InterMat Staff

The Augustana wrestling team crowned four individual champions and the Vikings went on to win the team title at the 2010 Super Region #3 wrestling championships in Aberdeen, S.D. The Vikings finished with 120.5 points to outdistance runner-up St. Cloud State, which had 108.5 points. It is Augustana's first regional title since 2005 when the Vikings went on to finish second in the nation. Laramie Shaffer (133 pounds), Nate Herda (149 pounds), Marcus Edgington (157 pounds) and Ty Copsey won regional titles, while Jay Sherer (141 pounds) finished second. In addition, Al Meger (125 pounds) and Gavin Nelson (165 pounds) finished third. These seven wrestlers will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships March 12-13 in Omaha, Neb. The Vikings gained additional honors when head coach Jason Reitmeier was named the Super Region #3 Coach of the Year. It is Reitmeier's second Region Coach of the Year Award. He won the award in 2005. The top seed, Shaffer, a transfer from Iowa State, scored first and maintained a 5-4 lead late in the match against Upper Iowa's Kyle Pedretti. In the final seconds, Shaffer countered a shot attempt by Pedretti and scored a late takedown to secure the 7-4 win. Herda, the top seed as a redshirt freshman, put together a workmanlike performance in defeating third-seeded Derek Bomsted of MSU Moorhead 12-7. After trailing early, Herda strung together a series of takedowns to pull away for the victory. Edgington, also seeded first, used a flurry of points in the final minute to rally for a 9-6 win over over No. 2 seed John Sundgren of St. Cloud State. Edgington trailed 5-4 before getting an escape with 23 seconds left. However, Sundgren still had over a minute of riding time accumulated. Needing a takedown, Edgington was successful on a shot and took Sundgren down to his back and managed to get a 2-point near fall in the process to seal the win. Copsey had an equally tough time in winning his second regional title. Seeded No. 1, Copsey edged No. 2 seed Lucas Munkelwitz of St. Cloud State. After a scoreless first period, Copsey scored an escape in 1 second to start the second period. Leading 1-0 heading into the final period, Copsey managed to ride Munkelwitz until the last 37 seconds of the period before surrendering the escape. With a riding time point secured, Copsey staved off late shots by Munkelwitz. The Vikings nearly went 5-0 in the finals. However, Sherer was the victim of a defensive pin against MSU Moorhead's Brady Schneeberger at the 6:45 mark. Sherer got a late takedown to tie the score at 7-7. With less than 30 seconds remaining, Sherer attempted to turn Schneeberger to get back points. However, in the process he rolled too far and had both of his shoulders on the mat. Nick Henning (184 pounds) almost advanced to nationals, however he lost a 6-4 decision to SMSU's Craig Draper-Johnson in a true fourth place match. Carl Serck (174 pounds) and Lance Peters (285 pounds) each finished in fifth place but had faced the fourth-place finisher earlier in the day. Copsey, a regional champion in 2008 and a runner-up in 2009, will be making his third appearance at nationals, as will Sherer. Meanwhile, Meger will make the trip to nationals for the second-straight year. The remaining four national qualifiers will be making their first trip to nationals. Team Scores - Final 1. Augustana – 120.5 2. St. Cloud State – 108.5 3. Upper Iowa – 95 4. Minnesota State – 84.5 5. MSU Moorhead – 73 6. Southwest Minnesota State – 53.5 7. Northern State – 46.5 8. U-Mary – 43

