InterMat Staff

IOWA CITY, IA -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team used five pins and a forfeit to blank Northwestern, 49-0, Friday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes improved to 20-0 (5-0 in the Big Ten), snagging their 58th straight dual win and posting their eighth shut out of the season - both of which are school records. Iowa held Northwestern (5-11-1, 0-6 Big Ten) to three takedowns during the match in front of 7,125 fans. Hawkeye seniors Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.), and redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125) all pinned their Wildcat opponents, while sophomore Montell Marion (141) won by forfeit. Metcalf (26-0), McDonough (26-0) and Borschel (25-0) all remain undefeated on the season, while senior Daniel Dennis (133) and Morningstar each picked up their sixth-straight victories. Metcalf moved up to seventh on Iowa's all-time career pins list when he stuck Andrew Nadhir in 2:20 to collect his 15th pin of the season. The Hawkeye senior's 46 career pins is tied for seventh with current Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands (1989-92). Also recording victories for the Hawkeyes were Dennis, juniors Aaron Janssen (157) and Luke Lofthouse (197), and redshirt freshman Grant Gambrall (184). Dennis improved to 14-1 with his 12-3 major decision over Eric Metzler, recording his 10th bonus-point win of the season. Janssen's 6-3 victory over Wildcat Kevin Bialka kept his Big Ten dual record perfect at 3-0. Lofthouse scored an escape with seven seconds left in his bout to beat Northwestern's Josh Schoen, 4-3, and improve to 4-1 in Big Ten dual matches. Hawkeye fans got a glimpse into the future as Gambrall recorded two takedowns and two reversals in his Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut, beating Wildcat Aaron Jones, 9-3. Up next for Iowa is a Valentine's Day trip to Minneapolis to face #5 Minnesota (11-4, 6-0 Big Ten) at Williams Arena. The dual will be televised live Sunday at 6 p.m. (CT) on the Big Ten Network. Tickets - 15 for adults, $5 for students, youth and seniors and $5 for groups of 15 or more - are available from the University of Minnesota Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-846-7437, 612-624-8080 or www.gophersports.com. Iowa beat Minnesota (28-12) in the championship semifinals at the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls last month. Results: 125 - Matt McDonough (I) pinned Levi Mele (N), 4:32 133 - Daniel Dennis (I) maj. dec. Eric Metzler (N), 12-3 141 - Montell Marion (I) won by forfeit 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Andrew Nadhir (N), 2:20 157 - Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Kevin Bialka (N), 6-3 165 - Ryan Morningstar (I) pinned Robert Kellogg (N), 4:48 174 - Jay Borschel (I) pinned Brian Roddy, Jr. (N), 2:27 184 - Grant Gambrall (I) dec. Aaron Jones (N), 9-3 197 - Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. Josh Schoen (N), 4-3 Hwt. - Dan Erekson (I) pinned Marcus Shrewsbury (N), 3:52

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 4/3 Ohio State wrestling team (17-1; 6-0 Big Ten) won eight consecutive matches for a 34-0 lead en route to beating No. 18 Illinois (8-7; 3-4), 38-3, in Huff Hall Friday night. Receiving pins from Nikko Triggas (125), Lance Palmer (149) and Colt Sponseller (165), the Buckeyes have now scored 30-plus points in three Big Ten matches and 11 total in 2009-10. The heavyweight match began the evening and Corey Morrison secured a 9-3 win over Pat Walker to give the Buckeyes an early 3-0 lead. After two periods, Morrison, a Shaker Heights, Ohio, native held a slim 2-1 advantage. The Buckeye senior then increased his lead to 5-1 following an escape to open the final period and a takedown seconds later. A second stalling call on Walker awarded Morrison a point before another takedown pushed Morrison's lead to 8-3. Walker was able to avoid the major decision despite Morrison's minute-plus riding time for the final tally. For the third consecutive match, Triggas pinned his opponent at 125 pounds. This time, the Moraga, Calif., native downed John Deneen in 1:56 for his 11th fall of the season. Triggas took sole possession of sixth place in the program's all-time career falls list with 33. Freshman Ian Paddock recorded a 16-7 major decision at 133 pounds over Daryl Thomas, rebounding from a 0-2 weekend last week. Already up 9-0 entering the second period, Paddock, who hails from Warsaw, N.Y., quickly took a 14-2 lead heading into the final frame and closed the match out with a takedown. At 141 pounds, Reece Humphrey was down early, 3-2, against Ryan Prater, who also collected 43 seconds of riding time in the first period. In the second period with Humphrey deferring, Prater chose bottom and recorded the escape for the 4-2 lead. However, the Buckeye from Indianapolis, Ind., collected a pair of takedowns and 2-point nearfalls to take a 10-5 lead. From that point, Humphrey never looked back with two more takedowns in the third period and won, 14-9. Palmer, a Columbia Station, Ohio, native, put six more points on the board for the Scarlet and Gray at 149 pounds when he pinned Eric Terrazas in 2:54. With the Buckeyes up 22-0, sophomore Sean Nemec received the starting nod at 157 pounds and quickly made the score 25-0 courtesy of his 7-4 decision against Clint Arlis. Up 5-2 going into the third period, Nemec sealed the win with a final takedown. Sponseller, a 165-pound junior was up 4-1 after the first period and 8-3 following the second. The Buckeye from Glenmont, Ohio, also had already amassed a riding time of 1:12 with another two minutes of wrestling to go. In the third, Sponseller recorded an escape and two more takedowns before pinning Joe Barczak at 6:20. Seven minutes of wrestling was not enough for senior Dave Rella and Jordan Blanton. The two were knotted up at 4-4 after regulation, but in sudden victory Rella, a native of Akron, Ohio, scored the takedown for the 6-4 win and the 34-0 Buckeye lead. The premier match of the night at 184 pounds with No. 7 vs. No. 2, Buckeye Mike Pucillo and Illini John Dergo ended the first period in a scoreless tie. Dergo chose bottom in the second period and quickly recorded the escape for the 1-0 lead. Dergo then ended the period with a 3-0 advantage following a takedown, but Pucillo scored an escape to cut the lead to 3-1 heading into the third. Choosing bottom in the final period, the Buckeye from Strongsville, Ohio, escaped, but Dergo scored another escape and with riding time, beat Pucillo, 6-2. C.J. Magrum and Clinton Polz concluded the evening and Magrum (Oak Harbor, Ohio) finished on a high note - a 16-5 major decision to push the final to 38-3. The Buckeyes will continue weekend action at 2 p.m. Sunday in St. John Arena against Michigan State on Senior Day. Prior to the match, the team will recognize Humphrey, Morrison, Palmer, Pucillo and Rella. Results: 285 Corey Morrison dec. Pat Walker (Illinois), 9-3 125 No. 20 Nikko Triggas pinned John Deneen (Illinois), 1:56 133 Ian Paddock mdec. Daryl Thomas (Illinois), 16-7 141 No. 2 Reece Humphrey dec. No. 14 Ryan Prater (Illinois), 14-9 149 No 2 Lance Palmer pinned No. 18 Eric Terrazas (Illinois), 2:54 157 Sean Nemec dec. Clint Arlis (Illinois), 7-4 165 No. 6 Colt Sponseller pinned Joe Barczak (Illinois), 6:20 174 No. 11 Dave Rella dec. No. 13 Jordan Blanton (Illinois), 6-4sv 184 No. 2 John Dergo (Illinois) dec. No. 7 Mike Pucillo, 6-2 197 C.J. Magrum mdec. Clinton Polz (Illinois), 16-5

