InterMat Staff

Cam Simaz

We head the TDR Brute adidas studios back in to the barn for a week after all the excitement that is the National Championships. The fan fest was nuts. Loads of things for people tio do and already looking forward to Philly next year. Thank you to all the listeners and viewers who stopped me, called me, texted me and o0r shook our hands. Good to see and meet you all. This week we take a look back with our guests: 9:00 Kevin Jackson- ISU Head Coach. After his first NCAA Championship we'll get his thoughts on preping his athletes, his 2 champions and the attack of the next season. We'll talk Varner and Zabriski 9:20 Barry Davis- Wisconsin Head Coach- Coach of the Year. To go through all Barry has gone through this year and have his team buck up and do what they did was incredible. That's what wrestling is to me. We'll talk about Howe. 9:40 Jay Weiss- Harvard's Head Coach joins us and will discuss J.P. O'Conner's unlikley role as champion. Seems like this is a kid who is destined to wear crowns. What was the Jesse Jantzen effect? 10:00 Brent Metcalf- Iowa 149 pound NCAA Champ. As close to perfect as you can get. He had to give away a year due the pettyness of administrators at his previous school but still performed his level best. Hard Charging through the year, redemption after a Big 10 loss to rival Palmer, Champion at the NCAA's. 10:10 Jayson Ness- Minnasota 133 pound NCAA Champ. After close years, heartbreaking finishes, standout performances, Ness was able to put it all together this year. It wasn't the stars aligning, it wasn't the tea leaves in the bottom of a cup. It was hard work. Plain and simple. 10:20 Matt McDonough- Iowa 125 pound NCAA Champ. A legacy at Iowa, this kid just keeps getting better and surprizing even the most seasoned fan. he's working toward his own records his own certain kind of legacy. 10:35 Kyle Dake- Cornell 141 pound NCAA Champ. The Big Red wrestling team finished in second place at the NCAA tournament on Saturday evening. Cornell had a total of four All-Americans with Mack Lewnes taking second, Cam Simaz finishing third and Troy Nickerson taking fourth to join Dake. The Big Red’s second-place team placing is the highest in school history at the NCAA tournament. 10:45 J.P. O'Conner- Harvard 157 pound Champ. J. P. has been named EIWA Wrestler of the Year, after his championship performance at the NCAA Championships. O'Connor went undefeated at 157 pounds this season, finishing with a record of 35-0. O'Connor is the third NCAA wrestling champion in Harvard history, and the third three-time All-American. He placed fifth in 2007 and sixth in 2008, both times at 149 pounds. Previous Harvard champions were John Harkness in 1938 and Jesse Jantzen in 2004. Wrestling fans- Please note that Episode 50 of TDR TV is now available on all the top web sites and cable systems around the country. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio and TV! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. TDR "the Radio Program" airs 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning we look forward to having you listen. Thanks for watching and listening!

WAVERLY, Iowa -- Wartburg College Director of Athletics Rick Willis has announced that assistant wrestling coach Eric Keller has been promoted to co-head coach of the Knights’ program. "We are excited to be able to expand Eric’s role in the wrestling program," Willis said."This decision was made in recognition of the confidence the college, our team, and head coach Jim Miller has in him. It’s a win-win situation all the way around." Miller’s role will not be diminished in any way. As a matter of fact, he stated that"this is the most motivated I’ve felt in a number of years after a national tournament." "I am not ready to get out yet, and I am very excited about the future of our program," Miller said."I also plan to remain at Wartburg until I decide to retire." Keller, the 2008-09 National Wrestling Coaches Association's Division III Assistant Coach of the Year, returned to the program in 2006-07 as the associate head coach and has been part of four Iowa Conference championships, two NWCA Division III National Duals titles and two NCAA Division III national team championships. He was an assistant for head coach Jim Miller's teams from 2000-05 as well, being part of five consecutive Iowa Conference championships and NCAA Division III national championships in 2003 and 2004. Leading North Central College of Naperville, Ill.'s program prior to returning to Waverly, he helped guide a turnaround for the Cardinals as they registered their best collegiate wrestling season to date, earning three All-Americans, sporting a perfect dual meet record. Keller was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Rookie Coach of the Year at the 2006 national tournament. Keller completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at UNI. He earned recognition as an NCAA All-American and Academic All-American for the Panthers and served as team captain in 1998-99. He was also a two-time Iowa high school state champion, compiling a 161-10-1 record at Indianola. "I am extremely honored and excited to take on this role," Keller said."Wartburg College, the wrestling program, and the community have been a part of my family for the past 10 years. This has been my home since the first time I stepped on campus. "I can’t express how excited I am to have the opportunity to continue to coach side by side with Coach Miller," he added."He has been my mentor since I began coaching and there is no one I would rather work with. Being able to continue to help our student athletes reach their goals and dreams both on and off the mat is my passion and means the world to me."

Link: High School Weight Class Rankings Even though the Pennsylvania team fell to defeat this past Saturday night in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, the event in and of itself still is a testament to the strength of wrestling in the Keystone State. Keep in mind that it took a team of wrestlers whom are among the country�s elite to knock off a squad of Pennsylvania seniors. The Dapper Dan squad consisted of three wrestlers ranked first in the nation -- Ryak Finch (119) from Safford, AZ; Logan Stieber (125) from Monroeville, OH; and Michael Evans (189) from Blair Academy, NJ. Another pair of wrestlers is ranked second in their weight classes -- Ryen Nieman (135) from Bullock Creek, MI and Chris Villalonga (145) from Blair Academy, NJ. Three other wrestlers from the Dapper Dan squad are ranked third nationally -- Nick Sulzer (160) from St. Edward, OH; Trevor Rupp (215) from Pocatello, ID; and Bobby Telford (285) from St. Mark's, DE. Among the other five wrestlers -- two are ranked fourth, one is fifth, another sixth, and the lowest ranked member of the USA team was ranked eighth. Please note that all wrestlers were ranked -- and/or evaluated for ranking -- in the weight class at which they competed during their respective state-level tournaments. Six seniors from Pennsylvania are ranked first in the country at this time, including five consecutive wrestlers in the middleweights -- Josh Dziewa (135) from Council Rock South; Josh Kindig (140) from Blue Mountain; Andrew (145) and Dylan (152) Alton from Central Mountain; and Marshall Peppelman (160) from Central Dauphin. From those five weight classes alone, 13 Pennsylvania wrestlers are ranked among the top 20 in their weight class. In all, 39 wrestlers from Pennsylvania high schools find themselves ranked. Five of the No. 1-ranked wrestlers compete at schools in New Jersey and Ohio. Two of those wrestlers -- Evans and Evan Silver (112) compete for Blair Academy, NJ, while Frank Cagnina (130) from Queen of Peace is the other Garden State grappler at the top of the rankings Two Monroeville wrestlers -- Logan Stieber and Chris Phillips (171) -- are ranked No. 1 one in the country from Ohio. These two states are next in the ranking count; New Jersey with 31, and Ohio with 27. Rounding out the top-ranked wrestlers are Cody Phillips (103) from Union County, IN; Ryak Finch; and Kyle Cowan (215) from Cascia, OK. Counting the wrestlers ranked by state: 39: Pennsylvania 31: New Jersey 27: Ohio 16: Iowa 15: California 14: Illinois 13: New York 11: Oklahoma 10: Minnesota 9: Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin 8: Missouri 6: Indiana, Washington 5: Colorado, Delaware, Florida, South Dakota 4: Idaho, Kansas 3: Arizona, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas 2: Maryland, Oregon, Utah 1: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Wyoming

Rob Koll

Harvard senior J. P. O'Connor has been named EIWA Wrestler of the Year, following his championship performance last weekend at the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb. O'Connor was undefeated at 157 pounds this season, finishing with a record of 35-0. O'Connor is the third NCAA wrestling champion in Harvard history, and the third three-time All-Amercan. He placed fifth in 2007 and sixth in 2008, both times at 149 pounds. Previous Harvard champions were John Harkness in 1938 and Jesse Jantzen in 2004. After defeating Cal Poly's Chase Pami 6-4 in the championship final, O'Connor comment in his post-match press conference. “I just had the fire and determination to win it this year. I truly believed that I could win it during my sophomore and junior years, but I just didn't turn out that way, which was disappointing. I tried to turn it into a positive and thought about it every day.”

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell wrestling’s Kyle Dake has been named the EIWA Freshman of the Year it was announced on Monday night. Dake won the NCAA title at 141 pounds while helping the Big Red to a program-best second place team finish. The Cornell rookie became the first true freshman to win a national title in five years. Dake finishes his impressive rookie campaign with a 34-2 record including ending his season on a 24-match win streak. The 141 pounder had a perfect mark after the winter holidays and won the title at the Southern Scuffle. He followed by going 5-0 at the National Duals where he defeated four nationally ranked wrestlers including then No. 1 ranked Reece Humphrey (Ohio State), 8-4. Dake was 12-0 in team duals and was named first-team All-Ivy and Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Dake if the fourth Cornell wrestler in the last five years to win the EIWA Freshman of the Year award and follows Troy Nickerson (2006), Mack Lewnes (2008) and Cam Simaz (2009). Harvard’s JP O’Connor was named the EIWA Wrestler of the Year after winning the NCAA title at 157 pounds. A six-time letter winner at Lansing HS, Dake was a two-time New York state champion and three-time finalist. He is majoring in developmental sociology in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

After a six match winning streak in the undercard dual of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, the WPIAL had lost matches two of the last three years. Facing wrestlers from New York State, they looked to get back on the winning side of the ledger -- against a state team it had defeated 27-24 in 2005. Additionally, the teams also met in 1980 -- when a team from the Empire State scored a 27-14 victory. Despite only winning six of thirteen contested matches, the outcome was more like the one from 30 years ago, as opposed to that from five years ago. New York used wins from a pair of nationally ranked upper-weights to secure a 26-21 victory after being down 21-17 heading into competition at 215 pounds. Fourth-ranked Kyle Colling (Pioneer, NY) -- headed to Oklahoma in the fall -- dominated Brandon Fedorka (Hopewell) with a 19-3 technical fall in 4:15. Colling had five takedowns and four turns in the match, which had the traditional "undercard" format of two periods with a length of 2-1/2 minutes both starting in the neutral position. Lance Moore (Johnson City, NY) -- ranked 14th nationally, and a state champion this year -- faced Adam Lazenga (Bethel Park) in the dual meet's final match at 285 pounds. It was a homecoming of sorts, as Moore had placed the previous two years in the small-school Class AA Pennsylvania State Wrestling Tournament while competing at Lackawanna Trail. Despite finishing third in the big-school state tournament, Lazenga was never truly in the match, as Moore took a 4-1 lead in the first period with two takedowns. In the second period, Moore would score three more takedowns -- with a three-point near fall off the last takedown -- to cement a 13-4 major decision and dual meet victory. "It felt good," stated Moore when asked about earning a match-sealing dual meet victory. "This match serves as a great catalyst heading into NHSCA Senior Nationals (to be held this coming week)." The Binghampton University signee also is aware of the emergence of his Bearcat program, which had a pair of All-Americans this year after coming back from the brink of elimination. "This is a part of why I chose to go to BU. I want to be a part of this. With the young talent present, and coming in, we're going to be competitive in the years to come." Prior to the last two matches, the WPIAL had rallied from behind with a 5-1 run in six consecutive matches decided by two points or less. After 15th ranked Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central) scored a pin in 3:52 against Colton Blumer (West Greene) at 135 pounds to give New York a 14-6 lead through five matches, the response started with a 10-8 victory from Sam Lombardo (Canon-McMillan) over CJ Howard (Pittsford, NY) at 140 pounds. Next two wrestle was the match at 145 pounds, where state placer Andy Candiello (North Allegheny) scored the upset of the evening with a 4-3 victory over two-time state champion Andy Rodriguez (Central Islip, NY) in the tiebreaker. Candiello secured his lone takedown in the first period effectively countering a Rodriguez attack, finishing on top of a scramble situation. Even though Rodriguez did get a takedown in the second period to force the overtime, Candiello was very effective in fending off the majority of attacks by his opponent. Regulation ended tied at 3-3, the sudden victory was scoreless, which led to a (ultimate) tiebreaker period. Candiello earned the choice by scoring first, and chose the down position. Within the first ten seconds, he scored the escape and a 4-3 victory -- one that earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors for the WPIAL squad. "It feels great to beat a two-time state champ," commented Candiello. "It's a testament to how strong wrestling is in the WPIAL (and Pennsylvania). The whole match came down to who wanted it more, the scrambles and the tiebreak period reflected that." State champion Guiseppi Lanzi (Amsterdam, NY) was able to stem the tide with a 2-1 victory over Zach Shannon (Kiski Area). Lanzi -- undefeated during the 2009-10 season -- used a beautiful throw during the second period to score the go ahead points. Troy Reaghard (West Allegheny) and Tyler Wilps (Chartiers Valley) won consecutive 2-1 victories for the WPIAL at 160 and 171 pounds respectively. Both wrestlers scored go-ahead takedowns in the second period. Finally, Eric Shaffer (Greater Latrobe) rallied from a 4-2 deficit after one period against Brandon Contreras (Penfield) to score a 6-5 victory at 189 pounds. After an initial second period takedown by Shaffer, and subsequent Contreras escape, the Greater Latrobe wrestler scored the winning takedown right at the horn to move the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse crowd to their feet. In between an opening match comeback victory for Ryan Bohince (Penn-Trafford), 9-7, at 112 pounds, and the pin by Ruggirello, it was three convincing wins for wrestlers that saw the top of the podium during their careers. State champion Damon McQueen (Huntington, NY) defeated Alex Dunaway (McGuffey), 6-1, at 119 pounds. Though the score was not more dominant, McQueen had to have ridden Dunaway for at least three minutes. Three-time state champion Nick Arujau (Syosset, NY) -- also ranked 5th nationally - dominated Carson Brooks (Fox Chapel) with impressive mat wrestling in a 19-0 technical fall at the 3:36 mark in the 125 pound match. A top three finisher all four years in high school, and state champion as a freshman, Frank Martellotti (Shady Side Academy) dominated Taylor Laraia (Newburgh Free Academy, NY) in scoring a 10-3 victory at 130 pounds. Ruggirello earned Outstanding Wrestler honors for the New York squad with his second period pin from an arm-bar, though it came from the opposite side of how he normally likes to finish the move. "Earning OW honors feels great," said Ruggirello. "It's a testament to the hard work I've put in since falling short in the state final (2-1 to Andrew Lenzi). This sets me up well as I head into the next stages of my career." New York 26, WPIAL 21 112: Ryan Bohince (Penn-Trafford) dec. Brandon Ling (Penfield, NY) 9-7 119: Damon McQueen (Huntington, NY) dec. Alex Dunaway (McGuffey) 6-1 125: Nick Arujau (Syosset, NY) technical fall Carson Brooks (Fox Chapel) 19-0, 3:36 130: Frank Martellotti (Shady Side Academy) dec. Taylor Laraia (Newburgh Free Academy, NY) 10-3 135: Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central, NY) pin Colton Blumer (West Greene) 3:52 140: Sam Lombardo (Canon-McMillan) dec. CJ Howard (Pittsford, NY) 10-8 145: Andy Candiello (North Allegheny) dec. Andy Rodriguez (Central Islip, NY) 4-3, tb 152: Giuseppi Lanzi (Amsterdam, NY) dec. Zach Shannon (Kiski Area) 2-1 160: Troy Reaghard (West Allegheny) dec. Ryan Fox (Huntington, NY) 2-1 171: Tyler Wilps (Chartiers Valley) dec. Joe Glennon (Lansing, NY) 2-1 189: Eric Shaffer (Greater Latrobe) dec. Brandon Contreras (Penfield, NY) 6-5 215: Kyle Colling (Pioneer, NY) technical fall Brandon Fedorka (Hopewell) 19-3, 4:15 285: Lance Moore (Johnson City, NY) major decision Adam Lazenga (Bethel Park) 13-4 Outstanding Wrestlers: New York: Cody Ruggirello, Valley Central, 135 pounds WPIAL: Andy Candiello, North Allegheny, 145 pounds