Blair Academy wins 30th consecutive National Prep title One of the great streaks within scholastic wrestling continued for yet another year this past weekend, as Blair Academy, NJ won their 30th consecutive title at the National Prep Wrestling Championships held on the campus of Lehigh University this past weekend. With six champions, two finalists, one third, and two other lower placers -- the Buccaneers dominated the field to score 274 points. Winning titles for Blair was top-ranked Evan Silver (112), ninth-ranked Mark Grey (119), Todd Preston (130), third-ranked Austin Ormsbee (135), top-ranked Chris Villalonga (145), and second-ranked Michael Evans (189). Runners-up included 10th ranked Max Hvolbeck (103) and Brooks Black (285). Rounding out the placers were eighth-ranked Jesse Shanaman (152) placing third, Russ Parsons (125) placing fifth, and Brad Bishop (160) taking home eighth. Second place for the tournament went to Wyoming Seminary with 237 points. The three champions for the Blue Knights were Chris Moon (160), top-ranked Mike McMullan (285), and fifth-year Donald McNeil (215). McNeil earned honors for most falls in the least time and most team points scored in the tournament, as he swept to the title with five wins by fall. Another pair of wrestlers -- ninth-ranked Dominick Malone (112) and Eric Morris (130) earned runner-up honors. Simon Kitzis (125), ranked sixth nationally, placed third, while four other Wyoming Seminary wrestlers placed lower in the standings. Rounding out the champion wrestlers for 2010 were Will Mason (Cape Henry Collegiate, VA) at 103 pounds; Jeffrey Ott (Belmont Hill, MA) at 125; Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep, PA) at 140; seventh- ranked Jason Luster (Kiski Prep, PA); and 13th-ranked Tanner Eitel (Bishop Lynch, TX). Link to results: http://gimp.escapesports.on-rev.com/LiveResults/2010_NatPreps.pdf Two finals involving ranked wrestlers steal show in New York Though there are team scores maintained at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships held in Albany, NY -- the battle between the sections and for individual titles takes greater precedence. In the Division I championships, there were two finals matches involving ranked wrestlers going up against one another. At 125 pounds, No. 5 Nick Arujau (Syosset) defeated No. 14 Justis Flamio (Mahopac) 7-5; while No. 9 Andrew Lenzi (Fordham Prep) defeated No. 15 Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central), 2-1, at 135 pounds. Rocky Point, Huntington, and Wantagh were the lead teams in this showcase event -- the only ones with multiple finalists. Eighth-ranked Stephen Dutton (140), Anthony Volpe (160), and Billy Coggins (171) came home with titles for Rocky Point. Huntington went 2-1 in finals bouts -- Nigel McNeil (112) and Damon McQueen (119) winning titles, while Louis Puca (160) came up short in his finals bout. On the other hand, Wantagh went 0-for-3 in championship matches as Joe Barbato (103), Joe Kavanagh (171), and Matthew Loew (189) all stood on the second step of the awards podium. Rounding out the state champions in Division I were Mark West (Happauge) at 96 pounds, No. 19 Alex Dierna (Wayne) at 103, Nick Meinsen (John Glenn) at 130, Giussepe Lanzi (Amsterdam) at 152, No. 11 Angelo Malvestuto (Niagara Wheatfield) at 189, No. 4 Kyle Colling (Pioneer) at 215, and No. 14 Lance Moore (Johnson City) at 285. It was only four schools having multiple championships in the small-school Division II tournament, this being the seventh year for the Empire State having two classifications. Owen (152) and Craig (160) Scott won titles for Palmyra-Macedon; Nick Wilcox (130) and No. 3 Tyler Beckwith (171) swept finals matches for Greene; Quinton Murphy (125) was a champion, while Kacee Sauer (285) took second for Holley; while Derak Heyman (140) and Josh Mauel (145) both took second for Tioga. Other champions in Division II were Tristan Rifeburg (Norwich) at 96 pounds, Abdulgawi Mohammed (Lackawanna) at 103, Arik Robinson (Peru) at 112, Penn Gottfried (Ardsley) at 119, Derek Pfluger (Sandy Creek) at 135, Tyler Peet (Unadilla Valley) at 140, Chris Nevinger (Letchworth) at 145, Colin Palmer East Aurora) at 189, Nick Gwiazdowski (Duanesburg) at 215, and Aaron Kroll (Gowanda) at 285. Link to results: (Division I) http://www.nysphsaawrestling.com/DivisionI.pdf (Division II) http://www.nysphsaawrestling.com/DivisionII.pdf Four teams win titles in Sooner State, three in dominant fashion In a state that defines wrestling throughout the sport’s history in the United States, Oklahoma held its state wrestling championships this past weekend in Oklahoma City. The only close team battle was in the big-school division, Class 6A, where Broken Arrow outlasted Tulsa Union and Muskogee by a margin of 103-94-87. Dominant upper-weight wrestling by the Tigers won them the title. Zach Skates (160), Cody Johnson (189), and Terry Williamson (285) won titles; while Keithen Cast (171) took home second place. From five finalists, only two Hurricanes -- Josh Walker (112) and No. 11 Ronnie Balfour (171) -- won titles; while Brian (125) and Kyle (152) Crutchmer along with Connor Baxter (130) took second place. Muskogee also had four in the finals, splitting those matches. Dylan Fields (135) and No. 7 Quincy Mondaine (215) won titles, while Miles Andrews (140) and Marselle McVay (145) took second place. Two other nationally ranked wrestlers won titles in the big-school classification; No. 11 Devin Aguirre (Ponca City) at 145, and No. 10 Justin DeAngelis (Jenks) at 152. Claremore dominated the show in the 5A classification with seven in the finals, four of whom won titles, on the way of 147 points. Champions were Calib Freeman (112), Josh (130) and Nick (140) Haugen, along with Jordan Basks (135). Runners-up were Gunnar Woodburn (103), Michael Williams (125), and Josh Cunningham (189). Finishing second with five finalists was Altus with 87-1/2 points; however, only Alex Cobos (103) was able to take home a gold medal. Taking second were Kellan Torres (140), Jeremy Delzer (145), Drake Martel (152), and Trevor Sterling (160). Other nationally ranked champions were No. 16 Jared Porter (Carl Albert) at 145, No. 20 Cory (160) and No. 10 Cody (285) Dauphin for El Reno. Tuttle and Sallisaw led the proceedings in Class 4A, as the teams combined to win seven of the weight class championships. Tuttle took home top honors with 167-1/2 points, with four champs out of six finalists. Winning titles were Colton Roberts (112), Zach Beard (140), Cole Gracey (171), and No. 9 Shane Woods (215); while Sterling Hawkins (125) and Dallas Gracey (135) took second place. Sallisaw scored 123-1/2 points anchored by four finalists - three championships won by Jett Shell (103), Rhett Leach (119), and No. 10 Jeromy Davenport (145), while Nick Copeland (152) took second. The other ranked wrestler to take home a title was No. 16 Matt White (Woodward) at 160 pounds. Finally, in the small-school Class 3A tournament, Perry dominated the tournament with 132 points anchored by a trio of champions in Matt Manley (103), No. 20 Ian Fisher (130), and Colton Gallo (152); while Trent Williams (135) finished in second place. Cascia Hall was runner-up in the tournament with 81-1/2 points, anchored by the title won by No. 1 Kyle Cowan (215), as well as that won by Daniel Zabienski (285); runners-up were Jacob Haylock (140) and Mikey Sutton (160). Results: (6A) http://www.ossaa.com/Portals/0/docs/OSSAA%20Forms/Wrestling/6A%20final%20brackets.pdf (5A) http://www.ossaa.com/Portals/0/docs/OSSAA%20Forms/Wrestling/5A%20final%20brackets.pdf (4A) http://www.ossaa.com/Portals/0/docs/OSSAA%20Forms/Wrestling/4A%20final%20brackets.pdf (3A) http://www.ossaa.com/Portals/0/docs/OSSAA%20Forms/Wrestling/3A%20final%20brackets.pdf Other individual state tournaments -- results/brackets: Delaware: http://www.aidupontwrestling.com/2010_DIAA.pdf Hawaii: Idaho: (5A) http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2010/home5A.html (4A) http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2010/home4A.html (3A) http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2010/home3A.html (2A/1A) http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2010/home2A.html Kansas: (6A) http://south.usd259.org/statewrestling/web/6ahome.htm (5A) http://south.usd259.org/statewrestling/web/5ahome.htm (4A) http://www.kansaswrestling.org/4astate/4astatehome.htm (3-2-1A) http://www.321wrestling.org North Carolina: (4A) http://test.escapesports.com/Results/2010/NCHSAA_4A_Championships.html (3A) http://test.escapesports.com/Results/2010/NCHSAA_3A_Championships.html (2A) http://test.escapesports.com/Results/2010/NCHSAA_2A_Championships.html (1A) http://test.escapesports.com/Results/2010/NCHSAA_1A_Championships.html Oregon: http://www.osaa.org/wrestling South Carolina: http://test.escapesports.com/Results/2010/2010_SCHSL_State.html Texas: http://www.uil.utexas.edu/athletics/wrestling/state/results.html West Virginia: (AAA) http://www.wvmat.com/10aaa.htm (AA/A) http://www.wvmat.com/10aa.htm Wisconsin: http://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=1132009 Wyoming: (4A) http://www.whsaa.org/stateevents/wrestling/4A/4Ahome.htm (3A) http://www.whsaa.org/stateevents/wrestling/3A/3Ahome.htm (2A) http://www.whsaa.org/stateevents/wrestling/2A/2Ahome.htm Dual Meet state tournament -- results/brackets: Delaware: Illinois: (3A) http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/2009-10/3bracket.htm (2A) http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/2009-10/2bracket.htm (1A) http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/2009-10/1bracket.htm Indiana: http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwcaonline/results/scorebook/LiveCvgMeetsIN.aspx Iowa: http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwcaonline/results/scorebook/LiveCvgMeetsIA.aspx Maryland: http://www.mpssaa.org/wintersports/wrestling/release.asp?release_id=29 Michigan: http://www.mhsaa.com/Sports/Wrestling/2010TeamFinals.aspx The week ahead ... -- Individual bracket tournaments in California, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New England (regional), New Jersey, and Ohio -- Dual meet tournaments in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Davis, Calif. -- Colby Covington won the 174-pound title and Mike Mangrum rallied from a first round loss to finish third at 141 pounds to lead Oregon State to its 18th Pac-10 Wrestling Championship Saturday at The Pavilion in Davis, Calif. Oregon State finished with 127.0 total points after seeing six Beaver wrestlers finish in the top three of their respective weight classes. Boise State finished second with 125.0 points while Cal Poly was third with 120.0 points. Arizona State placed fourth with 104.5 points while Cal State Bakersfield finished fifth with 97.0 points. Stanford (87.0), UC Davis (79.0) and Cal State Fullerton (77.0) were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively. "It was a team effort," said Oregon State head coach Jim Zalesky. "In this tournament everybody contributed and scored points. It was a good team effort. Covington won it and I think that's important. Mangrum came back and the way he got beat in the first round and came back to place third was a great effort. I think they paced us and everybody else really came in and contributed." Oregon State last won the Pac-10 team title in 2007. The Beavers will send five wrestlers to the 2010 NCAA Division I Championship in Omaha, Neb. At 125, Arizona State's Anthony Robles won the title for the second straight year after defeating Oregon State's Jason Lara by a 9-3 decision. He and Lara earned automatic spots at the NCAA Championships as did Stanford's Ryan Mango and Cal State Fullerton's Andre Gonzalez who finished third and fourth, respectively. The 133-pound final saw Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly, the third seed, narrowly edge UC Davis' Brandon Low, the top seed. Low earned a takedown with less than 15 seconds remaining to tie the score at three points a piece, but Novachkov earned a bonus point for amassing over two minutes of riding time. The Pac-10 received five qualifying spots at 133 and will send Novachkov and Low as well as Oregon State's Kelly Kubec who was third and Arizona State's Ben Ashmore who was fourth. Stanford's Justin Paulsen will also make the trip to the postseason. Cal State Fullerton's Adin Duenas was named Most Outstanding Wrestler after outlasting six wrestlers ranked in the top-25 nationally to win the 141-pound championship. Duenas, the No. 4 seed, topped Boise State's Levi Jones, the No. 1 seed, in Friday's semifinals. He defeated Cal Poly's Filip Novachkov by a 9-3 decision to win the individual title and earn a spot at the NCAA Championships. "This award means a lot because I didn't expect it at all," said Duenas. "Coming in seeded fourth and taking first means a lot. It came down to wrestling hard and never giving up and good things come to those who work hard. The top six guys in my weight were all ranked nationally in the top-25 so to come out in first place is really big for me." The 141-pound bracket also earned five qualifying spots. Duenas will be joined by Filip Novachkov, Mangrum, Elijah Nacita of Cal State Bakersfield who was fourth and Arizona State's Chris Drouin who placed fifth. UC Davis won its first individual championship since 2007 when Barrett Abel earned a 12-9 decision over Cal Poly's Nick Fisher to claim the 149-pound title. In addition to Abel and Fisher, Boise State's Jason Chamberlain will advance to the postseason after finishing third. At 157 pounds, Boise State's Adam Hall snapped two-time defending champion Chase Pami's streak with a 5-1 decision to claim the title. Hall and Pami will advance to the NCAA Championships as will Arizona State's Te Edwards who finished third. The 165-pound bracket only had one automatic qualifying spot which went to Stanford's Nick Amuchastegui who edged Oregon State's Dan Brascetta by a 2-1 decision. Covington's win at 174 also stopped Boise State's Nathan Lee from winning his third straight title. Covington edged Lee with a 3-2 decision to win the championship and earn one of three qualifying spots for the NCAA Championship. Lee and Ryan DesRoches of Cal Poly earned the other two places. The 184-pound bracket and the 197-pound bracket only received two spots apiece. Kirk Smith, ranked No. 1 in the country, pinned Cal State Bakersfield's Michael Larson at the 4:46 mark to win his second straight individual title. He and Larson both advance to the NCAA Championship. At 197, Cal State Bakersfield's Riley Orozco won his first title with an 11-5 decision over Cal Poly's Ryan Smith. Smith and Orozco will both move on to the postseason. The heavyweight class was another deep bracket as five spots were awarded to the Pac-10 for the NCAA Championships. Cal State Bakersfield's Mitch Monteiro won his second consecutive title with a 9-5 decision over Oregon State's Clayton Jack. Monteiro and Jack will be joined by Ricky Alcala of UC Davis who finished third and Kurt Klimek of Cal State Fullerton, the fourth place finisher. Boise State's Sam Zylstra, the No. 6 seed, narrowly defeated Erik Nye of Arizona State, seeded second, to earn the fifth and final spot. The 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships begin March 18 in Omaha, Neb.

