InterMat Staff

For wrestling fans Dan Gable is someone that needs no introduction. As a coach and competitor he gained fame and acclaim that transcended the boundaries of his sport. On Friday night he will cross the lines into another sport, mixed martial arts. No, Gable won’t be stepping in the cage; but he will be an invited guest on the Inside MMA show on January 15, 2010. "This is a unique opportunity for the sport of wrestling to get national television coverage," stated Scott Casber, host of the Takedown Wrestling TV Show. "Dan Gable is one of the biggest names in the sport of wrestling and I think people are going to be very interested in what he has to say." Inside MMA will air live from the University of Iowa on Friday night at 9:00 pm (ET) on HDNet. The show will preview the Oklahoma State-Iowa dual on Saturday and examine the relationship between wrestling and mixed martial arts. Dan Gable and Scott Casber will both be on the discussion panel with MMA legends Guy Mezger and Pat Miletich, and hosts Bas Rutton and Kenny Rice. "This is going to be quite a production," said Scott Casber. "Normally they shoot the studio in Los Angeles but they have taken the whole production on the road for this broadcast. They spent the week shooting in Stillwater and Iowa City and have interviewed John Smith and Tom Brands." The Iowa-Oklahoma State is one of the most highly anticipated dual meets of the year. The top-ranked and undefeated Hawkeyes just won the 2010 National Duals while the fifth-ranked Cowboys won the 2010 Virginia Duals. The Inside MMA broadcast will feature a panel discussion that looks at all sides of the wrestling-MMA relationship. "We will talk about a number of wrestlers that have made the transition to mixed martial arts; discuss how MMA can promote and support wrestling as well as what wrestling can continue to do for MMA,; and we will look the future of both sports,"said Casber. For Casber and wrestling fans alike the spotlight on wrestlers in mixed martial arts has been a long time coming. "For a long time wrestling distanced itself mixed martial arts and that is something that is something that is changing,"offered Casber. "The more wrestlers that are moving into MMA and having success, the closer the two sports are being drawn together. Wrestling has a lot to offer mixed martial arts and it can benefit tremendously from the exposure that MMA can offer."

On Saturday, two college wrestling dynasties, Oklahoma State and Iowa, will meet at 7 p.m. CST at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Between them, the two programs have won 56 NCAA championships. The Big Ten Network will air a taped-delay broadcast of the dual meet on Sunday at 9 p.m. CST. No. 1 Iowa has won a school-record 51 consecutive dual meets. The last team to defeat Iowa was Oklahoma State on January 5, 2008. The Cowboys, who are ranked No. 3, have won nine of the last 10 meetings against the Hawkeyes. Last weekend, Iowa won its third straight NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals title, while Oklahoma State won the Virginia Duals. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of Saturday's dual meet. Matchups are subject to change. 125: No. 9 Chris Notte (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 4 Matt McDonough (Iowa) McDonough, an undefeated freshman with a record of 19-0, is wrestling with a lot of confidence right now. He won a Midlands title last month and then went 4-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals last weekend, which included victories over No. 5 Andrew Long of Iowa State, No. 6 Zach Sanders of Minnesota, and No. 14 Alan Bartelli of Boise State. Notte, a returning NCAA qualifier, made the move down from 133 pounds to 125 pounds this season. He is 15-4 this season with his last loss coming to Anthony Robles in the semifinals of the Reno Tournament of Championships on December 20. Bottom Line: With the way McDonough is wrestling right now, it would be surprising to see him lose this match, especially in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Notte, though, is a solid competitor and should be in the match. Looking at common opponents, McDonough defeated Minnesota's Zach Sanders, 6-4, while Notte lost to Sanders, 11-5. Prediction: McDonough (Iowa) dec. Notte (Oklahoma) 133: No. 6 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. Nate Moore (Iowa) The expectations were very high for Oliver entering the season ... and the freshman has lived up to the hype. He is 17-2 this season with his only losses coming to No. 2 Jayson Ness and No. 5 Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly. Iowa has listed both Moore and Dennis as potential starters. Indications are that Moore will get the start over Dennis, who is recovering from an ankle injury and did not compete last weekend at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Moore, a two-time Iowa state champion with a prep record of 181-3, has done a nice job filling in for Dennis. He placed sixth at the Midlands, which included victories over No. 9 Scott Sentes of Central Michigan and No. 14 Matt Fisk of Lehigh. Bottom Line: Two years ago, Oliver and Moore were two of the nation's top recruits from the Class of 2008. Both have progressed nicely after redshirt seasons and the expectations remain high for both wrestlers. This could potentially be a rivalry in the making ... if both stay in the same weight class in the coming years. Oliver is the pick, but expect it to be a very competitive match. Prediction: Oliver (Oklahoma State) dec. Moore (Iowa) 141: No. 5 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 11 Montell Marion or Dan LeClere (Iowa) Parks, an NCAA qualifier last season, has been solid for the Cowboys. He is 20-3 and won the Reno Tournament of Champions. The Hawkeyes are deep in this weight class with Marion, LeClere, and possibly Joe Slaton if he becomes eligible to compete. Marion is 16-4, while LeClere is 10-3. Marion defeated LeClere at the Midlands ... and then wrestled three of the four matches at the NWCA Cliff/Keen Matches, so it appears he has the upper hand. Bottom Line: This is a crucial match for both teams. Parks defeated Marion, 11-5, at the 2007 Kaufman-Brand Open, but both have come a long way since that meeting. Marion was pinned in his last match against Minnesota's Mike Thorn, a wrestler Parks has beaten the past two seasons. Regardless of whether it's Marion or LeClere that gets the call for the Hawkeyes, Parks is the pick. Prediction: Parks (Oklahoma State) dec. Marion (Iowa) 149: Quinten Fuentes (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) Metcalf is 19-0 and has picked up bonus points in 16 of his 19 matches. He has beaten four wrestlers ranked in the top 10, including No. 2 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin, who he defeated 9-2 in the finals of the Midlands. Fuentes has stepped in for the injured Albert White, who may miss the remainder of the season. Fuentes has struggled with consistency this season. He won seven of his first nine matches this season, but has lost five of his last seven heading into Saturday's dual meet. His most notable win this season came against No. 16 Barrett Abel of UC Davis on December 18, but Abel came back to pin him last weekend at the Virginia Duals. Bottom Line: Metcalf should dominate this match from start to finish. He won 20-8 over Fuentes last season. Expect a similar result on Saturday. Prediction: Metcalf (Iowa) major dec. Fuentes (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 13 Neil Erisman (Oklahoma State) vs. Aaron Janssen or Jake Kerr (Iowa) Erisman, a Big 12 runner-up last season, comes into Saturday's match with an 18-6 record. Last weekend, Erisman went 3-1 at the Virginia Duals, losing only to No. 6 Cyler Sanderson of Penn State, 5-4. The Hawkeyes have used both Janssen and Kerr in dual meets this season. Janssen went 3-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals ... and will most likely get the start against Erisman. Bottom Line: All six of Erisman's losses this season have come to wrestlers ranked above him, so he should be able to beat whoever Iowa puts out on the mat. No bonus points here. Prediction: Erisman (Oklahoma State) dec. Janssen (Iowa) 165: No. 12 Alex Meade (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 3 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) Morningstar is 15-2 with both losses coming to Iowa State's Jon Reader in December. Morningstar came back to beat Reader last weekend at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Meade, a freshman, is 20-4 with his signature win coming against Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter on December 4. Two of his four losses have come to No. 8 Dan Vallimont of Penn State. Bottom Line: Although Meade is a confident and talented freshman who should have a very successful career in a Cowboy singlet, it will be a tall order to go into Carver-Hawkeye Arena and beat the senior Morningstar. Both are tough to score on, so expect a tight, low-scoring match that could be decided by one takedown. Meade will be game, but Morningstar's big match experience could prove to be the difference. Prediction: Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Meade (Oklahoma State) 174: No. 7 Mike Benefiel (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) Borschel is at the top of his game right now. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals after going 4-0 with wins over four ranked opponents. Not only has he been winning, but he has been putting a lot of points on the scoreboard. Benefiel was one of the nation's top recruits in 2007. He began his career at Northwestern, but some unfortunate circumstances led to Benefiel leaving the program in December of 2008. He enrolled at Oklahoma State in the fall. However, because of transfer rules, Benefiel was not eligible to compete for the Cowboys until mid-December. He has been impressive this season, going 24-1. He was name Outstanding Wrestler at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Bottom Line: This is one of the most anticipated matches in the dual meet. Both wrestlers are hot and wrestling at a very high level right now. Benefiel, though, has yet to beat an opponent ranked in the top 10, while Borschel continues to knock off ranked opponent after ranked opponent. Benefiel certainly has the tools to win this match, but he has never been in an environment like he will see at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Prediction: Borschel (Iowa) dec. Benefiel (Oklahoma State) 184: No. 13 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Phil Keddy (Iowa) Keddy, a two-time All-American, has as many losses this season (five) as he had all of last season, but he has wrestled a brutal schedule, already facing five of the top 10 wrestlers in his weight class. He went 2-2 at the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals last weekend, but both losses were in overtime ... one being a tiebreaker loss to No. 1 Kirk Smith of Boise State. Foster, who moved down from 197 pounds to 184 pounds, started the season with a bang, winning his first 10 before suffering an injury that kept him out of the Reno Tournament of Champions and two dual meets. He came back at the Virginia Duals last weekend, where he lost 9-3 to No. 12 David Erwin of Penn State. Bottom Line: This could be a swing match in the dual meet. Neither wrestler is firing on all cylinders right now, which makes it difficult to predict. Keddy has not lost at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since February 17, 2008. Prediction: Keddy (Iowa) dec. Foster (Oklahoma State) 197: No. 7 Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) vs. Brodie Ambrose or Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) Gelogaev was a bit of a phenomenon entering this season. He trained under Russian wrestling legend Buvaisar Saitiev in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia for five years before moving to the U.S. His wrestling resume is littered with impressive freestyle wrestling credentials, but he is still transitioning to folkstyle wrestling. He is currently 20-1 and ranked No. 7. The only blemish on his record came on December 1 against Oklahoma's Eric Lapotksy, a match he lost 10-4 and struggled mightily from the bottom position. Since then, Gelogaev has reeled off 11 straight victories, which includes a tournament title at the Reno Tournament of Champions, where he dominated the competition. With Chad Beatty out of the lineup for the Hawkeyes, either Ambrose or Lofthouse will get the call. Ambrose has yet to compete this season, while Lofthouse is 14-9. Bottom Line: Gelogaev's confidence seems to be growing as he becomes more and more comfortable with folkstyle wrestling. Since the Reno Tournament of Championships, Gelogaev has completely crushed his competition. Oklahoma State will be looking for bonus points here. Prediction: Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) major dec. Lofthouse (Iowa) 285: No. 1 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. Blake Rasing or Jordan Johnson (Iowa) Rosholt, a two-time All-American, is the No. 1 heavyweight in the country. He is currently 20-1 and has not lost since the first week of the season. He was dominant at the Virginia Duals last weekend, going 4-0 with three pins, which included a pin over No. 5 Zach Rey of Lehigh. Iowa starter Dan Erekson, a returning All-American, has been out all season, so Raising and Johnson have filled the void. Johnson is 11-2 with losses to No. 4 David Zabriskie of Iowa State (4-1) and No. 9 D.J. Russo of Rutgers (pinned). He scored a 3-2 victory over No. 10 Tucker Lane of Nebraska at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Rasing is 9-8 on the season, but has dropped seven of his last nine matches. Bottom Line: Rosholt should win this match, but bonus points would be a surprise. Both of Iowa's reserve heavyweights have shown they can compete with the top heavyweights. Prediction: Rosholt (Oklahoma State) dec. Johnson (Iowa) Dual Meet Prediction: Iowa 16, Oklahoma State 16 This article also appears on the official site of the Big Ten Network.

Kirk Ledger

Shane Onufer

On Friday at 9 p.m. EST, Inside MMA on HDNet will be in Iowa City to preview one of the biggest NCAA wrestling duals of the year between Iowa and Oklahoma State. Guests Dan Gable, Guy Mezger, Scott Casber, and Pat Miletich discuss the impact of college wrestling on MMA. The impact college wrestling has had on mixed martial arts (MMA) is undeniable. Of the 22 fighters on the UFC 100 card, 11 were former college wrestlers. MMA icon Randy Couture was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma State and three-time Olympic team alternate in Greco-Roman. Current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was an NCAA champion at Minnesota. The list goes on and on. In a series of interviews discussing college wrestling's impact on MMA, Scott Casber talks with several wrestlers who have entered the world of MMA, including Randy Couture, Daniel Cormier, Cole Konrad, Tommy Rowlands, Marty Morgan, and others. Randy Couture Tommy Rowlands Aaron Simpson Mark Munoz Cole Konrad Marty Morgan Daniel Cormier Ben Askren Thom Ortiz B.J. Thomas Dennis Deliddo & DeWayne Zinkin

This week: From the University of Iowa, Inside MMA previews one of the biggest NCAA wrestling duals of the year between Iowa and Oklahoma State. Guests Dan Gable, Guy Mezger, Scott Casber and Pat Miletich discuss the impact of college wrestling on MMA. Additional featured interviews with Iowa Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands and Oklahoma State Cowboy head coach John Smith on Friday night. http://hd.net/insidemma.html Where to Watch: Cable Providers Dish Network Direct TV

Clarion University freshman 149-pound grappler James Fleming (West Mifflin) was named today as the PSAC and EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) “Wrestler of the Week” for his performance for the Golden Eagles at the 30th Annual Virginia Duals over the weekend. Fleming, a true freshman, boosted his season record to 14-5 as he registered three impressive wins in Clarion’s three dual meets. He had a technical fall and two pins for his 3-0 weekend. On Friday Fleming led Clarion to a 20-18 upset win over #25 ranked Old Dominion as he notched a 17-2, technical fall win over ODU’s John Nicholson, who entered the match with a 19-4 record. In Clarion’s second dual the Golden Eagles lost 42-6 to #4 ranked Oklahoma State, but Fleming pinned the Cowboys Quinten Fuentes (#14 by WIN) at 4:06. Fuentes had a 14-6 record and a team leading 11 pins entering the bout. Fleming pinned Michigan’s Mike Sears at 3:46 in his last match, although the Eagles fell 29-15. “Jim had a great weekend and is really deserving of these honors,” said Clarion’s fourth year head coach Teague Moore. “He works very hard every day to improve his skills and has a great attitude towards wrestling. We’re proud to have him in blue and gold.” Fleming, the son of John Fleming and Regina Fitzgerald, was a 4-time PIAA placewinner at West Mifflin High under coach Tony Salopek. He had a career record of 130-15. CLARION NOTES: The Golden Eagles wrestle at Eastern Michigan on Friday night, then return home to host #16 ranked Edinboro on Sunday, January 15th at 2pm.

