InterMat Staff

Lincoln-Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning has been invited by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) to be an honorary coach at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic. The event, which attempts to pair the two top-ranked wrestlers at each weight class in an exhibition match, will be hosted by Ohio State at St. John Arena at 7 p.m. on Nov. 24. Manning joins Ohio State's Tom Ryan, Minnesota State Mankato's Jim Makovsky and Wisconsin-LaCrosse's Dave Malecek as honorary coaches. Manning earned the honor after leading the Huskers to a fourth-place team finish at the NCAA Championships last season. The finish was NU's highest ever under Manning and its best showing since 1993. Manning also claimed Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year honors by guiding Nebraska to a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, with three Huskers earning individual titles. Manning and the Huskers start their 2008-09 dual season with a 7 p.m. showdown against Tennessee-Chattanooga in the NU Coliseum on Nov. 20.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Northwestern University head coach Tim Cysewski and Waldorf College (IA) head coach Steve Kelly. Tim Cysewski is in his 16th season as the head coach at Northwestern University. His team placed fourth in the NCAA Division I tournament in 2007. Northwestern has had an individual NCAA champion each of the last two seasons; Jake Herbert at 184 pounds in 2007 and Dustin Fox at 285 pounds in 2008. As an athlete, Cysewski won a state title as a senior for Glenbrook South High School (IL) at 119 pounds in 1972 and was an all-american at the University of Iowa his senior year at 134 pounds, placing third. Cysewski also won the prestigious Midlands Championships five times and was a two-time National AAU champion. Steve Kelly is beginning his 9th season as the head coach at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa. Kelly has coached 12 NAIA All-Americans including 2007 national champion Brad Stockton at 149 pounds. A native of tradition rich Britt, IA, Kelly was an NJCAA runner-up at Iowa Central College at 167 pounds in 1992 and wrestled his final three years at Iowa State University. "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.

Takedown Radio will once again broadcast the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open Saturday live from Lied Center on the campus of ISU. Join TDR's broadcast team Steve Foster, Scott Casber, Jeff Murphy, and Grant Turner, among others for this season opening tournament broadcast. Tune in as we Take the Brute adidas Studios on the road for the first tournament broadcast of the year. As always our broadcast remain free courtesy of our sponsors. We owe them so much. This Broadcast scheduled to get underway at 9:30 a.m. CST.

Wrestling 411 will launch its twice weekly radio show with two of college wrestling's biggest names as guests. Tom Brands, head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa, and Pat Santoro, new head wrestling coach at Lehigh University, will serve as the show's inaugural guests. Wrestling 411 Radio will be broadcast every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time. The first show will air Tuesday, November 11 with Brands as its guest. Santoro will be the featured guest on Thursday, November 13. "The success of Wrestling 411 Radio is crucial to the growth and development of college wrestling," said Brands, who coached the Hawkeyes to the 2008 NCAA team title. "This sport needs positive coverage and this radio show gives wrestling added credibility. I'm proud that Iowa Wrestling Camps support this project." Each show will provide dynamic and comprehensive discussion and coverage in studio on topics crucial not only to wrestling, but wrestling coverage, rankings, results and the entire scale of wrestling from high school to the international styles. Wrestling 411 Radio will feature weekly guests ranging from the nation's most respected coaches, athletes, and wrestling's top minds. Information about the show will be updated on the Wrestling 411 website at www.wrestling411.tv. Jason Bryant and Kyle Klingman will serve as hosts of the show. Bryant spent three years as the Director of Media Relations for the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He helped InterMat garner the National Wrestling Media Association's Wrestling Web Site of the Year Award in 2006 and as a journalist, Bryant has been the recipient of Wrestling International Newsmagazine's Journalist of the Year as well as Amateur Wrestling News' Bob Dellinger Award for Wrestling Writer of the Year. Klingman was the associate director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum for the past six years. He is a featured columnist for W.I.N. Magazine and hosted "On The Mat," a weekly wrestling radio show where he interviewed some of the top names in wrestling. In 2008, Wrestling International Newsmagazine honored Klingman with its Wrestling Journalist of the Year award. Augsburg College's KAUG radio will be the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live each week at 7 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast will be available on the Wrestling 411 website as well.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Junior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) took second place at 174 pounds at the MSU Open, leading three Nittany Lions who placed at the event. In all, 14 Nittany Lions competed at the event for head coach Troy Sunderland. Five of Penn State's projected dual meet starters took part, including two of the Nittany Lions' six ranked grapplers. Erwin, ranked No. 20 nationally, went 3-0 to start the tournament but did not wrestle in the finals, taking an injury default after his semifinal win. Erwin's 3-1 finish was good enough for second place. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 20 at 125, advanced to the semifinals before losing to No. 4 Brandon Precin of Northwestern. Pataky went 2-2 on the day and placed fourth. Freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) was also solid at 141, advancing to the semifinals before losing to No. 18 Ryan Williams of Old Dominion. Molinaro wrestled back well, went 5-1 on the day and took third place. Freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) had a solid tournament as well. After opening with a pin in the first round, Wade dropped a tough 4-1 decision to No. 14 Nathan Everhart of Indiana. Wade responded by notching three straight wins (including another pin) before bowing out of the tournament with a loss and a 4-2 record. Senior Andrew Haile (Crabtree, Pa.), seeing his first collegiate action 2005-06, prepped for his Nittany Lion dual meet debut next weekend with 2-2 showing at 197. Other Nittany Lions competing at the event included sophomore Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.), who went 0-2 at 125; sophomore Adam Smetana (Valencia, Pa.), who went 2-2 at 125; junior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.), who went 3-2 at 133; sophomore Christian Harr (Hollidaysburg, Pa.), who went 0-2 at 149; freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.), who went 3-2 at 165; junior Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.), who went 2-2 at 174; sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.), who went 1-2 at 197; freshman J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.), who went 0-2 at 197; and sophomore Nathan Andrews (Spring Mills, Pa.), who went 1-2 at 197. The Nittany Lions, ranked No. 7 nationally, host Hofstra (RV) in the dual meet opener for Penn State. Action starts on Sunday, Nov. 16, with a 1 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling 814-863-1000 or 800-NITTANY. Season tickets are $32 for adults and $24 for youth. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The 100th season of Lehigh wrestling opened with a resounding 21-15 win over No. 17 Maryland in front of 1,967 fans inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall on Sunday afternoon. With Maryland trailing by just three points with one bout remaining, freshman Zach Rey scored a 5-3 decision over Patrick Gilmore to clinch the win for the Mountain Hawks. Rey's decision wrapped up an exciting day of action at Grace Hall, and clinched Pat Santoro's first victory as head coach of the Mountain Hawks. "A win is a win," Santoro said. "We really wanted to wrestle hard out there today. There are some things we need to work on going forward, but it's a start." Rey scored the first points of the match by taking down Gilmore in the final seconds of the first period, and he never trailed again. At the start of the third period, Rey quickly escaped from Gilmore's grasp, and before the Terrapin could catch his breath, he had shot in for a takedown to take a 5-1 lead, which was plenty of cushion for the freshman grappler. "He's a heck of an athlete," Santoro said of Rey. "Coming into Grace Hall today I think he had a lot of nerves going. At this level every point matters and he did a great job." John McDonald sent the crowd into a frenzy in the opening minutes of the meet when he held on for a thrilling 9-8 victory over Brendan Byrne at 125. With the score knotted at 8-8 and McDonald holding the advantage with more than two minutes of riding time, Byrne needed to make a takedown in the waning seconds. He shot in - grabbing hold of McDonald's left foot and moving around to take control - but McDonald was able to keep him at bay long enough to hold on for the win. The Terrapins answered in the next two matches to grab hold of the lead in the meet. Matt Fisk fell behind early to Steven Bell and was unable to overcome the deficit at 133. When Bell scored a takedown in the final 30 seconds, it sealed the win for the Maryland grappler by a 7-2 decision. At 141, Alex Krom put Maryland on top for the first time in on the day, holding on for a decision over Seth Ciasulli. Trailing 2-1, Ciasulli came within inches of turning the bout in the final seconds when he grasped Krom's leg and tried to score a takedown. But Krom managed to break free and turn the move into a Maryland takedown to win, 4-1. The marquee matchup of the day lived up to its billing as No. 15 Trevor Chinn defeated No. 14 Eric Medina at 149. Chinn scored early by shooting in for a hold of Medina's left leg and arm, dragging him back to the center of the ring so the Terrapin couldn't escape out of bounds. Leading 6-5 late in the final period, Chinn sealed the match with a takedown with just 15 seconds remaining and held on for the 8-6 victory. "We knew the first four bouts would be key," said Santoro. "Maryland has some talented guys in the lower weights, and we figured we had to steal a couple of bouts to be successful." At the 157, Maryland scored its third victory of the day when Kyle John outlasted Sean Bilodeau in a 9-6 decision. But the Mountain Hawks answered back with three consecutive wins of their own. Mike Galante's 8-4 win over Brian Letters and Alex Caruso's 5-3 decision over Corey Peltier gave Lehigh the overall lead heading into the home stretch. That set the stage for some heroics from David Craig at 184. Craig scored an early takedown in the first period, and nearly recorded the fall in the opening minutes before Ryan Gray was able to slip away. But Craig was determined, and even though he suffered a cut to the face, which caused blood to stream down his face, he flipped Gray over and scored the match's first pin at 1:53. "He just didn't care," Santoro said. "That's the greatest part about the sport; that you have to fight through the pain. He didn't miss a beat and he really poured it all out there." The Terrapins would not go away though, as No. 2 Hudson Taylor equaled Craig's feat in the second period against Joe Kennedy. Taylor already recorded a near fall in the first period, and he finished Kennedy off with a pin at the 4:30 mark to bring Maryland within three points in the team score before Rey's match sealed the win for the Brown and White. The Mountain Hawks will return to action on Saturday when they travel to Pittsburgh for a matchup with the Panthers at 7 p.m. The match can be heard locally on WLVR-FM as well as online at Lehighsports.com.