DAVIS, Calif. -- The 2010 Pac-10 Conference Wrestling Championships couldn't have turned out much more exciting. Unfortunately for the Boise State wrestlers, most of the excitement was had at their expense. Boise State fell just short of winning its' third consecutive Pac-10 title, Saturday (Feb. 27) night, as Oregon State (127 points) topped the Broncos (125) by just two points in the final team standings. After sitting in third place throughout most of the weekend, Boise State made a strong push during the final session with two individual championships and two third-place finishes. The effort would leave the Broncos just short of a dramatic comeback, however, as a loss at 174 pounds would all but seal Boise State's runner-up fate. In the 174-pound title match, Boise State's Nate Lee dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to Colby Covington of Oregon State, which put OSU nearly out of reach. No. 1 nationally ranked Kirk Smith helped narrow the final margin for the Broncos as he won the 184-pound title with a pin (4:46) against Michael Larson of Cal State Bakersfield. The win marked Smith's second straight conference title. Smith cruised to this year's championship with two wins by fall and one major decision victory. With the win today, Smith remains a perfect 24-0 on the season. Joining Smith on top of the podium was 157-pounder Adam Hall, who captured his first individual Pac-10 championship with a 5-1 decision over Cal Poly's Chase Pami. Hall's win avenged a loss to Pami in last year's title match. He improves his overall record on the season to 27-2. The Broncos also concluded Saturday with two third-place finishers, in Jason Chamberlain and Matt Casperson. Chamberlain placed third at 149 pounds with a 12-3 major decision win over Nicholas Jordan of Cal State Fullerton. Casperson earned his third place finish with a 7-3 decision against Oregon State's Chad Hanke. As a team, Boise State finished the weekend with five wrestlers in the top-three for their respective weight class, including two champions, one runner-up and two third-place finishers. The Broncos will now turn their attention to the NCAA National Championships, which will be held March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb. Boise State had six wrestlers qualify for nationals following their performance at the Pac-10 Championships. Currently, Jason Chamberlain (149 pounds), Adam Hall (157), Nate Lee (174), Kirk Smith (184), Matt Casperson (197) and Sam Zylstra (HWT) have earned NCAA tournament berths. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee still will select 46 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 10. Casperson punches NCAA ticket in exciting fashion Boise State 197-pounder Matt Casperson punched his ticket to the NCAA tournament in exciting fashion late Saturday evening, as he beat Ryan Smith (Cal Poly) in the "true-second" match. Because the Pac-10 was awarded just two automatic qualifiers for 197 pounds, the two had to wrestle-off for the true second place finish. Casperson didn't need long to deliver, as he up-ended Smith and slammed him down for a pin just 00:50 into the match.

DAVIS, Calif. -- Boris Novachkov captured the Pacific-10 Conference championship at 133 pounds, four other Mustangs finished second and Ryan DesRoches claimed third place at 174 as Cal Poly settled for a third-place team finish Saturday night at The Pavilion. The quartet of Mustangs who placed second are Filip Novachkov at 141 pounds, Nick Fisher at 149, Chase Pami at 157 and Ryan Smith at 197. All six Mustangs have qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championships, scheduled for March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb. Cal Poly, in first place after Friday’s second session, scored 120 points to finish third. Oregon State, with one champion, three runners-up and five national qualifiers, captured its 18th Pac-10 team championship with 127 points, followed by Boise State, the 2008 and 2009 team champion, with 125 points. Boris Novachkov (pictured above) earned a 4-3 decision against top-seeded Brandon Low of UC Davis in the 133-pound final for his first Pac-10 title. He placed third in 2008. His brother, Filip Novachkov, a third-place finisher in 2009, placed second at 141 after falling to Adin Duenas of Cal State Fullerton 9-3. Novachkov was seeded second and Duenas fourth. At 149, Fisher dropped a 12-9 decision to Barrett Abel of UC Davis. Abel was seeded second and Fisher fourth. Fisher upset the top seed, Jason Chamberlain of Boise State, in the semifinals with a fall in 4:24. Pami, the two-time Pac-10 champion, settled for second place at 157 this year as he fell 5-1 to Adam Hall of Boise State in the final round. Smith dropped an 11-5 decision to top-seeded Riley Orozco of Cal State Bakersfield in the 197-pound final. DesRoches won two matches Saturday to claim third place at 174, earning a 7-2 decision against Todd Noel of Cal State Fullerton and a 6-2 triumph over Eric Starks of Arizona State. DesRoches had lost three times to Starks over the last two seasons, all by decision. Earlier on Saturday, Steven Vasquez earned a fifth-place finish at 165. Vasquez lost to Michael Cuthbertson of Boise State 8-2 in the consolation semifinals before earning a 6-1 decision against Joseph Granata of Cal State Bakersfield in the match for fifth and sixth place. At 125, Micah Ferguson defeated Christopher Armendariz of UC Davis 15-5 and earned seventh place. At 184, Kelan Bragg lost a 6-3 decision to Jake Meredith of Arizona State and also fell 13-7 to Ty Vinson of Oregon State in the match for fifth and sixth place. And at 285, Jim Powers was a 4-2 winner over Dylan Rush of Stanford for seventh place. Coach John Azevedo’s Mustangs have never captured the Pac-10 championship, settling for second-place finishes in 2004 and 2006. Cal Poly, sixth the last two years, was 5-2 in conference dual meets this season, third in the Pac-10.