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Ongoing budget shortfalls continue to create severe financial difficulties for higher education in California. California State University, Bakersfield, is not immune to this reality. As part of campus–wide reductions to help deal with the on–going financial crisis, CSUB Athletics will be discontinuing men’s and women’s golf, tennis and wrestling as intercollegiate sports, effective with 2010–11 academic year. “This was an extremely agonizing decision, born of extreme circumstances and reached after painstaking deliberation,” said CSUB President Dr. Horace Mitchell. “We are facing unprecedented challenges, not only in the upcoming year but into the foreseeable future. The decisions we announce today are crafted to help ensure a sustainable program that will allow Roadrunner Athletics to continue to be a successful part of the mission of CSUB.” In the face of rising expenses across the spectrum, Roadrunner Athletics is facing an anticipated shortfall of approximately $700,000 for 2010–11. While that cut is substantial in its own right, it is part of a much larger series of revenue cuts and increasing expenses over the past four years. “We have absorbed the revenue shortfalls and rising expenses over the past several years through cuts in support staffing and services,” said CSUB Director of Athletics Rudy Carvajal. “We have done our best to mitigate the direct impact to teams and student–athletes, but the unprecedented depth and breadth of the ongoing financial crisis requires extraordinary measures to ensure the long–term sustainability of the Roadrunner Athletics program.” The affected teams will continue to compete through the completion of the current academic year. All student–athletes with remaining eligibility will have the option of transferring or continuing their education at CSUB. Affected scholarship student–athletes will continue to receive their athletics scholarships for the 2010–11 academic year, should they choose to remain at CSUB. Salaried coaches will remain on staff until the completion of the current contracts in June.

Tonight No. 11 Penn State hosts Michigan State at 7 p.m. EST at Rec Hall in State College, Pennsylvania. The dual meet will air tonight (same-day delay) on the Big Ten Network at 11 p.m. EST. The Nittany Lions are 12-5 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, while the Spartans are 8-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of tonight's dual meet. 125: Brenan Lyon (Michigan State) vs. No. 13 Brad Pataky (Penn State) Pataky, an NCAA qualifier last season, has been wrestling well of late, winning six of his last seven matches. Last weekend, Pataky registered a technical fall and major decision against Northwestern and Michigan and outscored those two opponents 28-0. Lyon, a true freshman, is 3-13 on the season and still in search of his first conference victory. Bottom Line: Pataky should dominate Lyon. Look for bonus points. Prediction: Pataky (Penn State) pins Lyon (Michigan State) 133: No. 4 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) vs. Bryan Pearsall (Penn State) Gomez, the defending NCAA champion, is 17-1 this season with his lone blemish being a tiebreaker loss to Daniel Dennis of Iowa. He has only surrendered two takedowns this season. Last weekend, Gomez scored a 5-3 victory over No. 7 Scotti Sentes of Central Michigan and then dominated Purdue's Matt Fields, 17-1. Pearsall, a redshirt freshman, began his Big Ten season on January 22 with a 13-12 victory over Daryl Thomas of Illinois, but he has not picked up a victory since, dropping his last five matches. He comes into tonight's match with a 3-19 season mark. Bottom Line: Gomez has picked up bonus points in 12 of his 17 victories this season. Look for him to get bonus points against Pearsall. Prediction: Gomez (Michigan State) technical fall Pearsall (Penn State) 141: Dan Osterman (Michigan State) vs. Adam Lynch (Penn State) Lynch is having a nice season, even if his record is only slightly above .500 (10-9). He has gone 5-1 in Big Ten matches, which includes victories over No. 7 Montell Marion of Iowa and No. 14 Ryan Prater of Illinois. His only loss during the conference season came to No. 2 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. Osterman, a true freshman, is 18-10 this season and coming off a victory on Sunday over then-No. 20 Juan Archuleta of Purdue. Osterman started his season at 133 pounds, where he went 8-0, but moved up to 141 pounds, where he has posted a 10-10 record. Bottom Line: This should be a very competitive match between two wrestlers who have knocked off ranked wrestlers, but have yet to break into the rankings. Prediction: Lynch (Penn State) dec. Osterman (Michigan State) 149: No. 12 David Cheza (Michigan State) vs. No. 4 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) Last season, Molinaro was a surprise All-American as a freshman at 141 pounds after an up and down season in which he went 9-12 in duals and 3-5 in the conference. This season he moved up to 149 pounds and is showing that last year's NCAA run was not a fluke. Molinaro is 25-3 on the season and ranked No. 4 in the country. His most notable victory this season came on January 31 against then-No. 2 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin. Last weekend, the Nittany Lion sophomore registered major decisions against No. 14 Andrew Nadir of Northwestern and Mark Boyer of Michigan. Cheza is having a solid season and boasts a season record of 20-8. He has won nine of his last 10 matches, which includes victories over No. 13 Tony D'Alie of Central Michigan, No. 16 Mario Mason of Minnesota, and No. 18 Eric Terrazas of Illinois. Bottom Line: Molinaro has been very impressive in his last three matches and seems to be gaining confidence with every match. Cheza is also wrestling with a lot of confidence, but it will be a tall order to defeat Molinaro on the road. Prediction: Molinaro (Penn State) dec. Cheza (Michigan State) 157: Anthony Jones (Michigan State) vs. No. 7 Cyler Sanderson (Penn State) Sanderson, a 2008 All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier, is 24-3 in his senior season after transferring from Iowa State. He has pinned his last three opponents. Jones, a junior, showed promise in his first two seasons as a Spartan, compiling a 37-22 record. But he has taken a step back this season. Jones comes into tonight's match with an 8-13 season mark and riding a five-match losing streak. Bottom Line: Sanderson should handle the struggling Jones. Prediction: Sanderson (Penn State) major dec. Jones (Michigan State) 165: Kyle Bounds (Michigan State) vs. No. 7 Dan Vallimont (Penn State) Vallimont, a 2008 All-American, went through a tough stretch in late January, losing three straight matches, all to wrestlers currently ranked in the top six. He bounced back last weekend to win two matches to run his season record to 21-6. Bounds, who transferred from Oregon after the wrestling program was cut, has been up and down this season while compiling 25-12 mark. For the most part, he has beaten the wrestlers he's supposed to beat ... and lost to the wrestler's he's expected to lose to. Bounds' most notable win came against No. 9 Shane Onufer of Wyoming at the Sprawl & Brawl on November 22. Bottom Line: Vallimont should win this match, but Bounds certainly has the ability to make it interesting. Prediction: Vallimont (Penn State) dec. Bounds (Michigan State) 174: Ian Hinton (Michigan State) vs. Justin Ortega (Penn State) Hinton, an NCAA qualifier last season as a freshman, has compiled a 14-13 record this season, but has dropped five of his last six matches. He is coming off a close loss (7-5) to No. 6 Luke Manuel or Purdue on Sunday. Ortega, a redshirt freshman, is 6-16 on the season and still looking for his first conference win. Bottom Line: This is a matchup of two wrestlers who have struggled to pick up wins during the Big Ten season. Hinton, though, is much better than his 1-5 conference record indicates. Ortega has showed some promise this season, but has not won a match since early January. Prediction: Hinton (Michigan State) dec. Ortega (Penn State) 184: Curran Jacobs/Nick Palmieri (Michigan State) vs. No. 10 David Erwin (Penn State) The 10th-ranked Erwin has been able to stay healthy for the first time in three seasons. He has put together solid senior campaign, going 24-6 and establishing himself as a legitimate All-American threat. He dropped his first Big Ten match this season to No. 2 John Dergo of Illinois, 6-4, in sudden victory, but he has since reeled off five straight victories. Jacobs has started the last three duals and posted a 2-1 mark. Last weekend, he picked up a crucial victory over Purdue's Nick Corpe in sudden victory, which helped propel the Spartans over the Boilermakers. Palmieri is 13-10 overall and 7-10 in duals. Bottom Line: Erwin is wrestling at a very high level right now and should beat whoever Michigan State sends out on the mat. Prediction: Erwin (Penn State) major dec. Jacobs (Michigan State) 197: Tyler Dickenson (Michigan State) vs. Clay Steadman/David Crowell (Penn State) Steadman and Crowell have platooned for the Nittany Lions at this weight class, splitting the six conference matches thus far. Steadman has posted an 8-10 record this season, while Crowell has gone 17-12. Dickenson comes into tonight's match with a 15-14, but has gone 0-6 in the conference. Bottom Line: This match is virtually a tossup. Steadman defeated Dickenson, 4-1, a year ago. Prediction: Steadman (Penn State) dec. Dickenson (Michigan State) 285: Alan O'Donnell (Michigan State) vs. No. 11 Cameron Wade (Penn State) Wade has been one of most improved wrestlers on the Nittany Lions. After going 15-14 last season as a freshman, Wade has compiled a 17-6 record this season, which includes a 5-1 conference mark. O'Donnell, who is in his fourth season as the starting heavyweight for the Spartans, has been competitive with some of nation's top heavyweights, but is still looking for his first win over a ranked opponent. Bottom Line: Wade pinned O'Donnell at the beginning of last season. Look for Wade to come out on top again. Prediction: Wade (Penn State) major dec. O'Donnell (Michigan State) Dual Meet Prediction: Penn State 30, Michigan State 8

