InterMat Staff

This weekend's Asics Walsh Ironman is viewed as one of the most anticipated in years. Defending national champion St. Paris Graham (Ohio) and perennial powerhouse Blair Academy (New Jersey) lead the pack of teams. RevWrestling.com has provided a weight-by-weight breakdown of the event, which takes place at Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio. 103 Pounds Leading the pack is top seed Nick Brascetta of St. Paris Graham (Ohio), who placed sixth in last year's Ironman. Right behind him is Fargo double national champion, super-frosh Mark Grey of Blair Academy (New Jersey). These two stand out as the front-runners in the first of several possible match-ups between Graham and Blair. Also, keep an eye on Cadet All-American Kevon Powell of Montini Catholic (Illinois). Those you know: Brascetta, Grey and Powell. Those you don't know: Corey Keener of Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania), Dominic Malone of Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania), and Mitch Baran of Brecksville Broadview-Heights (Ohio). Predicted championship match: Brascetta vs. Grey Hunter Stieber (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)112 Pounds This is the first of several outstanding weight classes at the Ironman. If defending champion Hunter Stieber of Monroeville (Ohio) wants to be champion again, he will definitely earn it. Standing in his way is second-seeded, Cadet All-American Devin Carter of Christiansburg (Virginia), third seeded Gus Sako of traditional powerhouse St. Edward (Ohio) and Cadet All-American Evan Silver of Blair Academy. Pennsylvania state runner-up Mason Beckman of Reynolds (Pennsylvania) is a tough draw as the No. 7 seed. Those you know: Stieber, Carter, Sako, Carter and Beckman Those you don't know: Jerome Robinson of St. Ignatius (Ohio), Geoff Alexander of Shady Side Academy (Pennsylvania) and Kegan Squire of Wadsworth (Ohio) Predicted championship match: Stieber vs. Beckman 119 Pounds Traditionally a strong weight class with several ranked wrestlers, 119 does not disappoint. Leading the field is Ohio state champion Jamie Clark of St. Edward (Ohio). Closely behind him … National Prep champion Sean Boyle of Blair Academy (New Jersey), and Cadet All-American Jesse Delgado of Gilroy (California). After those three, the depth drops off, but keep an eye on Oklahoma state runner-up Derek Steeley of Broken Arrow (Oklahoma), who is a dangerous draw at the No. 8 seed. Those you know: Clark, Boyle, Delgado, Steeley Those you don't know: Shane Gentry of Colonial Forge (Virginia), Gabe Gomez of Broomfield (Colorado), and James Ingrham of University School (Ohio) Predicted championship match: Clark vs. Boyle 125 Pounds This weight class lost some of its thunder with Logan Stieber of Monroeville (Ohio) and Martin Gonzalez of Gilroy (California) both out with injuries, but there are still several nationally-ranked wrestlers competing. Sam White of Massillon Perry (Ohio) and Zach Neibert of St. Paris Graham (Ohio) are the clear favorites. White defeated Neibert during last year's tournament, so this gives something fans can look forward to. Simon Kitzis of Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania) is an entertaining wrestler and should test Neibert in the semifinals. Those you know: White, Neibert and Kitzis Those you don't know: Pat Owens of Germantown Academy (Pennsylvania), Brandon Westerman of McEachern (Georgia) and Garrett Frey of Blair Academy (New Jersey) Predicted championship match: White vs. Neibert 130 Pounds What a weight class! At the top is 2006 Ironman champion Tony Ramos of Glenbard North (Illinois). Close behind is 2007 Ironman champion Chris Villalonga of Blair Academy (New Jersey) and Luke Goettl of Mingus (Arizona). For Ramos to reach the final, he may have to go through AAA Pennsylvania state champion Cort Choate of Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania), only a No. 8 seed, and super-frosh Felipe Martinez of St. Paris Graham (Ohio), who is the No. 13 seed. Villalonga could see Cadet-All American Cam Tessari of Monroeville (Ohio) in the quarters as well. Those you know: Villalonga, Ramos, Goettl, and Choate Those you don't know: Martinez, Frank Martellotti of Shady Side Academy (Pennsylvania), and Devon Brown of Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania) Predicted championship match: Villalonga vs. Ramos 135 Pounds Another brutal weight class which shows why Ironman is the premier high school folkstyle tournament. The top seed is three-time Ironman champion David Taylor of St. Paris Graham (Ohio), who has moved up four weight classes from last season. Seeded No. 2 is Josh Kindig of Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania), who lost to Taylor 1-0 in the finals of Super 32 last month. Jimmy Chase of Glenbard North (Illinois) is also looking to capitalize on his fourth-place finish the 2008 U.S. Olympic Tea Trials (Greco-Roman). In this weight class, there will be plenty of interesting early matchups. National Prep champ Austin Ormsbee of Blair Academy (New Jersey) is a tough draw as the No. 10 seed. Those you know: Taylor, Kindig, and Chase Those you don't know: Andrew Williams of Tabb (Virginia), Josh Chang of Mingus (AZ), and Zac Hancock of Troy Christian (Ohio) Predicted championship match: Taylor vs. Kindig 140 Pounds Fans everywhere are looking forward to seeing Collin Palmer of St. Edward (Ohio) and Andrew Alton of Central Mountain (Pennsylvania), but there are two other wrestlers who may have a say. Vlad Dombrovsky of Natomis (California) is a California state champion … and Dane Johnson of Shady Side Academy (Pennsylvania) is a two-time Pennsylvania state champion. The semfinals of this weight class should be exciting. Keep an eye on California state runner-up Kyle West of Oak Ridge (California), who will be a sleeper at the No. 10 seed. Those you know: Palmer, Alton, Dombrovsky, and Johnson Those you don't know: West, Raider Lofthouse of Mountain Crest (UT), and Jordan Thome of Troy Christian (Ohio) Predicted championship match: Palmer vs. Alton Brad Squire (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)145 Pounds Dylan Alton of Central Mountain (Pennsylvania) is a clear favorite here at 145. Seth Horner of Massillon Perry (Ohio) and Brad Squire of Wadsworth (Ohio) will make things interesting, but Alton is the class of this weight class. Those you know: Alton, Horner Squire Those you don't know: Brian Stephens of St. Paris Graham (Ohio), Pierce Harger of Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) and Weston Lymangrover of Mingus (Arizona). Predicted championship match: Alton vs. Squire 152 Pounds This is one of the few weight classes without a clear favorite. Leading the pack is top-seeded David Habat of St. Ignatius (Ohio). Next is Fargo champion Brandon Rolnick of Lawrenceville (New Jersey) and Cadet All-American Zach Skates of Broken Arrow (Oklahoma). Keep an eye on super-frosh Jason Luster of Woodbury Forest (Virginia), who may surprise people as the No. 11 seed. Those you know: Habat, Rolnick, and Skates Those you don't know: Luster, Adam Hogue of Blair Academy (New Jersey) and Isiah Meade of Caesar Rodney (DE) Predicted championship match: Habat vs. Skates 160 Pounds Again, another weight class that is totally up for grabs. Kyle Lang of Brecksville-Broadview Heights (Ohio) is the top seed, but Zach Toal of Troy Christian (Ohio) and Riley Kilroy of Padua Franciscan (Ohio) will challenge him for the title. Keep an eye on No. 11 seed Jesse Shanaman of Blair Academy (New Jersey) and No. 12 seed Justin Armstrong of Bishop Lynch (TX). Both will make runs at this weight. Those you know: Kilroy, Lang, and Toal Those you don't know: Shanaman, Armstrong, and Kyle Ryan of St. Paris Graham (Ohio) Predicted championship match: Armstrong vs. Toal Chris Phillips (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)171 Pounds Arguably the most interesting weight class of the tournament. Many remember Chris Phillips of Monroeville (Ohio) stealing the show by winning the tournament last year as a freshman at this weight. If he is to repeat, he must go through Ed Ruth of Blair Academy (New Jersey) and Ethan Lofthouse of Mountain Crest (Utah). Fourth-seeded Nick Hefflin of Massillon Perry (Ohio) could also be a sleeper at this weight. Those you know: Ruth, Phillips, Lofthouse Those you don't know: Hefflin, James Mannier of St. Paris Graham (Ohio), and Michael Harvey of Germantown Academy (Pennsylvania) Predicted championship match: Lofthouse vs. Ruth. 189 Pounds Max Huntley of Blair Academy (New Jersey) and Max Thomusseit of St. Paris Graham (Ohio) lead the pack here. Nick Mills of University School (Ohio) should test Thomusseit in the semfinals, but look for a potential Graham-Blair final in what should have a huge impact on the team race. Keep an eye on unseeded, Virginia state runner-up Billy Curling of Great Bridge (Virginia), who could surprise some people in the early rounds. Those you know: Mills, Huntley, Thomusseit Those you don't know: Curling, Roman SanDoval of Shady Side Academy (Pennsylvania) and Carl Foreside of Montini Catholic (Illinois) Predicted championship match: Huntley vs. Thomusseit 215 Pounds Joe McMullen of Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania) is the favorite here. Oklahoma state runner-up Terry Williamson of Broken Arrow (Oklahoma) is another wrestler to keep an eye on. Ryan Nelisse of Elyria (Ohio) could also make be a threat to win this weight class. Those you know: McMullen, Williamson, Nelisse Those you don't know: Mike Green of St. Edward (Ohio), Grant Goebel of Montini Catholic (Illinois), and Ben Krakower of Blair Academy (New Jersey) Predicted championship match: McMullen vs. Williamson 285 Pounds Jeremy Johnson of Brecksville-Broadview Heights (Ohio) is the clear favorite here. Will Ringer of Reynolds (Pennsylvania) and James Meder of Valley Forge (Ohio) will try to stand in Johnson's way. Those you know: Johnson, Ringer and Meder Those you don't know: Michael McMullen of Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania), Zack Corl of Central Mountain (Pennsylvania), and Zach Hanson Parkersburg South (West Virginia) Predicted championship match: Johnson vs. Ringer Team race: In a close race, look for Blair Academy to overtake St. Paris Graham to re-claim their spot as the No. 1 team in the nation. Keep an eye on steadily improving Wadsworth, who should have a good showing as well.

