InterMat Staff

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- No. 9 Lehigh continued its impressive start to the dual season by sweeping a pair of duals Saturday in New Jersey. After downing Rutgers 27-6 earlier in the day the Mountain Hawks moved to 10-0 for the first time in 41 years with a 25-9 win over Rider Saturday night at Alumni Gymnasium. The Mountain Hawks captured eight wins against the Broncs to complete the Saturday sweep and match the program's best start since the 1966-67 season. "We have a great group of guys who are working very hard," said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. "I'm very proud of how they have wrestled so hard but as a group they know that they still need to get better." The same eight wrestlers who picked up victories earlier in the day against the Scarlet Knights emerged victorious against Rider. After dropping the opening bout at 125, junior captain Matt Fisk put Lehigh on the scoreboard with bonus points, as he earned an 11-3 major decision over Matt Bradley. Fisk's second major decision win of the day helped offset a shocking loss by sophomore Mitch Berger at 125. Berger was leading Filiberto Colon 15-4 late in the third period when Colon hit a cement job and pinned Berger at the 6:29 mark. "That was kind of an early surprise," said Santoro. "Berger went from going for a tech fall to getting pinned, but Fisk really stepped up. He did not touch a mat for two weeks but came out and wrestled hard and found a way to win." Fisk's win was followed by back-to-back wins by decision as Seth Ciasulli edged Fred Rodgers 3-2 at 141 and Trevor Chinn won 6-2 over Nick Weaver at 149. Rider's second and final win came at 157, before the Mountain Hawks won the final five bouts, all by decision to cement their tenth straight win to open the season. After junior Mike Galante and sophomore Alex Caruso earned wins by decision for Lehigh, the stage was set for the featured bout of the night between junior David Craig and Rider's Doug Umbehauer at 184. The lead went back and forth and the match ended up in overtime. After neither wrestler scored in the sudden victory period, Craig rode out Umbehauer in the first 30 second tiebreaker and then reversed him in the final seconds of the second tiebreaker period en route to an 8-6 win. The final two bouts went the Mountain Hawks way as freshman Joe Kennedy was impressive in a 12-5 win over Tyler Smith at 197 and Zach Rey closed the dual with an 8-4 win over Ed Bordas. Earlier in the day Lehigh rolled to a 27-6 victory over Rutgers winning eight of ten bouts, including wins by major decision for Fisk, Chinn and Kennedy. The Mountain Hawks will now have another break of nearly two weeks before they return to the mats on Friday, January 2, when Lehigh visits West Virginia. The match is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. from the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. Lehigh's first dual of the new year will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com with streaming powered by Yahoo! Sports College Broadcast.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- In its final tune-up for the prestigious Midlands Championships Dec. 29-30, No. 20 Northwestern dominated its dual match against Clarion University, winning by a 29-3 margin to improve to 7-1. The match took place at North Allegheny (Pa.) High School, the alma mater of NU's 2007 national champion Jake Herbert, who posted a tech fall win (26-9) against Clarion's Clint Podish. Herbert, ranked second in the nation at 184 lbs., is now 12-0 in 2008 with seven pins. Herbert won a 2003 Pennsylvania state championship and compiled a 141-18 overall high school record while competing for North Allegheny. Clarion features two ranked wrestlers, including No. 19 Jay Ivanco at the 125-pound division. But NU's third-ranked Brandon Precin was too much, picking up an 8-2 decision to improve to 8-0 in dual match competition. At 157 lbs., No. 16 Jason Welch scored a hard-fought 6-5 win against 17th-ranked Hadley Harrison of Clarion. Welch opened with a takedown in the first and Harrison countered with a reversal to knot the bout at two after one period. It remained tight in the second frame as Welch recorded an escape, Harrison posted a takedown and Welch reversed back to take a 5-4 lead entering the third. Harrison escaped in the third, but Welch had 1:02 in riding time and earned the victory with the extra point. Welch is unbeaten in dual matches at 6-0 and 9-1 overall. Robert Joyce picked up his first dual victory of 2008 with a 7-2 decision of Danny Galvan at 133 lbs. while No. 6 Keith Sulzer rebounded after a tough loss Friday night against Pittsburgh with a 6-0 win against Sal Lascari. Robert Kellogg notched his second dramatic win in as many days for the 'Cats with an 8-7 overtime win vs. Scott Joseph at 174 lbs. Down 6-4 to start the third, Joseph escaped and took Kellogg down with about 40 seconds remaining to lead 7-6. Kellogg responded with an escape to tie the match. In overtime, Joseph had to take a second injury time, which gave Kellogg choice of starting position. He chose down and escaped to win 8-7 and has now won six of his last seven matches. Northwestern also received victories from Andrew Nadhir (149), Kyle Bertin (165) and Ben Kuhar (285). The Wildcats are now set to vie for Midlands titles when Northwestern hosts the annual event Mon.-Tue., Dec. 29-30 at Welsh-Ryan Arena for the nation's elite college wrestlers. Fans interested in witnessing the tournament live should call 847-491-CATS for tickets. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the Midlands finals live from Evanston at 7 p.m. on Dec. 30.

The Nebraska wrestling team has postponed its dual with Kent State due to inclement weather conditions that will not allow the Golden Flashes to travel to Lincoln. The contest, originally planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday, will attempt to be rescheduled. New time and date details will be announced as they become available. Tickets for tomorrow's contest can be used for any remaining regular-season home duals. The Huskers' dual with Minnesota in the NU Coliseum at 2 p.m. on Sunday will be contested as scheduled.

TEMPE -- Anthony Robles and Chris Drouin each captured their first collegiate titles, winning five and six individual bouts on the day, respectively, to pace the Arizona State University wrestling team to a sixth-place finish at the 2008 Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev., Thursday. The Sun Devils scored 63 points and were 16 points out of a place in the Top 5. The tournament titles for both Robles and Drouin marked the first crowns captured in Reno by a Sun Devil individual since two All-Americans were victorious in 2003. That year, Reno-native Ryan Bader won the crown at 197 before Cain Velasquez took home the heavyweight title. No. 13 Oklahoma State won the team titles with 146.5 points and was followed by No. 17 Edinboro (132.5), North Carolina (94), CS Bakersfield (87) and Navy (79). CSUB was the lone Pac-10 team to finish ahead of the Sun Devils with conference rivals Oregon State (59.5), UC Davis (58.5) and CS Fullerton (57) placing eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively. The sixth-place showing for ASU gives the program its eighth Top 6 finish in 10 years in Reno. Robles, who was the tournament's top seed at 125 pounds, was dominant on the day as he won his first four bouts in impressive fashion before topping third-seeded Obenson Blanc (Oklahoma State), 9-2, in the final. Leading up to the final bout, Robles won a fall at 2:13 in the opening round over Andre Gonzalez (CS Fullerton) and a major decision of 17-5 over Jake Gonzales (Oregon State) before adding technical fall victories over Richard Alarcon (Citadel) and Kyle Fluke (Edinboro) in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Following his final victory, Robles was selected as the Outstanding Wrestler of the entire tournament. Not to be outdone, Drouin marched his way through the bracket to win his first collegiate crown, winning six bouts at the top-seed at 141 pounds. Drouin made quick work of his time to the quarterfinals as he pinned Jacub Bassett (Western Wyoming) in 1:28 in the opener and followed a medical forfeit victory in the second round with a 17-0 technical fall over Derek Royster (Citadel) in the third round. In the quarterfinals, he scored a 5-2 decision over Andrew Stella (Buffalo) before earning a 6-2 decision in the semifinals over Adin Duenas (CS Fullerton). The final was his toughest task of the day as he found himself scoring a takedown late the bout to force overtime where he scored a takedown over third-seeded Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) to win in sudden victory, 7-5. At 197 pounds, Nick Williams put together a strong run as he rebounded from a lost by pin fall in the first round to win four bouts in a row in the consolation rounds and advance to the consolation quarterfinals. In that bout, he fell, 7-4, to third-seeded and 19th-ranked Pat Bradshaw (Edinboro), bringing his tournament to an end with a 4-2 record. Had the tournament placed through eight (instead of only six), Williams would have placed as well. In all, 12 Sun Devils competed in the tournament with 11 of those wrestlers winning at least one bout on the day. ASU will return to the mats on December 29-30 as it will compete in the Midlands Championships inside Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Ill.

RENO, NV -- The Edinboro wrestling team crowned three champions and had eight wrestlers place at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Thursday. Gregor Gillespie, ranked number one at 157 lbs,. remained undefeated with an 18-0 record as he won the title. Jarrod King was dominant at 165 lbs. to imprive to 16-1 on the season, and Chris Honeycutt came away with the title at 184 lbs. Ricky Deubel finished second at 133 lbs., with Kyle Fluke capturing third at 125 lbs., Pat Bradshaw fourth at 197 lbs., and Joel Webster and Torsten Gillespie placed sixth at 141 and 149 lbs., respectively.

