InterMat Staff

Matt Wilps

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The 2010 NJCAA Wrestling Championships begin this Friday (February 26) and will conclude Saturday (February 27) at the Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines Iowa. The official tournament brackets for each individual weight class are available via the link below. 2010 NJCAA Wrestling Championship Brackets Read the 2010 NJCAA Wrestling Championship Preview More information on the tournament DES MOINES, Iowa -- The NJCAA, in conjunction with the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, would like to announce that the 2010 NJCAA Wrestling Championships will be held in Des Moines, IA at Veterans Auditorium on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 & 27. This event will feature 280 of the nation's top junior college wrestlers. There will be two sessions held each day with the 4th session being the Championship Finals along with the awards presentation and parade of All-Americans. Times Price Session I - Friday 9:30 am $10-Adult $8-Student Session II - Friday 6:30 pm $12-Adult $8 -Student Session III - Saturday 10:30 am $12-Adult $8-Student Session IV - Saturday 6:30pm - Awards Presentation 6:45pm- Parade of All Americans 7:00pm - Championship Finals $15-Adult $8-Student A weekend pass is $35 for adults and $25 for students, each weekend pass includes a program. Come to Veteran's Auditorium February 26 & 27 to support this year's NJCAA Wrestling Championships. For questions or information please contact the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference at 515-460-8082 or iccac@iccac.org. Official brackets, tournament updates and results will be available at http://www.iccac.org/wrestling_natl_tourney.php. $10 entry fee per wrestler payable upon check in. Make checks out to the ICCAC /Iowa Community College Conference. To view this year's District Champions and National Championship Qualifiers click on the link below. 2010 NJCAA Wrestling District Champions and National Championship Qualifiers

The mobile Brute adidas studios of TDR are back on the road this week to present the National Junior College Championships Live from Vets Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is taking the national wrestling tournament to a new venue this year, moving the annual event to Des Moines, Iowa. Action begins next weekend, Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The national tournament is hosted by all of the Iowa wrestling schools including Ellsworth Community College, Iowa Central, North Iowa Area Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College. Wrestling starts at 9:30 a.m. on Friday with two sessions as the top eight wrestlers at each weight will advance to Saturday. Finals begin at 6 p.m. Saturday night. The event has been held in Rochester, MN, for the last 12 years. This year promises to bring a lot of action to the state with its own Iowa Central Community College vying for their 5th consecutive team championship, coming off a big win as the west central district team champs earlier this month. Last year all the Iowa teams placed in the top ten. With a wealth of talent and numerous ranked wrestlers, this year's national tournament should give every team a shot at the stand. Other district champions include No. 3 Ranked Labette College who won the west central district, No. 6 North Idaho who won the western district along with Harper College who won the central district; Nassau won in the eastern district and Niagara won eastern District II. Top challenging teams also include Meramec College ranked No. 2; Northwest Wyoming No. 4 and Clackamas at No. 5. Wrestlers will be competing in the tournament, representing over 40 junior colleges from across the country. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Chad Wiltsey, Bob Selby and others for this free two-day broadcast courtesy of the Des Moines Area Sports Commission and the NJCAA. Friday: Session 1 9:30 a.m. approx. Session 2 3:00 p.m. approx. Saturday: Session 3 9:00 a.m. approx. Session 4 6:00 p.m. Championship finals Wrestling fans- Please note that Episode 46 of TDR TV is now available on all the top web sites and cable systems around the country. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio and TV! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, a.m. 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. TDR "the Radio Program" airs 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CST every Saturday morning we look forward to having you listen. Thanks for listening and watching!

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Illinois assistant wrestling coach and former three-time All-American Mike Poeta was named to the U.S. World Cup team for freestyle wrestling Tuesday after a scheduled wrestle-off between Poeta and Travis Paulson was cancelled. Poeta beat Paulson’s brother, Trent, 3-0, 5-2, in the World Cup Wrestle-Offs on Jan. 22. Poeta will wrestle at 74 kg/163 lbs for the U.S. in the World Cup, a dual-meet tournament featuring the world’s top eight teams on March 6-7 in Mahachkala, Russia. “I’m just excited that I can focus my training on Russia, not a wrestle-off before that,” Poeta said. “For the other six guys on the team, it’s been like that since Jan. 22, so I’m glad I can put everything toward the World Cup. This is the top eight teams from last year’s World Championships and we’re the seventh seed, so we’re going to be wrestling a lot of guys who medaled at the World Championships.”

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Hudson Taylor has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week for the fourth time this season. Taylor, a senior from Pennington, N.J., scored a major decision over defending ACC champion Brent Jones in the 197-pound weight class in last Saturday's regular-season finale at Virginia. The third-ranked Taylor helped the 10th-ranked Terps overcome a five-point deficit to defeat No. 23 Virginia and finish the regular season unbeaten in ACC dual competition. In a rematch of last year's 197-pound ACC Championship, won by Jones, Taylor defeated the 18th-ranked wrestler in the nation by a 13-5 score. The victory helped Maryland battle back for an eventual 22-11 team win. Taylor is 36-2 on the season and is tied for the NCAA Division I lead in wins. He also leads the nation with 22 pins.

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- UNC Greensboro recorded three pins and received a forfeit as the Spartans spoiled Campbell's Senior Day by defeating the Camels, 38-6, on Tuesday evening in the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center. The Spartans finished the regular season with an 8-7 record, while the Camels fell to 1-13 this season. The match began at 184 pounds where Andrew Saunders wasted little time as he pinned Justin Sparrow at the 1:46 mark. Ryan Sughrue made it a 10-0 UNCG lead as he scored a 13-4 major decision over Parker Burns. Peter Sturgeon became the seventh wrestler in UNCG history to reach 30 wins in a season after receiving a forfeit at heavyweight. CJ Gittens got the Camels on the board at 125 pounds as he won by decision over Eric Chandler, 8-2. Angel Garcia got the Spartans back on track at 133 pounds as he gave UNCG a 19-3 team lead by defeating Richie Apolinar, 4-3. Ivan Lopouchanski made it back-to-back one-point wins for the Spartans as he beat Kelin Bidelspach 9-8. Alejandro Soto-Perez made it 26-3 in favor of UNCG as he scored a 15-6 major decision over Billy Heemer. Jake Fose won Campbell's other match on the evening as he defeated Travis Sheehy, 10-8, in overtime at 157 pounds. Victor Hojilla and Byron Sigmon capped off the night for UNCG with a pair of pins. Hojilla pinned Chris Mazzatta in 2:52 and Byron Sigmon ended the night by pinning Jeff Cote at the 3:35 mark. The Spartans return to action on March 6 as they travel to Davidson for the 2010 Southern Conference Championships. Results: 184 - Andrew Saunders (UNCG) fall Justin Sparrow (Campbell), 1:46; 6-0 UNCG 197 - Ryan Sughrue (UNCG) major decision Parker Burns (Campbell), 13-4; 10-0 UNCG HWT - Peter Sturgeon (UNCG) by forfeit; 16-0 UNCG 125 - CJ Gittens (Campbell) decision Eric Chandler (UNCG), 8-2; 16-3 UNCG 133 - Angel Garcia (UNCG) decision Richie Apolinar (Campbell), 4-3; 19-3 UNCG 141 - Ivan Lopouchanski (UNCG) decision Kelin Bidelspach (Campbell), 9-8; 22-3 UNCG 149 - Alejandro Soto-Perez (UNCG) major decision Billy Heemer (Campbell), 15-6; 26-3 UNCG 157 - Jake Fose (Campbell) decision Travis Sheehy (UNCG), 10-8 OT; 26-6 UNCG 165 - Victor Hojilla (UNCG) fall Chris Mazzatta (Campbell), 2:52; 32-6 UNCG 174 - Byron Sigmon (UNCG) fall Jeff Cote (Campbell), 3:35; 38-6 UNCG

There are many different ways that schools choose to honor its wrestling All-Americans. Some use plaques, some utilize trophy cases, still others display retired singlets. Stevens Institute of Technology has its "Fatheads." Yes, those life-sized wall stickers first made popular by National Football League stars. At the moment, the walls that comprise the Ducks' Wrestling Complex are very white and almost completely barren. It's only Coach Mike Clayton's third year at the helm, so former Duck Brandon MacWhinnie is the only image currently showing. But Clayton has a talented newcomer this season, a crazy-strong, battle-tested veteran who plans on doing some redecorating before he's done. Ryan BridgeOnce upon a time, Ryan Bridge and Jerry Rinaldi were teammates at Cornell, the early foundation of the Big Red's rise to consistent national prominence. Flash-forward about seven years, when Bridge is a sophomore 141-pounder and Rinaldi is his volunteer assistant coach at Division III Stevens Institute of Technology. Their paths to Hoboken, NJ, couldn't have been more different. Rinaldi was a two-time All-American and four-time All-Ivy League wrestler, and led the Big Red to two top five finishes at the NCAAs. Bridge left school after his sophomore season, joined the Marine Corps, and headed to Iraq. At the time, school was kicking Bridge's butt, and he felt restless. His nation was at war and he felt a calling to serve. Was there any better branch to join than the Marines Corps? His family was understandably anxious at first, but gradually came around once they realized his dedication to his decision. He spent four years in the Marines, including two tours of duty in Iraq. Ryan Bridge"[My time in the service] helped me mature into a man," Bridge says. "It taught me [the proper] ways to act, it gave me a real drive in life. It was tough in the beginning, more mental than physical in boot camp. [Being a wrestler] definitely made boot camp 10 times easier." He served in the infantry, and grew so much that he was a team leader on his second seven-month tour. Once he came back to the U.S., Bridge spent his final year of enlistment on the Marine Corps Greco-Roman wrestling team. It was his job, so he threw himself into the twice-daily practices and training. It took him about two months to feel comfortable on the mat again, but once he did, Bridge managed to improve enough to win the Northeast Regional title and finish in the top eight (60kg/132 pounds) at the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials. He won the 2009 Armed Forces Championship, and wrestled in everything from the Dave Schultz International at Colorado Springs to the 2009 North Carolina Beach Wrestling Championships. As his time of service wound down, Bridge thought about his next move. He knew he wanted to utilize the GI Bill to go back to school and ideally, wrestle there. He attends Stevens under the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is designed to help pay for school for former military veterans or children of former vets who served tours of duty in post-9/11 in Iraq or Afganistan for at least 36 months. Maj. Dan Hicks, Bridge's coach on the Marine Corps team, was also Clayton's best friend at the Naval Academy. Maj. Hicks told Clayton that he had a kid who was a two-time New Jersey state champion, and smart enough to get into Stevens. Ryan BridgeBridge, for his part, liked that Stevens was a well-regarded academic institution in New Jersey. It's a union that has worked out quite well in all aspects. A business major, he earned a 3.6 GPA in his first semester and was on track to make the dean's list. There's a good chance he could finish the year as both an athletic and academic All-American. "With Division III, I can have a little more fun," Bridge says. "Coming to wrestling every day is not a chore, as it sometimes can be in D-I. It can seem more like a job ... you're still training year-round, but I have more time to focus on grades here." As a wrestler, Bridge's greatest strength could be, well, his strength. He began the season wrestling at 149 pounds while he nursed his way back from a knee injury, but was certified at 141 and dropped to that weight after the Virginia Duals. A stocky, explosive 5'5" ball of muscle who benches 315 pounds and squats 450, Bridge nearly always steps on the mat with the strength advantage. He has very heavy hips and explosive quickness to sweep single, preferring to get the first takedown almost right off the whistle. Yet while you might picture a screaming, testosterone-fueled madman from that description, the reality couldn't be more different. "He carries a very relaxed and mature demeanor on the mat," Clayton says. "Everything can be very intense, but also very methodical. He has a tremendous balance for being able to temper emotion with passion with aggressiveness." Mike ClaytonTo visit with Bridge or watch him interact with his teammates, one would never be able to tell that he is a 25-year-old ex-Marine, or was a two-time New Jersey state champion and former D-I wrestler. "He's not jumping into a leadership role over the captains, or out here to compete with anybody for recognition," Clayton says. "He's a sophomore and a part of our team, he understands his role. It would be very easy for him to try to come in and feel like he was better than other people. But he hasn't done that." "He's a real down to earth guy, just one of us," teammate and 165-pound sophomore Joey Favia says. "He's not a crazy ex-military guy who's always telling war stories. He's an average guy who's happy to be home and is enjoying his time back in college." Bridge got off to a slow start this season as he wrestled up at 149 pounds while slowly regaining his rhythm and recovering from a knee injury. He began the season 3-0 before losing twice at the Virginia Duals in early January, including a narrow 7-4 decision to eighth-ranked Emanual Ajagbe of Delaware Valley College. He has not lost since. Now 15-2 on the season, Bridge is currently on a 12-match winning streak, and has been particularly dominant since he dropped back down to 141, his natural weight. He rolled through the Centennial Conference in 2010, posting a 10-0 mark with nine bonus point victories. In front of a hometown crowd at the conference championships, Bridge booked his trip to the NCAA Division III Championships in Omaha with two major decisions and a 17-2 technical fall in the finals, a performance that led to co-Outstanding Wrestler honors. "My main goals coming into the season were just to have fun with it, and see what I could do," Bridge says. "I don't like losing, but the most important part is just enjoying it. After being in the military for four years, getting to go to school and wrestle for free? It's great."

