InterMat Staff

No. 12 Cornell College defeated Simpson College 35-10 in the dual opener for both schools Nov. 19 in Mount Vernon, Iowa. In the 125-pound opener, Micky Spiwak posted a 16-4 victory over Casey Miller (So., Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley NW H.S.). Tigue Snider pinned Levi Vogel (So., Jesup, Iowa, Jesup H.S.) 4:33 into their 133 pound match. Kevin Donahue earned a major decision victory, 11-3 over Caleb Brus (So., Creston, Iowa, Creston H.S.) at 141. The Storm got on the board at 149 when Calvin Barber (Jr., Winterset, Iowa, Winterset H.S.) charted a 13-4 major decision victory over Jacob Schwebke. Dave Paramski defeated Ben Hektoen (Sr., Birmingham, Iowa, Fairfield H.S.) via technical fall at 6:02 in the 157-pound matchup. Joe Hambleton defeated Wade Dowling (Jr., West Des Moines, Iowa, Valley H.S.) 8-0 at 165. No. 6 Kyle Kehrli pinned Sam Thielen (So., Lee's Summit, Mo., North H.S.) at 1:51 of the 174-pound contest. Carmen Sacco defeated Jordy Ammons (So., Knoxville, Iowa, Knoxville H.S.) 5-1 at 184. At 197, Robet Widemer defeated Sam Collora (Jr., Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Mt. Pleasant H.S.) 6-5. John Bunch (So., Prole, Iowa, Martensdale-St. Mary's H.S.) won by forfeit at heavyweight to end the dual. "I was disappointed with how we wrestled tonight," said Simpson head coach Clint Manny. "We didn't come ready at all. Calvin attacked in his match and did a good job. He let (his opponent) up to go for the major decision. We need to regroup and get ready for Augsburg this weekend." The Storm travel to the Augsburg Brute-Adidas Open Saturday in Minneapolis. Bell time is set for 9 a.m.

The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team opened conference action at the Fitzgerald Field House tonight, Nov. 19, defeating Eastern Wrestling League rival Bloomsburg 27-7. The Panthers won eight of ten matches including the first four to coast to their first victory of the season. "We won eight of ten tonight, I think that's pretty good to say the least," noted Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "I really felt like our guys went out and tried to control the match from the start. Being able to win a conference match in our league this early in the season is always a great thing." True freshman Chris Albright sparked Pitt (1-1, 1-0) in the opening match of the night at 125 pounds. Down 8-6 to Ian Moser entering the third period, Albright was able to draw two stalling points from Moser to knot the score with 10 seconds remaining. He was then able to hold off Moser's late takedown attempts to secure the 9-8 win after accumulating over a minute of riding time, giving Pitt the early 3-0 lead. "You know, we're always looking for improvement and for Chris to come out tonight and win after being majored two weeks ago by Moser, that shows that our guys are improving on a daily basis," said Stottlemyer of his 125-pounder. Junior Jimmy Conroy, ranked 20th in the latest USA Today/Intermat/NWCA poll, put Pitt up 6-0 with his 4-1 decision over Jason Guffey in the 133-pound match. Conroy cruised after a late first-period takedown, yielding only an escape point to Guffey en route to his first dual win this season. Tyler Nauman made it three straight for the Panthers with his 10-3 decision over Rockey Donald at 141. The redshirt freshman jumped out to a 4-2 lead after the first period and continued to pour it on en route to his second straight dual win. Click here to find out more! Senior transfer Mark Powell gave Pitt a 12-0 advantage with his 4-0 shutout decision over George Hickman. After a scoreless first and second period which say Powell accumulate two minutes of riding time, he escaped eight seconds into the third to take the 1-0 lead. Powell added a takedown late in the third for good measure and tacked on a riding time point to even his dual record at 1-1. Bloomsburg's lone wins came by way of a major decision at 157 and decision at 165. No. 11 ranked Matt Moley downed junior Jeff Warusz 12-2 in the 157-pound match while Ricky Schmelyn was an 8-2 winner over sophomore Ethan Headlee at 165. Redshirt junior David Sullivan and freshman Zac Thomusseit quickly put the Panthers back on track with wins in the 174 and 184-pound matches respectively. Sullivan accumulated over two minutes of riding time on his way to earning the 4-1 decision while Thomusseit's early third-period escape proved to be the difference in the 3-2 decision. Matt Wilps was the third freshman of the night to earn a victory. After trading escapes in the second and third periods, Wilps and Ryan Sutton entered overtime tied at 1-1. 18 seconds into the extra frame, Wilps carded his first collegiate pin and dual match victory, putting Pitt up 24-7. It was business as usual for the No. 7 ranked heavyweight in the country on the mat tonight. Less than 20 seconds into the first period Zach Sheaffer struck with a two-point takedown on Zac Walsh. Two takedowns and an escape later, Sheaffer had racked up over four minutes of riding time, taking the 8-3 decision for his second win on the year. "Zach is always fun to watch because he is technically sound," said Stottlemyer. "He does some things that most heavyweights just don't do and we are fortunate to have a leader of his caliber on our team, setting the example for the younger guys." The Panthers will hit the road for the next three weeks of the season. The next stop is the Keystone Classic hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Sunday, Nov. 23.

University of Missouri Head Wrestling Coach Brian Smith will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, November 20. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. Smith's Tigers won dual meets over Lock Haven and Bucknell this past weekend, and will be hosting Hofstra on November 22 at 2 p.m. The Hofstra dual meet is part of a special event "Wrestling Supporting Wrestling," where all money raised from tickets sales will go directly to Missouri's wrestling program. During his time at Missouri Smith has compiled a 121-60-2 dual meet record, producing 11 All-Americans to 17 top-eight performances and recently aided in two-time National Champion Ben Askren's run through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. The Tigers also placed third at the 2007 NCAA tournament. Visit www.wrestling411.tv for information on the show.

Two-time All-American wrestler Jayson Ness of the University of Minnesota has drawn a new opponent for his match at the 43rd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic. Ness, who will be competing in the 133-pound class this year after earning All-American accolades at the 125-pound level each of the last two seasons, will wrestle Jimmy Kennedy from Illinois. Ness was originally slated to face Iowa's Joey Slayton. The NWCA All-Star Classic annually showcases the nation's top wrestlers. This year's event is being hosted by Ohio State on Nov. 24 at St. John's Arena and will be televised live on ESPNU. Last year, Ness tied a single-season school record with 20 pins. The national runner-up at 125 pounds at the NCAA Championships last March in St. Louis, the junior is one of four returning starters and one of two returning All-Americans for a Minnesota squad that is just two years removed from a national championship.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team has signed five wrestlers to National Letters-of-Intent, head coach Brad Penrith announced today. Inking to wrestle for the Panthers starting in 2009-2010 are Jake Demmon (Ottumwa, Iowa/Eddyville-Blakesburg HS), Joe Johnson (Swea City, Iowa/Algona HS/Iowa Central CC), Joey Lazor (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove HS), Ryan Loder (Granite Bay, Calif./Granite Bay HS), Brice Wolf (Greeley, Colo./Greeley Central HS). Demmon (125/133 lbs.) captured a state title in 2008 for Eddyville-Blakesburg High School as he pinned his way through the 119-pound weight class. Demmon's title capped a perfect junior season at 42-0. He was a freestyle regional runner-up and earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at Junior Nationals. In 2007, he placed third in the state tournament with a mark of 45-3 at 119 pounds. He was a sectional and regional champ in 2007. Demmon also captured the 2007 freestyle state championship. As a freshman, he qualified for state in the 112-pound weight class with a 36-5 record. Demmon is a three-time academic all-district and first-team all-district honoree. Demmon has compiled a three-year prep record of 123-8. Demmon is ranked fifth in the nation in his weight class in freestyle wrestling by W.I.N. Magazine. "We are extremely happy to have Jake sign with us," Penrith said. "He is one of the finest wrestlers in the state. He is very hard-nosed, wrestles hard and has a gas tank. He loves the sport." Johnson (184/197 lbs.) is ranked No. 2 in the nation at 184 pounds going into his sophomore season at Iowa Central Community College. Johnson placed fourth at last year's NJCAA national meet. Johnson was a three-time state placer at Algona High School. Johnson placed fourth in the state as a senior at 189 pounds after posting a 34-2 record. He placed fourth in the state as a junior at 171 pounds. He tallied a fifth-place finish at 171 pounds at the 2005 state tournament. Johnson posted a prep record of 121-23. He was a two-time first-team all-state linebacker in high school. "Joe is very discipline, motivated, and hasn't even come close to reaching his full potential," Penrith said. "He may be our diamond in the rough this year. I'm excited to add another quality Iowa high school wrestler to our program." Lazor (133/141 lbs.) recently placed third in the nation at the Super 32s. He won the 130-pound Class AAAAA state championship in Georgia as a junior with a perfect 45-0 record. Lazor has compiled a prep record of 163-8 heading into his senior season. He placed second in the state as a sophomore in the 119-pound weight class and also placed fourth in the state as a freshman at 103 pounds. Lazor placed third at the 2008 Brute Adidas Nationals. He is ranked as the 12th-best senior in the nation in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine. "Joey puts a lot of high goals on himself," Penrith said. "He has a very positive attitude and strong work ethic both in the classroom and on the mat. He has a natural feel on the mat, comes out on top a lot." Loder (184 lbs.) is the 90th-ranked overall recruit in the nation by InterMat. He is ranked as the 6th-best senior recruit in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine. He is ranked as the ninth-best senior recruit in his weight class by InterMat. Loder is a four-time high school All-American and he placed sixth in the state tournament as junior. Loder placed in the top-12 in the state of California as a sophomore. He placed third at Cadets in 2007 and sixth at Juniors in 2008. He has compiled a high school record of 124-19 heading into his senior season. "We feel Ryan will be an excellent all-around wrestler for us," Penrith said. "He is very focused, has a great attitude and we feel his potential is unlimited." Wolf (174 lbs.) is the 46th-ranked overall recruit in the nation by InterMat. Wolf placed fourth at the 2008 High School Nationals. Wolf is a three-time state placer in the state of Colorado and won the state title as a sophomore. He placed fifth in the state as a freshman and notched a third-place finish as a junior. He is a three-time all-conference honoree. Wolf has compiled a prep record of 116-13 heading into his senior season. Wolf is a two-time football letterwinner. He has earned the Academic Excellence Award and maintains a 3.57 grade point average. He was a Colorado High School Athletic Association Academic All-State honorable mention honoree. He wrestled for head coaches Eric Penfold and Joe Banas in high school. He plans to major in business and minor in art at UNI. "We're really excited to have Brice join our program," Penrith said. "He has a great work ethic and passion for the sport. He wrestles very hard. He is in a weigh class where we need some depth. He is our first kid from Colorado since Steve Ertl."

