InterMat Staff

The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team will hold a Military Appreciation Night Jan. 30 in the West Gym when the Panthers take on the Northern Illinois Huskies at 7 p.m. All military personnel with a valid Military ID will receive free admission and all family members will receive a discounted ticket price ($3.00). The tickets must be preordered through the UNI athletics website (www.unipanthers.com). Individuals should click on the Tickets link and then click Promotions. The promo code is WRESPROMO1. The UNI ROTC will present the colors prior to the match. UNI wrestlers will be wearing UNI camouflaged singlets in honor of our soldiers in the armed forces. Following the meet, each singles will be featured on an online auction on the Panthers' website. The money raised through the auction will go toward Second Lieutenant Brian Gienau's memorial fund to build a fallen soldier memorial to be placed on the UNI campus. Gienau was a 2003 graduate of UNI, who was killed Feb. 27, 2005 while on active duty. During the meet's intermission there will be a special recognition of Gienau. Also during the ceremony, the crowd will be informed more about the singlet auction as to when and how they can bid on the singlets.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- After jumping out to a 14-0 lead after three matches, the University of Pittsburgh wrestling team cruised to victory in its second Eastern Wrestling League match of the year, defeating Lock Haven University 30-9 here at Thomas Field House. The Panthers tallied four bonus-point wins on the night, led by sophomore Ethan Headlee's pin in the 165-pound match. After a forfeit in the 125 pound match, the Panthers (2-3, 2-0 EWL) built their lead with back-to-back major decisions from Jimmy Conroy and Ty Nauman. Conroy was an 8-0 winner at 133 over Billy Ashnault while Nauman upped his win total to 19 with a 14-5 win over Zach Kell in the 141-pound bout. Matt Fittery put Lock Haven (5-6-1, 0-1 EWL) on the board with a 6-1 decision over Mark Powell in the 149-pound match, but the Eagles would not gain anymore ground as Pitt went on to take the ensuing three matches. Phil Sorrentino was a 2-1 winner by decision over Ollie Cooperwood at 157, bringing the score to 17-3 in favor of the Blue and Gold. Headlee kept pace with Nauman, earning his 19th win of the year by pinfall, also tying him for the team lead in falls this season with seven. David Sullivan's 11-3 major decision over Travis Stem pushed Pitt's lead to 27-3, the largest lead of the night. Back-to-back decisions at 184 and 197 for Lock Haven closed the gap, but the damage was already done. A.J. Hunte finished off the night with a 3-2 win over Gabe Murtoff in the heavyweight match. Hunte recorded his first dual win of the season after wrestling up a class from his usual 197-pound slot. Pitt returns home for a Sunday afternoon dual with No. 6 Central Michigan University. The Chippewas and Panthers will commence action inside Fitzgerald Field House at 2 p.m.

NORFOLK, Va. -- The 21st ranked wrestling Monarchs head to Fairfax, Virginia and the campus of George Mason University for a trio of duals against Colonial Athletic Association opponents this Saturday at the CAA Duals. ODU will face Binghamton at 10:00 am, Drexel at Noon, and #18 Hofstra at 2:00 pm at the George Mason University Fieldhouse. The match against the Pride will mark the seventh dual against a nationally ranked team this season for Old Dominion. ODU is 2-1 against Binghamton all-time, including a win last season at the CAA Duals. ODU trails the all-time series with Drexel, 5-8, but has three straight wins against the Dragons. The Pride boasts a 61 match unbeaten streak in the CAA and will be putting that on the line against Boston University, Rider, the Monarchs and Sacred Heart. Old Dominion will lean on nationally ranked senior Ryan Williams (141) and sophomore James Nicholson (125) this weekend. Both have posted 23 wins this season and with a combined five losses between them, both have been ranked in the top ten. Williams is ranked seventh in the nation and Nicholson ninth. ODU will also look to #16 Jesse Strawn (197) and #18 Kyle Hutter (133) to grab big wins as they will each face nationally ranked opponents on Saturday. The Monarchs will see five nationally ranked individuals on the mat on Saturday at five different weights. Hutter will have the stiffest competition, facing #9 Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra) at 133 lbs. Two other Hofstra grapplers are nationally ranked in #11 Alton Lucas (174) and #20 Ryan Patrovich (165). Binghamton boasts one nationally ranked wrestler, a top ten 184-pounder in Josh Patterson; rookie Joe Budi will face him first thing on Saturday morning. When the Monarchs face off against Drexel, Jesse Strawn will face #12 Jon Oplinger at 197 lbs. Action begins at 10:00 am on Saturday at the GMU Fieldhouse.

Oklahoma State head coach John Smith will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, January 15. This Thursday's edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 7 p.m. CST. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the "Listen Live" link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Smith is in his 18th year as the head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University. During this tenure his teams have won five NCAA titles. The Cowboys will face top-ranked Iowa on Jan. 18 in Stillwater. As a wrestler, Smith was a six-time World and Olympic champion and a two-time NCAA champion. He is generally considered the best freestyle wrestler this country has produced. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

Award winning journalist Andy Hamilton from the Iowa City Press Citizen and co-owner of Iowa's oldest wrestling publication, The Predicament, Wyatt Schultz will appear on this week's radio show. Hamilton has been with the Iowa City Press Citizen for 10 years and is considered one of the top wrestling journalists in the nation. Hamilton won the National Wrestling Media Association Writer of the Year in 2004 and The Dellinger Award from Amateur Wrestling News in 2005. Hamilton serves as the college wrestling beat writer and also covers college football. Wyatt Schultz is co-owner of The Predicament, Iowa's oldest wrestling publication. Schultz is well known for his expertise in wrestling photography and can be recognized at most of the premier wrestling events in the Midwest. Schultz covers high school wrestling throughout the state of Iowa and his hundreds of photos can be seen on thepredicament.com. Two-time NCAA champion and 1980 Olympian Chuck Yagla will also be in the studio tonight. Yagla will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK, in June. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio show that airs each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00PM Central time on KCNZ AM 1650 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The show is presented by the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum. You can also listen online at kcnzam.com.