For the second-straight outing, the Flames spoiled an opponent’s last home dual of the year, as Liberty closed out its regular-season slate with a 25-10 victory over Appalachian State, Tuesday night, inside of Varsity Gym. With the win, Liberty wraps up its fourth season back on the mats following a 12-year hiatus with an 11-9 dual meet record. The Flames’ second straight victory over the Mountaineers was a milestone win for head coach Jesse Castro. The victory marked the fourth-year skipper’s 50th career dual victory. The loss ends Appalachian State’s regular season and will send the homestanding Mountaineers into the upcoming SoCon Championships with a 9-11 dual record. The dual opened up at 157 pounds in a matchup between Liberty’s Shaun Smith and Appalachian State’s Chip Powell. Smith, fresh off joining Liberty’s Eagle Medal Club at the Bronze level with his 60th career win, won by the same score he did last Thursday night, as the senior gave Liberty a 3-0 lead with a 7-6 decision victory. Things remained close in the next bout, which pitted a pair of 20-match victors against each other in Chad Porter and Kyle Blevins. Both grapplers came into the night riding recent runs of success, with Porter winning his last five duals and Blevins walking away victorious in 11 of his last 12 bouts. The similar action between the two wrestlers followed suit on the mats, as the matchup could not be decided during regulation. But Porter was the one to make the decisive move during the overtime period, scoring a takedown to pick up his 21st win of the year and give Liberty the 6-0 lead. Brad Clark kept things rolling for the Flames, ending Carter Downs’ two-match winning streak with a 5-2 decision victory at 174 pounds to extend Liberty’s lead to 9-0. Down nine points, the Mountaineers sent their top grappler out onto the mats in Austin Trotman, where they were looking to pick up bonus points from the country’s No. 19 ranked grappler at 184 pounds. However, Nick Knowles gave the redshirt sophomore all he could handle, as Trotman escaped with narrow 5-4 decision win. The victory was Trotman’s 13th in a row; however, it was his closest decision during the “baker’s dozen” run of wins. The bonus points Appalachian State was looking for from their leader came in the next bout, as Dylan Temple picked up his 20th win of the season with an 11-3 major decision over Jacobi Johnson to pull the home squad within two points, 9-7. Josh Pelletier pushed the lead back out to five points for the Flames, 12-7, with a low-scoring, 4-1 decision win over Ken Altarac at heavyweight for his 14th victory of the season. The Mountaineers quickly answered back to close the dual’s gap back to two points, 12-10, when Tony Gravely picked up his second-straight, 5-2 decision, this one coming over Liberty’s Jonathan Childress at 125 pounds. However, Joe Pantaleo started a run of three-straight wins by Liberty in fine fashion to help secure the Flames’ 11th dual win of the season. The redshirt freshman controlled his bout with Weston Haney from the onset and quickly pinned the sophomore at 1:28 to give Liberty six points and his first win by fall of the season. Scott Clymer kept the bonus points rolling in favor of the Flames, when the redshirt sophomore won his sixth bout in seven tries with a 14-2 major decision over Chris Collura. The 12-point victory pushed Liberty’s margin to 22-10 and edged Clymer within one victory of his 40th career win. With the dual already in hand, Liberty’s Frankie Gayeski and Appalachian State’s Savva Kostis took to the mat inside Varsity Gym in a rematch of last year’s 149-pound bout, one that Gayeski won and helped Liberty score a 24-18 dual victory over Appalachian State. Last year’s bout saw Gayeski jump out to an early lead and hang on for a 5-4 decision. But this year, Gayeski left no doubt, as Liberty’s wins leader picked up his 24th victory of the season with a convincing 8-3 decision, closing out the night’s action. Riding a recent wave of success with two-straight wins, the Flames will have the next week and half off to prepare for their most important event of the year – the NCAA East Regionals. The Flames enter the national qualifying event, which will take place in Millersville, Pa., on March 6, as the three-time defending champion. During Liberty’s three team title runs, the Flames have qualified 14 grapplers for the NCAA national championships over the past three seasons. Results: 157 - Shaun Smith (LU) dec. Chip Powell (ASU) 7-6, LU 3-0 165 - Chad Porter (LU) dec. Kyle Blevins (ASU) 4-2 OT, LU 6-0 174 - Brad Clark (LU) dec. Carter Downs (ASU) 5-2, LU 9-0 184 - Austin Trotman (ASU) dec. Nick Knowles (LU) 5-4, LU 9-3 197 - Dylan Temple (ASU) major dec. Jacobi Johnson (LU) 11-3, LU 9-7 285 - Josh Pelleteir (LU) dec. Ken Altarac (ASU) 4-2, LU 12-7 125 - Tony Gravely (ASU) dec. Jonathan Childress (LU) 5-2, LU 12-10 133 - Joe Pantaleo (LU) Fall Weston Haney (ASU) 1:28, LU 18-10 141 - Scott Clymer (LU) major dec. Chris Collura (ASU) 14-2, LU 22-10 149 - Frankie Gayeski (LU) dec. Savva Kostis (ASU) 8-3, LU 25-10

Jack Denholm, athletic director at Ellsworth Community College and Chris Krueger, head wrestling coach at Denver-Tripoli, will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, February 24. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Denholm is the current athletic director at Ellsworth Community College. He also coached at Ellsworth for nine seasons. Denholm is co-tournament director of the junior college nationals taking place in Des Moines, Iowa, on February 26-27. Krueger coached Denver-Tripoli to the Class 2A state team title in Des Moines. His team had six individual place winners, including four state champions. The Titans were 39 points ahead of the runner-up team.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- J.D. Bergman, an Ohio State wrestling letterwinner from 2004-08, won the gold medal at the Cerro Pelado International in Havana, Cuba, for the United States. After earning a spot on the U.S. World Cup Team last month, Bergman finished first at 96 kg/211.5 pounds. “You always expect to finish first in every tournament you compete in,” Bergman, a three-time All-American at Ohio State, said. “But it also always feels good to finish first. It’s just one more step in the right direction in trying to be the No. 1 guy and making the 2010 World Team.” Bergman originally was scheduled to compete at the Yasar Dogu International tournament in Istanbul, Turkey, but ultimately ended up competing in Cuba. The decision paid off as Bergman was one of three U.S. men freestyle wrestlers to win the coveted gold medal, joining Trent Paulson and Steve Mocco. Overall, 13 of the 16 U.S. wrestlers competing in the tournament won a medal. The former Buckeye from Oak Harbor, Ohio, won three-consecutive matches, first facing Eduardo Mesa of host country Cuba. Bergman defeated Mesa, 3-2, 7-2, before downing Germany’s Johannes Kessel, 4-0, 4-0. In the gold-medal match, Bergman was victorious over Oldrik Wagner of Germany, 2-0, 0-1, 3-0. Bergman will now prepare for a training stint at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Thursday, beginning a two-and-a-half week absence from Columbus. After working out in Colorado, Bergman will head to Russia March 1 for another event. Not only did Bergman, a two-time team captain, conclude his Buckeye career with multiple All-America honors in 2004, 2007 and 2008, but he also was the 2008 NCAA Championships heavyweight runner-up. He also wrapped up his collegiate career second on the program's all-time team points standings (521.5) and fourth in career falls (43). He was just one of 16 Buckeyes to reach the century mark in career wins with 129. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Bergman graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor's degree in communication in March 2008.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Zack Bailey of the ninth-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team has been chosen as the Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Week, announced Monday by the league office. It marks the first career conference honor for the redshirt-junior, who has compiled a 23-5 overall record at 141 pounds this season, while going 4-1 against conference foes. Bailey, currently ranked third nationally, defeated No. 7 Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State by a 3-2 decision on Sunday in the second installment of Bedlam in Stillwater. The victory extended his winning streak to 13-straight matches this season. Trailing 2-1 with under a minute to go in the match, the Kansas City, Mo., product scored a takedown with just 33 seconds remaining in the third and was able to ride out Parks to seal the win. The win helped the Sooners claim three of the first four matches of the top-10 dual, giving OU a 10-3 lead. "This is a very deserving and great honor for Zack," OU head coach Jack Spates said. "This is a young man who has struggled for the past couple of years with injuries and surgeries, almost to the point of giving up the sport. For Zack to come back and battle to defeat an opponent who had beaten him twice before on a big stage really shows his character and determination." Bailey is near the top in several statistical categories for the Sooners, including third-most dual wins this season (14), as well as third on the team in dual takedowns (38) and dual points scored (135). The junior's 70 career victories are second-most on the team. Bailey and the Sooners are next in action at the 2010 Big 12 Championships, held this year in Norman at the Howard McCasland Field House on March 6.