BLACKSBURG -- With things knotted up at 18 apiece and one match remaining, Tech sophomore heavyweight David Marone came through in a big way, picking up a major decision to lift the Virginia Tech wrestling team to a 22-18 victory over George Mason Sunday evening at Cassell Coliseum in the season opener for both squads. The match began at 125 pounds where Tech freshman Brock LiVorio used a pair of first-period takedowns to control the action and take a 7-1 decision over Brian Wright. The Patriots took the lead at 133 pounds when Denny Herndon pinned Jared Jones at the 4:34 mark. Moving to 141 pounds, Tech sophomore Chris Diaz dominated Ryan Watson with a 16-0 technical fall in a match that was stopped at the 4:22 mark. After a takedown, Diaz turned Watson four times in the first period before ending it in the second period. Highly touted Pete Yates stepped on the mat next for the Hokies and didn't disappoint, winning 10-0 over Maurice Fleming at 149 pounds. Leading 3-0 heading to the final stanza, Yates turned Fleming twice for six points in the final two minutes to pick up the major decision. Jesse Dong picked up a workmanlike 3-0 decision over Jake Bohn at 157 pounds to give the Hokies a 15-6 lead. With things seemingly in hand, defending ACC champion and 19th-ranked Matt Epperly was up next at 165 pounds and had a comfortable 12-3 lead heading to the final period. But Kramer Whitelaw chose the top position to start the third period and quickly locked a cradle up and pinned Epperly just eight seconds into the period to make it 15-12. Bagna Tovuujav beat Tech redshirt freshman Anthony Trongone 9-5 at 174 pounds to tie the match up with three bouts remaining. Tommy Spellman nearly had a major decision, but had to settle for an 8-1 decision over Bill Widener at 184 pounds, and then 11th-ranked Cayle Byers of GMU beat Tech's D.J. Bruce 9-4 to put it all on the big boys. Marone, the runner-up in the ACC last year, didn't give the Patriots a chance, using seven takedowns, a reversal and an escape to cruise to the 18-5 major decision over freshman Hunter Manspile and locking up the dual meet win. Tech (1-0) will compete in a couple of individual tournaments before returning to the mats as a team on Nov. 30. The Hokies will take on Chattanooga and Anderson at UTC that day in a doubleheader.