ALAMOSA, Colo. -- Using the efforts of three individual champions and seven qualifiers for the NCAA Division II National Championships, the Western State College Mountaineers won their second straight NCAA Super Regional Four/Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Wrestling Championship, Saturday here at Plachy Hall. The Mountaineers, who received individual championships from top-seeded Charlie Pipher, Donovan McMahill and Charlie Alexander in the 184, 197 and 285-pound weight classes, respectively, scored 121 ½ points. Those three victories came in the final three matches of the night and put an exclamation point on the Mountaineers’ day although they had already clinched the team title heading into the championship round. Nebraska-Kearney, paced by 174-pound champion and RMAC Wrestler of the Year Kamarudeen “Marty” Usman finished second with 102 points while Fort Hays State took third with 94 ½ points. The host Adams State College Grizzlies had two individual champions in seniors Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) and Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) at 125 and 157 pounds, respectively, while finishing in a tie for sixth place with 67 ½ points. The Grizzlies had four national qualifiers as sophomore Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) finished second at 141 pounds while senior Kyle Sand (Arvada, Colo.) finished fourth at 197 pounds. The other weight class champions were Naveed Bagheri of San Francisco State at 133 pounds, Andre Harrison of Fort Hays State at 141 pounds, Louie DeSantis of Colorado State-Pueblo at 149 pounds and Victor Carazo of Grand Canyon at 165 pounds. A total of seven different teams had individual champions while 10 of the 11 competing teams qualified a wrestler for the national tournament to be held Mar. 12-13 in Omaha, Neb. The top four finishers in each weight class qualified for that tournament. However, Western State’s Kyle O’Brien and Nebraska-Kearney’s Joey Morrison, who finished fifth in the tournament at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively, both won successful true fourth place challenge matches to book their trips to the national tournament over Treven DeLaune of Colorado State-Pueblo at Daren Hocket of Western State. Fort Hays State’s Shawn Kuhlman also defended his place in such a match at 174 pounds. Western State coach Miles Van Hee was named as the RMAC Coach of the Year for the second straight year, an award handed out after a vote of his peers. Meanwhile, Chadron State’s Ryan Fillingame, who took third place at 133 pounds, was named as the RMAC’s Freshman of the Year.

Davis, Calif. -- Junior Colby Covington (Springfield, Ore.) held on for a tight 3-2 decision to take the Beavers’ only individual title at 174 pounds to lead the Oregon State wrestling team to its first Pac-10 title since 2007 on Saturday evening. The Beavers edged out two-time defending Pac-10 Champions, Boise State, garnering 127.0 team points over the Broncos’ 125.0. Cal Poly finished third with 120.0. Oregon State automatically qualified five to the NCAA Tournament. “It was a team effort,” head coach Jim Zalesky said. “This tournament everybody contributed and scored points. [Colby] Covington won it and I think that’s important. [Mike] Mangrum came back and the way he got beat in the first round and came back to place third was a great effort. I think they paced us and everybody else really came in and contributed.” Covington beat Boise State’s Nate Lee for the second time this season to take the 174 pound title after easily cruising through the first two matches on Friday. “It’s a great feeling,” Covington said. “The team is excited and I’m excited, personally. Like coach tells us, good things are going to happen, you just don’t when. I believe I can be national champ, and Pac-10 champ is a step in the right direction. But I’m going to move forward and keep training hard and focusing and I’m going to be ready to go once it comes time for NCAAs and Omaha.” Redshirt sophomore Jason Lara (Midway City, Calif.) and sophomore Clayton Jack (Vacaville, Calif.) already qualified on Friday at 125 pounds and heavyweight. Adding to them, sophomore Kelly Kubec (Lake Stevens, Wash.) and redshirt freshman Mike Mangrum (Auburn, Wash.) earned automatic bids at 133 and 141 pounds. Lara fell to No. 1 Anthony Robles of Arizona State in the championship match, 9-3, while Jack fell short against No. 1 Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield, 9-5. Kubec earned a pair of decisions to take third place at 133 pounds, defeating No. 5 Justin Paulsen of Stanford, 7-3, before No. 4. Ben Ashmore of Arizona State, 7-5, in the third place match. Mangrum earned his bid in a similar fashion by defeating No. 1 Levi Jones of Boise State in a close 4-3 decision before winning third place in a 9-3 decision over No. 5 Elijah Nacita of Cal State Bakersfield. Senior Dan Brascetta (Aurora, Colo.) fell in the championship match at 165 pounds to No. 1 Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford in a riding time point, just missing the single automatic bid. Senior Keegan Davis (Salem, Ore.) finished just short of the automatic qualification at 157 pounds, falling in a 3-2 decision to No. 5 Te Edwards in the third place match. Freshman RJ Pena (Salem, Ore.) and redshirt freshman Ty Vinson (Great Falls, Mont.) both earned fifth place finishes at 149 and 184 pounds, while sophomore Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore.) was fourth, falling 8-3 to No. 4 Matt Casperson of Boise State. At-large bids to the NCAA Tournament will be announced on Wednesday, Mar. 10.