Showdown in quarters highlights Iowa State Tournament A tournament featured by Mark Kreidler's book, Four Days to Glory, went off this past weekend with yet another edition that lived up to expectation from start to finish. In a Class 3A quarterfinal matchup on Thursday night, you had an undefeated defending state champ battling a two-time defending state champ. Both wrestlers come from great lineage, as many do in the Hawkeye State. The Iowa State-bound Kyven Gadson (Waterloo East) -- ranked 10th nationally -- came through with the pin late in the first period against the sixth-ranked Evan Knight (Urbandale), who is bound for Cornell. Gadson would cement a second consecutive undefeated state championship -- this time up one weight class at 189 pounds -- with a 6-4 overtime victory over Brandon Abernathy (Indianola) in the semifinal, and a 12-2 major decision over Matt Riley (Des Moines Roosevelt) in the final. Also highlighting the state tournament was Nick Moore (Iowa City West) with three wins by fall, and an 11-6 decision over Spencer BeLieu (Indianola), to cement an undefeated season on his way to becoming the 19th grappler in Iowa history to win four state titles. Moore is the No. 2 wrestler at 160 in the nation. On the track of winning four state titles, Cory Clark (112) from Southeast Polk and John Meeks (125) from Des Moines Roosevelt both won second state titles as sophomores, and each has yet to lose a match in two seasons of scholastic wrestling. However, the team that stopped the show in the big-school Class 3A tournament was Waverly Shell-Rock. The Go-Hawks had four state champs, three of whom were undefeated -- Jacob Ballweg (140), Cody Caldwell (145), and Cody Krumwiede (215) -- and eight total placers in scoring 163 team points. Second in Class 3A went to Bettendorf with 138 points, which had nine state placers but only two champions in Brody Berrie (285) and the undefeated Bo Schlosser (135). Urbandale took third, also getting over 100 points, scoring 101. Fourth in the nation Mike Moreno (171) finally reached the top step of the podium, cementing an undefeated season with a 12-2 major decision victory over No. 8 Walt Gilmor (North Scott). Joining Moreno as high placers for Urbandale were Colby Knight (103) taking second, Gabe Moreno (140) taking third, and the previously mentioned Evan Knight finishing in third place. Denver-Tripoli used dominance in the opening four weight classes to take home the team championship in Class 2A. They had championships from all four wrestlers, three of whom finished undefeated on the season. Dylan Peters (103), Brandon Sorensen (119), and Levi Wolfensperger (125) all went 51-0 on the year; while Gunnar Wolfensperger (112) was the black sheep of the bunch going 36-3. Blake Sorensen (152) and Noah Minikus (160) placed third to round out their assault on the standings with 148 points. Davenport Assumption and Ballard Huxley were next in the standings with 109 and 103 points respectively. Each had a lone champion, which went undefeated on the season -- Landon Williams (160) standing on the top step for Assumption, while Tanner Weatherman (152) was standing on top of the podium for Ballard. In the only clash of ranked wrestlers in the Class 2A finals, it was 17th ranked Mikey England (Centerville) upending Ballard's Brock Weatherman -- ranked 14th nationally -- 3-1 in overtime at 171 pounds. Perennial powers Don Bosco won the Class 1A small-school title, and were the only team to reach the 100 point mark with 119. Cole Welter (135) and Taylor Kettman (189) earned state championships. Alburnett was the only other team with multiple individual champions -- Tyler Shulita (112) and Chris Halblom (119). Results: http://www.iahsaa.org/wrestling/2010%20Tournament/10wrresults.html Bronco brigade on Assembly Hall The second year of three-class wrestling brought about a lot of intrigue. However, the medium school Class 2A served as the exception with Montini Catholic yet again dominating the festivities with four champions and two runners-up. Winning titles for the Broncos were Kevon Powell (103), Colton Rasche (130), Stephen Robertson (140), and Brandon McBride (152). Eric Powell (135) and Frank Baer (145) earned runner-up honors. Crystal Lake Central and Marmion Academy also had some highlights in the medium school division. Despite having Cadet National freestyle champion Gage Harrah finishing in just fourth at 215 pounds, the Wizards still had four in the finals and three champions. Trevor Jauch (125), Joey Kielbasa (145), and Austin Mardsen (189) stood atop the podium -- while Taylor Servant (140) finished in second place. Ben Whitford, ranked eighth nationally for Marmion Academy, capped off an undefeated freshman season with a 22-7 technical fall in the state finals match against Kyle Graumens (Troy Triad). The hype is already starting to mount about him making a run at four titles without a career loss -- never done before in the Land of Lincoln. Nico Jimenez (171) was also a state champion for the Cadet, who will be making even more a dent into the Illinois and national landscape in the coming years. The small school Class 1A tournament in Illinois was remarkable in that from the 14 state champs, 14 different schools were represented. The team with the most to show out of the unscored state tournament was Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, which had four wrestlers in the final. However, only Guy Kirby (140) stepped atop the podium while Dylan Donner (103), Stephan Birt (171), and Cody Flynn (189) were runners-up. The big-school division continued its long standing tradition of terrific balance, electric competition, and unexpected upsets. Only three teams had multiple finalists, while one was alone in having multiple champions. It was again Oak Park-River Forest stealing the show at Assembly Hall with three state champions -- Chris (135) and Nick (140) Dardanes, along with Sam Brooks (160). The only other teams with multiple finalists were Providence Catholic and Hinsdale Central, and each had both finalists fall short in the championship match. For the Celtics -- Edwin Cooper (130) lost to Keith Surber of O'Fallon Township by a 15-4 major decision in a matchup featuring a pair of ranked wrestlers, while 18th ranked Eddie Klimara was upset 3-2 by Danny Sabatello of Lincolnshire Stevenson. After upsetting 8th ranked Nick Proctor (Neuqua Valley) 8-6 in overtime during the 160 pound semifinal, Joe Strocchia fell to defeat 5-3 in the final. The other runner-up for Hinsdale Central was Jack Allen, falling short by a 3-1 score against Jeffrey Brown (Evanston Township). In an instant classic, it was a battle of dynamite undefeated wrestlers at 145 pounds. Sophomore Max Schneider (Lane Tech) came out on top against Demetrios Mitchell (Arlington Heights Hersey), as the bloodied and wounded warriors fought to almost death. Unfortunately, Mitchell had to default after a significant injury, sliding Schneider one step higher on the podium than last year. Finally, Lee Munster (Fox Lake Grant) -- ranked first nationally -- was able to avenge his loss by fall in the sectional tournament last week, earning a 5-2 victory over 18th-ranked Sterling Hecox of Machesney Park Harlem. This was a third state championship for Munster. Results: http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/2009-10/web/1ahome.htm Undefeated wrestlers story in single-class Indiana Twenty-five different wrestlers entered the championship weekend undefeated during competition over the course of the year. Only two of the weight classes did not have a single undefeated individual. Eight young men exited Conseco Fieldhouse with undefeated records for the season to date -- as the team championships remain next weekend. Tenth ranked Sean McMurray of Portage became the 24th wrestler to ever win three state titles, dominating the competition at 160 pounds with a pin and then three consecutive shutout decisions against competition that had a combined record of 124-3 going into their matches with McMurray at state. Crown Point had a pair of undefeated champions, with Jason Tsirtsis (130) and Eric Roach (145) both having to beat a pair of fellow undefeated on the way to their respective titles. Tsirtsis, a sophomore ranked fifth nationally won by pin and major in his first two matches then defeated previously undefeated sophomore Connor Mullins (New Castle) by 8-0 major decision before defeating another undefeated sophomore -- Devon Jackson (Yorktown) -- 4-0 in overtime for the championship. The junior Roach won an elusive state title, as he beat opponents with an aggregate 79-0 record in his last two matches. The other school with multiple champions was Warren Central, as both Brandon Wright (125) and Michael Johnson-Jones (189) struck gold at Conseco; this was the second career championship for Wright. Cody Phillips of Union County joined Tsirtsis with winning a second state title in their sophomore season, as he capped an undefeated season with an 8-3 victory over fellow undefeated sophomore Paul Petrov (Hanover Central) in the final at 103 pounds. The last of four two-time state champions this year was Francisco Porras (Hobart), champion at 140 with a 5-1 win over Justin Beck (Leo) to avenge a semi-state loss. There were four other undefeated state champions, and all had to defeat one wrestler without a prior loss on their way to the title. Brock Norton (Fort Wayne Carroll) defeated Mason Berryman (Anderson Highland) 3-1 in a battle of seniors during the 135 pound state final. Sam Bennett (Anderson Highland) upended Chad Welch (Castle) 4-3 in overtime during the 152 pound state semifinal, and then beat Zachary Corpe (Elkhart Memorial) 6-2 for the title. Nathan Cleveland (Lowell) defeated Dylan Green (Kokomo) 2-1 in an all-senior semifinal at 215 pounds, before beating Christian Lentz (Mishawaka) for the third time this season in the final -- the score was 2-1 in the ultimate tiebreaker. Finally, Ross Janney (Yorktown) won an all-senior final at 285 pounds 3-2 against James Travis (Merrillville). Results: http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=rRLJj1SFHMc%3d&tabid=38 Other state championships from the past week: Individual unless marked Missouri: http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/ChampionshipEvents.aspx?activity=23 Colorado: http://www.chsaa.org/sports/wrestling/wrestling.asp Florida: http://www.fhsaa.org/wr/ Georgia: http://www.ghsa.net/wrestling Kentucky: http://www.khsaa.org/wrestling/2010/state/khs2010home.htm Nebraska: http://www.nsaahome.org/wr.php Nevada: http://www.niaa.com/Sports/Winter/Wrestling/Wrestling_Link_Page.htm New Mexico: http://www.nmact.org/wrestling_state_championship North Dakota: http://www.metrotournament.com/2010StateWrestling/index.htm (individual & dual meet) Tennessee: http://www.tssaa.org/2009Champions/StateWrestling/home.htm Virginia: (Class 3A) http://virginiawrestling.com/Assets/10PostSeason/State_PDFBrackets.pdf (Class 2A) http://bluedemonwrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/2010-VA-State-AA-Brackets.pdf Washington: http://wiaa.com/subcontent.aspx?SecID=681 Arizona: (Class 5A) http://www.aiaonline.org/story/uploads/Wrestling___5A_Division_I___Individual___Winter_2010_1266510186.htm http://www.aiaonline.org/story/uploads/Wrestling___5A_Division_II___Individual___Winter_2010_1266510191.htm Arizona: (Dual Meet) http://www.aiaonline.org/athletics/brackets.php Arkansas: Louisiana: -- Divisional tournaments in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont The week ahead ... -- Dual Meet state championships: (tonight) Maryland, Delaware (this weekend) Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan -- Individual Brackets: National Prep, Delaware, Hawaii, New York, Idaho, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and New England Regional states

