InterMat Staff

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Pins in each of the final three bouts propelled No. 7 Oklahoma State to a 30-9 victory over No. 20 Old Dominion Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys (1-0 overall) fell behind early by losing the first three bouts, but a 4-3 win by OSU freshman Luke Silver at 149 pounds started a string of Oklahoma State victories as the Cowboys won each of the final seven matches. "I was worried. I looked up and saw 9-0, and I wondered if anyone was going to do anything," Oklahoma State coach John Smith said. "They won the first three. We need to win at least five, so where are those five going to come from? I do not know if I have seen three matches that bad in a row in my life. I know I am going to have to be patient. I just did not realize how patient I would have to be. Nothing is going to be easy. It does not matter who we are dualing against." Oklahoma State senior Brandon Mason claimed a 5-4 win in the second tie-break period over No. 16 Chris Brown of Old Dominion at 165 pounds to tie the dual at 9-9, then OSU 174-pounder Kyle Griffin set the tone for the remainder of the day by picking up a two-point nearfall and a three-point nearfall in the third period of his 10-4 win over Eric Decker. The final three matches were no contest with OSU wrestlers recording three straight pins to put the dual out of reach. Cowboys Jared Shelton (41 seconds), Clayton Foster (2:05) and Jared Rosholt (4:26) each recorded falls in dominating fashion to slam the door on the Monarchs. 125 pounds: Oklahoma State senior Obenson Blanc was not able to upset No. 5 James Nicholson in a slow match to begin the afternoon. Nicholson scored the lone takedown of the match with eight seconds remaining in the second period. Two stall points were awarded to both wrestlers during the match. Blanc was not able to overcome the takedown as Nicholson took a 5-3 decision. 133 pounds: No. 12 Kyle Hutter of Old Dominion claimed a 4-2 win over Tyler Shinn by keeping Shinn on the defensive throughout the match. No points were scored in the first period, but Hutter made the big moves when they were needed, scoring a key reversal in the second period and sealing his victory with a takedown with only nine seconds on the clock in the third period. 141 pounds: Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Jamal Parks looked like he was well on his way to a big victory over No. 14 Ryan Williams after scoring two first period takedowns, but Williams regrouped to take Parks down with 1:19 left in the second period and ride him out to seal his victory. Williams scored an escape early in the third and fought off Parks' repeated takedown attempts. When his riding time advantage was factored in, Williams kept the Cowboy freshman at a safe distance. 149 pounds: Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Luke Silver won an exciting match over Old Dominion's Joey Metzler. Tied at 3-3 going into the third period, Silver took a 4-3 lead with an early escape, then kept Metzler at arm's length for the rest of the bout to seal his win. 157 pounds: No. 12 Newly McSpadden continued his winning ways with a convincing 6-1 win over Old Dominion junior Kaylen Baxter. A quick takedown and 2:34 of riding time in the first period gave McSpadden the early edge. He followed that up with a second-period escape and a third-period takedown that put the bout out of reach for Baxter. 165 pounds: No. 10 Brandon Mason set the Gallagher-Iba Arena crowd into a frenzy when he escaped with less than one second left in the second tie-break period of his 5-4 win over No. 16 Chris Brown. Mason's win gave the Cowboys their third straight match victory, tying the dual at 9 points apiece. 174 pounds: Oklahoma State sophomore Kyle Griffin gave the Cowboys their first convincing victory of the day when he scored a third-period reversal and followed it with a three-point nearfall and a two-point nearfall against Eric Decker. 184 pounds: It took just 41 seconds for Jared Shelton to pin Old Dominion freshman Joe Budi. Shelton took Budi down at the 2:25 mark, then pinned him six seconds later. The pin gave Oklahoma State an 18-9 lead in the duel. 197 pounds: No. 18 Clayton Foster pinned Old Dominion junior Jesse Strawn in 2:05 to seal the team victory for the Cowboys. Foster took Strawn down at the 1:19 mark, then turned Strawn to his back for the pin 25 seconds later. 285 pounds: No. 1 Jared Rosholt closed things out with a third straight pin for the Cowboys. Rosholt held a 2-1 lead after the first period, then chose the down position to start the second period. He escaped three seconds into the second stanza, then bagged a takedown at the 1:16 mark before turning Roy Dragon III to his back and scoring the fall at 4:26.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Big Red wrestling team placed third at the Body Bar Invitational on Saturday afternoon in Newman Arena. At 165 pounds, No. 1 nationally ranked sophomore Mack Lewnes pinned three of his opponents on his way to winning the individual title for the second year in a row. Senior Steve Anceravage also won his second-straight title at 174 pounds, and with a pin in his opening bout, set a new school record for career falls with a total of 30. No. 5 ranked Anceravage set the new Big Red career record with a pin in 2:52 over Sacred Heart's Brandon Lapp. He followed with another win by fall over Liberty's Nick Knowles in 6:13. In the semifinals he won by a 15-4 major decision over Army's Ryan Mergen to advance to the finals. Anceravage won by medical forfeit over freshman teammate Steve Bosak. The previous career pins record was held by Travis Lee ‘05 and Walter Grote '74 with 28 pins each. Lewnes opened his day with a pin in 1:28 over Liberty's Brad Clark, and he followed with a 2:23 win by fall against Army's Mike Gorman. The Big Red sophomore recorded his seventh fall of the season in 4:41 over Buffalo's Ryan Black. In the semifinals, he advanced with a 16-6 major decision, and took the title defeating Bloomsburg's Rickey Schmelyun with a 12-4 major decision. At 157 pounds, junior John Basting defeated Bloomsburg's Dennis Bermudez, 9-5, to advance to the quarterfinals where he won a 5-2 decision over Mallie Shuster of Kent State. Basting lost by tech fall to No. 11 ranked Matt Moley of Bloomsburg in the semifinals. In a match for third place, Basting won 12-5 over Buffalo's John-Martin Cannor. No. 18 ranked sophomore Justin Kerber wrestled for Cornell at 184 pounds and won by tech fall 18-1 in 4:42 over Drexel's Justin Sachse. In the quaterfinals, Kerber blanked Sacred Heart's Ricky Eichenlaub by a 13-0 major decision. In the semis, Kerber faced No. 5 nationally ranked Kirk Smith of Boise State. Kerber held a 6-4 lead towards the end of the third period, but Smith came back to tie the match with a reversal nearing the end of regulation. Smith won the match 8-6 in sudden victory with a takedown. Kerber placed third after defeating No. 16 Chris Daggett of Liberty by tech fall, 20-5 in 7:00. At 197 pounds, freshman Cam Simaz opened his day with a fall in 4:45 over Maryland's Thomas Sitar, and followed with a 9-8 decision over Michael Blackwell. Simaz narrowly lost 5-3 in the semifinals to No. 16 Army's Richard Starks. The Big Red rookie placed fourth with a 4-1 decision over Kent State's Eric Chine. Also at 174 pounds, Bosak opened his day with an 11-1 major decision over Nate Graham of Bloomsburg and followed with another major over the No. 3 seed Chris Estep of Kent State. In the quarterfinals Bosak recorded his third major, blanking Drexel's Brian Stouffer, 10-0. The Big Red rookie defeated Maryland's Corey Peltier 5-1 to advance to the finals, but medical forfeited to Anceravage. Junior Nate Holley notched two pins at 184 pounds before losing in the quarterfinals to Boise State's Smith. In the wrestlebacks, Holley defeated his teammate Travis Dale, before pinning yet another opponent. The junior finished in fifth place after Army's Derek Stanley injury defaulted after getting hurt towards the end of the match.