Congrats to University of Iowa (D1) Champs! The individuals who made it through the storm to be recognized as OW's and they are: Division I: Reece Humphrey (Ohio State - 133 lbs.) Division II: Todd Meneely (Nebraska-Omaha - 157 lbs.) Division III: Jared Massey (Augsburg - 197 lbs.) NAIA: Joe Cornejo (Missouri Valley - 157 lbs.) NJCAA: Brad Lower (Iowa Central - 165 lbs.) Women's: Michaela Hutchison (Oklahoma City - 55 kg.) The 2009 NWCA National Duals are complete. We move to the next page. We return to our Brute Adidas studios for a great show this Saturday from 9 AM to 11 AM at Takedownradio.com. Join Steve Foster and Chris Arns, our in studio hosts and their guests. This week on TDR: 9:05 J Robinson- Head Coach Minnesota Gopher Wrestling makes his return to TDR. We'll talk to J about the National Duals and the balance of the season. We'll take a look at what makes Jayson Ness so dang good. 9:20 Derek Delporto- Head Coach Eastern Michigan returns to the show to discuss the eagles program, his second year as head Coach there and what shape his squad is in as we sit squarely in the middle of the season. January 11th the eagles defeated Cleveland State Vikings 31-10 winning 7 of 10 matches. 9:40 Mark Cody- Head Coach of American University Eagles in DC. Its been awhile since Mark's been on the show. AU Eagles defeats NC at home 25-19. Mike Cannon crowned Midlands Champion at 174 pounds. Early, in Aug of 2008 Mark Cody was awarded the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award recipient. 10:05 Mark Manning- Head Coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The No. 4 ranked wrestling team dropped two hard-fought duals last Sunday to finish fourth at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Huskers (8-2) suffered their first loss of the season with a 22-11 defeat by No. 1 Iowa in the morning's semifinals and lost to No. 2 Iowa State by just one point in the consolation finals, 20-19. 10:20 Damon Lau-Founder of Round 5- Mixed martial arts collectable's- Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, Shawn Sherk figurines. Available on line and at over 3000 retail stores across the country. Athletes can sell ad space on shorts and help to create the design of the action figure. round5mma.com. Will there be NCAA Coaches and athletes at some time? Who are candidates? Gable, Sanderson, Brands, Smith........... 10:40 Jim Andrassy- Head Coach Kent State Golden Flashes. Kent State wrestled at the Virginia Duals and competed well. Wrestling 5 matches the flashes go 3-2 on the weekend and gave the Buckeyes a run for their money at Columbus 1 week ago. The Flashes are 6-4 on the year. TDR will feature Kent State vs. N. Illinois on Saturday the 24th of January at 11:05 AM CST Join Chris, Steve and all of us on America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show each and every week at 9:05 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST to hear from the experts, the coaches and the athletes. Visit Takedownradio.com

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University wrestler Jesse Strawn (Holton, Kansas/Holton) was recognized for his perfect weekend on the mat as he was named CAA Co-Wrestler of the Week today. With Rider's Doug Umbehauer, who went 4-0 at the Virginia Duals, Strawn earned ODU's second conference honor this season. Strawn, a 197-pounder, posted his team-leading 11th fall at the Duals and led ODU to a fifth place finish. He also led ODU to a win over #24 Kent State University, scoring a go-ahead takedown on the edge with less than one second remaining against Eric Chine. The win sealed the victory for Old Dominion headed into the final match. Strawn is 23-8 this season and is ranked as high as 13th nationally. ODU heads to the CAA Duals this weekend in Fairfax, Virginia at George Mason University and will face Binghamton at 10:00 am, Drexel at Noon, and Hofstra at 2:00 pm.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia's Matt Bonson (Fr., Lewistown, Pa.) has been named the ACC Wrestler of the Week after racking up three wins last weekend at the Virginia Duals. It marks Bonson's first career conference wrestler of the week honor and the third for UVa grapplers this season. Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) earned the honor Nov. 18 and Jedd Moore (Fr., Mount Vernon, Ohio) took home the distinction Nov. 25. Competing at 133 pounds, Bonson won two matches Friday at the Virginia Duals. He opened with a 6-3 decision over Aaron Kalil of Navy and then pinned Clarion's Zach Oberlander in just 1:52. Saturday, Bonson recorded a 10-7 upset of 11th-ranked Dan Mitcheff of Kent State, pushing his record to 11-4 in 2008-09. It marked his second win over a nationally-ranked wrestler this season, as he defeated then-No. 11 Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State by major decision on Nov. 29. Of Bonson's 11 wins this year, all but two have resulted in bonus points (seven falls, one tech fall, one major decision). Bonson and the Cavaliers return home this weekend at Memorial Gymnasium, playing host to a three-team round robin Saturday with UNC Greensboro and Rutgers and a Sunday dual with Appalachian State. Saturday, UNCG and Rutgers will square off at 11 a.m., followed by Virginia against UNCG at 1 p.m. The Cavaliers and Scarlet Knights then wrestle at 3 p.m. On Sunday, Virginia matches up with Appalachian State at 2 p.m. Admission is free to all matches.