KENT, Ohio -- Sixth-ranked Central Michigan can celebrate its 11th Mid-American Conference championship in the past 12 seasons following its 21-13 win at No. 20 Kent State in the regular season finale on Sunday. The roles were reversed from a year ago, when Kent State defeated CMU, 18-14, at Rose Center to end the Chippewas' streak of 10 consecutive MAC titles. This season, it was CMU traveling to the home of the defending conference champion to lock up the outright title. "I'm really happy for our guys, especially our seniors," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "I know they were really disappointed last year, especially since it happened at our gym. I think the MAC Tournament will be more important for them now since it's at home, but today was an important win for them." CMU (17-2 overall, 5-0 MAC) matched a school record for victories in a season with the win. Kent State dropped to 15-4 overall, 4-1 in the MAC. "I thought that we wrestled very well today," Borrelli said. "I felt like we should have won nine of the 10 matches. We didn't get a call at 141 and we made a mistake at 149 when we were leading in the match, but we can learn from those mistakes." The dual was tied 9-9 after five bouts, and CMU led just 15-13 after the 184-pound bout. Eric Simaz and Jarod Trice sealed the victory for the Chippewas, however, with overtime decisions at 197 and 285 pounds, respectively. The dual began at 125 pounds, where No. 9 Matt Steintrager shut out Troy Opfer, 5-0. A first-period takedown, second-period reversal and more than 4:00 of riding time accounted for Steintrager's five points. A pair of top-10 ranked individuals squared off at 133 pounds, where CMU's No. 7 Scotti Sentes edged No. 8 Danny Mitcheff, 3-2. Mitcheff scored the bout's only takedown in the third period, but Sentes escaped twice and used riding time to earn the victory. "We almost didn't wrestle Scotti after he got hurt against Ohio Friday night," Borrelli said. "That was a pretty formidable opponent that he was facing today, and we weren't even sure if Scotti was going to be able to make it through the match. For him to get the win is really a tribute to the type of competitor that he is." Kent State recorded its first victory at 141 pounds when Chase Skonieczny defeated Conor Beebe, 5-4. Beebe led 2-0 after the first period and 4-3 midway through the third, but a late escape by Skonieczny tied the score at 4-4. Beebe nearly secured a takedown at the final buzzer, but officials waived it off and Skonieczny earned the decision via riding time. Matt Cathell followed with an upset victory over Tony D'Alie to give Kent State its only lead of the dual. D'Alie led 6-2 in the third before Cathell reversed D'Alie and scored a fall in the final minute. The pin gave Kent State a 9-6 advantage. Steve Brown evened the score with a 3-2 decision over Mallie Shuster at 157 pounds. A second-period escape and third-period takedown was enough for Brown to earn the victory. Tyler Grayson put the Chippewas in front for good with a 5-0 decision at 165 pounds. Grayson scored just one takedown, but added an escape, a penalty point and riding time against Kent State's Ross Tice. Ben Bennett extended the CMU lead to 15-9 with a 9-3 decision over Keith Witt at 174 pounds. Bennett led just 2-0 after two periods but pulled away with a pair of takedowns and two back points in the final period. Fifth-ranked Dustin Kilgore kept the Golden Flashes in contention with a major decision at 184 pounds, but Simaz and Trice posted the decisive wins for CMU. At 197, Simaz and Adam Cogar finished regulation tied 1-1. The pair was scoreless through the sudden victory period, sending the match to the first tiebreaker. Simaz escaped in the first 30-second tiebreaker, then rode out Cogar in the second 30-second period to earn the 2-1 decision. Trice also needed overtime to earn his 19th consecutive victory. Both he and Kent State's Brendan Barlow scored escapes in regulation and were tied 1-1 entering overtime. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Trice began the first 30-second tiebreaker in the top position. Barlow escaped, but Trice scored a takedown to take a 3-2 lead. Trice added an escape in the second 30-second tiebreaker for the final 4-2 advantage. CMU is now off for two weeks before hosting the Mid-American Conference Championships at Rose Center March 6-7. Results: 125: No. 9 Matt Steintrager (CMU) dec. Troy Opfer, 5-0; CMU leads 3-0 133: No. 7 Scotti Sentes (CMU) dec. No. 8 Danny Mitcheff, 3-2; CMU leads 6-0 141: Chase Skonieczny (KSU) dec. Conor Beebe, 5-4; CMU leads 6-3 149: Matt Cathell (KSU) pin No. 12 Tony D'Alie at 6:02; Kent State leads 9-6 157: No. 13 Steve Brown (CMU) dec. Mallie Shuster, 3-2; Tied 9-9 165: No. 20 Tyler Grayson (CMU) dec. Ross Tice, 5-0; CMU leads 12-9 174: No. 10 Ben Bennett (CMU) dec. Keith Witt, 9-3; CMU leads 15-9 184: No. 5 Dustin Kilgore (KSU) maj. dec. Dillon Kern, 11-3; CMU leads 15-13 197: Eric Simaz (CMU) dec. Adam Cogar, 2-1 TB1; CMU leads 18-13 285: No. 4 Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. Brendan Barlow, 4-2 TB1; CMU leads 21-13

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team handed Bedlam Series rival and eighth-ranked Oklahoma a 19-16 defeat Sunday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys won six of 10 bouts in the dual, including a 4-2 win from top-ranked heavyweight Jared Rosholt over No. 13 Nathan Fernandez in the finale to seal the win. The victory improved the fourth-ranked Cowboys to 15-2-1 on the year, while the Sooners fell to 16-3-1. It also gave OSU a 126-26-10 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. The heavyweight bout was ripe with drama, as the two teams were deadlocked at 16 going into the match and the two wrestlers had split their previous two meetings this season. After a scoreless first period, Rosholt escaped and quickly took Fernandez down at the 1:43 mark of the second period. Fernandez got loose to bring the score to 3-1, then escaped again to start the third period to trim Rosholt’s lead to 3-2. From that point on, the Cowboy senior fought off Fernandez’s takedown attempts and added a riding time point to claim a 4-2 victory and push his team to the Bedlam win. “He’s been in a lot of situations where we’ve needed him and I’ll just tell you that was probably one of the biggest ones he’s ever delivered for us,” OSU coach John Smith said of Rosholt’s performance. “He was 1-1 with Fernandez this year. He’s a fifth-year senior on senior night. That’s a match he’ll remember. That’s going to be a good memory. We’ll be talking in our wrestling circles about that. It’s always nice to smile and be able to say ‘this is what I did’. Good for Jared and he deserves it.” “I wasn't really looking forward to it coming down to that match, but I think it’s good to have that adversity,” Rosholt said. “It's a great way to win my last home dual here.” Oklahoma got off to a fast start by winning three of the first four bouts in the dual, with the lone exception a 7-5 victory from Cowboy 133-pounder Jordan Oliver over Kendric Maple. Oliver trailed, 4-2 with 19 seconds left but scored when Maple was hit with a penalty point for stalling, then added two takedowns in the final 16 seconds to send the crowd of 4,849 into an eruption and claim his win. OSU junior Neil Erisman avenged an earlier loss to No. 12 Shane Vernon at 157 pounds with a 7-3 victory Sunday. That win set off a string of four consecutive Cowboy victories, as 165-pounder Alex Meade followed with a 6-2 win over Tyler Caldwell, 174-pounder Mike Benefiel added a 12-6 win over No. 19 Jeff James that didn’t feel as close as the score indicated and 184-pounder Clayton Foster claimed a 12-2 major decision win over Erich Schmidtke. Sixth-ranked Eric Lapotsky overcame getting taken down three times in the first 50 seconds of his bout with Alan Gelogaev to pin the Cowboy sophomore with 25 seconds left in the second period. The two wrestlers started the second period in the neutral position and Lapotsky shot in immediately for a takedown, then worked to eventually get Gelogaev to his back for the fall. The win put a cap on the regular season for the Cowboys. The Pokes return to the mat for the Big 12 Championships in Norman on March 6. Results: 125: No. 15 Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. No. 9 Chris Notte (OSU); 2-1 133: No. 3 Jordan Oliver (OSU) dec. No. 19 Kendric Maple (OU); 7-5 141: No. 3 Zack Bailey (OU) dec. No. 7 Jamal Parks (OSU); 3-2 149: No. 4 Kyle Terry (OU) MD Quinten Fuentes (OSU); 14-5 157: No. 14 Neil Erisman (OSU) dec. No. 12 Shane Vernon (OU); 7-3 165: No. 8 Alex Meade (OSU) dec. Tyler Caldwell (OU); 6-2 174: No. 9 Mike Benefiel (OSU) dec. No. 19 Jeff James (OU); 12-6 184: No. 9 Clayton Foster (OSU) MD Erich Schmidtke (OU); 12-2 197: No. 6 Eric Lapotsky (OU) fall No. 8 Alan Gelogaev (OSU); 4:35 285: No. 1 Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. No. 13 Nathan Fernandez (OU); 4-2