The Big Ten Network (BTN) began its coverage of college wresting in 2007 and after some initial success the network broadened their commitment in 2009 in the hopes of attracting profits and building a national cable audience. Wrestling is the BTN's third most-watched sporting event, broadcasting 16 high definition events, and streaming 15 events online. However, like the magic of a Hollywood movie, few fans know what is necessary to run a top-end television production, especially one that guarantees fans access to the best in the Big Ten wrestling every week of the season. Sunday, January 31, Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois There are few places in America as cold as Chicago. In the winter, it's your extremities that always suffer the most: hands go numb, eyeballs dry out, hair freezes. The January 31 Northwestern home match against Illinois is no exception: 13 degrees and a slight off-lake breeze that delivers pangs of pure misery. While the college crowd sleeps off their hangovers in a warm twist of sheets and duvets, the first of the Big Ten Network's crew arrives at the Welsh-Ryan Arena to crank the production truck, turn on the heat, and brew the coffee. Big Ten Network microphoneEach crewmember is on a different schedule, with most showing up for work between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. -- several hours before the match's scheduled 2 p.m. start time. The production truck, a 40-foot white box stuffed with millions of dollars worth of audio and video equipment, is wedged on a sidewalk between in the Welsh-Ryan Arena and a field house with indoor turf where a girls youth lacrosse tournament is being held. The tournament's overflow crowd -- filled with chatty bubblegum teens and over-caffeinated lacrosse moms -- mug the entryway of Welsh Ryan in a mess of color-coded lacrosse outerwear. The crews don't seem the slightest bit thrown. Like a wrestling camp or all-star travel team, the crew is a hodgepodge of independent professionals asked to work in a team format for the day. Each crewmember was chosen from a pool of production freelancers by a company hired to staff the event by the BTN. Introductions and "Oh, so you must know ...?" are commonplace in the early morning hours, but the motley collection of video whizzes, sound engineers, production managers, and on-air talent is here to churn out a finished television product, not become best friends. Small talk is rare. Doug Brooker (left) and John Flower (right)Orchestrating the tangled wires and managerial madness is Doug Brooker, a television producer with over 25 years of experience producing live and tape-delayed television sports coverage. Brooker, a polite man with a tussle of gray hair, lives in Seattle and travels to the Midwest every few weeks to produce Big Ten dual meets and special tournaments like the Midlands Championships. He started in producing for television in the 1980's and was one of the originators of Iowa Public Television's initial college wrestling broadcasts. His job is to make certain his staff was on task for the day's broadcast. "I'm here to be sure that we can get a final product to the fans, but that's impossible by myself," Brooker said. Brooker's crew of video specialists and producers are experienced in sports -- independent technicians and audiophiles who usually work for the Cubs, Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks. Brian Unverzagt, an EVS specialist with 16 years of experience in the truck, splices the highlights for pre-match teasers and the insta-recaps that are prevalent during the in-match playbacks. His working alcove has 49 television screens and only one EVS assistant -- to most people who suffer with debilitating electronic incompetence the entire scene is and epic confusion of wires and gadgetry. According to the barrel-chested Unverzagt, "It's not too difficult to pick out a highlight in wrestling, a takedown is always going to get replayed." The BTN brought five cameras to film the action, each with a defined role in the day's broadcast: two are at mat level for wrestling action, one is handheld for interviews and bench shots, the last is an open shot from the top of the arena. Four of the cameras are manned and in consistent use, while the final camera is used as a stationary shot of the mat and stands, or the "the beauty shot" as Brooker refers to it. Jim Gibbons, Dan Gable, and Tim Johnson called the Iowa-Minnesota meet (Photo/The Guillotine)Adding to the validity of the BTN production are announcers Jim Gibbons and Tim Johnson. The duo arrives around 11:30 a.m. to prepare for pre-match interviews with the Northwestern and Illinois athletes and coaches. Brooker outlines the storyline for the event (rebuilding year for Northwestern, Jim Heffernan's first season as head coach at Illinois) and asks Gibbons and Johnson if they have individual requests for interviews with the former wrestlers in attendance -- Jake Herbert, Dustin Fox and Sean Bormet were all considered. At 1:45 p.m. the pre-match preparation is complete and Brooker takes his seat in the middle of the production truck where he faces no fewer than 50 active television screens relaying the video of the event and pre-packaged footage. It's been nine hours since workers first arrived, and seven since Brooker began his on-site production. Brooker's technical director is also confronting a complicated array of options. His panel has flickering green, red, and white buttons that together look like a rapper's soundboard or a call center for late night infomercials, but really are just the controls for switching incoming images to the ones we see on-air. When Brooker asks for a camera angle, or pre-edited piece, his technical director send it to a 22-inch prep screen. Once approved, Brooker asks for a "push" or a "fade to black." It's all happening at a maddening pace which according to Brooker, throws production crews the first time they do wrestling, "They think it'll be easy, but then they get here and it's crazy and fast-paced." As the 2 p.m. start time approaches, the crew takes their positions around the arena and brings all five cameras into a live picture. The truck's main compartment is readying for the day's first action between 197-pound wrestlers Patrick Bond of Illinois and John Schoen of Northwestern. The assistant director, a commanding and steady voice in the creative process, readies to track the length of each segment on her stopwatch and provide commentary for which shots might be helpful. The EVS team is preparing to grab match highlights. Gibbons and Johnson are sitting comfortably behind the main scoreboard. All the relevant sound checks, video cues, and upcoming interviews are prepared. HD video cablesFive minutes before the first whistle Johnson sees longtime Northwestern coach and Midlands Director Ken Kraft and requests a last-minute interview. The truck scrambles to find information on Kraft for a relevant screen graphic. Word is sent to the cameramen to adjust the lighting and camera angle at mat side, ask questions, and direct the shot's lead-in and fade out. The process, from passing thought of Tim Johnson to full-scale television production, takes less than 90 seconds -- though they are forced to re-shoot the segment when an errant sound corrupts the original soundtrack. The crew performs over 30 of these interviews, graphics feeds, and highlights in the course of two hours. It's labor intensive with a commitment to perfection, and a lot more time and energy than shooting a match with your Flip cam and uploading it to a Web site. Wrestling starts at 2:02 p.m. "Ready to lay one down?" Brooker asks the truck. A series of fade-ins, fade outs, and fist pumps. (Think: less Jersey Shore, more marching band) Brooker's second in command continues to tally time spent, while the technical director is busy pushing buttons and jamming down a throttle, his fractured and choppy motions mimicking those of a busied airline pilot. As the match score widens and the drama of the dual match is lost to a certain Illinois victory, the tempo in the truck remains pegged at full speed. The crew puts small graphics together at the fifth weight class, a tally of takedowns and back points, InterMat rankings are scrolled along the bottom crawler. Through nine weight classes the truck has been glued to their over 150 television screens, no one seems to be pausing for a break. John Dergo's pin in the 10th match leads to the crew's first quasi-disorganized panic of the day. The team had tried to cast their "Wrestler of the Meet" before the end of the dual, but with the unexpected fall, Gibbons and Johnson decide to highlight Dergo, the second-ranked 184-pound wrestler in the country. Unfortunately, the graphics team has already sent the billboard to the technical director, which leads to on-air confusion between the highlights viewers were watching and the introduction of Dergo by the broadcasters. The team was working with a tape delay and was able to untangle the confusion and tape a coherent ending to the program. Sometimes the magic of television requires a second take. Main board displaying cameras and preset packagesAfter some final edits and an upload of their finished broadcast and teaser to the main production hub in Houston, the team begins to break away in a string of disappearances. The day was a success, but there aren't any high fives or commitments to grab beers, just a smattering of "good jobs" and "good lucks" along with a quick exit. Most of the truck's crew will go back to work covering the Bulls and Blackhawks. A few might head out to bigger, non-sport productions like American Idol. Johnson and Gibbons will rejoin the Big Ten Network in one week. Brooker is headed to the Olympics in Vancouver.