Wyoming Seminary with their second win on the gauntlet Continuing along on their journey through the nation's toughest schedule -- Wyoming Seminary, PA traveled to Council Rock South, PA and came home with a tournament championship. They were champions at Hopewell, fourth at the Ironman, third at the Beast, and third at the Cheesehead. The Knights scored 243 points, which was enough to upend defending champions Central Mountain, PA. The Wildcats scored 219, as the teams swapped places from last year. Each school was without a nationally ranked wrestler in the tournament; top-ranked Mike McMullan (285) sat out for Wyoming Seminary, while Jordan Rich (135) was out for Central Mountain. Eight Knights wrestlers made the championship finals, half came home with championships. Title winners were Dominick Malone (112), Kyle Johnson (119), Simon Kitzis (135), and Chris Moon (160). Coming in second place were Eric Morris (130), Cohl Fulk (140), Jay Wieller (171), and Matt Bilodeau (189). Malone, ranked 12th in the country, defeated 15th ranked Chris Donaldson (Salesianum, DE) 1-0 in the semifinal match; Donaldson would end up finishing third. On the other hand, it was a five-for-five night in the finals for the Wildcats of Central Mountain. Brian Brill (140), Andrew (145) and Dylan (152) Alton, Dylan Caprio (171), and Zach Corl (285) all rose to the top step of the podium for their awards photo. Andrew Alton defeated Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) 10-6 in a much anticipated matchup involving two of the nation's elite seniors; Dziewa is ranked third at 140, while Alton is ranked first and 145. The only other squad with multiple champions was Paulsboro, NJ -- whose pair of nationally ranked wrestlers Joe Duca (125) and Zach Greenwald (215) was tops in their weight class. Rounding out the champions were Zain Retherford (Line Mountain, PA) at 103 pounds; Dan Neff (Solanco, PA) at 130; and Jamie Callender (Council Rock North, PA) at 189. Two other interesting notes from the tournament: (1) Sussex Central, DE had three finalists -- none were able to win a championship as Brandon Shultie (125), Ryan Walls (135), and Jay Matheus (160) all were second place finishers (2) Beast of the East champion Matt Idelson (Garnet Valley, PA) lost his quarterfinal match at 215 pounds by an 8-7 score against Todd Hall (Athens, PA) but then defaulted out of the tournament in his consolation match. Apple Valley repeats as champions at a weather-marred Clash In relatively dominant fashion -- Apple Valley, MN repeated at the Clash Duals with four of their five victories in dominating fashion. The Eagles opened with a first round bye in Friday morning Bracket "A" competition before earning a 55-12 victory over Carl Sandburg, IL; and then dominating Grand Island, NE 50-19 in the championship final. About the only negative on the day was that state champion Dakota Trom (119) lost to a freshman Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg, IL) 5-3, as Apple Valley won 20 out of 28 matches. Montini Catholic, IL joined Apple Valley as a champion in morning session competition on Friday, earning the top spot in Bracket "B." The Broncos had a first round bye and then advanced to the final with a 46-15 win over Hastings, MN; and they defeated Roseburg, OR 33-23 in the bracket final. Simley, MN became the third team to advance to the first place pool on Saturday evening with two dominating wins on Friday afternoon from Bracket "C." They beat Owantonna, MN by a 58-13 score; and dominated Waverly Shell-Rock, IA 60-7 in a match where the only Go-Hawk wins came from their pair of nationally ranked wrestlers -- No. 2 Jacob Ballweg (135) and No. 13 Cody Krumwiede (215). Simley won three lower weight matches by one point or in overtime to remove all doubt from the dual meet; Juan Torres beat Tanner Werner 11-9 in overtime at 112 pounds, Dylan Wright beat a former two-time state champion Eric Devos 6-4 in overtime at 119 pounds, and Jake Short defeated state runner-up Jordan Rinken 2-1 at 130 pounds. Park Hill, MO was the favorite in Bracket "D" heading into the tournament. However, due to the massive storm that hit the midwest region of the United States on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, Park Hill was one of five teams that had to pull out of the event. The two other Show-Me State teams, Blue Springs and Oak Grove, also had to pull out -- as did Independence, IA and Skutt Catholic, NE. One team was added to the event -- Zumbrata-Mazeppa, MN -- and there were some adjustments to the brackets in order to create seven teams per Friday bracket. There was also obviously no eighth place pool on Saturday morning. Inheriting the top seed in the "D" bracket was Wisconsin Rapids, WI -- and they were able to capitalize upon that position into the first place pool during Friday afternoon bracket competition. Coming off the first round by, life was not easy for Wisconsin Rapids against Sturgis, SD. This came down to the last match of the dual meet, as Ryan Lubeck (Wisconsin Rapids) held on to a 4-3 victory over Nate Wilson to seal a 35-30 margin of victory. One upset in favor of Sturgis was that Chris Vinson defeated 18th ranked Curt Fuller 2-1 at 285 pounds. An outcome that went against Sturgis was that NHSCA Sophomore Nationals third place finisher Clint Wilson was forced to injury default out of the match at 189 pounds in this dual meet. After that match, Wisconsin Rapdis did upend Kasson Mantorville, MN 44-14 to win the bracket. Proceeding onward to the Saturday pools, Apple Valley swept those three matches; 32-20 over Simley in the opening match, 45-12 over Wisconsin Rapids, and then closing it out with a 40-16 victory over Montini Catholic. The other three teams split matches against each other. Montini Catholic opened with a 34-22 victory against Wisconsin Rapids, Simley followed it up with a 29-26 defeat of Montini Catholic, and Wisconsin Rapids closed things out with a 29-27 result over Simley. Some notable results included: Kurtis Julson (Simley) upsetting No. 19 Steve Keogh (Apple Valley) 1-0 in overtime at 160 pounds, Montini Catholic closing out the last three matches against Wisconsin Rapids with victories by two or less points, No. 16 Jake Waste (Apple Valley) defeated Devin Peterson (Wisconsin Rapids) for the second time this year 5-3 in overtime at 171 pounds, Montini Catholic still couldn't beat Simley even with a 3-1 edge in one point matches, and No. 15 Kevon Powell (Montini Catholic) avenged a loss at the Cheesehead with a 4-2 victory over Jordan Kingsley (Apple Valley) at 103 pounds. Summarizing all pool placement results: http://www.clashmn.com/Clash8/Results/Clash8Day2.html All-Tournament Team: 103 -- Morgan Engbrecht (Sturgis, SD) 6-0; 112 -- Eric Bauer (Hastings, MN) 6-0; 119 -- Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg, IL) 6-0; 125 -- Alex Manley (Baylor, TN) 5-0; 130 -- Seth Lange (Sturgis, SD) 6-0; 135 -- Tyler Argue (Mount Carmel, IL) 6-0; 140 -- Jacob Ballweg (Waverly Shell-Rock, IA) 6-0; 145 -- Seth Thomas (Roseburg, OR) 6-0; 152 -- Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) 5-0; 160 -- Jordan Campa (STMA, MN) 6-0; 171 -- Jake Waste (Apple Valley, MN) 5-0; 189 -- Michael Kroells (Scott West, MN) 6-0; 215 -- Cody Krumwiede (Waverly Shell-Rock, IA) 6-0; and 285 -- Evan Knutson (Wausau West, WI) 5-0. Other nationally ranked undefeated wrestlers: No. 15 Kevon Powell (Montini Catholic, IL) 5-0 at 103; No. 8 Josh Keszler (Sturgis, SD) 6-0 at 125; No. 16 at 130 Matt Kelliher (Apple Valley, MN) 5-0 at 125; No. 17 at 130 Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, MN) 5-0 at 135; No. 14 Noah Budi (Kaukauna, WI) 5-0; and No. 20 Sani-Jonathan Fuimaono (Punahou, HI) 5-0. Clovis dominates at home in the Doc Buchanan In chapter one of a back-to-back prelude to the California State Wrestling Tournament, the host squad at the Doc Buchanan was unkind to over fifty guest teams as part of a dominating performance. Despite only two finalists -- Tommy Burriel (189) was the sole champion -- Clovis, CA made its statement with ten placers to score 211 team points. One champ, one runner-up, three third place finishers, two finishing fifth, one in sixth, and two in seventh was enough to distance itself from the second place team by just less than 50 points. The only two teams with multiple champions in the event battled it out for second place. With all eight placing wrestlers winning their final match -- Bakersfield, CA came in second place scoring 163 points. Champions were Bryce Hammond (160) and Brian Schoene (215), while two other wrestlers came in third place, three others in fifth, and another wrestler took home seventh place. Finishing in third place with 156-1/2 points was Selma, CA. Alex Cisneros (112) and Nick Pena (135) -- both of whom are nationally ranked -- came home with gold medals for Selma, Justin Lozano (160) earned a second place finish, two other grapplers finished in third place, while one wrestler earned fourth place. Cisneros -- ranked third nationally -- defeated the 11th ranked Stevan Knoblauch (Clovis West, CA) 8-3 in a rematch of last year's state final; the finals match was the only one involving a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. Jesse Delgado (Gilroy, CA) became only the third wrestler to ever earn four titles at the Doc Buchanan, navigating his way through the absolutely brutal 125 pound weight class. Avenging a 3-2 quarterfinal loss at the Reno Tournament of Champions, Delgado defeated Chris Martinez (Clovis West, CA) 1-0 in the semifinal match. That was after Martinez beat former state runner-up AJ Valles (Sanger, CA) 2-1 in the quarterfinal round. In the championship final, Delgado defeated the freshman sensation -- and Reno ToC champion - Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, CA) 7-1. In order to advance to the Doc Buchanan final, the freshman Martinez (LeMoore, CA) earned a 20-5 technicall fall in the quarterfinal against Adam Magnusson (Madera South, CA), and then defeated Vince Rodriguez (Clovis North, CA) 4-1 in the semifinal. Rodriguez defeated Chris Martinez 6-5 for third place in a battle of rival wrestlers from the Clovis Unified School District. After losing quarterfinal bouts, both Valles and Magnusson lost their next match and failed to place in the weight class bracket. The other showcase weight class of this tournament had three-time state placer James Cook (Madera, CA) coming home with the tournament championship at 171 pounds. In the semifinal round, Cook defeated fellow state placer Dominic Kastl (Gilroy, CA) 7-6; while Zach Nevills (Clovis, CA) upset nationally ranked Martin Fabbian (Buchanan, CA) 2-1 in another battle of state placement wrestlers. Cook secured the weight class title with a first period fall in 1:40, while Fabbian defeated Kastl 4-2 for third place. Rounding out the weight class champions were Vincent Gomez (Bakersfield Frontier, CA) at 103 pounds; Zach Zimmer (Clovis West, CA) at 119; Shane Tate (Oakdale, CA) at 130; Napoleon Aniciente (Las Vegas, CA) at 140; Derik Rizo (Foothill, CA) at 145; Nick Sierra (Lemoore, CA) at 152; and Drew Meulman (St.. Francis, CA) at 285. Telford keys Spartan victory at Virginia Duals After a runner-up finish in the National Division at last year's Virginia Duals -- St. Mark's, DE came into this year's event somewhat heavy favorites to finally win the championship. However, that almost came to a screeching halt late Friday evening. Heading into the last match of the evening, eighth seeded South Plainfield, NJ had a 29-24 lead in the dual meet. The Tigers had won seven matches, including a pin by freshman Troy Heilmann (112) against ninth ranked Tyler Pendergast. The silver lining for the Spartans was that third ranked in the nation Bobby Telford was on duty in the heavyweight bout, where a pin was absolutely necessary as South Planfield had the criteria should the match had ended in a technical fall. Telford delivered that pin late in the second period with sixteen seconds left on the clock, and St. Mark's won that dual meet 30-29. Along with a 65-17 victory over Hopewell, VA in the opening round -- the Spartans moved onto a semifinal date with Phillipsburg, NJ. Despite 13th ranked Sean Boylan (125) losing a 3-1 decision to Matt Lane, St. Mark's only lost three other matches in the dual meet as they moved on to the championship final against Nazareth, PA with a 42-20 semifinal victory. The Blue Eagles reached the final on the strength of a 62-6 opening round victory over Columbia, NY; a 37-24 quarterfinal defeat of Eastern Regional, NJ; and a 45-24 victory over Bethlehem Liberty, PA in the semifinal. The Hurricanes had an interesting path to the semifinal with a 33-28 victory over Camden Catholic, NJ in the opening round where it took a 6-4 victory from Justin Williams (285) to seal the deal; and then it was 35-30 upset over Cox, VA in the quarterfinal. The squads split matches at seven in that dual meet, but four pins for Bethlehem Liberty compared to four decisions for Cox sealed that deal. Quarterfinal losers South Plainfield and Cox moved onto the consolation semifinals with a pair of consolation bracket wins. The Tigers would defeat Bethlehem Liberty 37-31 in that round, while Cox and Phillipsburg wrestled to a 32-32 tie; however, Cox won the dual meet on the eighth criteria to bump the score up to 33-32 for the Falcons. South Plainfield defeated Cox for third place by a 34-26 score. The following wrestlers went undefeated for the tournament with at least four victories in contested matches. Wrestlers are listed at the lowest weight class in which they wrestled. Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, NJ) -- 103 pounds; Caleb Richardson (Cox, VA) -- 112; Bryan Whitt (Cox, VA) -- 119; Anthony Marino (Bethlehem Liberty, PA) -- 125; Nick Schenk (St. Mark's, DE) -- 130; Nick Heilmann (South Plainfield, NJ) and John Horak (Phillipsburg, NJ) -- 135; Hank Stinson (Eastern Regional, NJ) -- 140; Ben Dorsay (Cox, VA) and Anthony Baldosaro (Eastern Regional, NJ) -- 145; Ryan Krecker (Nazareth, PA) and Oliver Burkhardt (Phillipsburg, NJ) -- 152; Chris Pintado (Bethlehem Liberty, PA) and Ben Bradley (Nazareth, PA) -- 171; Mike Wagner (South Plainfield, NJ) -- 189; Connor O'Hara (Cox, VA), Cody Klempay (Canon McMillan, PA), and Aaron Bradley (Nazareth, PA) -- 215; and Ross Burbank (Cox, VA) and Bobby Telford (St. Mark's, DE) -- 285. Dorsay was named Most Outstanding Wrestler for the National Division. Two wrestlers listed -- both unranked -- had notable wins over ranked opposition during the course of the tournament. Whitt defeated 13th ranked Robert Deutsch (Eastern Regional, NJ) 5-3; while Wagner defated 20th ranked Matthew Loew (Wantagh, NY) 4-3. Grundy, VA won the American Division at the 30th annual Virginia Duals with a 48-23 victory over Haddonfield, NJ in the championship final. Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Alex Morales (Lexington, SC) -- who competed at 171 pounds. Brookville, VA defeated Ocean Lakes, VA 36-22 to win the Jim Greene Black and Blue Division -- where Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Peter Ormsby (Chancellor, VA) competing at 160 pounds. Hauppauge best in the Empire this weekend Many of the top teams in New York State and a selection of other teams from the New England region convened upon Sullivan Community College in Loch Sheldrake, NY for the seventh annual Eastern States Classic. The 74-team field had remarkable balance, and the wrestling over two days was rather competitive and of high quality. Despite being one of only two teams to win two championships, and the only school with three finalists, second place was all that would be in the cards for Rocky Point, NY. Titles from Stephen Dutton (140) and Anthony Volpe (160) -- as well as a runner-up finish from Billy Coggins (171) -- only were able to muster the Eagles 137 points, as no other grapplers pulled out a top eight finish. Despite only having one champion -- Mark West (96) -- Hauppauge, NY stood on top of the field with 162-1/2 points. Key to the victory was third place finishes from Ken Collado (119) and Chanse Menendez (171), as well as a fifth place finish from Kevin Panebianco (135). Johnson City, NY was the only other team than Rocky Point to come up with a pair of champions in this year's Eastern States Classic. Like ten days ago at the Tieke/Bernabi, Sean McCormick (112) and Lance Moore (285) stood on top of the podium. After beating defending state champion Arik Robinson (Peru, NY) last week in the final, McCormick beat the other 103 pound state chamion from last season in this week's final in a 5-4 victory over Brian Realbuto (Somers, NY). Realbuto had beaten Robinson -- ranked sixth in the nation at this weight class -- in the semifinals by an 8-6 decision. The finals' feature bout involved a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers at 135 pounds, with 10th ranked Andrew Lenzi (Fordham Prep, NY) defeating the 16th ranked Cody Ruggirello (Valley Central, NY) 6-5. With that effort, Lenzi was named Most Oustanding Wrestler among middleweights and the overall Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. Featuring four state finalists from last year, the 125 pound weight class was considered the tournament's toughest. When all was said and done, the only wrestler without a state title over his career emerged as champion. The bottom bracket semifinal featured a pair of runners-up from last year, with 19th ranked Justis Flamio (Mahopac, NY) defeating 2008 state champion Quinton Murphy (Holley Central, NY) by 9-0 major decision. In the top half of the draw, it was a battle of state champions, as Steven Rodrigues (Fox Lane, NY) upset ninth ranked -- at 130 -- Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY) 6-5. Flamio defeated Rodrigues 8-4 for the title, while Murphy upset Wilcox 2-0 for third place. Flamio earned the MOW award for the lowerweights. The biggest upset of the tournament had to be the relatively disappointing performance from Alex Smith (Timberlane, NH) -- who came into the tournament 15th nationally after a third place finish at the Beast of the East. Smith placed eighth in the event with a 8-4 quarterfinal loss to eventual runner-up Ryan Tompkins (Beacon, NY); a 3-2 loss in the consolation quarterfinal to Ali Hasan (Valley Central, NY); and then losing by fall in the seventh place match to Josh Manuel (Tioga, NY). Earning the MOW award for upperweights was Tyler Beckwith (Greene, NY) -- champion of the 171 pound weight class. Rounding out the weight class champions are Zach Bridson (Timberlane, NH) at 103; Nick Kelly (Shenendehowa, NY) at 119; Bob Dierna (Wayne, NY) at 130; Mitch Wightman (Warwick Valley, NY) at 145; Guiseppe Lanzi (Amsterdam, NY) at 152; Mike McGrath (Kingston, NY) at 189; and Kyle Colling (Pioneer, NY) at 215. Where final matches actually matter One couldn't imagine that nation's oldest wrestling tournament had ever seen a finish like this one. Three teams finished 2-1/2 points apart of the championship. The eventual champions were undefeated in first place matches. The runners-up had what one might call a minor collapse, going 1-6 in first place matches. The third place team, which was the on paper tournament favorite when Bishop Lynch, TX scratched from the event, almost got it done with depth. Tournament champions -- Claremore, OK -- got the job done with a 4-0 performance in championship matches and three complimentary fifth place finishes. Tournament champions for Claremore -- in a 122-1/2 team point effort - were Gunnar Woodburn (103), Calib Freeman (112), and Josh (130) and Nick (140) Haugen. By the time that Shane Woods (215) secured a 14-0 major decision in his championship bout, the damage was done. Tuttle, OK had already lost six matches for first place -- as Colton Roberts (112), Sterling Hawkins (125), DJ Boles (135), Dylan Coppenbarger (140), Jerod Williams (160), and Jake Simpson (171) all had runner-up finishes. When an addition third place finish was added to the puzzle, Tuttle scored 121 team points. The only team other than champions Claremore to secure multiple weight class titles was Broken Arrow, OK -- which utilized the championships of Chase Ferman (125) and Keithen Cast (171) to secure a third place finish with 120 points. Cody Johnson (189) and Terry Williamson (285) came up short in championship matches, where a victory from either one would have propelled Broken Arrow to the team title. The squad also had one third place and three fourth place finishers. Matt White (Woodward, OK) had the best quality performance of the tournament in winning the title at 160 pounds. In this tournament where there is no seeding, White -- ranked 18th nationally at 152, but without a state title in his career -- drew state champions in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. In the quarterfinal, White defeated Zach Skates (Broken Arrow, OK) by a 3-1 score. Then in the semifinal round, he defeated two-time state champion Cory Dauphin (El Reno, OK) 3-2. The championship bout was a not as close 6-3 decision over Williams. On the unfortunate side of the ledger was the fact that Ronnie Balfour (Tulsa Union, OK) -- ranked 12th nationally at 160 pounds -- had to default out of his 171 pound semifinal against Simpson and drop back to sixth place. Rounding out the tournament champions were Kyle Garcia (Choctaw, OK) at 119 pounds; Cory Williamson (Geary, OK) at 135; Kyle Ash (Tulsa Union, OK) at 145; Ben Morgan (Catoosa, OK) at 152; Jace Bennett (Canyon Randall, TX) at 189; and Cody Dauphin (El Reno, OK) at 285. A Grizzly day at the OHSWCA State Duals For the second consecutive year -- Wadsworth, OH defeated St. Edward, OH in the final match of the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association (OHSWCA) Division I State Duals. This year's match was less dramatic, though the lead did change on multiple occasions, with the host Grizzlies taking it over one last time after the 152 pound match. Moving up from 145, Brad Squire -- ranked eighth in the country -- defeated Dominic Abounader by a 12-4 major decision. The score was 21-18 at that point. Though Nick Sulzer -- ranked fourth in the nation - also wrestling up one weight at 171 for St. Edward, was able to cut the deficit to one at 24-23 after a 25-10 technical fall over Bart Randolph; Wadsworth swept the last three matches to finalize the margin. Caleb Busson (189), Nick Tavanello (215), and Ben Buzzelli (285) -- all favored to take home Division I state titles -- won by 9-2 decision, first period pin, and 3-2 decision respectively. The turning point of the match came at 135 pounds, where after giving up the initial takedown of the match, Louden Gordon (Wadsworth) did a back flip and caught Mark Martin with a pancake to reverse him to his back for the fall with five seconds left in the first period. That turned a 12-8 team score deficit into a 14-12 lead for Wadsworth. Rounding out the place finishers in Division I: Elder took third, Twinsburg was fourth, Mason fifth, Mentor sixth, Marysville seventh, and Springboro eighth. As expected -- Graham, OH did walk away with the Division II state dual meet crown. Oak Harbor was second, Aurora third, Beaver Local fourth, Padua fifth, West Branch sixth, Claymont seventh, and Greenville eighth. However, a notable match outcome occurred in the semifinal round as a pair of state champions did battle at 119 pounds. It was the 11th ranked Nick Brascetta (Graham) upsetting fifth ranked Ty Mitch (Aurora) by a 4-3 decision; this avenged a Walsh Ironman quarterfinal match where Mitch came out on top 7-3. The Division III tournament contained the most drama, as Cuyahoga Hts defeated West Jefferson by a 29-28 count in the championship bout. However, West Jefferson was deducted two team points after the 119 pound match where Aaron Branham had procured a third period pin. The wrestler was called for misconduct in the celebration, and the coach was also dinged in arguing the call with the official. Rounding out the place finishers in that division were Dixie in third, Monroeville took fourth, Waynedale fifth, Heath sixth, Elmwood seventh, and Troy Christian eighth.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- With two wins Saturday, the No. 18 Virginia wrestling team placed seventh at the Virginia Duals, hosted at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va. It marks the third time Virginia has placed in the prestigious event in 16 all-time appearances. Virginia (10-3), seeded seventh in the tournament, went 2-1 Saturday and finished the Duals with three wins in five matches. UVa started the day with a 21-15 win over No. 23 Old Dominion before dropping a 21-18 decision to No. 24 Virginia Tech. In the seventh-place match, the Cavaliers rebounded to down Michigan, 19-13, for UVa's second win over the Wolverines in as many days. Chris Henrich (Jr., Lansdale, Pa.) and heavyweight Jack Danilkowicz (R-Jr., Green Oaks, Ill.) each picked up three wins on the day. Henrich, ranked fourth nationally at 174 pounds, went 5-0 at the Duals and upped his record to 20-2 this season. Danilkowicz and Mike Salopek (R-Fr., North Huntingdon, Pa.) each went 4-1 in the Duals. Salopek, ranked 19th nationally at 184 pounds, is now tied with Henrich for the team lead in wins (20-6). Shawn Harris (R-So, Cleveland, Ohio) also went 2-0 Saturday for Virginia. UVa wrapped up the day with a 19-13 victory over Michigan (4-7). The Cavaliers notched six individual wins, with Harris providing UVa bonus points with his 18-4 major decision over Mark Boyer. Derek Valenti (So., Newton, N.J.), Danny Clarke (R-Fr., Ramsey, N.J.), Henrich, Salopek and Danilkowicz all recorded wins by decision against the Wolverines (4-7). Virginia won four matches against Virginia Tech (10-2), with Kellon Balum (Sr., Herndon, Pa.) and Brent Jones (Sr., Burke, Va.) winning decisions at 149 and 197, respectively, while Henrich and Danilkowicz each won by forfeit. The individual matches were close throughout, with only one bout resulting in bonus points. The Old Dominion match went down to the final weight class, and Danilkowicz secured the team win for the Cavaliers with a 9-3 decision over ODU's Grant Chapman. Entering the heavyweight bout, the Cavaliers held a three-point lead over ODU (4-3). No. 18 Danny Gonsor (R-So., Cleveland, Ohio) racked up a technical fall against Joey Sheridan at 157 pounds, while Henrich had a major decision over former NCAA qualifier Eric Decker at 174. Valenti, Harris and Salopek also picked up wins for Virginia at 141, 149 and 184, respectively. The Cavaliers will have rematches with Virginia Tech and ODU in Charlottesville in the coming weeks. UVa and Virginia Tech will meet in an ACC dual in Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 23, while the Monarchs and Cavaliers will battle at Mem Gym on Feb. 6. Virginia returns to action at 1 p.m. next Sunday with a dual at Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia. No. 18 Virginia 21, No. 23 Old Dominion 15 125: No. 7 James Nicholson (Old Dominion) dec. Matt Snyder (Virginia), 5-3; UVa 0, ODU 3 133: Justin LaValle (Old Dominion) dec. Matt Cubillos (Virginia), 5-0; UVa 0, ODU 6 141: Derek Valenti (Virginia) dec. Craig Wilson (Old Dominion), 3-1; UVa 3, ODU 6 149: Shawn Harris (Virginia) dec. John Nicholson (Old Dominion), 7-1; UVa 6, ODU 6 157: No. 18 Danny Gonsor (Virginia) tech fall Joey Sheridan (Old Dominion), 16-1; UVa 11, ODU 6 165: No. 15 Chris Brown (Old Dominion) dec. Michael Chaires (Virginia), 6-1; UVa 11, ODU 9 174: No. 4 Chris Henrich (Virginia) major dec. Eric Decker (Old Dominion), 10-1; UVa 15, ODU 9 184: No. 19 Mike Salopek (Virginia) dec. Joe Budi (Old Dominion), 7-3; UVa 18, ODU 9 197: Jesse Strawn (Old Dominion) pinned No. 16 Brent Jones (Virginia), 4:17; UVa 18, ODU 15 285: Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) dec. Grant Chapman (Old Dominion), 9-3; UVa 21, ODU 15 No. 24 Virginia Tech 21, No. 18 Virginia 18 125: No. 16 Jarrod Garnett (Va. Tech) dec. Ross Gitomer (Virginia), 2-1; UVa 0, VT 3 133: Brock LiVorio (Va. Tech) dec. Matt Snyder (Virginia), 7-1; UVa 0, VT 6 141: No. 12 Chris Diaz (Va. Tech) dec. Derek Valenti (Virginia), 7-2; UVa 0, VT 9 149: Kellon Balum (Virginia) dec. Nick Murray (Va. Tech), 9-8; UVa 3, VT 9 157: No. 7 Jesse Dong (Va. Tech) dec. Danny Gonsor (Virginia), 7-1; UVa 3, VT 12 165: Matt Epperly (Va. Tech) pinned Michael Chaires (Virginia), 6:20; UVa 3, VT 18 174: No. 4 Chris Henrich (Virginia) won by forfeit; UVa 9, VT 18 184: Tommy Spellman (Va. Tech) dec. No. 19 Mike Salopek (Virginia), 2-1; UVa 9, VT 21 197: No. 16 Brent Jones (Virginia) dec. Chris Penny (Va. Tech), 8-2; UVa 12, VT 21 285: Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) won by forfeit; UVa 18, VT 21 No. 18 Virginia 19, Michigan 13 125: Sean Boyle (Michigan) dec. Matt Snyder (Virginia), 5-1; UVa 0, UM 3 133: Zac Stevens (Michigan) major dec. Ross Gitomer (Virginia), 15-5; UVa 0, UM 7 141: Derek Valenti (Virginia) dec. Mark Weber (Michigan), 7-5; UVa 3, UM 7 149: Shawn Harris (Virginia) major dec. Mike Sears (Michigan), 18-4; UVa 7, UM 7 157: Danny Clarke (Virginia) dec. Mark Boyer (Michigan), 7-3; UVa 10, UM 7 165: Aaron Hynes (Michigan) dec. Beau Fisher (Virginia), 4-0; UVa 10, UM 10 174: No. 4 Chris Henrich (Virginia) dec. Justin Zeerip (Michigan), 3-1; UVa 13, UM 10 184: No. 19 Mike Salopek (Virginia) dec. Hunter Collins (Michigan), 9-5; UVa 16, UM 10 197: No. 9 Anthony Biondo (Michigan) dec. No. 16 Brent Jones (Virginia), 13-10; UVa 16, UM 13 285: Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) dec. Ben Apland (Michigan), 6-5; UVa 19, UM 13