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Ohio State University assistant coach Joe Heskett and Luther College (IA) head coach Dave Mitchell. Joe Heskett won three high school state championships for Walsh-Jesuit High School in Ohio. At Iowa State University, Heskett was a four-time all-american and three-time finalist at 165 pounds, winning the NCAA title as a senior in 2002. He was also a four-time academic all-american. Heskett had considerable international wrestling success prior to winning both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials in 2007. He placed fifth at the World Championships at 163 pounds and was forced to retire from competition shortly afterwards due to health concerns. Currently, Heskett is an assistant coach at Ohio State University where he helped the Buckeyes to a second place finish at last season's NCAA Championships. Dave Mitchell is in his 13th season as the head coach at Division III power Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Mitchell was the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 2004 following his team's third place finish. Luther College has finished in the top five nationally six times since 2001. He has coached 39 all-americans, seven national champions and compiled a dual meet record of 156-62-5. A native of Riceville, Iowa, Mitchell was an all-american wrestler at University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse and was a two-time academic all-american. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Wyoming 174-pounder Shane Onufer has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Onufer (Auburn, Wash./Auburn HS) went 5-0 this past weekend, led Wyoming to a 34-10 dual win over Stanford and earned the 174-pound title at the Cowboy Open. In his five matches Onufer did not give up a single point to his opponents. On Friday night he won by fall at 1:54 over Stanford's Victor Haug, giving Wyoming a large cushion on the way to UW's first dual win of the season. Onufer then bullied his way to the 174-pound crown on Saturday in the Elite Division at the 36th annual Cowboy Open. He posted a 4-0 record and was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. He won his first two matches by fall, his third round bout by major decision, 15-0 over Brett Hunter of Chadron State, and then out-muscled Nebraska-Kearney's Kamarudeen Usman, the No.2 ranked DII wrestler in the country, by a score of 7-0 in the finals. Onufer's season record is now 13-0, with nine pins. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Others nominated: Northern Colorado - Tony Mustari, Jr., 125 lbs., Greeley, Colo. North Dakota State - Kenny Moenkedick, So., 184 lbs., Perham, Minn. UNI - Trevor Kittleson, So., 149 lbs., St. Ansgar, Iowa Utah Valley State - Ben Kjar, So., 125 lbs., Centerville, Utah

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A year ago, Darrion Caldwell became NC State's first All-American in 12 years. Now, Caldwell has become the first Wolfpack wrestler in 16 years to earn an invitation to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. The NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by the United States Marine Corps, normally pairs the top two college wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classifications. This year's event will be hosted by Ohio State University at St. John Arena on Monday, November 24. Caldwell will face No. 1-ranked Brent Metcalf of Iowa at 149 pounds in what will be the one-year anniversary of their first meeting. Caldwell met Metcalf, then ranked No. 6, last November 24 in a dual match in Lakewood, Ohio. Caldwell stunned Metcalf by pinning him in 1:40. Metcalf did not lose another match after his loss to Caldwell. He finished the season 35-1 and won the national championship. As of November 17, he had not seen action yet this season. Caldwell finished fifth in the nation a year ago at 149 to earn All-America honors. He is off to an 8-0 start with three falls, a technical fall, and three victories over ranked opponents. Caldwell is No. 4 in the latest NWCA rankings. Bouts in the NWCA All-Star Classic are counted as exhibition matches only and will affect neither the national rankings or postseason seedings. Exhibition or not, this will be Caldwell's 13th career match vs. a top 10 opponent. As a freshman 141-pounder, he went 2-2 vs. top 10 foes. Since moving up to 149 pounds last season, Caldwell has wrestled eight matches against top 10 opponents and won them all, including two this season. He defeated fifth-ranked Lance Palmer of Ohio State 2-1 at the Wolfpack Open, then took an 8-4 decision over No. 7 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last weekend. Caldwell is 64-11 for his career with 36 falls. He ranks fourth in NC State history in career winning percentage (.853), third in career pins, and needs eight more victories to crack the school's top 20 for career victories. The last NC State wrestler invited to participate in the NWCA All-Star Classic was Sylvester Terkay, who participated twice, in 1992 and 1993, and won both times. Tickets for those fortunate enough to attend are $10 apiece. All children 6 and under are admitted free of charge. NWCA members receive a complimentary ticket when showing their NWCA membership card. Call TicketMaster at 614-431-3600 to order your tickets or visit www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com. ESPNU will air the event on tape delay. Dates and times will be announced once they become available.

