, Iowa State 125-pounder Tyler Clark got all he could handle from Oregon State senior Jake Gonzales. Clark needed overtime to finish off Gonzales by way of decision, 3-1 (SV1). Nick Fanthorpe (133) and Nick Gallick (141) were both able to win by decision for ISU. Fanthorpe won 7-2 against OSU's Kelly Kubec while Gallick edged Beaver 141-pounder Garrett Drucker, 4-1. Cyclone heavyweight David Zabriskie ended the dual victory for the Cyclone squad by edging Oregon State's Clayton Jack, 7-6. Iowa State returns home to take on No. 10/11 Oklahoma Friday at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones then play host to No. 13/14 Oklahoma State Sunday at 1 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Virginia wrestling team won the final eight weight classes in coasting to a 35-9 victory Sunday over Appalachian State at Memorial Gymnasium. Virginia evens its dual-meet record at 7-7, while Appalachian State drops to 5-10. No. 17 Rocco Caponi (Sr., Uniontown, Ohio) scored a 2-0 win over Dylan Temple at 184 pounds as he won his 102nd career match to move into a third-place tie on the all-time wins ledger at Virginia. He now is tied with Jim Harshaw (1996-99) and Matt Roth (1995-99) for third and needs 10 wins to reach second place. After falling behind 9-0 after two weight classes on an ASU decision at 125 and a Virginia forfeit at 133, the Cavaliers started their rally with 20th-ranked Nick Nelson (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) winning a 6-3 decision over Mike Kessler at 141 for his third win of the weekend and 20th of the season. Peter Ferrara (Sr., Doylestown, Pa.) followed with a 13-6 decision over ASU's Savva Kostis to cut the lead to 9-6 before No. 20 Jedd Moore (Fr., Mount Vernon, Ohio) pinned Chip Powell at 157 pounds to give the Cavaliers the lead for good. Mike Sewell (Sr., Bothell, Wash.) pulled out a 3-2 win over Matt Pletcher in the 165-pound class, then No. 10 Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) pushed his record to 26-1 with a dominating 16-1 technical fall over Mike Whalen as he posted the clinching points for the tech fall just 25 seconds into the second period. After Caponi's win at 184 pounds, No. 19 Brent Jones (Jr., Burke, Va.) needed just 2:32 to pin Brett Pritz for his team-best 10th fall of the season. Jones (20-4) now has 32 falls in his career, leaving him two shy of Scott Moore's school record of 34. Calvin Cardillo (Jr., Alexandria, Va.) won by forfeit at heavyweight to provide UVa with its final margin of victory, 35-9. Virginia heads back on the road at 7 p.m. Friday as it opens ACC play at North Carolina. The Cavaliers then head to Campbell on Saturday for a 1 p.m. bout.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The #20 Indiana University wrestling team improved to 13-2 on the year by dominating the IU Quad. The Hoosiers outscored their three opponents by a combined score of 116-14. Indiana tallied victories over Gardner-Webb, American and Clarion in the round-robin event. American entered the day at 5-2 and coming off a win over Navy, a program receiving votes in the USA TODAY/NWCA/Intermat national poll. Indiana more than doubled up the Eagles of American, 24-11, to go along with a pair of lop-sided wins over Gardner-Webb, 43-3, and Clarion, 49-0. American is also slotted #23 in the Intermat Tournament Strength rankings. A group of five Hoosiers went 3-for-3 on Sunday, including Matt Ortega and Paul Young who took it one step further by earning bonus points in each bout. Ortega tallied two pins and a major decision while Young notched one fall and two majors. Angel Escobedo stuck two foes en route to his perfect 3-0 day. Eric Cameron and Matt Powless also combined to go 6-0 in the 184 and 197 pound weight classes. Indiana opened the event facing the Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb. The Hoosiers racked up five pins in the match, all coming in the first period. The most impressive win may have come in the heavyweight match, however, as Nate Everhart outlasted #11 Dustin Porter for a 2-1 overtime decision. Indiana's only setback in the 43-3 drubbing, was a one-point defeat in the 141-lbs. match. Next up, was the aforementioned marquee match-up of the day with the Hoosiers taking on American. With a slim one-point IU advantage after four matches, #12 Kurt Kinser and Young blew things open with a pin and major decision, respectively. Two matches later, Cameron and Powless contributed seven more points to the team total to seal the deal. Trevor Perry, the 12th ranked wrestler at 174-lbs. in the country, nearly took out #3 Michael Cameron, dropping a tough 1-0 decision. In the end, it was the Cream and Crimson coming out on top, 24-11. Head Coach Duane Goldman's Hoosiers saved the best for last, blanking the Clarion Golden Eagles by a score of 49 to zip. #4 Escobedo got it started by sticking #20 Jay Ivanco in the opening period at the 2:15 mark. Indiana continued to pile up the points as they recorded falls in four of the first five bouts, and a total of six pins in the match. Young wowed the Hoosier faithful in attendance with a five-takedown first period as he rolled to 15-6 triumph. Everhart was also impressive, posting three near falls before eventually pinning his opposition in the second stanza. The Hoosiers begin Big Ten action on Friday, Jan. 23 as #14 Penn State visits University Gym. That match is set to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast LIVE on the Big Ten Network.