St. Cloud, Minn. -- The St. Cloud State University wrestling team (13-6, 4-1 NSIC), which is ranked #9 at the NCAA Division II level, charted a 22-17 victory over visiting St. John’s University (9-8-1), which is ranked #9 at the NCAA Division III level, on Thursday, Feb. 11 in SCSU’s Halenbeck Hall. The match opened with action at 149-pounds, as St. John’s Drew Larson gained a 13-5 major decision over Jacob Horn of SCSU. The Huskies took command of the match with a big pin by John Sundgren of SCSU over SJU’s John Vaith at 1:22 in the match at 157-pounds. The victory gave the Huskies a 6-4 edge in the match. In action at 165-pounds, #6 Matt Baarson of SJU posted an 11-4 decision over Joe Andersen of SCSU to let the Johnnies regain the lead at 7-6. SCSU’s Shamus O’Grady scored a 7-2 win at 174-pounds of SJU’s Dustin Raygor before Mitchell Hagen posted a 6-4 upset win over SCSU’s #3 Derek Skala at 184-pounds. The victory by Raygor gave SJU a brief 10-9 lead in the match. The Huskies’ upper-weight dominance was too much for the Johnnies as #6 Lucas Munkelwitz carded a 19-5 major decision over James Carlson of SJU at 197-pounds. The Huskies stretch the lead to 16-10 with an 11-6 victory at 285-pounds by #6 Jake Kahnke over SJU’s Tony Willaert. The match was then decided on a forfeit, as SCSU’s Trent Herold grabbed the important six points needed for the win with a forfeit victory at 125-pounds. SJU narrowed the gap at 133-pounds with a thrilling 15-14 comeback victory by #6 Mogi Baatar over SCSU’s Shane McQuade. The final match of the night saw SJU’s #2 Minga Batsukh score a 13-3 major decision over SCSU’s Gabe Suarez. The Huskies will continue their 2009-10 season on Sunday, Feb. 13 with a 2 p.m. showdown in Halenbeck Hall against #3 ranked Upper Iowa. This match will mark Senior Day for the Huskies as they salute Husky seniors Ted Saatzer, Jake Roberts and Adam Minnette. Tickets for the match can be purchased at the gate. The match will also mark a battle for first place in the NSIC, as the Peacocks bring a 6-0 NSIC record into the match. SCSU is 4-1 in NSIC action this winter.

TDR packs up the Brute adidas studios once again and heads to the great State of Pennsylvania. 02-12-10 Friday we'll be the guests of the Penn State Wrestling Club. Joining Scott Casber for the broadcast will be former PSU wrestler Chad Dubin. We'll broadcast the meet between Cael Sanderson's Top 10 ranked Nittany Lions of PSU and Coach Tom Minkel and his Spartans of Michigan State. Scheduled to get underway at approx. 6:30 PM Eastern. This broadcast is Audio only and FREE to our national and international audience at http://www.Takedownradio.com. 02-13-10 "America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show", Takedown Wrestling Radio with Scott Casber will broadcast live from State College this Saturday morning from 10 AM to 12 Eastern. The dual meet against Michigan State and the radio program will be broadcast FREE at: http://www.Takedownradio.com. Saturday's morning broadcast will feature several interviews, including Coach Sanderson a review of the previous nights meet and a forecast of the Big 10 Championship. Thank you to the fans of PSU Wrestling at the Penn State Wrestling Club. Wrestling fans- Please note that Episode 44 of TDR TV is now available on all the top web sites and cable systems around the country. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio and TV! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. TDR "the Radio Program" airs 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning we look forward to having you listen. Thanks for tuning in!

