InterMat Staff

Mark Manning

Adam Tirapelle

Apple Valley seeks repeat Clash title Coming off a title at the Cheesehead Invitational this past weekend -- Apple Valley, MN is favored to repeat as champion at The ClashVIII National Wrestling Duals this coming weekend in Rochester, MN. The Eagles are the event's anchor squad with five nationally-ranked wrestlers -- Matt Kelliher (125/130), Brandon Kingsley (135/140), Destin McCauley (152), Steven Keogh (160), and Jake Waste (171). Other notable wrestlers are state champion Dakota Trom (112), as well as Cheesehead champions Jordan Kingsley (103) and Devin Scott (135/140). Apple Valley is the strong favorite to emerge from Bracket A on Friday morning -- competition for Brackets A and B will be conducted at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. (CST) -- and advance to the Championship pool to be conducted on Saturday evening. They will open the competition with Independence, IA whose best wrestler is Ryan Fank (215). Presuming the win there, they would move on to the bracket semifinal against Blue Springs, MO -- which is favored to beat Carl Sandburg, IL in the first round. They are anchored by state champion Keenan Hagerty (135) and state runner-up Josh Howk (140), both ranked first in the big-school division; and they also have Derrick Sanders (171) and Lewis Foutz (189) ranked second statewide. Sturgis, SD is the third seed in Bracket A led by a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers in Josh Keszler (125) and Seth Lange (130). Their first round opponent is Scott West, MN whose best wrestler is Michael Kroells (189). However, it is very likely that Sturgis will advance to face Grand Island, NE -- the top ranked team in that state -- after they take care of Baylor, TN in the opening round. The Islanders return six of the seven wrestlers that made the state final last year, including all four state champions -- Andrew Riedy (119), Blake Fruchtl (125), Alec Chanthopatheth (135), and Nathan Westerby (215); while Baylor is anchored by two-time state champion Zach Watson (119) and Cole Hayes (135). Dvorak champions Montini Catholic, IL are the strong favorites to emerge from Bracket B and advance into the championship bracket. The Broncos are a squad without superstars, but they are anchored by Kevon Powell -- ranked 15th at 103; Junior National freestyle All-American Colton Rasche (130); and state champion Stephen Robertson (140). Their first round bout is against Oak Grove, MO -- whose best wrestler is Mitchell Bradley (112). After the presumptive win in the first round, their semifinal match would be against the winner of a relatively tossup first round match between Skutt Catholic, NE and Hastings, MN. Skutt Catholic is anchored by nationally ranked Thomas Gilman (112) and Toshiba Midwest Classic champion Jake Hasz (285). Hastings is led by state placers Eric Bauer (119) and Zach Rohr (145). Plainview-Elgin-Millville, MN is the third seed in Bracket B, and is anchored by state champion Blaine Miller (160). They'll have a relative tossup in the first round against Wausau West, WI -- a squad anchored by Joe Umlauf (103) and Evan Knutson (285). The winner and loser of that match will move on in bracket competition against the corresponding results in the dual meet placing Ponderosa, CO against Roseburg, OR -- a battle of top ranked teams in their respective states' big-school classification. Ponderosa finished third at the Reno ToC on the strength of champion Jake Snider (145), as well as high placement finishers from Steven Kelly (152) and Austin Gabel (171). Roseburg is led by a trio of state champions -- Dan Faas (119), Sam Meacham (140), and Dylan Fors (171); former state champion Seth Thomas (152) is the lone nationally-ranked wrestler. Brackets C and D - scheduled for Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. -- do not have the defined favorites like the morning brackets do. Despite having no nationally-ranked wrestlers, Simley, MN is still the top seed in Bracket C. This is a very balanced squad; however, their strength is in the lower portion of the lineup with Juan Torres (112), Dylan Wright (119), Jake Short (130), Tommy Glenn (135), and Dan Dick (140). Their first round opponent -- Punahou -- comes all the way from Hawaii; but their only notable wrestler is Sani-Jonathan Fuimaono, ranked 20th nationally at 285 pounds. With that first round win, Simley should matriculate to the second round against either Owatonna, MN or Glenbard North, IL. Owatonna is the second-ranked team in Minnesota's big-school division, and is anchored by Dalton Henderson (189). The opposing Panthers are not as strong as in the recent path, and their top wrestler is Dvorak champion Joe Gosinski (125). Mt Carmel, IL faces Kaukauna, WI in the three-six dual meet in Bracket C. Though the Caravan from Illinois is favored against the Ghosts