LANCASTER, Pa. -- The Bucknell wrestling team went on the road for a dual match for the first time this season and it came away with a 32-3 victory at Franklin & Marshall on Tuesday night. The Bison, who improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 against EIWA foes, won the first nine individual bouts and was on verge of its first shutout since last January. Bucknell wrestlers picked up one pin, two major decisions and six decisions and it is now 3-0 against the Diplomats since the program was reinstated prior to the 2006-07 campaign. The average score of those three matches is 35-5. The victory was the 23rd of Bison head coach Dan Wirnsberger's tenure, moving him into second place on Bucknell's career wins list. Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) got things started for the Bison with an 11-0 major decision over Stephen Sabreen at 125. Reber improved to 5-1 in duals this season with four of the victories by shutout. He is tied with Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway), who posted an 11-4 win at 165 pounds, for the most duals wins on the team. Wrestling at 133 pounds in place of David Marble (Harpursville, Pa./Harpursville) was Jose Matos (Williamstown, N.J./St. Augustine Prep). In his first career action at that weight, Matos recorded the only pin of the night, dropping Matt Murray in 4:40. It was the fourth pin of the year for Matos, who did not record one as a freshman in 2007-08. Adam Healey (Wilkes Barre, Pa./Wyoming Seminary), Kevin LeValley (Hugo, Colo./Limon), Scott Sechler (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh), No. 14-ranked Rendos and Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) posted successive wins by decision for the Bison to stretch the lead to 24-0. The closest of those bouts was Riccio's 6-3 win at 174 pounds. David Thompson (West Liberty, Ohio/Graham Local), who has alternated wins and losses over his last seven matches, picked up his eighth win of the year at 184 pounds with a 14-4 major decision over James Schulz. It was the first major decision of the year for Thompson, who evened his record at 3-3 in duals with the win. Wrestling at 197, Jay Hahn (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) kept the shutout possibility alive with a 9-4 decision against Colin Ely as Bucknell went up 32-0. However, Nicolas Somers earned Franklin & Marshall's (0-3, 0-2 EIWA) lone victory with an 8-1 decision opposite Nathan Jones (Sidney, Ohio/Troy Christian) at heavyweight. Jones, a freshman who typically wrestles at 197, was moved up a weight class. Bucknell will return to tournament competition this weekend at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. The two-day event runs Dec. 5-6.

THIS WEEK The top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0) will put their 22-match winning streak on the line when it hosts intra-state rival Iowa State (3-0) Saturday at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes will try to pack the house to recapture the current national dual meet attendance record. The current record of 15,646 was set by Minnesota on Feb. 1, 2002, when the Golden Gophers hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and University of Iowa students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and UI students, and $2 for children ages five and under. The 1,000 general admission seats set aside for UI students has been sold out. UI students may purchase a reserved seat ticket at the youth price at the Iowa Athletic Ticket Office window, which is located on the concourse level of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. To order tickets contact the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. Fans are encouraged to wear black as the dual has been designated as a "Black Out" meet. It will also be the sixth event in this season's Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa leads the series, 7-4. While Carver-Hawkeye holds 15,500 fans for a dual wrestling meet, University of Iowa officials have secured special permission from local authorities to sell standing room only and restricted vision tickets around the top perimeter of the facility in an attempt to break the attendance record. Iowa City was home to the national dual meet attendance record for almost 19 years before Minnesota's record-breaking crowd in 2002. The Hawkeyes had 15,283 fans when they hosted Iowa State on Feb. 19, 1983. Iowa broke that record on Feb. 22, 1992, when 15,291 fans filled Carver-Hawkeye to watch the Hawkeyes and Cyclones. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. Live audio broadcasts are also available online at www.hawkeyesports.com using the XXL All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 yer year). Television - The dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television, while the Big Ten Network will have a same day delayed broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye wrestling coach Dan Gable will call the action for IPTV and the BTN. ITPV is in its 33rd year of broadcasting college wrestling. Internet - Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and live video broadcasts from home duals are available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live scoring for home meets, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Live Results link. Results will be updated after each bout during the dual. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. IOWA STATE CYCLONES Iowa State is ranked second in the most recent USA Today/NWCA/Intermat Top 25 national coaches poll and third in W.I.N. Magazine's national dual team rankings. The Cyclones are 3-0 with wins over Utah Valley State (39-0), Wisconsin (27-7) and Arizona State (24-11). Head Coach Cael Sanderson is 32-7 in his third year at Iowa State. The Cyclone alum earned an Olympic gold medal in 2004 and is only the second four-time national champion in NCAA history. He is assisted by his older brother, Cody, and Casey Cunningham. Eight Cyclones bring undefeated records to Saturday's dual, and six are returning all-Americans. Juniors Jake Varner (197) is the nation's top-ranked 197-pounder and a two-time all-American. Juniors Nick Gallick (141) and David Zabriskie (Hwt.) are each ranked second in the nation, while sophomore Jon Reader (165) is ranked third. Help the Hawkeyes set a new NCAA dual meet attendance record. Purchase your Iowa-Iowa State tickets now by clicking HERE or by calling 1-800 IA-HAWKS. THE SERIES Iowa leads the series, 55-16-2, and has won the last three meetings. The Hawkeyes hold a 28-5-1 advantage in matches wrestled in Iowa City. Iowa's last win in the series was 20-13 last season in Ames, while Iowa State's last win was 19-16 in Iowa City in 2005. HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are the past series results for potential Iowa-Iowa State matchups: 133 - Joe Slaton (I) is 2-0 vs. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) Slaton dec. Fanthorpe, 6-5, at 2007-08 dual Slaton dec. Fanthorpe, 2-1 TB, at 2008 NCAA's 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) is 1-0 vs. Mitch Mueller (ISU) Metcalf maj. dec. Mueller, 14-4, at 2007-08 dual 174 - Jay Borschel (I) is 1-0 vs. Duke Burk (ISU) Borschel maj. dec. Burk, 10-1, at 2007 Midlands Hwt. - Dan Erekson (I) is 0-1 vs. David Zabriskie (ISU) Zabriskie dec. Erekson, 3-1, at 2007 Cyclone Open PERSONNEL NOTES • Iowa junior Brent Metcalf (149) and Iowa State sophomore Jon Reader (165) were high school teammates at Davison High School in Davison, MI. Metcalf was a four-time state champion, while Reader won three state titles. Both were part of four state champion teams during their prep careers. • Hawkeye redshirt freshman Jordan Johnson (197/Hwt.) and Cyclone sophomore Tyler Clark (125) and redshirt freshman Billy Lewis (174) were prep teammates at Bettendorf High School in 2006-07. • Iowa State junior Mitch Mueller (149) is an Iowa City native who competed for Iowa City West High School. • Hawkeyes Matt and Mark Ballweg (157, 141) and Cyclone freshman Eric Thompson (Hwt.) were high school teammates at Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly, IA. The Ballwegs and Thompson each won two state titles. Waverly-Shell Rock won the Class 3A state tournament and dual team titles in 2005 and 2008. HY-VEE CY-HAWK SERIES This dual is the sixth event in the the fifth annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk series. Iowa leads the series, 7-4, after scoring wins in football, soccer and women's cross country. Fans can follow the progress of this year's 12-event series at www.hy-veecyhawkseries.com. The series awards two points (except football, which is worth three) to the winning school in each head-to-head match-up between the two institutions. Additionally, two points are awarded to an institution if the graduation rate of its student-athletes is greater than the national average as reported each fall by the NCAA. A commemorative Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series Cup, which stands 31 inches tall and weighs 19 pounds, is displayed on the winning team's campus for an entire year after a victory. Replica cups are also presented as "traveling trophies" for individual victorious teams in the head-to-head competition. The University of Iowa captured the inaugural Cy-Hawk Series in 2005 registering a 13-8 margin of victory. Iowa State evened the competition with its own 13-8 triumph in 2006. The Hawkeyes responded with a 13-8 win in 2007. Iowa State captured the fourth competition, 18-9, last season. LAST MEETING - IOWA 20, IOWA STATE 13 Fourth-ranked Iowa knocked off top-ranked Iowa State, 20-13, Dec. 9 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. A sold-out crowd of 8,988 saw Iowa improve to 5-0 and hand Iowa State (6-1) its first loss of the season. The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 13-0 lead with wins at the first four weights. Hawkeye junior Charlie Falck scored an 8-4 decision over Cyclone redshirt freshman Mark Kist at 125 to open the dual. Iowa sophomore Joe Slaton handed Iowa State's Nick Fanthorpe his first loss of the season with a 6-5 win at 133. Sophomore Dan LeClere followed with a 3-1 win over Nick Gallick at 141 to give Iowa a 9-0 advantage, and sophomore Brent Metcalf scored the first bonus points of the dual with a 14-4 major decision over Iowa City native Mitch Mueller at 149. Iowa State put its first team points on the board when sophomore Cyler Sanderson scored a 10-5 decision over sophomore Ryan Morningstar at 157. Sanderson took Morningstar to his back with over one minute remaining in the match, but Morningstar held on to avoid the pin. Iowa State struck first after the intermission when redshirt freshman Jon Reader scored a 7-3 decision over Iowa redshirt freshman Jake Kerr at 165. Kerr was wrestling for Hawkeye starter Mark Perry, who was serving a one-meet suspension after being disqualified for misconduct during Iowa's Nov. 24 dual with Old Dominion. Hawkeye sophomore Jay Borschel scored crucial team points with an 18-7 win over Aron Scott at 174. The Cyclones rallied with wins at 184 and 197 to make the score 17-13. Iowa State sophomore Jake Varner improved his undefeated mark to 6-0 with a 4-1 win over Hawkeye sophomore Phillip Keddy at 184, and senior David Bertolino scored a 16-5 major decision over sophomore Chad Beatty at 197. Hawkeye senior Matt Fields sealed the team win with a 6-3 decision over sophomore David Zabriskie at heavyweight. Iowa 20, Iowa State 13 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Mark Kist (ISU), 8-4 133 - Joe Slaton (I) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 6-5 141 - Dan LeClere (I) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 3-1 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) maj. dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 14-4 157 - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 10-5 165 - Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Jake Kerr (I), 7-3 174 - Jay Borschel (I) maj. dec. Aron Scott (ISU), 18-7 184 - Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 4-1 197 - David Bertolino (ISU) maj. dec. Chad Beatty (I), 16-5 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) dec. David Zabriskie (ISU), 6-3 HAWKEYES GO 4-0 AT JOURNEYMEN DUALS Top-ranked Iowa improved to 8-0 on the 2008-09 season with four wins at the 2008 Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals last Saturday in Troy, NY. Iowa beat Binghamton (48-0), Maryland (34-6), Central Michigan (27-6) and Bloomsburg (39-3) at the 17-team event. Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 60th career win against Bloomsburg, and the Hawkeyes extended their dual winning streak to 22 matches. As a team, Iowa went 35-5 in the four duals. Senior Charlie Falck (125) and juniors Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) each went 4-0 on the day. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Dan Erekson (Hwt.) were also undefeated at 3-0, while juniors Joe Slaton (133), Dan LeClere (141) and Luke Lofthouse (197) each went 1-0. Falck and Tsirtsis picked up their 75th collegiate career victories - Falck with his 10-2 major decision over Maryland's Brendan Byrne and Tsirtsis with his 3-2 win over Central Michigan's Eric Kruger. Metcalf extended his own winning streak to 40 collegiate matches on one technical fall, one pin and two decisions. Keddy and Borschel each picked up milestone career wins against Bloomsburg, with Keddy scoring his 50th with a 1:22 pin of Jesse Hassemen and Borschel recording his 40th with a 9-2 decision over Nathan Graham. HAWKEYE WRESTLING TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. When Iowa hosts Iowa State, tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and University of Iowa students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and University of Iowa students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages five and under. The 1,000 general admission seats reserved for University of Iowa students has been sold out. UI students may purchase a reserved seat ticket at the youth price at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office window, which is located on the concourse level of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Against Wisconsin, Illinois, Bucknell and Purdue, tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets purchased at the meet are $12 for adults, $6 for youth. University of Iowa students and children ages five and under will be admitted free. Against Minnesota, tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Due to the possibility of a sellout crowd, the first 1,000 general admission University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge after they log-in to their student account at www.hawkeyesports.com to reserve a seat and download a free paper ticket. After that allotment is sold out, students may purchase reserved seats at the youth price. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 163-18 (.90) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. HAWKEYES LOOK TO EXTEND DUAL WINNING STREAK Iowa has won its last 22 duals, and its last 19 duals away from Iowa City. The school record for overall consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97), and for consecutive away duals wins is 31 (1994-97). The 19 straight away duals ranks second in school history. H. A. W. K. CLUB PARTIES After 15 years at the First Avenue Club, the post-meet H.A.W.K. club parties will have a new location for the 2008-09 season. All parties will be held on the second floor of Kinnick Stadium's Brechler Pressbox. Using the Gate D entrance, take one of the elevators to the second floor, take a left out of the elevator and another left at the hallway. The party dates are as follows: Dec. 6 (Iowa State), Jan. 23 (Wisconsin), Jan. 30 (Bucknell) and Feb. 15 (Minnesota). CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Jared Frayer earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 11 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.858). OH BROTHER The two sets of brothers on the 2008-09 Hawkeye wrestling roster are junior Dan LeClere and redshirt freshman Nick LeClere from Coggon, IA, and sophomore Matt Ballweg and freshman Mark Ballweg from Waverly, IA. There have been 10 sets of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye lineup since the 1950s. They are Don and Tom Huff (1961), Mark and Scott Trizzino (1981), Lenny, Larry and Jim Zalesky (1981-82), Ed and Lou Banach (1981-83), Marty and Lindley Kistler (1984-85), Jim and John Heffernan (1987), Tom and Terry Brands (1989-92), Troy and Terry Steiner (1991-93), Ryan and Randy Fulsaas (2001) and Luke and Ty Eustice (2003-04). There have also been five sets of twins to wrestle at Iowa. They are Ed and Lou Banach, Tom and Terry Brands, Ben and Brett Stedman, Troy and Terry Steiner and Randy and Ryan Fulsaas. NEXT UP Iowa will face Northern Iowa (0-0) Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in Cedar Falls. The dual will be held at the McLeod Center, and will be aired live on Iowa Public Television. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye wrestling coach Dan Gable will call the action for IPTV. Tickets ($10) are available at the McLeod Ticket Office at 319-273-4849, 877-216-3663 or www.unitix.uni.edu.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Colorado freshman 149-pounder Mitchell Polkowske (LaJara, Colo./Centennial HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. UNC's Polkowske continued his winning streak, winning all three bouts at the Northern Duals. He opened the day with a 12-0 major decision over Minnesota's Joe Grygelko for the Bears only points in the dual. He then won a 13-5 major decision over Ryan Adams of North Dakota State and finished the day with a 16-0 technical fall over Portland State's Steven Dailey. Polkowske has won 12 straight matches and is 12-1 on the season as a true freshman. 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. Others nominated: South Dakota State - Jason Stripling, Sr., Hwt, Minneota, Minn. (Minneota HS) 2008-09 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 11 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) Nov. 18 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) Nov. 25 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) Dec. 2 - Mitchell Polkowske (UNC)