HAMPTON, Va. -- Kent State (10-1) overcame an 18-4 deficit against Virginia Tech to cap off a perfect 3-0 day at the Virginia Duals Saturday in the Hampton Coliseum. The 13th ranked Golden Flashes started their day with a 33-9 pounding of conference rival Ohio, followed by a 30-6 bashing of Michigan and a 25-18 comeback victory over Virginia Tech in the fifth place round. The Hokies took four of the first five matches against the Flashes, including pins at 141 and 157. With his team trailing by 14 points, Ross Tice (165) began the rally with a 3-2 decision over Jason Epperly. "We needed to get that 165 match." Head Coach Jim Andrassy said of his team's 18-4 deficit. "Ross did a nice job against a good opponent and got us the one we needed." Keith Witt took a forfeit at 174 to make it 18-13. Redshirt sophomore Dustin Kilgore had little trouble with Tommy Spellman in a 10-0 major decision. Adam Cogar (197) and Brendan Barlow (285) followed major decisions of their own. Cogar topped Chris Penny 11-2 and Barlow ended the day with 14-5 thumping of Andrew Miller. KSU's conditioning showed according to Andrassy as the Flashes finished the grueling weekend 4-1. "I've yet to see a team that's in better shape than us," Andrassy said. "Our guys live the right lifestyle." The Flashes' upper weights had success all day beginning with a pin by Witt against Ohio's Steve Wilson in the first period. Redshirt freshman Casey Newburg (184) followed with a 21-5 technical fall victory over Brian Driscoll, to help hand the Bobcats (7-2) just their second loss of the season. Despite having wrestlers available at both weights, Ohio opted to forfeit both 197 and 285. The Flashes jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the Bobcats after victories from Troy Opfer (125) and Danny Mitcheff (133). Opfer downed Gabe Ramos 4-2, while Mitcheff earned 13-4 major decision over Quentin Keyes. The Bobcats responded with wins at 141 and 149, before redshirt freshman Mallie Shuster won a tight battle at 157, 3-0 over Clay Tucker. Shuster was then one of eight Flashes to win against the Wolverines. Shuster's 8-3 win over Mark Boyer, was the fourth of five straight KSU wins beginning with Mitcheff. The fifth-year senior topped Zac Stevens 11-5 on his way to a 3-0 day. "I'm really proud of Danny and the way he handled himself this weekend," Andrassy said. "He caught some bad breaks yesterday, but he didn't let that bother him. He's really methodical and has become the complete wrestler. He's the example of how I want our younger guys to be like." Redshirt freshman Chase Skonieczny (141) claimed a 4-1 decision over Michigan's Mark Weber followed by a an 11-2 major decision from Tommy Sasfy. Obie Simpson capped off the five straight victories with a 4-3 win over Aaron Hynes. "Obie showed a lot of character in that match," Andrassy said. "He was losing going into the third period, scored and rode him out." Kilgore, who went 5-0 on the weekend, recorded a 21-5 technical fall over Hunter Collins. Cogar followed with a 9-2 decision, before Joe Tymoszczuk pinned Ben Apland in the second period. "Adam Cogar, Ross Tice, and Keith Witt are all getting better," Andrassy said. "They are learning how to be more consistent." The Golden Flashes return to action next weekend with three meets at the Wendy's Duals in Ashland.