Consider all the MMA (mixed martial arts) stars who once were college wrestlers. For example, among the former NCAA Division I All-Americans featured at the UFC 109 Relentless event: Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chael Sonnen, and Phil Davis. Long before the UFC and other MMA promotions, there was a similar pipeline of college wrestling champs who found fame and fortune in the professional wrestling ring. With the recent deaths of former pro wrestlers Jack Brisco and Steve "Dr. Death" Williams -- both NCAA All-Americans -- it seems appropriate to honor some of the collegiate mat greats from 30-90 years ago who made a name for themselves in pro wrestling in the past. (Note: The photos accompanying this article are of the wrestlers as college wrestlers. Until the mid-1960s, many college wrestling programs competed shirtless; this was before today's singlets.) George Bollas, Ohio State Before supersized NCAA heavyweight champs such as Chris Taylor of Iowa State in the early 1970s, and North Carolina State's Tab Thacker in the mid 1980s, there was George Bollas, who won the 1946 NCAA heavyweight title tipping the scales at 325 lbs. College credentials: Bollas won two Big Ten heavyweight titles (1945 and 1946), then earned the 1946 NCAA heavyweight title by pinning Morris Chitwood of Indiana University at 14:11 in the title match, becoming the Buckeyes' second heavyweight champ (along with George Downes in 1940, and Tommy Rowlands in this decade). Pro wrestling resume: Bollas' two-decade career reportedly started while still at Ohio State (Bollas left the school in 1946 before graduating). Sometimes competed as the Zebra Kid, complete with zebra-striped costume. Off the mat: Bollas played football for the Buckeyes, and is in the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame. Jack Brisco, Oklahoma State Jack Brisco (Photo/1964 Redskin)Born Freddie Joe Brisco in Blackwell, Oklahoma -- a true hotbed for wrestling in the Sooner State -- this Cowboy was an all-state football star who took up wrestling as a high school sophomore ... and became a three-time Oklahoma high school state champ at heavyweight (1958-1960). Brisco reportedly chose to wrestle at Oklahoma State rather than play football for the Oklahoma Sooners. College credentials: Brisco was a two-time Big 8 conference champ at 191 lbs (1964-1965); two-time NCAA Division I All-American at 191 -- runner-up in 1964 (losing to Ohio University's Harry Houska in the finals), NCAA champ in 1965 (pinning Wisconsin's Dan Pernat). Compiled a 27-1-1 record as a Cowboy. Pro wrestling resume: Launched his pro career right out of college (June 1965) and retired suddenly in 1984. Mike DiBiase, University of Nebraska Pro wrestling fans may recognize the name DiBiase from Ted "Million Dollar Man" DiBiase and Michael DiBiase II -- the stepson and step-grandson (respectively) of "Iron Mike" DiBiase, who was a two-time Nebraska high school state champ for Omaha Tech. College credentials: The Omaha native was a 1946 AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) national champ while still in high school, and, as a Cornhusker, a two-time NCAA qualifier. Pro wrestling resume: DiBiase jumped into the pro ring in 1950; died of a heart attack after a match in Amarillo at age 45. Verne Gagne, University of Minnesota Verne GagneLaverne Clarence Gagne was a two-time Minnesota high school state champ at heavyweight (1942, 1943). He recruited to play football at the University of Minnesota, but made more of a name for himself as a wrestler for the Golden Gophers. College credentials: Gagne was the four-time Big Ten wrestling champ at any weight (175 pounds in 1943; 191 pounds in 1948, heavyweight in 1947 and 1949). The Corcoran, Minnesota native was a two-time NCAA champ, winning the 191-pound title at the 1948 NCAAs ... then the heavyweight title at the 1949 NCAAs on a controversial referee's decision over Dick Hutton of Oklahoma State. Wrestled at the 1948 London Olympics while a Golden Gopher. Pro wrestling resume: Gagne entered the pro wrestling ring in 1949. His career spanned more than three decades, including numerous stints as world champion in the American Wrestling Association. Off the mat: After his freshman year at Minnesota, Gagne served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps at El Toro, California during World War II. After college, Gagne briefly played for the Green Bay Packers. Bob Geigel, University of Iowa A native of Algona, Iowa, Geigel earned letters in football and wrestling in high school and at Iowa. College credentials: The hirsute Hawkeye was a two-time NCAA qualifier and 1949 NCAA All-American, placing third at 191 pounds. Pro wrestling resume: Geigel made his pro debut right out of college (in 1950) and had a career as a wrestler, manager and promoter that spanned decades. Off the mat: Geigel served in the U.S. Navy for four years during World War II. Ed George, University of Michigan Born outside Buffalo, Edward N. George played football and wrestled for the Michigan Wolverines. He wrestled for the U.S. at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, where he defeated Earl McCready (who was competing for his native Canada) but did not earn a medal. College credentials: As a Wolverine matman wrestling for coach Cliff Keen, George was a 1929 Big Ten champ, and undefeated two seasons ... but was unable to compete in the 1929 NCAAs because of an injury. George also won two national AAU wrestling titles while at Michigan. Pro wrestling resume: Discovered at a carnival, the Michigan grad stepped into the squared circle in 1929 as Ed Don George, and had a successful career up to World War II, where he taught hand-to-hand combat for the U.S. Navy. After the war, George became a pro wrestling promoter. Ray Gunkel, Purdue University A multi-sport athlete, Ray Gunkel earned letters in football and wrestling at the Big Ten school in West Lafayette, Indiana. College credentials: The Chicago native was a two-time NCAA All-American, making it to the heavyweight finals at the 1947 NCAAs, losing to Oklahoma State's Dick Hutton in overtime. Gunkel was also a two-time AAU national champ in 1947 and 1948. Pro wrestling resume: Gunkel's pro career lasted from 1948 to his death in 1972. Dan Hodge, University of Oklahoma One of only fifteen men to be voted onto the NCAA 75th Anniversary team of all-time great college wrestlers, Dan Allen Hodge is the only amateur wrestler to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated as an amateur wrestler. In 1951, Hodge won the Oklahoma high school state championship at 165 pounds. He served in the US Navy right out of school, then chose Oklahoma (despite an offer from Northwestern University). Hodge also was a two-time U.S. Olympic freestyle team member; in 1952 at Helsinki, he placed fifth ... while in Melbourne in 1956, he lost out on a gold medal on a controversial call, settling for silver. College credentials: The Perry, Oklahoma native was a three-time Big Seven conference champ at 177 pounds (1955-1957) and a three-time NCAA champ (1955-1957). Hodge was only the second wrestler to win all three national finals by pin (the other was Earl McCready), and won the NCAA Outstanding Wrestler two years in a row (1956, 1957). Pro wrestling resume: Hodge, who had been a Golden Gloves amateur boxing champ, became a pro wrestler after being disgusted by professional boxing, and held numerous junior heavyweight titles in his career that spanned 1959-1976. Off the mat: Hodge was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in the inaugural class in 1976. Since 1995, the prestigious Hodge Trophy has been awarded each year to the best college wrestler in the nation. Dick Hutton, Oklahoma State After being cut from his junior high basketball season, Richard Heron Avis Hutton embarked on a winning wrestling career. A big bear of a man at 5'10" and 245 pounds, Hutton just missed out on becoming the first four-time NCAA wrestling champ … decades before Pat Smith and Cael Sanderson. College credentials: The Amarillo native was a three-time NCAA heavyweight champ (1947-1948, 1950) who lost the 1949 NCAA title on a questionable referee's decision in the championship match with Minnesota's Verne Gagne -- Hutton's only loss in college. Placed fifth at the 1948 London Olympics. Pro wrestling resume: After graduation and a two-year stint in the Army, Hutton jumped into the pro ring, becoming a world champ in 1957 by defeating the legendary Lou Thesz. Off the mat: Served in the U.S. Army twice -- first, immediately after high school during World War II, then a second time immediately after college in the early 1950s. Inducted as Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995. Adnan Kaisy, Oklahoma State Adnan Kaisy (Photo/AWN)A native of Baghdad, Adnan Kaisy wrestled as a teenager for the Iraq Olympic team in 1956 before coming to the U.S. for college at Oklahoma State, where he was a roommate of 1960 US Olympic gold medalist, Shelby Wilson. College credentials: Kaisy wrestled two seasons for the Cowboys, compiling a 11-6-3 record. He placed third at 1958 Big 8 conference championships, and was a two-time NCAA All-American, placing fourth in 1958 and 1959. Pro wrestling resume: The former Cowboy made his pro debut in 1959; over the years, he wrestled as Billy White Wolf, Sheik Adnan Al-Kaisey, and General Adnan. Bob Konovsky, University of Wisconsin Robert Erwin Konovsky was a big, burly sports star for Badgers, both on the gridiron (where he was an NCAA football All-American tackle) and on the mat (as two-time NCAA heavyweight finalist). College credentials: A native of Chicago, Konovsky was a three-time Big Ten heavyweight champ (1954-1956) and a three-time NCAA All-American (1954-1956). He was a two-time NCAA runner-up; in 1954, he lost to Oklahoma State's Gene Nicks ... and, in 1956, came up short against Oklahoma's Gordon Roesler. Pro wrestling resume: The former Badger launched his pro ring career in the late 1950s. Off the mat: Konovsky played in the NFL for four seasons. Leonard "Butch" Levy, University of Minnesota Sixty years before Brock Lesnar won his NCAA title as a University of Minnesota wrestler, Leonard Levy became the school's first national collegiate heavyweight champ. (He also played football for the Golden Gophers.) Levy was a two-time Minnesota high school state heavyweight champ (1937-1938). College credentials: The Minneapolis native won the heavyweight title at the 1941 NCAAs with a 5-2 win over Yale's Larry Pickett in the finals. Pro wrestling resume: After a brief pro football career, Levy launched his ring career in 1948; was a NWA Tag Team titleholder on two occasions with two Minnesota gridiron/grappling alums: first, with Verne Gagne, then later, with Leo Nomellini. Off the mat: Between his college and pro wrestling careers, Levy served in the U.S. Navy for three years during World War II. Dale Lewis, University of Oklahoma Dale Lewis (Photo/AWN)For all his accomplishments as an amateur wrestler, it's somewhat surprising that Dale Lewis did not wrestle in high school. After a couple years at Marquette University in Milwaukee (where he attended on a football and basketball scholarship), Lewis left school for the U.S. Marine Corps where he was introduced to the sport ... then wrestled in both collegiate and international competition. The Rib Lake, Wisconsin native wrestled Greco-Roman for the U.S. at the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics (did not place); earned a gold medal at the 1959 Pan Am Games in freestyle. College credentials: While at Oklahoma, Lewis was a two-time Big 8 heavyweight champ (1960, 1961) after placing fourth in 1959, then was a two-time NCAA heavyweight champ (1960, 1961) after not placing in 1959. He also won a national AAU freestyle title in 1961. Pro wrestling resume: Lewis entered the pro ring in 1961. Competed for two decades, often as "The Professor." Bob Marella, Ithaca College Even fans of old-school amateur wrestling may not recognize the name Robert James Marella as an NCAA finalist ... but just about everyone recognizes the name Gorilla Monsoon as a pro wrestler and WWF commentator up to his death in 1999. In addition to wrestling, the 6'5", 350-pound Marella participated in football and track and field. College credentials: The Rochester, New York native was the 1959 NCAA runner-up at heavyweight, losing to Oklahoma State's Ted Ellis in the finals. Pro wrestling resume: Marella debuted in 1959, making a name for himself as Gorilla Monsoon. Long-time commentator for the WWF (now WWE). Earl McCready, Oklahoma State Earl Gray McCready can claim a number of firsts: First NCAA heavyweight champ, first foreign-born (Canada) NCAA titlewinner, and first three-time NCAA champ at any weight. He wrestled for