AMES, Iowa -- Glen Brand, Iowa State's first Olympic Gold Medalist in any sport when he won the 174-pound class in freestyle wrestling at the 1948 London Olympic Games, died Saturday night in his sleep at his Omaha, Neb. home. He was 85 years old. Brand was the first of five Iowa State wrestlers to win Olympic gold and was the 1948 NCAA champion at 175 pounds. Funeral services will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. and a visitation will be Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Roeder Mortuary, 2727 North 108th St. in Omaha. "I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Glen Brand," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "From his World War II service, to his extraordinary wrestling career and his success as a businessman and as a family man is a shinning example to all of us and made him the best possible ambassador on behalf of Iowa State University." After Brand graduated from Iowa State, he went on to found Brand Hydraulics in Omaha, Neb. He was still working there at age 85. The company has come a long way from 1956, when he started the firm with $400 in the bank. Brand has won numerous honors and awards for his wrestling achievements, and for his support of wrestling through the years. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Iowa State Hall of Fame, and his name graces the hall of fame of the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo. Sanderson won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Iowa State's other Olympic wrestlers to win a gold medal are Dan Gable (1972), Ben Peterson (1972) and Kevin Jackson (1988). "Glen achieved so much in his life because he worked for it," Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard said. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to Ruth Brand and the entire Brand family." Brand won 51 of 54 career bouts as a Cyclone, pinning 30 of his opponents. The Cyclone star wrestled through 1948 without a blemish, compiling an 11-0 mark. The junior threw six straight opponents to earn a conference and NCAA titles at 175 pounds. His triumph made him one of Iowa State's first three-time All-American wrestler. Brand's strong junior season earned him Iowa State's Athlete-of-the-Year honor. Brand qualified for the 1948 United States Olympic team by defeating eight straight opponents at the Olympic Trials. At the London Games, Brand pinned Erik Linden of Sweden to become the first ISU athlete to earn an Olympic gold medal, winning the 174-pound class. When Glen Brand came to Iowa State to get an engineering degree in 1946, he couldn't have imagined that just two years later, he would be in London's Wembley Stadium as the first wrestler at an Iowa college to win an Olympic Gold Medal. In fact, had it not been for a slide rule in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, he would never have started that journey at all. Brand recorded a stellar high school wrestling career at Clarion, where he lettered three times as a grappler, and twice in football and track. Clarion is a wrestling hotbed in north central Iowa. World War II intervened, however, and Brand spent 33 months in the Marine Corps, including a stint as a radioman on Guam. It was there that his life took a new direction. "I was walking along a runway," Brand told the Des Moines Register in 2005. "And there was a group of men standing around the end of it. There was a young Marine lieutenant in charge, and he had a pencil, a clipboard and a funny block of wood that he was moving around, doing something with. I had never seen a slide rule." Brand expressed an interest in engineering to a fellow Marine who immediately told him that Iowa State University had a great program for engineering. Later another soldier told him during a talk about wrestling that Iowa State had a great wrestling program. Brand took heed and the road to London began. It didn't take long after Brand's arrival at ISU for legendary Cyclone coach Hugo Otopolik to see that this 24-year-old veteran was special. Brand didn't lose a match as a freshman (freshmen were eligible at the time) and placed third at the 1946 NCAA meet. "It was during 1946 that (Otopolik) told me ‘Glen I think you have a good chance to make the Olympic team,'" Brand told cyclones.com in August. "I started working harder after that." Otopolik knew what he was talking about. The Cyclone head coach had led the 1932 U.S. Olympic wrestling team at the Los Angeles Games. By the time the 1948 U.S. Olympic Trials were held in Ames, everyone knew what Otopolik had known two years earlier. Brand was indeed special. He started the trials with a 36-3 record in college, including the 1948 NCAA 174-pound title, which was wrestled by Olympic rules. Brand beat seven opponents, including Joe Scarpello of Iowa, in the Trials' final match, to earn a ticket to the London Games. Scarpello had beaten Brand in the 1947 NCAA final and Brand had beaten the Hawkeye in the 1948 NCAA championship match. The U.S. team crossed the Atlantic on S.S. America. "We would run around the circumference of the ship to stay in shape," Brand said. "We worked out and wrestled as well." In London, the team stayed in World War II barracks, rustic after use by the British Air Force. The 1948 Olympics were quite austere as Great Britain and the world slowly recovered from World War II. The first day of the London Games, Brand missed the opening ceremonies. "The wrestling started the day after the opening ceremonies," Brand said. "Our coach wanted us to stay in our barracks to rest. In those days, the athletes would have to stand for up to three hours (at the opening ceremonies). Our alternates, who would wrestle if we were hurt and help us train, took our places for the opening ceremonies." When the U.S. team arrived at Harringay Arena competition site, Brand separated himself from his American counterparts. "Our team was sitting on the front row of the bleachers," Brand recalled. "The small weights wrestled first so I had some time. I wanted to be all by myself. I said ‘I'm going up to the top bleachers.' I went up, up, up until I reached the last row. If I stood on my toes I could touch the ceiling. I was all alone, just the way I wanted." Brand watched the lower weight wrestling from his perch and spied his 174-pound competition. He experienced the seminal moment of his Olympic experience heading back down the steps to get ready for competition. "While I was going down these steps, I said ‘oh my god, all of these guys that I have seen in my weight, I can beat every one of them,'" Brand said. In the first round, Brand beat Iran's Abbas Hairiri, 3-0. In the second round Brand pinned R.B. Arthur of Australia in 4:21, setting up a semifinal match against 31-year-old veteran Adil Candemir of Turkey. Wrestling was a national sport in Turkey and Candemir was one of his country's best. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, freestyle wrestling matches consisted of three two-minute periods. In Brand's era, the matches were physical, 15-minute dogfights. Conditioning was a huge factor and Brand knew it. "I told myself that I was going to wrestle this Turk so hard that he will run out of gas and won't be able to keep up with me energy-wise," Brand said. "I did everything possible to make him work hard. After about 12 minutes, he had enough." Brand lifted and threw Candemir to his back. The Turk was a beaten man. "At 13:24, he laid out flat on his back, spread his arms and legs out as far as he could," Brand said. "He was done. He was beat physically, mentally and spiritually and I pinned him." Brand went on to pin Linden in the gold medal match but his biggest thrill was yet to come. The day after Brand won the gold medal, the award ceremonies were conducted before 95,000 fans in Wembley Stadium. Brand will never forget taking the highest plateau of the award stands, donned in his U.S. sport coat and tie. "They played the U.S. national anthem and raised the American flag as I was handed my medal in front of 95,000 cheering spectators," Brand said. "As the music played, I got goose bumps. It was the biggest thrill of my entire life." Brand sat out the 1949 season with a shoulder injury and returned for his final collegiate campaign in 1950. He was 7-0 when injuries ended his career at ISU and doused any dreams about returning to the Olympic Games. Considering his numerous vocational achievements after wrestling, when Glen Brand says the Olympic medal ceremony was the biggest day of his life, it had to be a special moment indeed. Brand was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lou Brand. He is survived by wife Ruth, son Greg Brand, step-children, Debra Huebscher, Pamela Graskowiak, David Rader, Duane Rader, Bryan Rader; grandchildren Adam and Jackie Graskowiak, Andrew Rader; sister-in-law, Judy Davidson and a host of friends from all walks of life.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling program, under the guidance of second-year head coach Scott Goodale, announced that it signed three athletes to National Letters of Intent. Carl Buchholz (Malverne, Pa.), Vinnie DellaFave (Toms River, N.J.) and Alex Pagnotta (Woodbine, Md.) will all compete for the Scarlet Knights starting in 2009-10. "These three will address immediate lineup needs for us," said assistant coach John Leonardis. "We feel they will fit in well with our current team and will add to the chemistry of the squad. All three have aspirations of being NCAA Champions. DellaFave is one of the best wrestlers in New Jersey, but we also went out of state to get Buchholz and Pagnotta. We felt it was important for us to get guys from outside the state of New Jersey and we are excited to see what they can bring to Rutgers wrestling." Buchholz wrestles at 215-pounds for Pleasant Valley High School in Brodheadsville, Pa. He finished his junior season with a remarkable record of 41-3, taking fourth-place in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletics Association AAA State Championships. Buchholz also plays football for PVHS, earning all-area honors last season. DellaFave is a 119-pounder from Toms River East High School in Toms River, N.J., and is projected to wrestle at either 125 or 133 for the Scarlet Knights. He is a three-time New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) placewinner, winning the championship in 2008, finishing third in 2007 and second in 2006. DellaFave took fourth in the 2008 Junior National Freestyles and sixth at the 2007 Super 32. Pagnotta is a 189-pounder who is projected to wrestle at 184-pounds for Rutgers. He enters his senior year with a career record of 119-25, including 39 pins. In 2007-08 he finished 46-3 en route to winning his second straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament title as well as his first private school state title. He is a three-time Mount Mat Madness placewinner and a two-time National Prep placewinner. The Scarlet Knights return to the mat on Nov. 23, for the Sprawl & Brawl in Binghamton, N.Y. Rutgers will be competing against Columbia, North Carolina, Boise State and Clarion.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team crowned eight of a possible 10 champions at the Central Missouri State Open Sunday. Obenson Blanc (125 pounds), Tyler Shinn (133 pounds), Jamal Parks (141 pounds), Brandon Mason (165 pounds), Kyle Griffin (174 pounds), Jared Shelton (184 pounds), Clayton Foster (197 pounds) and Jared Rosholt (285 pounds) all emerged as the best of their respective weight classes. Fellow Cowboys Jordan Oliver (125 pounds), Chris Notte (133 pounds), Luke Silver (149 pounds), Newly McSpadden (157 pounds) and Cody Hill (174 pounds) all advanced to the final round in their respective weight classes as well. Oklahoma State coach John Smith said going into this weekend's action that the Orange and Black Ranking Matches and the Central Missouri State Open would both factor in to his decision-making for who starts for the Cowboys when the season opens Nov. 22 against Old Dominion. That said, Tyler Shinn took a pair of huge steps toward locking up the starting spot at 133 pounds with a 3-1 sudden victory win over teammate Chris Notte at the Orange and Black Ranking Matches and a 4-2 win over Notte in the title bout at the Central Missouri State Open. Another weight class that was in question for Oklahoma State going into the year was 149 pounds, where Luke Silver has now emerged as the narrow favorite by virtue of his 9-8 win over Quinten Fuentes at the Orange and Black Ranking Matches coupled with his finals appearance at the Central Missouri State Open. Silver medical forfeited the title bout to Oklahoma's Will Rowe, who bumped Fuentes from the bracket with a 16-5 major decision win in the semifinal round. Cowboy 157-pounder Newly McSpadden placed ahead of teammate Neil Erisman at the CMSU Open Sunday, which when paired with McSpadden's win over Erisman at the Orange and Black Dual would give McSpadden the edge in that weight class. OSU's deepest weight class this year is 174 pounds, but with his two wins at the Orange and Black Dual plus his first-place finish at the CMSU Open, Kyle Griffin appears to have taken command at this early juncture.

Bucknell junior Andy Rendos has been named the first EIWA Wrestler of the Week of the new wrestling season. Rendos, a two-time NCAA Qualifier upset the Nicholas Marable of Missouri in a dual meet held on the Bucknell campus on Sunday. Marable is the defending champion in the Big 12 Conference, and placed third in the nation last season. Rendos, ranked 17th in the nation at 165, faced Marable, ranked first in the nation. Marable owned a 54-12 career record and was taken down just twice last year. Both wrestlers earned an escape during regulation as the match went into overtime tied 1-1. In the one-minute sudden-victory overtime period Rendos nearly posted a takedown, but Marable was able to get out of bounds first. Rendos then reversed Marable at the end of the first of two 30-second overtime frames to go up 3-1. Neither wrestler scored in the final 30-second period as Rendos picked up his 61st career win.