HAMPTON, Va. -- The 10th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling squad (8-1-1) capped off the Virginia Duals with a 22-15 victory over No. 14 Penn State to earn third place Saturday evening in Hampton, Va. The victory over the Nittany Lions was the second top-20 win for Oklahoma this weekend and the fourth of its season. The Sooners tallied a 3-1 record in Virginia, including a win over No. 18 Virginia Friday afternoon. OU also topped Bucknell, 28-7, and dropped its first dual of the season to Lehigh, 18-16. "Overall, it was a good weekend," OU head coach Jack Spates said. "We had an exceptional first day and then dropped a heartbreaker in the semifinals today where we failed to seal the deal. Our team was greatly disappointed and we had an opportunity to bounce back against a great Penn State team this evening, which we did. I think it shows the character of our guys by not hanging our heads and ending with a great win." Picking up victories for the Sooners against Penn State were Kendric Maple at 133 pounds, No. 5 Zack Bailey at 141 pounds, No. 4 Kyle Terry at 149 pounds, No. 8 Jeff James wrestling at 174 pounds and No. 3 Eric Lapotsky at 197 pounds. Bailey (14-5) and Terry (16-2) both turned in impressive performances, each going a perfect 4-0 at the tournament. “We had some great performances this weekend, especially from our rookies,” Spates said. “I believe this weekend has only bolstered our confidence.” Next up, the Sooners will head to the Lonestar Duals next Saturday, Jan. 16, where they will be challenged by Harvard, Nebraska-Kearney, Northwestern and Brown in Arlington, Texas. Results: 125: No. 12 Brad Pataky (PSU) dec. No. 13 Jarrod Patterson (OU), 8-6 133: Kendric Maple (OU) pinned Bryan Pearsall (PSU), WBF (5:27) 141: No. 5 Zack Bailey (OU) maj. dec. Adam Lynch (PSU), 16-4 149: No. 4 Kyle Terry (OU) dec. No. 5 Frank Molinaro (PSU), 5-2 157: No. 2 Cyler Sanderson (PSU) dec. No. 11 Shane Vernon (OU), 5-2 165: No. 8 Dan Vallimont (PSU) dec. No. 16 Tyler Caldwell (OU), 6-4 (sv) 174: No. 8 Jeff James (OU) dec. Justin Ortega (PSU), 2-1 (tb) 184: No. 4 David Erwin (PSU) dec. Erich Schmidtke (OU), 9-3 197: No. 3 Eric Lapotsky (OU) pinned Clay Steadman (PSU), WBF (2:31) 285: No. 18 Cameron Wade (PSU) dec. No. 12 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 2-0

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- After winning two of three matches on Saturday at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the seventh-ranked University of Maryland wrestling team won one of two on Sunday to finish seventh in their first ever appearance at the tournament. Maryland started the day with a rematch against No. 8 Cornell at 9 a.m. local time. The Terps were unable to duplicate previous success against Cornell, having beaten the Big Red when they were ranked No. 4 on Nov. 21. Cornell won the first four matches against Maryland en route to a 19-15 victory. "When you lose four of the first five matches it makes it tough to get a win," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "We won three of the next five, but to have a shot you need to at least split the matches." Maryland was able to bounce back against No. 22 Wisconsin, coming back from a 15-7 deficit to win 21-18 and earn a seventh place finish. Trailing by eight points heading into the match at 174 pounds, No. 6 Mike Letts got a technical fall over Jimmy Duffy to bring the team score to 12-15. Corey Peltier dropped an 8-7 decision to Travis Rutt at 184, but the Terps won the final two matches to overcome the Badgers. No. 4 No. 4 Hudson Taylor got a crucial pinfall over Jackson Hein that tied the score at 18-18. The outcome of the match came down to heavyweight Patrick Gilmore, who earned a 6-4 overtime victory over Eric Bugenhagen to give Maryland the win. It was the second time this season that a dual match had come down to Gilmore - he also helped secure the win over Cornell on Nov. 21 by winning the final match, also in overtime, to propel Maryland to a victory. Maryland finished the weekend 3-2 to bring its season record to 10-3. All in all, McCoy was pleased with the performance, considering the NCAA Tournament is still two months away and the mistakes he has seen are fixable. "We thought we could do better but as a team we did OK," said McCoy. "Patrick Gilmore went 0-3 yesterday and came back to go 2-0 today. Kyle John and Josh Asper also wrestled well. I'm more disappointed with some of the individual mistakes. It's Jan. 10 so we have time to fix things. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. We just need to tweak a few things." Maryland will have yet another tough test next Sunday. The Terps travel to Ashland, Ohio, where they will face Ashland, No. 19 Kent State and Purdue as part of the Wendy's Duals. No. 8 Cornell 19, No. 7 Maryland 15 125 - Frank Perrelli (COR) dec. James Knox, 9-3 (3-0) 133 - No. 12 Mike Grey (COR) major dec. No. 10 Steven Bell, 11-3 (7-0) 141 - No. 6 Kyle Dake (COR) dec. No. 8 Alex Krom, 5-4 (10-0) 149 - Corey Manson (COR) dec. Jon Kohler, 8-4 (13-0) 157 - Kyle John (MD) dec. John Basting, 6-3 (13-3) 165 - No. 17 Josh Asper (MD) dec. No. 12 Justin Kerber, 9-4 (13-6) 174 - No. 1 Mack Lewnes (COR) dec. No. 6 Mike Letts, 8-2 (16-6) 184 - No. 17 Steve Bosak (COR) dec. Corey Peltier, 9-3 (19-6) 197 - No. 4 Hudson Taylor (MD) pinfall over George Kocher, 4:42 (19-12) 285 - Patrick Gilmore (MD) dec. No. 17 Josh Arnone, 7-1 (19-15) No. 7 Maryland 21, No. 22 Wisconsin 18 125 - Pat Strizki (MD) dec. Drew Hammen, 4-1 (3-0) 133 - No. 6 Tyler Graff (WIS) dec. No. 10 Steven Bell, 5-2 (3-3) 141 - Cole Schmitt (WIS) dec. No. 8 Alex Krom, 6-2 (3-6) 149 - No. 2 Kyle Ruschell (WIS) pinfall over Jon Kohler, 4:16 (3-12) 157 - Kyle John (MD) major dec. Greg Burke, 14-4 (7-12) 165 - No. 1 Andrew Howe (WIS) dec. No. 17 Josh Asper, 6-2 (7-15) 174 - No. 6 Mike Letts (MD) tech. fall over Jimmy Duffy, 18-1; 4:47 (12-15) 184 - Travis Rutt (WIS) dec. Corey Peltier, 8-7 (12-18) 197 - No. 4 Hudson Taylor (MD) pinfall over Jackson Hein, 2:11 (18-18) 285 - Patrick Gilmore (MD) dec. (OT) Eric Bugenhagen, 6-4 SV1 (21-18)