his homeland at the 1928 Olympics, losing to U.S. team member Ed George of the University of Michigan. College credentials: The Canadian native was undefeated in college, with a 25-0 record. McCready won three NCAA heavyweight titles (1928-1930); all his finals matches ended in a fall. (Only one other three-time NCAA champ can make that claim: Dan Hodge.) McCready also holds the record for the fastest fall in NCAA finals history, pinning University of Kansas' Ralph Freese in just 19 seconds. Pro wrestling resume: After graduating from Oklahoma State in 1930, McCready launched a pro wrestling career that spanned three decades. Off the mat: McCready is enshrined in numerous halls of fame, including the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1977. LeRoy McGuirk, Oklahoma State LeRoy McGuirk (Photo/1930 Redskin)As a Cowboy wrestler in the early 1930s for the legendary coach Ed Gallagher, McGuirk wrestled anywhere from 155 pounds up to heavyweight. College credentials: Born in Oklahoma, McGuirk was a two-time NCAA All-American, winning the 155-pound title at the 1931 NCAAs, and was a runner-up at 174 the following year. Pro wrestling resume: After college, McGuirk had a ring career that spanned the 1930s and 40s. After a car accident that left him blind, he became a wrestling promoter who is credited with launching the pro careers of Dan Hodge, Bill Watts and Jack Brisco. Bill Miller, Ohio State William M. Miller was an imposing figure, towering 6' 6" and tipping the scales at 290 pounds. As a Buckeye, Miller lettered in wrestling, track and football; he was on the 1950 Rose Bowl team. Just as impressive: While at Ohio State University, Miller earned a degree in veterinary science. College credentials: A native of Fremont, Ohio, "Big" Bill Miller was a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champ (1950, 1951) and three-time conference finalist (losing to Verne Gagne in the 1949 finals). Miller was also a 1951 NCAA All-American at heavyweight, placing third. Pro wrestling resume: Miller entered pro ring in 1951, where he competed as "Dr." Bill Miller, which was appropriate, since he was a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Off the mat: Miller was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. He opened a veterinary practice after retiring from the squared circle. Leo Nomellini, University of Minnesota Leo Joseph Nomellini was a multi-sport star at the University of Minnesota, earning letters at Minnesota for wrestling, football, and track, despite never having played sports in high school in Chicago. Held in awe for his powerful physique and incredible strength, there are stories of how "Leo the Lion" broke an NFL strength-testing machine. College credentials: Nomellini was runner-up at heavyweight at the 1950 Big Tens, losing to Ohio State's Bill Miller in the finals. Pro wrestling resume: The native of Italy took up pro wrestling during the off-season in the NFL playing for the San Francisco 49ers; wrestled tag teams with fellow Minnesota alum Verne Gagne. Off the mat: Nomellini served as a U.S. Marine in World War II. After 14 seasons in the NFL, "Leo the Lion" was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1969. Nat Pendleton, Columbia University A product of Davenport, Iowa, Nathaniel Greene Pendleton won a silver medal in wrestling at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. College credentials: Pendleton wrestled at Columbia University, where he was a two-time EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) champ in 1914-1915. Pro wrestling resume: The Iowa native enjoyed some success as a professional wrestler in the 1920s, then, long before Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, Pendleton parlayed that fame -- and his good looks and muscular body -- into a movie career playing tough guys and strongmen, most notably late 1800s bodybuilder Eugen Sandow in the 1936 Oscar-winning blockbuster The Great Ziegfeld. Jim Raschke, University of Nebraska Jim RaschkePro wrestling bad guy Baron von Raschke was presented as a German ... but in real life James Donald Raschke was a corn-fed Nebraskan with deep roots in real wrestling, with a 1958 Nebraska high school state title, a 1963 World bronze medal, and 1964 AAU freestyle and Greco-Roman titles. College credentials: Born in Omaha, Raschke was a two-time Big 8 heavyweight finalist, winning the title in 1962 ... and a three-time NCAA qualifier (1960-1962). Pro wrestling resume: First climbed into the squared circle in 1966; had a long career as Baron von Raschke, purveyor of The Claw. Robin Reed, Oregon State Considered by some to be the best U.S. wrestler prior to World War II at any weight, Robin Lawrence Reed was born in Arkansas in 1899, but wrestled in high school in Portland, Oregon. He was a two-time Olympian, winning the gold medal in freestyle at 135 pounds at the 1924 Paris Olympics. College credentials: Reed wrestled at Oregon State in the early 1920s, where he was undefeated. Won the 125-pound AAU national title in 1921, then won AAU crowns at 135 in 1922 and 1924. Known for his pinning ability and rugged, take-no-prisoners wrestling style even as an amateur. Pro wrestling resume: Despite being light in weight, Reed had a ten-year career as a pro wrestler, taking on heftier opponents. Off the mat: Reed was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1978. Brad Rheingans, North Dakota State This product of Appleton, Minnesota was a multi-sport star in high school, co-captain of the football team, discus and shot putter, and wrestler, where he was a two-time state champ. But that was just the beginning. Rheingans won eight national Greco-Roman titles, two gold medals at the Pan Am Games, a bronze medal at the 1979 World Championships, and was a two-time U.S. Olympic team member, placing fourth at he 1976 Montreal Games. He even was an assistant Greco coach for the U.S. team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. College credentials: As a NDSU wrestler, Rheingans was a three-time North Central Conference Champ at 177 and 190 pounds, and a 1975 NCAA Division II champ at 190. He advanced to the NCAA Division I Championships, where he placed fourth, earning All-American honors. He later served as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. Pro wrestling resume: Rheingans had a 14-year pro career, working mostly in Verne Gagne's AWA organization, then as a trainer, setting up a school to teach future professional wrestlers the ropes. Jack Riley, Northwestern University Jack RileyJake Herbert, two-time NCAA champ from Northwestern (2007, 2009), is the second Wildcat to win two national titles. The first was John "Jack" Horn Riley. The 6'2", 218 pounder from the north shore suburbs of Chicago was a football All-American at Northwestern, and won a silver medal in freestyle at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. College credentials: Riley, who first took up wrestling in college, was a two-time Big Ten heavyweight finalist, winning the conference title in 1931. The Wildcat won the NCAA heavyweight champ twice -- in 1931 and 1932 -- becoming Northwestern's first two-time national champ. Riley was known for his painful double wrist lock that forced opponents onto their backs (a hold since banned by the NCAA). Pro wrestling resume: Riley had a brief but successful pro wrestling career. In just two years, he won 132 bouts. Off the mat: After leaving the wrestling ring, Riley played professional football ... then served in the Marines during World War II ... then came back to Northwestern to serve as head wrestling coach in the 1950s (nearly nabbing Dan Hodge before he committed to Oklahoma). Later he was a successful businessman in the Chicago area. Bob Roop, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Robert Roop was introduced to the sport in eighth grade. At East Lansing High School, Roop won a Michigan state title his senior year. After some time in the Army as a paratrooper, he entered college, and his wrestling career soared to new heights. College credentials: Roop wrestled at SIU-Carbondale, where he compiled an impressive 66-18 record. While in college, he qualified for the U.S. Olympic team, where he placed seventh in Greco-Roman competition at superheavyweight. He won the national AAU title the following year. Pro wrestling resume: The Blacksburg, Virginia native enjoyed an 18-year career inside the ropes. Joe Scarpello, University of Iowa The most decorated wrestler to come out of the University of Iowa in the 1940s, Joseph J. Scarpello was a three-time Nebraska state champ for Omaha Central High (1940-1942). He was an alternate for U.S. team at the 1948 London Olympics. College credentials: Scarpello was the Hawkeyes' first four-time Big Ten champ at 175 pounds (1947-1950) and the school's first four-time NCAA All-American (1947-1950). The Omaha native was a two-time NCAA champ at 175 (1947 and 1950), and a runner-up at the 1949 NCAAs. Pro wrestling resume: Scarpello climbed into the ring in 1950, launching a 25-year career that included some time as a tag-team partner with Verne Gagne. Off the mat: Before wrestling for Iowa, Scarpello served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. Ralph Silverstein, University of Illinois Like Jack Riley, Ralph Silverstein was a native of Chicago. For college, Silverstein stayed in state but headed south, where he wrestled for the Fighting Illini in the Big Ten. College credentials: In 1935, Silverstein won the 175-pound crown at the Big Tens, then a couple weeks later, claimed the NCAA title at 175, defeating Lloyd Ricks of Oklahoma State (who later became NCAA heavyweight champ in 1937). The following year, Silverstein won his second Big Ten title, this time at heavyweight. Pro wrestling resume: After graduation, the compact (5'8", 225-pound) champ had a successful pro career as "Ruffy" Silverstein. "Cowboy" Bill Watts, University of Oklahoma Wrestled and played football at Putnam County High in Oklahoma, then continued in the same sports as an Oklahoma Sooner. College credentials: Watts was on the Oklahoma wrestling team at the same time as Dale Lewis, and basically served as the two-time NCAA heavyweight champ's workout partner. Pro wrestling resume: After playing for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings, Watts stepped off the gridiron and into the ring, where he was a wrestler and promoter for over two decades. Steve "Dr Death" Williams, University of Oklahoma Born in the Denver area, Williams was known for playing football for the Sooners ... but he also wrestled at Oklahoma for head coach Stan Abel. He reportedly earned the nickname "Dr Death" not as a pro wrestler, but early in his amateur wrestling career, when he wore a hockey mask after suffering a facial injury. College credentials: Williams was a three-time Big Eight (now Big 12) conference heavyweight champ (1980-1982), and a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, making it to the heavyweight finals of the 1982 NCAAs (after beating 1981 NCAA champ Lou Banach of Iowa in the semifinals), where he lost to Bruce Baumgartner of Indiana State, 4-2. Pro wrestling resume: Williams' ring career spanned more than two decades. He sometimes wrestled in what looked like an Oklahoma Sooners singlet. Tim Woodin, Michigan State Tim WoodinGeorge Burrell "Tim" Woodin was a four-time New York Section IV champ for Ithaca High and was a two-time AAU national champ (1955, 1957), winning his first title while still in high school. He was a multi-sport athlete, as a shot putter and track star. College credentials: The strapping Spartan (standing 6'1", with a chiseled musculature) was a two-time Big Ten champ (1958, 1959), and a two-time NCAA All-American and finalist. At the 1958 NCAAs, he lost the 177-pound crown to Iowa's Gary Kurdelmeier (future Hawkeye head coach); the following year, he missed out on the 191 title to Syracuse's Art Baker (future Buffalo Bills star). Pro wrestling resume: The New York native launched a 22-year career in 1962, usually wrestling as masked "good-guy" Mr. Wrestling or unmasked as Tim Woods. Despite more and more wrestlers opting for MMA careers after college, the pipeline from the collegiate mat to the pro wrestling ring hasn't dried up completely. In the past decade or so, a number of former college All-Americans have fashioned successful careers in professional wrestling, including Kurt Angle (Clarion University), Shelton Benjamin and Brock Lesnar (University of Minnesota), and Jake Hager (University of Oklahoma), wrestling as Jack Swagger in the WWE. For more photos of each of these athletes -- as college All-Americans, and as professional wrestlers -- visit the "Amateur Wrestlers Go Pro" photo album at Vintage Amateur Wrestling Photo Annex 2 Yahoo group.