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- The Rutgers wrestling team, under the guidance of second-year head coach Scott Goodale, placed five student-athletes in the Oklahoma-Brockport Gold Tournament, Saturday in Brockport, N.Y. Freshman Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) led the way with a third-place at 157. As a team, RU finished in seventh-place. No. 22 Oklahoma took first with a team-score of 140. In his first collegiate bout, Winston fell to OU's Chad Terry 4-1. The freshman was able to reach the consolation championship with consecutive victories, including a defeat of fellow Scarlet Knight Greg Zannetti (Edison, N.J.). In the third-place contest, Winston faced a rematch with Terry and came out on top by a final score of 4-3. Redshirt senior Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) took fourth at 174, reaching the semifinals before falling to eventual champion and No. 6 ranked Alton Lucas of Hofstra, 8-2. Whalen defeated Kent State's Chris Estep 5-2 in the consolation bracket and then fell in the third-place match to No. 7 Mike Miller of Central Michigan, 13-5. Newcomer David Greenwald (Union, N.J.) reached the semifinals of the 141-pound bracket, falling to eventual champion and No. 15 ranked Zach Bailey of Oklahoma 6-3. In the consolation bracket, Greenwald fell to Hofstra's Justrin Accordino 4-2. He then pinned Tony D'Alie of Central Michigan in 1:26 to take fifth. RU also had a pair of sixth-place finishers in senior Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) and junior Karim Mahmoud (Wallington, N.J.). Pletcher fell in the first round of the 165-pound bracket but then reached the semifinals of the consolation round. He dropped consecutive bouts, first to Hofstra's Ryan Patrovich and then to Oklahoma's Ryan Smith, to finish sixth. Mahmoud fell to eventual champion Eric Lapotsky in the semifinals of 197. In the consolation bracket, the junior fell to Oklahoma's Kyle Bergstedt 7-2 and Kent State's Eric Chine 4-2 to take sixth. Several other Scarlet Knights competed in the tournament. Freshman Matt Fusco (Belleville, N.J.) andsophomore Mike Demarco (Lyndhurst, N.J.) eachcompeted at 125. Fusco reached the consolation-bracket quarterfinals before elimination. At 133, redshirt freshman Brian Bollette (Newton, N.J.) defeated fellow classmate Tyler Milonas (Oak Ridge, N.J.) by way of forfeit to reach the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket before falling to eventual sixth-place winner David Armstrong of Oklahoma. Freshman Zac Coulas (Ocean, N.J.) competed at 141-pounds. Redshirt-junior Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) reached the quarterfinals of the championship and the consolation brackets at 149 before elimination. Also at 149, freshman David Seidenberg (Red Bank, N.J.) joined his teammate in the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket, falling to eventual sixth-place winner PJ Gillespie of Oklahoma. Junior Matt Rigoglioso (Wayne, N.J.) and sophomore Mike Cucinotta (Gibbstown, N.J.) were each eliminated in the quarterfinals of their consolation brackets, at 165-pounds and 174-pounds, respectively. Junior Keith Dobish (Lodi, N.J.) and sophomore Chris Orzechowski (Old Bridge, N.J.) both fell in the quarterfinals of the 184-pound consolation bracket, while redshirt sophomore DJ Russo (Netcong, N.J.) dropped a tough 2-1 bout to eventual sixth-place winner Jordan Enck of Hofstra in the consolation quarterfinals of the heavyweight class. Rutgers returns to the mat on Nov. 15 to compete in the Binghamton Open in Binghamton, N.Y.

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team captured nine individual first-place finishes Saturday at the Loras Open in the Panthers' 2008-09 season opener. Not only did the Panthers win nine weight classes, they racked up four second- and third-place honors. UNI's champions included Terrance Young (125 lbs.), Josh Baldridge (133 lbs.), Trent Washington (141 lbs.), Charlie Ettelson (149 lbs.), Tyson Reiner (157 lbs.), Moza Fay (165 lbs.), Jarion Beets (174 lbs.), Andrew Anderson (197 lbs.) and Christian Brantley (285 lbs.). The Panthers' went one-two in four close matches. Caleb Flores took second in the 125-pound match. Alec Hoffman (141 lbs.), Jamal Lawrence (149 lbs.), and David Bonin (165 lbs.) also took second-place honors in their weight classes. The team rounded out its success with four third-place finishes including Grant Sutter (133 lbs.), Cole Zempel (149 lbs.), Trevor Kittleson (157 lbs.) and Scott Hazen (174 lbs.). The freshmen duo of Cody Delagardelle (133 lbs.) and Blayne Beale (285 lbs.) took fourth and fifth place respectively in their matches. UNI head coach Brad Penrith was pleased with the team's success at the Loras Open. "We won every weight class where we were represented," Penrith said. "I'm very pleased with how we wrestled as a whole. We hit some moves that we were supposed to and helped build our confidence for our next competition." The Panthers return to the mat Nov. 22 to battle it out at the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, Neb.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Darrion Caldwell edged Ohio State's Lance Palmer 2-1 in an early-season battle of No. 4 (Caldwell) vs. No. 5 (Palmer) in the finals of the 149-pound bracket at the 2008 Wolfpack Open. Caldwell, who won five bouts to take the 149-pound bracket, recorded a pair of pins, a technical fall and two decisions. His win over Palmer was his eighth win over a ranked opponent since last November 15, his sixth over a wrestler ranked in the national top 10, and his fourth over an opponent ranked in the national top 5. Team scores were not kept, but the fourth-ranked Buckeyes had a strong presence in the finals, winning four of the 10 weight classes and placing wrestlers in the finals of seven. Caldwell was NC State's only champion, but junior Taylor Cummings came in second at 125, with redshirt-freshman Mike Moreno placing fourth. Senior Kody Hamrah finished in the top eight at 157, and freshman Jacob Burge finished in the top 8 at 174. The wrestleback round did not include bouts to determine any placement beyond fourth. NC State will return to the mat on November 15 in Chapel Hill for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Wolfpack will face Michigan State, Wisconsin and Illinois.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa wrestling fans packed the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this weekend to catch an early glimpse of the defending NCAA and Big Ten champion Hawkeyes at the team's annual intrasquad wrestle-offs. Fans saw nine matches contested Saturday morning, 11 bouts Friday night and six matches Thursday night. Iowa will open the 2008-09 season Nov. 21 when they host the Iowa City Duals and Arizona State. The Iowa City Duals will be held in the North Gym at the University of Iowa Field House. Iowa will wrestle Coe at 9 a.m., Iowa Central at 10:30 a.m. and Minnesota State-Mankato at Noon. The Hawkeyes will then head over to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face Arizona State at 3:30 p.m. Thursday's Quarterfinal Results 157 - Jeret Chiri maj. dec. Nick Kolegraff, 8-0 157 - T.H. Leet pinned Stew Gillmor, 3:52 165 - Michael Fahrer maj. dec. Ruffin Tchakaunte, 8-0 165 - Ryan Morningstar tech. fall Ryan Kurovski, 17-1 165 - Aaron Janssen tech. fall Weston Marling, 21-6 197 - Rick Loera dec. Brodie Ambrose, 12-9 Friday's Semifinal Results 133 - Daniel Dennis pinned Joe Moore, 1:32 133 - Montell Marion dec. Matt McDonough, 8-6 141 - Mark Ballweg dec. Tyler Halverson, 14-7 149 - Derek Coorough dec. Ethan Sebert, 9-3 157 - Brooks Kopsa pinned Jeret Chiri, 1:29 157 - Matt Ballweg dec. T.H. Leet, 6-0 165 - Jake Kerr dec. Michael Fahrer, 6-2 165 - Ryan Morningstar dec. Aaron Janssen, 5-1 197 - Chad Beatty maj. dec. Brodie Ambrose, 17-8 197 - Rick Loera pinned Luke Lofthouse, 5:52 125 - J.J. Krutsinger won by injury default over Nate Moore Saturday's Final Results 125 - Charlie Falck dec. J.J. Krutsinger, 11-4 133 - Daniel Dennis dec. Montell Marion, 4-1 141 - Alex Tsirtsis dec. Mark Ballweg, 5-2 149 - Brent Metcalf pinned Derek Coorough, 5:53 157 - Matt Ballweg dec. Brooks Kopsa, 12-5 165 - Ryan Morningstar maj. dec. Jake Kerr, 10-2 174 - Jay Borschel maj. dec. Michael Fahrer, 16-6 184 - Phillip Keddy dec. Grant Gambrall, 8-3 197 - Chad Beatty maj. dec. Rick Loera, 16-8