Columbia, Mo. -- For the second year in a row, the fifth-ranked Missouri wrestling team used a come-from-behind effort to hold off 16th-ranked Hofstra, 22-12, in the Hearnes Center. A total of 2,015 fans watched as the Tigers rattled off seven straight victories to collect their third win of the campaign. "Hofstra has an incredibly tough wrestling program," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "I'm pleased with how the team performed today, but we still have a ways to go before we're where we need to be in March." The Missouri wrestling program raised $11,000 from the first Wrestling Supports Wrestling dual. All of the money from ticket sales of the afternoon event will go towards the Wrestling Endowment Fund. The Pride took wins in the first three matches of the night to build a 12-0 advantage over Missouri. Senior Andrew Sherry (Sewickley, Pa.) was first to come up with a win for the Tigers, finishing his 149-pound bout, 8-6, over P.J. Gillespie. His 40th career victory, Sherry now stands at 2-1 on the season. "Andrew came up with a big win for us today," Smith said. He keeps finding ways to win and it's really paying off. He's doing a great job in our lineup." Next on the mat, senior captain Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) made his first start in the Missouri lineup for the 2008-09 campaign. In a rematch from last season, seventh-ranked Chandler notched a 13-2 win over 15th-ranked Jonny Bonilla Bowman. The win puts Chandler at 2-0 over Bonilla-Bowman with both victories recorded by major decision. Second-ranked Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) sent his second straight 165-pound match of the season into overtime. Tied at one at the end of regulation, Marable and Ryan Patrovich were forced into 30-second overtime periods after going scoreless in the initial one minute sudden victory period. Patrovich chose down for the first 30 seconds and Marable rode out his opponent. With Marable on bottom to start the second 30 second period, the Tiger escaped in nine seconds to win the match, 2-1. Click here to find out more! One of two overtime bouts, the 174 pound match saw third-ranked Missouri All-American Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) best eighth-ranked Alton Lucas, 3-1. Jordan won his first match of the season over a ranked opponent by scoring a takedown 27 seconds into the one minute sudden victory period. "When you wrestle guys like Ben and Maxwell Askren in the practice room day in and day out, you get a lot more comfortable in funky position," Jordan commented after finding himself close to being taken down by Lucas. Redshirt freshman Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) won his first career match in the Hearnes Center by way of a 9-3 victory over Ben Clymer at 184 pounds. Henderson closed out the second period with a 7-1 lead over Clymer after managing a reversal and three-point nearfall. "(Ben) Clymer is a real good competitor," Henderson said. "Beating a guy like him really helps with my confidence." Henderson's win by decision gave Missouri its first lead of the night, 13-12. Improving to 3-0 on the season and 57-7 on his career, fifth-ranked junior Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) recorded a 12-6 win over 17th-ranked Joe Fagiano in the 197 pound match. Askren used four takedowns and an escape as well as one point for Hofstra stalling and one point for over a minute of riding time to win his match. Redshirt freshman Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) closed out the day with a 4-2 win over Jordan Enck at heavyweight. Tied at two heading into the final two minutes of action, Bradley scored a takedown with 32 seconds left in the match to improve to 3-0 on his young season. The Tigers will have less than 24 hours to rest and prepare for tournament action when they compete in the ninth annual Missouri Open beginning at 9 a.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Fieldhouse. Admission is free and finals are expected to begin around 4 p.m. Live brackets from the Freshman/Sophomore and Open Division tournaments will be updated periodically throughout the course of the day.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Highlighted by a first-period fall from fifth-year senior Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) at 197 pounds, the No. 10-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team swept the final four bouts to rally past No. 20 Pennsylvania, 22-15, on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 22) at The Palestra. The Wolverines won six individual bouts in the contest, bookending the dual with victories early and late and claiming bonus points in two, to even their season record to 1-1. After claiming back-to-back victories in the preceding two bouts, Michigan trailed by two points entering the 197-pound contest. Todd established early control over the Quakers' Dan Zander, converting on an early single leg and ankle pick before going to work on top. The Wolverine captain, ranked third in the latest NWCA/InterMat poll, flattened Zander out, grabbed the nearside wrist and came around to scoop the head, where he threaded the needle to turn Zander to his back at 2:44. The pin was Todd's 13th of his collegiate career. He led the Wolverines with six falls last season. Junior/sophomore Eddie Phillips (Lakewood, Mich./Woodland HS) then sealed the Wolverines' victory at heavyweight, battling back from an early deficit to beat Trey McLean 6-3 in the final bout. After knotting up the score with an escape early in the second, Phillips claimed his first and final lead late in the frame, maneuvering McLean off balance with a succession of shots before forcing him to mat and going behind to score. The Wolverine heavyweight continued to push the pace in the third period, and, after just missing on a takedown attempt on the edge of the mat, he countered an errant McLean shot in the closing seconds to ice his second-career dual victory. Senior Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) kicked off the meet in decisive fashion, knocking off the Quakers' seventh-ranked Rollie Peterkin 10-4 in the opening bout at 125 pounds. The Wolverine wrestler hit his second first-period throw in as many days, using a cement mixer early in the frame to force Peterkin to his back and claim an early four-point advantage. After riding out the entirety of the second period, Watts added three back points with a cradle in the frame's closing seconds and countered a Penn shot late in the third to improve to 6-0 on the season. Freshman Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) picked up his first collegiate dual win at 133 pounds, using a late takedown to overcome an early deficit and secure a 6-4 decision over Bryan Ortenzio. The Quaker wrestler struck first out of a scramble midway through the opening period, nearly putting Stevens to his back before the latter bellied out to allow the takedown. The U-M rookie controlled the final two frames, however, earning a quick reversal in the second before countering an Ortenzio shot early in the third, coming around on the edge to take the lead for good. Penn's Rick Rappo evened the score, and kicked off a stretch of four straight Quaker wins at the middleweights, with an unexpected pin at the 141-pound match, catching fifth-ranked sophomore Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) in the closing seconds of the second period. Russell dominated the early portion of the bout, building up a 5-2 advantage with riding time after an explosive first-period double leg and a quick reversal in the second. But with Russell deep on a single leg late in the period, Rappo countered to force a scramble and force the Wolverine to his back, bringing a sudden end to the bout at the 4:50 mark. After Penn's streak at the middleweights put the Wolverines down by nine points, fifth-year senior Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) initiated his team's comeback, putting on a takedown clinic at 174 pounds en route to a dominant 20-7 major decision over Cory Beaver. Luke, the nation's No.1-ranked 174-pounder, used a combination of single legs, double legs and fireman's carries to convert on nine different scoring attempts and accumulate nearly four minutes of riding-time advantage. The major decision extended Luke's dual-meet winning streak to 10, dating back to last season's Big Ten Conference opener. Junior/sophomore Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) carried Michigan's momentum into the subsequent bout at 184 pounds, using a first-period single-leg takedown to claim the only offensive points en route to a 4-1 decision against Colin Hitscheler. Much of the contest was contained to action on the mat, but neither wrestler could produce points out of the situation. Biondo limited Hitscheler to a first-period escape and rode out the entire third frame to accumulate 2:01 in riding-time advantage. The Wolverines will continue early-season action in two weeks at the 27th annual Cliff Keen Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5-6, in Las Vegas, Nev. Competition is slated to begin with pigtail rounds on Friday at 9 a.m. PST at the Las Vegas Convention Center. U-M returns to the prestigious tournament as the defending team champion.

ITHICA, New York -- The Boise State University wrestling team won five of the 10 weight classes and scored 125 points to win the 11-team Cornell Body Bar Tournament on Saturday (Nov. 22). Brian Owen, Andrew Hochstrasser, Jason Chamberlain, Adam Hall and Kirk Smith all won their weight classes, while Cory Fish and Tyler Sherfey placed third in the 141 and 165 pounds weight classes, respectively. Owen won the 125-pound weight class with a 6-5 decision over Steve Mytch of Drexel. Hochstrasser was the winner at 133 pounds when he recorded a 7-3 decision over Dan Mitcheff of Kent State. Chamberlain won a tight 4-3 decision over Matt Kyler of Army to capture the title at 149 pounds. Hall double his score to hand Matt Moley of Bloomsburg an 8-4 defeat at 157 pounds. Smith posted a major decision over Dustin Kilgore of Kent State for a 13-5 win in the 184-pound weight class. Sam Zylstra added an eighth top four individual finish when he placed fourth in the heavyweight division losing to Patrick Gilmore of Maryland in the consolation bracket. Kent State placed second in the team scoring with 115 points, while host Cornell was third with 91.5 points. The Broncos continue their trip to New York on Sunday (Nov. 23) when they face Edinboro, Clarion and Rutgers in dual matches in Binghamton.

Junior Jordan Burroughs claimed Outstanding Wrestler honors to help No. 6 Nebraska rack up eight individual titles at the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha on Saturday. The showing matches the Huskers' best performance ever at the tournament, as NU also won eight titles in 2001. Nebraska dominated the elite division, sweeping first place from 157 pounds to heavyweight, and placing 11 wrestlers in the top six. The amateur division was no different, as five Huskers placed and two earned crowns. Overall, NU wrestlers posted a 69-26 record at the event, including 29 bonus-point wins and 13 pins. Wrestling in his first tournament since moving to the 157-pound weight class, Burroughs posted a 4-0 mark with two bonus-point wins. He earned his first pin of the season in his opening match against Northern Iowa Area's Tim Kirkwood, notching the fall in 2:07. Burroughs followed with a decision over Minnesota's Tyler Safratowich, before claiming a 24-10 major decision versus Northern Illinois' Bryan Deutsch. His most impressive win of the day was a 6-4 defeat of No. 6 Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota in the final. Burroughs had plenty of competition for the spotlight, including fellow junior Craig Brester at 197 pounds. Brester won the Manuel Gorrarian Award for recording the most pins in the least amount of time, after falling three of his opponents. He pinned Iowa State's Kyle Simonson in 1:27 to start the day and followed with a 2:54 pin of Chattanooga's Ethan Winel in the second round. Brester also pinned Winel in Nebraska's dual with the Mocs on Thursday night. Brester advanced with a 14-3 major decision against Wisconsin's Trevor Brandvold and capped the day with a 1:49 fall against Northern Iowa's Andrew Anderson. Brester is now 5-0 on the season, with four of his wins coming by pin. The Huskers also dominated the 184-pound weight class, with three NU wrestlers finishing in the top four. Senior Vince Jones posted two pins to advance to the final, where he earned an 8-2 decision over fellow Husker Romero Cotton for first place. The freshman Cotton won a 14-9 match against Husker junior Levi Wofford in the second round, but Wofford rebounded to place fourth. Senior Brandon Browne and junior Stephen Dwyer (165) also went 4-0 on the day to claim crowns for Nebraska. Browne successfully defended his title at 174 pounds, after winning the event last year. Redshirt freshman Tucker Lane placed first at heavyweight in the amateur division last year, and moved up to the elite division with the same result this season. In the amateur division, freshmen Ridge Kiley at 125 pounds and Tyler Koehn at 157 took home titles for Nebraska. Kiley topped off his showing by pinning Iowa Central's Patrick Hunter in 2:21 in the final. Koehn sandwiched three straight decisions after opening and ending the day with major decisions. Fellow freshmen Jon Burns (141) and Josh Ihnen (184) lost in their respective final to take second, while Matt Ashton (133) placed fourth. Full results of Nebraska's wrestlers at the Kaufman-Brand Open are below. The Huskers continue their season with duals against Augustana (S.D.) and Oregon State at 4 and 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28. Fans can get into either dual for free with a valid Nebraska-Colorado football ticket.