CEDAR FALLS, Idaho -- The No. 9 Boise State wrestling team capped off an impressive weekend at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Sunday (Jan. 10), beating No. 7 ranked Cornell 20-19 to place fifth in the 16-team tournament. The Broncos finished the weekend with a 4-1 record, improving their overall record this season to 8-1 (1-0 Pac-10 Conference). Boise State's only stumble of the tournament came in a hard fought 20-12 quarterfinal round loss to No. 1 Iowa. After finishing Saturday with a 2-1 record, Boise State opened Sunday's action with a 22-12 win against No. 18 Wisconsin. The win advanced the Broncos to the fifth-place match where they would face Cornell. Boise State won five matches against the Big Red, including two crucial major decisions and one win by fall. After dropping the opening match at 125 pounds, Andrew Hochstrasser earned the Broncos a 3-3 tie with a 7-2 decision against Mike Grey at 133 pounds. Cornell extended its' lead to 6-3 with a win at 141 pounds, but Jason Chamberlain answered by giving the Broncos their first lead of the dual with a 14-5 major decision over Hicks Manson at 149 pounds. He was followed by Adam Hall, who also earned a major decision, 14-3, against John Testy-Bastings at 157 pounds. The Broncos extended their lead with wins at 174 and 184 pounds, first with Nate Lee winning the 174-pound match by fall (4:58) against Colin McDonald. Kirk Smith then put the Bronco lead just out of reach at 20-9, with a 4-2 decision over Steve Bosak at 184 pounds. Cornell scored 10 points in the final two matches, winning the 197-pound match by major decision and the heavyweight match by fall. Their late rally fell just short, however, as the Broncos held off for the one-point upset. Boise State will now look to next Friday (Jan. 15) when the Broncos travel to Bozeman, Mont. to face North Dakota State in a non-conference dual. Boise State 20, Cornell 19 125 - Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. Alan Bartelli (BSU) 2-1 133 - Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) dec. Mike Grey (Cornell) 7-2 141 - Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. Levi Jones (BSU) 6-1 149 - Jason Chamberlain (BSU) major dec. Hicks Manson (Cornell) 14-5 157 - Adam Hall (BSU) major dec. John Testy-Bastings (Cornell) 14-3 165 - Justin Kerber (Cornell) dec. Michael Cuthbertson (BSU) 3-1 174 - Nate Lee (BSU) fall Colin McDonald (Cornell) 4:58 184 - Kirk Smith (BSU) dec. Steve Bosak (Cornell) 4-2 197 - Cam Simaz (Cornell) major dec. Matt Casperson (BSU) 10-2 HWT - Taylor Moore (Cornell) fall Sam Zylstra (BSU) 00:32 Boise State 22, Wisconsin 12 125 - Alan Bartelli (BSU) dec. Drew Hammen (UW) 6-2 133 - Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) dec. Tyler Graff (UW) 6-4 141 - Levi Jones (BSU) dec. Cole Schmitt (UW) 6-4 149 - Kyle Ruschell (UW) dec. Jason Chamberlain (BSU) 3-1 157 - Adam Hall (BSU) fall Greg Burke (UW) 6:12 165 - Andrew Howe (UW) dec. Michael Cuthbertson (BSU) 10-8 174 - Nate Lee (BSU) dec. Jim Duffy (UW) 12-7 184 - Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Travis Rutt (UW) 11-2 197 - Trevor Brandvold (UW) dec. Matt Casperson (BSU) 8-2 HWT - Eric Bugenhagen (UW) dec. Sam Zylstra (BSU) 3-1

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Notre Dame pulled off a sweep, going 3-for-3 Saturday and Sunday to capture the title in the 2009 NAIA National Duals. On Sunday, the top-ranked Falcons defeated No. 7 Missouri Valley, 26-7, in the championship match. Derek Foore (197), Kevin Hardy (165), Adam Koballa (141), Dante Rini (125) and Orlando Scales (HWT) all garnered three wins over the weekend, as NDC Wrestling won is biggest title in the program’s four years. In the title match against Missouri Valley, the Falcons won seven bouts. Five of those wins (Hardy-Bittenger-Denman-Foore-Scales) came in succession after Notre Dame had held a 12-7 advantage through the first five bouts of the match. An 18-3 tech fall win by No. 7 Derek Foore over 11th-ranked Charlie Gibbs at 197 clinched the title for the Blue & White. The back-to-back wins over ranked foes by Foore and then Scales (7-5 decision over No. 8 Travis Ewart), were an appropriate end to the tournament - over the two days in Iowa NDC grapplers went 14-2 in bouts against ranked wrestlers (Top-12 of each weight class in Dec. 22 NAIA Coaches’ Poll). “Our guys were so focused and well-prepared,” said NDC Head Coach Frank Romano, whose Falcons became the first Ohio wrestling program to win a national title since 1976. “Our coaches did a great job with the kids and our athletes listened; they were ready to go. Winning on this stage is just an amazing feeling.” That stage, the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, was the centerpiece of the collegiate wrestling world Saturday and Sunday, with the Top-16 teams in NCAA-I, II and III also competing in the National Duals, as were junior college and women’s teams. More than 50 teams competed in the annual event, which dates back to 1989. Earlier on Sunday in the Falcons’ semifinal match, Notre Dame topped McKendree (Ill.) by a score of 29-8. With their three-match sweep in Cedar Falls, NDC is now 6-1 on the season. In their semifinal match against McKendree (4-4), the Blue & White rode back-to-back major victories by Adam Koballa (10-1 over Kyle Williams at 141) and Jeffrey Pelton (11-2 over No. 5 Ryan Jahn at 149) to a 29-8 win. Notre Dame also got a boost from a come-from-behind 4-3 win by Derek Foore over No. 1 Andrew Sanchez at 197 pounds. Over the three matches, Foore, Hardy, Koballa, Rini and Scales each went 3-0. Foore and Hardy each had two wins against ranked opponents and each bagged a No. 1-ranked opponent in the process. Foore, a junior from Wadsworth, Ohio, is now 17-0 this season. Koballa’s sweep in Cedar Falls marked three victories in what is now a nine-bout win streak for the 2009 NAIA National Champion; Koballa is now 18-2 this season. The Notre Dame Wrestling Falcons will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 17, when they travel to Alliance, Ohio, to compete in the Mount Union-hosted Purple Raider Open. NOTES FROM THE NEST ... GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME: Notre Dame has improved their final standing in each of the three years the program has competed in the National Duals. In 2008, NDC made the 16-team field but didn’t place. The Falcons placed sixth a year ago. In 2007 (the program’s first season), Notre Dame did not qualify for the NAIA National Duals. MAKING A STATEMENT: Over the 48 hours in Cedar Falls, Notre Dame dispatched three Top-10 NAIA teams (No. 8 Oklahoma City, No. 4 McKendree and No. 7 Missouri Valley by a combined score of 97-15. TOP OF THE HEAP: Iowa defeated Iowa State, 19-12, to claim the NCAA-I title on Sunday at the UNI-Dome. Other champions included Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA-II), Augsburg-Minn. (NCAA-III), Iowa Central (Junior College) and Oklahoma City (Women). WINTER WARRIORS: Notre Dame’s trek to Cedar Falls, Iowa, included a 13-1/2-hour bus ride through snow storms and a rough climate outside the warm environs of the UNI-Dome. Temperatures in Cedar Falls remained under zero for most of the trip, with the wind chill hitting 14-below at one point.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The top-ranked University of Nebraska at Omaha wrestling team won the first six matches and trampled second-ranked Newberry, 25-6, to repeat as champions and win its fifth NWCA National Duals title Sunday afternoon at the UNI-Dome. The dual was a rematch of last year's finals match where UNO edged Newberry, 23-19. The dual started with redshirt freshman Terrell McKinney upsetting third-ranked Matt Oliver in the 125-pound match. McKinney scored a take down with seven seconds left in the match to earn the 8-6 win. The Omaha native finished the weekend with a 4-0 record in his first National Duals. Senior Cody Garcia defeated Sheridan Moran 7-2 at 133. The second-ranked Garcia finished the weekend 4-0 and improved to 28-0 on the year overall. Junior and sixth-ranked Mario Morgan collected a 6-2 win over Deral Brown in the 141-pound match. The Chicago native went 4-0 on the weekend. In the 149-pound match Tait Weatherbee met Dale DeBacco. Weatherbee scored a take down and near fall late in the third period and held on for the 5-4 win to put the Mavs up 12-0 in the dual. Weatherbee finished the weekend with a 2-2 record. Redshirt freshman George Ivanov finished his impressive weekend with a 4-1 win over Latra Collick in the 157-pound match. Ivanov finished the weekend 4-0 in his first National Duals. Fifth-ranked Ryan Pankoke collected a 12-2 major decision over Sean Byrnes at 165 to put UNO up 19-0 in the dual. Pankoke finished the weekend 3-1. Curtis Chenoweth earned Newberry its first points of the dual with a 8-4 win over sophomore Brett Rosedale in the 174-pound match and put the score at 19-3 in favor of the Mavs. Rosedale finished the weekend 2-1. Newberry's top-ranked Bryant Blanton defeated redshirt freshman Mitch Brown 3-1 in the 184-pound match and gave Newberry three more points. The 197-pound showdown saw fourth-ranked senior Jacob Marrs battle Newberry's top-ranked Keeno Griffin. Marrs came away with a late take down to give seal an 8-6 win over Griffin. The two All-Americans squared off at last year's National Tournament in the finals with Griffin winning that match. Marrs went 4-0 on the weekend. Third-ranked 285-pounder Elijah Madison defeated Jake Elkins, 8-4. Madison finished the weekend with a 3-1 record. The Mavericks will host two events next week. On Jan. 15, Lindenwood (4-1) visits for UNO’s first home dual of the 2009-10 season. The dual match is slated for a 7 p.m. start in Sapp Fieldhouse. The 2010 Brand Open will follow on Jan. 16. Wrestling will get underway at 9 a.m.

HAMPTON, Va. -- Virginia Tech wrestler Jesse Dong was named Outstanding Wrestler for the National College Division at the Virginia Duals late Saturday night after the event ended. Dong, a sophomore from Westerville, Ohio, went 5-0 for the weekend. He beat No. 2 Cyler Sanderson of Penn State in the opener, then picked up a pin, a technical fall, beat No. 18 Danny Gonsor of Virginia 7-1 and then ended the weekend with a pin.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army’s Richard Starks posted a win against a nationally ranked wrestler but Rutgers won seven of 10 bouts on the way to a 28-10 victory over the Black Knights, Sunday at Christl Arena. Army went 2-1 as the host of Sunday’s quad match and is now 3-3 on the season. Rutgers, which allowed just 13 points in its three matches, improved to 10-4. Starks, ranked 17th, earned a 3-1 decision against Lamar Brown, Matt Kyler cruised to a major decision and Collin Wittmeyer won a decision but Rutgers won the first three matches and never trailed on the way to its 10th victory. In the other match, the Merchant Marine Academy defeated Boston 24-18. “I have been saying since early in the season, we have to work harder and smarter than everyone in the country,” said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. “We wrestled hard just not too smart. Even in losing to a very good Rutgers team, we wrestled hard. We just need to get in better position and continue to work hard.” Rutgers jumped out to an early lead as Joseph Langel collected three takedowns, an escape and riding time for an 8-0 win against Steven West at 125 pounds. The Scarlet Knights, who scored 39 points in each of their first two wins on Sunday, extended their lead to 10-0 as #16 Billy Ashnault scored a fall in 1:33 at 133 pounds against Travis Coffey. Rutgers’ Trevor Melde started strong and then held off Casey Thome for a 10-5 win at 141 pounds. Melde has a takedown and five back points in the first period and a reversal in the second. Melde led 9-1 after Thome escaped in the second period. Thome continued to push and scored two takedowns but lost his first match of the day. Kyler got Army on the scoreboard with an impressive performance at 149 pounds. Ranked eighth in the latest Intermat poll, Kyler collected six takedowns, two near fall points, riding time and a penalty point when David Greenwald applied head scissors for a 16-3 major decision making the team score Rutgers 13, Army 4. Kyler won all three of his matches on Sunday with a fall, technical fall and major decision. The Scarlet Knights extended their advantage to 16-4 when Daryl Cocozzo posted a 4-0 decision over Daniel Young at 157 pounds. Cocozzo had a first period takedown, a third period escape and two minutes of riding time to give Rutgers a 12-point lead. Rutgers increased its lead to 19-4 when Greg Zannetti scored a 2-1 win at 165 pounds. Army’s Rudy Chelednik was wresting up a weight class and picked up riding time from the top position during a strong second period. Chelednik escaped to start the third period but Zannetti scored a takedown and erased Chelednik’s riding time advantage to bump the Rutgers lead. Daniel Rinaldi won the third straight Rutgers match with a 5-1 decision over Jacob Vetter at 174 pounds. Rinaldi had two takedowns and an escape to give Rutgers a 22-4 lead. Wittmeyer halted the Rutgers winning streak with a gutsy 3-2 win at 184 pounds. After Daniel Seidenberg escaped, Wittmeyer secured a takedown near the edge of the mat with 15 seconds remaining in the second period. While Seidenberg had a minute of riding time, Wittmeyer escaped in the third period for the 3-2 win that made the team score 22-7 Rutgers. Wittmeyer won all three of his matches via decision on the day. In one of the marquee matches of the day, Starks, ranked #17 and Brown, ranked #18, felt each other out in the first three minutes with neither wrestler scoring a point. Brown chose down to start the second and needed just 13 seconds to escape for a 1-0 lead. Starks, though, went on top 2-1 with a takedown at the edge of the mat with 16 seconds left in the second period. Starks chose down in the final period and quickly escaped for the 3-1 lead, though Rutgers led 22-10. Dominick Russo, ranked #10 in the latest poll, closed the match with a first-period fall. Army’s Ryan Cook scored an early takedown but Russo worked a reversal and then the pin to make the final score 28-10. Army, which wrestled four matches in the last three days, will compete at the New York State Championships, Saturday and Sunday in Ithaca, N.Y. “Every win builds our confidence,” said Barbee. “As a team, things are slowly coming together. We have a lot of tough matches remaining and need to keep our nose to the grindstone and keep working. Rutgers 28, Army 10 125: Joseph Langel (R) major dec. Steven West, 8-0 133: #16 Billy Ashnault (R) pinned Travis Coffey, 1:33 141: Trevor Melde (R) dec. Casey Thome, 10-5 149: #8 Matt Kyler (A) major dec. David Greenwald, 16-3 157: Daryl Cocozzo (R) dec. Daniel Young, 4-0 165: Greg Zannetti (R) dec. Rudy Chelednik, 2-1 174: Daniel Rinaldi (R) dec. Jacob Vetter 5-1 184: Collin Wittmeyer (A) dec. Daniel Seidenberg, 3-2 197: #17 Richard Starks (A) dec. #18 Lamar Brown, 3-1 285: #10 Dominick Russo (R ) pinned Ryan Cook, :47 Merchant Marine Academy 24, Boston 18 125: Jordan Alfaro (MMA) dec. Ryan Dowd, 6-4 133: Fred Santaite (B) won by forfeit 141: Abbie Rush (B) tech fall Garrick Skubon, 22-4, 6:17 149: Martin Bell (MMA) dec. Andrew Swank, 6-3 157: Dan Twito (MMA) dec. Nestor Taffur, 9-6 165: Kyle Czarnecki (B) dec. Vincent Renaut, 7-2 174: Justin Diesel (MMA) pinned Hunter Meys, 4:13 184: Brock Mantella (B) major dec. Erik Schott, 10-1 197: Eric Vincent (MMA) dec. Dan Kennedy, 5-3 285: :Judd Connell (MMA) pinned Nate Lavallee, :20