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Demetrius Johnson, a wrestler at Chattanooga, has been honored as the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for February 10. The sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., is majoring in criminal justice and has a 3.42 GPA. He finished the fall semester with a 4.0 GPA and earned Dean's List honors. Johnson recorded a win in each of Chattanooga's two victories during the weekend. In the 30-9 win against Appalachian State, Johnson pinned his opponent at the 4:53 mark to give the Mocs a 12-0 lead after three matches. With the victory, Chattanooga clinched at least a tie of the Southern Conference championship, the team's sixth straight. Against Northern Iowa, Johnson posted a 3-1 overtime win, which ended a two-match slide for UTC and pulled the Mocs within three points of the Panthers. Chattanooga went on to win 16-15. Johnson is 17-8 this season and a perfect 4-0 in league action. Other nominees included Davidson wrestler Alex Radsky, UNC Greensboro men's track & field runner Joey Thompson and Western Carolina women's basketball player Kristen Feemster.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Heavyweight Eloheim Palma defeated Peter Sturgeon 8-2 in the final bout of the night to lift NC State to a 19-14 Wednesday night at Reynolds Coliseum. The victory lifted the Wolfpack to 6-11 on the season and snapped a four-match losing streak. NC State won five of the nine bouts, with one match being a double forfeit. The loss dropped the Spartans to 5-7. Neither team had a wrestler available at 125 pounds, so the match started at 133, and freshman Dale Shull got the Wolfpack off to a fast startby pinning Casey Boyle. Shull worked Boyle for a takedown 18 seconds into the match and methodically worked him to his back, getting the pin at the 0:47 mark. The pin gave the Wolfpack a 6-0 lead in the team scoring, but Ivan Lopouchanski got half of those back with a 4-1 decision over Scott Norris. Lopouchanski got an escape to start the second period and then took Norris down, ending ther period with a 3-1 lead. A point for riding time provided the final point. The most entertaining match of the night was at 149. Greyson Mills, wrestling as an emergency starter for NC State in place of the injured Bobby Mills, came away with a 12-10 victory over Alejandro Soto-Perez in a match filled with sudden momentum shifts. Mills opened the match with a quick takedown, but Soto-Perez escaped and then got a takedown midway through the period, which ended in a 3-3 tie after a Mills escape. Mills opened the second period in the down position and escaped, but not before Soto-Perez had a minute of riding time. Soto-Perez carried a 5-4 lead into the third period thanks to a takedown late in the second, and Soto-Perez picked up three quick points to start the third with a 9-5 lead. With time tiocking away, Mills struck for a takedown and a three-point near fall late in the period to take a 10-9 lead. The minute of riding time Soto-Perez picked up in the second period made it a 10-10 tie at the end of regulation. Mills got a takedown to win the match 15 seconds into sudden victory. That gave the Wolfpack a 9-3 lead in the team scoring. NC State made it 13-3 with Brett Farina’s 15-7 major decision over Travis Sheehy. Farina actually trailed 6-2 late in the first period before a late reversal made it 6-4. With Sheehy battling cramps in his left calf, Farina rode him the entire second period and threw in a three-point near fall to take a 7-6 lead. Farina started the third period down, escaped and then got two points when stalling was called on Sheehy. Sheehy got a point back for an illegal hold by Farina, but Farina put the match away with another three-point near fall and a point for riding time. Ray Ward extended NC State’s lead to 16-3 with a 7-5 decision over Victor Hojilla at 165. Ward had a pair of takedowns and a reversal in the decision. Byron Sigmon got UNCG back on the scoreboard with a 5-3 decision over Quinton Godley at 174. Sigmon rode Godley for most of the second period and started the third with a reversal after opening in the down position. The cut the NC State lead to 16-6. Andrew Saunders made it two matches in a row for the Spartans and got them right back into the match with a 20-4 technical fall over Colin Genthert at 184. Genthert, who weighed in at 174, gave up 10 pounds to Sauders and it showed. Saunders took a 6-2 lead after on period on three takedowns, then blew the match open in the second period with a reversal, a takedown and a pair of near falls. Leading 15-3 after two periods, Saunders got a takedown and a near fall early in the third period to end the bout with NC State leading 16-11. Ryan Sughrue made it a one-bout match with one bout remaining when he handed Christian McClean a 9-3 defeat at 197. Sughrue built a 5-0 lead through two periods with more than three minutes of riding time, then overcame a McClean takedown to pick up the decision. Palma dominated the heavyweight bout from the start. He took Sturgeon down in the first 30 seconds and rode him out the rest of the first period. Palma then started the second period down, escaped and got another takedown, this time riding Sturgeon until late in the period to take a 5-1 lead into the final period. Palma’s third takedown of the match plus a point for riding time made the final score 8-2. NC State will return to action on Saturday with a home doubleheader against Virginia Tech and Virginia at Reynolds Coliseum. The VPI match will start at 11 a.m., with the Virginia match following at 1 p.m. Results: 125 - no match 133 - Dale Shull (NCS) pinned Casey Boyle, at 0:47 141 - Ivan Lopouchanski (UNCG) dec. Scott Norris, 4-1 149 - Greyson Mills (NCS) dec. Alejandro Soto-Perez, 12-10 sv 157 - Brett Farina (NCS) major dec. Travis Sheehy, 15-7 165 - Ray Ward (NCS) dec. Victor Hojilla, 7-5 174 - Byron Sigmon (UNCG) dec. Quinton Godley, 5-3 184 - Andrew Saunders (UNCG) tech fall Colin Genthert, 20-4 197 - Ryan Sughrue (UNCG) dec. Christian McClean, 9-3 Hwt - Eloheim Palma (NCS) dec. Peter Sturgeon, 8-2

The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team claimed their school-record 15th dual win of the season Tuesday night with a 19-15 win on the road at West Virginia to improve to 15-1-1 on the year. The 2009-10 Pitt squad surpassed its 1994-95 team, which tallied a 14-9 record. The Panthers tied the record last week against Millersville with a 53-0 win and now sit at 15-1-1 overall and 4-0 in EWL action. Pitt and Eastern Wrestling League rival West Virginia split the 10 bouts, but the Panthers came up with two bonus-point wins to take the four-point victory. Sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) pinned Ryan Romano at 141 in 2:30. At 184 Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) earned a 10-2 major decision over Robert DeSano. Also earning wins on the night were Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) with a 5-4 decision over Shane Young at 125; Donnie Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) defeated Kyle Easton 4-2 at 157 and David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley) earned a decision over Matt Weston, 2-1 at 174. Pitt returns to action Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. as the Panthers host Clarion at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers have just two regular season matches remaining this season, including Thursday against Clarion and Feb. 19 against Edinboro at home. Results: 125: #19 Anthony Zanetta (PITT) dec. Shane Young (WVU), 5-4 133: #18 Colin Johnston (WVU) dec. Jimmy Conroy (PITT), 5-3 141: #18 Tyler Nauman (PITT) pinned Ryan Romano (WVU), 2:30 149: Mike Rowe (WVU) dec. Eric Albright (PITT), 4-3 157: Donnie Tasser (PITT) dec. Kyle Eason (WVU), 4-2 165: Donnie Jones (WVU) dec. Adam Counterman (PITT), 10-3 174: David Sullivan (PITT) dec. Matt Weston (WVU), 2-1 184: Zac Thomusseit (PITT) major dec. Rob DeSano (WVU), 10-2 197: Kyle Rooney (WVU) dec. #19 Matt Wilps (PITT), 5-2 HWT: Brandon Williamson (WVU) dec. #6 Ryan Tomei (PITT), 2-1