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature 1987 NCAA champion Stewart Carter and Kyle Klingman, who was recently awarded the WIN Magazine 2008 Journalist of the Year. Waterloo, Iowa native Stewart Carter was a four time state qualifier and three-time state place winner for Columbus High School in the early 1980s. Carter went on to Iowa State University where he won an NCAA title as a senior at 158 pounds in 1987. Carter was one of four Cyclones to win NCAA titles that year in College Park, MD, and Iowa State also won the team title, snapping Iowa's string of nine in a row. Carter and his family live in Cedar Falls, IA, and he is employed by John Deere. Kyle Klingman recently began working for Media Sports Productions in Minneapolis, MN, in September. Klingman was the associate director at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum for six years prior to his current position. He was named Journalist of the Year this summer by WIN Magazine, where his insightful columns can be read in each issue. Klingman formerly hosted the "On the Mat" program and he has been a leader in the promotion of wrestling for several years. On the Mat" can be heard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The start time for Oklahoma State's wrestling dual against Northern Colorado on Friday, Dec. 5 has been moved from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m., it was announced today. The move is made to help wrestling fans avoid some of the congestion anticipated around the OSU Athletics Center with the Class 6A High School Football Championship game being played in Boone Pickens Stadium at 7 p.m.

University of Oklahoma head wrestling coach Jack Spates will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Tuesday, December 2. 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. Spates is in his 16th season as the head wrestling coach at the University of Oklahoma. He has led the Sooners to Big Twelve titles (1999 and 2006) and six top four finishes at the NCAA tournament. Spates was also named National Coach of the Year in 2006. This season, the Sooners are 3-0 in dual meets and will face in-state rival Oklahoma State in Norman on December 7. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 – 8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv.