DAVIS, Calif. -- The Boise State wrestling team managed to advance three wrestlers to the Pac-10 Conference title round, Friday (Feb. 26) evening, although it didn't come without a pair of major surprises for the Broncos. Boise State entered the conference tournament with four No. 1 seeds, but will only be represented by two in Saturday's championship round. Juniors Adam Hall (157 pounds) and Kirk Smith (184) both managed to stay perfect on day-one of competition, although the two wrestlers did so in very different fashion. Smith rolled through his first two matches starting with a win by fall (1:33) against Rory Mcbryde of UC Davis in the opening round. He followed that up with a 9-1 major decision against Jake Meredith of Arizona State. Smith is now set to meet Michael Larson of Cal State Bakersfield Saturday evening for the Pac-10 title. Hall also easily advanced through the first round of the tournament with a win by fall (4:37) against Steven DeLaFuente of Cal State Fullerton. Hall's second match wouldn't be so easy, however, as he needed one point for riding time advantage to pull out a 6-5 win over Tejovan Edwards (Arizona State) in the semifinal round. After entering the third period trailing 4-3, Hall quickly scored a two point take down to regain his lead heading into the final moments of the match. Edwards wouldn't quit, however, as he scored a one point escape with just 00:24 left in regulation. As Edwards fought hard for a last second take down, Hall managed to hold him off and secure the advantage point with 2:30 of riding time accumulated. Hall will meet Chase Pami of Cal Poly in the 157-pound title match on Saturday. Hall is looking to avenge a loss to Pami last season, as Pami knocked off Hall in the 2009 Pac-10 Championship match. With their wins, Hall and Smith join senior Nate Lee who also advanced to the 174-pound championship match after a 7-6 win over Ryan DesRoches of Cal Poly in the semifinals. Lee advanced to the semifinals with a 15-6 major decision against Trevor Hall (CSU Bakersfield) in the opening round. Lee is the two-time defending Pac-10 Champion. He will meet Colby Covington of Oregon State in the championship round. Unfortunately for the Broncos, it wasn't all smiles after the first day of tournament action. No. 1 seeds Levi Jones and Jason Chamberlain both saw their Pac-10 title runs come to an end, suffering heartbreaking losses in dramatic fashion Friday evening. After winning his first match of the day by fall, Jones suffered a loss by 3-1 decision in overtime to Adin Duenas of Cal State Fullerton at 141 pounds. After wrestling to a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation, it appeared as though Jones would take Duenas to a second extra period. With just 00:02 left on the clock, however, Adin scored a two point take down to earn the 3-1 win. Chamberlain followed immediately afterwards in the 149-pound semifinal match. Despite winning his first match of the day by major decision Chamberlain couldn't overcome Cal Poly's Nick Fisher, who scored a win by fall (4:24) with just 00:36 seconds remaining in the second period. As a team, Boise State still has nine wrestlers that will be competing on Saturday. Tournament action will resume at 12:00 p.m. (PST), with the championship rounds scheduled now to begin at 4:00 p.m. The Broncos currently sit in third in the team rankings with 97.5 points. Cal Poly is in No. 1 with 108.5 points and Oregon State is second with 102 points.

Davis, Calif. -- Junior Colby Covington (Springfield, Ore.), redshirt sophomore Jason Lara (Midway City, Calif.) and sophomore Clayton Jack (Vacaville, Calif.) all have clinched a trip to Omaha for the 2010 NCAA Championships after just one day of competition at the Pac-10 Championships. The Beavers are currently sitting in second place with 102 points, trailing Cal Poly, who has 108.5. Boise State is in third with 97.5. Oregon State has four wrestlers still in contention for the conference title with all six others still alive in the wrestleback brackets. Top seeded Covington breezed through his first two matches at 174 pounds, defeating No. 8 Alex Darkhovsky of UC Davis by way of a 26-10 technical fall as time expired in the match. Covington then earned his second bonus point win over No. 5 Jake Johnson of Stanford in a 16-5 major decision to advance to the championship match. He will face No. 2 Nate Lee of Boise State tomorrow. Seeded second, Lara picked up a pair of decisions to advance to the championship match at 125 pounds, defeating No. 7 Micah Ferguson of Cal Poly, 6-2, and No. 6 Frank Lomas of Cal State Bakersfield, 3-2. Lara will face No. 1 Anthony Robles of Arizona State in the championship match. Jack earned his first automatic bid, second NCAA Tournament qualification. Seeded third, Jack defeated Samuel Zylstra of Boise State for the second time this season, winning 3-0, to advance to the quarterfinals before pinning No. 2 Eric Nye of Arizona State. Jack will take on No. 1 Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield in the final match at heavyweight. Also in the hunt to earn an automatic bid are sophomore Kelly Kubec (Lake Stevens, Wash.) at 133 pounds, redshirt freshman Mike Mangrum at 141 pounds, freshman RJ Pena (Salem, Ore.) at 149 pounds, senior Keegan Davis (Salem, Ore.) at 157 pounds and senior Dan Brascetta (Aurora, Colo.) at 165 pounds. Brascetta, seeded second, is in contention for the lone spot at 165 pounds, defeating No. 7 Joseph Wilson of UC Davis, 5-2 before a 6-2 victory over No. 6 Michael Cuthbertson of Boise State in the semifinals. Brascetta will face No. 1 Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford in the championship match. Kubec is still looking to get one of the five spots up for grab, needing only to defeat No. 5 Justin Paulsen of Stanford in his first match tomorrow to advance to the third place match. No. 2 Kubec opened the day with a 10-6 win over No. 7 Justin Durham of Cal State Bakersfield but fell to No. 3 Boris Novachkov, 6-0, in the semifinals. Mangrum needs to win his next two matches in order to secure the third and final spot at 141 pounds. As the third seed, he fell in his first match against No. 6 Chris Drouin of Arizona State, 4-3, before rebounding with an 11-2 major decision over No. 7 Bryan Osuna of UC Davis. Mangrum will take on No.1 Levi Jones in the third session on Saturday. Pena was also unable to stay in the championship bracket at 149 pounds, seeded sixth, falling to No. 3 Vicente Varela of Arizona State, 9-7, but was able to come back with a 6-3 win over No. 7 Tyler Parker in his second match of the day. Pena is battling for the third and final spot in his weight class to earn an automatic bid and will face No. 1 Jason Chamberlain in the first session. Davis advanced to the semifinals, defeating No. 6 Andrew Balch of Cal State Bakersfield, 7-3, but fell to No. 2 Chase Pami, 15-3. Davis will look to earn the third spot at 157 pounds, beginning with No. 4 Lucas Espericueta for the right to advance to the third place match. Redshirt freshman Ty Vinson (Great Falls, Mont.) and sophomore Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore.) still have a slim shot of earning the automatic bid in their respective weight classes, 184 and 197, if a need to wrestle for true second is needed and both win third place. Oregon State continues competition at the Pac-10 Championships on Saturday beginning at 12:00 p.m.