It sounds like something out of a movie: self-described "corn-fed white guy" from a small town in Washington State becomes wrestling coach in an inner-city high school with a 98% Hispanic population outside Los Angeles. He has to deal with challenges such as wrestlers who don't show up for practice, blow off dual meets and tournaments to visit family or for similarly lame reasons, and put up with parents who don't see the value in their kids being involved in any extra-curricular activity, let alone wrestling. All in a community that was grappling with poverty, drugs, gang activity, undocumented workers, and other societal challenges. This story is not from movie ... but it is the real-life experience of Scott Glabb, head wrestling coach at Santa Ana High School in California. Coach Glabb tells his story in the brand-new book, A Saint in the City: Coaching At-Risk Kids To Be Champions, published by Tate Publishing. Taking on a program that was in a predicament When Glabb came to Santa Ana in 1990, he inherited a program that was flat on its back. Here's the opening paragraph of A Saint in the City: Scott GlabbSeventy-two to zero. That was not a score. It was a massacre. Christians fed to lions, Reagan over Mondale, Custer at Little Big Horn. It seemed like more than mere cross-town wrestling rivals facing off in a hot Orange County, California gym. As I sat on the bench, watching the slaughter through the cracks of my fingers, I knew I had a long, difficult road ahead. The humiliation that ran through my body, coupled with embarrassment, told me that the coaching gig at Santa Ana High School would prove much more challenging than I expected. After the match, a lone fan from the crowd consoled me, "You can always look at the bright side; you could have lost seventy-eight to zero." That is the highest possible margin of defeat in a dual meet in high school with thirteen weight classes. That was just one loss in Glabb's first season at Santa Ana in 1990. That year, his team compiled an 11-16 record. Then Scott Glabb had an epiphany. "God spoke to me," said the long-time wrestling coach. "He said, 'You are never going to win.'" I gave up on the idea of winning, and instead, decided to invest in the kids, helping them in character building, developing their spiritual side, making them better individuals. I threw my life into these kids." "I had found my calling." Scott Glabb's investment in his wrestlers paid off. By his third season at Santa Ana, the Saints wrestling team won the league title ... and, in the 20 seasons since arriving at the school, Glabb has coached state and national champions. One coach's journey ... Just to be clear, A Saint in the City is not a how-to manual to guide coaches on how to turn around a struggling program. At least not in the technical sense of providing pointers on running a practice, or what workout techniques work best to turn out champions. Instead, it is the story of the individual journeys of a young coach who had been battling depression ... and wrestlers who overcame various challenges of their own to find redemption in wrestling, and for their lives beyond the mat. Scott Glabb discovered wrestling in seventh grade in Vancouver, Washington, thanks to neighbor kids who had gone out for the sport. His first year, he won one match -- "and that was in the practice room," according to the Santa Ana coach. "I loved wrestling, and really needed it," Glabb continued. "My parents were going through a divorce, and I was dealing with self-esteem issues." Glabb won a league championship in high school, and took up freestyle wrestling, too. He went to Pacific University, where he wrestled a couple years. "I got pounded on. I wrestled only in a few tournaments." "My coach said, 'You've got a good heart, but no talent.'" Glabb transferred to Eastern Washington University, where he continued to wrestle, and did some coaching. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's, and his Washington State teaching certificate. He was drawn to southern California to be closer to his girlfriend at the time, and, once settled, became head wrestling coach at Marina High School in upscale Huntington Beach. However, dealing with his own depression and lack of experience as a high school coach -- and frustration in dealing with some athletes who did not share his commitment to the sport -- Glabb resigned, and, in the fall of 1990, took the head coaching job at Santa Ana, a school that was 180 degrees different than Marina. "It's a real blessing to have had the wrestling career I had, to prepare me to be the coach I was to become." Here's how the 47-year-old Glabb described himself -- and his situation at Santa Ana High -- in A Saint in the City: I came from the old-school command style approach of coaching: I call the shots, you do what I say, and don't question me. I always stressed dedication, discipline, commitment, and hard work for success as an athlete. These words were light years away from my team's vocabulary." I finally concluded that they did not wrestle for the same reasons I did ... As I worked with them over the months, the wrestling room became a haven. A place that attracted the lost and lonely on campus, the talentless and clumsy, as well as the corrupt, the angry, and the misguided. In fact, wrestling their opponents was effortless compared to the real matches they faced off the mat ... ... and a journey for his wrestlers The prime focus of A Saint in the City isn't on Coach Glabb, but on the wrestlers at Santa Ana High School. Left to Right: Jose Leon, Alex Becerra, Fernado "Rat" Serratos, Scott Glabb, Roger Santiago, (Kneeling) Miguel Valencia, Froilan Gonzales and Alfonso "Bubba" Perez, (Back) Alex PerezAt the beginning of the book, Glabb describes Santa Ana High as being a beautiful old building, constructed in the late 1800s, "cleaner than most suburban high schools." Then he paints an overall picture of the neighborhood as it was in the 1990s, an area where drug deals and random gang violence were such an integral part of the landscape, some parents would not permit their sons to walk home after wrestling practice. Most of the book is devoted to individual profiles of some of the most notable wrestlers ever to wear a Saints singlet. Some are notable for their considerable on-the-mat accomplishments, while, for others, the glory has come since, in their lives after high school. Glabb tells the story of each wrestler as he remembers him on his team, then concludes each profile with a concise "Reflections" write-up that gives the reader an idea of what that individual ultimately meant to the coach -- how that wrestler touched Glabb's life beyond wrestling. If the book can be boiled down to an overarching theme, it would be one of overcoming considerable odds to achieve great things in wrestling -- and beyond. Most of Scott Glabb's wrestlers had never seen a wrestling mat until coming into Santa Ana High's wrestling room. Most of their parents had no experience as athletes themselves, so they were not necessarily the most supportive in terms of their sons' wrestling careers. (In the book and in the interview for this article, Glabb provided examples of parents' indifference, such as taking their kids out of wrestling events to visit family ... or not bothering to attend state tournaments, even when provisions for their travel were offered.) Here's an excerpt from the book that sums up coach Glabb's attitude toward his wrestlers: My hope as a coach and educator is to see more people in my profession drawn to work in inner-city, urban schools. So many of us have a fairytale picture of working in the best schools and coaching the best teams. We think of how much it would do for our self-esteem if we have successful students and athletes. I have taught and coached high schools from one end of the socio-economic conditions to the other and I can honestly say I have gotten more satisfaction and pride from teaching and coaching those students who were challenged and at a disadvantage than I did from working with those who had it all. To see miraculous metamorphosis of individual from the time they entered the ninth grade to the day they graduate and to know I was a part of that change is the most gratifying and remarkable feeling one can have. The spirit to coach Scott Glabb is a man of faith. Not just in terms of having faith in his wrestlers' ultimate success ... but in terms of having a personal relationship with God. Glabb became a born-again Christian at age 13. That was about the time his parents were going through a divorce. Santa Ana wrestlers on summer trip to Washington State in 1995"I was going to a Catholic church, but really going through the motions," Glabb disclosed in the interview for this article. "My sister was going to a little church across the street. I really liked the pastor, and came to join that church." "It was there that I found the Lord, and truly became serious about my faith." "I am still close to that pastor, and, in fact, he married my wife and I." "Kids at Santa Ana, a lot of them were lost. I took some of them to church, or introduced them to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes." When asked if there were any concerns expressed by parents or school administrators about bringing faith into a public high school wrestling program, Glabb immediately answered, "We had a shooting in the crosswalk in front of the school, gangs on campus." Then he added, "I was doing these activities after class, and after practice. It was all strictly voluntary, no pressure to participate ..." "No one said a thing to me ... Most parents came from a Catholic background, so they did not have an issue with what we were doing." How the book came together A Saint in the City has been a decade in the making. "I started writing in 1999," Scott Glabb disclosed. "At the time, our team doctor liked what we were doing, and encouraged me to write a book, to share our story with others." "You second-guess yourself, wondering, 'Would anybody want to read this?'" But that questioning didn't stop the Saints coach. "I did interviews, looked back at newspaper coverage." "I worked with a ghostwriter (John Scott Lewinski) who typed the manuscript, and provided some direction as to how to organize it." "I had a publishing deal but waited 4-5 years while a movie deal was in the works," continued Glabb, reinforcing the notion that his story as coach at Santa Ana High School sounded like something out of a Hollywood film. "However, that hasn't come through, so we went ahead with our original publisher." Asked if there were any issues that have sprung from the book being published, Glabb responded, "I haven't received any negative feedback about it. I thought there might be some, especially since Santa Ana has changed a lot since I arrived in the early 1990s." "Santa Ana wrestling has developed a reputation for tough wrestlers. I wanted to tell their stories, let people know what these kids went through ... There aren't a lot of wrestling programs in inner-city schools." Winners by any measure Even if the real-life story of a small-town coach transforming the wrestling program at an inner-city high school has yet to be made into a movie, the results seem to be straight out of a feel-good summer blockbuster. In 1993, the Saints won their first league titleAt the direction of coach Scott Glabb, the Santa Ana High School wrestling program has come a long way in the past two decades since that 11-16 season in 1990. In 1993, the Saints won their first league championship, followed by sixteen more league titles in a row. Glabb's teams have also won eleven CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) titles, with 23 individual CIF champs, 48 state qualifiers, and 15 state placers. He can also claim two national championship wrestlers: Tony Perez in 1998, and Jose Leon in 1999. Overall, the Saints have compiled a 312-56 record under Glabb. Perhaps more significantly is the difference the program has made in the lives of so many individuals and their families. Before stepping into the wrestling room, many of the athletes profiled in A Saint in the City appeared to be headed in the wrong direction ... yet redirected themselves into productive careers with rewarding family lives. For more information on Scott Glabb and the Santa Ana Saints wrestling program -- and to purchase a copy of A Saint in the City: Coaching At-Risk Kids To Be Champions -- visit the Web site http://www.sawrestling.com