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling squad held its first team wrestle-off of the season on Saturday, deciding the starting jobs before next weekend's first dual matches of the year. Eight of the 10 spots on the team were up for grabs and the first depth chart of the season was set when the dust settled. Sophomore Akif Eren snagged the starting 125-pound job, topping freshman Matt Fields by decision, and coming back later to edge out rookie Bill Putman 1-0. The biggest shock of the day came at 133 pounds where freshman Carson Beebe scored a late takedown to slip past reigning Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Jake Fleckenstein, 4-3. Fleckenstein scored the first takedown of the match and after a pair of escapes by Beebe took a 3-2 advantage with an escape at the start of the third. However, Beebe picked up a late two-point maneuver to earn the starting nod in next Saturday's duals. Junior Juan Archuleta came out on top at 141 pounds, posting a 13-7 decision over sophomore Matt Hemry, while senior Jake Patacsil was dominant at 149 pounds, pinning junior Jordan Nettuno in 1:14 and scoring an 18-2 technical fall over sophomore Dave Ingram. Ingram earned a shot at the starting job with a 10-4 decision over junior Matt Redmond, and Redmond secured the No. 3 spot on the depth chart with a one-point victory over Nettuno. Click Here The four-man bracket at 157 pounds was trimmed to three grapplers due to an injury to junior Sam Patacsil, but still didn't lack for action in a three-man round robin between senior Jake Murphy, junior Nick Bertucci and sophomore Colton Salazar. Salazar topped Murphy to start the action, scoring a 7-4 decision, and Bertucci made the final 157-pound match of the day a crucial one as he flipped a late reversal against Murphy to eke out a 12-8 decision. Salazar was solid in the deciding bout, leading the whole way en route to a 13-8 victory over Bertucci. The 165-pound bracket was competitive as well, as sophomore Luke Manuel knocked off freshman John Doyle, 4-2, while junior Jason Martin slid past classmate Justin Fraga, 4-3. Manuel defended his No. 7 national ranking in the deciding match, posting a 6-0 decision over Martin in the team final. Sophomore A.J. Kissel locked up the starting job at 184 pounds with a 6-0 win over classmate Dave Pisarcik and the top spot at 285 pounds was decided in intense fashion as junior Chris Kasten needed two sudden-victory periods and a pair of tie-breaks to edge out sophomore Roger Vukobratovich, 3-2. "It was an incredibly competitive day all around," said head coach Scott Hinkel. "The people who came out to watch today got a good look at our depth, and saw how hard our guys have been working from top to bottom." The Boilermaker fan base will get to see their team in action again next weekend at Purdue hosts the inaugural Boilermaker Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 15. Action is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m., while the Old Gold and Black will wrestle a trio of duals starting at noon. Purdue is slotted to face Eastern Michigan at noon, Campbellsville at 2 p.m. and Northern Illinois at 4 p.m. Also in action will be 11th-ranked Big Ten foe Northwestern, Kent State and UT-Chattanooga.