RENO, Nev. -- The 13th-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team won the Reno Tournament of Champions team title Thursday with 146.5 points, edging out No. 17 Edinboro, who placed second with 132.5 points. One of five Cowboy wrestlers to advance to the championship match in his respective weight class, heavyweight Jared Rosholt was OSU's lone individual champion at the event. Rosholt, the nation's top-ranked heavyweight since the season started, manhandled the competition in what was considered to be the deepest and most talented weight class at the Reno Tournament, as he beat No. 7 Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield by a 13-5 major decision in the semifinals to set up a 5-4 decision over No. 15 Konrad Dudziak of Duke in the title bout. With his four wins Thursday, Rosholt ran his season record to 17-0, including three wins over ranked opponents. Similar to Rosholt, 197-pounder Clayton Foster entered the Reno Tournament undefeated, but suffered a shoulder injury in his second-round loss at the hands of Cal State Bakersfield's Brandon Halsey and was forced to medical forfeit his next bout. OSU 174-pounder Kevin Wainscott also injured his shoulder in competition and was forced to medical forfeit out of the tournament. The extent of the injuries to both wrestlers is unclear at this time and won't be known until the team returns to Stillwater. All tolled, OSU placed five wrestlers in the championship bouts of their respective weight classes, with Rosholt winning, 125-pounder Obenson Blanc losing in the finals to No. 8 Anthony Robles of Arizona State, 141-pounder Jamal Parks losing in the title bout to No. 5 Chris Drouin of Arizona State, 157-pounder Neil Erisman losing the championship to No. 1 Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro and 165-pounder Brandon Mason stumbling in the finals to No. 6 Jarrod King of Edinboro. Cowboy 133-pounder Chris Notte took third place in his weight class by beating North Carolina's Mark Rappo by a 9-5 decision in the consolation finals. OSU 149-pounder Luke Silver placed fifth in his bracket, with 184-pounders Jared Shelton (third) and Chris McNeil (fifth) both placing in their respective weight class. Oklahoma State breaks from competition for the holidays, then returns to action on New Years Day, when it faces No. 7 Minnesota in Minneapolis.

"What have I gotten myself into now?" That's the opening sentence of Wrestling Spoken Here, a novel about that tells the story of Robbie Renfro, a high school sophomore who is experiencing his first season as a wrestler and grappling with all sorts of challenges on and off the mat. This 312-page book, intended for junior and senior high readers but appropriate for all ages, is available from Lulu Publishing. The author's illustrious mat background Author Milt Sherman is uniquely equipped to craft an engaging story about a high school wrestler new to the sport -- as a former wrestler, coach, and instructor. Milt Sherman wrestled at Yorktown High School in Virginia before moving on to wrestle at East Carolina UniversitySherman wrestled at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia outside Washington, D.C. for legendary coach Chuck Harris, a member of the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee which governs high school wrestling. (Among Yorktown's more famous alums: CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, and the late Paul Wellstone, former Minnesota senator and ACC champion wrestler at the University of North Carolina.) Milt Sherman continued his mat career at East Carolina University. Coached by another legend, John Welborn, Sherman was a four-year starter, compiling a 101-13 record for an 88% winning percentage. Among his college highlights: defeating NCAA champs Mike Frick of Lehigh and Clarion's Gary Barton, and winning the 142-pound title at the 1973 Southern Conference championships (despite receiving a concussion after being elbowed in the temple). After college, Milt Sherman was a teacher and wrestling coach at D.H. Conley High School in Greenville, North Carolina for nearly 30 years, where his teams tallied 470 wins. He coached a state championship team, and three state runner-up teams. One of his wrestlers, James Johnson, later won three Open Division National Championships in Greco, and placed fifth at the 1994 World Championships. Coach becomes a writer While at Conley, Milt Sherman launched his writing career. During the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he met Nicholas "Micky" Hirschl, who, prior to World War II, was European Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and had won bronze medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman competition at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics… but was forced to flee Nazi oppression in Europe because he was Jewish. Milt ShermanIn 1985, Sherman shared Hirschl's inspiring story with readers of Wrestling USA magazine. "I had never interviewed anyone, I had never written an article," discloses Sherman. "I thought I'd give it a shot." "A few years later, I wrote an article for Coach magazine," Sherman continues. "The magazine covered all sports, but usually didn't cover wrestling. I thought they should provide articles on wrestling, so I submitted a technique article. It came back all marked up in red, the most red marks I'd ever seen on a page. But they were constructive comments. I made revisions to that draft, resubmitted it, and that first article was published. It was the first of about a dozen technique articles." In the past two decades, Milt Sherman has published approximately two dozen articles, ranging from instructional features, to historical articles, to humorous pieces such as "Wrestling Is Better Than Basketball," for Coach, Amateur Wrestling News, W.I.N. Magazine, and Wrestling USA. Taking a shot at writing a novel "I was a high school teacher and coach for 29 years," says Milt Sherman. "I would walk into high school and public libraries all over, and would look for wrestling books, and usually found nothing. Not even technique books, let alone novels about wrestling." "I'm a wrestling guy, so I wanted to write a novel that drove people TO the sport, not away from it." Sherman explains: "Some wrestling novels emphasize negatives, like unhealthy weight-loss techniques, or feature characters who, when confronted with a challenge, quit the sport. That doesn't seem true to the sport and those who participate in it." "In writing (Wrestling Spoken Here), it was, 'let me take a shot.'" "Realize that I'm a wrestling coach who's done some writing, not a writer who's wrestled, like John Irving," says Sherman, referring to the author of bestsellers such as The World According to Garp, who won an Oscar for the screenplay adaptation of his novel The Cider-House Rules. "There were two things I had to overcome in making the transition from writing articles, to writing a novel. First, dialogue. In an article explaining wrestling technique, you don't have individuals talking. It was a challenge to write conversations that were realistic. The second issue was, the size of the job. Writing an article is like writing a chapter, in terms of the length, and the effort it takes." "I was about halfway through the writing process before I had firmed up the book's outline," according to Sherman. "The writing process became easier as I went along. It was like practice. Just like in wrestling, practice helped, and I think it made the writing better." Milt Sherman makes another link between wrestling and writing: "Writing is certainly a creative outlet. When I was wrestling, I never thought of it as a creative outlet, but it is. You have to be creative on the mat, think quickly, improvise. An athlete may know exactly what he wants to do, but it doesn't always go as planned. You make it up as you go along." Meet Robbie and Matt Wrestling Spoken Here introduces readers to wrestlers and coaches at Arthur L. Canady High School, with the spotlight on Robbie Renfro, a sophomore who's just taken up wrestling at the insistence of his friend Matt Ardmore, the 140-pound starter for the Pirates. Here's how author Milt Sherman describes the two main characters of his novel: "Matt is more experienced, more outgoing. Robbie is shy, very much a regular guy. He's new to the sport, so he gets beat by teammates, in the scrimmage, in matches, but he doesn't give up." "Being involved in school activities is a positive. It helps Robbie have friends, builds his confidence, gives him a reason to get up in the morning. In fact, kids involved in an extra-curricular activity are more likely to graduate than those who don't." The book takes the reader through the wrestling season at Canady High -- at least through the conference tournament. We spend time in the practice room, on road trips in the school activity bus, in dual meets and tournaments at home and away. It strives to describe the action in the wrestling room and at actual matches in a clear, compelling way that will be believable for fans and participants in the sport, yet is easily accessible to ANY reader. Here's an excerpt describing one of Robbie's matches: Starting on top in the third period, Robbie knew he had to turn his opponent to his back to earn a win, and he worked hard to do that. With a minute left and still on top, Robbie was still down 5-3 when they went out-of-bounds. As they returned to the center Coach Moore yelled out, "Step out and drive that head!" Resolved to do that, Robbie tried his 'cross-face cradle' again on the whistle, stepped his left foot out in front for leverage, and drove his opponent's head to his knee. Locking the cradle but unable to rock his opponent to his back, Robbie heard Coach Moore yelling again, "Bump him, Robbie! Do the bump!" Robbie did just that and rolled his man to his back. As the referee began counting the seconds for a near-fall, Robbie's opponent began pulling and twisting Robbie's grip. Breaking the grip, the Welborn High School. wrestler bridged over to his stomach as the ref called out, "Two, near fall." Robbie's parents glanced up nervously at the scoreboard which now read 5-5. Robbie quickly found out that there was no quit in his opponent either, as he worked up to his knees and worked to control Robbie's hands. Robbie couldn't hold him down, and he successfully stood up, peeled the hands, and escaped. "One, escape," called the ref. Many anxious fans quickly glanced at the scoreboard as it changed to 6-5 visitors." Not for wrestlers only "I think any athlete can read the book and follow the action," says Sherman. "It's a story that centers around wrestling, but isn't just about wrestling. Top athletes love to compete. I think this book speaks to that." Wrestling Spoken Here also addresses the challenges wrestlers go up against -- making weight, dealing with wrestle-offs, how to learn from loss -- with an overall upbeat, positive tone. "By design, something amusing happens each chapter," according to Milt Sherman. "It's a structural element, leading to the season's conclusion. For young readers, you need something each chapter to reward them, to keep interest." "I think this is a fun read for boys," continues the author. "I don't think kids today read enough." Wrestling Spoken Here doesn't shy away from universal issues that go beyond wrestling. As author Milt Sherman says, "I address issues such as bullying, racism, a parent who drinks too much." However, he does it in a way that's never heavy-handed. A spirit of optimism prevails throughout the book that makes it a compelling, quick-paced read that will win over readers of every age and background. To order a copy of Wrestling Spoken Here using a credit card, go to www.Amazon.com and type Wrestling Spoken Here into the search box. To order a signed copy send $19.50 or a purchase order ($16.50 + 3.00 shipping) to the author at 128 Harrell Street, Greenville, NC 27858. For questions contact miltsherman@hotmail.com