Trevor Franklin, a redshirt freshman from South New Berlin, New York, has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Wrestler of the Week for the second week of 2009. This honor is the eighth NSIC Player of the Week award earned by an Upper Iowa student-athlete this year and the second time a UIU wrestler has earned the award this season. Franklin registered a 5-0 record at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. His wins included a fall, a technical fall and three decisions by a combined 20 points. The final victory, a 10-3 decision, came over Michael Baxter of Mercyhurst, who is ranked #5 in the nation. Franklin now has a 19-4 record and is currently carrying a 10-match win streak. During the winning streak, Franklin has posted wins by fall in five of the matches. Upper Iowa finished in seventh place at the National Duals this past weekend. Franklin and the UIU wrestling team will take a short break from competition until the end of this month. The # 8 Peacocks will travel to face the #4 Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato on Jan. 28th. The dual will open the Northern Sun Conference schedule for UIU, while MSU will be going into their fourth conference dual. The match up of national powers will began at 7 pm.

Rashard Goff has been named Eastern Wrestling League wrestler of the week for his dominating performance last week (1/4-1/11). The senior heavyweight has hammered out a perfect 10-0 dual meet record this season, raising his career record to 96-53. This past weekend at the Eastern Michigan Duals, Goff posted a perfect 2-0 record, improving his season record to 24-5. In the first match Goff defeated Ashland's Jacob Southwick by a score of 7-1 and in his second match defeated Eastern Michigan's Wes Schroeder 6-2, his second victory over Schroder this season (6-1 win at Michigan State Open (11/9/08). Goff began his Viking career by being named to the 2005-06 Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Third Team. He has won at least 20 matches each season and has reached the NCAA tournament three consecutive seasons. This year Goff has placed at each tournament he has wrestled, including a first place finish at the Michigan State Open, two second place finishes at the Eastern Michigan Open and the Nittany Lion Open. Goff also finished sixth at the Midlands Invitational with a win over then fourth ranked Kyle Massey of Wisconsin. Goff becomes the first Cleveland State wrestler to win the award since Ryan Hurley won the award in January of 2007. The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday night when they host 24th-ranked Kent State. Action is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Woodling Gymnasium.

Nebraska heavyweight Tucker Lane was selected as the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday. Lane, a redshirt freshman from Redvale, Colo., shares the weekly honor with Iowa State's Jake Varner. Lane was a key component in the Huskers fourth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals, finishing last weekend with a 3-1 record. He posted an 8-5 decision over Ben Kuhar to give the Huskers a 19-18 victory over No. 20 Northwestern in the opening round, and followed with a 4-2 decision over Cameron Wade to solidify a come-from-behind 20-16 win versus No. 14 Penn State. Against No. 2 Iowa State, Lane scored an early takedown over No. 3 Dave Zabriskie and added a three-point nearfall in the second period to take a 7-6 victory and nearly lead the Huskers to an upset of the Cyclones. Currently the highest ranked freshman heavyweight in the nation at No. 17, Lane is 19-5 on the season, including 8-2 in duals, with three pins. This is his first career honor, and he is the second Husker to earn recognition from the Big 12 this season.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Western Wrestling Conference announced South Dakota State's Jason Stripling and Wyoming's Michael Martinez as Co-Wrestlers of the Week for their efforts from Jan. 5-11. Stripling, a senior heavyweight from Minneota, Minn. (Minnesota HS), posted a 5-0 record or the Jackrabbits during an east coast road-trip last week. Stripling's 5-0 record, including four by fall, led SDSU to five team wins on the weekend over Delaware St., VMI, Franklin & Marshall, American International and Sacred Heart. In action on Wednesday, Stripling posted a 2-0 record with wins over Leon Barrow by fall at 4:52 and Jamar Beckett at 3:59. At the Franklin & Marshall quadrangular on Saturday, Stripling went 3-0 in as many matches including two by fall. His first win came by decision over Nicolas Somers, 3-0. He then went on two win two in a row by fall over Kelvin Valencia at 5:47 and Bill Beirmeister at 3:27. Stripling improves to 22-8 on the season including a perfect 10-0 in duals with five wins by fall. The Jacks, winners of five straight, improve to 6-3-1. Martinez, a redshirt freshman 125-pounder from Pagosa Springs, Colo. (Pagosa Springs HS), went 3-0 for Wyoming during this past weekend's National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. His season record is now 24-7. Against No. 1 Iowa and in front of a pro-Hawkeye crowd, the Cowboy redshirt freshman came from behind after giving up an early takedown and earned a 6-4 win against the Hawkeyes' J.J. Krutsinger. Then versus Buffalo, he got his second win of the day, a 10-1 major decision over Dan Bishop. Martinez saved his best for last and won his third match against No. 16 Boise State, a 5-3 upset victory over No. 18 Brian Owen. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: Air Force - Stephen Crozier, 165 lbs., Sr., Monona, Iowa (MFL Mar Mac HS) Northern Colorado - Mitchell Polkowske, Fr., 149 pounds, LaJara, Colo. (Centennial) UNI - Christian Brantley, HWT, R-Fr., Homewood, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS) Utah Valley - Adam Fager, 197 lbs., Fr., Layton, Utah (Layton HS) North Dakota State - Adam Aho, Senior, Frazee, Minn., 165 lbs.