NEW YORK -- The 2008-09 wrestling season got underway with the annual Blue-White match in University Gymnasium in front of fans and alumni. The event featured six matches and was the first time the wrestlers were able to compete with a referee and in front of a crowd. "The coaching staff was very impressed with the quality of wrestling we saw tonight," noted Brendan Buckley, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling. "Wrestle-offs tend to be very conservative with little action, but that's not what we saw tonight." The second match of the evening featured an exciting battle between first-years Kyle Gilchrist and Kevin Tao. Gilchrist held a narrow 2-0 lead after the first period. The only point awarded in the second period came off an escape, extending Gilchrist's lead to three. Tao started down in the final period but was unable to escape, while Gilchrist accumulated 1:36 of riding time. Perhaps the most exciting bout of the evening featured two more first-years, Andrew Grabfelder and Shane Strumwasser. Grabfelder will wrestle at 133 this season while Strumwasser will compete at 141. Strumwasser took an early 2-0 lead on a takedown, but Grabfelder was able to knot the score at 2-2 with a reversal in the first period. After a scoreless second, Grabfelder took a 3-2 lead on an escape to begin the third period. With just seconds remaining in the match, Strumwasser went ahead 4-3 on a takedown, but the match was forced into overtime as Grabfelder was awarded a point for 2:13 of riding time. In the sudden death overtime, Strumwasser managed a takedown, defeating Grabfelder, 6-4. Senior Derek Sickles (157) defeated first-year Jonathan Weibel (165), 15-8. The two fought hard back and forth, and found themselves tied at 4-4 after the first period. Sickles scored the next three points on an escape and takedown, but Weibel pulled within two on an escape of his own. Sickles would go on to outscore Weibel 7-3 in the final period for the victory. Co-captains Kenji Porter and Cary Aldrich battled each other at 184. Porter, a senior, held a slim 2-1 advantage after the first period, but Aldrich was able to tie the match at 2-2 with an escape in the second. Porter started down to begin the final period and scored a reversal, defeating Aldrich, 4-2. The final match of the evening featured 149 pounders Matt Dunn and Nick Standish. The match was the second of the night for Standish, who defeated Spencer Almen 10-2 earlier in the evening. Dunn held a 2-1 lead through the first two periods. The junior picked up two additional points for an escape and 1:46 of riding time to defeat Standish, 4-1. Overall, Coach Buckley was very pleased with what he saw. "I thought our conditioning looked really good, and we saw the guys trying new things and incorporating a lot of the techniques that we've been working on in practice." The Lions travel to Binghamton, N.Y. on Saturday, November 15 for the Bearcat Open.

Charleston, S.C. -- The Bulldogs hosted another successful Citadel Open Tournament as 150 competitors took part in the wrestling action today in McAlister Field House. Sophomores and freshmen from all over traveled to the lowcountry to gain valuable experience. Bulldog heavyweight Ivan Muller was 3-2 in the tournament. Muller's teammate 165 pounder Casey Underwood also had a 3-2 record. Other Bulldogs to finish with a 3-2 record on the day were 184-pound Brian Hurley and Alex Croasmun in the 157 weight class. "I'm very pleased with today's results and effort," head coach Rob Hjerling stated. "Today and yesterday's matches were two great days to see where we need to improve. We have come a long way since preseason but still have a ways to go." 141-pound unattached wrestler David Ivanschenko took home first place with a 4-0 record on the day. Ivanschenko had one fall, two decisions and finished out his day with a major decision over Darton College's Nathan Allen. Also taking the championship, while competing unattached was 165-pound Keith Koziel, finishing 4-0 with two falls and two decisions on the day. Unattached grappler Odie Delaney took home the gold in the 197 weight class with a 4-0 record. Delany won by fall in the semi-finals followed by another fall over Limestone's Josh Mummert in the championship in 4:21. Another grappler to come away with the gold was unattached 174 pounder J.C. Oddo finishing strong with back to back falls in the semi-finals and finals over Central Florida's CJ Hauser and Devon Jackson respectively. Also placing in the tournament was 125-pound unattached wrestler Richard Alarcon finishing third with a 7-1 record. After a 6-5 decision victory and a 5-1 loss to Limestone's Matt Hall, Alarcon fought back and reeled off four straight pins and two decisions to capture the bronze. Finishing third in the 174-pound weight class was unattached Derek Sickel with a fall in 2:41 to secure his medal finishing with a 3-1 record. 157-pound unattached redshirt freshman Justin Sparrow had two pins and one decision on the day before dropping an 8-6 decision to Duke's Jared Sernoffsky, placing him second overall. Also placing second was 184-pound unattached Kelby Smith finishing with a 3-1 record in the tournament. The Bulldogs will be back in action as they host the Liberty Flames in McAlister Field House Nov. 15. The match will begin at 11 a.m. before the homecoming football game. All Citadel cadets, alumni and fans are encouraged to head over to McAlister Field House before the Homecoming activities to cheer on your wrestling Bulldogs! Results from The Citadel Open and all Bulldog wrestling information on The Citadel wrestling team will be available at www.CitadelSports.com.

MESA, Ariz. -- The Arizona State University wrestling team made Saturday a day of debuts as the program opened its 47th varsity season with five Sun Devils competing in their first matches for the maroon and gold while the entire team wore white singlets in a 26-12 defeat of UC Davis in both teams' Pac-10 opener at Mesa High School in Mesa, Ariz. The Sun Devils, who won 6-of-10 weight classes on the day, improved to 1-0 on the year and 1-0 in the Pac-10 while the Aggies, winners at Embry-Riddle one day before, slipped to 1-1 (0-1 Pac-10). While two of the five Sun Devils that made their debuts picked up wins on the day, the team victory gave head coach Thom Ortiz the 75th victory of his coaching career while also improving ASU to 4-0 all-time against the Aggies. The Sun Devils' win also brought their all-time record to 33-14-0 in their first dual of the season while increasing their all-time record in their Pac-10 opener to 25-4-1. The dual opened at 149 pounds with redshirt freshman Vicente Varela dropping a 10-4 decision to Barrett Abel in his first collegiate bout. The Sun Devils slipped into a 6-0 deficit after the 157 bout as Michael Swigart fell in his debut as the redshirt freshman suffered a 5-1 setback to Joey Wilson. ASU got on the team board at 165 pounds as another redshirt freshman, Kyle DeBerry, scored a hard-fought 4-3 decision over Dustin Noack, a former Pac-10 finalist, to cut the Aggie lead to 6-3. With the momentum swinging away from the visitors, the Sun Devils took control for good as true freshman Eric Starks used a barrage of takedowns on Joe Mount to score a 17-9 major decision at 174 pounds, putting the Sun Devils ahead 7-6. The lead grew to 10-6 after the 184 bout with Jake Cranford battling to a 6-5 decision over Jon Clark. Thor Moen (197) won by forfeit to extend ASU's lead to 16-6. At heavyweight, Erik Nye lost his debut in a 2-1 deicison to Ricky Alcala, bringing the visitors to within seven points (16-9). But that is when the hometown and MHS product Anthony Robles took to the mat in a battle of Top 10-ranked foes at 125 pounds, bringing the fans to their feet with a win by fall at 4:05. Robles, ranked No. 8 nationally, held a 2-0 lead heading into the second period before working on No. 11 Marcos Orozco from the neutral position where he shot in and stacked his Aggie foe for the fall. Leading 22-9, the Sun Devils looked to add to the advantage with two bouts remaining, but Orlando Jimenez was handed a 7-3 loss at 133 pounds by Brandon Low, putting the team score at 22-12. With the team win in hand, the last bout of the day saw No. 7 Chris Drouin score a 12-3 major decision over Nexi Delgado to bring the team score to its 26-12 final. Next Friday, the Sun Devils will play host to another Pac-10 foe as Portland State visits the Valley of the Sun as both teams will meet at 7 p.m. at Maryvale High School in Phoenix. Admission for the dual is fee.