By just about any yardstick, Kellen Russell had an impressive first year wrestling for the University of Michigan during the 2007-2008 season. Among his accomplishments: Recorded the best start for a Wolverine true freshman in the long history of the program, with 18 consecutive wins. Compiled a 14-5 record among ranked competition. Defeated eventual NCAA champ J. Jaggers of Ohio State in the finals at the Cliff Keen Invitational. Won the 141-pound title at the 2008 Big Ten conference championships … and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Kellen Russell was named the 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Photo/University of Michigan Sports Information)Sophomore year can be challenging for any college wrestler, even one as accomplished as Russell, who right now is ranked fifth at 141 pounds in RevWrestling.com's rankings. After getting an overtime victory over Lehigh's Seth Ciasulli in his first match of the 2008-2009 season on November 21, the next day Russell was pinned by Rick Rappo of the University of Pennsylvania. Russell had been leading throughout the match until the fall towards the end of the second period. Both Kellen Russell and his head coach at Michigan, Joe McFarland, recognize the challenge of that second season when you're no longer the new guy with all the surprises. "Last year was a great year for me," according to Russell in an interview before the eastern road trip. "I started strong. I was able to catch some guys off-guard. But I have to change my style, work on being more aggressive." "Some guys get stagnant, do the same old things," says coach McFarland. "(Kellen's) working on things, constantly improving, wanting to develop further as a wrestler." Driven to succeed from the start Continuous improvement may be part of Kellen Russell's wrestling DNA, as it was a factor even early in his mat career. "I started wrestling when I was five or six years old," says the product of High Bridge, New Jersey. "Dad was a high school coach when I was little." "After fifth grade, I decided to leave the school program and wrestled exclusively in a club," Russell continues. "It was an opportunity to work on technique, and have more varied opponents, which also helped me improve my wrestling." When asked how he came to wrestle at the Blair Academy -- the top-ranked prep wrestling program in the nation -- Kellen replies, "Coach (Jeff) Buxton's son started coming to my wrestling club … I started working out (at Blair) before high school." "I thought it was a good choice academically and athletically." Before coming to Michigan, Kellen Russell was a standout at Blair Academy (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"It was kinda rough the first couple months. There's so much talent in the wrestling room, you're bound to get beat up. But, as you get older and prove yourself, you get more respect." While at Blair, Kellen Russell compiled an impressive 147-7 record. Among his achievements in prep school: Three-time National Prep champion in 2004, 2006 and 2007 … two-time Walsh Ironman finalist, winning the championship in 2006 … and three-time finalist at Beast of the East, claiming the title in 2005. In addition, he won the 130-pound crown at the 2007 Senior Nationals, the Junior National title at 130 in 2006, and the Cadet National championship at 125 in 2005. To top it all off, Kellen Russell was named Northeastern Region recipient of the 2007 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. This honor acknowledges more than on-the-mat prowess; it also signifies outstanding achievement in the classroom, as well as character, citizenship, and community service. Ask Russell to pick a favorite moment of his time at Blair Academy, and he responds, "The cap of my high school career was winning the nationals (2007 NHSCA Senior Nationals). I wrestled and beat (Tyler) Nauman who I had lost to earlier. It proved that I was the top 130-pounder in the country." From Blair to Michigan So, how did a guy from New Jersey end up wrestling at the University of Michigan? Joe McFarland"I looked at a number of schools my junior year, including Oklahoma State and Lehigh," says Kellen Russell. "I was contacted by Michigan. Coaches (Joe) McFarland and (Mike) Kulczycki came to Blair." Michigan head coach Joe McFarland picks up the story: "Coach Buxton told me we need to get some Blair kids, especially Kellen Russell. So we watched him at Blair. We liked what we saw, and invited him to see us." "When I came here, I was impressed right away," says the Wolverine sophomore. "The campus is beautiful, I like the town." "Another reason I chose Michigan: I could wrestle off at 141. I didn't want to redshirt." A fantastic freshman year Kellen Russell sums up the move from small prep school to super-sized Big Ten campus this way: "To go from 450 students at Blair to 40,000 here at Michigan, well, that was a jump. But after a couple months, I felt right at home. It was easy to find my way around." "I got along with the kids on the team right from the start," Russell continues. "To have guys like Josh Churella and Mike Kulczycki as workout partners, you can't beat that. It's a great environment." As a true freshman, Russell found his place as the 141-pound starter, and made immediate contributions to the Wolverine wrestling program. During the 2007-2008 season, Russell built a 32-7 overall record, 19-5 in dual-meet competition … rolling up 18 straight wins. Those statistics earned him a place in the history books as having the best start as a true freshman in the nearly ninety years of wrestling at the University of Michigan. "It was a great year for me," says Russell. "I started strong." His strong start was demonstrated in his very first college bout, a 16-1 victory over Dave Harris of College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati). Another early highlight: winning the 141-pound title at the Cliff Keen Invitational December 1, 2007. In March 2008, Russell defeated Minnesota's Manny Rivera in the 141-pound finals of the Big Ten championships to win the conference crown. He also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. "It was a good experience. I wrestled my matches my way." "I had been ill part of the dual-meet season, when we were competing against Big Ten schools. I wrestled through it, but wasn't at my best. So it was good to prove myself against Big Ten competition." Kellen Russell beat J Jaggers to win the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December, but lost to the Buckeye when it mattered most … at the NCAA Championships in March (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)A couple weeks after winning the Big Ten title, it was off to St. Louis for the 2008 NCAAs, which Russell describes as "a disappointment." "On the second day, I let my nerves take over. I let my loss to J. Jaggers affect me." After losing to the Ohio State Buckeye -- and eventual 141 national champ -- in the quarterfinals, the third-seeded Russell found himself in the consolation bracket … where, in his first match in the conseys, lost to tenth-seeded Cody Cleveland of University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and did not place. "It was a good learning lesson." A style evolution Ask Kellen Russell to describe his wrestling style, and here's his response: "I'm similar to most Big Ten guys. Handfight real hard … Good scrambling ability. I don't mind rolling around, using my hips when on the mat in a scramble." In his assessment of his 141-pound sophomore, Michigan coach Joe McFarland concurs: "Very athletic. Great hips. Comes out on top from scramble position well. Good in all positions. Especially good on top, neutralizing the other guy." Russell is never satisfied. "I plan to focus on being more aggressive, more offense-oriented. I hope to dominate opponents, score extra team points." "The more action he can create, the more he can achieve," says McFarland. "He continues to develop." What's next? What's life beyond the mat hold for Kellen Russell? Last season, Kellen Russell built a 32-7 record … rolling up 18 straight wins (Photo/University of Michigan Sports Information)"I like to go fishing. I just started fly fishing, which I really enjoy. Been out to Montana. Around here, I stick with traditional spinners and lures." Right now, Russell is working towards a major in physical education. "Dad was a gym teacher. I could see myself as a high school or college coach." After graduation -- and before possibly stepping into a coaching role -- Kellen Russell isn't ready to step off the wrestling mat just yet. "I'd like to keep competing freestyle. I enjoy freestyle. I'd like to travel around the world, try out for the U.S. Olympic and World Teams." For a wrestler like Kellen Russell who's constantly seeking to improve himself, those goals may be well within reach.

"In the vast frozen expanse of America's heartland burns the heart of a champion." That's the first sentence of text on the back cover of To Be The Best, the new novel from H.L. Hertel that tells the story of Ron and Nick Castle, Midwestern brothers who dream of being high school state wrestling champs. This 191-page book, geared for readers of all ages including junior and senior high students, is now available from H.H. Castle-Mac Publishing. Meet the author H.L. Hertel has written for the business world -- annual reports, business cases, and other internal corporate communications. To Be The Best is his first work of fiction. But, as the Twin Cities-based writer puts it, "It's a story that has been in my mind for years. Every chance I'd get, I'd write a piece of it down. The story grew and grew. The first half of my story became To Be The Best." H.L. Hertel"It originally started as a screenplay. Over the last five years, I turned it into a novel." When asked what fueled the book, Hertel responds, "It reflects how passionate I was about wrestling in high school -- the thousands, tens of thousands of hours I devoted to it." Yes, H.L. Hertel was a wrestler. He took up the sport in junior high school, and earned a spot on the varsity team at his high school in North Dakota. Interestingly, in high school, Hertel was also on the tennis team his sophomore year, but describes wrestling as "my main sport in high school." After high school, Hertel competed in intramural competition in college, winning an intramural title. Wrestling remains in Hertel's blood. "I have two nephews in the sport. I still go to a few duals and tournaments each year." Why a wrestling novel? "There's a natural drama to wrestling," says Hertel. "Weight cutting, the head-to-head competition, the dramatic end-of-match scoring, the work ethic and dedication to prosper in the sport." "You have to work hard to prosper, but you also have to have confidence and focus." "I think about one match in particular in my own experience, how I had failed to match up with a specific opponent in the past. For some reason, when I stepped on the mat against him for this particular match, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to win. That's part of the drama of the sport, that it goes beyond physical ability. The mental aspects are critical to success." "The audience that enjoys the book is beyond what I expected," the author continues. "I thought the core group of readers would be junior and high school wrestlers, but it is also resonating with and reaching adults who don't have a connection to wrestling." "It may be like the folks who went to the movie Miracle (about the U.S. Olympic hockey team who won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics)," says Hertel. "Probably a small percentage of them were hockey fans." "I've had people tell me they've read the novel in two nights … People seem to be connecting with the characters." Brothers of the mat To Be The Best opens with a prologue, featuring the two Castle brothers, Ron and Nick, as young boys, sitting in the stands of a high school wrestling event with their dad William, once a wrestler himself. Both are caught up in the action -- both vowing to someday "be the best" and take their place on top of the victory stand like the champions they've just seen in the gym. Here's how author H.L. Hertel describes his two main protagonists: "Ron, the older brother, is a natural wrestling superstar. Nick is a shy kid. He doesn't have the natural ability of his brother." "Ron suffers an injury. Nick now has more pressure to be infallible like his brother." Keeping it real for fans and non-fans alike A number of novels have incorporated high school wrestling into their plotlines, including well-read titles such as Wrestling Sturbridge and VisionQuest. "It never crossed my mind to compare my book to anyone else's," says the author of To Be The Best. "I've had this story in mind for quite a while." "Many matches in the book are based on actual matches, ones I experienced on the mat or from sitting in the stands." "I try to make things as real as possible, but not laden with wrestling terminology," according to Hertel. "Even people who don't know the sport will be able to read about a 'standing switch' and they'll understand what's happening." Here's an example of the author's ability to deftly describe a high school match in terms anyone -- including a non-fan -- can understand: Aggression was paying off for the wrestler in green. He managed to turn his opponent to his back and was holding him as the referee watched closely. At this point, all it would take was for red's shoulder blades to touch the mat for an instant. That would be a pin and the match would be over. After eight seconds on his back, the red wrestler was able to return to his stomach and temporary safety. "Near fall, three points green," bellowed the ref. William felt the familiar tug on his left hand. He glanced down at Nick, whose curiosity allowed him to briefly break his stare and whisper, "Daddy, what was that?" Squeezing the boy's hand, William explained, loud enough for Ron to hear as well, that a 'near fall' was also known as 'back points'. It was a reward, in the form of two or three points, which was given to a wrestler who holds his opponent's back to the mat but does not succeed in pinning him. Hertel describes how that explanatory style was put to the test: "I had test readers -- wrestlers and former wrestlers. I asked them to pick it apart." Matters of time and place With that level of attention to detail in describing wrestling action and other elements of the sport, To Be The Best takes on a level of realism that might have some readers wondering, "Is it fiction, or is it someone's real-life story?" "At first I wanted to set (the story) in my hometown in North Dakota," according to Hertel. "But I purposefully left it vague for readers who want to picture it in their own minds, based on what they know." "I tried to leave the location vague. Somewhere in the Midwest. I used generic, anywhere school names." Hertel had similar thoughts about when the novel is set in time: "I tried to be vague about time -- sometime from the late 1980s to present-day. There are things like the rules and weight classes that put it in that time frame. I was seeking something timeless, of just about any time or place." All those elements make the novel To Be The Best a worthy of consideration for wrestlers, their friends and families, as well as individuals who may not know the difference between a takedown and a touchdown, but have felt the competitive fire burn within their hearts. To learn more about To Be The Best, visit the official Web site www.hhcastle-mac.com which includes a segment of the book to read online. The book may be purchased at that website, or from www.amazon.com. It is also available for sale at wrestling events, where it can be used as a fundraiser for local wrestling programs. For details, visit the official Web site.