Des Moines, Iowa. -- Friday January 16th Takedown Wrestling Radio will take their Brute adidas studios to Norman, Oklahoma as OU Head Coach Jack Spates and his undefeated Sooners welcome the Terrapins of Maryland. The broadcast is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 PM CST and can be heard on Takedownradio.com through the services of LiveSportsVideo.com courtesy of the Oklahoma Sooners. This is going to be an exciting meet. Coach Spates has his squad firing on all cylinders and his boys will look to defend their home mat. The Sooners are fresh off a road battle posting a 23-14 win over the Mocs of University of Tennessee and will look to continue their winning ways. Ranked Maryland wrestlers Steven Bell, Alex Krom and Hudson Taylor all emerged victorious this last Sunday, but the Terrapins lost their ACC opener to the North Carolina Tar Heels, 19-15, ending the Terps' 10-match winning streak in ACC duals, dating back to 2006. Again, It's The Terrapins Vs. The Sooners this Friday night on Takedownradio.com at 6:30 PM CST, click the listen live button, sit back and enjoy the dual.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- 2000 Olympic champion Brandon Slay of Dallas, Texas has been named as the Assistant National Freestyle Coach and National Freestyle Resident Coach by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling in the United States. Brandon Slay, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2000, has been named as the Assistant National Freestyle Coach and National Freestyle Resident Coach by USA Wrestling. Slay, a Texas native, wrestled collegiately at the University of PennsylvaniaSlay will be responsible for assisting in all facets of the National Freestyle Team program, with his primary focus on managing the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) resident program in Colorado Springs. He will manage the daily operations, recruiting and training of full-time resident athletes in the program and also train those who attend on a short term basis. "We are excited to take another step in building America's freestyle wrestling team," said National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones. "Brandon is an Olympic champion and has all the things we are looking for as a National Coach. He has character, passion and a strong work ethic. Brandon will be a great leader of the program and the athletes will enjoy working with him. As a former resident athlete, he understands the structure, demands, benefits and environment at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He exemplifies the holistic approach, which includes winning gold medals and representing our nation with dignity and excellence." Slay won a gold medal at 76 kg/167.5 lbs. at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He upset Olympic and World Champion Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia in the pool competition in Sydney. Saitiev has gone on to win three Olympic gold medals. Slay won the 2000 U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., and claimed the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, held in his native Dallas, Texas. He was a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete for two full seasons when he became an Olympic gold medalist. Among the international competitions that Slay won included the test event for the 2000 Olympics, the 1999 Five Continents Cup in Sydney, Australia. He won two University Nationals titles, and was also a champion at the Dave Schulz Memorial International. Slay won two Cadet World medals in Greco-Roman and also competed on a U.S. Junior World Team in freestyle. He was a two-time NCAA runner-up competing for the Univ. of Pennsylvania, where he received a degree from the Wharton School of Business. Originally from Amarillo, Texas, Slay won three state titles for Tascosa High School, and was an all-district football player. After the Olympics, Slay started an organization called Greater Gold, which assists youth in reach their full academic and athletic potential while planting Biblical seeds of truth. He is a board member and on the staff of the Dallas Dynamite, a non-profit wrestling organization in Dallas that trains and mentors young athletes. Slay is also a nationally respected public speaker and wrestling clinician. Slay currently serves as the Director of Young Adult Community at the Watermark Community Church in Dallas. He previously worked with Stream Realty Partners, a commercial real estate firm. "I am really excited about the opportunity to work with Zeke Jones, Bill Zadick and the new developmental coach to be hired as a team to develop the vision that will lead to success in 2012 at the London Olympics," said Slay. "I look forward to creating the coaching synergy to train U.S. freestyle wrestlers to win many more World and Olympic medals." Slay's background as a past USOTC resident athlete will help him in his new position. "I have a passion for the U.S. Olympic Training Center because I went through it as an athlete," said Slay. "I believe one of the main reasons I attained my goals was that I left the college environment for the USOTC. I was a 100% freestyle wrestler with 100% professional freestyle coaches. I know that the USOTC is not the only place where a wrestler can train to be an Olympic champion. Athletes can excel in other training situations. However, I do believe it is one of the ideal locations to develop champions."