MADISON, Wis. -- Second-rated Iowa State fought off No. 12 Wisconsin early in the Kohl Center Friday, cruising to a 27-7 victory over the Badgers fueled by bonus-point victories by Jon Reader (165) and Nick Fanthorpe (133). ISU notched its 12th straight victory over Wisconsin with the offensive showcase, outnumbering the Badgers in takedowns 16-6. "Wisconsin is a good team and a great program," ISU head coach Cael Sanderson said. "Matches like these show us where we are. We will use this as preparation. We got a pretty good indication tonight. The team got a lot of positivies out of tonight to build on. And we will." Iowa State came out firing after intermission, winning the final five matches of the dual. A matchup featuring two top-five heavyweights took place between David Zabriskie and Wisconsin's Kyle Massey. In the first period, Zabriskie was hit with a fleeing-the-mat call to put him down 0-1. After trading takedowns in regulation and getting an escape, Zabriskie finished the match by completing a single-leg takedown with 0:01 second left in the sudden victory period. Wisconsin split the first four matches with the Cyclones to tie the dual 7-7. Returning NCAA qualifier Tyler Clark decisioned Badger junior Drew Hammen, 7-1. Clark used a reversal with 0:17 left in the second period to help build his lead. Fanthorpe, ranked fifth at 133 pounds, continued his habit of racking up takedowns on his way to major decision of the Badger's Tom Kelliher. Fanthorpe recorded five takedowns over the three periods to win 15-7. Before the intermission, Cyler Sanderson was able to break the tie by edging Wisconsin's Ben Jordan 6-1. Sanderson tallied a pair of takedowns in the victory at 157 pounds. Redshirt freshman Jerome Ward was able to grind out a 4-2 victory over the Badger 184-pounder, Eric Bugenhagen. Reader secured another technical fall for season in his match with Gabe Stoppelmoor of Wisconsin. Reader was able to secure three three-point nearfalls and two two-point nearfalls on his way to stopping the action in 4:50 (16-1). Jake Varner, the No. 2 ranked 197-pounder in the country, did not disappoint in his matchup against the fifth-ranked 197-pounder from Wisconsin, Dallas Herbst. Varner finished a double-leg takedown in the first period to help him cruise to a 4-0 win by decision. Making his debut as a Cyclone, junior Duke Burk was able to come away with an 8-4 decision over Travis Rutt of Wisconsin. Burk scored a takedown with 0:17 left in the third period to break a 4-4 tie and added a two-point nearfall to finish out the victory. The Cyclones return to action at home Sunday against Arizona State at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. The ISU squad will then hit the road Dec. 6 for a intra-state matchup against Iowa at 7 p.m.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, found the going rough at No. 4 Cornell on Friday night and fell 24-10. In a dual wrestled in front of over 4,200 fans, Cornell four straight close bouts after an opening loss to post the win. Penn State was led by talented freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), who dominated No. 3 Mike Grey on his way to an 8-3 win over the returning All-American. Junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) got Penn State off to a rousing start, dominating Cornell's Grant Daffin on his way to a 16-7 major decision. But after that win, Penn State suffered four straight close losses in the heart of its line-up. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 2 at 157, lost a hard-fought 4-0 decision to defending national champion Jordan Leen. Senior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) gave No. 1-ranked Mack Lewnes all he could handle but fell 7-2 at 165. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) nearly upset his second straight All-American, but the 16th-ranked Nittany Lion fell 6-1 to No. 5 Steve Anceravage at 174. Senior Phil Bomberger (Port Royale, Pa.), ranked No. 13, suffered a 6-2 upset loss to No. 18 Justin Kerber at 184 and before Penn State could regroup it was down 12-4 heading into intermission. After intermission, Cornell continued to roll with a pin at 197 before red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) nearly upset No. 10 Zach Hammond at HWT. Hammond still got a 7-6 victory and put Cornell up 21-4. Nittany Lion sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) picked up Penn State's second win of the night with a 9-6 decision over Cornell's Frank Perrelli at 125. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) lost a close decision to No. 2 Troy Nickerson at 133 before Molinaro put together his strong performance with an 8-3 win over Grey, the All-American. The loss was Penn State's first to Cornell since the 1999-2000 season. Penn State had defeated Cornell five straight times by a combined score of 132-53, including two lopsided wins last year. The Nittany Lions still hold a gaudy 55-12-3 edge in the all-time series between the two schools. Penn State is now 0-2 on the year while Cornell moves to 1-0. The Nittany Lions will head to Binghamton, N.Y., on Sunday for the Sprawl and Brawl Duals. Penn State will tackle No. 24 Virginia at 10 a.m., No. 15 Edinboro at 12 p.m. and host Binghamton at 3:30 p.m. Penn State returns to action in State College when it takes part in the 2008 Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 7. Action begins at 8:30 a.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door. Penn State's next dual meet is set for Sunday, Dec. 14, when the Nittany Lions host West Virginia in Rec Hall. Action starts at 1 p.m. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling 814-863-1000 or 800-NITTANY. Season tickets are $32 for adults and $24 for youth. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 149: Nittany Lion All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, took to the mat against Cornell's Grant Daffin. Jenkins wasted little time in taking a 2-0 lead with a takedown just ten seconds into the bout. Jenkins cut Daffin loose and began looking for a second takedown. After nearly completing a cement mixer, Jenkins worked his way around behind Daffin for the takedown with 1:40 left, taking a 4-1 lead. Jenkins then put together a very strong ride, building up a solid riding time edge while looking for an opening to turn Daffin to his back. Jenkins' hard work on top forced Daffin into an initial stall warning and allowed the Lion junior to ride Daffin out and carry a 4-1 lead (with 2:16 in riding time) into the middle stanza. Daffin chose down to begin the second period and Jenkins allowed him to escape. Jenkins then quickly took Daffin down again and cut him loose to lead 6-3 with just over 2:20 left in the period. The Nittany Lion junior added a fourth takedown to up his edge to 8-4 after cutting Daffin, quickly snapped in on the Big Red's right thigh to get another takedown and led 10-5 after cutting Daffin loose once more. Jenkins added a sixth takedown at the :42 mark and led 12-5. This time, the Nittany Lion junior rode Daffin out to lead 12-5 with a guaranteed riding time point in hand. Jenkins chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 13-5 lead with 1:22 left in the bout. Daffin got his first takedown at the :30 mark, but Jenkins quickly moved around behind the Cornell grappler to reverse him and take a 15-7 lead. The riding time bonus point gave Jenkins a 16-7 major decision and put the Nittany Lions up 4-0 early. 157: Fellow Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), also ranked No. 2, met the first of two former NCAA 157-pound Champions he was set to meet on Penn State's weekend in New York. Cornell's Jordan Leen, ranked No. 5 and last year's national champ, was Vallimont's first foe in what could be a very rugged weekend for the Penn State junior. In the dual's marquee match-up featuring two of the nation's best 157-pounders, the duo spent the first half of the opening period looking for a scoring opportunity. Leen took a couple shots low at Vallimont's right ankle, but each time the Nittany Lion junior stepped away from trouble and kept the bout scoreless. Tied 0-0 after one period, Leen chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Neither wrestlers could make a dent in the other's defense until Vallimont got in deep on Leen's right thigh with :32 left. The Nittany Lion sophomore nearly finished the move for a takedown, but action was stopped due to a dangerous hold and the bout went to the third period with Leen holding a 1-0 lead. Trailing 1-0, Vallimont chose neutral to start the third period. He initially got in on Leen's right ankle again and once again, Leen managed to work his way into danger, thus forcing another reset. After a prolonged blood timeout for a cut on Leen's head, Vallimont once again got in on Leen's right thigh. This time, Leen countered the move by stepping over Vallimont and got the first takedown of the bout to lead 3-0 with 1:09 left to wrestle. Vallimont could not work out from Leen's strong ride and, with a riding time bonus point, posted a hard-fought 4-0 win. The victory cut Penn State's lead to 4-3 and seriously damaged Penn State's upset hopes. 165: Penn State senior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) met the nation's No. 1 ranked 165-pounder in Cornell's Mack Lewnes. Friend and Lewnes battled evenly through the first period, until the Nittany Lion senior got in deep on Lewnes' right thigh. But the top-ranked Lewnes forced a stalemate and kept the bout scoreless with :30 left in the period. Lewnes worked his way into Friend's hips and nearly got his first takedown, but Friend managed to fight off the effort and keep things scoreless after one period. Friend chose down to start the second period. Friend feverishly tried to escape, nearly working out from Lewnes' control a number of times, only to have action move off the mat. The Nittany Lion senior could not manage to escape and, while keeping the bout tied 0-0, faced a 2:00 riding time edge. Lewnes chose down to begin the third period and quickly reversed the Nittany Lion to take a 2-0 lead. Friend worked to escape once more, but Lewnes maintained control long enough to secure the riding time point. Friend escaped to a 2-1 deficit with :28 left. Lewnes got the bout's first takedown at the :18 mark and led 4-2 after a quick Friend escape. Lewnes added one more takedown as the bout ended and, with the bonus point, posted a 7-2 win. The victory gave Cornell a 6-4 lead. 174: Penn State true-freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, met the first of three potential ranked foes of the weekend when he took on No. 5 Steve Anceravage of Cornell, a returning All-American. Looking to build upon his win over a returning All-American last weekend, Wright took the action to Anceravage, acting as the aggressor early on. Wright nearly got the bout's first takedown with an ankle pick, but Anceravage stepped out of trouble to keep the bout scoreless. A flurry on the edge of the mat nearly resulted in a takedown for Wright as the first period ended, but Anceravage worked his way out of trouble. Tied 0-0, Wright chose down to start the second period. Anceravage rode Wright hard for the entire period and kept things scoreless heading into the third stanza. Anceravage chose down to begin the third period and Wright let him loose to a 1-0 lead. Down by one and looking at giving up a riding time point, Wright pressured the Cornell senior, looking for a scoring opportunity. The Nittany Lion freshman saw his chance with a high throw, but Anceravage worked his way out and around Wright for his own takedown and a 3-1 lead (after a Wright escape). Anceravage then iced the bout with a solid takedown with just over :20 left and, with the riding time point, posted a hard-fought 6-1 win. The victory put Cornell up 9-4. 184: Penn State senior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 184, met Cornell's Justin Kerber, ranked No. 18. Kerber got the bout's first takedown to lead 2-1 with over 2:00 left in the opening period. Bomberger looked to answer with his own takedown, nearly finishing off a double-leg at the 1:10 mark to take the lead. But Kerber was able to work his way off the mat and keep his one point advantage. Bomberger once again looked to his double-leg and once again, Kerber was able to keep from giving up the takedown. Trailing 2-1, Bomberger chose down to begin the second period. Kerber continued Cornell's strong performance from the top position and kept Bomberger on the mat until the 1:10 mark. Bomberger managed to escape to a 2-2 with and did not give up the riding time point (Kerber had a 0:59 advantage). Kerber show in at Bomberger's waste and the Nittany Lion tried to move aside and use a throw to counter the move. But the Cornell grappler finished his move off for a takedown and a 4-2 lead after two periods. Kerber chose down to start the third period and Bomberger cut him loose. Bomberger began attacking the Cornell grappler, but Kerber's defense allowed him to counter every Bomberger double-leg and keep his lead. The riding time bonus point allowed Kerber to post a 6-2 upset win and put the Big Red up 12-4. 197: With starter Andrew Haile out for Penn State, red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut against Cornell's Cam Simaz at 197. Simaz drew first blood with a takedown on the edge of the mat at the 2:10 mark. Steadman escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 1:50 mark and began looking for his own takedown but could not dent Simaz' defense. Trailing 2-1, Steadman chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie at the 1:30 mark. Steadman got in on Simaz thigh and looked to score, but Simaz countered the move for a takedown and a 4-2 lead. Simaz then turned Steadman to his shoulders and, after a brief tussle, pinned the Nittany Lion freshman at the 4:38 mark. The pin put Cornell up 18-4. HWT: Nittany Lion Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) battled No. 10 Zach Hammond of Cornell in the match-up at heavyweight. Hammond opened up a 2-0 lead with a quick takedown. The Cornell senior then rode the Nittany Lion freshman until the 1:38 mark, when Wade escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Wade battled the tenth-ranked grappler even for the rest of the period and trailed 2-1 after the opening stanza. Wade chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie at the 1:38 mark. Wade pressured the Cornell senior for the rest of the period, but Hammond's defense allowed him keep the bout tied at 2-2 after two periods. With a 1:28 riding time edge, Hammond chose neutral to start the final period. He used a low ankle pick to work his way into a second takedown and a 4-2 lead a the 1:30 mark. Wade then escaped to cut the lead to 4-3 with 1:08 left in the bout. The Nittany Lion freshman shot low on Hammond, but the Cornell grappler countered and notched another takedown to lead 6-4 (after a Wade escape). Wade worked hard and at the final buzzer, got his takedown as the bout ended, briefly tying the score at 6-6. But Hammond's riding time advantage gave Cornell the 7-6 win and a 21-4 lead. 125: Nittany Lion sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) took to the mat against undefeated freshman Frank Perrelli of Cornell. Perrelli got the first takedown of the bout, taking a 2-0 lead early in the first period. Pataky escaped with just under two minutes left and notched his first takedown at the 1:40 mark. The talented Lion sophomore then turned Perrelli for three near fall points and a 6-2 lead midway through the period. Pataky put together a smothering ride, working from the top to turn Perrelli once again. But the Cornell grappler managed to escape to a 6-3 deficit with :15 left in the period. Up 6-3, Pataky chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-3 lead at the 1:31 mark. Perrelli used a strong double leg to take Pataky down and cut his lead to 8-5 after Pataky quickly escaped. Trailing 8-5, Perrelli chose down to begin the final period. Pataky nearly turned Perrelli for a quick pin, but the Big Red wrestler rolled out of trouble and forced a reset, with Pataky still in control at the 1:43 mark. Perrelli escaped to an 8-6 deficit at the 1:30 mark. Pataky had a 1:10 edge in riding time. Perrelli looked to get in on Pataky's upper leg, but the Nittany Lion sophomore kept him from gaining any control. Pataky managed to hold on for a 9-6 win (with the riding time point), cutting Cornell's lead to 21-7. 133: Senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) met Cornell's Troy Nickerson. Nickerson is ranked No. 2 at 125, but moved up to 133 for tonight's dual. Neither wrestler found any traction early on in the bout. Pataky nearly drew first blood at the :26 mark, but Nickerson was able to move out of bounds to force a reset and keep the bout scoreless after three minutes of action. Haas chose neutral to begin the second period. Once again, each wrestler worked the shoulders, looking for a chance to score. Haas was hit with his first stall warning at the 1:05 mark. Using a solid shoulder throw, Haas nearly turned Nickerson to his back on the edge of the mat with just :15 left, but Nickerson was able to keep his shoulders up and roll out of bounds. Tied 0-0, Nickerson chose down to begin the third period and turned an attempted Haas lift into a reversal and a 2-0 lead with 1:44 left in the bout. But Haas countered with his own reversal to tie the score at 2-2 at the 1:12 mark, only to be reversed again by Nickerson with 1:07 left to wrestle. Nickerson then put together a strong ride, keeping control of Haas for the remainder of the bout and securing a bonus point. The 5-2 win put the Big Red up 24-7. 141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) met No. 3 Mike Grey of Cornell at 141 pounds. Molinaro was fast and aggressive throughout the opening period, getting a go-ahead takedown at the 1:56 mark to take an early 2-0 lead over returning All-American. Molinaro then put together a very strong ride, keeping control of Grey long enough to build up a 1:22 riding time edge. Grey escaped to a 2-1 deficit after a reset, but the Nittany Lion freshmen continued to be the aggressor for the remainder of the period. Up by one, Molinaro chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Molinaro gave up a technical point while trying to avoid a Grey takedown and led 3-2 at the :30 mark. But the Nittany Lion freshman was still the aggressor and, with just :20 left, used a quick double leg at Grey's waste to gain control. With :08 left, Molinaro got the takedown and added two back points to lead 7-2 (with a riding time edge heading into the third period). Grey chose down to begin the third period and Molinaro was hit with another illegal hold call, cutting his lead to 7-3. The talented Lion freshman put together a rugged ride, clinching the bonus point. Grey could not break free as Molinaro overpowered the All-American for the entire period. The dominating performance gave Molinaro an 8-3 win and made the final score 24-10.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Two major decisions for No. 22 Lehigh helped seal a key victory for the Mountain Hawks on Friday night at Stabler Arena. Lehigh knocked off its second ranked team of the year with a 20-12 victory over the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2005-06. The Mountain Hawks won six of the ten matches in the bout, but they benefitted even more from key bonus points earned by Matt Fisk and Trevor Chinn to pull away for the win. "They wrestled very hard tonight," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "We're really coming together as a team now. It's 10 guys out there wrestling for the other 30." The first bout of the match set the tone for an exciting evening at Stabler. Lehigh's John McDonald fell behind early in the first period, trailing by four points after a takedown and a near fall by Michael Watts gave the Wolverine the early cushion. McDonald continued to fight throughout the match, coming within inches of flipping Watts over to score a near fall, but the freshman Mountain Hawk was never able to overcome the early hole and fell 7-3. Needing to make up for the 3-0 deficit, junior captain Matt Fisk took over in the second bout to swing the lead back over to Lehigh. Leading 3-1 at the start of the third Period, Fisk turned into a scoring machine in the final stanza. The captain controlled Michigan's Zac Stevens after moving in for a quick takedown, and never lost his position atop the Wolverine. After a near fall, riding time and multiple stalling calls against Stevens, Fisk had ran away for the 11-1 major decision. "That was a big one," Santoro said. "It really opened up the night for us. He had that moment where it was give and take but then he opened it up." Junior Seth Ciasulli had the cards stacked against him at 141 when he faced off with the No. 5 wrestler in the country at that weight in Kellen Russell. But Ciasulli gave the Stabler Arena fans everything they could ask for as he hung in with the Wolverine for the entire bout. Trailing 4-1 late in the match, Ciasulli scored three unanswered points in a strange sequence of events that brought the Mountain Hawks fans to their feet. On a shot attempt by the Lehigh junior, Russell tried to escape by slipping out of bounds, drawing a penalty for fleeing the mat. With the clock winding down, referee George Chilmonik called consecutive stalling penalties (one warning had already been issued) against Russell, including one in the final second of the bout to pull the wrestlers even. But in the overtime period, it was Russell who was able to shoot in and score a takedown for the 6-4 sudden victory. Lehigh answered again at 149 win Trevor Chinn dominated Justin Chrzanowski at 149. Chinn, the No. 14 wrestler in his class executed a perfect strategy of taking down Chrzanowski and letting him escape only to take him down again. Chinn seemingly scored at will throughout the bout and racked up the points in a 17-5 major decision to give the Mountain Hawks an 8-6 lead. "It feels great," Chinn said of his team's performance in the match. "It's a far cry from last year with all its ups and downs. We feel like we have a solid lineup and everyone is wrestling for everyone else." At 157, the Mountain Hawks continued to pour the pressure on the Wolverines as Sean Bilodeau scored a key victory for the Brown and White. Bilodeau grabbed a big reversal at the start of the third period to move the score to 4-2. Then, the freshman from Massachusetts almost lost control as he slipped over Michigan's Aaron Hynes' shoulders, but he regained his positioning and flipped the Wolverine over for a near fall in an eventual 7-3 win heading into the intermission. After the break, Mike Galante gave the Mountain Hawks the necessary breathing room they needed heading into the final bouts of the night by scoring an 11-5 decision over Justin Zeerip at 165. Galante scored a big takedown at the end of the second period to grab a 5-3 lead and never looked back as he became one of three Mountain Hawks to improve to 3-0 on the season. The marquee match of the night pitted No. 13 Alex Caruso against No. 1 Steve Luke at 174. Caruso fell behind early in the match and was never able to mount an attack against the top wrestler from Michigan. Every time Caruso went in for a shot attempt, Luke was there to defend it, and the Wolverine held on for the 5-3 decision. That put the pressure on David Craig to take care of business at 184. The junior from Brandon, Fla. was the last true favorite in the match for the Mountain Hawks, and with a five-point lead going in, Lehigh needed a win from Craig to feel good about its chances. Craig looked frustrated at the outset as his shot attempts failed, but he was able to swing in for the takedown with less than 20 seconds remaining in the first period to take the 2-0 lead. That was all the cushion Craig would need as he pulled away for the 6-0 victory. Joe Kennedy just had to avoid a disaster at 197 to preserve the lead for the Mountain Hawks. The freshman did his part in a losing effort, avoiding a fall or a major decision against the No. 3 wrestler at that weight class, Tyrel Todd. Todd had bonus points in mind the entire match, but Kennedy fed off the enthusiastic crowd and earned a productive 8-3 loss. All Zach Rey had to do in the final bout of the night was avoid a pin, but the freshman did even more than that. Rey grabbed a big takedown with 30 seconds left in the match to take a 3-1 lead and hold on for the victory as the Stabler Arena crowd rose to its feet to cheer on the home team in the upset. "The crowd had a lot to do with it tonight," Chinn said. "They got behind us early and we just got rolling from there." Lehigh returns to action Sunday afternoon when the Mountain Hawks host Princeton at 1 p.m. at Leeman-Turner Arena in Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Lehigh ticket office, located in Grace Hall prior to Sunday's match. Bonus points: Lehigh welcomed back more than 50 wrestlers and coaches for a pre-match social and alumni parade before the Michigan match, honoring grapplers from every decade since the 1950s…Friday's match against Michigan marked the first time Lehigh wrestled a dual meet in Stabler Arena since Dec. 7, 2007 against Penn State…Lehigh and Michigan have now met in dual meets in 32-consecutive years…Friday's dual meet was designated the 2008-09 Sheridan Dual, in honor of Lehigh's legendary wrestling coach Billy Sheridan…During the intermission, fans were treated to two exhibition matches between women's wrestlers from the United States and Canadian wrestling federations. The Americans won both matches, with Deanna Rix (South Berwich, Maine) earning a fall over Amanda Gerhardt (Vancouver, B.C., Canada) and Elena Pirozkhov (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earning a decision over Megan Buydens (Saskatoon, Sask., Canada).