THIS WEEK The defending NCAA and Big Ten champion Iowa wrestling team will open the 2008-09 dual season Friday when it hosts the Iowa City Duals. Iowa will wrestle Iowa Central at 9 a.m., Coe at 10:30 a.m., and Minnesota State-Mankato at noon in the North Gym at the University of Iowa Field House. It will be the first time the Hawkeyes have wrestled in the Field House since December 1983, as Carver-Hawkeye Arena opened in January that year. There is no admission charge to the Field House matches. The Hawkeyes will then head over to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face Arizona State at 3:30 p.m. Tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets purchased at the dual are $12 for adults and $6 for youth. University of Iowa students and children ages 5 and under will be admitted free. Tickets can be purchased from the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. ON THE AIR Live audio broadcasts from the Iowa City duals will be available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. Broadcasts are available using the XXL All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 yer year). The Iowa-Arizona State dual will also be aired live on AM-800, KXIC. Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action. Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and live video broadcasts from home duals are available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live scoring for home meets, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Live Results link. Results will be updated after each bout during the dual. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. IOWA CENTRAL TRITONS The Iowa Central Tritons will open their 2008-09 dual season Friday in Iowa City. The Tritons, who are ranked third in the NJCCA Division I national pre-season poll, have won the last three NJCAA national team titles and the last two national dual titles. The Tritons return all-Americans Carrington Banks (157), Brad Lower (165) and Joe Johnson (184). Head Coach Luke Moffitt, who was a Big Ten champion at Iowa and earned outstanding wrestler honors at the 2002 conference meet, has a 46-7 record in his fifth season at Iowa Central. He ranks fourth in Iowa school history for most pins in a season (19 in 2001-02). Moffitt is a three-time Region IX Coach of the Year honoree, and has been named NJCAA National Coach of the Year twice. Moffitt is assisted by Troy Bennett, Justin McClintock and Justin Wolfe. Iowa leads the series with Iowa Central, 2-0. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting (50-0) at the 2007 St. Edward Duals in Lakewood, OH. COE KOHAWKS The Coe College Kohawks are ranked fourth in the NWCA NCAA Division III pre-season poll, which is its highest ranking in school history. After competing at the Pointer Open earlier this month, the Kohawks will open their 2008-09 dual season Wednesday at Central College in Pella. Head Coach John Oostendorp was a two-time Hawkeye all-American at heavyweight, winning the 1992 Big Ten title. He and Hawkeye coaches Tom and Terry Brands were part of Iowa teams that won three NCAA and Big Ten titles, and posted a 55-1-2 dual mark (1990-92). Oostendorp is assisted by Dustin Hinschberger, Marcus Kurtz, Eric Casey and Dustin Bliven. Coe returns three all-Americans, including defending NCAA Division III national champion Tyler Burkle at 165 pounds. Burkle and Hawkeyes Dan and Nick LeClere are all from Coggon, IA, and all wrestled for North-Linn High School. Burkle takes a 42-match winning streak into Wednesday's dual at Central. Sophomore Clayton Rush (125) and junior Rob Kramer (197) are each ranked second in the nation, and senior Greg Lalla (184) is ranked fourth. Lalla is an Iowa City native who wrestled for City High School. Iowa leads the series with Coe, 1-0. The Hawkeyes won the only meeting (50-0) in Iowa City in 2007. MINNESOTA STATE-MANKATO MAVERICKS The Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks are ranked second in the NWCA Division II pre-season coaches poll, and will open their 2008-09 dual season Friday in Iowa City. Minnesota State-Mankato returns four all-Americans from the 2007-08 squad that won a NWCA National Duals title, a NCAA North Central Regional title and placed second at the NCAA Division II Championship, finishing a half point behind team champion Nebraska- Kearney. Senior John Putman (133), juniors Travis Elg (141) and Brady Wilson (Hwt.), and sophomore Tommy Abbott (149) are all ranked in the top five in the nation. Head Coach Jim Makovsky is in his 16th season with the Mavericks with a record of 190-65-2. His career record is 215-84-5. He is assisted by Jonathan May and Andy Schmalzriedt. Iowa leads the series, 1-0, winning the only meet (37-3) at Blue Earth, MN, in 2004. ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS The Arizona State Sun Devils are 2-0 (2-0 Pac-10) with wins over UC Davis (26-12) and Portland State (40-0). The Sun Devils are led by sophomores Anthony Robles (125) and Chris Drouin (141). Head Coach Thom Ortiz has a 76-51-7 mark in eight years at Arizona State. Ortiz is assisted by Al Fuentes, Brian Stith and Zach Roberson. Iowa leads the series with Arizona State, 23-1-1, and has won the last 17 meetings between the two teams. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting - a 36-3 decision last season at Copper Canyon High School in Glendale, AZ. HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are past head-to-head results between Iowa Hawkeyes and their Iowa City Duals opponents. Iowa vs. Coe 184 - Phillip Keddy dec. Greg Lalla, 13-7, at 2007 dual Hwt. - Dan Erekson pinned Rob Kramer, 2:40, at 2007 dual Iowa vs. Iowa Central 197 - Luke Lofthouse dec. Joe Johnson, 8-6, at 2007 Nichols Open Iowa vs. Arizona State 125- Charlie Falck dec. Anthony Robles, 8-6, at 2008 dual 141 - Dan LeClere dec. Chris Drouin, 10-8 SV, at 2008 dual 141 - Chris Drouin dec. Dan LeClere, 13-7, at 2008 NCAA Champ's 197 - Chad Beatty dec. Thor Moen, 4-2, at 2008 dual FIVE HAWKEYES SET FOR NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC Five Hawkeyes are scheduled to compete at the 43rd annual NWCA All-Star Classic Nov. 24 in Columbus, OH. The event will be held in Ohio State's St. John Arena and is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (CT). ESPNU will air a taped delay telecast Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $10, with children ages six and under admitted free. Tickets can be ordered from TicketMaster at 614-431-3600 or www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck (125) and juniors Joe Slaton (133), Brent Metcalf (149), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) have all accepted invitations to compete at the event. It will be the most Iowa competitiors since the 1992 event in Iowa City when six Iowa wrestlers (Chad Zaputil, Terry Brands, Tom Brands, Troy Steiner, Terry Steiner and Travis Fiser) participated. Six Hawkeyes also competed at the event in 1985. Three of Iowa's five match-ups will be against Big Ten foes. Falck will wrestle Cornell's Troy Nickerson at 125, while Slaton will face Minnesota's Jayson Ness at 133. It will be the first meeting for both. Nickerson is a two-time all-American who sat out last season due to injury. Ness earned two all-America honors at 125 for Minnesota, and is moving up to 133. Metcalf will face Penn State's Bubba Jenkins in a rematch of last season's 149-pound NCAA finals. Metcalf won that match (14-8), as well as two other meetings during the season (pin in 5:33 at dual match in Iowa City and 15-3 major decision at the Big Ten semifinals). Borschel will face Michigan's Steve Luke at 174. The Hawkeye junior holds a 1-1 record against Luke, winning a 3-2 decision at the 2008 National Duals and losing a 5-3 decision at the dual in Iowa City. Luke is the defending Big Ten Champion and the 2008 NCAA runner-up. Keddy will wrestle Harvard's Louis Caputo at 184. Keddy is 0-1 against the junior, losing a 7-0 decision in the consolation round of the 2007 NCAA Championships to knock him out of the tournament. Following is the scheduled lineup. The individual rankings are from the most recent USA Today/Intermat/NWCA poll. 2008 NWCA All-Star Dual Match-Ups 125 - #2 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) vs. #3 Charlie Falck (Iowa) 133 - #1 Joe Slaton (Iowa) vs. #2 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 141 - #1 J Jaggers (Ohio St.) vs. #2 Nick Gallick (Iowa St.) 149 - #1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. #2 Bubba Jenkins (Penn St.) 157 - #1 Jordan Leen (Cornell) vs. #3 Dan Vallimont (Penn St.) 165 - #1 Nick Marable (Missouri) vs. #2 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) 174 - #1 Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. #2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) 184 - #3 Phil Keddy (Iowa) vs. #4 Louis Caputo (Harvard) 197 - #1 Jake Varner (Iowa St.) vs. #2 Hudson Taylor (Maryland) Hwt - #1 Jake Rosholt (Okla. St.) vs. #3 Kyle Massey (Wisconsin) HAWKEYES CROWN FIVE PLACEWINNERS AT CYCLONE OPEN Sophomore Jake Kerr (165) led Iowa with a second-place finish as 11 Iowa wrestlers opened the 2008-09 season Saturday at the Cyclone Open in Ames. Three Hawkeye true freshmen - Matt McDonough, Mark Ballweg and Grant Gambrall- each placed in their collegiate debuts, while wrestling unattached. Kerr, who was one of six Hawkeyes to compete attached, recorded three decisions before losing to Iowa State's Johnathan Reader, 12-1, in the finals. McDonough placed third at 133, Gambrall placed fourth at 184 and Ballweg placed fifth at 141. Hawkeye redshirt freshman J.J. Krutsinger was Iowa's other placewinner - finishing fourth at 125. HAWKEYE WRESTLING TICKET INFORMATION Season tickets and single meet tickets for Iowa's home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. Fans will be admitted to the Iowa City Duals at the UI Field House free of charge. University of Iowa students will be admitted free to all matches with a valid student ID. Students are asked to stop by the UI Athletic Ticket Office before the Iowa State and Minnesota duals to pick up a free paper ticket for seating purposes. Following are this season's ticket prices: Season Tickets $60 - General public, $48 - Faculty/staff* Single Meet vs. Iowa St., Minnesota Advance Purchase: $13 - Adult, $7 - Youth, $2 - Age 5 and under Door Purchase: $15 - Adult, $8 - Youth, $2 - Age 5 and under Free Admission: UI Students with paper ticket Single Meet vs. Arizona St., Wisconsin, Illinois, Bucknell, Purdue Advance Purchase: $10 - Adult, $5 - Youth Door Purchase: $12 - Adult, $6 - Youth Free Admission: UI Students, children ages 5 and under * - A limit of two tickets available at this price. All others must be purchased at the public price. SQUAD LOOKS TO EXTEND DUAL WINNING STREAK Iowa enters the season having won 14 straight duals. The Hawkeyes have also won 15 consecutive duals away from Iowa City. The school record for consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97). H. A. W. K. CLUB PARTIES After 15 years at the First Avenue Club, the post-meet H.A.W.K. club parties will have a new location for the 2008-09 season. All parties will be held on the second floor of Kinnick Stadium. Using the Gate D entrance, take one of the elevators to the second floor, take a left out of the elevator and another left at the hallway. The party dates are as follows: Dec. 6 (Iowa State), Jan. 23 (Wisconsin), Jan. 30 (Bucknell) and Feb. 15 (Minnesota). OH BROTHER The two sets of brothers on the 2008-09 Hawkeye wrestling roster are junior Dan LeClere and redshirt freshman Nick LeClere from Coggon, IA, and sophomore Matt Ballweg and freshman Mark Ballweg from Waverly, IA. There have been 10 sets of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye lineup since the 1950s. They are Don and Tom Huff (1961), Mark and Scott Trizzino (1981), Lenny, Larry and Jim Zalesky (1981-82), Ed and Lou Banach (1981-83), Marty and Lindley Kistler (1984-85), Jim and John Heffernan (1987), Tom and Terry Brands (1989-92), Troy and Terry Steiner (1991-93), Ryan and Randy Fulsaas (2001) and Luke and Ty Eustice (2003-04). There have also been five sets of twins to wrestle at Iowa. They are Ed and Lou Banach, Tom and Terry Brands, Ben and Brett Stedman, Troy and Terry Steiner and Randy and Ryan Fulsaas. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 162-18 (.900) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 828-215-30 (.786) in 96 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 21 national titles and 32 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 49 NCAA champions have won a total of 76 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 14 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 101 Big Ten champions have won a total of 182 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 135 all-Americans have earned all-America status 273 times, including 17 four-time, 27 three-time and 33 two-time honorees. HAWKEYES EARN TOP RANKINGS Iowa earned the top spot in the most recent USA Today/NWCA/Intermat Top 25 coaches poll and the W.I.N. Magazine pre-season dual team rankings. Hawkeye juniors Joe Slaton (133) and Brent Metcalf (149) also earned top spots at their weight class in national rankings by Amateur Wrestling News (AWN), Intermat/NWCA/NWMA and W.I.N. Magazine. Slaton was an NCAA finalist and placed third at the Big Ten meet last season with a 31-5 overall record. He also won a Midlands title, went 18-3 in duals and 7-1 in the Big Ten. Metcalf returns after collecting nearly every collegiate wrestling accolade possible in 2008. He was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is presented to the nation's top collegiate wrestler, and the Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year Award, given annually to the best male student-athlete in any Big Ten sport. He was named outstanding wrestler at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships after winning individual titles. He earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors, and was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week twice - in consecutive weeks - becoming the first wrestler in conference history to achieve that feat. His 35-1 season record included an undefeated 7-0 Big Ten dual mark. He ended the season on a 32-match winning streak. Metcalf also led the team in collegiate wins (35), dual wins (21), collegiate and dual winning percentages (.972, .954), dual team points scored during the season (100) and technical falls (6). Senior Charlie Falck (125) is ranked second by AWN and W.I.N. Magazine, and third by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA, while junior Jay Borschel (174) is ranked second in all three polls. Falck is a two-time all-American who posted a 21-1 dual record last year, going 7-1 in the Big Ten and leading the squad in dual wins (21) and dual winning percentage (.954). Borschel recorded a 32-5 season and 20-2 dual mark en route to third-place finishes at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships last season. He led the team in major decisions (11), and ranked second in collegiate wins (32) and dual team points scored during the season (79). CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Jared Frayer earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 11 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.858).