Takedownradio.com will broadcast the historic first ever home dual for the new Grand View University Viking wrestling program. December 3 will be a historic day for Grand View, its team and for wrestling. Tune in at 7 PM CST for a taste of what the future holds. Wrestling Program to Host First-Ever Home Dual; Dan Gable Guest of Honor The Grand View University wrestling program will host its first-ever home dual meet on December 3 against No. 13 Northwestern College. The match begins at 7 p.m. at the Sisam Arena on the Grand View campus. Legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable will be the guest of honor at the meet. Gable will address the crowd prior to the match. The evening will kick-off with an indoor tailgate where a chili dinner will be provided for Grand View faculty, staff, and students. The chili dinner is available to the public with a donation to the Grand View athletic department.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- On Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., the curtains come up on Northwestern's home wrestling schedule at Welsh-Ryan Arena, revealing a tantalizing match-up between the No. 10 Wildcats and instate rival Northern Illinois. Northwestern is seeking revenge for a 22-19 dual match loss suffered last year at the hands of the Huskies in DeKalb. Northwestern encourages all fans to come out to support the 'Cats in their attempt to break the school's single-match attendance record on High School Night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. All high school and junior high students with valid school ID will be admitted to the match for the discounted price of $2. High school and youth wrestling coaches who accompany their teams will also be admitted for $2. All high school teams in attendance will be recognized during the match's 10-minute intermission. Fans will also be treated to T-shirt tosses and other giveaways and entertainment throughout the evening. ON THE WEB Fans who can't make it out to Welsh-Ryan Arena can watch live streaming video of the dual match against Northern Illinois on NUsports.com. HONORING A CHAMPION Before the start of the match against Northern Illinois, Northwestern will honor 2008 heavyweight national champion Dustin Fox, as NU director of athletics Dr. Jim Phillips will be on hand to present Fox his Big Ten and NCAA champion rings. Fox is a native of Galion, Ohio and wrestled for Galion High School, where he was a two-time state champion and a Junior National Freestyle and Greco Roman Champion. He finished his high school career with 132 wins, which remains the school record at Galion High School. At Northwestern, Fox twice earned All-American honors and was a four-time NCAA qualifier. He also won the Midlands Championship, completing the triple crown of college wrestling his senior season. Fox wrapped up his college career with an amazing 109 victories at the heavyweight division, landing him eighth all-time in program history. SCOUTING THE HUSKIES Northern Illinois and Northwestern both competed at the Purdue Duals on Nov. 15, where NU posted a 3-0 mark. The Huskies posted a 35-4 win against Campbellsville but dropped its next two decisions to Tennessee-Chattanooga and Purdue. NIU is led by a host of young wrestlers, including redshirt sophomore Vince Castillo at 141 lbs., who is 6-1 on the year, as well as classmate Bryan Deutsch at 157 lbs., who placed fourth in the elite division of the recent Kaufman/Brand Open. At 197, NIU will likely throw redshirt freshman Scott Penny, a native of Granite City, Ill., who wrestled against Northwestern's John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) in their high school days and now will square off with him in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Huskies head coach Dave Grant is now in his 11th season at the helm for NIU and continually has his squad in the hunt for the Mid-American Conference title. BACK AT HOME Thursday marks a return to competition in Welsh-Ryan Arena for Northwestern's 2007 national champion and second-ranked Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny). Herbert did not wrestle for the 'Cats last season while taking an Olympic redshirt year, competing in Evanston only for the Midlands Championships, where he earned a second-place finish. Herbert is on a tear thus far in 2008, compiling a 9-0 record on the strength of five falls and two major decisions. GOOD AS GOULD Senior Marty Gould (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) is off to a solid start for Northwestern at 149 lbs. After posting just a 1-1 record in dual matches a year ago, Gould has won three of his four dual match starts to begin the 2008 campaign. Against Stanford, Gould posted an important 6-4 overtime victory against Max Rosefigura to help lift NU to a 25-15 team victory.

TakedownRadio.com will once again Head to Las Vegas, Nevada to broadcast the 27th edition of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas invitational. This is a FREE broadcast courtesy of our sponsors and the Churella Family.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Now in its 46th year, the Midlands Championships at Northwestern University has long been an event at which wrestling fans could see the nation's best wrestlers battle it out. But this year's edition of the Midlands, scheduled for Dec. 29-30 at NU's Welsh-Ryan Arena, features the most talented lineup of teams in tournament history, boasting a long list of elite programs from both coasts as well as America's heartland. "As usual, this year's Midlands Tournament is going to be very strong. It could go down as a historic event in the sense that so many recent NCAA Champions will be competing right here in Evanston," said Northwestern head coach and five-time Midlands champion Tim Cysewski. "This year is a little different because Midlands will be more important than ever in terms of qualifying for nationals, so it will be interesting to see who steps up and makes a name for themselves come late December." Northwestern wrestlers figure to compete for Midlands titles at a number of weight classes, including 184 where returning national champion Jake Herbert looks to become NU's first three-time champ at the prestigious event. Junior All-American Brandon Precin aims to improve on his second-place performance last season in the 125-pound class, which is again headlined by Indiana's Angel Escobedo. In addition, true freshman Jason Welch, who placed sixth at 157 lbs. in 2007 as a high school senior, will hit the mats with his sights set on the first Midlands title of his young career. Six other Big Ten Conference members—Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue—are set to join the Wildcats at Midlands. Iowa has maintained its place atop the USA Today/Intermat/NWCA team rankings, led by defending national champion and top-ranked Brent Metcalf, while Illinois checks in at No. 8. No. 12 Wisconsin is slated to rejoin the Midlands lineup, bolstered by No. 5 Dallas Herbst (197 lbs.) and third-ranked Kyle Massey (hwt.). Iowa State, which has been holding down the nation's No. 2 ranking behind Iowa, returns to Midlands after placing second as a team last season. Junior Jake Varner of the Cyclones won Midlands last season at 184 but this year is testing his talents at 197. ISU also had one runner-up and two third-place finishers at the 2007 Midlands. Another program returning to Midlands competition after an extended absence is Maryland under the direction of new head coach Kerry McCoy, formerly the head coach at Stanford. A year ago, the Terps posted a 5-0 record in the ACC to win the conference. The Terps are bolstered by No. 2 Hudson Taylor, who figures to be a primary challenger to Varner at 197 pounds. Arizona State head coach Thom Ortiz, now in his eighth season at the helm, will also be bringing his Sun Devils to the Midlands Championships for the first time in years. Joining Arizona State from the Pac-10 will be Oregon State, coached by former Iowa head man Jim Zalesky. No. 19 Old Dominion, which has finished second in the CAA conference tournament three years running, is also slated to join the competition at Midlands. ODU features redshirt sophomore All-American at 125 Jason Nicholson, who met Northwestern's Precin in the seventh-place match at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis last March. Other ranked teams in this year's field include No. 5 Missouri, No. 17 Central Michigan and No. 21 Pennsylvania. Former top Northwestern assistant Rob Eiter is in his first year in charge of the Quaker program after former Zeke Jones' departure to assume his duties with USA Wrestling. Tickets to Midlands can be purchased by calling 847-491-CATS.

LINCOLN -- Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Month, the conference office announced Monday. The honor is the first of Burroughs' career. Burroughs, a junior from Sicklerville, N.J., is one of seven Huskers undefeated on the season after he claimed two dual wins and an open tournament championship. An All-American last year at 149 pounds, Burroughs has moved to 157 pounds with relative ease this season. He opened with a 17-7 major decision over No. 19 Joey Knox in NU's dual win over Chattanooga on Nov. 20, and followed with an impressive performance at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 22. Burroughs went 4-0 on the day and knocked off former NCAA champion and sixth-ranked Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota 6-4 in the finals to take the title. Burroughs, previously 0-3 in his career against Schlatter, was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. Burroughs most recently earned an 18-7 major decision versus Oregon State's Jon Brascetta in NU's 34-8 dual win over the Beavers on Nov. 29. Burroughs stands at 6-0 on the season, including 2-0 in duals, with three major decisions and one pin. He has racked up 15 takedowns in his two dual appearances. The Huskers continue their season at the Las Vegas Invitational this weekend. Wrestling at the two-day tournament begins at 11 a.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday and Saturday.