Bjorn Rebney

After winning last year's Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, 30-21, against the United States, which ended an eight-year losing streak, Pennsylvania thought it would use one of its best senior classes ever to pick up a second consecutive win. However, it was not to be -- as the best from across the nation took nine of 13 matches in earning a 30-13 victory. The tone was established right off the bat, as two wrestlers ranked first nationally in the midseason national rankings defeated their Keystone State opponents. Despite winning a third state championship, Jamie Clark (St. Edward) had a disappointing back end to his senior season at 130 pounds with late January losses to a pair of freshmen. However, in the opening match of the Wrestling Classic, Clark used a first period takedown and second period escape to earn a 3-1 victory over state champion Joe Spisak (Boiling Springs). Team USA opened up a 6-0 dual meet lead after Ryak Finch (Safford, AZ) used superior mat wrestling to earn an 8-5 victory against Mike Rhone (Benton). The pair of nationally ranked wrestlers at 119 pounds wrestled down one weight at 112 pounds, as the Wrestling Classic is completed in a randomized weight class order. State champion Spencer Myers (Selinsgrove) -- ranked third nationally -- finally put Pennsylvania on the board with a 3-1 victory over second-ranked Trevor Rupp (Pocatello, ID). A takedown at the edge of the mat late in the first period was enough to spark Myers to the victory in the 215-pound match. However, that would be the end of Keystone State wrestlers getting their hands raised until the back end of the match, as the United States would win six consecutive matches to extend a 6-3 lead into a match-clinching 27-3 lead after the first nine matches. The run started with four-time state champion Logan Stieber (Monroeville, OH) defeating state champion Mitchell Port (Bellefonte) 11-5 at 125 pounds. The top-ranked Stieber dominated the first two periods against the sixth ranked wrestler in the nation with a takedowns and turn using his arm-bar series during each period. With the score 9-3, Bobby Telford (St. Mark's DE) would win the Turning Point Award with a second period pin over Evan Craig (Abington Heights) in a matchup of wrestlers ranked in the top four nationally at 285 pounds. Not only was it a pin, but it was total dominance, as Telford had takedowns in each period and was tough on top heading towards the fall. "I was confident heading into the match," said Telford. "Since the state tournament ended, I've been working with my coaches a couple times a week. They've been pushing me real hard, and I responded." Heading into his collegiate career at the University of Iowa, Telford cites "the mental game" as an area for potential improvement. "The transition from middle school to high school was tough, but the transition from high school to college will be three times as hard; but I'm looking forward to it." A third win for wrestlers from Ohio occurred at 119 pounds, as three-time state champion Ty Mitch (Aurora, OH) hung on for a 12-11 win against state runner-up Anthony Marino (Bethlehem Liberty). Six explosive takedowns in the first 3-1/2 minutes gave Mitch a 12-5 lead; however, Marino cut the deficit to 12-9 with a four point reversal at the end of the second period when he caught Mitch out of position. A late third period takedown cut the deficit to one, but Marino could not get the go ahead points. The next match at 189 pounds had another comeback attempt by the Pennsylvania wrestler fall short, as state champion Jamie Callender (Council Rock North) scored two third period takedowns in a valiant effort to come back from 6-1 down after two periods. However, National Prep champion Michael Evans (Blair Academy, NJ) remained undefeated with an 8-5 victory. It was at least his tenth victory over a nationally ranked opponent this season. Two-time state champion Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, NJ) moved up one weight class for the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, and competed in the 171 pound weight class. Despite the disadvantage in size, Visicaro would score a pair of takedowns in each the first and third period to secure the 10-5 victory over state champion Matthew Cunningham (Shady Side Academy). The takedowns in the third period, along with an initial escape, separated what was a 5-4 lead into a dominant victory. The last victory of the six-match run for the United States involved wrestlers ranked first and second in the nation at 140 pounds. Four-time National Prep champion Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ) entered the Wrestling Classic without a regular season loss since late December of 2006, and entered the third period with a 3-2 lead against two-time state champion Josh Kindig (Blue Mountain, PA). He was faced with the task of possibly having to ride out Kindig, who chose the down position to start the period, in order to earn the victory. In addition to securing the ride out, Villalonga was able to score a three-point near fall finishing a cross-body turk after getting a double leg takedown lift finish. In assessing the third period, Villalonga observed: "I felt confident in the top position, that I could get the turn. Once I secured the cross-body ride, I slowly focused on getting the turn to score." "Kindig is a great competitor," Villalonga added. "It was an exciting match for both of us, and hopefully the fans got what they came to see. This is part of a great culmination to my career (with NHSCA Senior Nationals and the Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic still to come)." Villalonga was named the Outstanding Wrestler for Team USA. Finally, the storm in favor of the USA would end, as Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South) was dominant in a 14-5 major decision victory over top-ranked Ryen Nieman (Bullock Creek, MI). Key to the match were two upper body toss situations, one in each of the first two periods; both of which Dziewa came out ahead. "Timing is everything. I hit my toss at the right time," said Dziewa. "My dad taught me how to hit throws ever since early in my career, so it's part of my repertoire." Those scores helped give Dziewa a 9-1 lead after the first two periods. Though Nieman would close the gap with two third period takedowns, Dziewa earned the major decision with a late takedown. "I think the debate about who is best in the weight class was (for now) settled," Dziewa stated. The University of Iowa signee was named Outstanding Wrestler for the Pennsylvania squad. Dziewa had the following comments about wrestling for Iowa: "It's been a dream of mine for a long time. Everything about the program was perfect for me. They have four Olympians on the coaching staff, and there is a ton of talent to work with on a day-to-day basis. I'm pumped, and hope to fight for a lineup spot." Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin), ranked first in the nation, grinded out a 1-0 victory against third-ranked Nick Sulzer (St. Edward, OH) at 160 pounds. Key to the victory was the fact he rode Sulzer out for the duration of the second period. Though Sulzer dominated the third period attack trying to rally from behind, Peppelman was able to fend off the attacks with effective positioning, counter execution, and a high level of desire. Even though the dual meet was out of reach, Andrew Alton (Central Mountain) -- also ranked first in the nation -- dominated his way to a 9-4 victory over Joey Cozart (Brandon, FL) with a pair of takedowns in each the first and second period. "I felt good the whole match," said Alton. "All facets of my offense were locked in." The Wrestling Classic victory capped off an undefeated season for the Penn State signee. "The Dapper Dan was everything I thought it would be, it was enjoyable," added Alton. "I'm looking forward to wrestling for the Nittany Lions, and becoming an even better wrestler." With the randomized order of matches in the main event, the organizers hope to place a premier bout at the end of the evening. The bout between third-ranked Jackson Morse (Lowell, MI) and top-ranked Dylan Alton (Central Mountain) at 152 pounds did not disappoint. In an ending that was dramatic, though somewhat controversial, Morse emerged as the rightful winner with a 7-6 victory. Morse opened the scoring, as he countered a Dylan Alton attack with a headlock toss to Alton's back -- though no near fall points were granted. After the Alton escape, he was able to score a takedown; Morse secured the late escape, as the first period ended in a 3-3 tie. Dylan Alton scored the only point of the second period on an escape, though Morse almost had a takedown late in the second period but was ruled to be out of bounds. An escape by Morse to start the third period tied the match at 4-4. Alton secured the go-ahead takedown, but Morse was able to escape making the score 6-5 heading into the last thirty seconds. After a sequence in which Morse was close to scoring, but it was ruled out of bounds, very little time remained. Morse hit an inside trip, finishing right at the edge of the mat as time was about to expire. Originally, it was scored as nothing -- time expiring and/or the finish being out of bounds. However, after some argument -- and much conversation between the calling and assisting official -- it was ruled a takedown for Morse and the final points in a 7-6 victory. "I just stayed focused on what had to be done out there," said Morse. "No matter what happened during the match, I kept the faith and fought tough." USA 30, Pennsylvania 13 130: Jamie Clark (St. Edward, OH) dec. Joe Spisak (Boiling Springs), 3-1 112: Ryak Finch (Safford, AZ) dec. Michael Rhone (Benton), 8-5 215: Spencer Myers (Selinsgrove) dec. Trevor Rupp (Pocatello, ID), 3-1 125: Logan Stieber (Monroeville, OH) dec. Mitchell Port (Bellefonte), 11-5 285: Bobby Telford (St. Mark’s, DE) pinned Evan Craig (Abington Heights), 3:38 119: Ty Mitch (Aurora, OH) dec. Anthony Marino (Bethlehem Liberty), 12-11 189: Michael Evans (Blair Academy, NJ) dec. Jamie Callender (Council Rock North), 8-5 171: Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, NJ) dec. Matthew Cunningham (Shady Side Academy), 10-5 140: Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ) dec. Josh Kindig (Blue Mountain), 6-2 135: Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South) major decision Ryen Nieman (Bullock Creek, MI), 14-5 160: Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin) dec. Nick Sulzer (St. Edward, OH), 1-0 145: Andrew Alton (Central Mountain) dec. Joey Cozart (Brandon, FL), 9-4 152: Jackson Morse (Lowell, MI) dec. Dylan Alton (Central Mountain), 7-6 Turning Point Award: Bobby Telford (St. Mark’s DE), 285 pounds -- a pin over Evan Craig to make the score 15-3 in favor of the United States Outstanding Wrestlers: USA: Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ), 140 pounds PA: Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South), 135 pounds

Event: UFC on Versus Venue: 1stBANK Center (Broomfield, Colorado) Date: March 21, 2010 The UFC Monster is in Omaha and just took in the NCAA finals, so I will keep this bonus UFC preview coverage to a short summary. Tonight's television coverage on the Versus channel will be the first live broadcast of a UFC event ever on cable/satellite dish television. And, what a card it is! For those who have not seen any UFC fights, this is your chance to do so for FREE. Those of you who followed the UFC Monster's advice for UFC 110, you would have won $300 making the bets as suggested right here on this Web site. I have consistently won money with my postings on these UFC cards, though I encourage players to tread cautiously, as anything can happen in mixed martial arts fighting. The better fighter does not always win. But that's what makes it interesting and challenging. Good advice is to only bet with money you can afford to lose. But, when you win, you should certainly invest in an InterMat platinum subscription. You will be glad you did! Now let's take an abbreviated look at tonight's card. In the main event, we have the rising star of former JUCO national champion (Iowa Central CC) Jon "Bones" Jones, taking on Muay Thai striking expert Brandon Vera. Vera's big fight experience may be the difference here against the multi-talented Jones. And, at +200 I'll take my chances. Bet Vera to pull the shocking upset. Vera wins a close decision. Junior Dos Santos has been mowing down opponents with first round KOs. Gabriel Gonzalez has one of the UFC's most devastating KOs (head kick to Mirko Cro Cop) on his resume. He is also a lethal Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt practitioner, who has come to rely on his striking instead of his ground game. That could be a mistake against Dos Santos. I'll ride the hot horse here. Take Dos Santos and lay the -280. Junior by first round KO. Heavyweight Cheick Kongo is a beast. He seems to dominate most of the fighters in his weight class, but struggles with the elite. Yet, his KO power is second to none, and he is usually able to end fights quickly with a vicious ground-and-pound. His ground game is weak, and history shows that a strong ground fighter will usually have their way with Kongo. But Paul Buentello is anything but that. Buentello, "The Headhunter," is a slugger who thrives on KOs. This one ends early. Lay the juice on Kongo at -365 to win by first round KO. James Irwin has striking power, but not much else. Alessio Sakara is a savvy striker, as well. I see this one going toe-to-toe with Sakara having crisper, more accurate punching. I'll make a play on him as a slight +110 underdog. Let's call it a second round KO. That completes the televised fights. Here are the rest, some of which may make the TV screen if time allows. John Howard -200 has too many weapons for Dan Roberts and wins by TKO. Clay Guida -500 will submit Shannon Gugerty. Eliot Marshall +155 will upset Vladimer Matyushenko and win a decision. Eric "Red" Shafer +120 will beat Jason Britz by triangle choke. Mike Pierce -400 will out wrestle and out-point bully Julio Paulino. Veteran Duane Ludwig -155 will win a decision over Darren Elkins. Brendan Schaub -240 will also win by decision over Chase Gormley. So let's see what we can do with our fictitious $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $ 80 to win $160 on Vera. Let's lay $140 to win $50 on Dos Santos. Let's lay $146 to win $40 on Kongo. Let's lay $60 to win $72 on Sakara. Let's lay $100 to win $50 on Howard. Let's lay $120 to win $30 on Guida. Let's lay $60 to win $93 on Marshall. Let's lay $60 to win $72 on Shafer. Let's lay $120 to win $30 on Pierce. Let's lay $40 to win $25 on Ludwig. Let's lay $72 to win $30 on Schaub. In total we are risking $999 to win $652. Good luck and enjoy the fights. I know I will. And, don't forget to support your local youth wrestling program where tomorrow's champions are born.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Redshirt senior Angel Escobedo cemented himself as one of, if not the, greatest wrestlers in Indiana University history, placing third at the 2010 NCAA Championships to become the first four-time All-American in school history. Escobedo completed his run at the nationals on Saturday with a pair of wins over opponents ranked in the top-10, including second-ranked Troy Nickerson of Cornell. The Griffith, Ind., native began by posting a 10-3 decision over No. 6 Zach Sanders of Minnesota. Escobedo took down the Golden Gopher three times and turned him for a two-point near-fall in the opening period. With the win, Escobedo advanced to the third-place match where he would face fellow four-time All-American and defending national champion, Troy Nickerson. Escobedo worked a single-leg mid-way through the first period to record the takedown. As Nickerson attempted to bring the action out of bounds, Escobedo was able to drag him back inside the circle before lunging for the successful takedown. That takedown would prove to be the difference in the end as it was the last points scored in Escobedo's 2-0 decision, ending his season with a 38-1 record. Escobedo concludes his career with 137 total wins and 42 falls, each ranking as the second most in IU lore. He posted NCAA finishes of third, fourth, fifth and won the 2008 national title during his four years donning the Cream and Crimson. Next up for the celebrated Hoosier is a run at qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Fellow senior Nate Everhart also had a stellar performance at the nationals, reaching the round of 12 and coming up just one victory shy of claiming his own All-America accolades. Everhart notched three W's in the NCAAs, defeating Corey Morrison (Ohio State), 5-2, Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin), 5-1 and Brendan Barlow (Kent State), 4-1. Kurt Kinser was a three-time winner as well. The Bloomington High School South product went on a three-match winning streak in the consolations that saw him out-score his competition by a combined scored of 16-2. Fellow South Panther Paul Young was also in action on day two at the NCAA Championships. Young posted back-to-back wins in the morning session, one by major decision and the other a 6-1 decision. In his final match of the event, Young put together a valiant comeback by recording four takedowns in the final minute and a half. Fourth-seeded Jonathan Reader held on for the win though, 13-11.