Jamie Moffatt will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, December 18. Augsburg College's KAUG radio serves as the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live this Tuesday from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. Moffatt is the author of the book "Wrestlers at the Trials." This book is a collection of stories - told by 90 remarkable wrestlers, coaches and officials - as the world-class athletes give their all trying to make their dream come true - winning a spot on the US Olympic Wrestling team. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 – 8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Pins from Clayton Foster at 197 pounds and Jared Rosholt at 285 pounds, plus technical fall wins from Brandon Mason at 165 pounds and Jared Shelton at 184 pounds led the 13th-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team to a 37-6 victory over Cal Poly Tuesday at Mott Gymnasium. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 6-2 on the year. The evening started with a forfeit at 125 pounds, with Cowboy Obenson Blanc garnering six points for his team on the dual scoreboard without having to wrestle. OSU 133-pounder Chris Notte scored two takedowns and added an escape and riding time to expand the Cowboy lead to 9-0 with his 6-0 win over Jake Tanenbaum. At 141 pounds, OSU redshirt freshman Jamal Parks picked up his second consecutive win over a ranked opponent when he handed No. 19 Filip Novachkov an 8-7 defeat behind the strength of four takedowns. Parks' season total of 28 takedowns leads the team. Oklahoma State was slapped with a couple of losses at 149 pounds and 157 pounds, as Mustang 149-pounder Eric Maldonado beat Quinten Fuentes by a 5-2 score just before teammate and No. 12-ranked 157-pounder Chase Pami edged Newly McSpadden, 3-1. It was all Cowboys from there, however, as 165-pounder Brandon Mason and 184-pounder Jared Shelton both claimed technical fall victories, with Mason beating Joel Shaw by a 17-0 count before the bout was stopped at the 3:37 mark and Shelton handing Ryan Smith a 16-0 stomping before the bout was stopped with 6:02 left. 197-pounder Clayton Foster pinned Bo Lukehart at the 6:10 mark and Jared Rosholt put the exclamation point on the dual by pinning Kelan Bragg just 1:38 in. Both Foster and Rosholt improved their identical records to 13-0 on the year with their wins Tuesday, and the two have 23 bonus-point wins between them. The Cowboys return to action Thursday when they compete at the Reno Tournament of Champions.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Ryan Bader, a former student-athlete on the Arizona State University wrestling team (2003-06), fought in the finale of season eight of the UFC's (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Ultimate Fighter series on Saturday inside the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., and won the light heavyweight division and a contract with the UFC. The second former Sun Devil in as many series to reach the final, Bader needed less than three minutes to win his fight and be crowned the Ultimate Fighter. 'Darth' Bader, as he is known in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), met up with Vinny Magalhaes in the finale and put his 8-0-0 professional record on the line against a multiple-time world champion in jiu-jitsu. With both fighters at home on the ground, Bader kept the fight on its feet to start and that strategy paid off for the Reno-native as Bader landed a strong right hand to the side of Magalhaes' head, dropping his foe to the mat. Once there, Bader moved in for several more punches before the referee stepped in at the 2:18 mark and giving Bader the TKO victory. Bader, who was a two-time All-American and three-time Pac-10 Champion for the Sun Devil wrestling program between 2002 and 2006, followed former teammate C.B. Dollaway (known as the Doberman) as fighters on the Ultimate Fighter series while becoming the first to win the show. Dollaway lost in the final of season seven. The victory for Bader was not the only win for the State of Arizona at the Ultimate Finale. In the lightweight finale, Yuma, Ariz., native and former Pima College All-American wrestler Efrain Escudero won a contract of his own with the UFC as he scored a unanimous decision victory over Phillipe Nover. One other fighter with Arizona ties also fought Saturday as former Sun Devil football player Kyle Kingsbury lost a unanimous decision to Tom Lawlor. The Ultimate Finale on Saturday also started a string of three shows in a row with former Sun Devils fighting on the card. Next up for former ASU student-athletes will be Dollaway's (8-2-0) return to the octagon on December 27 where he will fight Mike Massenzio (11-2-0) at UFC 92 - The Ultimate 2008 inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Then, on January 17, UFC 93 - Franklin vs. Henderson will take place inside the O2-Dublin Arena in Dublin, Ireland, with former Sun Devil ‘Dangerous' Dan Henderson (22-7-0) taking on Rich ‘Ace' Franklin (25-3-0) in the headline fight of the card.

Corey Morrison, a junior on the sixth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team, was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday. It is the first weekly laurel of Morrison's career. Morrison, the 14th-ranked heavyweight, scored the match-deciding win against No. 8 Joey Fendone, 5-3, to lift the Buckeyes to a 19-12 victory at No. 17 Edinboro Sunday. Ohio State entered the final bout with a slim 16-12 lead before Morrison's win. Not only did the victory by the Shaker Heights, Ohio, native help propel the Buckeyes to their third dual win of the season, but he also handed Fendone his first loss of 2008-09. Fendone entered the match vs. Morrison, 14-0. The five points – two takedowns and an escape – scored by Morrison also were the most points scored on the Fighting Scot this season. Morrison earned the Big Ten honor a day after teammate Colt Sponseller was named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week. TheMat.com is the official web site of USA Wrestling. This is the second Big Ten weekly honor for the Buckeyes this season. Junior Reece Humphrey was named wrestler of the week Nov. 4.

Sooner sophomore Nathan Fernandez was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Monday. Fernandez recorded a three-match sweep at the California tournament, pinning two of three opponents, including No. 4-ranked Mitch Monteiro of Cal-Bakersfield early in the second period (3:19). The Lawton, Oklahoma, native also recorded a fall versus Kelan Bragg (6:55) of Cal Poly and won by a 14-6 major decision over Kurt Klimek of Cal-Fullerton. "I am really proud of Nathan because he works so hard and always comes to wrestle," head coach Jack Spates said. "He was a key factor for us in defeating Oklahoma State and played a key role for us this past weekend in California. Nathan always gives himself a chance to win." After his successful weekend, the Lawton, Okla., native now owns an 11-4 overall record this season and a 6-1 dual tally. The No. 12th-ranked Sooners bested Cal Poly (35-7), Cal-Bakersfield (26-12) and Cal-Fullerton (29-7) to improve to 7-0. Fernandez and the undefeated Sooners are off to their best start since 1985, when Stan Abel's squad began 10-0. The Sooners are also 1-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since 1993. The team will break for the holidays until returning to action on Jan. 3, at the Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas.