DOVER -- Delaware State won six of 10 weight classes, including the last two contests, to earn a 20-16 victory over Franklin & Marshall in college wrestling in Memorial Hall this afternoon. The Hornets improved to 2-1 in duals meets this season, their most wins since the 2004-05 campaign. Delaware State trailed 16-13 before Shawn Nowrey won by major decision over Franklin & Marshall's Colin Ely (17-6) in the 197-pound match to give the Hornets a 17-16 lead. DSU's Jamar Beckett sealed the win with a 10-5 victory over Daniel Canfield in the 285-pound contest. Franklin & Marshall won the 125 and 133-pound matches to open up a 7-0 lead. Delaware State won the next four contests to pull ahead 13-7. Mike Moore recorded the first of the four consecutive wins with a 11-5 victory in the 141-pound match. DSU's Matt Cathell improved to 9-0 on the season with a 9-6 win at 149. Brandon Gardner posted the Hornets' third straight win with an 11-3 major decision at 157, while Kyle Robinson ended the run with a 7-6 win at 165.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team went 5-0 at the Hoosier Duals on Saturday. The team was led by freshman Matt Ortega, sophomores Eric Cameron and Paul Young, juniors Angel Escobedo and Nick Walpole, and senior Andrae Hernandez, who all went undefeated on the day. The Hoosiers won at least ten of 12 matches in all five duals, defeating Ohio 38-3, South Dakota State 46-3, Rutgers 29-9, Liberty 29-3 and the University of the Cumberlands 36-6. Hernandez recorded three major decisions and a pin on his way to a 5-0 day. Walpole defeated 16th-ranked Tim Harner of Liberty by a 6-4 tally for one of his four wins. In IU's last dual of the day, the team got two pins and three technical falls against Cumberlands with Young and Coughlin each recording 17-0 victories. Escobedo recorded a pin and a technical fall to open his 4-0 day, and Ortega had two pins and a major decision en route to his 5-0 tally. The Hoosiers return to action on Dec. 5 when they head to the Las Vegas Open. For complete coverage of IU wrestling, stay tuned to www. IUHoosiers.com.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad dominated its annual Oklahoma Open Saturday, claiming eight individual championships at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. The No. 19 Sooners (3-0 in duals) won eight straight championship finals beginning at 141 pounds, with five of those bouts matching teammates. Redshirt sophomore Zack Bailey, ranked 12th nationally, went 4-0 on the day at 141 pounds to claim first, defeating teammate Seth Vernon by a 7-3 decision in the finals. Kyle Terry, ranked No. 15, also was perfect on the day and defeated Sooner Will Rowe, 7-3, at 149 pounds. Terry was voted most valuable wrestler in the college division. Chad Terry and Ryan Smith also went 4-0 on the day at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Terry upset teammate and No. 14th-ranked Shane Vernon in the finals, winning 5-3, and Smith won a 3-2 decision over Alex Meade of Oklahoma State. The OU titles continued to roll at 174 pounds, with Jeff James posting an 11-7 victory over Kyle Barnett of Stanford. The redshirt sophomore has climbed to No. 9 in the nation, the best of his career. OU's Pat Flynn then defeated teammate Josh Hinton, 6-3, at 184 pounds, followed by a win by Eric Lapotsky over Jake Johnson of Stanford. The No. 8th-ranked junior recorded three falls in four total bouts on his way to the 197-pound title. Sooner Joe Bach ended the evening by defeating teammate Nathan Fernandez by a 3-2 decision at heavyweight. Ben Ashmore of Arizona State won the 125-pound title and Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State claimed the 133-pound championship. Also placing for Oklahoma was J.R. Roman at 125 pounds, claiming third. Oklahoma will return to dual action next Sunday, Dec. 7, against the Cowboys of Oklahoma State at 2 p.m., at the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman.

The No. 11 University of Minnesota wrestling team opened its dual meet season with a three-meet sweep over Portland State (54-0), Northern Colorado (42-4) and North Dakota State (36-6) at the Northern Quad on Saturday at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. Jayson Ness led the Minnesota effort with pins in each of his three matches at 133 pounds. Ness stuck Portland State's Thomas Cotterll in 2:13, Northern Colorado's Zach Maes in 2:33 and North Dakota State's Tyler Steinwand in 4:22. Ness, ranked first nationally at 133 pounds, owns a perfect 9-0 record this year with eight pins. The two-time All-American matched a school record last year when he recorded 20 pins on his way to a 39-2 record and an appearance in the national title match as a 125-pounder. Five other Gophers recorded perfect 3-0 records at the Northern Quad, including #18 Zach Sanders (125 pounds), #15 Tyler Safratowich (157 pounds), Scott Glasser (165 pounds), Kaleb Young (174 pounds) and Chris McPhail (197 pounds). Gophers' 141-pounder Mike Thorn, the reigning Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, also went unbeaten on Saturday. Thorn pinned PSU's Camrun Arkills in his first match of the afternoon and recorded a 9-3 decision victory over NDSU's Gabe Mooney in the Gophers' final dual of the day. With his two victories Saturday, Thorn ran his record to 11-0 this season. David Zilverburg also competed for the Gophers Saturday at 141 pounds. The Wayzata, MInn. recorded a pin over Northern Colorado's Lance Gallegos in 2:39, helping the Gophers to a 42-4 dual meet victory over the Bears. The Gophers were also a perfect 3-0 at the heavyweight class on Saturday, garnering a pair of wins from Hayward, Minn. native and 18th-ranked Ben Berhow. Berhow decisioned Portland State's Levi Copper 17-9 in the Gophers' opening match and pinned Northern Colorado's Justin Tuell in 6:54 to polish off a 42-4 Minnesota victory in the second dual of the afternoon. Sophomore Joe Nord pinned NDSU's Tyler Hemmesch in 2:51 to polish a 36-6 Minnesota victory in the final dual of the day. Redshirt freshmen Sonny Yohn (184 pounds) and Brian Peterson (149 pounds) also recorded wins in their only matches of the day. Yohn stuck Portland State's Brady Garner in just 29 seconds, while Peterson pinned the Vikings' Henry Kofa in 4:39 as the Gophers cruised to a 54-4 win in the opening dual of the day. The Gophers return to action next weekend. Minnesota will participate in the Las Vegas Invitational next Friday and Saturday in an individual tournament format.

Troy, N.Y. – Ranked as high as fifth in the nation, the Missouri wrestling team finished its four-dual run through the Northeast Duals with a spotless 4-0 record that included wins over No. 20 Old Dominion (29-9), Maryland (28-6), Harvard (38-7) and Brown (41-3). The Tigers improved to 7-0 on the season marking only the second time in five years that Missouri started out with seven consecutive wins. "I was happy with our performance today," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "We had a lot of guys step up and wrestle well. Marcus Hoehn is really doing a great job in our lineup. He had a big win in our first dual against Old Dominion and finished the day with four wins. The team is really starting to make improvements." Following its 29-9 victory over Old Dominion, in which two wrestlers, Hoehn and 133 pounder Todd Schavrien (Poway, Calif.) recorded upset victories, the Tigers went on to top Maryland, 28-6. Down 6-0 entering the 141 pound match, Hoehn came through with a 6-5 decision setting the Tigers on an eight match win streak that gave Missouri its second win of the afternoon. Hoehn held off 10th-ranked Ryan Williams of Old Dominion in his first match of the day and then knocked off No. 15 Alex Krom of Maryland. Missouri junior All-American Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) also managed an upset, besting second-ranked Hudson Taylor of Maryland, 9-4. Askren, who ranks as high as fifth in the nation, finished the day with a 4-0 record, one of nine Missouri wrestlers to manage a perfect performance at the Northeast Duals. The Tiger's third dual came against Harvard. Improving to 3-0 all-time against the Crimson, Missouri won five bonus point victories, with two wins coming by forfeit. Among Missouri's victories was redshirt freshman Patrick Wright's (Grand Ledge, Mich,) fall in 6:28 over Michael Sadler at 165 pounds. Wright wrestled in both the 157 and 165 pound weight classes Saturday afternoon, winning both of his matches by fall. "We had a lot of young wrestlers display their talent today," Smith said. "Patrick did a great job at 157 and 165 pounds. He's going to do great things for us in the years to come." As a team, Missouri won eight of its 40 bouts by way of fall, with an additional two victories marked as technical falls. Junior heavyweight Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) contributed to Missouri's pin count with two falls of his own. Ellis, now 11-1 on the season, has won eight of his matches by fall. Senior All-American Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) and Askren tied for the fastest fall of the day, with each managing a pin in 1:16 over their Harvard opponents. Wrestling at 174 pounds, Jordan is now 11-0 on the season and one win away from becoming the 15th wrestler to join the 100 win club. Jordan is 99-24 on his career and could become the first Missouri wrestler in over a year to hit the century mark. Missouri's final win came 41-3 over Brown. Competing at 149 pounds, senior Andrew Sherry (Sewickley, Pa.) improved to 3-0 on the day with his 11-3 major decision over Dave Foxen. All three of Sherry's victories were of the bonus point variety. The Tiger wrestling squad will have nearly two weeks before returning to competition at the Pac 10/Big 12 Duals, Saturday, Dec. 13, in San Luis Obispo, Calif. On Sunday, Dec. 14, Missouri heads to Oregon State to take on the Beavers in a 4 p.m. (CT) contest. The 2008 year wraps up with the two-day Midlands Tournbament, Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill.