Omaha, Neb. -- Missouri crowned its third wrestling National Champion after senior 184-pounder Max Askren's 10-3 victory over top-seeded Kirk Smith of Boise State. Askren started the match out strong racking up seven points in the first period to counter Smith's sole escape. With a 7-1 lead, the Hartland, Wis. Native began the second period in the down position, earning a point for an escape. Smith made a run at Askren, picking up a takedown to begin the third period, with Askren escaping again at the :30 mark. With a point for riding time, Askren won the match by decision, 10-3, and became Missouri's first National Champion at 184 pounds. "It feels great. I'm just happy I was able to do what everybody around me thought i could do. I know my technique was always up to part to be a National Champion and in the finalist finally came out," said Askren. "I was the one hiding my ability. I was afraid of what I was capable of doing or not doing. The pressure was trying and holding oneself back. At some point, I had to do it." As a team, the Tigers finished the 80th annual Division I Wrestling Championships in tenth with 48 points. Iowa captured its third consecutive team title with 134.5 points, while Cornell took second (90 points) and Iowa State third (75 points). The top-10 finish is Missouri's fourth in program history, with the last coming in 2009 when the Tigers finished seventh. Three of the top-10 finishes have come under current Head Coach Brian Smith. 20-2 for the season, Askren finishes his career with a record of 104-16 and stands at 13th on Missouri's top career victories list. In addition to Askren, Mark Ellis collected his second All-America honor, finishing sixth at heavyweight. In the first NCAA Championships to be held at Nebraska's Qwest Center, over 93,702 fans attended the event over six sessions, including over 15,617 at the title finals.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Penn State senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) was defeated in the national finals at 165 in the culminating event at the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Vallimont's run to National Runner-Up status helped head coach Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lion wrestlers take ninth place at the event. Vallimont, the No. 6 seed, took on No. 1 seed Andrew Howe of Wisconsin, who had downed Vallimont twice during the regular season. Vallimont got in on Howe's right thigh at the 2:22 mark, but the Badger was able to force a stalemate. Howe countered a low Vallimont shot and got the bout's first takedown with 1:51 on the clock to take a 2-0 lead. Vallimont could not escape a strong Howe ride for the remainder of the period. Leading 2-0 with 1:51 in riding time, Howe chose down to start the second period, escaped quickly and then took Vallimont down to open up a 5-0 lead. Vallimont escaped with :40 left in the period, only to be taken down at the end of the second to fall behind 7-1 (and how clinched the riding time point). Vallimont chose neutral to start the third period and quickly got in on Howe's right leg. But Howe once again forced a stalemate. Vallimont forced another scramble with a low single and got his first takedown with :59 on the clock. He cut Howe loose and trailed 8-3. The Nittany Lion took two more solid shots as the bout ended, but Howe was able to fight off every Vallimont effort and posted the 9-3 win. Vallimont ends his Penn State career in stellar fashion. A two-time All-American with a third place finish at 157 and a National Runner-Up finish this year, Vallimont posted a 30-8 mark this year. He ends his Penn State career ninth on the school's all-time NCAA tournament win list with 15. The New Jersey native leaves Happy Valley with a 108-35 career record. Iowa won the team title with 134.5 points. The Nittany Lions returned to the top ten after falling to 17th a year ago. With only six wrestlers competing, Penn State collected 49 points and took ninth place. The 49 points is the 17th -most in Penn State's long history at nationals and the third most in the last decade. Sanderson's six entrants posted an 18-12 record. Every one of the Lions' six qualifiers won at least two bouts. Penn State's three All-American placers in the top six marks only the third time this decade that the Nittany Lions have had three top six placers. Sanderson's first three All-Americans as Penn State head coach bring Penn State's overall total to 166. The ninth place finish is an eight spot improvement over last year's 17th. Penn State had placed out of the top ten in seven of the last ten years. Sanderson has now guided all four of his teams to top ten finishes (three years at Iowa State and now his first at Penn State). Sophomore Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) ended his season earlier in the day with a fifth place finish at 149. A two-time All-American now, Molinaro ends his season with a 33-7 record. The sophomore placed eighth at 141 last year and took fifth at 149 this season. He will carry a 56-26 career record, including an 8-5 mark at the NCAA tournament, into his junior campaign. Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) ends an outstanding collegiate career as a two-time All-American after a sixth place finish at 157 this year. The Iowa State transfer placed seventh at 157 in 2008 for the Cyclones and qualified for nationals four times. He went 32-7 in his senior season for Penn State and ends his collegiate career with a 114-33 record. Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) finished one win shy of being an All-American for the second time at 125, falling in the round of 12. Pataky went 2-2 at the event, beating the No. 8 and 9 seeds but losing to the No. 1 and 2 seeds. He went 28-10 over the course of the year. Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) posted a 2-2 mark at 184 and posted a 31-10 record in his final year with Penn State. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) went 2-2 at heavyweight and closed out his second year as the Lions' heavyweight with a 22-11 mark. The Nittany Lions ended the 2009-10 dual meet season with a 13-6-1 overall record, 5-3 in Big Ten action, and ranked No. 10 in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.

OMAHA, Neb. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling team is once again among the nation's elite to end the season, as the Sooners earned fifth place at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb. It marks the sixth time OU has earned fifth place or better at the NCAAs since 2001 and the seventh time in the past decade the Sooners have finished inside the top 10. Oklahoma, who picked up its first top-five finish since 2006, was one of just four teams in this year's field to qualify all 10 starters. Iowa took home the team title for the third straight year, gathering 134.5 points. Cornell was second with 90 points, followed by Iowa State (75) and Wisconsin (70.5) in third and fourth, respectively. Individually, Oklahoma crowned four All-Americans - Zack Bailey (141), Kyle Terry (149), Tyler Caldwell (165) and Eric Lapotsky (197) - at the Championships, its most since earning five in 2006. The four All-Americans finished in the top five in their respective weight classes, led by third-place winner Terry. Bailey was fourth at 141 pounds and earning fifth was Caldwell and Lapotsky. Seven of the 10 qualifiers for Oklahoma will return to the squad next season. Wrestling in Sooner singlets for the last time were seniors Terry, Shane Vernon (157 pounds), and Lapotsky.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Recently crowned four-time All-American Jayson Ness sealed the deal today (Mar. 20), completing a perfect season with his first career national championship. At the conclusion of the tournament, Ness was also named NWCA Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships, as he went 5-0 including a fall and three shutouts. The tension ran high in his 11-minute 1-0 win in the semifinals, but that was nothing compared to the drama that unfolded tonight. In a rematch of the Big Ten championship, Ness was matched up with Daniel Dennis of rival Iowa. Despite several close calls, Ness had only an escape to his credit and trailed 1-4 after Dennis scored his second takedown with just 1:20 to go in the third period. Ness was able to escape but still trailed two and needed to score. As the clock ticked down, past a minute, past 30 second and past 15 seconds he was still behind. Then, with just five seconds left in his career, Ness shot and landed the biggest takedown yet. Once he had Dennis on his back, he got the near fall call and the clock hit zeros. "I was just thinking about getting a takedown to tie it up," Ness said of the final 10 seconds. "I came after him as hard as I could. Good things happen when you wrestle hard for a full seven minutes." On a night where the Gophers had already named three All-Americans, Ness was the main attraction. Yesterday he became the just the sixth four-time All-American in the 100-year history of Minnesota wrestling. He has wrestled in the national semifinals all four years of his career and his win Friday night made him just the 11th two-time NCAA finalist in Minnesota history. All season long, Ness has been open, that the ultimate goal was to finish as a champion at the NCAA Championship meet, here in Omaha. Once the goal was complete the usually reserved Ness, jumped off the stage and into the stands for an embrace with his father worthy of four-years of waiting. "It's definitley up there," he said when asked to rank this win. "I don't have a top list but it's up there. I usually don't show much emotion, but this was an exciting one for me." He is now the 14th national champion in program history and joins Brock Lesnar (2000) and Marty Morgan (1991) as the only Gophers to end their career with their first national championship. He also breaks a three-year drought of NCAA Champions for the Golden Gophers, as the first to win a NCAA title since Cole Konrad in 2007. Ness' career seemed destined for success from the start. After an impressive redshirt season, he was the Big Ten's best freshman in 2007, winning the 125-pound title on his way to earning Freshman of the year honors. At his first NCAA Tournament he placed fifth to be named All-American, helping the Gophers to the team title. From there he went on to win 36 straight matches, one of the best stretches in school history, and one he nearly matched this year with 33, until he literally just ran out of matches to wrestle. This season he beat everyone on the schedule, winning 19-matches by pin. He faced 10 ranked opponents and beat them all, including three this weekend. He has placed fifth, second, third and now first at the National tournament, placing him along side Konrad as the only two in Minnesota history to average better than a third place finish over four years and NCAA Championships. The 2010 edition of Golden Gopher wrestling returned to their usual spot among the top ten nationally. They finished in seventh place with 63 points, just six points out of the top five. Iowa closed out their championship with 134.5 points, ahead of second place Cornell with 90.0. Iowa State finished in third with 75, with Wisconsin in fourth at 70.5. With 69.0 points, Oklahoma rounded out the top-five. This season marks the 13th time in the last 14 years that the Gophers have finished in the top-10, with last season as the only aberration. Minnesota will bid farewell to Ness and fellow seniors Matt Everson (Mitchell, S.D.), Nate Matousek (Glencoe, Minn.) and Dustin Schlatter (Masillion, Ohio) this season, but will look to returning All-Americans Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.), Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) and Sonny Yohn (Alamosa, Colo.) as they lead the Gophers into 2011.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Oklahoma State senior heavyweight Jared Rosholt lost a 3-2 decision to top-ranked David Zabriskie of Iowa State in the title bout at the NCAA Championships Saturday at the Qwest Center. Oklahoma State finished sixth on the team leader board with 65 points. After a scoreless first period and an escape from Rosholt to start the second, the key moment of the bout came when Rosholt attempted to headsnap Zabriskie, but didn’t connect and then appeared to lose his footing, which led to a Zabriskie takedown. Rosholt escaped to tie the score at two, then Zabriskie escaped quickly in the third to take a 3-2 lead. Rosholt attacked from there, but was unable to generate any points to win. "It felt just like the other times I've wrestled him,” Rosholt said. “Pace was definitely a factor. I relaxed on the edge a little bit and he got the two. I thought there might be a second stall call at the end, but you can't count on that kind of thing." "He played right into how Zabriskie wanted the match to go,” Coach John Smith said. “Zabriskie slowed him down and the match was slow-paced in general. It played right into Zabriskie's style." Rosholt and Zabriskie entered the title very familiar with each other, having squared off nine times prior to Saturday’s clash. While Zabriskie won six of those previous nine meetings, Rosholt was victorious in three of the most recent five meetings. The 2010 NCAA title bout put a cap on Rosholt’s distinguished career. With 125 wins during his time in Stillwater, Rosholt is the winningest heavyweight in Oklahoma State history by a wide margin. The next closest win total among Cowboy heavyweights is Kirk Mammen, who won 110 bouts from 1989-92. Rosholt is one of only five heavyweights in Oklahoma State’s storied history to earn a spot on the All-America podium three times and is the first to do it since Jimmy Jackson in 1976, 1977 and 1978. He is one of 55 Cowboy wrestlers to be a three-time All-American. "Jared Rosholt had a good career. He has been a very successful heavyweight for Oklahoma State and he doesn't have anything to be ashamed of. He had a good career." Rosholt was joined by teammates Jordan Oliver, Clayton Foster and Alan Gelogaev as 2010 Cowboy All-Americans. Oliver placed fourth at 133 pounds, Foster was sixth at 184 pounds and Gelogaev was seventh at 197 pounds. Their respective performances at the NCAA Championships were key in Oklahoma State posting an improvement of 31 points from last year’s team scoring total.