of Wisconsin, there is a crystal clear possible feature bout involving nationally-ranked wrestlers at 171 pounds. Walsh Ironman champion Charles Argue, ranked 13th nationally, is slated to wrestle Cheesehead champion Noah Budi, ranked 14th nationally. Waverly Shell-Rock, IA is the second seed in Bracket C, and very well positioned to poach the bracket away from Simley late Friday evening. The Go-Hawks feature a pair of ranked wrestlers -- Jacob Ballweg (135) and Cody Krumwiede (215) -- with Eric DeVos (119), Jordan Rinken (130), and Cody Caldwell (145) also being impact wrestlers. Their first round opponent is Minneota, MN -- anchored by two-time state champion Christian Skillings (125). With five Fargo All-Americans, Park Hill, MO is the top seed in Bracket D. Three of these young men are ranked inside the top six at their weight class -- Bricker Dixon (112), Alan Waters (125), and Kaleb Friedley (145). The other two All-Americans are Skylar Wood (119) and John Eblen (189). Their first round opponent is La Quinta, CA - and presuming that victory, Park Hill moves on to face the winner of a match between Neuqua Valley, IL and Kasson-Montourville, MN. Featured wrestlers for Kasson-Montourville are Nate Thomas (103) and Garret Garness (135). Neuqua Valley features a pair of Junior National freestyle All-Americans in Matt Cavallaris (119) and Nick Proctor (160); Proctor is ranked 9th nationally. STMA, MN is the third seed in Bracket D led by a pair of state finalists in state champion Jordan Crampa (160) and runner-up Kraig Schumm (189). Vacaville, CA is the sixth seed and a legitimate candidate to upset STMA. The squad from the Golden State has a pair of returning state placers in Adam Delagarza (189) and Ben Holmes (215); also of note is Tyler Johnson (145). Wisconsin Rapids, WI is the second seed in this bracket and presents itself as a challenger to Park Hill with five wrestlers either ranked first or second within their state. The lone nationally-ranked wrestler is Curt Fuller, listed 18th at 285 pounds; while the other high profile wrestlers are Jason Munoz (103), Ryan Lubeck (140), Zak Benitz (145), and Devin Peterson (171). Albert Lea, MN is the first round opponent for Wisconsin Rapids, and is led by two-time state runner-up Cory Hansen (130). For those unfamiliar with The Clashformat, teams wrestle three matches in a bracket on Friday and move into a pool on Saturday based on bracket placement. Within the four brackets, teams that place in the same position will face each other for three more round-robin matches. Those finishing fifth through eighth will wrestle in the morning session (9 a.m./11 a.m./1 p.m.), and those in the top four wrestle in the afternoon/evening session (4 p.m./6 p.m./8 p.m.) on Saturday. Nation's oldest tournament celebrates its 66th year A unique wrestling tradition rooted in Middle America celebrates its 66th year this coming Friday and Saturday. Starting in 1944, the community of Geary, OK has embraced its tournament. Visiting teams are still housed in local homes, churches, and even classrooms. The curiosity and generosity are unrivaled. Many of the best teams in Oklahoma attend the event, and a selection of teams from out of state attends the event on an annual basis. Keeping with its heritage - there is no seeding, nor are there advancement points, and challenge matches for true second are still allowed. This year's event is slated to feature 23 teams, including defending tournament champions Tulsa Union, OK. The Hurricanes seek to win their third title in the last four years, and were state champs in Oklahoma's big-school division last year. Three other state championship teams in the field include Canyon Randall, TX; Claremore, OK; and Tutlte, OK. Other notable teams in the field are Bishop Lynch, TX -- third at National Preps last year -- and Broken Arrow, OK. One half of the champions from last year's tournament return in defense of their titles. Ronnie Balfour (Tulsa Union, OK) -- ranked 12th at 160 pounds - was the Most Outstanding Wrestler of last year's tournament. This year, Balfour will probably have to navigate the toughest bracket of them all in order to repeat. Zach Skates (Broken Arrow, OK) and Cory Dauphin (El Reno, OK) are both state champions, while Trey Adamson (Bishop Lynch, TX) is a two-time National Prep placer. Two defending tournament champions are currently unranked nationally, but have the 11th ranked wrestler in the nation standing in their way to a repeat Geary Invitational title. Cole Gracey (Tuttle, OK) is slated to compete at 171 pounds, where Tanner Eitel (Bishop Lynch, TX) is also expected to appear in the bracket; while Terry Williamson (Broken Arrow, OK) is scheduled to compete at 285 pounds with Cody Dauphin (El Reno, TX) also appearing in the bracket. The four other defending tournament champions are Tray Dorrell (Del City, OK) -- competing