NORFOLK, Va. -- Redshirt freshman Brennan Brumley stepped into the starting lineup and picked up a win over a ranked opponent at 149-pounds to lead the No. 25 Old Dominion wrestling Monarchs past N.C. State, 34-9, Tuesday evening at the Constant Center. Old Dominion won eight of the 10 matches to improve to 9-4-1 overall and 5-1 at home this season. Brumley picked up the biggest win of his young career, topping No. 20 Bobby Ward, 4-2 at 149-pounds. Senior Jesse Strawn and sophomore Joe Budi highlighted ODU’s other wins with technical fall victories. N.C. State forfeited the opening match which allowed No. 7 James Nicholson to have the night off at 125-pounds. The Wolfpack quickly tied the score though as Dale Shull dropped from 141-pounds to wrestle his first match of the year at 133. Shull was able to pin ODU freshman Justin LaValle to tie the team scoring at six. The Monarchs then went on to win the next seven matches to go up 34-6. Freshmen Craig Wilson and Joey Sheridan each cruised to major decisions, while senior Eric Decker won a hard-fought 5-3 decision over N.C. State’s Quinton Godley at 174-pounds. No. 13 Chris Brown nearly had a fall in the third round at 165-pounds, but the senior had to settle for the 13-3 major decision. N.C. State falls to 5-11 overall and lone winner Dale Shull improves to 15-11 on the year. Old Dominion will compete in its final home match on Monday, Feb. 15 against American at 7 p.m. before traveling to Virginia Tech on Feb. 18 to wrap up the regular season. Results: 125: #7 James Nicholson (ODU) wins by forfeit. 133: Dale Shull (NC State) fall over Justin LaValle (ODU), 1:00 141: Craig Wilson (ODU) wins by major decision over Scott Norris (NC State), 15-6 149: Brennan Brumley (ODU) wins by decision over #20 Bobby Ward (NC State), 4-2 157: Joey Sheridan (ODU) wins by major decision over Brett Farina (NC State), 16-3 165: #13 Chris Brown (ODU) wins by major decision over Ray Ward (NC State), 13-3 174: Eric Decker (ODU) wins by decision over Quinton Godley (NC State), 5-3 184: Joe Budi (ODU) wins by tech fall (6:37) over Cedric Moore (NC State), 16-0 197: No. 14 Jesse Strawn (ODU) wins by tech fall (5:28) over Christian McClean (NC State), 16-0 HWT: Eloheim Palma (NC State) wins by decision over Grant Chapman (ODU), 5-1

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Virginia Tech 141-pound junior Chris Diaz has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after posting a wild, last-second win in a battle between nationally ranked opponents during the 15th-ranked Hokies match at eighth-ranked Lehigh. The 10th-ranked Diaz picked up a takedown with one second left in the match to capture a 4-3 win over 17th-ranked Seth Ciasulli. Ciasulli got a first-period takedown and a stall warning point against Diaz to take a 3-2 lead. But Diaz kept fighting and was awarded the two points at the buzzer much to dismay of the Lehigh faithful, beginning a run of three straight weight-class wins by the Hokies. Diaz, a native of Camden, Del., improved to 25-3 on the season and 18-1 in dual matches. With much of last week’s schedule canceled or postponed due to winter storms, ACC teams are hopeful of getting back into full action this week. NC State kicks off a busy five days tonight, when the Wolfpack travels to 25th-ranked Old Dominion for a match that was originally scheduled for last Sunday. The Wolfpack returns home to face UNC Greensboro on Wednesday night, then plays host to 24th-ranked Virginia and now 14th-ranked Virginia Tech on Saturday. For Virginia and Virginia Tech, Saturday’s matches will conclude a two-day ACC swing. Those teams will wrestle at Duke on Friday in another conference twin bill. Duke then hits the road on Sunday for a match at The Citadel. Maryland will be at home this weekend for a pair of non-conference matches vs. American (Friday) and Hofstra (Sunday). Meanwhile, North Carolina has a non-conference road trip scheduled. The Tar Heels will visit 21st-ranked Edinboro on Friday night and remain in the state of Pennsylvania for a Sunday doubleheader against host Clarion and Cleveland State.

Ernest Middleton of United Sport and Athlete and Jeff Byers, voice of Penn State wrestling, will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, February 3. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 p.m. CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Middleton is the director at United Sport and Athlete, a training facility in Waterloo that includes an extensive wrestling, martials arts and weightlifting programs. Middleton was a state champion for West Waterloo in 1992. Byers, the long-time voice of Penn State wrestling, has been broadcasting meets since 1990. In 2006 he was named broadcaster of the year by the National Wrestling Media Association.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- After toppling the reigning NCAA champion last Sunday, Oklahoma State heavyweight Jared Rosholt was recognized as the Big 12 wrestler of the week, the conference office announced today. It is the first such honor of the season for Rosholt and marks the second time in his career that he has secured the recognition. The honor marks the fourth time this season that a Cowboy has been singled out as Big 12 wrestler of the week. Freshman 165-pounder Alex Meade is a two-time honoree, with junior 184-pounder Clayton Foster taking home the accolade last week. Highlighting Rosholt's effort last week was a 3-2 win over reigning NCAA champion Mark Ellis as part of the Cowboys' 24-9 win at Missouri on Sunday. The win improved Rosholt's career mark over Ellis to 6-2 and marked Rosholt's 24th consecutive win this season. After a scoreless first period, Rosholt was in the down position to start the second period. He escaped, then bagged a takedown to go up, 3-0. Ellis escaped on the edge of the mat with five ticks left in the period to bring the score to 3-1. Ellis took the down position to start the third and escaped before Rosholt could mount over one minute of riding time. From that point on, Ellis was on the attack but didn't generate any serious threat to the victorious Cowboy. Earlier in the week, Rosholt was a 10-2 major decision winner over Northern Iowa's Christian Brantley. After a scoreless first period, Rosholt scored a takedown and escape in the second period before adding three more takedowns in the third period to add bonus points for his team. The No. 1-ranked heavyweight in the nation, Rosholt has won his last six bouts against ranked opponents, including four straight over opponents ranked in the top 10. He has added bonus points in seven of his last 11 wins overall. Rosholt and the Cowboys host Nebraska at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12. A win in that dual would be the 118th of Rosholt's career and would tie him for 14th on Oklahoma State's all-time list with Chris Pendleton and Ricky Stewart.