OMAHA, Neb. -- From at-large berth to All-American. That’s the road Northern Colorado junior Justin Gaethje took at the 2010 NCAA Division I Championships over the weekend, winning his final match of the year over No. 12 Steven Brown of Central Michigan to finish in seventh-place at 157 pounds. Gaethje won a 12-7 decision over Brown to knock off the No. 8, 9, 10 and 12 seeds at the championship en route to earning the first Division I All-American honors in 40 years at Northern Colorado. He went 5-2 at the NCAA Championship to end his season with a 29-15 record. “Justin had a great tournament,” said Head Coach Ben Cherrington. “He was aggressive all three days and finished strong this morning with a dominating third period.” Brown tallied two takedowns in the first period for the 4-1 lead after the first period, but like he has done the entire tournament, Gaethje battled back scoring all three points in the second stanza for a 4-4 tie heading into the final two minutes. Brown chose bottom and escaped three seconds in, but Gaethje got another takedown on the edge of the mat. The pair repeated with two more escapes and two more takedowns before Gaethje got Brown to his back for a two-point nearfall and the 12-7 victory. Gaethje was one of 50 wrestlers to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Championship and one of three to earn All-American honors along with Germane Lindsey from Ohio (133 pounds) and Kyle Borshoff from American (149 pounds). He is also one of three All-American wrestlers in the Western Wrestling Conference as Jarion Beets (174 pounds) from Northern Iowa finished eighth and Joe LeBlanc (184 pounds) from Wyoming placed fourth.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Iowa State senior wrestlers Jake Varner and David Zabriskie won NCAA Championship individual titles at 197 pounds and heavyweight, respectively Saturday evening to lead the Cyclones to a third-place national collegiate finish at the Qwest Center. Varner and Zabriskie leave grappling legacies that rank high in Iowa State’s storied program. Iowa won the team title 134.5 points. Cornell was second with 90 points. ISU was third with 75 points. ISU crowned three All-Americans in total, with 125-pounder Andrew Long taking runner-up honors. “To have Zabriskie and Varner walk out of here as national champions, with over 100 wins apiece, they're proven winners and consistent performers,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. “They deserve to be national champions. We're not excited about our (team) finish. We've got a lot of work to do. There are a lot of new faces that we have to groom. Our goals haven't changed, though. Our goal is to be the best. That will still be the plan. The national championship still runs through Iowa City, and Cornell may be another team we have to look out for as well." Varner’s victory cheer could be heard of the noise made by 15,000 spectators in attendance. The Cyclone four-time finalist let out a roar of jubilation after silencing Nebraska’s Craig Brester in the NCAA 197-pound finals by a score of 5-2. Varner improves to 6-1 against the Husker three-time All-American. “Craig’s a tough guy,” Varner said. “We’ve wrestled a lot. I guess that’s why not a lot happens. We know each other pretty well, but I just kept to my gameplan. I would have liked to score in that first period, but it didn’t happen. I got away as soon as I could like I wanted to and I scored that front headlock, and that was a big, key point in the match. That last takedown, I knew he had to come after me and I was ready for it, and I ended up with that last takedown.” Varner, a two-time champion at the weight, capped one of the most successful seasons and careers in ISU history with his perfect 31-0 season. The ISU standout was additionally a Midlands Championships and Big 12 Championship champion this season. The Bakersfield, Calif., finishes his career with 121-10 record, for a .923 career-winning percentage that is in the top-five in program history. Zabriskie, Iowa State’s little big man, turned away Oklahoma State’s Jared Rosholt in the NCAA final at heavyweight by a score of 3-2. “Big Z”, the top-seed at the weight, turned away his larger, but familiar Cowboy opponent with the help of a takedown on edge of the mat in the second period. Zabriskie finishes his career with a 116-22 record. "This is my final meet as a college athlete,” Zabriskie said. “So just being able to come out and win an NCAA title; it's everything anybody could ask for." The Cyclone heavyweight was equally thankful of the coaching he’s received in his ISU career. "When Coach Jackson came to Iowa State, I was absolutely thrilled,” Zabriskie said. “There was no other coach I wanted to come in. But for this title, I need to thank all the coaches I've had. Every coach has had a pretty big chunk of what has made me into an NCAA champion, and I need to thank them all -- coach (Kevin) Jackson, Cael (Sanderson), (Tim) Hartung, (Casey) Cunningham, (Bobby) Douglas and (Chris) Bono." Zabriskie is the first Cyclone to be an NCAA titlist at heavyweight since all-time great Chris Taylor in 1973. The Iowa State senior is the first three-time heavyweight All-American in school history. Zabriskie placed sixth, fifth and first over his last three seasons. ISU’s Long had a storybook tournament at 125 pounds, but the Cyclone couldn’t secure the ending he wanted. Fifth-seeded Long went toe-to-toe with Iowa’s Matt McDonough, pressing the action throughout the bout, only to fall to the third-seeded Hawkeye by decision, 3-1. After a scoreless first period, Long surrendered a takedown to his Iowa foe after escaping from bottom and was never able to score his own offensive move. An escape for McDonough and several fruitless takedown attempts by Long in the third period brought about the final outcome. The Iowa Stater advanced to the 125-pound final by stunning top-seed and previously unbeaten senior Angel Escobedo of Indiana with a decisive victory, 7-4. The Creston, Iowa, native concludes his first campaign in an ISU singlet with a 27-7 record. Long went 4-1 in the NCAA Championships. The ISU wrestler also took runner-up honors at both the Midlands Championships and Big 12 Championship. Session VI Results NCAA Championships Finals 125 pounds - No. 3 Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Andrew Long (ISU), 3-1 197 pounds - No. 1 Jake Varner (ISU) dec. No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska), 5-2 HWT - No. 1 David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. No. 2 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State), 3-2 Four-Time NCAA Finalists (12) Hutton, Dick (Oklahoma State, 47-50) - 1-1-2-1 Milkovich, Pat (Michigan State, 72-76) - 1-1-2-2 Kemp, Lee (Wisconsin, 75-78) - 2-1-1-1 Burley, Darryl (Lehigh, 79-83) - 1-2-2-1 Banach, Ed (Iowa, 80-83) - 1-1-2-1 Goldman, Duane (Iowa, 83-86) - 2-2-2-1 Smith, Pat (Oklahoma State, 90-94) - 1-1-1-1 McIlravy, Lincoln (Iowa, 93-97) - 1-1-2-1 Branch, Mark (Oklahoma State, 94-97) - 1-2-2-1 Sanderson, Cael (Iowa State, 99-02) - 1-1-1-1 Mocco, Steve (Iowa/Oklahoma State, 02-06) - 2-1-1-2 Askren, Ben (Missouri, 04-07) - 2-2-1-1 Varner, Jake (Iowa State, 07-10) - 2-2-1-1

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Big Red wrestling team finished in second place at the NCAA tournament on Saturday evening, crowning freshman Kyle Dake as the champion at 141 pounds. Cornell had a total of four All-Americans with Mack Lewnes taking second, Cam Simaz finishing third and Troy Nickerson taking fourth to join Dake. The Big Red’s second-place team placing is the highest in school history at the NCAA tournament. In his championship bout, Dake faced No. 6 Montell Marion of Iowa. Dake went for a double, but Marion defended and the two went out of bounds. A single by Dake almost resulted in another takedown, but once again the two went out of bounds. With a shot by Marion, the two scrambled and Dake ended up with the takedown before the two once again went out of bounds. Marion managed an escape at the edge of the mat once more. Dake deferred to start the second period, and Marion chose the bottom position. The Cornell freshman nearly earned back points, but his opponent managed to wriggle to his stomach. Dake, managed tilt Marion again to his back for two near fall points. Accruing 2:34 of riding time in the second period, Dake looked fierce on top. The Cornell freshman started in the bottom position for the third period, and earned an instant escape. Marion got in on a single, but Dake’s defense warded off the points again near the mat’s edge. Marion got a single and earned another takedown, but Dake captured a quick escape. Marion responded with a quick single but Dake held it off to win the championship 7-4. In Lewnes’ championship match at 174 pounds, he took on No. 2 Jay Borschel of Iowa. Both wrestlers were undefeated on the season heading into the bout. The two wrestlers started heavy at the head and each took a couple of quick shots initially without catching a leg. Borschel went in for a single and was able to takedown Lewnes near the mat’s edge. Lewnes was cautioned back at center. The Iowa wrestler secured a bar but was unable to turn Lewnes before the two went out of bounds once more. Lewnes was then cautioned a second time. Borschel was able to ride out Lewnes for the remainder of the period. Lewnes chose bottom to start the second period. The Cornell wrestler immediately tried to pop up, but Borschel held on and was warned for stalling. Lewnes earned his escape. Lewnes went in for a single that transformed into a scramble between the wrestlers resulting in a stalemate. With just 20 seconds remaining in the period, Lewnes got a double, but no takedown was awarded before the buzzer. Borschel started the third in the bottom position, and Lewnes cut him free. A single by Borschel resulted in another takedown for the Iowa wrestler. Borschel was again warned for stalling and Lewnes was awarded a point. With 3:46 of riding time, the Iowa wrestler won the match 6-2. Cornell opened its day with the place matches, third through eighth, where Cam Simaz and Troy Nickerson were competing. Nickerson wrestled first taking on Cashe Quiroga of Purdue. With a win, Nickerson would advance to the match for third place. In the first period, a single from Quiroga was countered by Nickerson, who got a single of his own for the takedown. Nickerson immediately turned his opponent and worked the remainder of the period for the pin, but came away with just three near fall points as time ran out. Nickerson chose top to start the second, and he made quick work of putting his opponent to his back. Despite the Purdue wrestler’s powerful arch, Nickerson pinned his opponent to advance to the place match. Moving on to the third place bout, Nickerson faced Indiana’s Angle Escobedo. Escobedo earned a takedown early in the period, and Nickerson used injury time. The Cornell senior almost grasped the escape but was unable to get it period the end of the period. Escobedo chose neutral to start the second period. Both wrestlers hoped from the takedown but neither was able to manage points. Nickerson chose top to start the third period. Nickerson worked incredibly hard to turn his opponent but was unable to get the near fall he needed to win the match. Escobedo won with a decision of 2-0. Nickerson earned his fourth All-America honor. In the match for third place, Simaz faced No. 3 Hudson Taylor of Maryland. The two wrestlers were fast and heavy right from the start. Simaz dove in for a single and nearly took down Taylor before the two went out of bounds. Simaz looked active and went for a double on his opponent that nearly resulted in a takedown but a stalemate was called. Just before time ran out on the first, Simaz shot one more time, but no points were scored. Taylor started down in the second and escaped early. Another double by Simaz was denied points near the edge of the mat. A single attempt by Taylor was well-defended by Simaz to prevent the points. Simaz started neutral in the third. Simaz went in for a single and this time got the takedown he was looking for throughout the match. After the two went out of bounds, Taylor jumped up for the escape at the whistle. A wild scramble between the two resulted in a stalemate that called the action back to center. Just before the end of regulation, Simaz got in on a double but Taylor defended just as time ran out.With a 2-2 score, the match went into sudden death overtime. The Cornell wrestler looked hungry and just moments into the sudden death period, he shot and circled for the takedown over Taylor to win with a final score of 4-2.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Senior J.P. O’Connor won the 157 pound title at the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd of 15,919 at the Qwest Center. O’Connor is the third NCAA champion for the Crimson and first to finish a season undefeated. “I just had the fire and determination to win it this year,” O’Connor said in his post-match press conference. I truly believed that I could win it during my sophomore and junior years, but I just didn’t turn out that way, which was disappointing. I tried to turn it into a positive and thought about it every day.” O’Connor defeated Cal Poly’s Chase Pami, 6-4, to take the title and improve to 35-0 on the season. Pami struck first and scored quickly, it was the first time O’Connor had been taken down all tournament. It only took O’Connor 12 seconds to get out and start his own offense. He scored on Pami and held him to start the riding time. O’Connor chose bottom to start the second and scored on a reversal to take a 5-3 lead. Pami picked bottom to start the third and escaped after 1:39. Pami took several shots late, but O’Connor held off the attack. O’Connor outscored his opponents 51-10 at the NCAAs. He is the second three-time All-American at Harvard and finishes his career tied for first in program wins with 132. He shares the top spot with another national champion, Jesse Jantzen. He is the 16th All-American under Jay Weiss, the David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling and 23rd overall. This marks the fifth year in a row, the Crimson has had at least one All-American at the NCAA Championships. As a team, the Crimson finished in a tie for 23rd with 25 points.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Sophomore Andrew Howe defeated Penn State’s Dan Vallimont, 9-3, for the 2010 NCAA Division I Championship title at 165 lbs. With the win, Howe becomes the 13th different NCAA champion in school history and the first since current UW Associate Head Coach Donny Pritzlaff won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001. “It’s a great feeling,” Howe said. “I can’t explain it yet. It’s good.” Howe scored his first takedown of the championship match at the 1:51 mark and then rode out Vallimont for the remainder of the period. Howe started down in the second, but escaped two seconds in and scored another takedown 12 seconds later. Vallimont escaped with 46 seconds left in the period, but Howe took him down once again to end the second period up 7-1. Vallimont scored a takedown one minute into the third period after starting in neutral. However, Howe escaped with 55 seconds remaining, holding on to the lead to win the title by a 9-3 decision. “I wasn’t going to let this one get away from me,” said Howe, who was a runner-up in last year’s final. “I’ve been telling myself that for a whole year now. I’ve been thinking about that loss (in last year’s finals) every single day for that entire year and I didn’t want to go another year thinking the same thing.” Howe finishes his sophomore season as an All-American, as well as an NCAA and Big Ten champion. He compiled a 37-0 overall record, including four wins by pin, two by tech fall and 13 by major decision. The undefeated sophomore is just the fourth Badger to go undefeated in a single season, joining Matt Demaray (42-0 in 1990-91), Andy Rein (40-0 in 1979-80) and Lee Kemp (39-0 in 1975-76). As a team, Wisconsin finished in fourth place with 70.5 points, to tie for the best finish in school history and the best under current head coach Barry Davis. Wisconsin also finished in fourth place in 1976 and 1978. In addition, the Badgers crowned four All-Americans, tied for the second-most in school history and the most since getting five in 1984. Coach Davis was also named the 2010 NWCA Coach of the Year. “It’s great,” Howe said of the team’s performance. “We kind of struggled at some points during the year, but I knew we had some tough guys and we put together a good tournament for the most part.”