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Behind a pin by Zach Molitor (JR, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) at 174 pounds, the Augsburg College wrestling team captured its fifth National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals title with an 18-15 championship-match triumph over rival Wartburg College (Iowa) on Sunday afternoon at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome. Molitor, ranked No. 3 nationally in his weight class, captured pins in both of Augsburg's matches on Sunday, a 4:30 pin in the Auggies' 22-14 win over Coe (Iowa) in the semifinals and a 3:52 pin of Wartburg's No. 7-ranked Dylan Azinger in the championship match. “In a high-pressure situation like that, Zach Molitor excels,” said Augsburg head coach Mark Matzek. “He wants to put himself in a situation like that for the team. He did a great job of doing what he does best. He wrestled hard and caught his opponent at the right time, and got the fall. He had an unbelievable weekend.” Augsburg, now 7-0 in dual meets, claimed its second straight National Duals title and fifth in the nine-year history of the Division III event. The Auggies also claimed their third straight victory over their biggest wrestling rival, defending national champion Wartburg. Augsburg and Wartburg will meet again in a dual meet on Feb. 4 in Waverly, Iowa. On the weekend, the No. 2-ranked Auggies, now 7-0 in dual meets this season, scored four wins over ranked opponents, topping No. 22 Wisconsin-Whitewater 33-7 and No. 10 North Central (Iowa) 25-12 on Saturday, then beating No. 3 Coe 22-14 in the semifinals on Sunday morning. Wartburg, ranked No. 5 nationally, is now 13-1 in dual meets. “This is a total team effort – not just the 15 guys were were able to weigh in this weekend, but all the 30-plus guys on the roster that worked hard and put their blood and sweat together to capture a national dual-meet title,” Matzek said. “It puts all the hard work and all the sacrifices that these guys put in every day into perspective. Being a student-athlete, managing their time, it's not for nothing; it's for winning big meets like this. There may be teams in the nation that work as hard as us, but no one works harder than us.” In the nine-year history of the Division III National Duals in its current 16-team format, Augsburg has captured five titles (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010), while Wartburg has four titles (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008). Augsburg and Wartburg have met in eight of the nine National Duals finals, with the Auggies winning five times. Augsburg and Wartburg have been the powers of NCAA Division III wrestling over the past two decades, with Augsburg winning 10 national championships (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007) and Wartburg winning seven titles (1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009). Against opponents from Divisions II and III since 1989-90, Augsburg is now 245-21, having lost just 16 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 campaign. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is now 247-23 since the 1979-80 season and 171-13 since the 1989-90 season. In a match where each team won five bouts, Molitor's pin proved to be the deciding points for the Auggies to capture the title against Wartburg. Molitor, who finished sixth nationally last year, is now 14-2 on the season. He won all four matches on the weekend, including a major decision win against Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday. Defending 197-pound national champion Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) also had a strong weekend, winning all four of his bouts to remain unbeaten at 12-0. He had a pin and major decision on Saturday, then scored two wins over ranked wrestlers on Sunday, topping Coe's No. 6-ranked Rob Kramer 5-3 and Wartburg's No. 5-ranked Byron Tate 6-1. Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) also came up big for the Auggies on Sunday with two key victories at 133 pounds – an 11-2 major-decision win against Coe, and a 7-6 triumph over Wartburg's Matt Kelly. Jafari Vanier (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), a two-time national runner-up who returned to the Auggies this weekend after a two-season absence, also scored two big wins on Sunday at 141 – an 8-3 win over Coe and a 7-4 win over Wartburg's No. 5-ranked Chris Sandy. Vanier placed second in the national tournament at 133 pounds in both 2006 and 2007. Jason Adams (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) dominated his competition over the weekend at 157, as the No. 5-ranked wrestler claimed four wins, including one by major decision. On Sunday, he scored a 7-1 win over Coe's No. 9-ranked Dale Handley, then topped Wartburg's Adam Weber 7-4. Adams is now 23-2 on the season. On the weekend, Augsburg won 25 of 40 individual bouts, including five wins against Wartburg and six wins against Coe. Among other Minnesota schools, No. 9-ranked Concordia-Moorhead placed sixth in the tournament, while No. 11-ranked St. John's placed eighth. On Sunday, the Cobbers topped the Johnnies 22-13 before falling 26-17 to top-ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse in the fifth-place match. After the loss to the Cobbers, the Johnnies fell 25-20 to Cornell (Iowa) in the seventh-place match. Augsburg will travel to face St. John's in its next dual meet, on Thursday (1/14) in Collegeville, Minn. The junior varsity squads from both teams will meet at 5 p.m., with the varsity match to follow at 7 p.m.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- On Sunday, Iowa captured its third straight NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals title with a 19-12 victory over Iowa State, and while much of the talk centered on the Hawkeyes winning without four starters, Iowa coach Tom Brands didn't want to focus on that. "Is that our best lineup out there? It doesn't matter because we believe in our guys," said Brands. "We've got some pretty tough wrestlers. Our depth is deep with tough wrestlers." Iowa's victory over Iowa State marked the sixth straight victory for the Hawkeyes over the Cyclones, second this season, and 36th in 38 meetings. "We're going to get them," said Iowa State coach Kevin Jackson. We're going to get them. We're going to get them. I'm telling your right now ... We're going to get them." Iowa won crucial matches at 125, 157, and 165, which proved to be the difference. At 125, Iowa's Matt McDonough, who is ranked No. 4, got things rolling for the Hawkeyes as the picked up a 9-7 victory over fifth-ranked Andrew Long in an action-packed match. It marked McDonough's third victory over Long this season. Iowa State's Nick Fanthorpe, who is ranked No. 8, evened the dual at 3-3 with an 8-3 victory over Nate Moore at 133. After a scoreless first period, Fanthorpe picked up two takedowns in the second period and led 5-2 heading into the third period. Fanthorpe added another takedown and with an additional riding time point closed out the 8-3 victory. But things went downhill for the Cyclones after 133. The Hawkeyes won the next five matches, including tossup matches at 157 and 165. At 157, Iowa's Aaron Janssen and Iowa State's Andrew Sorenson battled to a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation. But in sudden victory, Janssen picked up a takedown to win the match 3-1 and give the Hawkeyes a 12-3 lead. "We needed to win 157," said Jackson. "157 is hurting us. Right now 157 is hurting us. I've got to find the guy. It hurt us. We've got to win that match. We win that match, we're in business." At 165, Iowa's fifth-ranked Ryan Morningstar and Iowa State's third-ranked Jon Reader battled for the sixth time over the past two seasons. Morningstar won all three meetings last season. This year, however, Reader took the first two meetings and appeared to have the upperhand in the rivalry. But on Sunday it was Morningstar who came out on top, picking up a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Reader. "He's gutsy," Brands said of Morningstar. "He's been gutsy his whole career. I'm not surprised. He stays in the match. He's slow-twitch. He takes his time. He tripods up. He hits those long shots. He gets his hands locked. He comes up and scores takedowns. To win nationals, Ryan Morningstar has to score takedowns." Iowa's second-ranked Jay Borschel cruised to an easy 10-2 victory over No. 14 Duke Burk at 174, which marked his fourth victory over a ranked opponent over the two-day event. Borschel was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Iowa State won the last three matches, including No. 11 Jerome Ward beating No. 6 Phil Keddy for the second time this season, but it was too little too late as the Hawkeyes came away with the 19-12 victory. While Jackson was visibly upset about the loss, he loves what the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry is all about. "I love it," said Jackson. "Nothing like it. I love the intensity. I love competition. We all know without good competition, it's not any fun. So I love it. I wish we had another match." Results: 125: Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. Andrew Long (Iowa State), 9-8 133: Nick Fanthorpe (Iowa State) dec. Nate Moore (Iowa), 8-3 141: Dan LeClere (Iowa) dec. Dalton Jensen (Iowa State), 7-2 149: Brent Metcalf (Iowa) dec. Mitch Mueller (Iowa State), 7-3 157: Aaron Janssen (Iowa) dec. Andrew Sorenson (Iowa State), 3-1 SV 165: Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Jon Reader (Iowa State), 5-4 174: Jay Borschel (Iowa) major dec. Duke Burk (Iowa State), 10-2 184: Jerome Ward (Iowa State) dec. Phillip Keddy (Iowa), 7-5 SV 197: Jake Varner (Iowa State) dec. Luke Lofthouse (Iowa), 7-1 285: David Zabriskie (Iowa State) dec. Jordan Johnson (Iowa), 4-1 Ohio State dominates Minnesota to finish third Ohio State bounced back from a semifinal loss to Iowa State to defeat Minnesota, 26-12, for third place. Minnesota's Zach Sanders started the dual meet with a dominating 10-3 victory over Nikko Triggas at 125 to put the Gophers up 3-0, but Ohio State claimed the next five matches, which all but sealed the deal as the Buckeyes rolled to an easy victory. "In the semifinal match, I think we got a taste at a couple weight classes of just not wrestling hard enough," said Ohio State coach Tom Ryan. "The guys with the most energy win. You come here on the weekend looking to win it ... and I think we realized that we have a lot of work to do in several weight classes." Ohio State's Reece Humphrey, who entered the weekend ranked No. 1 at 141, bounced back from two losses on Saturday to win both matches on Sunday, including a 5-3 victory over No. 7 Mike Thorn of Minnesota. "He didn't have a great weekend," said Ryan. "He didn't feel great. He was kind of beat up, but he battled back. It's what winners do. It's good to see him come back and get two wins. Thorn is no pushover. He's a heck of a wrestler. Reece did a good job to get that win." Even though the NCAA championship team won't be crowned until March, Ryan says the National Duals is an important event for Ohio State. "I think there is a virus in the sport," said Ryan. "The virus is that the only thing that matters is the national tournament ... and that's not real life. One weekend a year isn't enough. We learn a lot about our team. These guys are beat up, banged up. But you know what ... Parents, business owners go to work beat up, banged up. That's real life stuff. We take this event very seriously. Whether the NCAA sanctions it or not, we don't care. This is a team event and we come here to win it." Results: 125: Zach Sanders (Minnesota) dec. Nikko Triggas (Ohio State), 10-3 133: Ian Paddock (Ohio State) dec. Thane Antczak (Minnesota), 6-4 141: Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) dec. Mike Thorn (Minnesota), 5-3 149: Lance Palmer (Ohio State) dec. Mario Mason (Minnesota), 7-1 157: Tony Jameson (Ohio State) major dec. Joe Grygelko (Minnesota), 18-9 165: Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) major dec. Nate Matousek (Minnesota), 11-1 174: Scott Glasser (Minnesota) dec. Dave Rella (Ohio State), 8-3 184: Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) won by forfeit 197: Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) pinned Cody Magrum (Ohio State), 2:05 285: Corey Morrison (Ohio State) dec. Ben Berhow (Minnesota), 9-4