Southern Oregon head coach Mike Ritchey will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Tuesday, January 13. This Tuesday's edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 7 p.m. CST. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the "Listen Live" link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Ritchey is in his 14th season as the head coach at Southern Oregon University, an NAIA school located in Ashland. Ritchie has compiled a 118-52 career dual meet record, including a 12-1 so far this season. Southern Oregon recently won the NWCA National Duals with a win over top ranked Lindenwood in the finals. The dual meet was tied 16-16 after the heavyweight match, and the tie was eventually broken on the sixth tiebreaker: most nearfall points in the dual. The only nearfall points came in the heavyweight bout, giving Southern Oregon a 17-16 victory. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 6-ranked Ohio State wrestling team (8-1; 0-0 Big Ten) wrestled back to a fifth-place finish Sunday at the 2009 National Duals, defeating No. 11 Minnesota, 25-12, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. After falling to No. 3 in Cornell in the quarterfinals Saturday, the Buckeyes recorded victories against No. 5 Missouri, No. 16 Boise State and Minnesota to earn fifth-place. Wrestling at 174 pounds, junior Dave Rella scored Ohio State's biggest win with a 13-3 major decision over Golden Gopher Kaleb Young. In three periods of work, Rella, a Youngstown, Ohio, native recorded five takedowns. The Scarlet and Gray also received wins from No. 8-ranked Reece Humphrey, No. 14 J Jaggers, No. 4 Lance Palmer, No. 4 Colt Sponseller and No. 2 Mike Pucillo. At 133, Humphrey earned a close 5-4 decision to upset Minnesota's fourth-ranked Jayson Ness to put Ohio State on the board after sophomore Nikko Triggas dropped an 8-3 decision to No. 8 Zach Sanders at 125. Jaggers followed with a 7-2 decision at 141 pounds. To secure the win, the senior tallied one take down, two escapes and a three-point nearfall in the upset over the Gopher's No. 8-ranked Mike Thorn. The winning continued for the Buckeyes with Palmer pinned Minnesota's Joe Grygelko in 2:35. The Gophers earned a win of their own when Tyler Safratowich decided Buckeye Jason Johnstone in a close 6-4 match. Sophomore Sponseller would put Ohio State right back in the meet defeating 18th-ranked Scott Glasser in a 4-0 decision. Pucillo earned the final points for the Scarlet and Gray, pinning Brent Eidenschink in 4:33.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- No. 2 Iowa State held on late against No. 4 Nebraska to seal a third-place finish at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals at the UNI Dome Sunday afternoon. The Cyclones and the Huskers split the 10 contested weights. The deciding point was earned from strong bonus-point performances by Tyler Clark (125), Nick Fanthorpe (133) and Nick Gallick (141). The third-place team finish marks the Cyclones best National Duals performance since winning the title in 2000. "We are close," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson. "I know how we are progressing and it is not an observation that you make in one day. I am with (his wrestlers) every day and over a period of years with most of them. There are definitely things to work on and will we be addressing those." In a marquee matchup between Nebraska's No. 1-ranked Craig Brester and ISU's third-ranked Jake Varner, the Cyclone was successful with the win by decision, 10-3. Varner added a cushion to his lead late in the third by scoring a three-point nearfall. ISU's Tyler Clark put the Cyclones up 6-0 early in the team score by pinning Nebraska's Andrew Pokorny in 3:58. Clark held a 5-0 advantage heading into the second period. Following the pin, Cyclone 133-pounder Nick Fanthorpe recorded a major decision over Matt Vacanti of Nebraska, 12-4. At 141 pounds, second-ranked Nick Gallick major decisioned NU's Curtis Salazar, 11-2. At 149 pounds, Iowa Stater Mitch Mueller won by decision, 7-5, against NU's Robert Sanders. No. 2 Iowa State fell at the hands of No. 3 Cornell 22-15 in the semifinal round of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals.

HAMPTON, Va. -- The No. 13 Oklahoma State wrestling team split its two matches at the Virginia Duals Saturday to finish third at the event. The Cowboys (11-3 overall) lost to No. 12 Central Michigan, 17-14 in the semifinals Saturday afternoon, but bounced back to hand No. 15 Edinboro a 24-12 defeat in the third-place dual Saturday night. A trio of Cowboys finished the weekend with perfect 4-0 records, as 133-pounder Chris Notte picked up two wins over ranked opponents along the way, with 197-pounder Clayton Foster and heavyweight Jared Rosholt dominating each of their four opponents. Against Edinboro, Chris Notte picked up a big win for the Cowboys at 133 pounds when he scored a 6-4 victory over No. 16 Ricky Duble. Deadlocked at 4-4 at the end of three periods and through the first sudden victory period, Notte and Duble went into a tie-break period, where Notte was able to turn Duble to his back for a two-point nearfall and secure the win to cap a very productive weekend. Luke Silver was also an upset winner for the Pokes against Edinboro, emerging victorious from a 7-6 dogfight with No. 16 Torsten Gillespie at 149 pounds. After bagging a key takedown as time expired in the second period to take a 5-3 lead into the third, Silver gave up the escape to start the period. Silver scored another takedown to take a 7-4 lead, but was slapped with a penalty point for locking his hands to bring the score to 7-5. Silver cut Gillespie loose to bring the score to 7-6, but Gillespie was unable to solve Silver with short time remaining. OSU 165-pounder Brandon Mason erased any hope the Fighting Scots may have had when he pinned Chris Harunka at the 2:39 mark to claim his third win by fall in four bouts during the weekend. Mason scored an early takedown, then turned Harunka to his back for four separate three-point nearfalls to open up a 14-0 first-period lead. Mason turned him to his back a fifth time and would have won by technical fall, but he was able to flatten Harunka completely to win by a dominating fall. Against 12th-ranked Central Michigan in the semifinals earlier in the day, the Cowboys got a pair of major decision wins from Clayton Foster and Jared Rosholt and a 5-3 sudden victory upset win from Notte over No. 13 Conor Beebe, but it was not enough to beat the Chippewas. The key to the dual was the fact that the Cowboys were unable to win enough of the swing matches that could have gone either way, as Obenson Blanc lost a 3-1 decision in the tie-break period to No. 9 Scotti Sentes, Jamal Parks lost a 7-6 decision at the hands of Tony D'Alie, Brandon Mason lost a 5-3 decision and Jared Shelton dropped a 6-4 decision to Vince DiDona. After Neil Erisman claimed a 6-5 win over Tyler Grayson at 157 pounds, the Cowboys trailed in the dual, 9-6, to set the stage for the three key bouts of the dual. Oklahoma State ran a trio of seniors to the mat at 165, 174 and 184 pounds, but none of the three were able to claim victory, as Central Michigan won all three bouts by two points, respectively. Blanc, Parks and Shelton all held leads in the third period of their respective bouts, but saw their leads slip away in the final period. The Chippewas went on to beat No. 8 Lehigh, 21-12 in the championship finals to win the Virginia Duals title. The Cowboys return to action when they host No. 1 Iowa at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18. Tickets are available for the dual, which will not be televised.