Andrew Hipps of RevWrestling.com and Brian Smith, head wrestling coach at the University of Missouri, will be this week's featured guests on Wrestling 411 Radio. Augsburg College's KAUG radio serves as the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. Hipps will appear in-studio with host Jason Bryant on Tuesday, November 18. Hipps, a senior writer for www.revwrestling.com, will provide commentary on the upcoming season and breakdown several of this week's upcoming matchups with Bryant. Kyle Klingman -- the other host of Wrestling 411 Radio -- will be calling in from "Fight Night" in Waverly, Iowa. "Fight Night" -- an annual event hosted by Joe's Night Hawk -- features local high school and college coaches in a panel discussion of the upcoming season. Tom Brands, head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa, Cael Sanderson, head wrestling coach at Iowa State University, Brad Penrith, head wrestling coach at Northern Iowa, and Jim Miller, head wrestling coach at Wartburg College, traditionally attend the event. University of Missouri head wrestling coach Brian Smith will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, November 20. Smith's Tigers won dual meets over Lock Haven and Bucknell this past weekend, and will be hosting Hofstra on November 22 at 2 p.m. The Hofstra dual meet is part of a special event "Wrestling Supporting Wrestling," where all money raised from tickets sales will go directly to Missouri's wrestling program. This week's guests on Wrestling 411 Radio: Tuesday, November 18: Andrew Hipps, RevWrestling.com Thursday, November 20: Brian Smith, head wrestling coach at the University of Missouri Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7-8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv.

Lewisburg, Pa. -- The Missouri wrestling team capitalized on six Tiger victories to walk away with a 25-16 win over Bucknell and improve to 2-0 on the season. Five Tiger grapplers finished the weekend competition in the state of Pennsylvania with perfect 2-0 records including Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs) at heavyweight, one of three redshirts in Missouri's lineup. "Dom Bradley did a great job in his first weekend out," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "He got a pin and two wins. That's impressive for a redshirt freshman. I was also really pleased with how Max (Askren) competed this weekend. He wrestled really consistent today. Also, Marcus (Hoehn) looked solid. He's finishing his takedowns and has gained a lot more confidence which shows in his wrestling." Dual competition began at the 157 pound weight class with Tiger senior Emanuel Brooks (Cahokia, Ill.) earning an 11-6 win over Ryan Ochalek. The Bison of Bucknell evened the score after 17th-ranked Andy Rendos pulled off a 3-1 upset in overtime over No. 1 ranked Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) "Nick wrestled hard but didn't get the final takedown for the win," Smith said. "He got reversed at the buzzer in first 30 second overtime. He escaped in the second 30 second period, but just didn't get the takedown." The Tigers were quick to respond, rattling off four straight victories beginning with fourth-ranked Raymond Jordan's (New Bern, N.C.) 13-3 win by major decision over Shane Riccio at 174 pounds. "Raymond looked dominating this weekend," Smith said. "He's really going to be someone fun to watch compete throughout the course of the season." Redshirt freshman Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) shook off yesterday's loss when he met at center circle with David Thompson at 184 pounds. Henderson recorded four takedowns and held Thompson to only two escapes, finishing the afternoon match with an 11-3 decision, his first win as a Tiger starter. "Dorian wrestled smarter and more controlled in his match today," Smith said. It was good to see him go out and get his first collegiate win." All-American Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) returned to the mat at 197 pounds and recorded a 20-4 technical fall over Jay Hahn. Both of Askren's wins on this very young season have been bonus point victories, the first, yesterday, recorded by injury default. Competing at heavyweight, Bradley collected his first win by fall as a member of Missouri's lineup, pinning Sean LoCurto in 1:45. Bradley quickly took his Bison opponent down and turned him for the fall. Missouri suffered back-to-back losses at the 125 pound and 133 pound weight class, allowing the Bison to pull within nine points of the Tigers, 22-13. Senior Marcus Hoehn came through with the Tiger's final win of the dual, a 5-2 decision over Luke Chohany. "Marcus lost to Luke last year, 5-2," Smith said. "For Marcus to come out and finish his shots like he did today was good to see. He really impressed me this weekend." Missouri will continue its season-opening road trip with a Noon (CT) dual against Bucknell, Sunday, Nov. 15. The Tigers will then return home to host Hofstra, Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. (CT) in the first-ever Wrestling Supports Wrestling event. Tickets for the Missouri vs. Hofstra dual can be purchased by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS or at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office. Fans are strongly encouraged to pre-order their tickets to the Nov. 22 dual.