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling team claimed its 10th straight team title and two Sooners won individual crowns on Saturday in Brockport N.Y., at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. Oklahoma, ranked No. 20 nationally, topped an impressive field, as Edinboro (ranked No. 15) and Central Michigan (No. 18) placed second and third on the day, respectively. Kent State, Hofstra, Army, Rutgers and Brockport rounded out the field of eight. "This was a strong performance for the Sooners," head coach Jack Spates said. "The competition was upgraded considerably and to win this tournament is significant." Zack Bailey at 141 pounds and Eric Lapotsky at 197 pounds each went 4-0 on their way to titles. Redshirt sophomore Bailey recorded two major decisions and beat Eric Kruger of Central Michigan to place first. Lapotsky, a junior from Mt. Carmel, Pa., posted three falls against opponents and defeated Richard Starks of Army in the final by a 4-1 decision. OU junior Shane Vernon and redshirt sophomore Jeff James each placed second at 157 and 174 pounds, respectively. James' day was highlighted by a semi-final victory over 2007 All-American Mike Miller of Central Michigan. Joey Fio (125 pounds), Kyle Terry (149 pounds) and Pat Flynn (184 pounds) placed third. Will Rowe (149 pounds), Chad Terry (157 pounds), Kyle Bergstedt (197 pounds) and Nathan Fernandez (HWT) all placed fourth. Ryan Smith at 165 pounds placed fifth and David Armstrong placed sixth at 133 pounds. "We showed a lot of promise today but there is a long way to go," Spates said. "This was a good opening for us and I am proud of the fight in our guys today." The Sooners will open dual competition at home next Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m., against Central Oklahoma at McCasland Field House.

California Community College Individual and Team Rankings: 125 1. Angel Olea - Fresno City 2. Jaime Martinez - Santa Ana 3. Joe Cabanas - Cerritos 4. Brandon Benvenuti - Sierra 5. Marty Rubalcava - Fresno City 6. John Mort - Lassen 7. Addison Hay - Bakersfield 8. Edgar Paez - Modesto HM John Cronin - Lassen Jose Quezada - East Los Angeles Luis Mercado - Lassen Sergio Valdez - Skyline Tim Quigg - Victor Valley 133 1. Gabe Aguilar - Santa Ana 2. Todd Wilcox - Sierra 3. Derek Ellis - Shasta 4. Justen Lockling - Sacramento City 5. Mike Schultz - Cuesta 6. Ryan Giovenco - Cerritos 7. Alberto Arreola - West Hills 8. Ryan Richards - Cerritos HM Charles Chatman - Santa Rosa Galen Williams - Fresno City Vince Rivera - Bakersfield 141 1. Mike Koehnlein - Cerritos 2. Mike Vassar - Sierra 3. Bobby Schofield - SA 4. Steven De La Cruz - Chabot 5. Daniel Osmer - Modesto 6. Kevin Thonseng - Fresno City 7. Bryan Williams - Sacramento City 8. Blake Nichols - Sacramento City HM Chris Brusato - Sacramento City Jose Mondragon - Palomar Ray Bowen - Victor Valley 149 1. Ian Millan - Rio Hondo 2. Brad Kummerer - Lassen 3. Jose Navarro - Santa Ana 4. Shad Maniguilt - West Hills 5. Jerrin Miller - Sierra 6. Bronson Gerl - Cerritos 7. Adam Obad - Modesto 8. Alfredo Solis - Palomar HM David Stupplebeen - MSAC John Banke - Cuesta Shane Crosley - Moorpark 157 1. Alfonso Sanchez - Fresno City 2. Matt Thomas - Shasta 3. Vlad Kochev - Moorpark 4. Eric Sauvageau - Cerritos 5. Frankie Flores - Modesto 6. Adrian Gonzalez - East Los Angeles 7. Preston Brown - Sierra 8. Dan Kennedy - Santa Ana HM Aaron Eberhart - Palomar Carlos Martinez - Chabot Rafael Munoz – Lassen 165 1. Zeth St. Clair - Sierra 2. Gerson Nkunku - Sacramento City 3. Sean Barbour - Santa Ana 4. Blake Willard - Cuesta 5. Nico Phillips - MSAC 6. Dustin Reid - Shasta 7. Daniel Wosek - Cerritos 8. Paul Bracamonte - Fresno City HM Clayton McFarlane - Palomar Eric Lopez - West Valley Matt Cox - Fresno City Matt Klingler - Sierra Steven Martinez - West Hills 174 1. Cody Vasconcellos - Sacramento City 2. Mike Cavanaugh - Bakersfield 3. Mike Fucci - Sierra 4. Eric Smith - Fresno City 5. Ryan Cummings - Cuesta 6. Johnny Anderson - MSAC 7. Adam Hasse - Cerritos 8. Luis Onofre - Santa Ana HM Jimmy Botheras - Santa Ana Michael Grijalba - Modesto 184 1. Edward Melitosyan - West Valley 2. Caleb Gerl - Cerritos 3. Matt Garcia - West Hills 4. Derek Rottenberg - Shasta 5. Steven Urquizo - Fresno City 6. Justin Gomez - Santa Ana 7. Josh Villagomez - MSAC 8. Shawn Michalek - Sacramento City HM Derek Fishher - Palomar Travis Teilins - Palomar 197 1. Brad Carls - Bakersfield 2. Tyler Garcia - Santa Ana 3. Sal Feliccia - Rio Hondo 4. Julian Silva - MSAC 5. Tyler Blair - Fresno City 6. Kyle Roh - Santa Ana 7. JT Minto - Shasta 8. Mark Ryan - Santa Rosa HM BJ Mosley - Sacramento City Garrett Valenzuela - Sacramento City Jacob Bingham - Sierra John Hernandez - Moorpark Mario Delgado - Cerritos Matt Schugg - Skyline Mike Mehegan - Cerritos 285 1. Matt Gibson - Sierra 2. Juan Enriquez - Cerritos 3. Anthony Kelly - Palomar 4. Carman Carson - Lassen 5. Dyllan Snavely - Sacramento City 6. Austin Garza - Fresno City 7. Tommy James - MSAC 8. Ziek Sanchez - MSAC HM Chris Shannon - Santa Ana Frank Ayala - MSAC Morgan Lujan - Sacramento City Tim Pugsley – Palomar Team Rankings 1. Santa Ana 2. Sierra 3. Cerritos 4. Fresno City 5. Sacramento City College 6. Shasta 7. Bakersfield 8. Mt. San Antonio 9. Lassen 10. Rio Hondo 11. West Hills Cuesta 13. Modesto 14. Palomar West Valley 16. Moorpark 17. East Los Angeles Chabot