PITTSBURGH -- No. 7 Illinois dominated No. 25 Pittsburgh, 26-10, as the Fighting Illini won seven of 10 bouts at Fitzgerald Field House to improve to 7-0 in dual matches this season. B.J. Futrell started the dual with a pin in 4:43, No. 3 Jimmy Kennedy and Mike Poeta notched major decisions, and all four Illini from 174-heavyweight earned victories as the Illini defeated their first ranked foe of the season. "Tonight was probably the best we've wrestled all year," Illinois head coach Mark Johnson said. "It was just a great team performance and John Wise's win over one of the top guys in the nation topped it all off." At 125, Futrell scored a takedown with 11 seconds left in the first period and led 2-0 after three minutes. Chris Albright started down in the second and escaped, but Futrell scored a takedown and got Albright on his back for the pin in 4:43. Next up, Kennedy scored a pair of takedowns in the first period for a 4-1 lead after a period. Kennedy started down in the second and got a reversal 42 seconds later, and No. 14 Jimmy Conroy escaped to give Kennedy a 6-2 lead after five minutes. In the third, Conroy started down and escaped, but Kennedy notched three takedowns and got the riding time point for the 13-5 major decision. At 141, No. 11 Tyler Nauman got a takedown with 1:12 left in the first and rode out Illinois' Ryan Prater for a 2-0 lead. Nauman started down in the second and Prater rode him the entire period, then the pair started neutral in the third. After no further scoring, Nauman walked away with a 2-0 win. As he did on Friday, true-freshman Eric Terrazas hung tough with Pitt's Mark Powell, trailing 4-0 after two periods. But Terrazas started down in the third, gave up a stalling point, a two-point near fall and a riding time point as Powell earned an 8-0 major decision. Poeta continued to show no ill effects in his return as he recorded a 17-5 major decision over Phil Sorrentino. He jumped out to an early lead with a takedown 20 seconds into the bout and a three-point near fall. After Sorrentino escaped, Poeta scored a takedown with six seconds left. In the second, Poeta started down and escaped four seconds in. Sorrentino gave up a stalling point to give Poeta a 9-1 lead after five minutes. Sorrentino started down in the third and escaped. After he gave up another stalling point, Poeta scored three more takedowns and added the riding time point for the win. At 165, No. 11 Roger Smith-Bergsrud gave up a takedown to Pitt's Ethan Headlee with 2:15 left in the first and Headlee rode him out. After a scoreless second period, Headlee started down in the third and escaped for a 3-0 lead. Smith-Bergsrud scored a takedown but Headlee escaped for a 4-2 lead with 1:22 left. Headlee gave up a stalling point to bring the Illini within a point, but Smith-Bergsrud couldn't connect on any late offense as he fell, 5-3. Click Here But John Dergo restarted the Illini momentum with his 6-2 win at 174. Dergo scored two takedowns in the first for a 4-1 lead after three minutes, and the only scoring in the second was an escape by Pitt's Dave Sullivan. Dergo started down in the third and escaped, then added a riding time point for the 6-2 win. At 184, No. 15 Jordan Blanton took care of Zac Thomusseit for the second time this season, with a 6-2 decision. After a scoreless first period, Blanton started down in the second and escaped. He notched a takedown with 1:49 left in the period and rode out Thomusseit for the 3-0 lead. Thomusseit started down in the third and Blanton scored a two-point near fall before giving up a point for an illegal hold and allowing Thomusseit to escape. But Blanton tacked on the riding time point for the 6-2 win. Patrick Bond continued his resurgence with a 5-1 win. He scored a first-period takedown, then started down in the second and escaped for a 3-0 lead. Matt Wilps started down and escaped in the third, but Bond notched another takedown for the final 5-1 margin. With the dual already decided, the tenth-ranked Wise scored a takedown on Pitt's fourth-ranked Zach Sheaffer, the first time the Panther had been taken down this season. Wise rode him out, then started down in the second and escaped for the 3-0 lead. Sheaffer scored a takedown with 49 seconds left in the period to cut Wise's lead to 3-2 after five minutes. Following a neutral start to the third, Wise got another takedown with 26 seconds left and added the riding time point for the 6-2 win, handing Sheaffer just his third loss of the season. Illinois has the next two weeks off from competition before traveling to Iowa City on Jan. 25 to face the top-ranked Hawkeyes. The dual will begin at 5 p.m. and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