University Park, PA -- The Pride posted victories in three of the final four matches of the day, including the deciding win by junior Lou Ruggirello in the contest finale, as Hofstra (2-0) defeated #7 Penn State (0-1), 18-15, at the Rec Hall Sunday afternoon. Hofstra trailed 12-7 after the Pride's sixth-ranked senior Alton Lucas (4-1) was upset by unranked freshman Quentin Wright, 4-3, at 174 pounds, and Penn's State's 15th-ranked senior Phil Bomberger edged freshman Ben Clymer (1-1), 5-4, at 184. But Pride sophomore Joe Fagiano (5-0), a 17th-ranked transfer from Indiana who was making his dual match debut for Hofstra, started the visitors on their way back with a 15-6 major decision over senior Andrew Haile at 197 pounds to close the gap to 12-11. After Penn State's red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade boosted the Nittany Lion lead to 15-11 with a 4-2 decision over Pride freshman Jordan Enck (4-4) in the 285-pound match-up, Hofstra freshman Steve Bonanno (5-3) kept the Pride's hopes alive with an 8-6 overtime victory over sophomore Brad Pataky at 125 pounds. Bonanno rallied from a 6-2 deficit in the second period to tie the match on a PSU stall penalty to send the match into overtime tied at 6-all. His quick takedown in the sudden victory period brought the Pride to within one at 15-14 heading into the finale at 133 pounds. Ruggirello, who entered the match 5-0 this season with five pins, posted a first period takedown and added an escape, a takedown and a three-point near-fall in the third period to post a 9-0 major decision victory and win the match for the Pride. The match opened up at 131 pounds, Hofstra jumped out to the early lead in the contest behind red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino. Accordino recorded his fifth win in seven outings this season with a 12-4 major decision over red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro behind a big third period. The Wilkes-Barre, PA, native trailed 4-3 after two periods before dominating the third period to post his second major decision of the year. But the Nittany Lions posted victories in the next two contests to take a 6-4 lead in the match. In an exciting 149-pound match, Penn State's second-ranked junior Bubba Jenkins jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the third period and staved off a late rally by Pride red-shirt freshman P.J. Gillespie for a 10-7 victory. At 157-pounds, Dan Vallimont, Penn State's third-ranked junior, had a similar match with Hofstra's 15th-ranked junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (3-2). Vallimont jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the second period and held on for an 11-8 victory and a 6-4 lead in the contest. Hofstra sophomore Ryan Patrovich gave the Pride a 7-6 lead with a solid 9-4 win over senior Mark Friend. Patrovich won his fourth straight match to improve to 5-1 on the season. The Pride will return to action next weekend in Columbia, Missouri when they face the 5th-ranked Tigers of Missouri on Saturday, November 22 before competing in the Missouri Open on Sunday, November 23.

Lock Haven, Pa. -- The fifth-ranked Missouri wrestling team improved to 34-29 in season-opening duals after recording a 32-9 victory over Lock Haven in the Thomas Fieldhouse in Lock Haven, Pa. Three Tigers earned bonus point victories on the evening, while redshirt freshman Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) collected his first collegiate win. "We lost some tough matches tonight, but overall, I was pleased with how the team performed," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "Andrew Sherry had a big upset win for us at 149 pounds and that really got the team excited. Nick (Marable) wrestled his bout the way a No. 1 ranked wrestler should. Even Dorian, who suffered a loss, looked really tough. He came out strong in the first period and was really aggressive. It was a good way to start the season." Wrestling began at 125 pounds where Tiger redshirt freshman Troy Dolan (Blairsville, Pa.) suffered his first loss as a starter. Sophomore transfer Todd Schavrien (Poway, Calif.) was next to the matt and helped cut Lock Haven's lead in half with his hard fought, 7-6, win by decision over sophomore Billy Ashnault. Wrestling at 133 pounds, Schavrien built up a 6-2 lead through the first period, but gave up a point for stalling in the second making the score, 6-3. Ashnault was awarded an additional point in the third period after Schavrien was hit with an illegal move penalty. After accumulating over a minute of riding time, Schavrien came away with his first win as a Tiger. Senior Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) was credited with his 32nd career victory after notching a 12-4 win by major decision over Zach Kell at 141 pounds. Hoehn managed five takedowns and racked up riding time, holding Kell to only four escapes. With the win, Hoehn gave Missouri a one point lead over the Bald Eagles. One of four seniors in Missouri's lineup, Pennsylvania native Andrew Sherry (Sewickley, Pa.) recorded an 8-5 win over 2008 NCAA qualifier Matt Fittery at 149 pounds. Fittery opened the match with a takedown, but Sherry was quick to score a reversal and added three back points for the 5-3 advantage at the end of the first period. Sherry tacked on three points with a second period escape and third period takedown. "Sherry found a way to win tonight," Smith said. "Lock Haven expected a win at that weight tonight and Sherry did some great things on the mat for us." Emanuel Brooks (Caholia, Ill.) competed at 157 pounds and walked away with a 5-4 decision over Luke Lanno. At the end of the second period, the bout was tied at two but Brooks came through with an escape and takedown in the third period for the win. Ranked No. 1 in the nation, junior Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) collected Missouri's first win of the season by fall. Wrestling John Mangini at 165 pounds, Marable held an 8-3 lead going into the second period. After an escape six seconds into the second period, Marable took down Mangini twice, turning him and managing the stick in 3:40. "Our game plan after nationals was to get Nick better on top," Smith said. "Tonight he showed that the hard work in the practice room is paying off. He wrestled well, got the takedowns and accumulated riding time. He looked very confident and comfortable on the mat." Senior captain Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) wrestled his first match of the season at his new weight class, 174 pounds. The 2008 All-American ended his match with Alex Dalrymple in 6:17 with a 25-10 technical fall. Over the course of the bout, Jordan took down Dalrymple 12 times and recorded a third period escape after choosing down. As a team, the Tigers totaled 33 takedowns on the night. Redshirt freshman Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) held a 4-1 lead over Tom Kocher after the first three minutes of competition in the 184 pound match. Tied at five at the close of the second period, Kocher went on to claim the 9-5 win. Missouri was awarded six points after junior Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) was credited with a win by injury default at 197 pounds, setting the stage for newcomer Bradley at heavyweight. Wrestling Gabe Murtoff in the final bout of the evening, Bradley walked away with an 8-6 win, the first of his career as a Tiger starter. Bradley scored a takedown 45 seconds into the match and then again with 1:24 left in the first period for a 4-2 lead. Choosing down to start the second, Bradley escaped in six seconds to take a 5-2 lead. In the third, Bradley managed one takedown for the eventual win. "I was nervous for my first match," Bradley said. I just went out there and wrestled as well as I could. I'm a little disappointed with how I finished the match. I know that I just have to keep scoring and work on being more consistent. Still, it was good to get that first win." Missouri will continue its season-opening road trip with a Noon (CT) dual against Bucknell, Sunday, Nov. 15. The Tigers will then return home to host Hofstra, Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. (CT) in the first-ever Wrestling Supports Wrestling event. Tickets for the Missouri vs. Hofstra dual can be purchased by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS or at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office. Fans are strongly encouraged to pre-order their tickets to the Nov. 22 dual.