Mike PoetaMike Poeta is one of the greatest wrestlers ever to compete at the University of Illinois. The two-time All-American is 88-13 in his career, a winning percentage of .871, which ranks third all-time at Illinois. He was NCAA runner-up last season at 157 pounds. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with Poeta and asked him about his injury and when he expects to return to competition, what his NCAA finals loss to Jordan Leen did to him, what makes Jimmy Kennedy so tough, what wrestlers he enjoys watching and learning from, whether he plans to continue wrestling freestyle after his college wrestling career, and much more. You have not competed yet this season due to injury. Describe your injury. Poeta: I've just had some problems with my knee over the summer and it continued on into the season, so it has taken a lot longer to recover than we anticipated. I've been practicing for about two weeks now with no limitation or restrictions … and I feel that I'm better now than I was before I got hurt. It was great for me mentally. I don't think I lost a step or lost a beat. I feel like I'm already starting to wrestle really well. So will you be back for the Midlands at the end of the month? Poeta: Most likely not. Do you have an expected return date? Poeta: The plan for a long time now has been January 9 against West Virginia. That's been the plan the whole time. But I think it's coming along a lot faster than everyone thought. But I think that's still the plan. You wrestled Jordan Leen in the NCAA finals, a wrestler you had never faced. Leen came through the bracket as the No. 8 seed. Being that you were one of the favorites to win the weight class, I imagine there some wrestlers you expected you might face in the finals. How surprised were you to see Leen in the NCAA finals? Mike Poeta (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Poeta: I have always known he's tough. He wrestled my old roommate, Joe Gomez, in the Senior National finals, and actually beat him pretty good … when Joe was one of the best at the time. Jordan Leen is a guy everyone has always known in the wrestling world. I knew he was tough. It's not like I took the match any lighter than if I was wrestling someone like Gregor Gillespie. I knew he was tough and I don't think I approached it any differently. I'm going to go back to a specific moment in that NCAA finals match. End of the second period, about 30 seconds left in the period, you get called for fleeing the mat at about the same you're close to securing a takedown on the edge of the mat. What are your thoughts on the call the referee made? Poeta: The thing is … when you're wrestling and the guy is in on a shot, the point is to counter. When a guy is on a sweep single, to counter the shot and get out of it, you're trying to kick. People who have seen me wrestle know that I don't stall. I'm always trying to score. In that situation, I turned and kicked, turned and kicked. He was still on my leg. I turned back, grabbed his hand, picked him up, and then ended up in on a shot of my own, which was about as clear cut of a takedown as can be. If they're giving Johny Hendricks those takedowns on Ryan Churella a few years back, then mine should have been more than a takedown. The thing is … you can't let the ref decide it. You have to pretend the ref is not there. I shouldn't have let it be that close. But it was a bad call. That's just the way it was. But I shouldn't let one call decide the national finals for me. What did that loss to Leen in the NCAA finals do to you? Poeta: It was tough. The following couple days, couple weeks were really tough. All wrestlers put so much into this sport … and to be so close to your dream and not get it, it was very tough. Just like with any loss, it's really motivating. I have a quote in my locker about it. It has just been motivating. The 157-pound weight class is widely considered to be the strongest of any weight class this season. Four of the top five from last season return, plus some All-Americans from 149 have moved up. What are your thoughts on the overall strength of the weight class this season? Poeta: There are five or six really tough kids, like you said, but you don't have to wrestle them all. At the national tournament, you're probably only going to wrestle two of them. It is tough. There are a lot of tough kids, but who cares … you have to beat everyone who is in front of you. If you were in charge of doing rankings, where would you be ranked right now at 157? Poeta: If I was wrestling, No. 1. I've been sitting out, so I probably wouldn't even put me in there until I wrestle. Although you were unable to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic due to injury, you accompanied your teammate, Jimmy Kennedy, to the event. You did that on your own expense and on your own time. Why was it important for you to be there with Jimmy? Poeta: The wrestling team, and I'm sure it's like this at every school, it's a brotherhood. We're all brothers. We love each other. Our team was wrestling in Missouri, so he was traveling alone. I just wanted to go keep him company and make it a better time for him … and be a workout partner for him if he needed to do anything to make weight or get ready for his match. In a battle of returning All-Americans, Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois defeated Jayson Ness of Minnesota at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic at 133 pounds (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Jimmy Kennedy seems to be wrestling better than he ever has in his career. He is currently 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country at 133. He has a victory over Jayson Ness and recently won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitional. What are your thoughts on the way he's wrestling right now? Poeta: Jimmy Kennedy is an animal. There's no other way to put it. Not only is he probably the best wrestler at 133, but add on top of it, he's the most mentally tough kid I've been around since I started wrestling. Other 133-pounders better watch out. This kid is all business. I saw you in the Faces of the Big Ten commercial. You said that you pick up as much wrestling knowledge as you can from watching successful wrestlers. Who are some of those wrestlers that you enjoy watching and learning from? Poeta: I love watching (Bouvaisa) Saitiev. Everyone watches Saitiev. But you can't do any of the stuff he does. That's the problem with watching him. I love watching him, but the stuff he does is so unique. He has such a good feel for wrestling. I really can't do any of the stuff he does. I really love watching Stephen Abas and Bryan Snyder. I think Bryan Snyder the most just because I think he wrestles a lot like the way I wrestle. The stuff he does really works for me. Illinois is 5-0 this season. You were missing several starters at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational when you placed 13th. I think a lot of people are wondering where Illinois fits into the national picture. You have a mix of young, talented wrestlers in your lineup, plus some veteran leadership. How good can this Illinois team be? Poeta: I think we're a team that can be right up there in the top and be in the hunt. And then we're also a team that could drop back and be nowhere near the top. I think it depends on a lot of individuals. We have guys that can do very, very well. And at the same time, it's night and day. Those same guys might not perform up to their abilities. So honestly it's up in the air. I get more nervous for other guys on my team, especially a guy like Roger Smith-Bergsrud. He's a guy that I wrestle with daily. It's amazing to me how good this kid is … and then he doesn't always show it. If the kid that I wrestle with every day comes out, just like Jimmy Kennedy, he's going to be a scary kid for other wrestlers in his weight class. Mike Poeta is hoping FILA changes the weight classes (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)You have been successful in freestyle in your age group throughout your career. Do you plan to continue competing in freestyle after your college wrestling career? Poeta: I'm just going to wrestle until I die. I just couldn't imagine doing anything else. I'm going to go until my body tells me to stop. With my knee, I sat out for about four months. This was probably the hardest four months of my life. It's tough being away from it. What weight class? Poeta: I'm kind of hoping they switch them around a little bit. I'm one of those guys that is stuck right in the middle. 163 is big for me. When I'm wrestling every day, I'm in the 150s after every practice without really watching what I eat. And 145, that's unmakable. I wouldn't be able to do that. That's too little. So I'm right in between. If there was a low 150s weight class, that would be perfect for me. I'm hoping they switch them around. Otherwise, I'm going to have to sit down and make a decision on the plan going forward.

America's Wrestling Radio Show (TDR) returns to our home based Brute Adidas studios at KXNO for this loaded program. Steve Foster and possibly Jeff Murphy will man the guns as I will be covering a network event in South Florida. I know, rough duty considering the weather here. I promise to come back for a series of shows that will include a special video broadcast of a visit to Sean Bormet's Overtime School of Wrestling, the Midlands and the NWCA National Duals. Joining Steve, Jeff, Randy and crew will be: Ken Kraft- Founder of the Midlands Wrestling Championships. The 46th Annual Midlands will take place at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Dec 29th and 30th. This years field of competitors include 7 Big 10 programs and 2 Big 12 teams with a possible showdown between long time rivals Iowa and Iowa State. Visit the Nusports.com for additional information. Scott Hinkel- Head Coach of Purdue- A name synonymous with Purdue wrestling, Scott Hinkel became the Boilermakers' 13th Head Coach in school history in 2007, after 14 years as a Purdue assistant. Hinkel wasted no time in ushering success back into the Purdue program, becoming the third coach in school history to post a winning dual record in his first season along with Don Corrigan and Fred Miller. Jack Spates- Head Coach of the Sooners of Oklahoma. Fresh off a great west coast tour Spates and company find themselves undefeated (7-0) for the first time in years and still enjoying the second defeat in 2 years over the Cowboys of OSU. Andrew Pariano- Asst. Head Coach of Northwestern University. This young man has plenty on his plate, challenging for a Big 10 Conference Title, getting the facility and the team ready for the Midlands at home a National Duals position. Plenty to do, enough time? We'll find out. Chris Bono- Head Coach U of Tennessee at Chat. The Mocs are currently 4-5 on the season and 1-0 in Southern Conference action. Facing a demanding non-conference schedule, with three of their five losses coming against ranked opponents. Mocs have notched wins over Davidson, Newberry, Northern Illinois and Anderson, UTC has tough defeats against No. 25 Kent State, No. 11 Northwestern, No. 6 Nebraska and West Virginia. The only other loss was a 25-16 set back against E. Michigan. Wednesday night action- The Mocs are 5-2 all time against NAIA Cumberland, including a 42-3 win in Maclellan Gym on Nov. 10, 2007. UTC's last loss in the series was a 21-17 defeat on Feb. 11, 2002. Chattanooga is 4-0 all time against Gardner Webb, including a 46-6 win on Jan. 21, 2007, in their last meeting. UTC faces No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 5 Missouri and West Virginia before completing SoCon action. The match with the Sooners takes place in Maclellan Gym on Jan. 11 at 1:00 p.m. Joel Greenlee- Ohio University now in his 12th year as the head coach of the Bobcats. Ohio's Jacob Ison (Batavia, Ohio) is ranked 20th in the latest poll released by Intermat Wrestling. Ison is 8-1 on the season at 174 pounds. The Bobcats notched wins over Appalachian State and the Citadel, split at the Hossier Dual and Greenlee looks to improve that record with his young team. Listeners and viewers check out our new feature on Takedownradio.com, TDR TV. Great interviews and more to come. Recent postings include Lehigh and Pittsburg. We'll be filming a ton of video at the National Duals as well as providing the play by play from at least 3 mats. Tune in to Livesportsvideo.com for all the action of this years NWCA National Duals. Thanks for the tremendous listenership over the past 11 years. Happy Holidays to one and all!