DAVIS, Calif. -- With five wrestlers in the championship finals and three others still alive in the consolation semifinals, Cal Poly moved into first place in the Pacific-10 Conference Championships on Friday night at The Pavilion. Brothers Boris and Filip Novachkov, Chase Pami, Nick Fisher and Ryan Smith will wrestle for Pac-10 titles Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. after all five Mustangs won their first two bouts Friday. Steve Vasquez at 165 pounds, Ryan DesRoches at 174 and Kelan Bragg at 184 all need two wins Saturday to secure third-place finishes while Micah Ferguson at 125 and Jim Powers at 285 will wrestle for seventh place. Pami, seeking his third consecutive Pac-10 championship but seeded second this year, defeated Trevor Machado-Ching of UC Davis 15-6 and No. 3 Keegan Davis of Oregon State 15-3 for his 11th and 12th major decisions of the season. Pami, now 25-5, will face top-seeded Adam Hall of Boise State in the 157-pound finals. They have met five times in the last two years and Pami’s lone victory was a 4-3 overtime decision in last year’s Pac-10 finals. Boris Novachkov, seeded third at 133 earned a 6-1 decision over Aaron Navarrete of Cal State Fullerton and a 6-0 decision over No. 2 Kelly Kubec of Oregon State to reach the finals against top-seeded Brandon Low of UC Davis. Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State was expected to be the top seed, but he is academically ineligible for the current semester. Low beat Novachkov 6-3 in a dual meet Feb. 12. Novachkov is now 23-3 on the year. Seeded No. 2 at 141, Filip Novachkov recorded a 16-5 major decision against Bryan Osuna of UC Davis and edged Chris Drouin of Arizona State 4-2. But Novachkov (23-5) will not face the top seed in the final as Levi Jones of Boise State was upset by No. 4 Adin Duenas of Cal State Fullerton in overtime, 3-1. Novachkov beat Duenas with a 13-7 decision in a dual meet on Nov. 14. Both Novachkovs have one third-place Pac-10 finish to their credit. Fisher is perhaps the biggest surprise of the tournament. The fourth seed at 149 pounds earned an 18-2 technical fall over No. 5 Nicholas Jordan of Cal State Fullerton, then upset top-seeded Jason Chamberlain of Boise State by pinning the Bronco in 4 minutes, 24 seconds. Chamberlain had beaten Fisher 11-6 in a Jan. 24 dual meet. Fisher (17-5) will take on No. 2 Barrett Abel of UC Davis in the finals. In another dual meet this season, Abel had to default to Fisher due to an injury. Abel was leading 6-3 in the second period when he suffered a neck injury and briefly lost consciousness. At 197, Smith (pictured above), seeded third, pinned Ethan Weisrock of Cal State Fullerton in 1:50, then upset No. 2 Chad Hanke of Oregon State 7-6. Hanke beat Smith 8-3 and 3-1 in earlier matches this season. In the finals, Smith (19-10) will face top-seeded Riley Orozco of Cal State Bakersfield. Orozco owns 9-4 and 3-1 decisions over Smith this season as well as a 13-3 major decision in the 2009 Pac-10 Championships. Vasquez, DesRoches and Bragg all split their two matches Friday while Ferguson and Powers went 0-2. DesRoches (32-8), seeded No. 3 at 174 and ranked in the top 20 in the nation in several polls, pinned Eric Starks of Arizona State in 6:12, then lost a 7-6 decision to No. 2 Nathan Lee in the semifinals. With five wrestlers in the championship finals, Cal Poly has 108.5 points while Oregon State, with four in the finals, has 102 points. Two-time defending conference champion Boise State is third with 97.5 points and has three wrestlers in the finals. Coach John Azevedo’s Mustangs have never captured the Pac-10 championship, settling for second-place finishes in 2004 and 2006. Cal Poly, sixth the last two years, was 5-2 in conference dual meets this season, third in the Pac-10. Action resumes Saturday at noon with the consolation semifinals and fifth- and seventh-place matches. The championship finals will begin at 4 p.m.

The National Wrestling Media Association is pleased to announce its new partnership with the College Wrestling Network, www.collegewrestlingnetwork.com. CWN is a portal for college wrestling coverage, from a partnership of wrestling media outlets, dedicated to bringing fans additional event coverage in one convenient location. NWMA members will now have a valuable outlet for their wrestling related coverage. The CWN posts links for news and press releases, feature articles, results, rankings, photo galleries and audio/video content. "The addition of the National Wrestling Media Association to the College Wrestling Network is a tremendously positive step forward," said Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling Director of Communications and a co-founder of the CWN. "This will allow NWMA wrestling journalists who are not currently working with one of our partner organizations access to a national network to promote their work. We look forward to working together with the NWMA for the benefit of college wrestling."From more information about this exciting new partnership and to join the NWMA, contact John Johnson, President at Jjohnson@w-central.k12.ia.us or John Sachs, VP at jrsachs2001@yahoo.com Applications for membership in the National Wrestling Media Association can be downloaded at http://ewrestlingmedia.com/NWMAapp.pdf

MINNEAPOLIS -- University of Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson and the Golden Gopher Wrestling Program are pleased to announce the recent signing of high school senior Randy Hanson to an Acceptance of Admission. "We are very pleased to be adding Randy to our program," head coach J Robinson said. "As a three-time state champion and a top-ranked wrestler, he makes an already great class even better and will continue the successful tradition of Minnesota wrestling." Hanson is currently at Bethel Regional High School in Bethel, Alaska. This past season he won his third state championship, each of which came at different weight classes. In 2007 Hanson was champion at 103, before following it up with a 119-pound title in 2008. This fall, he completed the trifecta when he claimed top-honors at 125. His success on the mat carries over to the classroom where Hanson is ranked No. 1 in his class academically and maintains a 4.0 GPA. He will begin his career as a Golden Gopher next season, in the fall of 2010. The 2009-2010 edition recently wrapped up the regular season with a 12-5 overall record and a 7-1 mark to finish in second place in the Big Ten. Their only loss in league action was to unbeaten and league champion Iowa. The Gophers will begin the postseason with the Big Ten Tournament Mar. 6-7, before the NCAA Tournament Mar. 18-20.

The NCAA has announced the qualifier allocations for the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as listed in the chart below. Each qualifying tournament was awarded spots per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage; rating percentage index (RPI); and coaches ranking. A threshold of a 0.725 winning percentage, top 28 in the RPI and top 28 in the coaches ranking was established to allocate 284 of the 330 championships field positions. For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each qualifying tournament was awarded a minimum of one wrestler per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish. After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 46 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 10. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class. The complete listing of the 33 wrestlers in each weight class for the final coaches’ panel rankings, as well as the second RPI for the 2009-10 season can be found by logging on to www.ncaa.com. A full description of the entire selection process is available in Appendix C of the 2010 Division I Wrestling Championships Handbook which is available at http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handbooks/wrestling/2010/10_1_wrestling.pdf