OMAHA, Neb. -- Iowa went into the 2010 NCAA Division I Championship finals with the team title already locked up. Even with that comfort level, three out of five Hawkeyes won individual titles to put even greater distance between the team champs and the rest of the pack. Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.comIowa placed first with 134.5 points. Cornell came in second with 90 points, and one individual champ out of two finalists. In third place was Iowa State, with two champs out of three wrestlers in the finals. This year's finals may not have had some of the over-the-top drama of the 2009 NCAAs, but, for the most part, the actual championship matches were exciting, with more action than is sometimes the case when wrestlers compete not to lose. Here are the recaps for the 2010 finals: 125: No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Andrew Long (Iowa State) McDonough brought a 36-1 record to the finals; Long was 27-5 this year. Both wrestlers are freshmen -- the first time two first-year matmen have faced each other in an NCAA final in 30 years. Both are native Iowans; Long is from Creston, while McDonough a product of Marion. The two have wrestled each other three times this season, with McDonough winning all three. There was no scoring in the first period. Long scored an escape at the beginning of the second; McDonough responded with a takedown at 1:05 to go up 2-1. At the start of the third, the Hawkeye choose down. Long cut McDonough, making the score 3-1. McDonough was warned for stalling with less than a half-minute to go ... but McDonough held onto the lead, defeating Long 3-1, making their record 4-0 for the Hawkeye. McDonough is Iowa's first freshman NCAA champ since Lincoln McIlravy in 1993. Asked about winning the title, the first-year Hawkeye responded, "For starters, it's not done. I've got three more years. You can't end on one championship, or one match. It's what I've worked for all season. It's a relieving thing, but I'm already looking ahead and ready to keep training and bettering myself. It was a great week." 133: No. 1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) Both wrestlers are from the Big Ten, and both are redshirt seniors. Ness is 32-0 this year, while Dennis is 22-3 ... with two of those losses to his Gopher rival. In fact, these two last met on the mat just two weeks ago, at the 2010 Big Ten conference championships, with Ness winning the title. Jayson Ness was named Most Outstanding Wrestler (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)In the first period, Ness nearly got the fall from a neutral position, but no control and no scoring. In the second period, Dennis took down. The Gopher rode, but the Hawkeye got the reversal with about a half-minute to go in the period. The third period started with the score 2-0 Dennis. Ness chose down, scored the escape. Dennis then scored a takedown to take a 4-1 lead. Ness got another escape, and, in the last ten seconds, scored a takedown and two nearfall points for an incredible come-from-behind win. Ness takes the 133 title with a 6-4 victory. In the post-match interview, Ness was asked about the final ten seconds. "I was just thinking about getting a takedown to tie it up," the Gopher champ responded. "I came after him as hard as I could. Good things happen when you wrestle for a full seven minutes." 141: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs. No. 6 Montell Marion (Iowa) Dake is a true freshman, with 33 wins, 2 losses; his father Doug was an All-American at Kent State, placing seventh at 177 pounds at the 1985 NCAAs. Marion is a redshirt sophomore with a 27-5 record this season. Dake started the scoring with a takedown with 44 seconds left in the first. Marion scored an escape with about ten seconds to go in the first period. In the second, the Hawkeye chose down. Dake got two nearfall points. The Big Red freshman, leading 4-1, started the third period in the down position, and scored an escape. Marion got a takedown to make the score 5-3; Dake answered with an escape. With riding time, Dake won the 141 title, 7-3, becoming the first true freshman to win an NCAA championship since Dustin Schlatter in 2005. "He is a great wrestler," Dake said of his opponent, Montell Marion. "He's an Iowa wrestler, so you know they're going to go hard. It was expected for him to go as hard as he could and I just had to match it. If you watched the first 30 seconds, we were just basically punching each other in the face and we didn't care. We were just wrestling. That's how they go and that's how I matched it." When asked if he gets tired of being labeled a freshman, Dake responded, "Yes. Just because people think it's such a big deal that I'm a freshman, and it probably is to the common folk. To me, I'm just another wrestler going out there to wrestle someone else." 149: No. 1 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) Palmer is a senior, with a 31-2 record; Metcalf is a redshirt senior, with 35 wins and just one loss ... to his Buckeye rival, two weeks ago, in the 149 finals of the Big Tens. It was the first time Metcalf had lost to Palmer in a total of five college matches. Brent Metcalf hoists the team championship trophy (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Right from the start, Metcalf went in on the single leg, getting the takedown 30 seconds into the match. Palmer put points on the board with an escape. No other scoring in the first period, making it 2-1 Metcalf. Palmer took down, got an escape to tie things up ... but the Hawkeye already had 1:29 of riding time. Metcalf started the third in neutral, went for a double-leg but Palmer fought it off. Metcalf won 3-2 on the riding time point, avenging his loss to the Buckeye at the Big Tens ... and, in a way, last year's finals upset by Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State. In the post-finals press conference, Metcalf was asked to compare and contrast the feelings between this year and last year: "It feels good, feels like I'm redeeming myself from last year a little bit, just because this is the national tournament. You can't get last year back, but you can feel better about it because you finished it off the way you did." Asked about his future in wrestling, and the Michigan native said, "It's not over yet. There are multiple world and Olympic championships ahead to aim for. How many (Olympic) gold medals did Tom Brands win? One. How many did Dan Gable win? One. Now I've got to win two." 157: No. 1 J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) vs. No. 7 Chase Pami (Cal Poly) These two wrestlers have faced each other before. Pami, a redshirt senior who's 29-6 this year, knocked O'Connor out of All-American contention at the 2009 NCAAs. The Harvard senior (who's 34-0) got some revenge Pami at this season's Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Pami launched the scoring with a single leg; O'Connor countered, gained control and grabbed a 3-2 lead at the end of the first. In the second, the Harvard man got a reversal, making the score 5-2. After some blood time for Pami, the Mustang scored an escape. In the third, with the score 5-3, Pami chose down, got an escape. Despite some end-of-bout scrambling, that was the extent of the scoring With riding time, O'Connor wins 6-4 over Pami at 157 ... becoming only the third Harvard wrestler to win an NCAA title. (John Harkness won the 175-pound crown in 1938, Jesse Jantzen, the 149 championship in 2004.) O'Connor addressed the legacy of becoming a Harvard national champ: "I was just trying to follow in the footsteps of former Harvard national champions, John Harkness and Jesse Jantzen, while creating my own path. I looked up to Jesse; as great of a wrestler as he is he is even a better person. I consider it to be an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence with him." The Crimson champ also talked about how he meets the challenges of wrestling at an academically rigorous school such as Harvard: "Hard work and discipline as well as time management. It's amazing what you can do. I've been blessed physically and mentally. Wrestling has taught me so much and it has molded me into the person that I am today." 165: No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) vs. No. 6 Dan Vallimont (Penn State) Howe, a sophomore, has a perfect 36-0 record; Vallimont is a redshirt senior with a 31-7 record. These two Big Ten wrestlers have faced each other twice this season, with Howe winning both matches. Howe scored first with a takedown; that's the extent of the scoring in the first period, but he had already accumulated nearly two minutes of riding time. The Badger started the second period down. Howe got a very quick escape, followed seconds later by a takedown, taking a 5-0 lead. Vallimont answered with an escape; Howe countered that with another takedown and he went up 7-1 going into the third. In the final stanza, Vallimont got a takedown, while Howe scored an escape. With riding time, Howe wins the match 9-3, and the 165-pound title. "I wasn't going to let this one get away from me. I've been telling myself that for a whole year now," Howe said, referring to last year's finals where he fell to Edinboro's Jarrod King. "I've been thinking about that loss every single day for that entire year and I didn't want to go another year thinking the same thing." 174: No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) vs. No. 2 Jay Borshel (Iowa) One of these two wrestlers would leave Omaha with his first loss of the season. Lewnes, a junior, has a 40-0 record ... while the redshirt junior Borschel is 36-0 this season. Borschel got a takedown about one minute into the first period -- the extent of scoring in the opening round. Lewnes selected down to start the second, scored an escape in the first 30 seconds. No other scoring. In the third, Borschel chose down, got an escape to make score 3-1 for the Hawkeye ... with 2:20 of riding time. Borschel scored a takedown, then was dinged for stalling on top. One point Lewnes with :32 to go, making the score 5-2. With riding time, Jay Borschel defeats Mack Lewnes 6-2, and wins the 174 title. In the press conference after winning the title, Borschel mentioned that he and Matt McDonough both came out of the Linn-Mar High School wrestling program. "It says a lot about the coaching staff there. They instilled a lot of hard work and determination, a never-give-up attitude. That's what they're all about -- tough wrestling. The head coach came out of Iowa, he was an all-American, wrestled under (Dan) Gable, so he knows all about that. He was able to put that into (McDonough and I)." 184: No. 1 Kirk Smith (Boise State) vs. No. 6 Max Askren (Missouri) Smith is a junior with a perfect 29-0 record. Askren is a senior with 19 wins, 2 losses. Askren scored the first takedown, then got two nearfall points in the first. The Missouri Tiger then put three more nearfall points on the board; Smith could only answer with an escape. Askren led 7-1. In the second, Askren chose down, quickly scoring an escape ... the only scoring in the second. Smith took neutral to start the third, and got a double-leg to cut the lead to 8-3. Askren scored an escape. With riding time, Max Askren gets a 10-3 victory over Kirk Smith ... joining Mark Ellis (last year's heavyweight champ) and older brother Ben Askren as the third-ever Missouri NCAA champ. Asked about winning the 184 crown, Askren responded, "It feels great. I'm just happy I was able to do what everybody around me thought I could do. I know my technique was always up to par to be a national champion and in the finals it finally came out. I was the one hiding my ability. I was afraid of what I was capable of doing or not doing. The pressure was trying and holding oneself back. At some point, I had to do it." The Tiger wrestler also talked about some of the struggles he had experienced this year. "The passion went away," said Askren. "There were moments during practice and matches when it was there but it didn't sustain itself. This season with the help of my coaches, brother, friends and family, I got back to doing things how I like." 197: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska) These two Big 12 wrestlers have faced each other numerous times, most notably, the 2009 NCAA finals, and the 2010 Big 12 conference finals. Varner won both bouts. There was no scoring in the first period. For the second, Varner started down, and escaped ... which was the extent of scoring in that period. In the third, Brester chose down, got the escape, and tied the score. Varner got a reversal with about a minute left; Brester scored another escape, making the score 3-2 for the Cyclone. The Cornhusker tried for a takedown, but Varner countered with a takedown of his own in the final seconds. In the final match between these two conference rivals, Jake Varner bested Craig Brester, 5-2 ... winning his second consecutive NCAA title. Varner is one of a limited number of wrestlers to have been a four-time NCAA finalist. "Craig's a tough guy," said Varner of his collegiate rival from Nebraska. "We've wrestled a lot. I guess that's why not a lot happens. We know each other pretty well, but I just kept to my gameplan. I would have like to score in that first period, but it didn't happen. I got away as soon as I could like I wanted to and I scored that front headlock, and that was a big, key point in the match. That last takedown, I knew he had to come after me and I was ready for it, and I ended up with that last takedown." 285: No. 1 David Zabriskie (Iowa State) vs. No. 2 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) Immediately after the Varner-Brester bout, the second battle of the Big 12 big men, featuring Zabriskie, a senior with 25 wins, 2 losses ... while Rosholt, a redshirt senior, is 34-2 this year. This was a rematch of the conference title bout, which the Cyclone won. No score in the first three minutes. To start the second, Zabriskie offered the choice to Rosholt, who escaped in 19 seconds. The Cyclone countered with a takedown on the edge of the mat. The Cowboy scored a second escape, knotting the score at the end of the second. In the third, Zabriskie chose down, came out from under, making the score 3-2. That was it for the scoring ... so David Zabriskie got the 3-2 win over Jared Rosholt, and becomes the second Iowa State heavyweight champ (the other being the late, great Chris Taylor in 1972 and 1973). "When Coach Jackson came to Iowa State, I was absolutely thrilled. There was no other coach I wanted to come in," said Zabriskie. "But for this title, I need to thank all the coaches I've had. Every coach has had a pretty big chunk of what has made me into an NCAA champion, and I need to thank them all -- coach (Kevin) Jackson, Cael (Sanderson), (Tim) Hartung, (Casey) Cunningham, (Bobby) Douglas and (Chris) Bono." Final Team Standings: 1. Iowa 134.5 2. Cornell 90 3. Iowa State 75 4. Wisconsin 70.5 5. Oklahoma 69 6. Oklahoma State 65 7. Minnesota 63 8. Ohio State 62 9. Penn State 49 10. Missouri 48 All-Americans: 125: First Place: Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. Andrew Long (Iowa State), 3-1 Third Place: Angel Escobedo (Indiana) dec. Troy Nickerson (Cornell), 2-0 Fifth Place: Zach Sanders (Minnesota) dec. Cashe Quiroga (Purdue), 6-2 Seventh Place: Anthony Robles (Arizona State) dec. Nikko Triggas (Ohio State), 9-3 133: First Place: Jayson Ness (Minnesota) dec. Daniel Dennis (Iowa), 6-4 Third Place: Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) maj. dec. Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State), 8-0 Fifth Place: Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) dec. Dan Mitcheff (Kent State), 5-3 Seventh Place: Borislav Novachkov (Cal Poly) pinned Steve Bell (Maryland), 4:26 141: First Place: Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. Montell Marion (Iowa), 7-3 Third Place: Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) dec. Zack Bailey (Oklahoma), 3-2 Fifth Place: Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Germane Lindsey (Ohio), 3-2 Seventh Place: Mike Thorn (Minnesota) pinned Christopher Diaz (Virginia Tech), :56 149: First Place: Brent Metcalf (Iowa) dec. Lance Palmer (Ohio State), 3-2 Third Place: Kyle Terry (Oklahoma) dec. Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin), 5-4 Fifth Place: Frank Molinaro (Penn State) maj. dec. Torsten Gillespie (Edinboro), 10-1 Seventh Place: Kevin LeValley (Bucknell) dec. Kyle Borshoff (American), 5-0 157: First Place: J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) dec. Chase Pami (Cal Poly), 3-2 Third Place: Adam Hall (Boise State) maj. dec. Justin Lister (Binghamton), 8-0 Fifth Place: Steve Fittery (American) maj. dec. Cyler Sanderson (Penn State), 15-6 Seventh Place: Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) dec. Steve Brown (Central Michigan), 12-7 165: First Place: Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) dec. Dan Vallimont (Penn State), 9-3 Third Place: Jarrod King (Edinboro) dec. Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford), 3-2 Fifth Place: Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma) dec. Andrew Rendos (Bucknell), 6-3 Seventh Place: Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Chris Brown (Old Dominion), 3-2 174: First Place: Jay Borschel (Iowa) dec. Mack Lewnes (Cornell), 6-2 Third Place: Chris Henrich (Virginia) maj. dec. Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska), 10-1 Fifth Place: Jordan Blanton (Illinois) dec. Ben Bennett (Central Michigan), 3-2 Seventh Place: Scott Giffin (Penn) dec. Jarion Beets (Northern Iowa), default 184: First Place: Max Askren (Missouri) dec. Kirk Smith (Boise State), 10-3 Third Place: Mike Cannon (American) dec. Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming), 7-2 Fifth Place: John Dergo (Illinois) dec. Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State), 10-4 Seventh Place: Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) dec. Phil Keddy (Iowa), 9-4 197: First Place: Jake Varner (Iowa State) dec. Craig Brester (Nebraska), 5-2 Third Place: Cam Simaz (Cornell) dec. Hudson Taylor (Maryland), 4-2 OT Fifth Place: Eric Lapotsky (Oklahoma) dec. Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin), 7-0 Seventh Place: Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) dec. Sonny Yohn (Minnesota), 12-7 285: David Zabriskie (Iowa State) dec. Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State), 3-2 Third Place: Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. Konrad Dudziak (Duke), 4-2 Fifth Place: Mitch Monteiro (Cal State Bakersfield) dec. Mark Ellis (Missouri), 3-1 Seventh Place: Dan Erekson (Iowa) dec. Jarrod Trice (Central Michigan), 8-2 Other awards: NWCA Bill Koll Outstanding Wrestling Award: Minnesota's Jayson Ness NWCA Coach of the Year: Wisconsin's Barry Davis Gorriaran Award (most pins in the least amount of time): Virginia's Brent Jones ... 2 in 1:13. Related Content: Final Standings Final Brackets All-Americans Auio Interviews Day 1 Recap Day 2 Recap