Columbia, Mo. -- Taking on instate opponent Missouri Valley (6-4) for the first time in six years, the 12th-ranked Missouri wrestling team (13-2) came from behind to win the dual, 33-12, in its first of two duals on the day. Next up for the Tigers are the Mocs of Chattanooga beginning at approximately 5:30 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center. Down six points after suffering a loss by fall at 125 pounds, Missouri true freshman Taylor Crane (Columbia, Mo.) brought the Tigers within one point of the Vikings with his 24-6 win by technical fall in 5:32 over Jesse Knott. Crane recorded five takedowns in the first period alone, tacking on two more before the close of the match as well as a reversal, two point nearfall and three point nearfall. With 2:58 of riding time, the match was whistled to an early close and Crane improved to 19-10 in his first season at Missouri. The Tigers suffered back-to-back losses at 141 and 149 pounds, but won out the remaining six matches of the dual. Senior Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) collected his fourth win in five bouts when he blanked Joe Cornejo, 14-0 at 157 pounds. The win by shutout was Chandler's first of the season and falls one day short of matching the last time he held an opponent scoreless, Jan. 19, 2008, when he bested then-No. 15 Newly McSpadden of Oklahoma State. Missouri All-American Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Ten.) saw his match with Jacob Guernsey come to an early end at 165 pounds. Marable took Guernsey to the mat and the Viking grappler was forced to withdraw with an injury default. Sixth-ranked Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) took a fast lead in his bout with Alex McKinney at 174 pounds and pinned the Viking in 1:35. Jordan recorded five takedowns cutting his opponent each time for an 8-4 advantage. On his final takedown, with 2:15 left on the clock, Jordan turned and stuck his eighth opponent of the year. Senior John Andrews (McLean, Va.) won the first dual of his collegiate career when he topped NAIA's eighth-ranked grappler at 184 pounds, Charlie Gibbs, 12-5. Andrews held a 5-0 lead entering the third period and Gibbs chose neutral to begin the final two minutes of action. Gibbs landed a shot and took Andrews to the mat with 1:10 left on the clock. Andrews escaped and took down his Viking opponent earning three back points but was reversed with 18 seconds on the clock. With 2:59 of riding time built up, Andrews earned the win by decision. Wrestling up one weight class, redshirt freshman Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) became the second Tiger of the day to win by shutout, 6-0, at 197 pounds. Scoreless through the first period, Henderson chose down to start the second and escaped in eight seconds. Henderson ended the period with a 3-1 lead over Chad Williams. Williams signaled for a neutral start to begin the third and was hit with stalling shortly before being takedown down by Henderson. Henderson was one of four Missouri grapplers to accumulate over one minute of riding time for the win. Last on the mat for Missouri was heavyweight redshirt freshman Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.). Bradley pinned Travis Ewart in 2:04, his second win by fall this season. Bradley managed three takedowns before sticking Ewart. Prior to Missouri's dual, the Mocs and Vikings squared off at center circle with Chattanooga earning the 28-21 win. Next up for the Tigers are the Chattanooga Mocs beginning at 5:30 p.m. (CT).

STILLWATER, OK -- University of Iowa Head Wrestling Coach Tom Brands made his 50th win at Iowa extra sweet with a 20-13 victory at Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon in Stillwater, OK. The win snapped the Cowboys' nine-match winning streak in the series and was Iowa's first in Stillwater since 1996. It was also Brands' first win over Oklahoma State since he took the Hawkeye helm. Iowa improved to 15-0 on the season, picking up their 29th straight win. Oklahoma State fell to 11-4 with the loss. The Cowboys put the first points on the board at 125 with senior Obenson Blanc's 6-2 win over Hawkeye redshirt freshman J.J. Krutsinger. Krutsinger was wrestling for injured Hawkeye starter Charlie Falck. Iowa rolled off wins at the next three weights to take an 11-3 lead and never looked back. Iowa junior Daniel Dennis started the streak at 133 with his 3-2 win over junior Chris Notte. Hawkeye senior Alex Tsirtsis posted his 85th career victory and his fifth-straight win at 141 with a 4-1 victory over redshirt freshman Jamal Parks. Tsirtsis also remains undefeated at 13-0 in dual competition. Iowa junior Brent Metcalf posted his 52nd straight win with a 23-6 technical fall in 5:47 over Luke Silver at 149. Metcalf, who scored Iowa's only team bonus points on the afternoon, is now 20-0 this season. Oklahoma State won a decision at 157 when sophomore Neil Erisman posted a 4-1 victory over Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg, but three Iowa juniors followed with decisions to seal the team win. At 165, Ryan Morningstar scored nearfall points in the second period to beat Shenandoah, IA, native Brandon Mason, 3-1. Jay Borschel fought off a last second takedown attempt by Cowboy senior Newly McSpadden to post a 3-2 win at 174. Phillip Keddy posted his fifth straight win with a 12-7 decision over sophomore Cody Hill at 184 to remain undefeated (15-0) in dual competition. The Cowboys won the final two bouts, but it wasn't enough for the team win. Senior Clayton Foster scored a 9-1 major decision over Hawkeye redshirt freshman Brodie Ambrose, who was wrestling for injured starter Chad Beatty, at 197. Hawkeye heavyweight Dan Erekson put up a fight against top-ranked junior Jared Rosholt in the final match, but lost the bout 9-5. Up next for the top-ranked Hawkeyes is the 2009 Big Ten season opener. The Hawkeyes (15-0) will hosts #15/13 Wisconsin (6-3) Friday, January 23 at 7 p.m. and #7/15 Illinois (7-0) Sunday, January 25 at 5 p.m. The Big Ten Network will air a live broadcast of the Iowa-Illinois dual, and the match has been designated as a "Be Bold, Wear Gold" event.