HAMPTON, Va. -- The No. 4 Oklahoma State wrestling team capped a perfect weekend at the Virginia Duals with a dominating 30-6 win over No. 11 Lehigh in the championship round at the Hampton Coliseum Saturday night. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 8-0-1 on the year. Lehigh dropped to 9-3 overall. OSU's victory was its fifth over a ranked team this year. OSU and Lehigh met at last year's Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y., with the Mountain Hawks claiming an impressive 18-13 win over the then-No. 7 Cowboys. That loss was avenged in overwhelming fashion Saturday, as the Pokes dominated throughout by racking up 17 takedowns to Lehigh's five. OSU won eight of the 10 bouts. Going in, it was thought that the premier bout of the day would come at heavyweight, but as it turned out, Jared Rosholt made quick work of No. 4 Zach Rey by pinning him at the 2:05 mark. Rosholt shot in with a takedown attempt and when Rey tried to counter, Rosholt caught him, turned him to his back and got the fall at the 2:05 mark. The two-time Cowboy All-American pinned three of his four opponents on the weekend and pitched a 3-0 shutout in the fourth bout. While Rosholt's win was dominant, it wasn't even the quickest pin of the dual. That came at 133 pounds, where Jordan Oliver took Mitch Berger down immediately on the start then cut him loose, took him down again, locked in a cradle, turned him to his back and pinned him at the 35 second mark of his big win. The Cowboys overwhelmed the opposition at the Virginia Duals, scoring a 36-6 win over Liberty in the first round, a 42-6 win over Clarion in the second round, a 24-13 win over No. 14 Penn State in the semifinals and a 30-6 win over No. 11 Lehigh for the title. The Cowboys claimed bonus point victories in 18 of their 31 bouts on the weekend. Oklahoma State returns to action when it travels to Iowa City to tangle with top-ranked Iowa at 7 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 16. The Cowboys have beaten the Hawkeyes in each of their last four trips to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including a 19-14 victory in their most recent visit in 2008. "This what it's about," Coach John Smith said. "We have got to get excited with the schedule we have. We are Oklahoma State and we embrace the excitement of these big matches. We look forward to them and we get excited about them. Both Iowa and Iowa State are ranked number one and number two. It will be a great test for us, but let's not forget that this will be great test for them too. I'm very excited for the rest of our schedule in January and beyond." No. 4 Oklahoma State 30, No. 11 Lehigh 6 125: No. 9 Chris Notte (OSU) dec. John McDonald (LU); 5-0 133: No. 6 Jordan Oliver (OSU) fall Mitch Berger (LU); 0:35 141: No. 7 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. No. 13 Seth Ciasulli (LU); 5-2 149: Joey Napoli (LU) dec. Quinten Fuentes (OSU); 7-5 157: No. 12 Neil Erisman (OSU) dec. Sean Bilodeau (LU); 9-5 165: No. 14 Alex Meade (OSU) dec. No. 13 Mike Galante (LU); 9-4 174: No. 14 Mike Benefiel (OSU) dec. No. 17 Robert Hamlin (LU); 7-4 184: No. 15 David Craig (LU) dec. Chris McNeil (OSU); 5-2 197: No. 8 Alan Gelogaev (OSU) dec. No. 20 Joe Kennedy (LU); 10-3 285: No. 2 Jared Rosholt (OSU) fall No. 4 Zach Rey (LU); 2:05 125 pounds: Chris Notte started the dual with a 4-1 win over John McDonald. After a scoreless first period, Notte put a hard ride on McDonald for the entire second. The first points of the point didn't come until the third period when Notte reversed McDonald to go up, 2-0. McDonald got free for an escape, but Notte took him down again later in the period to go up, 4-1. The Cowboy senior's riding time point brought the final score to 5-1. 133 pounds: Jordan Oliver took Mitch Berger down immediately on the start then cut him loose, took him down again, locked in a cradle, turned him to his back and pinned him at the 35 second mark of his big win. 141 pounds: In a matchup of two wrestlers who squared off last season, Oklahoma State's Jamal Parks claimed a 5-2 win over No. 13 Seth Ciasulli. Parks and Ciasulli met at last year's Northeast Duals, with Ciasulli claiming an 8-6 win in that previous meeting. It was a different story on Saturday, however, as Parks scored a first-period takedown and slapped a hard ride on Ciasulli for 1:20. The second period opened with a quick escape by Parks. The only other point of the period came when Ciasulli was called for a technical violation for putting a choking maneuver on Parks. A Ciasulli escape opened the third period and brought the score to 4-2. It was the only point of the third and when Parks' riding time point was added, the Cowboy sophomore was a 5-2 winner. 149 pounds: A tough weekend for the Cowboy 149-pounders came to a fitting end when Quinten Fuentes lost a 7-5 decision to unranked freshman Joey Napoli. Fuentes was taken down twice and yielded a reversal and a riding time in his defeat. Fuentes's points came off three escapes and a late takedown. OSU's 149-pounders were a combined 0-4 at the Virginia Duals with three of the losses coming at the hands of unranked opponents. 157 pounds: Neil Erisman was a 9-5 winner over Sean Bilodeau. Erisman opened the scoring with a first-period takedown. A Bilodeau escape was the only other point of the first three minutes. An early escape from Erisman started the second period. The Cowboy junior then took Bilodeau down again with a single-leg takedown. An escape from Bilodeau brough the score to 5-2 after five minutes. Bilodeau escaped again to open the third period, then hit a nice takedown against Erisman to tie the score at five. Erisman regrouped, however, to escape and connect on another takedown to go up, 8-5. The riding time point brought the final to 9-5. 165 pounds: Cowboy freshman Alex Meade capped a strong weekend with a 9-4 win over No. 13 Mike Galante. Meade got things going with a thunderous double-leg takedown into a two-point nearfall to go up, 4-0. The Cowboy freshman added another two-point nearfall before the end of the first period and held a 6-1 lead through three minutes. The only scoring of the second period was a Meade escape. Galante opened the third period scoring with an escape, then added a second point when Meade got too physical with him and was slapped with a penalty point. Meade made up for his miscue by scoring a takedown to seal his 9-4 win. 174 pounds: Dominant all weekend, Mike Benefiel claimed a 7-4 win over No. 17 Robert Hamlin. The Cowboy sophomore took Hamlin down twice in the first period, added an escape early in the second period, another escape in the third and a riding time point to seal his win. Benefiel was a perfect 4-0 on the weekend with a win over a ranked opponent and three bonus-point victories. 184 pounds: In a bout that saw little action, No. 15 David Craig of Lehigh was a 5-2 winner over Chris McNeil. With a first-period takedown and a second period escape, Craig held a 3-0 lead going into the third period. McNeil reversed Craig to open the third and cut him loose, but was unable to score the winning takedown before time ran out. Craig's riding time point brought the final to 5-2. 197 pounds: A dominating showing from Alan Gelogaev at the Virginia Duals was capped by a 10-3 win over No. 20 Joe Kennedy. Gelogaev scored four takedowns and escape and added a riding time point to claim his victory over Kennedy. The Moscow, Russia native was a perfect 4-0 on the weekend with a win by technical fall, a win by fall and two comfortable wins by decision. 285 pounds: Going in, it was thought that the premier bout of the day would come at heavyweight, but as it turned out, Jared Rosholt made quick work of No. 4 Zach Rey by pinning him at the 2:05 mark. Rosholt shot in with a takedown attempt and when Rey tried to counter, Rosholt caught him, turned him to his back and got the fall at the 2:05 mark. The two-time Cowboy All-American pinned three of his four opponents on the weekend and pitched a 3-0 shutout in the fourth bout.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The semifinals are set for the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. In Division I, Iowa will face Minnesota, while Iowa State will take on Ohio State. The semifinals are set to begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. No. 1 Humphrey goes down ... Twice The nation's No. 1-ranked 141-pounder, Reece Humphrey of Ohio State, an NCAA runner-up at 133 pounds last season, suffered two losses on Saturday ... first to Arizona's State's Chris Drouin and then to Cornell's Kyle Dake. "He looks like he's under the weather," said Ohio State coach Tom Ryan. "I don't know. I thought he would be fine coming in. He's wrestling different than I expected him to. But he's a winner. You never want to lose, but now is the time. I think maybe it's a wakeup call. He's been using his talents late in matches to find ways to win ... and I think it's catching up to him now." Drouin scored a takedown in sudden victory to pick up the 3-1 win over Humphrey. "Going into overtime, I was just thinking takedown," said Drouin. "I was just going for the win. I really wasn't really thinking about it. I was just letting instinct take over ... let training take over. " Drouin, a returning All-American, has struggled with consistency this season. He has wins over No. 4 Zack Bailey of Oklahoma, No. 5 Jamal Parks, and No. 7 Mike Thorn of Minnesota, but placed sixth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and fifth at the Reno Tournament of Champions. "I don't even know what I was seeded coming into this," said Drouin, who is ranked No. 17. "I don't even look at the seedings. I know he's 1 ... but that's just because I've been told that. I really don't even think about the seedings. I mean, look at Jaggers last year ... This is a good win for me. It's good to start slingshotting me into the end of the season." Dake, a true freshman who is ranked No. 6, avenged a 4-2 sudden victory loss to Humphrey from the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. "I thought that I wasn't wrestling offensive and I didn't really open up my attacks," said Dake of his loss to Humphrey in early December. "I just made a few mistakes and it cost me the match. This time I corrected those mistakes and it turned out better." Dake, a two-time New York state champion with a prep record of 224-14 record, has high expectations for himself. "I don't want to lose ever," said Dake. "I want to be a four-time national champ. I wanted to go undefeated, but that didn't happen. I had a couple bad matches. But four-time national champ has always been my goal." Minnesota advances to semifinals with victory over Central Michigan Minnesota won its opening round dual meet against Missouri, 24-6, which set the stage for a quarterfinal battle against Central Michigan, who won 28-12 over Northwestern in the opening round. Minnesota jumped out to 17-0 lead against Central Michigan as the first five Gophers picked up victories. At 125, Minnesota's sixth-ranked Zach Sanders won by decision, 5-2, over No. 10 Matt Steintrager. At 133, No. 2 Jayson Ness of Minnesota dominated No. 9 Scotti Sentes, 14-6, to put the Gophers up 7-0. Minnesota's Mike Thorn, who is ranked No. 7, picked up an 11-5 decision over Connor Beebe at 141. Freshman Mario Mason kept things rolling for Minnesota with a 19-8 major decision over Justin McDermitt. Joe Grygelko of Minnesota put the Gophers in front 16-0 with his 3-2 decision over Donnie Corby. The teams split the remaining four matches as the Gophers rolled to a 26-9 victory. "They're wrestling good," said Minnesota coach J Robinson. "They knew they had to wrestle with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of excitement and they did that. We told them beforehand ... some of the guys were missing, so the other guys have to step up. They've been doing a really job today." One Gopher who has been a roll is 174-pounder Scott Glasser, who went 2-0 with two wins over ranked opponents on Saturday. Glasser, who is ranked No. 13, started his day with a 10-1 major decision over No. 10 Dorian Henderson of Missouri and then defeated No. 5 Ben Bennett of Central Michigan. "I think he's finally got his confidence back," said Robinson. "He realizes how hard he has to wrestle and what it's all about. He knows it ... And he's known that he has had to stay in the match and wrestle hard. And he's healthy now. But I think it's all part of it. The harder he works, the healthier he says. The healthier he stays, the better he does." Minnesota is competing without No. 2 Dustin Schlatter at 165 pounds, who is being held out of the event due to injury. The Gophers will now battle Big Ten rival Iowa in the semifinals at 11 a.m. CST on Sunday. "They're excited," said Robinson. "We weren't supposed to be there. Central Michigan was ranked ahead of us. We came in ... and they've been wrestling good. Iowa has some guys out. We have some guys out. So it should be exciting." Iowa tops Boise State in quarterfinals Iowa advanced to the semifinals with a 20-12 victory over Boise State. The Hawkeyes won six of the 10 matches against the Broncos. No. 3 Matt McDonough (125) and No. 1 Brent Metcalf (149) both won my major decision, but were the only Hawkeyes to pick up bonus points. "Today maybe we sucked our thumb a little bit too much," said Iowa coach Tom Brands. "Maybe we think it's going to easy. Maybe we think guys are going to fall down after one takedown ... or after a certain amount of time. There are guys out there that want to battle ... that love battling. We've got to love it too. They loved it more than us in some instances today. I tell you what, if we wake up tomorrow morning and we're sulking, we've got problems." The Hawkeyes are without the services of starters Dan Dennis (133), Chad Beatty (197), and Dan Erekson (285) this weekend. Only one Hawkeye fill-in, Luke Lofthouse (197), picked up a victory against Boise State. Brands, though, was in no mood to talk about his missing starters after the victory. "I'm not addressing that issue," snapped Brands. "How many times are we going to go over that issue? I'm being kind of snappy here ... and I'm being a tough guy in front of the media. I'm not going to address that issue. It's a no-brainer for me. This is a glimpse of our future. Nate Moore, Blake Rasing, and Luke Lofthouse are our future. Why am I going to make excuses? We love that. I love that. I love the opportunity for these guys. This is what they came to be Hawkeyes for. They were chosen to be Hawkeyes. I believe that." Iowa State dominates Maryland, Jensen pins Krom Iowa State won eight of 10 matches against Maryland in the quarterfinals and came away with a convincing 26-6 victory to advance to the semifinals. Perhaps the biggest win the dual came at 141 pounds when Iowa State's Dalton Jensen, who is filling the injured Nick Gallick, pinned returning All-American Alex Krom. "He's a pinner," said Iowa State coach Kevin Jackson. "I think you've seen it a couple times when he's been out there. He was down by some points ... for him to snap that cradle on him and get the fall was huge for the match. It kind of gave us the feeling that we could dominate the match. It turns out to be 26-6, so we'll take the win." Iowa State's Jake Varner won a hard-fought 5-4 decision over two-time All-American Hudson Taylor at 197 pounds. Taylor led 4-3 in the second period before Varner scored a reversal to go up 5-4, which is proved to be the difference. Despite the convincing victory, Jackson characterized his team's performance as sluggish. "We're making some mistakes," said Jackson. "I think our whole team wrestled a little bit sluggish. I've got to put my finger on what happened there ... why we wrestled sluggish. Maybe because of second wind ... guys might be holding their weight down, not taking each and every match as seriously as they possibly could." Ohio State advances to semifinals with victory over Cornell Ohio State got pins from Nikko Triggas (125) and Tony Jameson (157), which helped propel the Buckeyes over Cornell, 27-14, in the quarterfinals. "It was a good effort," said Ohio State coach Tom Ryan. "The sign of a great team is when one of your leaders gets knocked off and you have young people stepping up. Tony Jameson, redshirt freshman, stepping up and getting a fall. Nikko Triggas hurting his shoulder but finding a way to get a fall. These guys understand the importance of team and this is a team event." The Buckeyes will now get ready to face Iowa State in the semifinals at 11 a.m. on Sunday. "Great match," said Ryan. "They have a great coach there. They have a great team there. We're really looking forward to it."