In their second straight dual of the week against a Bulldog program, Liberty overcame an early edge by The Citadel to take seven out of 10 weigh classes en route to a 22-16 dual match victory, Saturday morning, at McAlister Field House. With their second consecutive dual victory over the Southern Conference foe, Liberty raises its early season record to 2-0. The loss evens the Bulldogs' record at 1-1. Liberty opened the dual with the first of four bouts decided by a single point, as Nick Knowles picked up a victory in his first time on the mats this year. The 184-pounder came from behind to defeat Kip Thompson, 7-6, giving Liberty the early 3-0 edge. The homestanding Bulldogs gained the lead with a major decision at 197 pounds, when Odie Delaney ran his individual record on the year to 4-0. The 12-1 major over Liberty's Brandon Johnson gave The Citadel a 4-3 dual lead. Two-time NCAA national qualifier Patrick Walker took to the mats for the first time this year, downing Aaron Brown for the second straight year by decision at heavyweight. Last year, Walker picked up an 8-1 decision over Brown at the Liberty Quad, helping the Flames to a 21-15 dual victory in Lynchburg on Jan. 26. This year, Brown remained closer to Walker, but the junior was able to walk away from the bout with a 4-1 decision, allowing the Flames to regain the advantage in the dual, 6-4. Walker's victory jump started Liberty, as the dual match continued with the lighter weight classes. The Flames picked up one-point victories at both 125 and 133 pounds, extending their lead to 12-4. Joe Pantaleo edged Tyler Sim at 125 pounds to open his collegiate career at 2-0, while three-time NCAA national qualifier Christian Smith netted an escape from Pierre Frazile to record the lone point in the 1-0 decision at 133 pounds. The Bulldogs tried to get back into the dual at 141 pounds, when Derek Royster was able to escape a Frankie Gayeski move and pin the junior 2:40 into the bout, narrowing Liberty's lead to 12-10. However, Tim Harner used the experience of three straight trips to the national championship to control his second match-up of the year at 149 pounds. The senior, who is ranked No. 19 nationally at 141 pounds, recorded his second technical fall win of the season by handing David Ivanschenko his first loss in six bouts this year, 18-5. Julian Colon and Brad Clark followed with decisions at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively, each scoring six points in their bouts. Colon defeated Justin Sparrow, 6-4, at 157 pounds, followed by Clark's 6-4 win over Keith Koziel at 165 pounds. The pair of decisions gave the Flames an insurmountable lead at 22-10. The Citadel ran one of their more experienced players out on the mat in the 10th weight class at 174 pounds, with J.C. Oddo pushing his record to 5-0 on the year with his third win by fall, this time at 4:00 over Aaron Kelley to end the dual on a high note for homestanding Bulldogs. Following back-to-back duals to open the year, the Flames will begin the tournament portion of their schedule when they travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to participate in the Body Bar Invitational. The beginning whistle in the all-day event, hosted by Cornell, is scheduled to sound at 9 a.m.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State wrestling team earned their 25th all-time shut out as the Sun Devils defeated Pac-10 foe Portland State 40-0. The Sun Devils improved to 2-0 while the Vikings fell to 0-1. The Sun Devils earned their 12th consecutive win over Portland State, putting them at 12-1-0 against the Vikings. Friday's shut out is also their first since a 46-0 win at home on December 5, 2002 against Embry-Riddle and also marked Ortiz's 40th home victory. After No. 8 Anthony Robles earned six points at 125 due to a forfeit by Portland State's Glenn Torrano, the Sun Devils got off to a quick start as Angel Alegre earned a 7-6 decision over Thomas Cottrell in the 133 weight class. Wrestling at 141, eighth ranked Chris Drouin secured his first pin of the season over Westley Moniz at 2:59. At 149, Vicente Varela defeated Henry Kofa, 4-0, to give the Sun Devils three more points. Jerrad Trulson earned a 6-3 decision over Stephen Dailey at 157. Competing in the 165 weight class, freshman Kyle DeBerry defeated Alex Bubb, 7-4, to earn his second straight victory. Eric Starks followed suit and notched a 7-5 win over Viking Brady Garner. At 184 lbs, junior Jake Cranford had his way with Brian Lemmon as he earned a major decision, winning 13-4. Competing at 197, Thor Moen tallied a 9-6 decision over Portland State's Keena Washington. ASU's Eric Nye earned the Sun Devils six final points as Zachary Smith bowed out in the third period due to injury. After the dual, Robles competed against Terrano in an exhibition match. Terrano was no match for the eighth ranked Robles as Robles earned a 14-0 tech fall. The Sun Devils head to the Midwest next week for two duals against national powers Iowa and Iowa State. ASU will take on the Hawkeyes on Nov. 21 at 4:00 p.m. CT and will compete against the Cyclones on Nov. 23 at 6:00 p.m. CT.

DAVIDSON, NC -- The University at Buffalo wrestling team traveled south and picked up a trio of victories in their first dual matches of the season with three wins at the Davidson Duals. UB defeated Duke, 19-15, to open the day. The Bulls then cruised past Campbell (35-3) and Davidson (34-3) for a perfect 3-0 mark to open the dual meet portion of the schedule. Against the Blue Devils, UB opened up 15-0 lead by winning the first four matches, including three by major decision. Taylor Golba (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's) at 125, Kevin Smith (Mexico, NY/Mexico) and Andrew Stella (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) each picked up four-point major victories. Desi Green (Henrietta, NY/Rush Henrietta) then followed with a 3-2 win over Duke's Daniel Adamo in the 149-pound match for the 15-0 lead. However, the Blue Devils won the next four matches to tie the contest headed into the 197-pound bout. In the 197-pound match, UB's Jimmy Hamel (Natick, MA/Natick) scored an 11-4 major decision over Robert Holbrook to wrap up the victory for the Bulls. Against the Camels, UB won nine of the 10 matches with Green scoring a pin on Ethan Carmody to end the 149-pound match in the first period. The Bulls scored three other major decisions on their way to the victory. In the match with the host Wildcats, UB again cruised to nine wins in 10 bouts. Freshman Brett Correll (Shelby Township, MI/Eisenhower) won the 285-pound match by fall over Charlie Wolff in 2:44.with Green, John-Martin Cannon (Brockport, NY/Brockport), ron Majerus (Mexico, NY/Mexico) and Hamel taking major decisions. Smith, Stella, Green and Hamel won all three of their matches on the day. The Bulls remain in North Carolina for dual matches at Appalachian State on Sunday. UB will face the host Mountaineers at 2:00 pm, followed by Spartanburg Methodist at 4:00 pm.

Wisconsin senior Dallas Herbst made Badger history Saturday when he surpassed former Badger great, Lee Kemp for the top spot on UW's career falls list. Herbst, who is ranked No. 5 in the country at 197 lbs., recorded two pins at the season opening ACC/Big Ten Clash in Chapel Hill, N.C., to move his career tally to 48 pins. Kemp, who wrestled at Wisconsin from 1975-78, tallied 47 pins during his career. The 12th-ranked Badgers had a solid showing as a team, going 3-0 to start the season. Wisconsin started the day with a 25-15 win over No. 21 Virginia, continued with a 27-8 victory over North Carolina, and swept the competition with a 20-15 win against North Carolina State. Herbst first tied the record by pinning Jack Danilkowicz from Virginia in 1:08. That wasn't fast enough for Herbst though because his record breaking pin came in 48 seconds against Daniel Llamas from North Carolina. Herbst won his final bout of the day by a forfeit. The Big Ten dominated the Clash, winning eight of the nine bouts. No. 9 Illinois and Michigan State were the other two Big Ten teams competing. In the opening match against Virginia, Wisconsin won six matches to get its first victory of the season. The day started with a Cavalier forfeit at 125, which gave junior Drew Hammen the win. No. 13 senior Zach Tanelli won his first match at 141 lbs. by defeating Nick Nelson, 4-1. Wisconsin then jumped out to a 15-6 lead with No. 7 Kyle Ruschell defeating Kellen Balum, 4-2 at 149 lbs. and true freshman Ben Jordan getting his first Badger win at 157 with an 8-2 win over Jedd Moore. Virginia then evened the score at 15-15 with three-straight wins at 165 lbs., 174 lbs., and 184 lbs. Three new faced started in those weight classes with sophomore Gabe Stoppelmoor wrestling at 165 lbs., senior Mike Felling at 174 and sophomore Eric Bugenhagen at 184 lbs. That would be the closest Virginia got though as Herbst tied the pin record by sticking Brent Jones in 1:08 and senior Kyle Massey, who is ranked No. 5 in the country, finished off the Cavaliers with a 10-1 major decision over Jack Danilkowicz at heavyweight. Wisconsin then defeated North Carolina 27-8 in the second bout of the day. Hammen started things off with a 6-2 decision over Justin Shields at 125 lbs. North Carolina then tied the score with a win at 133 lbs. but Wisconsin won three straight at 141 lbs., 149 lbs., and 157 lbs. Tanelli won with a 9-5 decision over Vincent Ramirez and Ruschell kept the momentum up with a 6-5 win over Nicholas Stabile at 149 lbs. Ben Jordan impressed again at 157 lbs. with a 4-0 shutout of Thomas Ferguson. North Carolina scored four points with a tech fall victory at 165 lbs., but Wisconsin won the final four bouts to capture the match. Felling recorded his first win of the season with a 3-2 victory over Kevin Owen at 174 lbs. and Bugenhagen notched a win with a 3-2 decision over Robert McCarthy. Herbst's pin gave Wisconsin the 24-7 lead and Massey finished the bout with a 3-2 decision over No. 13 Justin Dobies. The Badgers trailed for almost the whole match against the Wolfpack. The Badgers lost their first two bouts at 125 lbs. and 133 lbs. Tanelli got the Badgers on the board with five points after defeating Ryan Tice by a tech fall (16-1). Ruschell then lost his first bout of the season when he took on No. 4 Darrion Caldwell at 149 lbs. Ruschell stayed close but couldn't hang on in an 8-4 Caldwell win. Stoppelmoor got his first win of the season by defeating Quinton Godley, 11-4 at 165 lbs. The Badgers then pulled within four points after Bugenhagen defeated Hank Penree, 6-2 at 184 lbs. A forfeit at 197 lbs. gave Herbst his third win of the day and a 17-15 lead for the Badgers before Massey sealed the win with a 7-0 victory over Bobby Isola. Wisconsin opens up the home stand next Friday at the KOHL CENTER. The Badgers host the second-ranked team in the country, Iowa State at 7 p.m. Friday's match is Youth Day and anyone 18 and under receives FREE admission into the match.