Fullerton, Calif. -- Tim Hawkins pinned Victor Haug 2:36 into the 184-pound bout to spark Cal State Fullerton to a 31-6 Pac-10 wrestling victory Friday afternoon over Stanford before a crowd of more than 1,000 on High School Wrestlers Day in Titan Gym. Fullerton improved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in Pac-10 competition while the Cardinal fell to 0-4 and 0-2. The Titans were ahead, 12-0, 3 minutes into the match. Stanford forfeited at the opening weight of 174 to Fullerton's Todd Noel and then sent 174-pounder Haug up a bracket to face Hawkins, a transfer from Mt. Sac JC. Fullerton went on to win the next six bouts for a 31-0 lead before Stanford averted a shutout when Lucas Espericueta scored a 6-2 decision at 157 over Steven DelaFuente of Fullerton. Nick Amuchastegui gave Stanford its other points at 165 when he tied his match with Devin Velasquez in the final second of regulation and then scored a takedown 30 seconds into overtime for a 9-7 victory. On an adjacent match, Cal Baptist used three consecutive pins at the lightest weights to score a simultaneous 30-19 victory over Embry-Riddle of Prescott, Arizona. The Lancers are a first-year program and they host Stanford Friday night in Riverside. Fullerton hosts hundreds of wrestlers all day Sunday in the Fullerton Open.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The Hawkeye wrestling team opened the 2008-09 season going 4-0 at the Iowa City Duals Friday in Iowa City. Approximately 900 fans packed the University of Iowa Field House North Gym to watch Iowa defeat Iowa Central (52-0), Coe (51-0) and Minnesota State Mankato (45-3) earlier in the day, and a crowd of 4,846 saw the Hawkeyes beat Arizona State (41-0) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena later in the afternoon. Iowa posted a 39-1 record on the day - including 20 pins, two technical falls and three major decisions - and extended its dual match winning streak to 18. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck (125), juniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174), Phillip Keddy (184) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.), and redshirt freshman Matt Ballweg (157) each posted 4-0 records on the day. Metcalf pinned all four opponents in a combined total of 9:14, extending his own winning streak to 36 matches. Other individual highlights included three pins each from Borschel and Erekson, Falck's 2-1 win over eighth-ranked Anthony Robles of Arizona State and Morningstar snapping the 44-match winning streak of Coe's Tyler Burkle with a 12-3 major decision. Ballweg also made his varsity lineup debut, scoring one pin and both of the team's technical falls. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Chad Beatty (197) each posted 3-0 records. The Hawkeyes will send 16 wrestlers to the annual Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday in Omaha, NE. The tournament, which will feature approximately 650 wrestlers from 32 teams, is the nation's largest single-day collegiate meet. Competition will start at 9 a.m. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Field House. Falck, Metcalf, Borschel and Keddy are scheduled to compete at the 43rd annual NWCA All-Star Dual Monday in Columbus, OH. The event, which will be held at Ohio State's St. John Arena is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on ESPNU December 4 at 9 p.m. (CT).