Lincoln -- Several members of the No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team showcased their talents during the Huskers annual Wrestle-Offs on the Devaney Center Indoor Track on Friday. Freshman Jon Burns notched the most impressive performance of the night, earning pins in both of his matches at 141 pounds. He won by fall in 1:51 over redshirt freshman Brian Litch and followed with another victory by fall in 2:53. The Apex, N.C., native brings an impressive high school resume to the Huskers, and may see starting time at 141 pounds later in the season. Redshirt freshman Andy Pokorny also went 2-0 on the night, picking up decision wins over freshman Ridge Kiley by a score of 6-5 and 7-2. Pokorny, who hails from Bennington, Neb., is the Huskers' projected starter at 125 pounds. Junior Levi Wofford made an argument for himself to earn the starting spot at 184 pounds over senior Vince Jones. Wofford earned a 10-4 decision over Jones, after collecting a medical forfeit over Romero Cotton. Wofford had an early lead before Cotton was forced to withdraw because of illness. Three of NU's four returning All-Americans competed, with all three notching victories. Senior Brandon Browne battled sophomore Andy Johnson to overtime, but took the 5-3 win at 174 pounds. Junior Jordan Burroughs claimed a 22-5 technical fall over sophomore Paul Sanders, while junior Stephen Dwyer won an 11-3 major decision over sophomore Alex Ward. The Huskers begin the regular season with a Nov. 20 dual against Tennessee-Chattanooga at 7 p.m. at the NU Coliseum.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, currently ranked No. 7 nationally, heads into the new season continuing a long-standing tradition of focusing on the community while striving for athletic excellence. In recent weeks, the Nittany Lion grapplers have reached out in a number of ways to the general public. In October, half a dozen Lion grapplers travelled to northwestern Pennsylvania and the home of a former young wrestling fan, Cody Bowers. Bowers, who recently passed away just shy of his 15th birthday, has two brothers, Tyler and Ossie. They are the children of Chris Cesnick and Bettie Joe Bowers of Waterford, Pa. The family was in the middle of building a new home when Cody passed away and members of the Nittany Lion wrestling team joined a number of other Penn Staters in a weekend trip to the Bowers' home where they helped continue the construction and work on landscaping around the house. For the Nittany Lion wrestlers, it was a chance to give back to a wrestling family in need. The grapplers who helped out were Brad Pataky, Nathan Andrews, Tim Darling, James English, Matt Dodds and Clay Steadman and office manager Tiffany Clark This past week, All-American Bubba Jenkins and starting 165-pounder Mark Friend visited a local elementary school to take part in its Celebrity Reader program. The duo visited Corl Street Elementary and thrilled the students in attendance by reading a few children's books to them. "One of the things we strive to instill in our wrestlers is the ethic of community service," head coach Troy Sunderland said. "Our athletes understand that they have a great opportunity here at Penn State to get an outstanding education and to compete in one of the nation's top wrestling programs. A simple, easy way to say ‘thank you' is to give back to the community. Whether it is the local community or the extended community of wrestling fans around the country, we will always strive to stay involved and help out wherever and whenever we can." Penn State will continue to take part in various community service activities throughout the upcoming year, including a trip to the Mt. Nittany Middle School Health and Fitness Fair next week.

Matt DeMichiel was disqualified for an illegal head butt to Devin Velasquez midway through the final period of the tenth and decisive bout and the six points awarded Cal State Fullerton gave the Titans a 21-17 non-conference wrestling victory over Navy in both teams' season opening dual match. Navy began the 165-pound bout with a 17-15 lead and DeMichiel was leading Velasquez, 3-2, when the incident occurred. DeMichiel had been warned about the move earlier in the match and Velasquez could not continue after a 2-minute recovery period. It was a rather anti-climactic end to an exciting back-and-forth match. Navy won three of the four heaviest weights to open a 10-3 lead. Fullerton's Andre Gonzalez pinned Navy's Pat McCaffrey at the horn to end the first period of the 125-pound bout to get Fullerton close and T. J. Dillashaw and Adin Duenas followed with CSF decisions at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, to put Fullerton ahead, 15-10. But Navy's Bryce Saddoris scored an 11-3 major decision over Nick Blackshaw at 149 to make it 15-14. Navy regained the lead when Joel Ahern was able to ride out Steven DeLaFuente for all 2 minutes of the third period of the 157-pound match and the resulting riding time gave him a 3-2 decision. Fullerton is idle until it opens Pac-10 competition on Nov. 21 with its annual afternoon High School Wrestlers match against Stanford at 2:30 p.m. Navy competes Saturday in Bakersfield against Stanford and Cal State Bakersfield.