The University of Minnesota wrestling program inked the top recruiting class in the country last season, and early indications are that J Robinson's 2009 class is no slouch either. This week, W.I.N. Magazine named Robinson's 2009 group of early signees tops in the Big Ten Conference. The magazine's Dec. 8 issue pegs the Minnesota class sixth-best nationally, ahead of Big Ten foes Wisconsin (7th), Iowa (8th), Michigan (11th), Ohio State (13th), and Indiana (17th) in the annual top-25 listing. Once again there is a strong local flavor in the Gophers' recruiting class, with five of the seven student-athletes signed on National Signing Day hailing from the state of Minnesota. The class includes Jake Kettler (Ramsey, Minn.), Alec Ortiz (Newberg Ore.), Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa), Pat Smith (Chaska, Minn.), Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.), David Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) and Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.). "Having five Minnesota High School wrestlers sign with us during the fall period is a tribute to the great programs for youth wrestling that exist here in Minnesota," Robinson said. "There is exceptional quality in this state and we are very excited about this incoming class. They have proven themselves on the national level and we expect big things from this group at the collegiate level." The Golden Gophers are on the road this weekend for a dual with No. 4 Nebraska on Sunday at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln. Minnesota hosts Big XII powerhouse Oklahoma State to open its home dual season in a 2:00 p.m. New Year's Day clash at the University Sports Pavilion. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612.624.8080.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Iowa senior 165-pounder Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa/Anamosa HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Fay, the nation's No. 2-ranked 165-pounder, improved to 6-0 on the season with a 3-2 win over No. 4-ranked Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) in the Panthers dual with the Hawkeyes. Fay notched an escape and then a takedown with only five seconds left in the second period to take a 3-2 lead. Fay kept Morningstar at bay in the third period and was able to fend off several shots at the end of the match to secure the victory. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: North Dakota State - Trent Sprenkle, 125 lbs., Fr., Billings, Mont. (Billings HS) Northern Colorado - Tony Mustari, 125 lbs., Jr., Greeley, Colo. (Central HS) Utah Valley - Adam Fager, 197 lbs., Fr., Layton, Utah (Layton HS)