EVANSTON, Ill. -- On a night with so many distinguished alumni of Northwestern wrestling in the seats at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the current Wildcats gutted out a remarkable 20-16 victory over Michigan Sunday for their first Big Ten dual win of the season. The win put the finishing touches on a special evening on which NU honored Tim Cysewski, who coached his final dual as head coach after 20 years in that role. Despite being challenged much of the season by a lineup depleted by injuries, Northwestern battled to the end for Cysewski on Sunday, winning four individual bouts by three points or less to claw out the dual win. Cysewski, who next season will make the move to the role of associate head coach at NU, ends his head coaching tenure as the winningest coach in program history with 155 dual victories. The evening featured a rousing ceremony during intermission to honor Cysewski, which featured appearances from former Northwestern All-Americans Jack Griffin, Mike Funk, Brad Traviolia and Dustin Fox. Sunday's match began with the heavyweight bout, where Michigan's Ben Apland posted an 11-2 major decision of NU's Marcus Shrewsbury. After missing five weeks with a broken hand, NU's Robert Joyce returned for a battle at 125 pounds with Michigan's Sean Boyle. Joyce was credited with a takedown in the opening minute before the officials deemed that he did not in fact have enough control for the two. Boyle took a 2-1 lead into the second period and went ahead 4-1 on an escape and penalty point before Joyce notched his first takedown of the match to pull within 4-3. Joyce quickly escaped to start the third and got around for a takedown with 1:30 to go in the match, claiming a 6-4 lead that he protected by riding out the match, tacking on a riding time point to win 7-4. The victory was the first Big Ten dual victory of Joyce's career. At 133, Eric Metzler came back from a 2-0 deficit against Zac Stevens by turning a single-leg into a double for two points. With Metzler leading 4-3, Stevens caught Metzler in a headlock that he held on to for four near-fall points, breaking open a 9-4 lead. But Metzler was determined to make the most of his Senior Day and went on a tear of takedowns, getting in on Stevens' legs at will to take a 13-12 lead. A penalty point against Stevens gave Metzler a 14-12 decision and his 12th victory of the season. The action remained fast and furious in the 141-pound bout, where Levi Mele wrestled up two weight classes from his usual 125-pound spot to take on Michigan's Mark Weber. Weber held a 5-3 edge late in the contest when Mele went in for a takedown, bringing the NU faithful to their feet. Mele fed off their energy in the sudden victory period, getting the winning takedown just 20 seconds into the match and improving to 3-4 in Big Ten action for his freshman season. Andrew Nadhir came up big for Northwestern (6-12-1, 1-7) by winning by technical fall at 149 pounds against Mark Boyer. Nadhir put on a clinic, going in for one takedown after another to give Northwestern critical bonus points in the team score. Following the intermission, Michigan pulled within 14-7 thanks to a decision by Dave Johnson over Kevin Bialka at 157 pounds. But Northwestern picked right back up after that with a riveting win at 165 by Robert Kellogg, who defeated Aaron Hynes 4-2 for his second Big Ten win of the season. NU's final crucial win came courtesy of Brian Roddy, Jr. at 174, who came from behind to knock off Justin Zeerip. Zeerip came into the match with a season record of 25-16. Roddy's fourth Big Ten victory this year gave NU an insurmountable 20-7 team lead with two matches remaining. Michigan (4-15, 0-8) claimed wins in both of those matches but it was too little too late as the Wildcats held on for a most memorable victory. Northwestern is now off from competition for the next two weeks before heading to the Big Ten Championships March 6-7 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Results: 285: Ben Apland (MI) Maj. Dec. Marcus Shrewsbury (NU), 11-2 (MI 4, NU 0) 125: Robert Joyce (NU) dec. Sean Boyle (MI), 7-4 (MI 4, NU 3) 133: Eric Metzler (NU) dec. Zac Stevens (MI), 14-12 (NU 6, MI 4) 141: Levi Mele (NU) dec. Mark Weber (MI), 7-5 (SV) (NU 9, MI 4) 149: Andrew Nadhir (NU) Tech Fall Mark Boyer (MI), 20-5 (5:25) (NU 14, MI 4) 157: Dave Johnson (MI) dec. Kevin Bialka (NU), 11-6 (NU 14, MI 7) 165: Robert Kellogg (NU) dec. Aaron Hynes (MI), 4-2 (NU 17, MI 7) 174: Brian Roddy, Jr. (NU) dec. Justin Zeerip (MI), 8-3 (NU 20, MI 7) 184: Hunter Montoya (MI) FALL Aaron Jones (NU), 2:20 (NU 20, MI 13) 197: #8 Anthony Biando (MI) dec. John Schoen (NU), 8-1 (NU 20, MI 16)

PHILADELPHIA -- In its final dual meet of the regular season, No. 7 Lehigh won seven of ten bouts to defeat Penn Sunday afternoon at the Palestra. One day after routing Rutgers at Stabler Arena, Lehigh showed some rust, but still managed to score bonus points in five of the seven wins. Seniors Seth Ciasulli and David Craig posted wins by fall for the Mountain Hawks who finish the dual season at 16-3-1 overall, 5-0-1 in the EIWA. Penn falls to 10-6 overall, 4-2 in EIWA duals. “To come in here and beat Penn on their home turf, that’s a good thing,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “We won some hard battles today through fight, but technically, we got beat. We’re coming off an emotional day yesterday. We talked about it. We were concerned about it. Santoro continued, “In some cases today we weren’t aggressive on our feet. That’s something we talked about a month ago. We thought we fixed that. If you don’t shoot you’re not going to win matches. That’s something we’re going to have to work on over the next two weeks.” For the second straight day sophomore John McDonald gave Lehigh a spark right off the bat, as on Sunday he opened the dual with an 8-0 major decision over Mark Rappo. McDonald tallied a takedown in each period and added an escape and riding time to put the Mountain Hawks in front 4-0. At 133, senior Matt Fisk found himself down 3-1 late in the third period against Brian Ortenzio, having given up a point for locked hands, an escape and a point for three cautions. In the final seconds, Fisk took his best shot of the bout which resulted in a takedown with two seconds left. The two extra seconds of riding time got Fisk to a minute, which was the deciding factor in a 4-3 win. Seth Ciasulli’s bout with Zack Kemmerer at 141 also came down to the wire. Sudden victory was needed with the bout tied 2-2, and in the final seconds of the overtime period Ciasulli used a leg scissors to get Kemmerer’s shoulders to the mat for a fall in 7:53 to extend Lehigh’s lead to 13-0. Freshman Joey Napoli completed a four-bout Lehigh run to start the dual with a dominant 11-2 major decision over Zach Ellis. The Quakers netted their first win at 157, where Matt Dragon, wrestling with knee and shoulder injuries, overcame a 4-1 first period deficit, scoring a reversal and two-point near fall in the third period to rally past sophomore Sean Bilodeau 9-7. At 165, sophomore Brandon Hatchett continued his strong close to the season with a 5-0 decision over Gabriel Burak. Hatchett scored a first period takedown, and turned Burak for two near fall points in the second period. Penn’s second win came at 174 as Scott Giffin was impressive in a 12-5 decision over freshman Robert Hamlin, but Craig clinched the dual for the Mountain Hawks building a 9-0 lead against Harrison Cook before decking the Quaker freshman in 4:12. Sophomore Joe Kennedy entered the day on an eight bout win streak, but could not find his offense as he suffered his first loss since the Virginia Duals. Micah Burak escaped in the first 30-second tiebreaker and then rode out Kennedy second to prevail 3-2 at 197. In the final bout of the dual, sophomore Zach Rey was dominant, scoring six takedowns, including the bonus-win clincher in the final seconds as he defeated Tyler Blakely 14-6. “We found a way to win a lot of matches this weekend by sheer guts,” explained Santoro. “That’s something you can’t really put together in two weeks. The technical stuff you can work on. Right now these guys are fighting hard to win every single match and that’s the most important thing going into the post season.” Next up for the Mountain Hawks is the 106th EIWA Championships, which Lehigh will host at Stabler Arena March 6-7. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by logging on to Lehighsports.com. Results: 125 John McDonald (Lehigh) maj. dec. Mark Rappo (Penn) 8-0 133 Matt Fisk (Lehigh) dec. Bryan Ortenzio (Penn) 4-3 141 Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh) Fall Zack Kemmerer (Penn) 7:53, s.v. 149 Joey Napoli (Lehigh) maj. dec. Zach Ellis (Penn) 11-2 157 Matt Dragon (Penn) dec. Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh) 9-7 165 Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Gabriel Burak (Penn) 5-0 174 Scott Giffin (Penn) dec. Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) 12-5 184 David Craig (Lehigh) Fall Harrison Cook (Penn) 4:12 197 Micah Burak (Penn) dec. Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) 3-2, t.b. 285 Zach Rey (Lehigh) maj. dec. Tyler Blakely (Penn) 14-6

AMES, Iowa -- The second-ranked Iowa State wrestling team capped off the regular season in dominating fashion Sunday afternoon with a 34-7 win over Big 12 foe Nebraska on Senior Day. The highlight match at 197 pounds went to the wire, with top-rated Jake Varner (24-0) turning away Craig Brester (25-1) of Nebraska in overtime, 6-4. The Cyclones took eight of the 10 contested weights, with five matches resulting in bonus points for the ISU team effort. The victory is the largest Cyclone victory over the Huskers since 1985 (34-4). “We’re getting better,” ISU head coach Kevin Jackson. “Jake got a big takedown when he had to,” Jackson said. “We practice those situations all the time, trying to get a takedown when you are almost drained.” Iowa State finishes the dual season with a 13-2 overall record, and a perfect 4-0 mark in league action. ISU swept its four Big 12 opponents for the second time in the dual season (2006-07). Nebraska concludes its season with a 9-11 overall dual record, with a 0-4 mark in the Big 12. “It was a great afternoon,” Jackson said. “Nick Fanthorpe is wrestling at his best and he went after the pin. Mitch Mueller wants to be an All-American and he is wrestling better than he ever has.” Before the dual had even began, the Cyclone cheers rang down upon the mat as ISU honored its seven senior wrestlers. The crowd of over 3,500 was on their feet to applaud the career efforts of Cyclones Duke Burk, Joe Curran, Nick Fanthorpe, Nick Gallick, Mitch Mueller, Varner and David Zabriskie. Senior Cyclones scored four wins in the affair. “The pre-match ceremony was great,” Fanthorpe said. “I made the right choice going to Iowa State and I could not have wrestled for better fans.” The rematch of the 2009 NCAA 197-pound title bout was everything fans expected. Heading into overtime with a sudden victory period, ISU’s Varner and NU’s Brester were tied 4-4. Both grapplers each notched takedowns and a pair of escapes in regulation. Varner snapped his familiar foe towards the mat and circled around for the decisive takedown with three seconds remaining in the period to secure the victory. “When you are out there, you aren’t thinking about last year or it being your last home match,” Varner said. “It was a great way to go out and I love being a part of this team.” The dual meet started with consecutive pins from Cyclones Andrew Long (125) and Nick Fanthorpe (133). Long stuck Husker David Klingsheim in the third period at the 6:43 mark. Fanthorpe made quick work of Nebraska’s C.J. Napier, ending the match at 2:32 in the first period. Cyclone senior Mitch Mueller scored his first technical fall in dual action of this season with an 18-3 (4:34) performance over Nebraska’s Dustin Payne at 149 pounds. Iowa State’s Andrew Sorenson (157) and Jon Reader (165) put up major decision victories for the ISU team score. Sorenson used a strong third period to power his way to an 18-5 win against Nebraska’s Tyler Koehn. Reader scored a 21-8 win over Husker 165-pounder James Nakashima. ISU 184-pounder Jerome Ward gutted out a 3-1 decision of Nebraska’s Josh Ihnen. Heavyweight David Zabriskie concluded the dual by defeating Husker Tucker Lane by decision, 3-2. “It has all gone by so fast,” Zabriskie said. “I can’t believe that we wrestled our last match in Hilton Coliseum. I have loved it here.” The Cyclones will march towards the postseason with the next stop being March 6 in Norman, Okla. for the 2010 Big 12 Championships. Click the slideout tabs in the above photo for access to video, a photo album and full results (.PDF) from the ISU-NU dual. Results: 125 pounds – No. 5 Andrew Long (ISU) pinned David Klingsheim (NU), 6:43 133 pounds – No. 9 Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) pinned C.J. Napier (NU), 2:32 141 pounds – Mike Koehnlein (NU) dec. No. 18 Dalton Jensen (ISU), 4-2 149 pounds – No. 9 Mitch Mueller (ISU) tech. fall Dustin Payne (NU), 18-3 (4:34) 157 pounds – No. 20 Andrew Sorenson (ISU) major dec. Tyler Koehn (NU), 18-5 165 pounds – No. 2 Jon Reader (ISU) major dec. James Nakashima (NU), 21-8 174 pounds – No. 4 Stephen Dwyer (NU) major dec. No. 20 Duke Burk (ISU), 11-2 184 pounds – No. 13 Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Josh Ihnen (NU), 3-1 197 pounds – No. 1 Jake Varner (ISU) dec. No. 2 Craig Brester (NU), 6-4 (SV) HWT – No. 5 David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. No. 14 Tucker Lane (NU), 3-2