Hempstead, NY -- Sophomore Ryan Patrovich recorded a tech fall and freshmen Steve Bonanno and Ben Clymer posted major decisions to lead the 18th-ranked Pride of Hofstra to a 31-6 victory over the North Carolina Wolfpack at the David S. Mack Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. The Pride improved to 4-1 on the year while the Wolfpack slipped to 3-5. The Pride jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead as North Carolina State forfeited the opening match to Hofstra senior Anthony Tortora at 197 pounds. At 285, Pride freshman Jordan Enck (13-9) took a 4-2 lead after the first period on the way to a 6-2 decision over senior Bobby Isola (2-8). Hofstra freshman Steve Bonanno, ranked 16th by W.I.N. Magazine, improved to 19-8 on the season with a 9-1 major decision over red-shirt freshman Mike Moreno (5-6). After a scoreless first period, Bonanno tallied 6-0 points in the second to take a commanding lead. At 133, Hofstra's 10th-ranked junior Lou Ruggirello cruised to an 11-4 victory over sophomore Dariuss Little (10-9) to give the Pride a 16-0 advantage in the match. North Carolina State's 12th-ranked 141-pounder, senior Joe Caramanica snapped Hofstra's winning streak with a 6-0 victory over Pride red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino (12-7) to improve to 8-0 on the season. Another Hofstra red-shirt freshman, P.J. Gillespie, was put in the unenviable position of facing the third-ranked 149-pound wrestler in the country in junior Darrion Caldwell. The Wolfpack junior improved to 23-0 with a 10-7 victory but not before Gillespie pulled a late three-point near-fall in the final 30 seconds to tighten up the score. In the most exciting match of the day, Hofstra junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman recorded an escape and a takedown in the final minute, including the latter with two seconds remaining, to post a 10-9 victory over senior Kody Hamrah (18-6). Bonilla-Bowman improved to 11-6 on the year and gave Hofstra a 19-6 advantage in the match. At 165, Hofstra's 20th-ranked sophomore Ryan Patrovich cruised to a 15-0 tech fall victory over Wolfpack freshman Quinton Godley (9-13). Patrovich, who returned to action after a leg injury sidelined him for the Southern Scuffle, improved to 10-3 on the season. Pride senior Alton Lucas, ranked 11th at 174 pounds this week, faced a stiff challenge from freshman Jake Burge (10-6) before pulling out a 6-3 victory. Lucas boosted his season record to 12-4. In the final match of the day, Pride freshman Ben Clymer posted his eighth victory in his last 11 outings with a 10-0 major decision over senior Mark Jahad (1-4). Clymer improved to 12-6 on the year.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The 10th-ranked Sooner wrestling team was in for a battle from the start on the road Sunday in Tennessee versus the Chattanooga Mocs, as it trailed 8-3 after three bouts. After bouncing back to take the lead, the Sooners took a forfeit at 165 pounds due to illness, forcing them to climb from behind once again. The Sooners answered. Oklahoma took the final four matches, all by decisions, to fend off the Mocs by a 23-14 final tally and remain undefeated on the season. Its 12-0 start is the best in 24 years, equaling Stan Abel's squad in 1985. Trailing 10-14 heading into the 174 pound match, Jeff James got the ball rolling for OU with his 14th consecutive win this season, recording a 7-5 decision over William Garvin. Sooner wins by 184-pound Pat Flynn over Jason McCroskey and Eric Lapotsky over Ethan Winel at 197 pounds gave Oklahoma a 19-14 advantage. Heavyweight Nathan Fernandez closed out the victory for Oklahoma by posting a 16-4 major decision over Cody Sliger. "Our guys faced some adversity on the road today and I am pleased with the way most of them responded," head coach Jack Spates said. "We had several guys battling sickness and it is times like this when you have to dig deep and fight back." Joey Fio at 125 pounds picked up a 4-1 decision over Paul Garza to give Oklahoma a 3-0 lead to begin the match. Losses at 133 pounds and 141 pounds for the Sooners followed, before the Terry twins, Kyle (149 pounds) and Chad (157 pounds), recorded back-to-back victories. Kyle defeated Daniel Waddell by a 14-3 major decision and Chad upset No. 19 Joe Knox, 6-0. Oklahoma was forced to give up six points at 165 pounds after Ryan Smith was unable to compete due to illness, giving the Mocs a 10-14 team lead. "There were some stellar performances today, including both Chad and Kyle Terry and Nathan Fernandez," Spates said. "Eric Lapotsky also looked really good today." The Sooners return to action next Friday, Jan. 16, when they host the Maryland Terrapins at the McCasland Field House in Norman at 7 p.m. The dual will be showcased to a national radio audience by Takedown Radio hosted by Scott Casber. "Our team is looking forward to a home match for the first time in over a month," Spates said. "We are going to continue to work and improve and look forward to a great crowd on Friday night."

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The UNC Tar Heels improved to 5-6 in dual meets with a 19-15 victory over Maryland in their first ACC match. Carolina won six of the 10 weight classes in Sunday's match, led by 17th ranked Keegan Mueller's win in the 165 pound weight class. Mueller improved to 23-6 with the win. Justin Dobies recorded the Tar Heels' first victory of the match over Patrick Gilmore, improving to 17-7 overall. Maryland then followed with three straight wins to take a 12-3 lead going into middleweights. The Tar Heels then reeled off five wins in a row to clinch the match. After Daniel Llamas' win in the 184 pound class, the Tar Heels 19-12 lead assured them of a win. UNC's next appearance will be a doubleheader on January 17, with matches against Belmont Abbey and Davidson.