TROY, NY -- The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team improved to 8-0 on the 2008-09 season with four wins at the 2008 Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals Saturday in Troy, NY. Iowa beat Binghamton (45-0), Maryland (38-6), Central Michigan (27-6) and Bloomsburg (39-3) at the 17-team event. Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 60th career win against Bloomsburg, and the Hawkeyes extended their dual winning streak to 22 matches. As a team, Iowa went 35-5 in the four duals. Hawkeye seniors Charlie Falck (125) and Alex Tsirtsis (141), and juniors Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) each went 4-0 on the day. Junior heavyweight Dan Erekson was also undefeated at 3-0, while juniors Joe Slaton (133) and Luke Lofthouse (197) each posted 1-0 records. Falck and Tsirtsis picked up their 75th collegiate career victories - Falck with his 10-2 major decision over Maryland's Brendan Byrne and Tsirtsis with his 3-2 win over Central Michigan's Eric Kruger. Metcalf extended his own winning streak to 40 collegiate matches on one technical fall, one pin and two decisions. Keddy and Borschel each picked up milestone career wins against Bloomsburg, with Keddy scoring his 50th with a 1:22 pin of Jesse Hassemen and Borschel recording his 40th with a 9-2 decision over Nathan Graham. The Hawkeyes will try to pack the house and recapture the current national dual meet attendance record when they host intra-state rival and second-ranked Iowa State (3-0) Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets for the dual are available through the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com.

TROY, N.Y. -- Bolstered from upset victories by freshman John McDonald and junior Mike Galante, No. 22 Lehigh opened competition at the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals with an 18-13 win over No. 7 Oklahoma State Saturday at the McDonough Athletic Complex at Hudson Valley Community College. The Mountain Hawks later added convincing wins over UNC Greensboro (36-6), Binghamton (33-6) and Appalachian State (36-3) to improve to 8-0 on the dual season. "It was a very good day," said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. "The guys wrestled hard and they're continuing to get better. We realize though that we still need to get better. We want to have a good tournament team in addition to a good dual team, because at the end of the year it comes down to being a good tournament team at the EIWAs and NCAAs." McDonald and senior Trevor Chinn led the way for the Brown and White, as each wrestler won all four of his bouts on the day. In the day's opener against Oklahoma State, McDonald started things off for the Brown and White with a 4-3 victory over No. 6 Obenson Blanc at 125. With the match deadlocked at three entering the third period, McDonald rode out the entire third period to win the match with a riding time point. Following a Cowboy win at 133, Seth Ciasulli put Lehigh back in front, with an 8-6 sudden victory win over Jamal Parks at 141. Senior Trevor Chinn kept the run going with a 3-2 win over Luke Silver at 149. Oklahoma State climbed within 9-6 with a win by decision at 157, but Galante started a three-bout Lehigh run, which all but cemented Lehigh's first-ever win over the nation's most storied college wrestling program. Galante trailed 3-2 late in the third period to tenth-ranked Brandon Mason at 165, but scored the go-ahead takedown on a lateral drop and rode out the final eight seconds to avoid overtime. Alex Caruso and David Craig followed with wins by decision to put Lehigh up 18-6, before the Cowboys captured the final two bouts. "McDonald's match was really big for us early on," explained Santoro. "He had a great third period and picked up a big win. Ciasulli's win was also huge, as he beat a really good wrestler in Parks." Santoro concluded, "And 165 was obviously a big one too. Galante went out and beat an All-American so that's a great win for him." Following a two hour layoff, Lehigh captured eight bouts against UNC Greensboro. Chinn and freshman Sean Bilodeau helped blow the dual open with back-to-back wins by fall at 149 and 157. Lehigh's third pin came from freshman Joe Kennedy, who stuck Peter Sturgeon in 4:15 for his first career fall. The dual started with consecutive wins for McDonald and junior Matt Fisk. McDonald put up 14 points in a decision over Mitchell Johnson, while Fisk was dominant in a 17-2 technical fall over Casey Boyle. The only drawback to the victory was that Galante suffered his first loss of the season, 5-3 against Spartan freshman Chris Bullins who is ranked nationally at 165. The Mountain Hawks won nine bouts against Binghamton, including the second consecutive win by fall for Bilodeau, and the first fall of the season for Ciasulli, who pinned Anwar Goeres in 1:29. The featured bout of the dual was at 184 where nationally ranked Josh Patterson won by fall over David Craig. Patterson reversed Craig and scored a three-point near-fall to open the second period, then later caught Craig in a cradle, before securing the fall at the 4:30 mark. The falls for Ciasulli and Bilodeau were the only bonus wins for Lehigh versus the Bearcats. The Mountain Hawks did take care of business in the close matches however, winning all four bouts that were decided by just one point. Junior Justin Allen saw his first dual action of the season, earning a 4-3 win over Dan Bittner at heavyweight. In the final match of the day, Lehigh raced to a 23-0 lead with wins in the first six bouts, including a technical fall for McDonald and a pair major decisions for Fisk and Chinn. Santoro was able to get some more of his back-ups mat-time as well, as freshmen Brian Tanen (157) and Brandon Hatchett (165) and sophomore Kadeem Samuels (184) competed and won at their respective weights. Lehigh will return to the mats next weekend when the Mountain Hawks head to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, which begins Friday and runs through Saturday night.

The sixth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team racked up 13 bonus-point wins, including six pins, to easily handle Augustana and Oregon State by a combined score of 84-8 in two duals at the NU Coliseum on Friday. Five Huskers went 2-0 on the day, and Nebraska went 18-2 as a team to move to 3-0 in dual competition this season. Nebraska topped the 30 point mark against the Beavers for a second-straight season, as the Huskers rolled to a 34-8 win in the final dual of the night. NU won eight of the 10 contest matches against OSU, after sweeping all 10 against the Vikings in the Huskers' first dual. Nebraska's 50-0 dismantling of the Vikings is NU's largest win since posting a 55-0 drubbing of the Colorado School of Mines on Jan. 22, 1983. Senior Vince Jones' pin of Kyle Bressler highlighted the Oregon State dual for the Huskers. Jones, ranked No. 7 at 184 pounds, pinned No. 9 Bressler in 2:43, after notching the same result in 1:48 in last year's dual between the two programs. Jones moved to a perfect 8-0 on the season, with six of his wins coming by fall. Redshirt freshman Andy Pokorny also made a strong statement in his debut for the Huskers at 125 pounds. He opened the dual with a pin of Jake Gonzales in 2:28. Sophomore Curtis Salazar posted a 20-5 technical fall against Ryan Harold at 141 pounds, and third-ranked Jordan rounded out NU's bonus-point victories with an 18-7 major decision over Jon Brascetta at 157. No. 5 Stephen Dwyer (165), No. 3 Brandon Browne (174), No. 4 Craig Brester (197) and Tucker Lane (Hwt.) all notched decisions, as the Huskers won the final six matches of the dual. Nebraska jumped on Augustana early and never let up, racking up four pins, two technical falls and a major decision. The quickest fall of the dual went to Browne, who pinned Casey Mouw in 2:02 at 174 pounds. Matt Vacanti was close behind at 133 with a fall in 2:13 over Jason Jeremiason, while Brester and Salazar posted pins in 2:30 and 4:43, respectively. Pokorny started the dual with a 17-0 technical fall at 125, while Lane posted a 15-0 technical fall at heavyweight. Senior Robert Sanders contributed a 15-5 major decision over Brandon Kruger at 157, and Alex Ward (165) and Levi Wofford (184) earned decisions. The Huskers travel to the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational next. Action at the two-day tournament begins at 11 a.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday.

Wrestling fans, I'm very grateful for everyone of you and for our sport during this holiday season. On Behalf of our sport and our sponsors Happy Holidays to each of you. This week we take the Brute Adidas studios back out on the road to the Journeymen Brute NORTHEAST Duals in Troy, New York on Saturday November 29th, 2009. Journeymen Brute Northeast Duals Frank "little Chin" Popolizio began the Northeast duals 6 years ago to allow his club wrestlers to watch quality college wrestling and to assist the growth of wrestling in the greater New York State area. This dual tournament began with only 4 teams. This power packed 17 team Dual Tournament includes Iowa, Oklahoma State, Missouri, App. State, American, Binghamton, Brown, Bloomsburg, Bucknell, Central Mich, Drexel, Harvard, Lehigh, Maryland, North Carolina Greensboro, Old Dominion, Virginia and others. Joining TDR's Scott Casber will be Olympic Champion Jeff Blatnick and Earl Smith of D1Collegewrestling.net. This is a free broadcast and will begin at 10:06 AM Eastern. Join us for an interesting and exciting day of collegiate wrestling on America's Wrestling Radio program Takedownradio.com. Our thanks to Frank Popolizio and his family for his continuing support of wrestling!