Brad Traviolia will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Tuesday, December 16. Augsburg College's KAUG radio serves as the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live this Tuesday from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. A member of the NCAA Wrestling Committee since 2006, Traviolia was elected Chair of the committee in 2007. He has led the committee's efforts to develop a strategic plan for the sport of wrestling, including the creation of a new qualifying system that will be in effect for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Traviolia was a Big Ten Champion and All-American in wrestling for the Northwestern and went on to serve as an assistant wrestling coach there from 1992-96. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 – 8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Central Michigan posted its third consecutive victory over Michigan Sunday afternoon, winning six of 10 individual bouts in a 19-12 nonconference wrestling victory in Ann Arbor. The 16th-ranked Chippewas (4-1) have claimed victories in their last two trips to Michigan. CMU won in Ann Arbor, 21-12, in 2006 and defeated the Wolverines, 21-13, last season in Mount Pleasant. "Any time you can go there and beat them in their gym is a good win," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "This was a good learning experience for our guys to be in a hostile environment and be in a match that was close all the way through. This match was never not in doubt, so it was a good learning experience for these guys to be in a pressure situation." True freshman Scotti Sentes opened the dual with the biggest win of his young career, shutting out 11th-ranked Mike Watts, 12-0, at 125 pounds. Sentes, now 6-1 overall this season, led 4-0 entering the third period. In the final 35 seconds of the third period, Sentes scored a takedown, three-point nearfall and two-point nearfall to put the match out of reach. Conor Beebe followed with a 9-6 decision at 133 pounds. Beebe scored three takedowns, one in each period, against the Wolverines' Zac Stevens. Stevens escaped early in the third period to pull within 6-5, but Beebe's third takedown 30 seconds later extended his lead to 8-5. He tacked on the riding time point for the final margin. Michigan's Kellen Russell, ranked fourth nationally at 141 pounds, scored a pair of first-period takedowns en route to a 7-3 decision over Eric Kruger. Steve Brown made it three wins in the first four bouts for CMU with a 6-1 decision at 149 pounds. Brown led 2-0 after the first period, then added an escape and a takedown in the second period. Aaron Hynes picked up Michigan's second victory, a 6-4 decision over Eric Cubberly at 157 pounds. CMU's Trevor Stewart, however, extended the Chippewas' lead to 13-6 with a 6-1 decision at 165 pounds. Stewart recorded takedowns in both of the first two periods against UM's Justin Zeerip. The Wolverines posted decisions at 174 and 184 pounds to pull within 13-12. Steve Luke, the No. 1-ranked 174-pounder in the country, defeated No. 10-ranked Mike Miller, 10-4, and Anthony Biondo, ranked 12th nationally at 184, recorded a 7-3 decision over CMU's Vince DiDona. Eric Simaz earned perhaps the most important victory of the day for CMU at 197 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Simaz tallied a takedown and two-point nearfall in the final five seconds of the second period to build a 4-1 lead. He added an escape and a takedown in the third period, giving CMU a 16-12 lead in the team score entering the final bout. At heavyweight, Jarod Trice scored an escape and a takedown in the second period on his way to a 3-2 decision over Michigan's Eddie Phillips. CMU has now won 11 of its last 12 duals dating back to last season. CMU is off next week and returns to action at Midlands Dec. 29-30.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The Augsburg College wrestling team claimed two individual champions and eight placewinners in competition at the St. Cloud State University Husky Open on Saturday at Halenbeck Fieldhouse. Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.), the top-ranked wrestler in the latest Division III national rankings, and Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 9 nationally at 157, both claimed titles for the Auggies, while Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) and Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) placed second at 125 and heavyweight, respectively. Lang continued his dominant start to the season with five victories -- four coming on first-period pins and one by a 16-0, second-period technical fall -- to improve to 14-0 on the season. Of his 14 wins, 13 are bonus-point triumphs (10 pins, one major decision, two technical falls). Lang scored a 43-second pin of St. Cloud State's Josh Williams in the 133-pound championship match. Adams won all five of his matches, including one by pin and another by major decision, to improve to 13-2 on the year in capturing the 157-pound title. Adams scored a 6-0 win over St. Cloud State's John Sundgren, ranked No. 3 in the Division II national rankings, in the semifinals, then scored a 9-7 win over Matt Baarson of St. John's in the finals. Flodeen, the defending Division III national champion and current No. 1-ranked wrestler at 125, claimed three victories, including a second-period pin and a 10-1, major-decision triumph, to reach the finals, but fell 10-5 to Wisconsin-Parkside's Cody Zimmerman, the No. 6-ranked wrestler nationally in Division II at 125, in the title match. Witzel, ranked No. 3 nationally at heavyweight, reached the finals with three victories, including two by pin, but fell 6-2 in the finals to Brady Wilson of Minnesota State Mankato, the No. 3-ranked heavyweight in Division II. Witzel is now 12-1 on the season. Lucas Murray (SO, Anoka, Minn.), ranked No. 6 nationally at 141, placed third in his weight class with a 5-1 individual effort, with teammate Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West ) placing fourth. Brett Landrum (SO, Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) placed fourth at 165, while Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.) placed fifth at 174. Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) competed at the Wartburg (Iowa) Dick Walker Invitational on Saturday. Augsburg placed sixth with 52.5 points and had four placewinners -- Trenton Larrieu (FY, Spring Valley, Wis.) placed second at 174, Jake Saatzer (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) placed fourth at 149, Josh Kohler (FY, Monticello, Minn.) placed fifth at 174, and Beau Hansen (SO, Albert Lea, Minn.) placed sixth at 157. Augsburg, now ranked No. 7 nationally in Division III, will host the Sunshine Open on Dec. 28-29 in Oviedo, Fla.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the nation, crushed visiting West Virginia 27-10 today in a non-conference wrestling dual. The Mountaineers were previously undefeated and receiving votes in the national poll, but Penn State won seven of ten bouts, including the first six, and routed visitors. With a line-up featuring five freshmen (and without two regular starters), Penn State still rolled to the lopsided win. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) got things started with a forfeit at 125 and the Lions rolled to six straight wins to lead 23-0 before WVU got on the scoreboard. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) posted a win at 133, freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) notched a close 11-10 win at 141 and All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got majors at 149 and 157. Red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165 and got a thrilling 5-2 win for Penn State's sixth straight victory to open the dual. West Virginia got on the board at 174 where No. 14 Kurt Brenner posted a hard-fought 3-2 win over Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who was ranked No. 18. West Virginia added a win at 184 over debuting junior Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) before Nittany Lion red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) got his first PSU dual meet win at 197, a convincing 12-3 major. West Virginia heavyweight Dustin Rogers, ranked No. 18, closed out the dual with a win over PSU freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio). Penn State won the takedown battle 22-12 and notched a 6-1 edge in bonus points. Three of the five Penn State freshmen who started won their bouts as well (Molinaro, Bollinger and Steadman). Penn State returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 4, when it hosts a double-dual in Rec Hall. Intra-state rivals Lehigh and Lock Haven visit Happy Valley with Penn State facing Lehigh at 1 p.m. and battling Lock Haven at 3 p.m. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. #15 Penn State 27, West Virginia 10 Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa. 125: Brad Pataky PSU win by forfeit 6-0 133: Tim Haas PSU dec. Tyler Oravec WVU, 10-4 9-0 141: Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Colin Johnston WVU, 11-10 12-0 149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU maj. dec. Mark Tsinkerdanos WVU, 20-9 16-0 157: #9 Dan Vallimont PSU maj. dec. Ryan Goodman WVU, 10-2 20-0 165: Micah Bollinger PSU dec. Christian Mory WVU, 5-2 23-0 174: #14 Kurt Brenner WVU dec. #18 Quentin Wright PSU, 3-2 23-3 184: Lance Bryson WVU maj. dec. Matt Dodds PSU, 12-4 23-7 197: Clay Steadman PSU maj. dec. Brandon Boyer WVU, 12-3 27-7 HWT: #18 Dustin Rogers WVU dec. Cameron Wade PSU, 6-3 27-10 Final Score: #15 Penn State 27, West Virginia 10 Attendance: 2,042 Records: Penn State 4-2, West Virginia 2-1 Up next: Penn State hosts Lehigh and Lock Haven in a double-dual on Jan. 4, 2009. Action begins at 1 p.m. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) started the match off in fine fashion for Penn State, receiving a forfeit at 125 as West Virginia did not weigh in a 125-pounder. Pataky then faced WVU 133-pounder Grant Lowther in an exhibition match. The Lion sophomore posted an 11-3 major despite giving up eight pounds. Pataky gets credit only for the forfeit victory and not the exhibition. 133: Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) started at 133 for Penn State and took on WVU's Tyler Oravec. Oravec got the bout's first takedown to lead 2-1 :30 into the bout. But Haas answered with his own takedown at the 1:04 mark to take a 3-2 lead. Haas then rode the Mountaineer grappler for the rest of the first period and led 3-2 (with 1:01 in riding time) heading into the second stanza. Haas chose down to start the second period and escaped at the 1:34 mark to up his lead to 4-2. Haas and Oravec then battled evenly for the remainder of the second period. Down by two, Oravec chose down to start the final period but could not break free of Haas' control until nearly a minute had passed. Haas still led 4-3 with 1:34 in riding time. Haas kept Oravec at a distance long enough to secure the riding time bonus point and then stunned Oravec with a five point move, tossing Oravec to the mat and getting a three-point near fall as well. Haas took the bonus point and posted a strong 10-4 win, giving Penn State a 9-0 lead. 141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), riding a seven match win streak, battled Mountaineer Colin Johnston at 141. Molinaro was the aggressor from the starting buzzer, forcing Johnston back on his heels and towards the edge of the mat. Molinaro notched his first takedown at the 1:26 mark, taking a 2-0 lead. The talented freshman then turned Johnston to his back for three back points and a 5-0 lead. Molinaro then rode Johnston out and held that five point lead heading into the second stanza. Johnston chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 5-1 deficit :20 into the bout. He then took Molinaro down to the Penn Staters lead to 5-3. Molinaro, looking to hold on to his riding time edge, escaped at the 1:05 mark, led 6-3 and still had 1:23 in riding time. With :30 left in the second period, Molinaro gained control of Johnston's right ankle but could not finish the takedown as action moved outside the circle. Johnston added a last second takedown right off a reset with just :01 left to cut Molinaro's lead to 6-5 heading into the final period. Molinaro chose down to start the third period, quickly escaped only to get taken down immediately by Johnston and with 1:40 left, the bout was tied 7-7. Molinaro escaped to lead 8-7 and then turned in on Johnston at the 1:03 mark and took the Mountaineer grappler to the mat, taking a 10-7 lead with just over 1:00 left. Molinaro got hit for a second stall warning on top and Johnston quickly reversed Molinaro and tied the bout at 10-10. A Molinaro escape on the edge of the mat gave the Nittany Lion an 11-10 lead with :38 left (riding time was no longer an issue). Molinaro held off Johnston's efforts in the final seconds and posted an 11-10 decision. The win put Penn State up 12-0. 149: No. 2 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), returning national runner-up at 149, put his undefeated 10-0 record on the line against West Virginia's Mark Tsinkerdanos. Jenkins was sharp from the start, getting a quick takedown to lead 2-0 at the 2:04 mark. The Penn State All-American cut Tsinkerdanos loose and then quickly added a second takedown to lead 4-1 at the opening period's midway point. A Tsinkerdanos escape cut Jenkins' lead to 4-2, but the Lion co-captain added a third takedown and led 6-3 at the ;30 mark. Jenkins worked for a fourth takedown but Tsinkerdanos kept his distance and the Nittany Lion led 6-3 after one period. Jenkins chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. Tsinkerdanos nearly completed a cradle, gaining control of Jenkins and getting the takedown at the 1:30 mark, cutting Jenkins' lead to 8-5 after a Jenkins escape. Jenkins used a cement mixer, turned Tsinkerdanos to his back for a five point move (getting the takedown and three near-fall points) and led 13-5 with over a minute in riding time after two periods. Tsinkerdanos chose down to start the third period. Jenkins held the Mountaineer down for nearly a minute and then cut him loose. A quick Jenkins takedown and cut gave Jenkins a 15-7 lead with :45 left. Jenkins added another takedown, cut Tsinkerdanos loose and led 17-8 with under :30 left. A seventh takedown as the bout ended gave Jenkins a convincing 20-9 major decision. Penn State led 16-0 after four bouts. 157: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 157, took on Ryan Goodman of West Virginia. Vallimont got his first takedown at the1:56 mark and then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Goodman for 1:33 before the Mountaineer escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Leading 2-1, Vallimont chose down to start the second period. A near reversal almost gave Vallimont two points, but action moved outside the circle and the Nittany Lion led 3-1 after the escape. A solid under hook led to another takedown and this time, Vallimont nearly turned Goodman to his back for back points. But Goodman managed to keep his shoulders parallel and Vallimont led only 5-1 with :30 left. A strong Vallimont ride-out gave the Nittany Lion junior a 5-1 lead (with over 2:00 in riding time) after two periods. Goodman chose neutral to start the third period. Vallimont stepped out of an early Goodman shot to maintain his lead, securing the riding time point in the process as action moved outside the circle with 1:10 left. Vallimont then moved towards a major decision with a takedown at the 1:0 mark. Vallimont cut Goodman loose and led 7-2 with :42 left. Needing one more takedown for bonus points, Vallimont used another under hook to get the decisive takedown at the :10 mark. The final move gave Vallimont a 10-2 major and put Penn State up 20-0. 165: Nittany Lion freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165 when he met WVU's Christian Mory. Bollinger was the aggressor early on, nearly getting a go-ahead takedown at the 2:00 mark. But a solid scramble on the edge of the mat moved out of bounds and a reset was called with 1:40 to wrestle. Bollinger turned the trick shortly after the reset, stepping behind Mory for the takedown and a 2-0 lead with 1:38 left in the period. The Nittany Lion freshman then put together a very strong ride, keeping control of Mory for the rest of the period to lead 2-0 heading into the second stanza. Mory chose top to start the second period, hoping to turn Bollinger for back points. After a battle, Bollinger worked his way to his feet and looked to send Mory to his back. But the Mountaineer countered the move and turned Bollinger to his back for two near-fall points, tying the bout at 2-2 with :56 left in the period. Mory then rode Bollinger out for the rest of the period, but Mory was hit with a second stall warning as the period ended and Bollinger led 3-2 heading into the final period. Bollinger chose neutral to start the final period. The Nittany Lion freshman shot low on Mory and forced a scramble in the middle of the mat with 1:00. But the Mountaineer managed to fight to a stalemate and a reset was called with :30 left. Bollinger countered a late Mory shot and got a clinching takedown at the :04 mark, getting a 5-2 win in his dual meet debut. The decision put Penn State up 23-0. 174: In one of the dual's most anticipated bouts, Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met West Virginia senior Kurt Brenner at 174. Wright entered the bout ranked No. 18 while Brenner was ranked No. 14. Wright used great balance early on to stave off an early Brenner shot and keep things scoreless midway through the first period. Brenner nearly scored on a second quick shot on the edge of the mat, but the move was ruled out of bounds and a reset ensued with 1:00 left. Wright was then called for fleeing the mat with :20 left and Brenner led 1-0. Down by one, Wright chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to tie the bout at 1-1. Neither wrestler could find an opening until Wright nearly tossed Brenner to his back with :12 left. Brenner countered the late move and nearly turned it into a takedown of his own, but Wright fought off the Mountaineer's efforts and kept the bout tied at 1-1. Brenner chose down to start the final period. But Wright put together a dominant ride, nearly turning Brenner for near fall points. A dangerous hold forced a reset with 1:12 left and Brenner then reversed Wright with :40 left to lead 3-1. A Wright escaped cut Brenner's lead to 3-2 with just :24 left and the Nittany Lion true freshman then pressured the ranked Mountaineer, looking to grab a win with a last second takedown. Brenner got called for one stall warning and then tied Wright up for the final seconds to post a hard-fought 3-2 win. The decision kept Penn State from continuing its shut-out, cutting the Lions lead to 23-3. 184: Penn State sent 174-pounder Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) to the mat to take on WVU freshman Lance Bryson at 184. Dodds was making his Penn State dual meet debut. Bryson got a quick takedown just :20 into the bout to take an early 2-1 lead after a Dodds escape. Dodds then battled Bryson evenly for the rest of the first period, keeping things close and trailing only 2-1 after the first period. Bryson chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Dodds was forced into defense during the first half of the second period and was able to keep Bryson from adding to his lead. The feisty Lion junior did give up one more takedown with :20 left in the period and trailed 5-1 heading into the final period. Dodds chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-2 deficit just :10 into the session. Bryson, however, quickly answered with another takedown and led 7-2 withy 1:20 left. Dodds escaped at the :55 mark, cutting Bryson's lead to 7-3. Another Bryson takedown put the WVU freshman up 9-3 with a half a minute left to wrestle. Bryson secured the riding time bonus point and then Dodds escaped to a 9-4 deficit. Bryson needed one more takedown for a major and got it with just :06 left. The final takedown gave Bryson a 12-4 major decision and cut Penn State's lead to 23-7. 197: Nittany Lion freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) returned to action at 197 to battle West Virginia's Brandon Boyer. Steadman, looking for his first dual meet win as a Nittany Lion, got the go-ahead takedown with :35 left to lead 2-0. A strong ride-out gave the McKean native the 2-0 lead heading into the second period. Steadman chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The fourth of five Penn State freshmen starting in the dual, Steadman added to his lead, countering a Boyer shot for his own takedown and 5-0 lead with just over 1:00 left in the period. Steadman then dominated Boyer from the top, building up a sizeable riding time edge before Boyer escaped with just :18 left. Boyer shot low on Steadman's right ankle late, but Steadman forced his weight back on Boyer's head to end the period. Trailing 5-1, Boyer chose neutral to start the final period. Boyer looked to score with a double-leg, but Steadman once again countered the threat for his own takedown and a 7-1 lead with 1:15 left. A Boyer escape cut Steadman's lead to 7-2, but the Nittany Lion had secured the riding time point. Yet another counter for Steadman allowed him to step around a late Boyer shot, gain control of his ankle and get another takedown to lead 9-2. Steadman then turned Boyer to his back for two near fall points but an illegal hold stopped the move and gave Boyer a point. But Steadman rode Boyer out and, with the riding time point, go this first PSU dual meet win with a 12-3 major decision. The victory put Penn State up 27-7. HWT: The much-anticipated heavyweight battle pitted talented Penn State freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) against West Virginia's Dustin Rogers, who entered the bout ranked No. 18. Rogers had the first real shot to score with a nice move 1:20 into the first period, but Wade managed to fight off the threat and nearly scored on his own. The talented freshmen duo battled evenly for the rest of the first period and the bout moved to the second stanza scoreless. Wade chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Looking to add to his lead, Wade began working Rogers' upper body, looking for a chance to throw the talented Mountaineer. But Rogers' defense was equal to Wade's offense and the bout stayed scoreless through five minutes of wrestling. Rogers chose down to start the final period. But Wade tied the Mountaineer up and nearly turned him to his back. But Rogers managed to fight out of trouble and was given an escape at the 1:28 mark, tying the bout at 1-1. Rogers got the bout's first takedown with :55 left, taking a 3-1 lead. But Wade quickly reversed the ranked Mountaineer to tie the bout at 3-3 with :32 left. Rogers escaped to a 4-3 lead with :20 left and then countered a frantic Wade shot as the bout ended to grab a hard-fought 6-3 win. Penn State still posted a convincing 27-10 win.