Joe Warren

Sammie Henson

Scott Goodale

John Dergo

Christian Bailey

Heath Grimm

Tyler Mumbulo

Mitch Norton

The debate up top Although InterMat does not conduct national high school team rankings, it cannot be oblivious to the debate that has occurred on multiple wrestling message boards across the nation and in the localities from which the teams preside over the last 15-20 days. Ever since Blair Academy, NJ narrowly escaped with a 33-30 victory against No. 9 Collins Hill, GA on the afternoon of January 23 -- with Graham, OH having traveled to St. Edward, OH later that evening and laying a 39-21 defeat on the hands of the host Eagles -- many wondered if the defending national champion Buccaneers were truly the nation's best. With seven wrestlers included in the most recent national weight class rankings, all of whom are inside the top 10, Blair's status as a dominant tournament team is obvious. Tournament victories in the nation's two toughest tournaments -- Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East -- bear that out. However, as the dual meet against Collins Hill crystallized, there are some liabilities within the other half of the lineup that tournament wrestling has a way of massaging. The next weekend, Blair was scheduled to travel to Graham for a dual meet. When examining the matchups involved in that dual meet, InterMat came to the conclusion that the teams would split the 14 dual meets at seven apiece. Bear in mind that of the five nationally-ranked wrestlers on the Graham roster, only three of them wrestled in the Walsh Ironman when the Falcons came in second place approximately forty points behind Blair; Bo Jordan (130) and Felipe Martinez (140) being out of the lineup. Admittedly Blair was without the services of Austin Ormsbee (135). That dual meet saw its course with the host Graham taking home nine of 14 matches for a second consecutive week against a nationally elite team, the final score being 36-20. A big point of contention in that meet was that with a lineup hole at 145, Blair chose to cover that hole by bumping up everyone from 112 to 140. The Bucs hoped to capitalize on the created tossup match at 112 -- they were unable to do so -- and get victories at 140 and 145 from Ormsbee and Chris Villalonga, of which they only got victory from Villalonga. In terms of how the teams look at tournament-style lineups, there was only one outcome on the net that deviated from expectation, a 7-3 upset victory by Ryan Taylor of Graham against Max Hvolbeck at 103 pounds. Read InterMat recap. However, lost in the shuffle of this Blair vs. Graham debate is a very talented squad from Apple Valley, MN which has been more or less dominant in its competition this season. The Eagles have six wrestlers ranked by InterMat -- though beyond the sensational Destin McCauley (152), all are ranked in the lower half of the rankings. These are their key tournament results season to date: champions of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament -- the toughest tournament involving primarily in-state teams -- with five finalists (four champions), with only 12th ranked Simley, MN coming remotely close; outlasting fourth-ranked Brandon, FL to win the Cheesehead -- while also distancing themselves somewhat significantly from a field that included three additional top 15 teams in the nation; champions of The Clash National Duals with victories over three top 15 ranked teams in the country -- only Simley, MN coming relatively close losing by a 32-20 score. This past weekend was supposed to provide some clarity into the rankings debate at the top. Chapter 1 of that designed clarity was when No. 8 Wadsworth, OH -- a team that beat St. Edward in dual meet competition earlier this year -- was slated to travel to Graham for a battle of top 10 teams in the nation. However, the weather across the Buckeye State on Friday was not particularly good, and that match got canceled. Then on Saturday, two other top 10 teams -- No. 10 St. Edward and No. 5 Wyoming Seminary, PA -- traveled to Blair Academy as part of a quadrangular. Though a prediction of record was not made in the notebook column last week, it was my belief that both St. Edward and Wyoming Seminary could split the 14 matches with Blair in a dual meet. This is despite the Eagles and Blue Knights having to combine squads to equal the number of ranked wrestlers that Blair has in its lineup -- St. Edward having four, and Wyoming Seminary with three. At the end of the afternoon, that is exactly what happened -- the two dual meets ended up split at seven apiece, with Blair narrowly escaping with a pair of two point victories. The final scores were Blair Academy 31-29 over Wyoming Seminary, and 30-28 over St. Edward. Read InterMat recap. Looking forward, Blair is now focused on its Prep State Tournament and then the National Prep Championships, which will be held at Lehigh University the last weekend of February. Also in those championships are Wyoming Seminary, Bishop Lynch, TX, along with some other notable squads. Graham will compete in its league championships this coming weekend, and then close its year with the three-weekend state tournament series. Being in Division II, the state title is more or less a lock -- the only question being if the Falcons can match and/or exceed their record performances from last year; seven state titles and 282 points. Apple Valley will host Simley this coming Friday night, a matchup of the defending Class AAA and Class AA state champions. Then, will come their run through the state tournament series in both the individual and dual meet competitions; one that should be rather unchallenged. Three crowned dual meet champions in Volunteer State This past weekend, three schools -- two in the public school division and one in the private school grouping -- stood atop the State Dual Meet Wrestling Tournament held at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin, TN. Bradley Central won the Class AAA title in Division I (public schools) with a 33-28 victory over Cleveland in the final. Prior to that match -- they had victories of 41-30 over Science Hill, 45-15 over Ravenwood, and 51-20 over Cordova. Hixson won the Class AA-A title with a 41-36 win over East Literature. However, they had a narrow first round escape, 36-33, against Greenback before a more comfortable 40-20 victory in the semifinal against Chattanooga Central. The Division II (private school) tournament bracket was hotly contested between the top four teams, after each dominated their first round opponent. In the semifinal round, Father Ryan defeated McCallie, 34-33, and Christian Brothers defeated The Baylor School, 29-28. Baylor defeated McCallie, 41-23, in the third place match. The championship match was similarly narrow in margin, with Father Ryan upending Christian Brothers, 28-24. Weather makes mess of PA dual meet district tournaments The same weather front the wiped out the Wadsworth at Graham matchup on Friday night messed up many of the district dual meet tournaments this past weekend in the Keystone State. In Class AAA (big-school), four tournament champions will advance to the quarterfinal round on Friday afternoon in Hershey. No. 6 Central Dauphin -- District 3 champions -- and Easton -- District 11 champions -- appear in the top half of the draw; while the District 1 champion Boyertown, along with the winner of this afternoon's District 7 championship match between Kiski Area and Canon-McMillan populate the bottom half. Central Dauphin should have no problems in setting up its anticipated clash with No. 7 Central Mountain in the semifinal round. The Rams will most likely face the 7 runner-up in the quarterfinal round. This presumes that said team wins their preliminary matchup tomorrow, and then defeats (most likely) Council Rock North in the opening round Friday morning. On the other hand, the Wildcats still have to win the District 6 championship this evening, and then most likely face Council Rock South in an opening round dual meet Friday morning. After that, it will be a clash with District 11 champions Easton. The Red Rovers are wondering why such a great tournament gets them rewarded with that draw. They survived a very tough matchup with Bethlehem Liberty, winning 29-25 in the quarterfinal Sunday afternoon prior to sweeping matches on Monday night. With District 11 only taking the top two to state, the semifinal match with rival Nazareth was "winner moves on, loser stays home." With a victory from Joey Rizzolino in the last match, Easton defeated No. 26 Nazareth, 31-29. The championship final saw Easton upset No. 27 Parkland by a 28-21 score. The third quarter of the Class AAA draw looks to be the most unpredictable. After losing 33-27 in the semifinal round to Kiski Area, No. 38 Connellsville defeated Penn Trafford, 36-20, to take third place in District 7. Should they defeat Clearfield tonight, and Parkland do the same against Cedar Cliff, then it will be two nationally-ranked teams wrestling in Friday morning's preliminary round. The winner of which would advance to the quarterfinal to take on District 1 champion Boyertown. The bottom quarter of the draw will most likely see the champion of this afternoon's District 7 final advancing to the semifinals. Likewise, four teams will also advance to the Class AA (small-school) quarterfinals in Hershey on Friday afternoon through district competition this weekend. The winner of the District 7 title match this afternoon between Burrell and Shady Side Academy will join District 10 champion Reynolds in the top half of the draw, while Benton and Schuylkill Valley -- District 4 and 3 champions respectively -- advance to the quarterfinal round in the bottom half. Analysis of the bracket, seems to show that the District 7 champion and Reynolds have pretty favorable quarterfinal matchups and should see each other in a very intriguing semifinal matchup. On the other hand, life will be tougher for Benton and Schuylkill Valley in their opening match of the tournament during the quarterfinal round. It is likely that Benton will have to face the District 7 runner-up, while Schuylkill Valley draws Bedford. The week ahead … *Apple Valley, MN hosts Simley, MN in a battle of state champions as part of Cancer Awareness Night on Friday 2-12-10. The dual meet starts at 7:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcast live on the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network. *The dual meet state championships for the Keystone State will be held in Hershey, PA this Friday and Saturday in both Class AAA and AA. Preliminary play-in dual meets were scheduled for Tuesday evening, though weather issues over the weekend may back some of those later into the week. *The Garden State will be holding its state championships in four public and two non-public groups. New Jersey conducts its individual state tournament as a single-class event that is un-scored. Teams qualified for the brackets based on power points accrued during the course of the season. Twenty-four teams qualified in the public groups, and 12 in the non-public groups. Quarterfinal matches were held last night, semifinals will be held tomorrow (Wednesday), and finals on Friday in each of the sections. The public group semifinals and finals, along with the non-public group finals, will be held this coming Sunday (2-13) at the Ritacco Center in Toms River, NJ. *Other state dual meet championships in Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. Individual state tournaments will be held in Alabama, Arizona (Class 1A/2A, 3A, 4A-I, and 4A-II), Montana, and Utah. Individual rankings are from InterMat, while team rankings are courtesy of Amateur Wrestling News (1-25-10 update).