FAIRFAX, Va. -- The George Mason wrestling team recorded four falls on its way to a 31-14 victory over The Citadel in the first home dual meet of the 2008-09 season on Thursday evening at the Field House. With the win, the Patriots improve to 1-1 on the season, while The Citadel drops to 1-2. After the meet got underway at the 174-pound weight class, Mason immediately took control of the team score with three victories to start the dual. Freshman Mendbagana Tovuujav began the meet with a 21-8 major decision against James Oddo. In the next match, junior Bill Widener pinned the Bulldogs' Kelby Smith in 2:25. The 11th-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds in the latest InterMat poll, sophomore Cayle Byers, followed with a fall in 3:50 against Andrew Delaney to give the Patriots a commanding 16-0 lead in the team scoring. After Aaron Brown won The Citadel's first match of the evening at the heavyweight class with a 14-4 major decision against Mason freshman Hunter Manspile, the Patriots won the next two matches to essentially put the meet out of reach for the Bulldogs. In perhaps the most exciting match of the evening, junior 125-pounder Brian Wright scored a two-point reversal as the final seconds ticked off the clock to take a 6-5 victory against Tyler Sim. Freshman Denny Herndon followed with a fall in 1:21 against Pierre Frazile at the 133-pound weight class to make the team score 25-4 in favor of George Mason. The Citadel took three out of the final four matches of the meet, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Patriots commanding lead. Freshman Jake Bohn was the only Mason athlete to score a victory in those final four matches, recording a fall in 1:31 against Keith Koziel at 157 pounds. George Mason wrestles again in two days, traveling to nearby Annapolis, Md. to compete in the Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 22, beginning at 9 a.m. It will be the first tournament the Patriots participate in during the 2008-09 season.