In 2003, at the inaugural Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals, only four teams competed and the event drew just 300 fans. Fast forward five years. The Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals, which takes place at Hudson Valley Community College in New York's Capital Region, is now comprised of 17 Division I programs, including seven programs ranked in the top 25. Two of those programs, Oklahoma State and Iowa, are the most storied college wrestling programs in history. It has become one of the most prestigious early-season events in college wrestling. "It's an honor to have traditional Midwest powers come to the East," said Journeymen Wrestling founder and event director Frank Popolizio. "I realize these programs have a choice to go wherever they want in the country and they're trying to give back." With such a star-studded field of teams already in place, it would be easy for Popolizio to just sit back and let the event sell itself. But he doesn't view it like that. "I view it like, OK, it's going to get me some attention, but now I have maximize that and make sure there is not a stone unturned," said Popolizio. Last year's event drew close to 1,800 fans. Popolizio's goal is to get 2,500 at this year's event. Not only has the event increased awareness for big-time college wrestling to fans in New York's Capital Region, but also to members of the Journeymen Wrestling Club. One of the Journeymen Wrestling Club's sayings is "It's imperative that you're around greatness." Every year, Popolizio brings Olympians, NCAA champions, NCAA All-Americans, and Division I coaches to his club. Already this year he's brought in Division I coaches Pat Santoro, John Hughes, and J Robinson, as well as Olympians Eric Guerrero, Doug Schwab, and Ben Askren. Says Popolizio, "When you have that kind of influence constantly in your face, how do you not become inspired?" Just recently, two Journeymen Wrestling Club members, Austin Meys and Zach Clemente, signed with Division I programs. Meys, a two-time New York state champion, signed with Lehigh, while Clemente, a New York state champion, signed with Virginia. "What's happened is that these guys have become inspired to the point where it's now becoming normal to wrestle in college," said Popolizio. "So it's like we have it cranking and now it's just starting to happen." To assist wrestling fans attending the 2008 Journeyman/Brute Northeast Duals, RevWrestling.com has put together a brief analysis of 20 of the premier wrestlers at the event, as well as five freshmen who are expected to make an impact this season. Collegiate Stars (20 Premier Wrestlers): 1. Brent Metcalf (Iowa, 149) Last season, the 149-pounder from Iowa won a Big Ten championship, Big Ten Outstanding Wrestler award, NCAA title, NCAA Outstanding Wrestler honors, Hodge Trophy, and Rev Wrestler of the Year award. He finished the season with a 39-1 record, getting 12 pins, seven technical falls, and nine major decisions. 2. Joe Slaton (Iowa, 133) Slaton finished last season with a 31-5 record and was NCAA runner-up at 133 pounds. Despite his breakout season, he is expected to be in a dogfight just for a starting spot in the Hawkeye lineup this season. His teammate and rival at 133, Daniel Dennis, won the University Nationals title in freestyle. 3. Nick Marable (Missouri, 165) Marable begins the season ranked No. 1 in the country at 165 pounds after finishing third at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He recently competed at the NWCA All-Star Classic. 4. Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State, Heavyweight) Rosholt is the No. 1-ranked big man in the land. He posted a 33-5 mark last season and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships. His older brother, Jake, was a three-time NCAA champion for the Cowboys who is now a rising star in mixed martial arts (MMA). 5. Jay Borschel (Iowa, 174) Borschel placed third at the NCAA Championships in his first season in the Hawkeye lineup. He was a four-time Iowa state champion who compiled a record of 163-1 with 95 pins. 6. J.P. O'Connor (Harvard, 157) O'Connor, who is one of only three four-time New York state champions, became the first freshman All-American ever at Harvard in 2007. He repeated as All-American last season, placing sixth at 149 pounds. The pre-med major has moved up to 157 pounds for his junior campaign. 7. Hudson Taylor (Maryland, 197) Taylor was the ACC Wrestler of the Year last season after placing third at the NCAA Championships. He became Maryland's first All-American since 1997 and first Terp to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic in nearly 40 years. 8. Charlie Falck (Iowa, 125) Falck is a two-time All-American for the Hawkeyes, placing eighth in 2007 and sixth in 2008. He notched a win last season over 2008 NCAA champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana. 9. Raymond Jordan (Missouri, 174) Jordan placed fifth at the NCAA Championships last season to pick up his first All-American medal. He has moved down a weight class to 174 pounds and could become just the fourth Tiger to become an All-American in more than one weight class. 10. Max Askren (Missouri, 197) Askren, the younger brother of Olympic freestyle wrestler Ben Askren, is a returning All-American and two-time Big 12 champion. He served as Ben's training partner leading up to the Olympic Games. 11. Phil Keddy (Iowa, 184) Keddy went from 14-16 as a freshman to 28-11 and All-American last season as a sophomore. He was runner-up at the University World Team Trials in May to 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert of Northwestern. 12. Louis Caputo (Harvard, 184) Caputo was an All-American two seasons ago, placing seventh at the NCAA Championships. But last season he suffered a season-ending injury at the Lone Star Duals in January. 13. Mike Cannon (American, 174) Last season, Cannon became just the sixth American University wrestler ever to earn All-America honors after placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. He finished the season with a 30-6 record and was named NWCA Academic All-American for the second consecutive season. 14. Obe Blanc (Oklahoma State, 125) Blanc, who transferred to Oklahoma State from Lock Haven, was an All-American in 2007. He did not compete last season as he took an Olympic redshirt. 15. Brandon Mason (Oklahoma State, 165) Mason is a three-time NCAA qualifier and All-American in 2007. He has moved down one weight class to 165 pounds for his senior season. 16. Trevor Stewart (Central Michigan, 165) Stewart won the MAC title and picked up three victories at the 2008 NCAA Championships despite suffering knee injuries and a broken hand during the season. 17. Alex Tsirtsis/Dan LeClere (Iowa, 141) The Hawkeyes have two very talented wrestlers at this weight class. Both were four-time state champions. Tsirtsis was an All-American in 2006 and redshirted last season. LeClere posted a 28-11 record last season and was a Midlands champion. 18. Matt Moley (Bloomsburg, 157) Moley was 34-11 last season and placed eighth at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He was also runner-up at the EWL Championships. 19. Steve Mytych (Drexel, 125) Last season, Mytech set the Drexel single-season record with 38 victories. He needs just 30 more victories to become Drexel's all-time winningest wrestler. 20. Mike Miller (Central Michigan, 174) Miller was an All-American as a freshman in 2007. He took an Olympic redshirt last season. Super Frosh (Five Impact Freshmen): 1. Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State, 141) Parks is one of the nation's top freshmen. He was a three-time Oklahoma state champion who was ranked No. 1 in the country at his weight class as a high school senior. He compiled a record of 16-1 last season as a redshirt. 2. Troy Dolan (Missouri, 125) Dolan was a three-time Pennsylvania state champion. He was a Super 32 and Powerade champion. As a redshirt last season, Dolan was 28-6 and placed in the top five in his weight class at six tournaments, including two first-place finishes. 3. John Connor McDonald (Lehigh, 125) McDonald was a three-time Delaware state champion who won over 150 matches as a high school wrestler. He was also a Junior Nationals champion in 2006. 4. Jared Trice (Central Michigan, Heavyweight) As a redshirt, Trice won the heavyweight title in the freshman/sophomore division at the Michigan State Open. He was also a third-place finisher at both the Eastern Michigan Open and Kent State Open. 5. Max Shanaman (Missouri, 149) Shanaman came to Missouri from national powerhouse Blair Academy in New Jersey. He was a three-time National Prep champion and two-time Junior Nationals All-American. He was awarded a medical redshirt last season due to injury.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Claiming wins in six of 10 bouts, the St. John's University wrestling team snapped a 22-match losing streak to Augsburg College with an 18-13 dual-meet victory on Wednesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall. The Johnnies (5-0 overall), ranked No. 7 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings, won for the first time over the No. 2-ranked Auggies (0-1 overall) since the 1985-86 season. Augsburg is 28-2 in dual meets against St. John's since 1979. The St. John's victory also broke two other Augsburg winning streaks -- a streak of 70 straight victories over Minnesota Division II or III opponents since 1996, and a streak of 92 straight victories over Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes stretching to the 1986-87 season. Augsburg, winners of 10 of the last 18 Division III national titles, is now 228-20 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 15 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 235-23 since the 1979-80 season and 159-13 since the 1989-90 season. The Johnnies built an 18-6 lead after eight bouts and withstood Augsburg wins in the final two bouts to secure the dual victory. Meanwhile, Augsburg gained a major-decision, 14-5 victory from 197-pounder Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) over the Johnnies' Tony Willaert (SO, North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial HS), ranked No. 3 nationally in the weight class. Massey, now 5-0 on the season, claimed six takedowns and built 1:46 of riding time in the win. Two of Augsburg's three nationally-ranked wrestlers in action on Wednesday claimed victories, as top-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) built a 5-0 first-period lead and held off a rally by the Johnnies' Mogi Baatar (JR, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep HS) in a 9-8 victory. No. 5-ranked Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) scored a 6-3 victory at heavyweight over the Johnnies' Cody Socher (FY, Delano, Minn.). The Johnnies claimed three wins on riding-time bonus points -- a 4-3 win by Chad Henle (FY, Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) over Augsburg's Josh Roberts (FY, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) at 125; a 3-2 win by Matt Baarson (SO, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park HS) over Augsburg's No. 3-ranked Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) at 157; and a 4-3 win by Matt Schrupp (SR, Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) over Augsburg's Brandon Klukow (SR, Albert Lea, Minn.) at 165. Augsburg's Lucas Murray (SO, Anoka, Minn.) used a takedown and three-point near-fall midway through the third period to claim an 11-8 win over No. 3-ranked Minga Batsukh (SO, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep HS) at 141. Dustin Baxter (SO, Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley HS) of St. John's used a takedown with 14 seconds left to score a 12-10 win over Augsburg's Garrett Long (JR, Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS) at 184. John Vaith (SO, Hastings, Minn.) used a reversal and three-point near-fall in the third period to rally for an 8-6 win over Augsburg's Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) at 149, and Grant Eustice (SR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) scored a 6-3 win over Augsburg's Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.) at 174. Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) won six of nine bouts to score a 25-6 win over the St. John's junior varsity in the preliminary match on Wednesday. Augsburg returns to action after the Thanksgiving break on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 9 a.m., competing at the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragon Open. St. John's competes at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Duals on Dec. 6.