Corvallis, Ore. -- The fifth ranked Missouri wrestling team completed a perfect sweep of West Coast schools and improved to 11-0 on the campaign after holding off Oregon State, 26-10, at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. Missouri's win over the Pac 10 program combined with Saturday's three dual victories in San Luis Obispo, give the Tigers a 4-0 mark in two days on the West Coast. Eight Tiger grapplers combined for Missouri's 16 point margin of victory over the Beavers. Opening the dual at 133 pounds, the Tigers found themselves down early after a loss by major decision. Senior 141 pound wrestler Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) helped bring Missouri even with his 12-3 win by major decision over Ryan Harold. Hoehn, ranked 17th in the nation, managed five takedowns in the seven minute match and accumulated over a minute of riding time for his 14th win of the season. A loss by fall at 149 pounds put Missouri once again down in points. However, seven straight wins helped the Tigers overcome the deficit and take the lead and eventual win. Wrestling at 157 pounds, redshirt freshman Patrick Wright (Grand Ledge, Mich.) began Missouri's win streak with his 7-2 victory over Anthony Peressini. The next three Tiger wrestlers, fourth-ranked Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.), eighth ranked Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) and fourth ranked Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) all wrestled up one weight class from their usual spot in the lineup, outscoring their opponents a combined 39-17. Jordan, who challenged eighth ranked 184 pounder Kyle Bressler, won his match by way of 14-2 major decision. Earning six points for near falls in the first and third periods, and credited with three takedowns, an escape and one point for riding time, Jordan recorded his 103rd career victory. Jordan currently sits at 11th in the Missouri career wins list and is four wins shy of taking the No. 10 spot. Juniors Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) and Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) held their opponents to three points, with fourth-ranked Askren besting Chad Hanke, 7-3, at 197 pounds and third-ranked heavyweight Ellis holding off Clayton Jack, 8-3. Returning to the top of the lineup, redshirt freshman Troy Dolan (Blairsville, Pa.) took an 11-9 win over Jake Gonzales at 125 pounds. Dolan scored early in the match, taking down Gonzales, 17 seconds into the first period. The back-and-forth match which saw Dolan down 9-8 with 13 seconds remaining in the bout, came to an end as the Tiger grappler put Gonzales' back in danger and scored two nearfall points at the buzzer for the win. The Tigers will return home and resume practice before traveling to The Midlands Tournament, Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill. Missouri's dual competition will resume Jan. 10, 2009, at the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the first time in this early dual season, the No. 6 Ohio State wrestling team was forced to test itself on the road against No. 17 Edinboro. After winning key matches at 165 pounds and heavyweight, it was able to exit Edinboro, Pa., with a 19-12 win Sunday. The Buckeyes, who will break from competition until Jan. 4, conclude 2008 with a 3-0 record. Ohio State will host Kent State at 5 p.m. in St. John Arena to begin the new year. The Fighting Scots drop to 5-3. The Scarlet and Gray now have won three consecutive matches against Edinboro to lead the overall series, 6-3. The match featured five bouts between ranked opponents, as well as a trio of national champions -- J Jaggers, Mike Pucillo and Edinboro's Gregor Gillespie. After both teams exchanged wins and Edinboro held a slim 9-7 lead following the first five matches, sophomore Colt Sponseller paced the Buckeyes to four of five victories the rest of the way at 165 pounds. A native of Glenmont, Ohio, No. 6 Sponseller secured a 4-1 victory against No. 3 Jarrod King. It was the first loss of the season for King. Sponseller owned an early 2-1 advantage after the first period and despite King taking the down position in the second period, Sponseller did not give up the escape. Choosing bottom in the third period, Sponseller was able to do what his adversary could not and that was score the much-needed point. Up 3-1 lead, Sponseller increased his margin of victory by one after compiling a riding time of 1:51. Wrestling in place of the injured Dave Rella at 174 pounds, Sean Nemec posted his first-career dual win against Paul Paddock, 7-4. Nemec, a redshirt-freshman from Garfield Heights, Ohio, spent his first year at Ohio State competing in open tournaments. He used a pair of takedowns, a reversal and a riding time of 1:20 to down his opponent. Nemec was up 2-1 at the end of the first period before relinquishing an escape in the second period. However, Nemec quickly followed with a takedown to go back up 4-2 before Paddock ended the stanza with an escape. Nemec chose down to open the third period and scored the reversal to give himself some breathing room. Paddock then scored a final escape, but to no avail as Nemec also earned the riding time. Making his 2008-09 debut since winning the national title at 184 pounds in March, junior Mike Pucillo was victorious over 10th-ranked Chris Honeycutt. In the first period, Pucillo jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a takedown and two-point nearfall. In the lone scoring of the second stanza, Pucillo, a native of Strongsville, Ohio, tallied a takedown, riding a 6-0 lead into the final period. Honeycutt opted for the down position and after a stalling call on Honeycutt gave Pucillo an additional point, the Fighting Scot got on the board courtesy of an escape. With no other scoring in the period, Pucillo wrapped up the match with a 5:10 riding time. Leading 16-9 with two matches left, freshman Cody Gardner dropped a close 3-0 decision to Pat Bradshaw at 197 pounds. With Ohio State owning a tight 16-12 advantage, Buckeye and 14th-ranked Corey Morrison pulled out the match-deciding 5-3 decision against No. 8 Joey Fendone in the heavyweight bout. Not only did the win by Morrison, a product of Shaker Heights, Ohio, give the Buckeyes the victory, but he also handed Fendone his first loss of the season as he falls to 14-1. It was a pair of takedowns and an escape that propelled Morrison to victory compared to Fendone's pair of escapes and stalling call. Junior Reece Humphrey remains undefeated at 12-0 following his win over Ricky Deubel at 133 pounds. A native of Indianapolis, Ind., the eighth-ranked Humphrey was the lone wrestler in the match to score bonus points with his 14-6 major decision. At 149 pounds, Lance Palmer notched a 7-1 decision over No. 15 Torsten Gillespie. An early takedown in the first period followed by a reversal, consecutive Gillespie stalling calls and a riding time of 3:35 gave Palmer his 11th win of the season. In addition to losing the 197-pound bout, Ohio State dropped matches at 125, 141 and 157 pounds. Sophomore Nikko Triggas lost 6-2 to Kyle Fluke, while Jaggers fell 5-4 to Joel Webster. Senior Jason Johnstone faced 2007 NCAA champion Gregor Gillespie and lost, 6-2.