Head coach J Robinson and the University of Minnesota wrestling program announced seven National-Letter-of-Intent signees today. Alec Ortiz (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)Once again there is a strong local flavor in the Gophers recruiting class, with five of the seven student-athletes hailing from the state of Minnesota. The class includes Jake Kettler (Ramsey, Minn.), Alec Ortiz (Newberg Ore.), Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa), Pat Smith (Chaska, Minn.), Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.), David Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) and Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.). "Having five Minnesota High School wrestlers sign with us during the fall period is a tribute to the great programs for youth wrestling that exist here in Minnesota," Robinson said. "There is exceptional quality in this state and we are very excited about this incoming class. They have proven themselves on the national level and we expect big things from this group at the collegiate level." Kettler, a product of Anoka High School, wrestled in the heavyweight class as a prep and placed third at the 2008 Minnesota high school tournament. A 2008 second team academic all-state selection, Kettler posted a 40-6 overall record as a junior. On a national level, Kettler was named a Junior National Greco-Roman All-American. Ortiz is a three-time Oregon state champion at 160 pounds from Newberg High School. The No. 4 overall recruit in the nation and the No. 1-ranked wrestler in his weight class, Ortiz has been a dominant force in Oregon wrestling, compiling a 95-0 record during his prep career to go with four Junior National All-America citations (two in Freestyle and two in Greco-Roman). Reiter, the younger brother of Gopher three-time All-American Mack Reiter, is a three-time state wrestling champion at Don Bosco High School in Gilbertville, Iowa. A National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Junior National All-American, Reiter owns a 118-2 prep record and is ranked as the No. 10 recruit in his weight class and No. 80 prospect overall by Intermat. He is currently ranked No. 1 in Iowa in the 125-pound class. Pat Smith (Photo/The Guillotine)Smith, who attends Chaska High School, placed third in the 2008 Minnesota high school state tournament at 135 pounds. Considered the No. 11-rated recruit in his weight class, Smith compiled a 37-4 record as a junior and was named second team academic all-state. Smith was also honored as an NHSCA Junior National All-American. Steinhaus, of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg High School, is a two-time Minnesota state champion, a three-time finalist, and a four-time placewinner. Steinhaus is also a first team academic all-state selection and won the 152-pound Class A title as a junior after capturing the 145-pound title as a sophomore. During an outstanding junior campaign, Steinhaus posted a 47-0 record. The No. 5-ranked prospect in his weight class, Steinhaus was the 2008 NHSCA Junior National Championships runner-up. Thorn, from St. Michael-Albertville High School and the brother of current Gopher Mike Thorn, is a three-time state champion and a two-time Junior National Freestyle All-American. He captured the Minnesota state title at 125 pounds as a junior and finished the 2008 campaign with a 46-2 record. Ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 2 recruit in his weight class, Thorn also earned second team academic all-state honors as a junior. Zilverberg, a Wayzata High School product and the brother of current Gopher David Zilverberg, is a two-time state placer at the Minnesota state tournament. He posted a 48-2 record as a junior and finished third at the 2008 state meet after taking fourth as sophomore in 2007. Zilverberg also won the 2006 Folkstyle National Championship at the cadet level. "I am very pleased with the direction of our recruiting right now," Robinson added. "Coming off our No. 1-ranked recruiting class last year, we believe the University of Minnesota wrestling program will continue to do great things." Minnesota opened its 2008-09 campaign by winning eight titles at last weekend's Bison open. The Gophers continue their season this Saturday at the Nebraska-Omaha Open before traveling to Rochester, Minn., for the Northern Quad on Saturday, Nov. 29.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia wrestling, ranked No. 24 nationally by InterMat, continues its brutal early schedule Sunday as it competes in the Journeymen Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton, N.Y. The Cavaliers face their fourth straight foe from the Big Ten Conference, No. 14 Penn State, in the opener at 9:45 a.m. UVa then will tackle American International College at 1:15 p.m. Virginia battled three Big Ten foes last Saturday at the ACC/Big Ten Clash, defeating Michigan State, 23-15, and falling to No. 12 Wisconsin, 25-15, and No. 9 Illinois, 39-7. Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) won all three of his matches at 174 pounds and was named the ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week following his performance. The honor is the first career conference wrestler of the week distinction for Henrich. Henrich (7-0), moved up to a No. 14 national ranking this week. He is slated to wrestle No. 17 Quentin Wright of Penn State in the opener. UVa has two other wrestlers ranked – Rocco Caponi (Sr., Uniontown, Ohio) is up to No. 8 at 184 and Ross Gitomer (Jr., Flemington, N.J.) is ranked No. 17 at 125. Coming off an injury, Gitomer is on track to compete for the first time in three weeks on Sunday. Caponi is scheduled to face No. 13 Phil Bomberger of Penn State. Penn State has two others who are ranked, both of whom are No. 2 in the country at their respective weight classes – Bubba Jenkins at 149 and Dan Vallimont at 157. The Nittany Lions are 0-1 in duals this year after suffering an 18-15 loss to Hofstra last Sunday. They are scheduled to travel to No. 4 Cornell Friday night for a dual prior to the Sprawl and Brawl Sunday. Penn State has won all of the seven previous meetings with UVa, but the programs have not met since 1988. In the second match, Virginia will face AIC, which is 2-1 this season. The Yellow Jackets fell to Boston University (37-6) before downing Seton Hill (21-18) and Duquesne (21-20) in road bouts last weekend. UVa and AIC have never met previously in wrestling. Virginia travels back to New York Nov. 29 to compete in the Northeast Duals in Albany. UVa is slated to wrestle No. 7 Oklahoma State at 11 a.m., Bucknell at 1 p.m. and Harvard at 3 p.m.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Thom Ortiz, the head coach of the Arizona State University wrestling team, announced today that Norman Richmond has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his educational and athletic careers with the Sun Devils. Richmond is slated to compete at 133 pounds for the Sun Devils when he joins the program in time for the 2009-10 campaign. "Norman is a fine addition to our team," Ortiz said. "We strive to be the best team in the Pac-10 Conference and compete for national titles and Norman will certainly help our chances. He is an exciting competitor and we look forward to having him in our program." A native of Portland, Ore., Richmond is currently a member of the Sierra College team in Rocklin, Calif., the same school the produced current Sun Devil heavyweight and two-time undefeated California College champion Erik Nye. Richmond has already found success at SC as he won the 133-pound title at the California Championships in 2007 and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. He also earned All-America honors while helping his team to the state title. This season, Richmond has not competed in order to have three years of eligibility with the Sun Devils. His addition to the line-up could prove to shore up a very tough lightweight group that currently features a pair of sophomores that are ranked No. 8 in the nation: Anthony Robles at 125 and Chris Drouin at 141. Richmond already has had success against Pac-10 foes as he won the 2007 Fullerton Open with four of his five wins coming over wrestlers from Pac-10 schools. Prior to defeating Cal Poly's Filip Novachcov in the final (11-7), Richmond knocked off top-seed and nationally ranked T.J. Dillashaw of CS Fullerton, 2-1. Dillashaw was fourth in the Pac-10 last season as the tournament's No. 1 seed. Prior to Sierra, Richmond won a pair of Oregon state championships. After missing the state tournament in his first two years of competition, Richmond tore through the competition and won the state title at 125 pounds during his junior season before adding the 133-pound title as a senior. He also competed in the USA Junior Nationals, winning the Greco-Roman title and placing second in freestyle.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad improved to 2-0 on the season after a dominant performance Thursday evening in Norman, defeating Oklahoma City University (4-2) by a 47-0 final. With the victory, Oklahoma coach Jack Spates picked up his 200th win at OU. "There are a lot of great memories and certainly a lot of great kids that are responsible for the wins," Spates said. "I was proud of the way we wrestled tonight. It doesn't matter who the opponent is, you have to come out with the same focus and intensity each night." The No. 19th-ranked Sooners (2-0) began with a 6-0 team lead after Oklahoma City forfeited the opening weight, with sophomore Joey Fio picking up the win. Senior David Armstrong then recorded an 8-3 decision over Justin Blumer at 133 pounds to put the Sooners up 9-0. The Cleveland, Ohio, native recorded two takedowns and a reversal to pick up his third win of the season. A decisive 19-2 technical fall by redshirt sophomore Zack Bailey followed at 141 pounds over Jeremy Garner. After scoring three takedowns and four nearfalls on the evening, the Kansas City, Mo., native improved to 5-0 on the season. Kyle Terry quickly took control of the 149-pound match, scoring four nearfalls and a takedown in the first period to lead 15-1. Just 39 seconds into the second, Terry posted a fall, his third of the season, and gave OU a 20-0 team lead. Shane Vernon continued OU's dominance by recording three takedowns, three nearfalls and a reversal to post an 18-5 major decision at 157 pounds over Mark Meyer. Sooner Ryan Smith pushed the lead to 27-0 by recording a 10-2 major decision over Nik Turner at 165 pounds. Jeff James then put six more on the board, recording a pin versus Andrew Pontikes. The redshirt sophomore now has two pins this season and three in his career. Redshirt sophomore Pat Flynn then recorded a 10-1 major decision over Dillon Blackmon at 184 pounds before teammate Eric Lapotsky scored his fourth fall in only six matches this season at 197 pounds. The Mt. Carmel, Pa., native now owns 12 pins in only 22 matches as a Sooner. Redshirt Freshman Nathan Fernandez sealed the OU shutout with a 9-4 decision at heavyweight over Corey Johnson, scoring three takedowns for his fourth victory of the season. The Sooners will return to action this Sunday, Nov. 23, when they host No. 20th-ranked Old Dominion at 4 p.m., at the McCasland Field House in Norman.

Lincoln -- Junior Craig Brester pinned Chattanooga's Ethan Winel in 2:45 to lead the No. 6 Huskers to a 29-15 dual win over the Mocs at the NU Coliseum on Thursday. Nebraska notched a victory in its season opener for the 14th consecutive year, while Chattanooga fell to 3-4 on the year. The Huskers came out strong with wins in the first six matches of the night, but Brester blew the doors open during the fifth match with a pin in his first contest of the season. The All-American notched a takedown 19 seconds in and collected a three-point nearfall at the 45-second mark, before earning the fall with 15 seconds left in the first period. Brester's win extended the Nebraska lead to 20-0, and put the match out of reach with UTC forfeiting two matches later. NU built a large early lead thanks to major decisions from juniors Jordan Burroughs and Levi Wofford. Making his first appearance at 157 pounds, Burroughs earned seven takedowns, including three in the final period, to earn a 17-7 victory over No. 19 Joey Knox. Wofford was just as impressive at 184 pounds. He surrendered an early takedown, but battled back with three three-point nearfalls in the final period to notch a 15-3 win against Kyle McKee. Fifth-ranked Stephen Dwyer (165), third-ranked Brandon Browne (174) and Tucker Lane (Hwt.) also rattled off decisions for the Huskers before the Mocs put points on the scoreboard. Wrestling in the second and third matches of the night, Dwyer and Browne posted 9-3 and 12-6 victories, respectively. Dwyer earned 2:28 of riding time in his match against Seth Garvin, while Browne notched four takedowns and two reversals against Jason McCroskey. Lane, making his first career dual appearance, posted a 5-3 decision over Cody Sliger. The Huskers forfeited at 125 pounds to break their six-match winning streak, but UTC forfeited at 133 to give the six points right back to Nebraska. The Mocs picked up victories at 141 and 149 in the final two matches of the night. Nebraska returns to the mat on Nov. 28 with a doubleheader against Augustana (S.D.) and Oregon State. The Huskers battle the Vikings at 4 p.m. and Beavers at 6 p.m. Fans can get into the duals free with a valid ticket from the Nebraska-Colorado football game.