It's difficult for University of Minnesota 141-pounder Mike Thorn to talk about what happened last March in St. Louis. Even after 11 months. Mike Thorn (Photo/The Guillotine)After a sophomore season in which he a defeated two-time NCAA champion J Jaggers of Ohio State twice and All-American Frank Molinaro of Penn State three times, Thorn, a native of St. Michael, Minnesota, laid an egg in the most important event of the season. He went 0-2 at the 2009 NCAA Championships when the stakes were the highest and was forced to sit in the stands and watch wrestlers he beat during the season advance through the tournament. "I guess it's like anything, it's a learning experience," said Thorn, his voice begins to shake as the memories creep back into his mind. "I thought about what happened at that NCAA tournament, believe me, for a long time. I guess that ... I just ... (Thorn pauses) It's hard to talk about. Um ... I don't really know what to tell you about the NCAA tournament." Thorn won't come out and say it directly because he has never been one to make excuses, but the truth is ... He was an undersized 141-pounder last season who was merely out-horsed, not necessarily out-wrestled, in his losses. "When you're competing on the mat at nationals and things don't go right, it's awfully personal," said Mike's father, John Thorn, a former Iowa State wrestler who earned All-American honors in 1983. "He took it that way. All I told him was, 'You make sure that when you get there again that you're the biggest, strongest kid on the mat and good things will happen.'" To say the disappointment of last season has fueled Thorn would be an understatement. "It gave me so much motivation," said Thorn. "I got back in the weight room over the summer and lifted harder than you can even imagine. I pretty much lived in the weight room all summer long. Just making sure that when I grab a hold of guys, they're going to feel how strong I am." Thorn's opponents this season have certainly felt it. The 141-pounder will head to the Big Ten Championships on March 6-7 in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a 21-5 season record. This season he has been ranked as high as fourth in the InterMat rankings and has never dropped below eighth. Thorn is one of the most improved wrestlers on a Gopher team that is expected to be in the hunt for a team trophy at the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Nebraska. Mike Thorn (Photo/The Guillotine)Thorn's improvement is evident in his results this season. He has beaten eight opponents who have been ranked this season. Six of those eight victories over ranked opponents have come with bonus points. Last season, Ryan Prater of Illinois thumped Thorn, 11-0. This season, Thorn not only avenged the loss, but put a beating on Prater, winning 10-1. Thorn has also proven this season that he can compete with the very best 141-pounders in the country. He lost by one point to No. 1 Kyle Dake of Cornell and two points to No. 2 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. Against Dake (in the finals of the Southern Scuffle), Thorn held a 4-2 lead in the third period before getting reversed and ridden out to lose 5-4. "I have to be a little more aware of match strategy," said Thorn. "When you're winning 4-2 in the third period, the only thing you don't do is get reversed ... and I got reversed. So it's just simple match strategy. I kind of feel like I handed the match to him. Next time I don't plan on doing that." The early days Mike Thorn's wrestling career began when he was in kindergarten. His father, John, served as a coach for the HiFlyers Wrestling Club, which is where Thorn got his start. The HiFlyers Wrestling Club has been one of the most prominent wrestling clubs in Minnesota for many years. When Thorn began wrestling freestyle in the club in the mid-90s, Marty Morgan, a former NCAA champion and longtime head assistant coach for the Gophers, served as the head coach of the HiFlyers. John Thorn worked with the younger kids in the club, while Morgan worked with the older kids. In addition, the HiFlyers brought in Gopher wrestlers every season to serve as coaches ... like Brandon Paulson, Zac Taylor, Brandon Eggum, and Chad Erikson, among others. John ThornIt wasn't long before Thorn was hooked on the sport his father grew to love. "Mike took to it right away," said John Thorn, an investment advisor who also serves as a volunteer assistant wrestling coach at St. Michael-Albertville High School. "It was obvious early on that he was pretty good at it. As he got into the HiFlyers, we had an awfully good crew of younger kids at that time. He made a lot of friends through the club." Thorn went 1-1 in kindergarten and 8-7 in first grade. But the more he tasted success, the more he enjoyed the sport. It wasn't long before he was racking up trophies and medals at state and national events. The Thorn family attended virtually every Gopher home meet to cheer on the HiFlyer coaches. Making his mark in high school In the summer of 2002, Thorn, who was going into ninth grade at the time, went out to the prestigious Cadet Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota and reached the finals in Greco-Roman and placed fifth in freestyle while competing at 84 pounds. It was around that time that Thorn knew that wrestling was something he wanted to pursue beyond high school. Mike Thorn was a Cadet Nationals double All-American at 84 pounds in his first trip to Fargo in 2002 (Photo/The Guillotine)"I started training on my own in eighth, ninth grade," said Thorn. "I kind of started to take care of my own workouts. It wasn't my dad pushing me or even coaches. I kind of realized how much work I was putting into the sport. And I kind of realized that I've been wrestling for so long, I might as well continue to wrestle in college. You put all that work in, you might as well keep going. I really liked it too." As a freshman at St. Michael-Albertville High School, Thorn reached the state finals in Class AA at 103 pounds before losing to a bigger, stronger wrestler in Travis Elg of Windom Area. "I think the whole run up to the state finals was probably more important than whether he won or lost in the finals," said Mike's father. "He was pretty small that year. He wrestled 98 all the next summer. He probably weighed 100, 101 dripping wet ... so just the fact that he was able to be that competitive with kids that were obviously physically bigger than him gave him the faith that he was headed in the right direction." Despite the disappointing loss, Thorn grew from the experience. "I learned a pretty big lesson from losing that match in the state finals," said Thorn. "When I got to the finals, I was pretty excited. I think I had a little bit of a feeling of being content with being in the finals." The next season, as a sophomore, Thorn was dominant all season long, going 49-0 and capturing the state title at 112 pounds, dominating a very tough, previously-unbeaten Seth Flodeen of Cannon Falls in the finals. (Flodeen would go on to win an NCAA title in Division III for Augsburg College.) Not only was it Thorn's first state high school title, but it was also marked the first state title for the Thorn family. John Thorn was a two-time state runner-up for Algona High School in Iowa, but was never able to get over the hump and get to the top of the podium. After Thorn's hand was raised, John Thorn turned to his wife, Brenda, gave her a big hug and said, "It took two generations, but Mike finally got it done." "I don't know if Mike quite knows how big of an achievement it was for the Thorn family because of my history of taking second a couple times," said John Thorn. "You could tell in the mental aspect of it he was seeing the bigger picture, seeing the difference between a good high school wrestler and good national-level wrestler." The sport of wrestling had consumed Thorn at that point. He loved it. After his high school seasons were over, he competed in all the major spring and summer events in Minnesota and throughout the country. He developed friendships with other Minnesota standout wrestlers like Zach Sanders and Jayson Ness. Zach Sanders, Jayson Ness, and Mike Thorn have been friends since they were young. The three now make up the first three weight classes in the Minnesota lineup (Photo/The Guillotine)"We have been friends for quite a while ... back to the youth days," said Thorn of Zach Sanders and Jayson Ness. "I think when we got into high school and began competing on the same teams, like at Junior Duals, we started talking about how cool it would be if we all started at the first three weights for the Gophers." According to John Thorn, the three young wrestlers became known as "the three amigos." At the time, Ness was bigger than Thorn. As a junior, Thorn moved up a weight class from 119 pounds to 125 pounds to face Ness, who was a senior, during a regular season tournament. Ness won that match 6-0. Despite losing to Ness, who competed in Class AAA, Thorn captured his second Class AA state title. This time his state title came at 119 pounds. As Thorn prepared for his senior year, the college recruiting season was in full swing. He took visits to Minnesota, Northern Illinois, and North Dakota State. Michigan also recruited him. He was planning on taking a visit to Ann Arbor, but cancelled his visit after Michigan signed a wrestler to fill his weight class and could no longer offer him a scholarship. At the time, Thorn was projected as a 133-pounder in college. The Gophers had signed several top recruits who were lightweights in previous years ... wrestlers like Jayson Ness, Mack Reiter, and Manny Rivera, so when the time came for Thorn to be recruited, the scholarship offer from the Gophers could not match the offers Thorn was getting from other out-of-state schools. However, despite that, Thorn chose to stay home and signed with Gophers. "It was pretty obvious where Mike's heart was," said John Thorn. "It was to be with Gophers." As a senior, Thorn was head and shoulders above his competition. He capped off an undefeated senior season (49-0) with his third state title. At the state tournament, he won by technical fall in his first match before pinning his next three opponents, which included a pin in the first period of his state finals match. His team, St. Michael-Albertville, also captured its third state title. And if