OMAHA, Neb. -- The 2010 NCAA Division I Championships have been upsetting to plenty of wrestlers ... but not for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The black and gold nabbed their 23rd NCAA team title Friday night -- their third in a row -- on the strength of all five of their semifinalists qualifying for the finals Saturday night. It the most Iowa wrestlers to find themselves in the finals since 1997, when six Hawkeyes vied for individual crowns in Dan Gable’s last NCAAs as head coach. At the end of Session IV Friday night, the Hawkeyes had accumulated 120.5 points. Cornell was a distant second, with 75 points, and two finalists. In third place is Iowa State, with 67 points, and three wrestlers in the finals. When asked about Iowa winning the team crown before a single match of the finals was wrestled, the Hawkeyes’ head coach Tom Brands said, "It shows that you're in control, that you've wrestled well as a team. I don't think it lessens the urgency, going back to that word again, of winning five titles and three sevenths. It's flexing your muscles." Brands contrasted this year to last, when Iowa didn’t know the team title was theirs until well into the 2009 finals ... and won it by just four-and-a-half points over Ohio State: "Last year, we didn't win any titles. This year, we have five chances to win titles. When you're 5-for-5 in the semifinals, you might as well be 5-for-5 in the finals. I'm not making any predictions there, I'm just saying that's the philosophy, the marching orders, how we go forward." Incredibly, only one 2009 NCAA champ will be defending his title Saturday: Jake Varner of Iowa State, 197-pound titlist. Varner owns the rare distinction of being a four-time national finalist, having lost as a freshman and sophomore. The other champ from last year’s NCAAs to still be in the title hunt as of Friday evening, 165-pounder Jarrod King of Edinboro, fell in the semifinals. 125 pounds: No. 5 Andrew Long (Iowa State) dec. No. 1 Angel Escobedo (Indiana), 7-4 No. 3 Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. unseeded Cashe Quiroga (Purdue), 14-3 The finals will be a battle of Iowa rivals -- two redshirt freshmen who have made names for themselves already. Long brings a 27-5 record to the title match; McDonough is 36-1. The two have wrestled each other three times this season -- at a regular-season dual meet, the Midlands, and National Duals -- and McDonough came out the winner each time. When asked about the finals, Long said, "It’s going to be a big match. We always have close matches that are always entertaining, so it’s going to be fun going out there knowing that we’ve wrestled before and I kind of know what to expect from that aspect." McDonough said of finding himself in the finals, "Well you take one match at a time, don’t worry as much about who you’re wrestling, but how you’re wrestling and battling for seven minutes every match. I came into the tournament with a lot of confidence. I just kept working my skill and it paid off." 133 pounds: No. 1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) dec. No. 4 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State), 2-0 No. 2 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State), 5-3 SV The 133 finals will feature two redshirt seniors, both from the Big Ten. Ness is 32-0 this year, while Dennis is 22-3. Weighing in on his finals rival, Ness said, "He's a battler. This will be our third time wrestling this year. He'll come out and want to get the win just as bad as I do." (The Gopher has defeated Dennis twice, most recently in the Big Ten finals, 9-3. However, last year, the Hawkeye was 2-0 over Ness.) Dennis talked about the honor of making it to the championship match: "This is what my college career has culminated in, and even going further back to when my parents allowed me to participate in wrestling. It's been a long time coming for this opportunity." 141 pounds: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. No. 4 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State), 3-2 No. 6 Montell Marion (Iowa) dec. No. 10 Tyler Nauman (Pitt), 7-6 Dake brings a 33-2 record as a freshman to the finals, while Marion is a redshirt sophomore with a 27 wins, 5 losses this season. The first-year Cornell matman has wrestled with an impressive amount of poise through most of the season. "At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t as confident as I should have been," said Dake after winning his semifinals match. "I have great coaching, great wrestling partners, and having those every day, I should be confident in my skills and my ability to win. So just learn how to deal with the pressure, and have fun -- basically have fun." Making the finals is the realization of a dream for Marion: "It feels great. I’ve been dreaming about this for a very long time. It keeps me up at night. I’m just happy to be in the final. I’m ready to go tomorrow, staying on my offense and finishing all the way through." 149 pounds: No. 1 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) dec. No. 5 Frank Molinaro (Penn State), 2-0 No. 2 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Kyle Terry (Oklahoma), 6-2 This could well be THE match of the tournament. These two Big Ten contenders have wrestled each other five times in their collegiate careers ... with Metcalf taking the first four. Then, two weeks ago, Palmer stunned Metcalf – and the college wrestling world – with a decisive 9-3 win over the Hawkeye to win the conference championship. Naturally, both men were asked about the prospect of facing each other again, this time for a national title. Palmer, a junior with a 31-2 record, said, "It’s going to be fun. I love wrestling Brent. He’s a great wrestler. It’s not fun because people make him out to be the person he is, it’s great because he is a great wrestler and it gives us a chance to see who the best in the country is." Metcalf, a redshirt senior who brings a 35-1 record, has a bit different attitude about Saturday night’s match: "I’m excited. It’s an opportunity to correct a wrong. I’ve been waiting the past two weeks maybe to get to this point and we both had to do our job, and we have. It’s time to go out and compete and work it out." 157 pounds: No. 1 J.P. O’Connor (Harvard) dec. No. 5 Steve Fittery (American), 14-2 No. 7 Chase Pami (Cal Poly) dec. unseeded Justin Lister (Binghamton), 13-5 A finals with wrestlers representing schools from opposite ends of the country. O’Connor is a senior with a perfect 34-0 record ... while Pami, a redshirt senior, has a 29-6 won-loss record. In their individual press conferences after winning their semifinals matches, both wrestlers mentioned their previous meetings on the mat. "We definitely have a history," said Pami. "I knocked him out of the All-American round last year. I'm going out there with the intent of whatever it takes to win the match, with that focus and that intensity. I just have to go out there and go to my offense, my turns, my shots." O’Connor said, "I got him earlier this year in Las Vegas, so I settled that score (from last year) a little bit. I give him a lot of credit. He's a great athlete, a really tough competitor. I wrestled him three times last year, and unfortunately he beat me when it counted. He's a big reason why I'm this fired up, and striving to win a national title. I took that loss to heart. It's something I think about to this day, and that's something that won't change whether or not I win a national title." 165 pounds: No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) dec. unseeded Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma), 4-1 No. 6 Dan Vallimont (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Jarrod King (Edinboro), 3-1 OT Yet another finals featuring two Big Ten wrestlers. Howe is a sophomore with a flawless 36-0 record; he was a finalist last year, losing to King ... who won’t be defending his title, thanks to Vallimont, a redshirt senior with a 31-7 record. "I’ve wrestled him twice this year so far," said the second-year Badger of Vallimont, who won both matches against the Nittany Lion. "He’s tough. He’s a smart wrestler. I just want to stay on him, get a couple take-downs and seal the match." When asked what he anticipates for the finals, Vallimont responded, "It’s going to be similar to tonight’s match. Just get out there and finish my shots as quick as I can ... I feel like I’ve been wrestling better than I ever have in my career, and I think it’s a great way to finish it out tomorrow with a championship. I felt great wrestling in the semifinals and I’m hoping to be able to wrestle even better tomorrow." 174 pounds: No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) dec. No. 5 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska), 3-2 No. 2 Jay Borshel (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Chris Henrich (Virginia), 11-9 A matchup between the top two seeds in this weight class ... and two undefeated wrestlers. Lewnes, a junior, has a 40-0 record ... while the redshirt junior Borschel is 36-0 this season. Both wrestlers had challenging semifinals bouts ... which both men addressed in their separate post-match press conferences. When asked about his close matches in the quarterfinals and semifinals, Lewnes responded, "I believe confidence allows me to go into a wrestling match knowing I can be dominant and go after most guys, but some guys are good at keeping it close. I think winning those tight matches comes from experience. Last year, the year before, even in high school, one of the biggest turning points was actually winning those close matches instead of losing those 3-1, 3-2 matches. I think it comes from experience there. I’m able to keep my composure and relax. It doesn’t matter if my shots aren’t working, I’ll set something else up and try and go for another shot." "Sometimes I get in trouble with my laid-back style and approach, and sometimes come out slow," said Borshel. "It’s our mentality as a team that when you go deeper and deeper into the tournament you get stronger. Coach Brands says every session our best wrestling is now and everything else is behind us. I just stayed calm and tried to take them one at a time to get those points." 184 pounds: No. 1 Kirk Smith (Boise State) dec. No. 4 Mike Cannon (American), 11-2 No. 6 Max Askren (Missouri) dec. No. 7 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming), 9-7 OT Kirk Smith, a junior, brings a blemish-free 29-0 record to the 184 finals ... while Max Askren is a senior with 19 wins, 2 losses. Both wrestlers were rather philosophical and serious-minded when looking forward to Saturday night’s finals. "I know he's a competitor, that he wrestles hard," said the Missouri wrestler, younger brother of two-time NCAA champ for the Tigers – and emerging MMA star – Ben Askren. "He's going to make it a match, he's not going to stop. I know him off the mat a little bit, and he's a good person. We'll both go out and hopefully put on a show." Smith said of his journey to the finals, "I figure it's not worth it to win an NCAA title without the hardest road. Mentally, all year, I've been preparing myself to take that road, to go against those top seeds in each round. And then, to follow that to the finals. I think that's helped me a lot, that mental preparation." 197 pounds: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) dec.. No. 4 Cam Simaz (Cornell), 6-0 No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska) dec. No. 3 Hudson Taylor (Maryland), 1-0 Now, an all Big 12 final between two rivals who have wrestled each other a zillion times ... or so it seems. Varner and Brester faced each other in the 197 pound finals at the 2009 NCAAs ... and, two weeks ago in the title match at the Big 12 conference championships. Varner won both of those matches. Varner has a perfect 30-0 record in his senior season ... while Brester, a redshirt senior, has the same number of wins this year, and two losses – both to the Cyclone he’s facing Saturday night. Both men reflected on what will be the last time they face each other as college wrestlers. "It’s just another match," said Varner. "Obviously, it’s the national finals. We’ve wrestled a few times this year. It’s the same game plan. I’m going to go out there and wrestle my match, wrestle to win. Stick to my gameplan and have fun. Whatever happens happens, but I’m not going to go down without a fight and I’m going to battle to win my second title." Brester portrayed himself as the underdog: "I’ve got nothing to lose going out there. He’s expected to win. He’s been there. He’s done this. He’s made a name for himself and I’m just me. I’m just going to go out there and take down the giant, and I’m just going to have a fun time trying to do it." When asked what would be the perfect final, the Husker wrestler said, "Get my hand raised. I don’t care how it happens. I’ve dreamt. You see takedowns. You see back points and stuff like that, but any way it happens, if I get my hand raised, I’m going to be a happy man." Heavyweight: No. 1 David Zabriskie (Iowa State) dec. No. 4 Konrad Dudziak (Duke), 6-5 No. 2 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 3 Zach Rey (Lehigh), 4-0 Yet another finals featuring two Big 12 big men. Zabriskie is a senior, with 25 wins, 2 losses; Rosholt is a redshirt senior, 34-2 this year. When asked about facing Zabriskie yet again, the Cowboy answered, "It's perfect. He and I have a pretty good rivalry going. I lost to him in the championship match of the Big 12's two weeks ago. We should meet again to decide who is the national champion." "He's a tough competitor," the Cyclone acknowledged. "I've faced him a few times and I know it's going to be a battle." Standings (Top 10): 1. Iowa, 120.5 points 2. Cornell, 75 3. Iowa State, 67 4. Wisconsin, 62 5. Oklahoma State, 60.5 6. Oklahoma, 58 7. Ohio State, 56.5 8. Minnesota, 55 9. Penn State, 47 10. Missouri, 44 The finals take place Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT, and will be broadcast live on ESPN.