BINGHAMTON, NY -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team won the final nine bouts of the evening to post a 33-3 win over Binghamton University on Sunday night. After dropping the first match of the night at 184 pounds, the Huskies won the next three matches by decision from Jesse Hasseman (Franklin, IN/Franklin), Zac Walsh (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) and Ian Moser (Dover, DE/Caesar Rodney) to take a 9-3 lead. Bloomsburg got major decision victories in the next two matches from Jason Guffey (Muncy/Warrior Run) and Ricky Donald (Millville/Millville) to go in front 17-3. At 149 pounds George Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/Riverside) then posted a win by fall in 6:26 followed by a 4-0 win for ninth-ranked Matt Moley (Phoenixville/Spring-Ford). At 165 pounds Ricky Schmelyun (New Oxford/Bermudian Springs) won by major decision with Nate Graham (Selkirk, NY/Ravena) finishing the night with a 6-0 win at 174 pounds. Bloomsburg, 5-4, hosts Central Michigan on Saturday at 2 p.m.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team (15-4, 5-1 EIWA) went 3-0 in a home quad-meet, including a 20-18 come-from-behind victory over conference foe Army (5-4-1, 2-1 EIWA), RU's first victory over the Black Knights since Feb. 14, 2004. Freshman Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) and senior Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) both went 3-0 on the day to lead the Scarlet Knights. RU opened the day with a 39-0 shutout over US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). Redshirt heavyweight sophomore DJ Russo (Netong, N.J.), freshman 141-pounder Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) and redshirt sophomore David Greenwald (Union, N.J.) at 149 all picked up falls for Rutgers, while freshman Matt Fusco (Belleville, N.J.) at 125, redshirt freshman Brian Bollette (Newton, N.J.) at 133, Winston at 157, senior Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) at 165, Whalen at 174 and sophomore McPaul Ogbonna (East Hanover, N.J.) at 184 all won by decision. RU's next opponent was Army, which coming in had won six of the last seven matches in the series, including the previous four. The Black Knights jumped out to an early 6-0 lead before Fusco put RU on the board with a decision at 125. But Army rattled off three consecutive victories, including No. 12 Matt Kyler's pin of Greenwald at 149. Trailing 18-3, RU mounted an impressive comeback, starting with Winston's technical fall over Rudy Chelednik. Pletcher followed that with a pin of Michael Gorman to bring Rutgers within four, at 18-14. Whalen came through with a huge victory at 174, defeating Erik Schott 7-1, putting the Scarlet Knights in position to win. After getting an early takedown and an early lead, Ogbonna held off a furious attack from Army's Jacob Vetter to win 3-2 and give RU the 20-18 victory. In RU's final match of the night, the Scarlet Knights dropped the first bout, but won the rest, winning easily 44-3. Russo, Bollette, Melde, Greenwald, Winston and Orzechowski all picked up extra-point victories while sophomore Mike Demarco (Lyndhurst, N.J.) at 125, junior Matt Rigoglioso (Wayne, N.J.) at 165 and Whalen also won for Rutgers. Army defeated BU 28-15 and USMMA 31-9 to finish 2-1 on the day. Boston defeated the Merchant Marines 20-18 to round out the wrestling action. Rutgers returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 17, when it faces Virginia and UNC-Greensboro in Charlottesville, Va., before taking on Virginia Tech and VMI on Sunday, Jan. 18, in Blacksburg, Va. PACK THE RAC: On Jan. 24, Rutgers will face Rider at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Tickets for that match are on sale now. Fans can log on to www.ScarletKnights.com or call the Rutgers Ticket Office at 866-445-GORU. Reserved seating is 12 dollars, general admission is seven dollars and children under 12 and seniors are five dollars. Rutgers students enter free with their RU ID. Four of the top high school teams in the state (Queen of Peace, Howell, High Point and Long Branch) will wrestle at 3:00 p.m., followed by RU vs. Rider at 6:00 p.m.

Ypsilanti, Michigan -- Rashard Goff snatched his 95th career victory as the Vikings rolled over Ashland University, 24-15, on Sunday at the Bowen Fieldhouse on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. With the win, Cleveland State improves to 4-5 overall, already surpassing last seasons win total. "We wrestled this match very well," head coach Ben Stehura said. "Our guys knew what they needed to do and went out and performed." Jordan Keller got the Vikings out to an early 5-0 by collecting a 16-1 tech fall over Brandon Davis. Keller jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first period after scoring a two-point takedown and following it up with a two point near pin fall. Going into the third period, Keller added two additional near falls to take a 6-0 lead. Keller continued his onslaught over Davis in the final period scoring 10 more points. Starting the period on the bottom position, Keller got a two-point reversal along with three near fall points. After allowing Davis to escape, Keller once again too him down and put him on his back gaining three more near fall points and one point riding time for his 16th victory of the season. With the team score tied at five, Lawrence Cavello once again stepped up his performance and gave the Vikings as 8-5 lead. After a scoreless first period, Cavello started the second period on the top position and battled for position for most of the period before finally earning three near fall points. Cavello continued the pressure scoring another takedown and with one riding point, secured a 6-1 decision. The Vikings were able to pull away with a trio of victories from Antonio Nicholson, Corey Carlo and Rob Michaels. Nicholson came out with an aggressive game plan, scoring four points off a takedown and a reversal in the first two periods. In the final period, he added an escape point and a point for riding time in a 6-5 victory over Thomas Ganszl. Carlo came out strong, scoring two takedowns and a reversal, on his way to a 6-2 win over Joshua Swanson. Michaels tallied the fifth Viking victory of the afternoon, with a 13-3 major decision over Anthony Bradberry. After notching two takedowns, Michaels led 4-0 after one. Beginning the second period on the bottom position, Michaels was able to quickly get a reversal and turned that into a near fall giving him five points and a 9-0 lead going into the final period. Michaels went on to score one final takedown and with riding time earned a 10-point victory. Cleveland State went on to win their final two matches from JT Miller and Rashard Goff securing a 24-15 Viking win. Miller was able to grab a first period takedown and gain control of the match up against Thomas Kerrington. Goff scored via two takedowns, along with a two-point reversal to start the second period on his way to a 7-1 victory over Jacob Southwick. "This was a big win for us as we prepare for the upcoming EWL schedule," Stehura said. "We are starting to get some guys healthy again and performing at their peak levels." The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday (1/17) when they host Kent State. Action is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Woodling Gymnasium.