MADISON, WI -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team won its third straight Big Ten regular season title Sunday afternoon with a 31-6 victory over #14 Wisconsin (8-10, 4-4 Big Ten) in Madison, WI. The dual will be aired at 10 p.m. (CT) Sunday on the Big Ten Network. The Hawkeyes, who posted their second-straight undefeated dual season with a 23-0 record (8-0 Big Ten), picked up their 61st straight dual win and 41st straight road dual win to close out the 2009-10 regular season. Iowa went 8-2 in the dual in front of 2,578 fans at the UW Field House, scoring team bonus points in three matches and allowing a total of four takedowns. Hawkeye seniors Brent Metcalf (149 - 29-0), Jay Borschel (174 - 28-0) and Dan Erekson (Hwt. - 8-0), and redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125 - 29-0) all posted wins to remain undefeated on the season. The win was also the 30th Big Ten victory for Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands. Iowa jumped out to a 19-0 lead with wins at the first five weights. McDonough started the dual at 125 with a 10-1 win over Drew Hammen to record his 11th major decision of the season. Leading 4-1 after the first period, McDonough scored a reversal with 10 seconds left in the second period to take a 6-1 lead. He then added three nearfall points in the third and a point for riding time for the 10-1 win, which was his 22nd bonus-point victory of the season. Hawkeye senior Daniel Dennis, who is ranked between third and seventh in the nation, used 1:52 of riding time to score a 2-1 win over #5 Tyler Graff at 133. The Badger redshirt freshman escaped with less than 10 seconds left in the second period to take a 1-0 lead, but Dennis followed with a third-period escape and kept his riding time intact for the win. At 141, sophomore Montell Marion gave up Iowa's first takedown of the dual, but responded with an eight-point third period to beat Wisconsin's Cole Schmitt, 11-4. The 149-pound bout between the top-ranked Metcalf and #5 Kyle Ruschell was one of the dual's marquee match-ups, but Wisconsin forfeited to give Iowa a 16-0 lead. It was the 25th time in 29 bouts that Metcalf scored extra team points for the Hawkeyes. Iowa junior Jake Kerr scored two first-period takedowns in his 157-pound match with Greg Burke, and held on for the 6-5 win. After the intermission, fourth-ranked Hawkeye senior Ryan Morningstar could not pull off the upset over top-ranked Badger Andrew Howe at 165. After a scoreless first period, Howe scored an escape to take a 1-0 lead. Morningstar, who is now 0-4 against the defending Big Ten Champion and NCAA runner-up, chose the down position to start the third period. Howe, who improved to 28-0 on the season and snapped Morningstar's eight-match winning streak, held the Hawkeye senior down until he accumulated 1:04 of riding time. He then released Morningstar to tie the score at 1-1, but Howe's riding time point gave him the victory. Borschel stopped any chance of a Badger run with his 4:26 pin of Brendan Ard at 174. The Hawkeye senior was close to the fall in the first period, but had to settle for a takedown and three nearfall points to take a 5-0 lead. After a neutral start to the second period, Borschel scored another takedown and then turned Ard to collect his ninth pin and 19th bonus-point win of the season. Hawkeye senior Phillip Keddy followed a 184 with a 4-3 decision over Badger Travis Rutt to give Iowa a 28-3 lead. Rutt scored an early takedown in the first period, but Keddy quickly escaped and scored a takedown of his own for a 3-2 lead. Rutt escaped after starting the second period in the down position to tie the score at 3-3, but Keddy's escape in the third period have him the 4-3 win. Wisconsin scored its second and final victory of the night at 197 when junior Trevor Brandvold, who is ranked between fifth and seventh in the nation, recorded a 4-2 victory over Hawkeye junior Luke Lofthouse. Lofthouse scored an early takedown, but Brandvold followed with an escape and takedown to take a 3-2 lead. Brandvold added a second-period escape and held off Lofthouse's third-period takedown attempts for the win. Erekson closed out the dual with a 3-2 decision over Badger heavyweight Eric Bugenhagen. Iowa will wrestle for its third straight and 34th overall conference team title March 6-7 at the 2010 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The event will be held at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. Session One (first round and quarterfinals) is set to start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT). Session Two (championship semifinals and consolation matches) will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday's Session Three (consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches) will start at 11 a.m., with the championships round (first, third and fifth-place matches) starting at 1:05 p.m. The championships round will be aired live on the Big Ten Network. All-session tickets ($30) are available from the University of Michigan Athletic Ticket Office (734-764-0247 or www.MGoBlue.com/tickets). Single-session tickets will be on sale at Crisler Arena at the event. Results: 125 - Matt McDonough (I) maj. dec. Drew Hammen (W), 10-1 133 - Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Tyler Graff (W), 2-1 141 - Montell Marion (I) dec. Cole Schmitt (W), 11-4 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) won by forfeit 157 - Jake Kerr (I) dec. Greg Burke (W), 6-5 165 - Andrew Howe (W) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 2-1 174 - Jay Borschel (I) pinned Brendan Ard (W), 4:26 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Travis Rutt (W), 4-3 197 - Trevor Brandvold (W) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 4-2 Hwt. - Dan Erekson (I) dec. Eric Bugenhagen (W), 3-2

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- After dropping two of the first three bouts of the night, Navy went on to win the remaining seven and earn a 26-6 victory over arch rival Army in the annual Star Match held Saturday evening at Alumni Hall in Annapolis. While the Midshipmen now own a 44-5-5 series advantage, the rout marked Navy's 10th consecutive win over its service academy rival. "I am so proud of our guys," said an elated Bruce Burnett. "When you look at this match on paper, this wasn't supposed to happen. They had beaten us at several of the weight classes either last year or in competitions earlier this season. I can go down the list of wrestlers who gutted it out, gave their heart, believed in themselves. This is the biggest win against Army since I've been here. They rose above and got the job done." While there were countless performances that displayed courage and desire over the course of the evening, Navy freshman Andrew Buck (Carson, Wash.) provided the Mids with an amazing come-from-behind win over Collin Wittmeyer at 184 pounds. After knotting the match up in the third period with a takedown, Buck lost a pair of points less than 30 seconds later after being called for an illegal move. Buck, however, scored the takedown with 21 seconds remaining to tie the score at 4-4. Despite the scored, Wittmeyer held the advantage after building up more than a minute's worth of riding time, forcing Buck to allow Wittmeyer out of the hold and giving him the opportunity for a last second takedown. Buck did just that, scoring a two-point nearfall at the buzzer to send it to sudden victory. Starting in the neutral position, Buck was able to bring Wittmeyer down and tried to lean him back onto his back. Despite multiple tries, Buck finally was able to roll and swing around Wittmeyer for the takedown with 18 seconds remaining in the one-minute sudden victory period. "Can you believe Andrew Buck coming back," said Burnett. "He's had several injuries over the last few months and he just gutted it out." The Mids received another emotional lift from junior Allan Stein (Portland, Maine) who has spent his entire collegiate wrestling career at 125 pounds but was asked to step into the role at 133 pounds. Stein, a scrappy, speedy wrestler who leaves everything he has on the mat, won perhaps the biggest match of his career. Stein built a 5-3 lead after the opening period that included a takedown followed by a two-point nearfall, but his foe, sophomore Travis Coffey, proved a valid foe as he put together a pair of escapes and a takedown with a minute to go in the second period to knot the match at 7-7. Stein scored the escape at the end of the period and opened the final period with an escape to push his lead to two. Coffey, though, was credited with a takedown with 47 seconds left to tie the match at 9-9. Stein broke free and was able to hold on for the 10-9 win. "I'm naturally about 135 pounds, so for me to cut two pounds versus 10 pounds was a noticeable difference for me," said Stein. "I felt fresher and was able to press the pace a little." For Stein, the win was significant for a number of reasons. "I had that loss against Army from my Plebe Year in the back of my head. I thought to myself, `this is the last chance I have to wrestle against Army at Alumni Hall and win. This is truly the most excited I've ever been after a win. It's a much bigger win than any other match I've ever wrestled. It was a special win for me because it was against Army and it was at home. My dad was able to drive down to watch and my high school coach, Coach Kirk, drove all the way down here. It meant a lot to me to have all of them here." "When you wrestle Allan, you know what you are going to get," said Burnett. "I knew that Allan would give everything he had in his tank and in his heart." Familiar foes Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) of Navy and Casey Thome of Army met in the 141-pound match and based on record alone, Thome clearly had the advantage. Thome came into the match boasting a 23-5 record and had won 10 consecutive matches, while Pagan had produced a 20-14 record and was coming off a second-place finish at the All-Academy Championship. Pagan was the aggressor early on, but as the match continued both wrestlers began to tactically stalk one another. Pagan built a 3-1 lead with 1:48 to go in the second period, but a Thome takedown with just over a minute to go tied things up. Pagan took a 4-3 lead at the end of the period, however Thome would again tie the match with an escape to start the final period. After the two wrestlers rode out the one-minute sudden victory period, the match headed to a pair of 30-second tie breakers. Pagan selected the down position in the first tie breaker and was able to break loose with 20 seconds to go to take a 5-4 lead. Fight as he may, Thome was unable to break free from Pagan's hold in the second 30-second tie breaker and Pagan scored a huge win for the Mids. Team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) used the momentum built by his teammates to help him upset eighth-ranked Matt Kyler, who came into the match with an impressive 27-2 record. After a scoreless opening period, Kyler scored the first point with an escape to begin the second stanza. The final period began with a Shober escape and with 57 seconds remaining, the senior took Kyler to the match for a 3-1 advantage. Unable to ride him out, Kyler was able to narrow the gap with an escape, but Shober sealed the win with a takedown with just four seconds remaining to upset one of the nation's best at 149 pounds. "I've got to thank Coach Burnett for preparing us," said Shober, who picked up his first win over Army in the annual dual. "Mentally, I knew I could do it. I think the momentum that we built after winning four matches in a row really got me up. This is definitely the biggest upset of my career." "We really couldn't have scripted Glenn's match any more than how it turned out," said Burnett. "You wouldn't believe that we actually had talked prior to the match about him going for a last second takedown. He was well prepared and his weight management this week was probably the best it's been all year. Glenn did a great job of preparing and believing in himself." Additionally, Navy received wins from sophomore 125-pound Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), 157-pound Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) and junior 165-pound Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) and Scott Steele (Towson, Md.) who earned an 11-7 win in what was his 100th career match. "The preparation and hard work is honestly like no other sport in that you see immediate results when you focus on those two aspects," added Burnett. "On the flip side, that can certainly work against you, but it proves how valuable preparation and execution are. They are just words, it's about hard work and seeing that hard work through. The Midshipmen will be back in action in two weeks when they make the short journey to Bethlehem, Pa. to take part in the 2010 EIWA Championship, slated for March 6-7. Results: 174 - Ryan Mergen (A) dec. Mike Billings, 5-3 184 - Andrew Buck (N) dec. Collin Wittmeyer, 8-6 (SV1) 197 - #16 Richard Starks (A) dec. Russ Kropp, 8-4 285 - #9 Scott Steele (N) dec. Orion Ross, 11-7 125 - Aaron Kalil (N) dec. Lance Penhale, 11-9 133 - Allan Stein (N) dec. Travis Coffey, 10-9 141 - Matt Pagan (N) dec. Casey Thome, 5-4 (TB) 149 - Glenn Shober (N) dec. #8 Matt Kyler, 5-2 157 - #7 Bryace Saddoris (N) tech. Daniel Young, 17-2 (3:24) 165 - Robby Neill (N) dec. Patrick Marchetti, 6-3