The No. 12 ranked Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team enjoyed a successful opening to their 2008-09 season Saturday, winning eight of 10 weight classes at the 39th annual Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. Six Gophers captured individual crowns while four more Minnesota wrestlers shared co-champion status at the all-day event, held at the Fargo Sports Arena. Two-time All-American Jayson Ness took home his third straight first-place finish at the Bison Open, but his first at 133 pounds. After competing in his previous two seasons at 125 pounds, Ness opened the day with a bye before winning each of his decisions by fall (1:50, 3:48, 3:57 and 4:03). At 125 pounds, Zach Sanders successfully defended his 2007 Bison Open crown Saturday. Sanders went a perfect 5-0 with two pins, two major decisions and one technical fall. Junior Mike Thorn picked up his first Bison Open title at 141 pounds, after winning at 133 pounds in 2007. Thorn cruised to a perfect 5-0 record with four falls (1:13, 2:31, 4:04 and 2:22) and one major decision. On his way towards the title, Thorn defeated fellow Gopher Matt Mincey, who claimed third place. Freshman Mario Mason and redshirt freshman Brian Peterson were declared co-champions at 149 pounds, with Mason and Peterson taking home their first Bison Open crowns. Mason started the day with a bye before recording a 3-0 record by two major decisions and one decision. Peterson recorded a 4-0 record by two decisions, one major decision and one fall. Three-time All-American Dustin Schlatter took home his fourth straight first-place mention as a co-champion with Senior Tyler Safratowich at 157 pounds. Both Gopher wrestlers started the day with byes before posting perfect 3-0 records. Schlatter recorded his decisions from one technical fall and two falls (3:59 and 1:12), while Safratowich won his decisions from two technical falls and one fall. At 165 pounds, Scott Glasser successfully defended his Bison Open title for a third straight year with a perfect 5-0 record, with three major decisions and two falls. Freshman Ryland Geiger won his first Bison Open crown at 197 pounds, defeating fellow Gopher Gordon Bierschink in a 3-2 decision in the championship match. Fellow Gopher Chris McPhail also placed third at 197 pounds. In heavyweight competition, Ben Berhow earned his first Bison Open first-place mention, defeating fellow Minnesota wrestler Atticus Disney in a 4-2 decision in the championship match. On his way to his first Bison Open title, Berhow went 4-0 with one fall, two major decisions and one decision, while Disney went 4-1 with 3 fall wins and one major decision victory. "There were a lot of guys who had dominant performances and we love to see that early on," Head Assistant Coach Joe Russell. "You can see the hard work they put in and it paid off. This is the first step in a journey. To get the guy's back competing on the mat is fun for them and a good gauge to see where the team is at. It's early, but we feel good about the effort we put in today." Minnesota has now accumulated 167 individual champions over the course of the Bison Open's 39-year history. The Gophers will compete in another tournament next Saturday, traveling to Omaha, Neb. for the Nebraska-Omaha Open Nov. 22.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Freshman Sean Bilodeau pinned Adam Counterman 2:27 into the first period, keying a six-bout Lehigh run, as the 23rd-ranked Mountain Hawks moved to 2-0 for the first time since the 2005-06 season with a 27-9 win over Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center. Junior David Craig added his second win by fall in as many bouts as Lehigh won seven of ten matches on the evening to spoil the Panthers' dual meet opener. "It was a nice win," said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. "The guys wrestled hard. There were a lot of close matches that we pulled out, but there's still a lot of work to go. The close matches were good for us though, because they should prepare us well for nationals at the end of the season." Bilodeau's fall broke a 6-6 deadlock and gave the Mountain Hawks a 12-6 lead at the halfway point. He scored the initial takedown and after nearly two minutes of riding time lifted Counterman and brought him down to his back to secure the fall. The dual's first four bouts were all tightly contested. A takedown in the final seconds lifted Chris Albright to a 6-4 win over freshman John McDonald at 125. The Mountain Hawks then sandwiched one-point wins by co-captains Matt Fisk and Trevor Chinn at 133 and 149 respectively to leave the match tied 6-6 after four bouts. Chinn's 3-2 win over Mark Powell keyed a run of six straight bout wins for Lehigh as the Mountain Hawks used the momentum to build a comfortable lead. Junior Mike Galante and sophomore Alex Caruso added wins by decision for the Brown and White, and freshman Joe Kennedy followed Craig's second pin of the year with his first career victory, a 12-6 win over A.J. Hunte at 197. Craig nearly pinned Zac Thomusseit with a cradle at the end of the first period, but settled for a 5-0 lead. Early in the third period, Craig reversed Thomusseit onto his back, securing the fall in 5:20. The Mountain Hawks will return home for a pair of matches next weekend, beginning with the annual Sheridan Dual, where Lehigh will face No. 10 Michigan at Stabler Arena. The match gets underway at 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME, by logging on to Lehighsports.com or by visiting the Stabler Arena box office on match night.

AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State wrestling team showcased its abilities during the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open at the Lied Recreation Facility as seven Cyclone wrestlers claimed individual titles. ISU advanced nine total wrestlers to the finals Saturday afternoon. "It was a good tournament for us," head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. "Our guys wrestled hard and our young guys really went at it hard too. We saw the things we worked on. The level of competition was up this year and that is due to some very good programs from around the area that were here. We are grateful they were able to make the trip." Jon Reader, the Cyclones' 165-pounder, did not give up a point in his first two matches that both ended in a technical fall. Reader defeated T.H. Leet from Iowa 16-0 (4:28) and Kody Kersten of Iowa Central 15-0 (4:37). Reader capped off his stellar Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open performance by defeating Iowa's Jake Kerr by major decision, 12-1. "On Thursday, I think I went right back to my old habits," Reader said. "In the practice room we reiterated what I needed to work on this weekend and I put myself in lot more positions to score. And mainly, I had fun. This is my fourth year in a row here and the competition is great. This is a great tournament." Varner, ranked first in the country at 197 pounds, and Mitch Mueller, ranked 13th at 149 pounds, each claimed their third titles. Mueller tallied a major decision in the 149-pound finals over Cole Schmidt from Wisconsin. Varner scored a major decision over Wisconsin's Trevor Brandvold in the 197-pound finals. Zabriskie, the No. 2 heavyweight pick, recorded two falls during the day on his way to his second Cyclone Open title. Zabriskie beat Elijah Madison (UNO-Unattch.) in the heavyweight finals, 3-1, in sudden victory. "It was a good experience," Zabriskie said. "It is a good way to start the year and now I have plenty of tape to go through." Nick Fanthorpe captured his second title by edging Tyler Graff (UW-Unattch.) in the 133-pound final, 4-2. Fanthorpe notched two falls in the day on his way to the title. There were two repeat matchups from the Cardinal and Gold intrasquad meet. In the 125-pound final, Tyler Clark decisioned Andrew Long 9-8 and in the 141-pound final, Nick Gallick beat Dalton Jensen, 5-2. Taking third in the 157-pound class was freshman Matt Brown as he recorded six victories on the day. The Cyclone wrestling team went an outstanding 12-3 in the opening round, while recording seven pins during the stretch. Dalton Jensen (141) stuck Brian Litch of Nebraska in 1:15 and Jared Ramsay (165) pinned Dylan Azinger in 1:28. The Cyclones will hit the road for their next action at Wisconsin Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.. Uwbadgers.com, the official Wisconsin website, is providing a free, live web broadcast. The ISU squad then returns home to face Arizona State Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.

Of eight matches wrestled, five Cowboy wins propelled the University of Wyoming grapplers to a 34-10 victory over Stanford on Friday night in Laramie. The dual outcome gave first-year Cowboy boss Mark Branch his initial career dual win as a head coach. The Cowboys got a solid 10-3 win from redshirt freshman Michael Martinez to begin the evening at 125-pounds. Sophomore Cole Dallaserra then earned four team points for the `Pokes with his impressive 10-1 major decision victory at 141, followed by a grinding 4-0 win at the 149-pound level by senior Cody Chipperfield. Redshirt freshman Brock Smith scored an exciting win by fall at 157-pounds over 2008 NCAA participant Lucas Espericueta. Smith caught his opponent off-guard with a rush, put him on his back and did not let up until both of Espericueta's shoulders were on the mat two minutes into the match. In the 174-pound bout, fellow redshirt frosh Shane Onufer simply over-powered and pinned his opponent at 1:54 in the first period. "Tonight was a small glimpse into the future of this program...a small glimpse," said Branch. "It was nice to meet the Wyoming crowd. We had some good spots and the level of competition level was higher than we have seen so far this year, but we have a long way to go. I think our guys may have been a little shell-shocked because we really didn't improve from last weekend and I'm not real happy about that. "Brock Smith is a raw talent who has been a surprise for us from day one. Tonight he beat a good wrestler and I'm excited about that. "Shane (Onufer) did what he was supposed to do and wrestled aggressively." All five Cowboy wins were wire-to-wire and for the most part Wyoming took the fight to Stanford. The `Pokes won by forfeit at 184-pounds and at heavyweight. A crowd of 515 fans took in the action. UW senior Eric Coxbill lost a close 9-7 decision at 157-pounds, while junior Cory VomBaur (133) and true freshman Alfonso Hernandez (197) fell in their match-ups. Wyoming will continue to wrestle for the home crowd on Saturday, Nov. 15, when UW hosts the 36th annual Cowboy Open tournament, all day in the War Memorial Fieldhouse. Over 20 collegiate teams and 450 individuals will compete. Cowboy Open results can be followed on TrackWrestling.com and matches are scheduled to begin on nine mats at 9 a.m., running all day through the finals on Saturday evening.