Three-time Indiana high school state champ. Junior Nationals freestyle champ. The one wrestler from the Hoosier state to earn the Dave Schultz 2008 High School Excellence Award. Andrew HoweAndrew Howe can claim all those honors … and more. Howe, a graduate of Hanover Central High School in northwest Indiana, is a key component in a talent-rich freshman class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ranked second in the nation by InterMat (behind Big Ten rival Minnesota). In addition to Howe, other blue-chip recruits joining the Badgers this season: Trey Bertram (Woodbury, Minnesota), Jim Duffy (Naperville, Illinois), Tom Kelliher (Burnsville, Minnesota), Brad Nardick (Northbrook, Illinois), Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colorado), Travis Rutt (Belle Plain, Minnesota), Cole Schmitt (New Glarus, Wisconsin), and Ben Jordan (St. Paris, Ohio, son of Jim Jordan, two-time NCAA champ for Wisconsin in the 1980s). However, even among these highly accomplished young wrestlers, Andrew Howe may be the one true freshman competing on the varsity team, as the Badgers' starter at 165 pounds. Even as a freshman, Howe is ranked seventh in his weight class by RevWrestling.com. Great expectations It was expected that Andrew Howe would make his debut as a Badger in the November 15 ACC/Big Ten Clash … but he was recovering from a knee injury, and did not compete. Once he's had time to recover, Howe is still expected to compete at 165. Despite the knee injury, great things are expected of Andrew Howe. In an entry in his blog at the official Wisconsin wrestling website early in November, head coach Barry Davis writes, "Our starting lineup is not set yet. A lot have people have asked about the freshmen and whether or not some of them are redshirting. We're not sure yet if all the freshmen are going to compete this year. Tyler Graff, Ben Jordan and Travis Rutt are all up in the air right now, but Andrew Howe will for sure wrestle for us at 165 pounds" "He's head and shoulders above most other freshmen," according to Donny Pritzlaff, assistant coach at Wisconsin who earned two NCAA titles for the Badgers. "(Howe) thrives under pressure," says Pritzlaff. "He's incredibly well-adjusted, which speaks volumes about his work ethic." "He was here all summer. We helped him get ready for Fargo." "He's ready in all respects -- wrestling-wise, academically, too." Coach Pritzlaff continues, "(Howe's) not a vocal kid, but his leadership shows. He's among the hardest-working guys in the room." "He brings a lot of energy to the room. There's a quiet confidence about him. A lot of kids respect that about him." Prep near-perfection You could say that wrestling is in Andrew Howe's genes. His dad Mike wrestled in high school and at Miami University (Ohio); his two older brothers, Jon and Eric, were also wrestlers. (In fact, Eric, who wrestled at Purdue, was a volunteer assistant at Hanover Central.) Andrew Howe took up the sport in first grade, and loved it from the start. In high school, Howe compiled a nearly perfect 192-1 record; the one loss was in the 130-pound finals at the Indiana state championships. As a sophomore, Howe captured his first state title, at 140 pounds. The following year, he claimed his second state crown, this time at 152. As a senior, and captain of the Hanover Central team, Howe completed his prep career with his third Indiana state title, as a 160-pounder. What's more, Andrew Howe was named the sole Indiana winner of the Dave Schultz 2008 High School Excellence Award. This honor, presented to one prep wrestler from each of the 49 states that offers high school wrestling, acknowledges excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service. Andrew Howe won the 2008 Junior Nationals title in Fargo at 160 pounds (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)Ask Andrew Howe the high point of his wrestling career so far, and without a moment of hesitation, he answers, "Winning Fargo this summer." In the 160-pound finals of the 2008 Junior National Freestyle Championships held at Fargo, Howe faced off against another prep superstar, Alex Meade of Delaware. Meade won the first period, but the Badger recruit came battling back with 3-0 and 6-2 wins over the future Oklahoma State Cowboy to claim the title. "The competition is intense at Fargo," according to Howe. "I had fallen short in the past, which makes the win even sweeter." Working Overtime towards success You could say that Andrew Howe's road to three Indiana high school state titles and a national championship in Fargo traveled through Naperville, Illinois, and the Overtime Wrestling Club. Howe made the long trek from his home in Cedar Lake, Indiana to Overtime in west-suburban Chicago up to three or four times a week. All those miles -- not to mention the money spent on the Illinois Tollway -- apparently paid off for Howe. "Overtime helped me a huge, huge amount," says the Wisconsin freshman. One could also say that Overtime Wrestling Club also played prominently in the journey from Indiana to the University of Wisconsin. Sean Bormet (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"(Howe's) trained at Overtime for years," according to Donny Pritzlaff. "I got a heads up from Overtime's Sean Bormet about him." In addition to coaching Howe, Sean Bormet, owner of the nationally-respected Overtime facility, has coached Pritzlaff in his freestyle career … and told the Wisconsin assistant coach about the impressive wrestler from northwest Indiana whose style he thought would be a good fit for the Badger wrestling program. "I wanted to stay close to home," discloses Howe. "My focus was on Big Ten schools." "Donny started recruiting me. I liked him a lot." "When I made my visit, I immediately fell in love with the campus … I hit it off with the coaches right away, too." On, Wisconsin! Ask Andrew Howe about the transition from Hanover Central High School -- where he was an honor roll student, earning all As and Bs -- to the University of Wisconsin, and he responds, "Academically, at times it's challenging. However, we're provided with excellent tutoring, study tables and assistance to help us succeed in the classroom." "In terms of the transition wrestling-wise, it's really great," Howe continues. "Everything's really structured here. The coaches watch us very closely, give very specific guidance that makes a real difference …" "In practice, we're pushed a lot harder. It's much more intense. Our workout partners provide a much higher level of competition." "I was hoping to start right away," Howe continues. "The coaches told me, 'We'll see if you're ready.'" "They now think I'm ready to go." Style and substance Despite growing in high school from 130 to 160 pounds, the 5'8" Howe has maintained the same wrestling style: "I've always wanted to go through the (other) guy, be as intense as possible, beat the guy up … be powerful, stay on top of him." Donny Pritzlaff"It's really boring not to create action." When asked to describe Andrew Howe's on-the-mat style, coach Pritzlaff responds, "Exciting. Constantly moving forward. Bang and snap. In your face." "He's technically sound, making adjustments as necessary." "He has an incredible passion for the sport." "It doesn't take much to motivate him. He has an inner drive that's second to none." "As we get into the season, he wants to do his best," adds Pritzlaff. "He wants to be the best on the big stage -- the Big Tens, NCAAs." Those statements line up with Andrew Howe's stated goals: "I want to be a multi-time conference and NCAA champ … In the off-season, I want to continue to compete in freestyle as much as possible. I want to make a couple runs at the Olympics." The freshman 165-pounder is still in his first semester of college, and has not yet declared a major. However, his ultimate dream: "I'd love to be a coach." "Being around the sport the rest of my life would be great, helping others achieve success," says Howe. "All my coaches are great people. They've showed me a world of wrestling, and so much about how to be a genuine human being."

Lincoln -- The Nebraska wrestling team signed one additional student-athlete to a National Letter of Intent, Head Coach Mark Manning announced Thursday. C.J. Napier of Columbus, Kan., has signed and will wrestle for the Huskers. "When I took my official visit I felt like I fit in really well," Napier said. "Coach Manning and his whole staff are great people. Everybody was so nice. I was treated real well, and it is an awesome program." Napier will join five other Huskers that signed during the early signing period. Napier, along with Kyle Waldo, David Klingsheim, Cody Compton, Michael Klinginsmith and Caleb Kolb, will join the team in the 2009-10 academic year. C.J. Napier – Columbus, Kan. Wrestling for his father, Todd Napier, at Columbus High School, C.J. Napier has claimed the last two Class 4A state titles. He posted a 34-5 record to place third his freshman year at 130 pounds, before notching 37-3 and 37-1 marks his last two seasons at 135 pounds. Napier owns a 108-9 career record heading into his senior campaign. Napier is also a three-time All-American at the Cadet/Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. He won the cadet freestyle title in 2006 at 135 pounds, and has finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the junior freestyle division at 135 pounds the last two summers. He is the No. 65 wrestler in the InterMat's top 100 recruits of 2009. Napier's hometown of Columbus is just 25 miles from Pittsburg, Kan., the hometown of current Husker freshman Tyler Koehn. Napier chose Nebraska over Oklahoma State, and is projected to wrestle at 133 pounds for the Huskers. Manning on Napier: "C.J. is really a smart wrestler. He is very dedicated and wants to be the best. He has the right mentality. We are just extremely happy to have C.J. because he fits into the type of young man we want on our team and the type of competitor to help us win at the highest level."