Hempstead, NY -- Tyler Banks, Jonny Bonilla-Bowman and P.J. Gillespie posted major decision victories and the Pride received a final match forfeit win as Hofstra defeated Drexel, 21-17, in a CAA match at the Hofstra Physical Fitness Center Saturday afternoon. The Dragons of Drexel jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two matches as junior Michael Gomez (3-3) defeated Pride freshman Jamie Franco (5-14), 2-1, on a third period takedown at 125 pounds, and 15th-ranked senior Steve Mytych (30-6) posted a 10-2 major decision over freshman Luke Vaith (15-17) at 133 pounds. Hofstra got on the board at 141 pounds when red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks (10-17) rolled to a 13-0 major decision over Dragon freshman Josh Yurasits (2-8). Drexel boosted the lead to 10-4 at 149 when senior Brett McCurdy (10-12) downed Pride junior Jeff Rotella (3-19). But the Pride rallied with major decisions in the next two matches to take a 12-10 lead in the contest. Senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (16-4), ranked 19th in the country, jumped out to a 9-5 lead after one period and rolled to a 21-11 major decision over Joe Booth (19-6) at 157 pounds. It was Bonilla-Bowman’s fourth straight win and the ninth in his last 10 matches. Pride sophomore P.J. Gillespie (28-12) gave Hofstra a 12-10 advantage with a 14-6 major win over sophomore Alex Rinaldi (8-20) at 165 pounds. Drexel regained the lead at 174 pounds as junior Dave Woodall edged Pride senior Jon Rothman (2-17), 6-5 at 174 pounds, on the riding time point after Rothman pulled off a late escape to tie the match. But Hofstra sophomore Ben Clymer (23-6) gave the Pride the lead right back, recording a second period escape for a 1-0 victory over junior Justin Weiller (12-15). Clymer has won 12 of his last 14 matches. At 197 pounds, Drexel sophomore Shawn Fausey (3-6) recorded a 10-0 major decision over Pride red-shirt freshman Patrick Murphy (1-5), who was filling in for senior starter Anthony Tortora, who was injured at Rider last Wednesday, giving the Dragons a 17-15 advantage heading into the match finale. A battle between Drexel junior Kyle Frey (27-8), ranked second in the CAA, and Hofstra red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (10-14), ranked fourth in the CAA, was expected at 285 pounds, But Frey, who suffered a hand injury in a recent match, forfeited the match giving Hofstra the 21-17 victory. The Pride, who snapped a seven-match losing streak, ended their dual match schedule with a 6-12-2 mark and a 4-3 mark in the CAA. Drexel ended its regular season with a 9-12-0 mark and a 3-4 record in the CAA. Both teams will now prepare for the 2010 CAA Championships at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey on March 5-6. Results: 125- Mike Gomez (DU) dec. Jamie Franco (HU), 2-1 133- Steve Mytych (DU) maj. dec. Luke Vaith (HU), 10-2 141- Tyler Banks (HU) maj. dec. Josh Yurasits (DU), 13-0 149- Brett McCurdy (DU) dec. Jeff Rotella (HU), 10-3 157- Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU) maj. dec. Joe Booth (DU), 21-11 165- P.J. Gillespie (HU) maj. dec. Alex Rinaldi (DU), 14-6 174- Dave Woodall (DU) dec. Jon Rothman (HU), 6-5 184- Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Justin Weiller (DU), 1-0 197- Shawn Fausey (DU) maj. dec. Patrick Murphy (HU), 10-0 285- Paul Snyder (HU) win by forfeit

MINNEAPOLIS -- Qualifying nine individuals to compete at the national tournament, the top-ranked Augsburg College wrestling team won the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional for the eighth straight year on Saturday at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall. The Auggies won regional titles in seven of the 10 weight classes, had a regional runner-up and one at-large qualifier for the national championships, to be held March 5-6 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Augsburg (Minn.) won the tournament with 224 points, followed by second-place Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) with 142 points, Elmhurst (Ill.) with 133.5 points and St. John's (Minn.) with 126.0 points.Winners of 10 of the last 19 national titles, Augsburg has won the Great Lakes Regional every year since joining the region in 2003. Augsburg's Josh Roberts (125), Jafari Vanier (141), Tony Valek (149), Jason Adams (157), Orlando Ponce (165), Zach Molitor (174) and Jared Massey (197) all won regional titles to qualify for the national tournament, while Paul Bjorkstrand was a runner-up at 133. He qualified along with at-large qualifier Andy Witzel at heavyweight. Massey, the defending national titlist at 197 pounds, won all three of his matches, including one by fall, to improve to 25-0 on the season. In two years at Augsburg, Massey is now 55-1 in his two seasons at Augsburg. A competitor at Division I Wisconsin in the 2003-04 season, he returned to college wrestling last year after a four-season absence. Adams won four matches, including two by pin, at 157 to return to the national tournament for the third straight year, improving to 39-4 in the process. Adams is a two-time All-American, finishing second at 141 in 2008 and third at 157 last season. Adams is now 129-24 in his career. At 141, Vanier reached the Division III national tournament for the third time in his career with four victories, emerging from the No. 4 seed to win the regional title in a weight class that featured four of the top-five ranked wrestlers in the latest national poll. Vanier returned to the Auggie lineup this season after a two-season absence. He was a national runner-up in both 2006 and 2007 at 133 pounds. Molitor claimed four wins at 174, including two major decisions, to improve to 27-3 and advance to the national tournament for the second straight year. Molitor scored a 10-1, major-decision win in the championship match. Valek will return to the national tournament for the second year in a row after claiming his crown at 149. He won three matches, including a 6-0 decision in the finals, to improve to 30-4 on the season. Ponce, also a national tournament qualifier last year, won the regional title with four victories, including a 14-6, major-decision win in the finals, to improve to 27-10 on the season. Roberts qualified for the national tournament for the first time in his career, scoring three wins, including an 8-7 win over top-ranked Jake Oster of Elmhurst in the finals. Roberts is now 24-8 on the season. Bjorkstrand reached the national tournament for the first time in his career with a runner-up finish at 133, and will advance with a 36-7 record. Witzel, an All-American last year with a fifth-place finish at heavyweight, reached this year's tourney as an at-large qualifier with a 27-9 record. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) qualified four individuals to the national tournament -- 184-pound champion Phil Moenkedick, 174-pound runner-up Ross Dakners, 149-pound runner-up Justin Berns and at-large qualifier Ben Anderson at 141. Also qualifying four individuals was North Central (Ill.) -- 133-pound champion Nathan Fitzenreider, 184-pound runner-up Gabe Youel, 141-pound at-large qualifier John Starzyk and 174-pound at-large qualifier Cowan Brown. St. John's (Minn.) qualified three individuals to the national tournament -- 141-pound true-second winner Minga Batsukh, 133-pound at-large qualifier Mogi Baatar and 165-pound at-large qualifier Matt Baarson. Elmhurst (Ill.) qualified three individuals -- heavyweight champion Mark Corsello, 125-pound runner-uip Jake Oster and 149-pound at-large qualifier Charlie Curran. St. Olaf (Minn.) qualified two individuals -- 156-pound true-second finisher Justin Skillings and 165-pound runner-up Josef Waples. Qualifying one individual each were Lakeland (Wis., heavyweight runner-up Adam Sutter), Chicago (Ill., 197-pound runner-up Troy Carlson) and Augustana (Ill., 125-pound at-large qualifier George Gogonas).