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Led by three-straight major decisions to start the match, including a dominating performance by senior Matt Kyler, the Army wrestling team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back en route to a 28-9 victory over visiting Hofstra, Friday night at Gillis Field House. The Pride (2-4-1) spotted Army a 6-0 lead after senior Lance Penhale received a forfeit at 125 pounds, before sophomore Travis Coffey, junior Casey Thome and Kyler each notched a major decision to stake the Black Knights to an 18-0 lead that proved insurmountable. "The guys wrestled aggressively and we got off to a great start" said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "We had a great week of practice so I just told our guys I wanted to see their intensity and determination exceed what (Hofstra) was going to have. They certainly did that. The guys are energized and hungry and are really looking forward to the rest of the season." Coffey started the night with an 18-6 major decision opposite Jeff Rotella to even his record at 6-6 this season. Coffey nearly put Rotella on his back early in the first period, but settled for two takedowns and a pair of near falls to build a 10-3 lead. Following a scoreless second period, Coffey controlled Rotella for a reversal and three more takedowns on his way to the 12-point victory. Thome improved to 6-3 with a 13-2 major decision against Luke Vaith (6-8). Thome started with a takedown on the edge of the mat 20 seconds into the bout and later earned three points for a near fall to lead 5-0. After Vaith got on the board with a reversal, Thome escaped to take a 6-2 first-period lead. Thome notched another takedown and another near fall to lead 10-2 heading into the third period where he sealed the win with another takedown and a point for having over five minutes in riding time advantage. Kyler, ranked eighth nationally at 149 pounds, improved to 15-2 this season with a 15-4 victory over Tyler Banks. Kyler took Banks down twice in the first period and three more times in the second to build a 10-3 lead heading into the final period. Kyler scored a two-point reversal and earned one more takedown to go along with over four minutes of riding time to cruise to his team-leading 11th bonus point victory of the season. Hofstra broke the scoreless streak with back-to-back decisions at 157 and 165. Nineteenth-ranked Jonny Bonilla-Bowman fended off an upset-minded freshman Dan Young to hold on for an 11-8 decision, before P.J. Gillespie shutout freshman Eric Gobin, 5-0, to cut into the Black Knight lead, 18-6. However, another Army major decision by junior Jacob Vetter at 174 pounds all but sealed the match for the Black Knights. Vetter (5-5) took an early 5-1 lead on the heels of a takedown and a three-point near-fall, before two more takedowns contributed to the 12-4 final. Hofstra's Ben Clymer earned a hard-fought 4-1 decision opposite freshman Collin Wittmeyer, but senior Richard Starks and junior Ryan Cook each tallied decisions to close the door on an Army win. Starks, who entered the week ranked 17th nationally at 197 pounds, defeated Anthony Tortora, 4-0, on the heels of a first-period takedown, an escape in the third and a 1:45 advantage in riding time to remain undefeated at 7-0 this season. Cook (6-6) made a nice move to take down Paul Snyder in the first sudden victory period of the heavyweight bout to break a 1-1 tie and finish the night off with a 3-1 Black Knight decision. Army will return to action on Sunday when it hosts Rutgers, Boston University and Kings Point in a quad meet slated to kick off at 2:00 p.m. in Christl Arena. Fans will have the opportunity to watch all the action via the live webcast on www.goARMYsports.com, courtesy of ITT Knightvision. Results: 125 - Lance Penhale (A) win by forfeit 133 - Travis Coffey (A) maj. Jeff Rotella, 18-6 141 - Casey Thome (A) maj. Luke Vaith, 13-2 149 - #8 Matt Kyler (A) maj. Tyler Banks, 15-4 157 - #19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (H) dec. Daniel Young, 11-8 165 - P.J. Gillespie (H) dec. Eric Gobin, 5-0 174 - Jacob Vetter (A) maj. Jon Rothman, 12-4 184 - Ben Clymer (H) dec. Collin Wittmeyer, 4-1 197 - #17 Richard Starks (A) dec. Anthony Tortora, 4-0 285 - Ryan Cook (A) dec. Paul Snyder, 3-1 (SV)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Junior John Deneen started the No. 20 Fighting Illini off with a pin in 3:46 at 125 pounds against SIU Edwardsville on Friday, and Illinois rolled from there, blasting the Cougars 48-0 at Huff Hall. No. 2 John Dergo (184 pounds) and No. 15 Jordan Blanton (174) also added falls to the effort and No. 13 Ryan Prater notched a technical fall just 47 seconds into the second period as the Illini scored bonus points in eight of the 10 bouts and didn't allow a takedown all night. "We've been going hard this week in practice, so I think more than anything, our guys were just glad to get out of the practice room," Illini head coach Jim Heffernan said. "But we wanted our guys to hustle and work hard, and I'm pleased with how they did, for the most part." Illinois was aggressive from the outset, looking for near-fall points and team bonus points early and often in bouts. Deneen took a 4-1 lead after a period and started down in the second, notching a quick reversal and turning SIUE's Kris Treat for the pin in 3:46. SIUE's starter at 133 had pneumonia and their backup had a skin infection, forcing the Cougars to forfeit the weight class and increase Illinois' lead to 12-0. Prater attacked early and often at 141, getting an early takedown before Eric Biehl escaped off a restart. But Prater got another takedown then two near-fall points. Prater then went to work, scoring five straight near-falls for a total of 11 back points that gave him a 15-1 lead after a period. Biehl chose neutral to start the second and took a shot, but Prater sprawled out and looked to scramble, a strength of his. He cradled Biehl and got him on his back, but the Cougar wriggled out and got to his stomach, only giving up the takedown as Prater finished the 17-1 technical fall in 3:47. At 149, Eric Terrazas continued his perfect start to the season with a 7-4 decision. He got two quick takedowns for a 4-2 lead after a period. He started down in the second and escaped in 40 seconds, then got a takedown on the edge of the mat with 28 seconds left in the period to go ahead 7-2. SIUE's Kyle Lowman started down in the third and got a reversal 48 seconds into the period, but all he could do was ride out Terrazas as the Illini sophomore improved to 10-0 on the season. Conrad Polz looked solid at 157, getting two quick takedowns in the first period and riding SIUE's Nick Jones hard for a 4-1 lead after three minutes. Jones started down in the second and Polz cut him loose in order to throw him for a takedown and a 6-3 lead. Polz went to work from there, escaping to start the third and scoring three takedowns before adding riding time for the 14-5 major decision to put the Illini ahead 25-0. Junior Joe Barczak notched a quick takedown against Steve Ross at 165 and Ross escaped at the 2:08 mark. Barczak got another takedown 25 seconds later and rode hard for a two-point near-fall with 50 seconds left in the period to take a 6-1 lead. He started down in the second and got a quick reversal, then cut Ross loose and got another takedown late in the period for a 10-2 lead after five minutes. In the third, Barczak added two more takedowns and riding time, compared to Ross' lone escape, for the 15-4 major decision and a 29-0 team lead. Click here to find out more! At 174, Blanton put on a clinic against Blake Reed. He worked over Reed to the tune of six takedowns and a three-point near-fall in the first period for a 15-5 lead after three minutes. Reed narrowly missed being pinned a couple of times, but started down in the second. Blanton cut him and got a quick takedown, then cut him loose again. Blanton tried to go straight to a cradle from the neutral position, but ended up taking Reed down before working him into a cradle and pinning him in 3:58. Dergo was similarly dominant, getting an early takedown against Tim Mahoney at 184 and scoring three back points before cutting Mahoney loose. Dergo hit a double-leg near the edge of the mat and turned Mahoney for three more near-fall points before cutting him again for a 10-2 lead. Mahoney took a sloppy shot that Dergo countered for a takedown before the horn, taking a 12-2 lead after a period. He started down in the second and got out quickly before nailing another double-leg and turning Mahoney to secure the fall at 3:18, pushing Illinois' lead to 41-0. At 197, No. 10 Patrick Bond scored a quick takedown and got a tilt on Robert Cooney, nearly pinning the Cougar early. But Cooney fended it off, giving up three back points, and Bond cut him loose. Bond slid by Cooney for another takedown for a 7-1 margin after a period. He started down in the second and got out quickly before hitting another double-leg. Bond rolled through for two more back points and a 12-1 lead at the end of the period. Cooney started down in the third and Bond cut him loose, then getting a leg and planting the Cougar on the mat for the takedown. He cut Cooney off a restart, looking for another takedown for the technical fall, but Cooney fended off Bond's shot with a whizzer to only give up the 17-4 major decision. Martin Smith took the mat for the Illini at heavyweight, fending off an early shot from SIUE's David Devine before hitting a single-leg takedown of his own. After Devine got out, Smith defended another shot from the Cougar before re-shooting and securing a takedown for a 4-1 lead. Devine escaped but Smith got a third takedown before Devine escaped again to make it 6-3 after three minutes. Smith started down in the second and escaped quickly before locking in his underhooks and throwing Devine for a takedown. The Cougar escaped to make it 9-4 after two periods. Neither wrestler managed a takedown in the third period and Smith tacked on riding time for the 10-5 win, finishing off Illinois' 48-0 win. The Illini step it up a notch next weekend when they travel to No. 2 Iowa State on Saturday, Jan. 16. It will be the first dual between the two teams since 1964. Results: 125: John Deneen (ILL) pinned Kris Treat (SIUE), 3:46 (6-0) 133: Daryl Thomas (ILL) forfeit win (12-0) 141: #13 Ryan Prater (ILL) tech fall Eric Biehl (SIUE) 17-1 (3:47) (17-0) 149: Eric Terrazas (ILL) dec. Kyle Lowman (SIUE) 7-4 (21-0) 157: Conrad Polz (ILL) maj. dec. Nick Jones (SIUE) 14-5 (25-0) 165: Joe Barczak (ILL) maj. dec. Steve Ross (SIUE) 15-4 (29-0) 174: #15 Jordan Blanton (ILL) pinned Blake Reed (SIUE), 3:58 (35-0) 184: #2 John Dergo (ILL) pinned Tim Mahoney (SIUE), 3:18 (41-0) 197: #10 Patrick Bond (ILL) maj. Dec. Robert Cooney (SIUE), 17-4 (45-0) HWT: Martin Smith (ILL) dec. David Devine (SIUE) 10-5 (48-0)

University of Minnesota freshman wrestler and former Olympian, Jake Deitchler has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA for the 2009-10 academic year. The University of Minnesota received initial notice in September and appealed the ruling hoping for a review of the situation. Deitchler has not competed for the Gophers this season, while awaiting the results of the final appeal. Deitchler’s eligibility will be reinstated under the conditions that he is withheld from competition for the 2009-10 academic year, forfeit a year of eligibility and repay the $4,000 prize money he received. A 2008 graduate of Anoka High School and an Anoka, Minn. native, Deitchler represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Following the Olympics, Deitchler spent the 2008-09 academic year training and competing full-time with USA Wrestling at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. “In the NCAA’s ongoing effort to promote student-athlete welfare I do not think the NCAA is following or supporting their own ideology. The NCAA has handed a very young student athlete an overly harsh penalty,” head wrestling coach J Robinson said. “The punishment is quite severe and is a three part penalty. First; Deitchler must sit out a year, second he will lose one of his four years of eligibility, and third he must repay the money he received. I understand that there needs to be a penalty, Robinson said but to deny a season of competition, take away an entire year of eligibility plus repay the money is excessive. People make mistakes, and as an 18 year-old kid who just represented his country in the Olympic Games and got lost in the moment I don’t think this decision is in the best interest of the athlete, the NCAA, or the Olympic movement.” Robinson went on to add, “We had a very similar situation at Minnesota a few years ago where an athlete took money after the Olympics, in this case more money $6,000. The penalty the NCAA imposed was that the student athlete had to sit out two weeks and repay the money. That same year, this student athlete was eligible to compete in the NCAA Championships and became an NCAA All-American.” Deitchler will remain on the team and participate in all team practices, but cannot compete in 2009-10 for the University of Minnesota in any NCAA sanctioned events. This is bigger than Jake Deitchler and I think it hurts our Olympic movement by setting a bad precedence. Robinson hopes that the NCAA will review and reverse their decision in the spirit of student athlete welfare and what best for a young student athlete that got caught up in the excitement of the Olympic Games while representing his country. Robinson also said that Mario Mason has been reinstated and will resume competition with the team. Mason had been suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules, causing him to miss the Southern Scuffle and the Iowa State Dual.

Jim Miller