San Luis Obispo, Calif. -- The Missouri wrestling team extended its win streak to 10 duals after topping Cal Poly (36-6), Cal State Bakersfield (25-14) and Cal State Fullerton (34-5) at the Central Coast Duals held at the Madonna Inn Convention Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The 10 consecutive wins marks the first time since the 2003-04 campaign that the Tigers started out with a 10-0 record. Among the afternoon's victories, senior All-American Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) became the 15th Tiger grappler in program history to crack the 100 win club, finishing the day with a 3-0 record and improving to 102-24 on his career. "The team wrestled well today," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "They had a long 24 hours of traveling and competing and I was pleased to see them come out and perform as well as they did today. Raymond wrestled tough in his matches. It was good for him to get his 100th win right off the bat. He's looking really good right now." Jordan becomes Missouri's first grappler since Matt Pell to enter the century club. Pell won his 100th career match as a senior in 2007. Wrestling at 174 pounds, Jordan recorded his 100th career victory by way of fall, pinning Fullerton's Todd Noel in 1:56. All three of Jordan's wins on the day came by fall, the second against Jason Points of Cal State Bakersfield in 2:50 and the final against Ryan Des Roches of Cal Poly in two minutes even. Jordan currently sits at 14-0 on the season and has won five of his matches by fall and one by technical fall. In all, the Tigers racked up 24 wins including 13 bonus point victories. Ranked 17th in the latest InterMat poll, senior 141 pound starter Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) added three wins to his name, improving to 13-2 on the year. Hoehn was one of nine Tiger grapplers to take on a ranked opponent and topped #20 Flip Novachkov of Cal Poly, 8-3, in his final match of the day. Redshirt freshman Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) pulled off the upset in Missouri's dual against Cal State Fullerton, besting 16th-ranked Tim Hawkins, 4-2, at 184 pounds. Henderson was one of six Missouri wrestlers to finish the all-day event with a spotless 3-0 mark. In a heavyweight battle the featured third-ranked Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) and fourth-ranked Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield, Missouri's Ellis proved dominant earning a 2-1 victory to seal the Tiger's 25-14 win over Bakersfield. Ellis blanked his first opponent, Kurt Klimek of Cal State Fullerton, 9-0 before holding off Monteiro, 2-1. In his final appearance, Ellis pinned Kelan Bragg of Cal Poly in 2:50. The stick was Ellis' ninth of his junior campaign. Up next for Missouri, Smith and the Tigers will travel North to Oregon State and take on the Beavers in a 4 p.m. (CT) dual Sunday, Dec. 14, set in Corvallis, Ore.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The No. 12th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling squad recorded a three-match sweep Saturday at the Big 12/Pac-10 Challenge in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and improved to 7-0 on the season. Outscoring opponents 90-26, the Sooners bested Cal Poly, 35-7, Cal-Bakersfield, 26-12, and Cal-Fullerton by a 29-7 final margin. Sooners going undefeated (3-0) on the day were Ryan Smith at 165 pounds, Jeff James at 174 pounds, Eric Lapotsky at 197 pounds and heavyweight Nathan Fernandez. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Terry went 2-0 at 149 pounds and senior Will Rowe posted a 1-0 record, also at 149 pounds. OU's Fernandez recorded the biggest upset of the tournament with a defeat over No. 4 Mitch Monteiro of Cal-Bakersfield. The redshirt sophomore recorded one of his two pins on the day over the top-five wrestler. Another Sooner upset was Lapotsky (No. 14) over No. 11 Riley Orozco of Cal-Bakersfield by an 11-0 major decision. Shane Vernon (No. 16) posted a 4-3 decision over No. 13 Chase Pami of Cal Poly and Pat Flynn beat No. 17 Tom Hawkins of Cal-Fullerton, 8-3. Oklahoma will return to Norman for the holidays with its perfect dual record before returning to action Jan. 3, 2009, at the Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas.

It was a day of pins in the Wisconsin wrestling team's 36-9 win over Northern Iowa at the Wisconsin Dells Center. The 11th-ranked Badgers took on No. 24 UNI as part of the Chula Vista Resort Dells Dual Wrestling Classic and pinned three Panthers en route to their fifth dual win of the season, second over a ranked opponent. Wisconsin improves to 5-1-0 in dual action this season while UNI drops to 0-2. The match began at 125 lbs. and junior Drew Hammen got the Badgers on the board first with a 3-2 win over UNI's Caleb Flores. Both wrestlers were scoreless until the third period and Hammen won on two escapes and 1:46 of riding time. UNI responded with a win at 133 lbs. as Josh Baldridge defeated UW true freshman Tom Kelliher, 5-1. The Panthers then jumped out to a 9-3 lead as Trent Washington pinned Wisconsin's No. 14 Zach Tanelli in 5:38. That would be the last win for the Panthers though as the Badgers won the final seven bouts, three of which came by pin. No. 7 Kyle Ruschell started the pinning frenzy for Wisconsin by sticking Jamall Lawrence in 6:52 during the 149 lbs. bout. With the score tied at nine, true freshman Ben Jordan got back on the winning track by defeating Trevor Kittleson, 3-0. Jordan earned the win off a reversal in the third period and had a point of riding time. At 165 lbs. true freshman and 15th ranked Andrew Howe took on UNI's Tyson Reiner, who normally competes at 157 lbs. Howe jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second period and that was all he needed as Reiner scored just one more escape in the third period to put the team score at 12-9 in favor of Wisconsin. True freshman Travis Rutt extended the lead for the UW with a 5-4 decision over UNI's Jarion Beets. Beets had the 2-1 lead at the end of the first period but Rutt evened the score with an escape in the second. In the third period, Rutt scored three more points for the Badger victory. Eric Bugenhagen won by forfeit at 184 lbs and the Badgers finished off the Panthers with two pins at 197 lbs. and heavyweight. Wisconsin pin leader No. 5 Dallas Herbst returned to action after missing the Cliff Keen Invitational and stuck No. 15 Andrew Anderson in 4:47. Herbst improves to 5-1 this season and four of his five wins were by pin, the fifth coming as an opponent forfeit. No. 5 Kyle Massey registered the final fall of the afternoon by pinning Christian Brantley in 4:15 to put the final team score at 36-9. The Badgers take some time off before heading to Evanston, Ill., for the 2008 Midlands Classic. Competition takes place from Dec. 29-Dec. 30.