that wasn't enough, his younger brother, David, a freshman at the time, won the state title at 103 pounds. "It was a lot of fun when we both won state titles," said Thorn. "It was rewarding for me to win, but at the same time it was really exciting to watch him win his first state title." For David Thorn, who would go on to win four state titles and a Junior Nationals title, that experience of sharing a state title with his older brother still ranks at the top of his wrestling accolades. "It was awesome," said David Thorn, who defeated Cole VonOhlen of Jackson Country Central to win the state title at 103 pounds. "That is probably the highlight of my wrestling career so far. It was a pretty emotional moment. It's definitely what we were hoping for. It all came together." Mike Thorn placed third at Junior Nationals in freestyle after his senior year of high school, losing only to Kellen Russell (Photo/The Guillotine)After the high school wrestling season, Thorn was named Mr. Minnesota of Wrestling, an award given to the senior that best exemplifies the highest ideals of high school wrestling in Minnesota. That summer, Thorn placed third at Junior Nationals in freestyle, losing only to Kellen Russell (current Michigan wrestler, All-American, and two-time Big Ten champion). It was then time to turn the page on his high school career and begin a new chapter of his life at the University of Minnesota. Wrestling for the Gophers It is common practice for Division I college wrestling coaches to redshirt incoming freshmen, especially at the University of Minnesota. There are very few exceptions in which Minnesota coach J Robinson chooses to let a wrestler compete for a spot in the lineup as a true freshman. (Dustin Schlatter won an NCAA title for Minnesota as a true freshman in 2006.) The plan was for Thorn to redshirt his first year at Minnesota. Thorn came to the Gophers with great wrestling skills, but it was obvious that he needed to get stronger and mature physically before he was ready to be competitive in the Big Ten Conference. That plan to redshirt Thorn his first year was thrown out the window when Mack Reiter, a Big Ten champion and All-American, tore his ACL in practice. The Gophers suddenly needed a 133-pounder and Thorn was the next best option after Reiter. Recalled Thorn, "I came up to J (Robinson) and said, 'I don't know what you're thinking, but I would like to wrestle.' And he said, 'Yeah, we were considering it.'" Reiter was a junior at the time, so Thorn was not expected to wrestle in the lineup more than three seasons. However, after Reiter's injury, Thorn was put in the lineup until Reiter returned later that season. By wrestling as a true freshman until Reiter returned, it allowed Thorn to redshirt the following season while Reiter competed in the lineup as a senior. So essentially Thorn was getting an opportunity to wrestle four seasons in the lineup when originally it looked like only three. Thorn had been one of the pleasant surprises for the Gopher coaching staff during preseason practices. He was further along in his development than most anticipated, which is one of the reasons why he was given that opportunity to start. Physically, though, he was not ready to compete with the nation's top Division I wrestlers. Mike Thorn went 14-15 as a true freshman for Minnesota at 133 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)As a true freshman, Thorn never backed down from his competition, but was simply out-horsed in many of his matches. He went 14-15 that season before Reiter returned to the lineup in late January. "It was really tough," said Thorn of wrestling in the lineup as a true freshman. "When you lose more than you win, even though it was pretty close, it's tough mentally. I was pretty happy when Mack came back. But at the same time, it motivated me over the next couple years to make sure the next time I get a chance to wrestle I was ready to go." Thorn redshirted the next season and went 19-1 in open tournament competition. The Gophers brought in Zach Sanders that season. Jayson Ness, who competed 125 pounds for his first two seasons in the lineup, made the decision to move up to 133 pounds the next season, which would allow Sanders to start as a freshman at 125 pounds. It also meant that if Thorn wanted a spot in lineup, he needed to move up to 141 pounds. "When the coaches told me that Jayson was moving up 133, I really had no other choice," said Thorn. "It was either move up to 141 or I could go somewhere else and wrestle, I suppose. I took it ... and I worked really hard in the weight room. I got myself into a 141-pound body." Mike Thorn lost in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Championships to Trenton Washington of Northern Iowa (Photo/The Guillotine)Last season, as a sophomore, Thorn showed flashes of his potential with some big wins, but struggled with consistency down the stretch and had trouble with bigger, stronger wrestlers. He finished the season with a 29-17 record. "He just wasn't quite physically ready," said John Thorn. "We talked about it a lot. He lost a lot of close matches last year and the majority of them were basically because he didn't have the horsepower to finish some positions. That's what happened at nationals. He ran into the UNI boy (Trenton Washington) ... and he was just too strong for Mike. I think getting to 141 and being ready to make a run at being an All-American or national champ has been a two-year process." Thorn spent endless hours in the weight room last offseason to get ready for his junior season. This season he has reunited with his younger brother, David, who joined the Gopher program after a stellar prep career. "Dave has been a great partner for me this season," said Thorn. "We do a lot of drilling together. We work on technique a lot together. A lot of times the day of the match I will do a lot of drilling with him to get to ready for the match, sharpen up." David Thorn was a four-time Minnesota state champion and Junior Nationals freestyle champion (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)David is three years younger and the middle brother in the famous wrestling family from St. Michael, Minnesota. (The youngest Thorn brother, Tommy, was a Ninth Grade League state champion this season as an eighth-grader.) "It was nice having Mike to kind of pave the way," said David Thorn, who is redshirting this season and expected to replace Ness in the lineup next season at 133 pounds. "I just look at some of the mistakes he made ... and I just try not to make the same mistakes. He was a good role model for me." Off the mat, Mike and David are similar. Both are easy-going college kids who like to laugh and have a good time. One the mat, however, their styles are not very similar. Mike wrestles left-handed, while David wrestles right-handed. Mike is a ground and pound, punishing-type wrestler, while David is as slick and technically sound as they come. Mike has always been a pinner, while David would just as soon rack up takedowns and win his matches by technical fall. The two brothers complement each other well, each helping the other in areas of deficiency. "Mike has helped David on the mental stuff," said John Thorn. "David is very much a perfectionist. Perfectionists can make great wrestlers, but they can also beat themselves up to where mistakes are super tough on them mentally and losses are super tough on them mentally. Again, that makes you a great wrestler because you don't want to lose, but you also have to deal with it and be willing to challenge yourself and not be afraid to go for it. I think David very much feeds off Mike's free spirit and that fire in his belly to compete. I think they help each other a lot. They have turned into very good teammates and friends." Interestingly, Thorn's aggressive, wide-open wrestling style is nothing like his father's wrestling style either. John Thorn during his college days at Iowa State"I was a plodder," said John Thorn. "I call my old style 'Iowa farm-boy wrestling.' Two hands on one leg, get you down, and squeeze you to death. Mike wrestles left-handed. I always wrestled right-handed. Mike has always been awfully good on his feet. If I could keep it even on the feet, I would probably beat you because I was an awfully good rider and didn't have trouble getting away from kids." But if you ask one of John Thorn's college teammates at Iowa State, Joe Gibbons, who now serves as a wrestling broadcaster for the Big Ten Network (along with brother Jim), father and son look like spitting images of each other as college wrestlers. "If anybody wanted to know what John Thorn looked like, just look at Mike," commented Gibbons during the Minnesota-Illinois broadcast on the Big Ten Network earlier this season. "Thirty years ago, looks just like him." The Postseason chase Expectations are high for Mike Thorn heading into the postseason. These are expectations he brought on himself after a very impressive regular season. He knows that his season will be defined by what he accomplishes in March. Mike Thorn (Photo/The Guillotine)"My goals for this season are to just keep wrestling the way I'm wrestling right now, keep carrying it into the postseason," said Thorn. "Then show up at the NCAA tournament ready to wrestle, wrestle five solid matches, get to the finals, and win that match in the finals." Mike's father knows what the postseason chase is all about. He was a four-year starter for Iowa State and qualified for the NCAA Championships all four seasons. He finished fourth at the 1983 NCAA Championships at 118 pounds and was a Big 8 champion at 126 pounds in 1985. His senior season (1985), he was seeded fourth at the NCAA Championships and broke his ankle in the quarterfinals and had to default out of the tournament. So what advice does he have for his son heading into the postseason? "Just have fun, enjoy the chase," said John Thorn. "Sometimes goals can get pretty heavy. It gets to be so important that it gets hard to get there. Just relax, enjoy your teammates, enjoy the chase. You're only this age for a very short period of your life, so just enjoy it." This story also appears in the February 26 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe, click HERE.

Anthony Zanetta

Ryan Tomei

Matt Wilps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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