Columbia, Mo. -- Missouri Wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith released the 16 matches that will be contested Saturday, Nov. 8, at the annual Black and Gold wrestle-off's beginning at 3 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center. The afternoon event is open to the public and free of charge. Parking lots surrounding the Hearnes Center are limited to football parking pass holders only. Fans without a football parking pass are encouraged to park at one of the nearby garages, Virginia Ave. or Maryland Ave., for $15, or any lot on campus that does not have a posted sign that reads- Permit Only Monitored 24 hours/seven days a week. A total of 26 Tiger wrestlers are expected to compete for a spot in Missouri's 10-man lineup. Wrestling will begin at the 133 pound weight class and conclude with a heavyweight bout between junior Mark Ellis and redshirt freshman Dominique Bradley. Missouri assistant coaches Shawn Charles and Joe Johnston will team up to lead the Gold Team, while assistant coach Lee Pritts and volunteer assistant Ben Askren will coach the Black Team. The complete wrestling card is listed below. Please note all matches are subject to change. Wt. Black Team Gold Team 133 Nathan McCormick Taylor Crane 141 Cody Farinella Nick Hucke 149 Max Shanaman Daniel Hewitt 149 Brandon Wiest Andrew Sherry 157 Emanuel Brooks Patrick Wright 165 Garrett Jones Todd Porter 125 Troy Dolan Luke Cherep 133 Winner McCormick/Crane Schavrien 141 Marcus Hoehn Winner Farinella/Hucke 149 Winner Shanaman/Hewitt Winner Wiest/Sherry 157 Winner Brooks/Wright Chandler 165 Nicholas Marable Winner Jones/Porter 174 Brent Haynes Raymond Jordan 184 Dorian Henderson John Andrews 197 Jake Glore Maxwell Askren HWT Dominique Bradley Mark Ellis

The Stanford wrestling program has named its 2008-09 captains announced head coach Jason Borrelli today. Senior Luke Feist, junior Tyler Parker, junior Jake Johnson and sophomore Lucas Espericueta have been voted by their teammates to lead the Cardinal for the upcoming season. Feist, Stanford's only senior, begins his second year as a captain. The two-time NCAA qualifier has started for the last three seasons, racked up 59 wins and placed among the top five at the Pac-10 Championships three times. Last season, he posted a career-best third-place finish at Pac-10s, earned an automatic return trip to the national championships in St. Louis and won his first career NCAA Championship match with a major decision in the opening round. Parker, who is coming off a redshirt year, has spent two seasons as a Cardinal starter and wrestled at the 2007 Pac-10 Championships. He has accumulated 20 wins over those two seasons and, as a fourth-year wrestler, he will provide valuable leadership in his first season as a captain. Johnson, a returning starter for the Cardinal, posted a 25-14 record last season, went 14-3 in duals and was third on the team with 59 dual points. He also competed in the conference championships last March and just missed an NCAA berth with a sixth-place finish. One of two true juniors on the team, he will serve as a captain for the first time this year. Espericueta, a returning NCAA qualifier, posted one of the program's all-time best rookie seasons last year, becoming the fourth-winningest freshman in school history with 25 wins and standing as one of the nation's leaders with 11 major decisions. The Shafter, Calif. native went on to place fourth at the Pac-10 Championships, and earned an at-large bid to his first NCAA Championships. He begins his first season as a captain this year. Stanford kicks off the dual season on Saturday, meeting Navy and Cal State Bakersfield in Bakersfield beginning at 3 p.m.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad will officially kick off the season this weekend in Brockport, N.Y., when it competes in the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. OU, ranked No. 20 in preseason polls, will compete for its 10th straight team title at the event. "Our team is really excited to compete and we realize this will be a big challenge for us," head coach Jack Spates said. "Those in charge of the event were determined to increase competition, and that has certainly been accomplished. Joining us this year is nationally ranked Edinboro (No. 15) and Central Michigan (No. 18), as well as significantly improved Kent State and Hofstra." With the exception of 184-pound Josh Hinton, the Sooners are healthy to begin the season. Competition will be fierce among OU teammates to solidify starting spots after upsets in last week's Red/White Classic. Kyle Terry defeated three-time NCAA qualifier Will Rowe at 149 pounds and Shane Vernon topped 2007-08 starter Chad Terry at 157 pounds at the intrasquad scrimmages to grab the coaches' attention. "Kyle has a leg up, but competition is only going to help this young team," Spates said. "This weekend will be another evaluation of who is going to be the guy, who is going to take that starting spot." After Brockport, Oklahoma hosts its first home dual of the season next Thursday, Nov. 13, versus Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. at McCasland Field House.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- ­Cornell wrestling's Jordan Leen, Mack Lewnes and Troy Nickerson will compete at the 43rd National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps on Monday, Nov. 24 in Columbus, Ohio. The event's lineups have been finalized, and this marks the first time the Big Red has had three wrestlers competing in the event. Nickerson (Chenango Forks, N.Y.) returns to the Big Red lineup this season after missing the 2007-08 season due to injury. The two-time All-American will wrestle No. 3 Charlie Falck of Iowa at 125 pounds. Nickerson brings a 58-5 overall record into the season and is a two-time first-team All-Ivy honoree. He placed second at the NCAAs in 2006 and took third in 2007. Leen (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) is the returning national champion at 157 pounds and will wrestle No. 3 Dan Vallimont of Penn State. The Big Red wrestler ranks in the top spot in polls from Intermat and W.I.N. Magazine. Leen was named the EIWA Wrestler of the Year last season and earned his third-straight All-Ivy honor. The team captain also led Cornell to its sixth-straight Ivy League title and second-straight EIWA team championship. Last season Leen placed first at the Body Bar Invitational and Reno Tournament of Champions. Lewnes (Annapolis, Md.) enters the season ranked No. 2 at 165 pounds and will face off against No. 1 Nick Marable of Missouri at the All-Star Match. Lewnes is coming off an impressive rookie campaign that saw him place fourth at the NCAA tournament earning All-America honors. Marable and Lewnes met in the third-place match at the NCAA tournament, where the Missouri grappler edged out Lewnes, 3-2. The EIWA Freshman of the Year, Lewnes was the EIWA champion at 165 pounds and won titles at the Brute Binghamton Open, Body Bar Invitational, Reno Tournament of Champions, and Southern Scuffle. Ohio State will play host to the All-Star Classic in St. John Arena with the event beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, and all children six and under are free. NWCA Members receive a complimentary ticket when showing their NWCA membership card. Call 1-800-GOBUCKS to order your tickets today or visit MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com." claiming to be www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com. ESPNU will be air the event on tape delay. Dates and times will be announced once available.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The third-annual ACC/Big Ten Clash, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15 at North Carolina's Eddie Smith Field House, will bring some of the nation's top wrestling talent to the Triangle. In all, 21 wresters ranked among the nation's top-20 in their respective weight classes. Joining the host Tar Heels in the field will be NC State and Virginia from the ACC, as well as Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin of the Big Ten. Illinois is ranked No. 9 in the preseason InterMat rankings, while Wisconsin (No. 13) and Virginia (No. 23) also crack the top 25. Each team will square off against the three teams from the opposing conference in a dual match.