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Millersville, Pa. -- The 2008-09 Millersville wrestling team under first-year head coach Todd Roberts opened made its Pucillo Gymnasium debut Wednesday evening and the Marauders defeated both Wagner and Delaware State in convincing fashion. Millersville (2-0) recorded five falls and nine of 10 matches in a 44-3 victory over Wagner, and then won six of the 10 bouts against Delaware for a 25-18 victory. Millersville improved to 13-0-1 all-time against Wagner and 5-0 all-time against Delaware State. The evening couldn't have started any better for the Marauders as the first three wrestlers that stepped on the mat each earned a fall. Sophomore Sean Reed continued the impressive start to his Marauder career by recording falls in both of his matches. Against Wagner's Nicholas Keshecki, the 133-pound Reed scored the pin in just 1:08. His match against Delaware State's Kelvin Watford wasn't nearly as easy. Watford had just scored a three-point nearfall and was in position to score again when Reed bridged and pinned Watford. Brothers John Andel (125) and Sean Andel (141) each scored falls against Wagner as well. John, a senior, pinned Jason Mandragona in two minutes and Sean, in his first career match, pinned Jacob Villaret at 5:59. At 174 pounds, Shane Smith boosted his record to 6-2 on the season. It took him just 2:03 to pin Wagner's Ryan Malloy. Against Delaware State's Kyle Skinner, he earned a hard-fought 3-0 decision. J.J. Lester picked up a 21-5 technical fall against Wagner's Nick Dalcero, but ran into the nation's No. 13-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds against Delaware State. Matt Catthel handed Lester just his second defeat of the season, pinning him at 2:07. 197-pound Raymond Bennett also turned in a pair of outstanding efforts. He pinned Wagner's Mark Wagner in just 58 seconds and then topped Shawn Nowery of Delaware State by a 15-5 major decision. Jeremy Brooks, wrestling at 165, also won both of his bouts, and freshman heavyweight D.J. Fox earned a 4-3 overtime win over Wagner's Angelo D'Amico in his first career match. The Marauders travel to Lock Haven for the Mat Town Open Saturday, Nov. 29.

Philadelphia -- Drexel wrestling opened their 2008-09 dual match season with a 22-11 victory over visiting East Stroudsburg. The Dragons took the final six matches to erase an early 11-4 deficit. Drexel's Steve Mytych (Wyoming, Pa./Northampton) earned a major decision victory at 125 pounds while six other Dragons took wins by decision. For Head Coach Jack Childs it was his 396th career victory at Drexel as he moved closer to the 400-win mark. East Stroudsburg opened the match strong with a pair of major decision wins. The opening bout at 197 pounds saw Shane Mallory defeat Justin Sachse, 22-9. Sachse was moved up from his normal weight class of 174 pounds to challenge Mallory. Chris Birchler earned the Warriors another four pounds when took a 12-3 major decision win in a match-up against Drexel's Kyle Frey. Mytych, a senior co-captain, got the Dragons on the board with a convincing 16-4 triumph to halve the Warriors' lead. At 133 pounds, Matt Swallow outlasted Justin Giani, 9-5, before Drexel made its run of six straight victories to close the match. Freshman Matt Dugan won perhaps the most exciting bout of the day as he trailed in the second period, 3-0. Dugan started the second period in the up position and was assessed a penalty point for an illegal move to increase his deficit to 3-0. He rode Matthew Rizzo out to finish the period then started on top to begin the third. Rizzo was called for stalling twice in the third period while Dugan continued to run up his riding time. With the score 3-2, Dugan earned two points for a near fall with just seconds remaining and won the match, 5-3, while not earning a single takedown. Robbie Robinson picked up a win at 149 pounds with a 4-2 victory over Joe Schick while Billy Haydt followed with a 13-6 decision against Jesse Dunn. Scott Hunter and Brian Stouffer picked up wins with decisions by five points as Hunter defeated Jeff Jacobs, 11-6, and Stouffer topped Nick Tetro, 7-2. Justin Wieller ended the match with a 6-2 victory at 184 pounds over Trevor Salvatore. The Dragons return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22 when they head to Ithaca, N.Y. to participate in the Cornell Body Bar Invitational. The first match starts at 9:00 a.m.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army juniors Matt Kyler and Richard Starks were two of nine Black Knights to pick up decisions in a 41-3 victory over Franklin & Marshall, Tuesday night at Gillis Field House. "Tonight was a good night for us," said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "It was good to see our guys take care of business as we prepare for some strong competition this weekend at Cornell." Kyler, who was ranked ninth at 149 pounds in both of this week's national polls, improved to 7-1 this season by pinning Jay Tracy in 2:31. It was Kyler's fourth fall of the season. Starks, the 16th-ranked wrestler in both polls, ran his record to 5-2 with a 15-0 (7:00) technical fall opposite Colin Ely at 197 pounds. Junior Lance Penhale started the night off at 125 pounds with a 4-1 decision over Stephen Sabreen as the Black Knights won the first seven bouts of the match. Senior captain Whitt Dunning pinned Matt Murray (3:40) at 133, sophomore Casey Thome defeated Al Gianforti, 14-2, at 141, sophomore Rudy Chelednik shutout James DiNicola, 15-0 (5:29) at 157 and freshman Mike Gorman pinned Anthony Bongarzone (6:04) at 165 to stake Army to a 31-0 lead. Black Knight freshman Derek Stanley defeated Jimmy Schulz, 7-1, at 184, while junior Michael Sprigg took a 4-2 decision over Nico Somers at heavyweight to finish the night. Army will compete at the Body Bar Invitational this Saturday (Nov. 22), hosted by Cornell. Action is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m.

Seventh-year Head Coach Dan Hicks has received national letters of intent from six highly regarded high school senior wrestlers who will join the Cal State Fullerton program as freshmen for the 2009-10 season. "We are very excited about the group that has committed and the future looks bright," said Hicks. The list, alphabetically: Jonah Cruz, 141 / 149, Bakersfield HS -- two-time state place winner... ranked in top four this season Martin Gonzalez, 125, Gilroy HS -- was selected by W.I.N Magazine this week as the No. 1 recruit out of California among all weight classes.. ranked No. 5 senior nationally at 125 Justin Schellenger, 165, Great Valley HS in Malvern, PA -- placed at state in Pennsylvania... career record of 83-24 in first three seasons Taylor Warden, 197, Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana -- 5th at state in 2008... currently ranked as high as No. 1 Bryce Whitehead, 149 / 157, Sprague HS in Salem, Oregon Henry Yorba, 133, Poway HS -- two-time state place winner... ranked No. 2 this season

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of five recruits to national letters of intent this week. Jack Burbank (Virginia Beach, Va.), Eric Dunnet (Voorhees, N.J.), Justin LaValle (Burnsville, Minn.), John Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa), and Joey Sheridan (Tulsa, Okla.) all signed National Letters of Intent to attend ODU in the fall of 2009. Jack Burbank is a standout from right here in the Hampton Roads area as he heads into his final season at Cox High School in Virginia Beach. He ranks as high as 13th in the nation and will come in to wrestle in the 285-lb weight class. He placed 6th at the VHSL Championship in 2007 and earned the State Champion crown in 2008. He was also named Beast of the East place winner in 2007. MARTIN ON BURBANK: "We're excited to get a local kid as talented as Burbank. We think he has the potential to do great things. He is a big, tall kid, standing at 6-4, so it should be an easy transition into college wrestling from high school." Eric Dunnet is from Eastern Regional HS in New Jersey and ranks 9th in the nation. He finished 6th in the state his freshman year and was 2nd at sophomore nationals. He also placed 5th at Junior Freestyle Nationals and 6th at Fargo. He is a three-time state placewinner. MARTIN ON DUNNET: "Dunnet is a very scrappy wrestler from New Jersey. He has a strong work ethic and desire. We look forward to helping him develop his technique and help him get on the podium." Justin LaValle arrives from Minnesota as the 5th ranked wrestler in the nation by two publications. He was named to the 2008 National Duals Greco "All Team" and is the 2008-2009 Apple Valley HS Team Captain. Apple Valley HS is currently ranked 3rd in the Nation for High School Wrestling and he has compiled a 141-30 record from for the Eagles. He is ranked #1 in the state of Minnesota in the 130 lb weight class and will wrestle 133 at ODU. MARTIN ON LaVALLE: "LaValle is from national powerhouse Apple Valley HS and was recruited heavily by Minnesota and Nebraska. He's already proven himself on a national level; he is very good on the mat, especially from the top position." John Nicholson is the younger brother of current ODU Wrestler James Nicholson from Des Moines, Iowa. John ranks as high as 7th in the nation coming in. Nicholson won the Class 3-A 152-pound state championship for Roosevelt HS as a junior in 2008 after placing third in that same competition his sophomore year. He takes a 139-14 record into his senior season and will join his brother at Old Dominion as a wrestler in the 157 lb weight class. MARTIN ON NICHOLSON: "John Nicholson wrestles the old school Iowa style of wrestling, constantly coming at you. He's really going to be fun for our fans to watch. He was recruited heavily by Iowa and Missouri with his final choice coming down to us & Iowa. He chose ODU in part because of his brother James." Joey Sheridan joins the Monarchs from Tulsa, Oklahoma where he is a two-time Oklahoma state champion in the 160-lb weight class. Coming to ODU from Tulsa Union HS, Sheridan is ranked as high as 8th in the nation. He was the Cadet National Freestyle Champion in 2006 and is a Reno Tournament of Champions place winner. Sheridan will wrestle at the 174 lb weight class for ODU. MARTIN ON SHERIDAN: "Sheridan has been nationally ranked his whole life. It is very difficult to land a good big guy and he is one of the top three wrestlers coming out of Oklahoma this year. We competed head on with Oklahoma State, Nebraska, and Missouri for this athlete and we're pleased to get him because it is very hard to get an Oklahoma kid to leave Oklahoma." The recruits will join an experienced class of grapplers that will lose just one to graduation this year. The team went 17-3 in 2007-08 and has placed ten in two tournaments to start the 2008-09 campaign. "We had specific recruiting needs at several weight classes. Our staff did a great job of getting five nationally ranked wrestlers at five different weight classes," said Martin. "We were able to lure these athletes away from Big Ten and Big 12 schools because of one common theme: they all want to be a part of the building process of a team that will beat the Oklahoma State's and Iowa's of the world. In addition, each of these student-athletes have high standards in the classroom and off the mat. This recruiting class will be highly ranked."