No. 1 Iowa hits the road to take on No. 19 Wisconsin in the final dual meet of the season for both teams. The dual meet is scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. CST at the UW Field House in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network (same-day delay) at 10 p.m. CST tonight. The Hawkeyes are 22-0 on the season and 7-0 in the Big Ten, while the Badgers are 8-9 overall and 4-3 in the conference. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of today's dual meet. 125: No. 3 Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. Drew Hammen (Wisconsin) McDonough, a redshirt freshman, stands one match away from finishing the regular season undefeated. He has picked up bonus points in his last three matches, with his last victory coming over Nikko Triggas of Ohio State, 9-1, on Friday night. Hammen snapped an 11-match losing streak last Sunday when he defeated true freshman Sean Boyle of Michigan, but he dropped his last match on Friday night to Levi Mele of Northwestern. Bottom Line: McDonough should overwhelm Hammen and pick up bonus points, most likely a major decision or technical fall. Prediction: McDonough (Iowa) major dec. Hammen (Wisconsin) 133: No. 3 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) vs. No. 6 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) Dennis has not looked real sharp in his last two outings. He lost 8-4 to Minnesota's top-ranked Jayson Ness last Sunday and then narrowly defeated true freshman Ian Paddock of Ohio State, 3-2, on Friday night. He is currently 15-2 on the season and ranked No. 3. Graff has been one of the most impressive freshmen in the country this season. He was Midlands champion in December (Dennis did not compete) and has not lost a conference match, going 7-0. He has won his last eight matches and is 24-4 on the season. Bottom Line: This should be a great match with a lot of action. Both wrestlers have attacking styles and like to wrestle at a high pace. This match could go either way. Prediction: Dennis (Iowa) dec. Graff (Wisconsin) 141: No. 4 Montell Marion (Iowa) vs. Cole Schmitt (Wisconsin) Marion has established himself as a real threat at 141 pounds. He has won seven of his last nine matches, which includes victories over No. 7 Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State and No. 8 Mike Thorn of Minnesota. He dropped his last match on Friday night to No. 2 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State, 9-5. Schmitt, a redshirt freshman, has been up and down this season. He has some quality wins over All-Americans, but also some head-scratching losses. He comes into today's match having won three of his last four matches. Bottom Line: Marion defeated Schmitt, 7-4, earlier this season at the Midlands. But Schimitt was crushed in his last two outings against wrestlers ranked in the top 10. Prediction: Marion (Iowa) major dec. Schmitt (Wisconsin) 149: No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin) Metcalf was pushed hard in his last match on Friday night against Ohio State's second-ranked Lance Palmer, but came away with a 3-1 decision to improve to 28-0 on the season. If he wins today, he will finish his Big Ten career undefeated at 24-0. Ruschell was ranked No. 2 (behind Metcalf) for the first three months of the season before losing, 6-5, to Frank Molinaro of Penn State on January 31. He has won his last five matches and comes into today's match with a 25-2 season mark. Bottom Line: Metcalf has faced Ruschell four times and dominated him in virtually every meeting. He has picked up bonus points in all but one of the matches. The lone match in which Metcalf did not pick up bonus points against Ruschell was their last meeting in the finals of the Midlands, which was a 9-2 victory for the Hawkeye senior. Prediction: Metcalf (Iowa) major dec. Ruschell (Wisconsin) 157: Jake Kerr (Iowa) vs. Greg Burke (Wisconsin) This is the lone matchup in the dual meet that does not include a ranked wrestler. Iowa still has not yet determined its starter for the postseason at this weight class as Aaron Janssen and Jake Kerr have been alternating matches. Janssen started on Friday night, which more than likely means Kerr will get the start today. Kerr is 8-7 on the season and coming off a 4-1 loss to No. 2 Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota last Sunday. Burke picked up his first conference victory of the season on Friday night, a 5-4 decision over Northwestern's Kevin Bialka. The Badger junior is 5-16 on the season. Bottom Line: This is a crucial match for Kerr as he looks to make his case for earning the nod in the postseason. Prediction: Kerr (Iowa) dec. Burke (Wisconsin) 165: No. 4 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) vs. No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) This is one of the marquee matches up of the dual meet. Howe, who is ranked No. 1, has compiled a perfect 27-0 record this season and picked up bonus points in each of his last four matches. Morningstar has not lost a conference match this season, going 7-0. He is 23-3 on the season and has won 14 of his last 15 matches. Bottom Line: These two met three times last season, with Howe winning each of those matches by one point in the tiebreaker. Prediction: Howe (Wisconsin) dec. Morningstar (Iowa) 174: No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Brendan Ard (Wisconsin) Borschel, a 2008 All-American, is one of four undefeated Hawkeyes. He has been dominating his opponents lately, picking up bonus points in six of his last seven matches. Borschel registered a shutout victory, 9-0, over No. 11 David Rella of Ohio State on Friday night. Ard began his Big Ten season with a victory over Justin Ortega on January 31, but has not won a match since, losing four straight. He is 1-8 on the season. Bottom Line: The second-ranked Borschel has his sights set on winning an NCAA title this season. Look for him to come out and dominate Ard. Prediction: Borschel (Iowa) pins Ard (Wisconsin) 184: No. 11 Phil Keddy (Iowa) vs. Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) Keddy, a two-time All-American, is coming off a 3-2 victory over 2008 NCAA champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State on Friday night. The Hawkeye senior has won seven of his last eight matches. Rutt broke into the rankings after the NWCA/Cliff Keen National duals, but fell out after losing to Hunter Collins of Michigan last Sunday. Rutt picked up a decision over Aaron Jones of Northwestern on Friday night to improve to 12-8 on the season. Bottom Line: Keddy seems to be hitting his stride and should defeat Rutt, who has lost three of his last five matches. Prediction: Keddy (Iowa) dec. Rutt (Wisconsin) 197 Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) Brandvold has been perfect in the Big Ten, going 7-0 in one of the conference's deepest weight classes. His last loss came at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals to No. 5 Cam Simaz of Cornell. Brandvold defeated John Schoen of Northwestern by major decision, 10-0, in his last outing on Friday night. Lofthouse will be wrestling his final match of the season as Chad Beatty is expected to be back in the Hawkeye lineup for the Big Ten Championships. He has won five of his last six matches. Bottom Line: Brandvold has established himself as a legitimate All-American threat. And while Lofthouse has done a nice job filling for the injured Beatty, he is not wrestling at Brandvold's level. Prediction: Brandvold (Wisconsin) dec. Lofthouse (Iowa) 285: No. 10 Dan Erekson (Iowa) vs. Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin) Erekson, a returning All-American, has gone 7-0 since stepping into the Hawkeye lineup on January 24. Of his seven victories, three have come by pin. On Friday night, Erekson pinned NCAA qualifier Corey Morrison of Ohio State. Bugenhagen moved up two weight classes this season from 184 pounds. He will finish his season the regular season with a .500 record as he can upset Erekson. He is riding a four-match winning streaking heading into today's match. Bottom Line: While Bugenhagen has won four straight matches, it needs to be noted that he lost eight of nine matches prior to that. He has gone 0-10 against wrestlers who have been ranked at some point this season. Erekson should win the match, but Bugenhagen has proven that he can be competitive with the best heavyweights in the country. Prediction: Erekson (Iowa) dec. Bugenhagen (Wisconsin) Dual Meet Prediction: Iowa 30, Wisconsin 6

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- A battle between two top-25 teams turned into a one-sided affair Saturday afternoon as No. 7 Lehigh won nine of ten bouts to defeat No. 22 Rutgers 28-3 Stabler Arena. In a dual that featured a number of close matches, Lehigh won the first four to take an early 12-0 lead and then prevailed in the final five to snap the Scarlet Knights 15-dual unbeaten streak. Senior David Craig delivered the only bonus win for the Mountain Hawks, who improved to 15-3-1 overall and 4-0-1 against EIWA opponents. “It was a great effort this afternoon,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “A lot of matches were close. It was 28-3 in favor of us but it really could have gone either way. It was nice to have this kind of effort late in the season.” Sophomore John McDonald gave Lehigh a big spark in his return to the lineup as he opened the dual by upsetting 21st-ranked Joseph Langel 5-4. McDonald scored takedowns in each of the first two periods to build a 4-2 lead, and then after being taken down in the third; McDonald escaped for the decisive point. “McDonald’s win was huge,” explained Santoro. “Langel has been wrestling really well. John’s been going good but hasn’t been able to find a way to win. Today he found a way.” In the first of six matches between ranked wrestlers, senior No. 14 Matt Fisk dominated No. 20 Bill Ashnault 8-1 at 133. Fisk built a 7-1 lead after one period with a takedown, a two-point near fall and a three-point near fall. Senior Seth Ciasulli avenged a loss to Trevor Melde at the Midlands by winning a 6-4 decision at 141. Ciasulli led 1-0 on a penalty point in the first period but was reversed in the second to trail 3-2. In a wild third period, Ciasulli escaped to tie the bout, and then took down Melde to take the lead before being reversed. Ciasulli finally went ahead late in the bout with a reversal of his own. A late reversal also helped out freshman Joey Napoli who rallied to defeat David Greenwald 4-2 at 149. Rutgers (19-5-1, 6-2 EIWA) picked up its only win at 157 as Daryl Cocozzo won a 5-1 decision over sophomore Sean Bilodeau, to cut Lehigh’s lead to 12-3 at intermission. The second half of the dual belonged to the Mountain Hawks who won all five bouts. In the first bout after intermission, sophomore Brandon Hatchett totaled four takedowns en route to an 11-4 win over Greg Zannetti at 165. Freshman Robert Hamlin then followed with a 3-1 decision over Dan Rinaldi at 174. Craig provided bonus points with a 14-0 major decision over Jesse Boyden at 184. The senior scored early on a duckunder, before adding two three-point near falls to lead 8-0 after one period. In the second, Craig used a cradle to add three more near fall points and he rounded out his scoring with a third-period takedown. Lehigh enjoyed more late magic at 197 where Joe Kennedy scored a takedown in the final seconds to defeat Lamar Brown 3-2. With the match tied at one late, Kennedy was penalized a point for stalling, but used an inside trip to take down Brown in the waning seconds of the bout. The final bout of the dual was also the featured bout, as No. 6 Zach Rey faced No. 10 Domenick Russo. For the second time this season, Rey prevailed, taking Russo down to his back for a total of four points in the second period on the way to a 4-2 victory, improving his season record to 24-3. The Mountain Hawks will wrap-up the dual season on Sunday when they visit Penn. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start from the Palestra in Philadelphia. The match can be heard on WLVR-FM (91.3) as well as online at Lehighsports.com. The Rutgers dual will be rebroadcast nationally on Fox College Sports beginning Tuesday at 9 p.m. and Wednesday at 4 a.m. Results: 125 John McDonald (Lehigh) dec. Joseph Langel (Rutgers) 5-4 133 Matt Fisk (Lehigh) dec. Bill Ashnault (Rutgers) 8-1 141 Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh) dec. Trevor Melde (Rutgers) 6-4 149 Joey Napoli (Lehigh) dec. David Greenwald (Rutgers) 4-2 157 Daryl Cocozzo (Rutgers) dec. Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh) 5-1 165 Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Greg Zannetti (Rutgers) 11-4 174 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. Dan Rinaldi (Rutgers) 3-1 184 David Craig (Lehigh) maj. dec. Jesse Boyden (Rutgers) 14-0 197 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) dec. Lamar Brown (Rutgers) 3-2 285 Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. Domenick Russo (Rutgers) 4-2

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- No. 9 Maryland won seven of ten matches to defeat No. 24 Virginia 22-11 in Charlottesville, capping off a 19-4 regular season in which the Terps set the school record for wins. The Terps trailed 10-11 following the sixth match, but Mookie Golden, No. 9 Alex Krom, Jon Kohler and Kyle John notched victories as Maryland scored 12 straight points to end the match. "It was a great atmosphere and we had some hard-fought victories," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "It's huge to get this win and end the regular season with this momentum. It's great because our guys are wrestling better and with more confidence every day." No. 3 Hudson Taylor improved to 36-2 this season with a victory over defending ACC Champion Brent Jones, who is ranked 18th in the nation at 197 pounds. The focus now shifts to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, as Maryland and Virginia Tech both finished the season 4-0 in conference action. The Terps improved their case for high seeds in the tournament at a number of weight classes; Taylor, No. 14 Josh Asper, Kyle John and Patrick Gilmore all finished the season 4-0 in conference duals. The ACC Championship will be held March 6 in Raleigh, N.C. Tickets are just $10 for adults and $5 for children, and can be purchased here. Results: 165 - No. 14 Josh Asper (MD) dec. Beau Fisher, 12-5 (3-0) 174 - No. 3 Chris Henrich (VA) tech. fall over Bradley Nielson, 15-0 (3-5) 184 - No. 20 Mike Salopek (VA) dec. Corey Peltier, 2-0 (3-8) 197 - No. 3 Hudson Taylor (MD) major dec. No. 18 Brent Jones, 13-5 (7-8) HWT - Patrick Gilmore (MD) dec. Jack Danilkowicz, 3-2 TB2 (10-8) 125 - Ross Gitomer (VA) dec. James Knox, 3-2 (10-11) 133 - Mookie Golden (MD) dec. Matt Snyder, 3-2 (13-11) 141 - No. 9 Alex Krom (MD) dec. Derek Valenti, 6-2 (16-11) 149 - Jon Kohler (MD) dec. Shawn Harris, 10-6 (19-11) 157 - Kyle John (MD) dec. Dan Gonsor, 9-3 (22-11)