at 112 pounds; Case Garrison (Bishop Lynch, TX) -- competing at 130 pounds; Troy Silver (Bishop Lynch, TX) -- competing at 135 pounds; and Shane Woods (Tuttle, OK) -- competing at 215 pounds. Woods also stands 7th in the nation for his weight class. Rounding out the list of nationally-ranked wrestlers are Matt White (Woodward, OK) -- 18th at 152 pounds; and Stephen McPeek (Bishop Lynch, TX) -- ranked 19th at 189 pounds. California's best seek out cowboy hats In the first of two January tournaments that serve as a prelude to the California state championship, Clovis High School will host the 33rd annual Doc Buchanan Invitational. The field features three defending state champions, six defending event champion, nine nationally-ranked wrestlers, and 35 returning state placers. In addition, the top five teams (also 8 of the top 10 and 15 of the top 25) in the most recent statewide team rankings (credit to The California Wrestler) anchor this field. State champion Jesse Delgado (Gilroy, CA) -- ranked 17th nationally -- seeks to become only the third four-time champion in the history of the tournament. However, Delgado will have to navigate one of the event's toughest brackets in order to achieve such an honor. The bracket includes two other defending tournament champions -- Vince Rodriguez (Clovis North, CA) and Adam Magnusson (Madera South, CA). In addition, the weight also includes freshman sensation Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, CA) -- champion at the Reno ToC; state placer Chris Martinez (Clovis West, CA); and former state runner-up AJ Valles (Sanger, CA). Another one of the feature brackets is at 171 pounds, where three-time state placer James Cook (Madera, CA) seeks to defend his Doc Buchanan title but is not the favorite. The bracket features two wrestlers ranked 17th in the nation, both of whom were state placers at 152 pounds. Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, CA) is ranked at 160 pounds nationally, but ranked first in the Golden State at 171; while Martin Fabbian (Buchanan, CA) is listed nationally in this weight class, and ranked second in the state. There are three additional returning state placers in this weight class -- Dominic Kastl (Gilroy, CA); Vince Waldhauser (Oak Ridge, CA); and Zach Nevills (Clovis, CA). In addition, Reno ToC runner-up Lucas Sheridan (De La Salle, CA) populates the bracket. Two other weight classes include a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers. Defending state champion Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA) - ranked second nationally at 189 pounds -- makes his season debut coming off injury; while standing in his way is two-time state placer Tommy Burriel (Clovis, CA), who is ranked 18th in the nation. This weight class also features a defending tournament champion in Lyndell Sear (Ponderosa, CA); Reno ToC champion Chase Eskam (Carlsbad, CA); and a pair of returning state placers in Rudolfo Juarez (Central, CA) and Nick Corona-Zamarripa (Kingsburg, CA). At 112 pounds, defending state champion Alex Cisneros (Selma, CA) is ranked third nationally; while state runner-up Stevan Knoblauch (Clovis West, CA) is ranked 11th after his championship at the Reno ToC. Also present in this weight class are three other state placers -- Vinny Moita (De La Salle, CA); Daniel Gaytan (Clovis, CA); and Adrian Rodriguez (Buchanan, CA). Rounding out the defending champions is Drew Meulman (St Francis, CA) -- ranked 7th nationally at 285 pounds. Also present in Meulman's weight is three other state placers -- Kyle Papendorf (Buchanan, CA); Rykeem Yates (Edison, CA); and Brian Schoene (Bakersfield, CA). The last of the nationally-ranked wrestlers is Nick Pena (Selma, CA) -- ranked 11th at 135 pounds -- though he is projected to compete at 130 this coming weekend. Also in the weight class is state placer Shane Tate (Oakdale, CA). Buchanan, CA seeks to invade the gym of neighborhood rival Clovis to steal a second straight Doc Buchanan title from their midst. The two teams were first and second in last year's tournament. Three other notable team contenders are Bakersfield, CA; Selma, CA; and Gilroy, CA. The live blog for the tournament is available at http://cloviswrestling.blogspot.com , while live streaming video is available at the following link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/clovis-wrestling. Competition starts at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on both days. Kings of the Mountain again seek to "Escape the Rock" Twenty-four teams will again converge upon Council Rock South, PA for the 5th annual Escape the Rock Wrestling Tournament this coming Friday and Saturday. Like at last month's King of the Mountain, Central Mountain, PA is seeking another repeat tournament championship. However, a formidable field stands in their way -- starting with last year's tournament runner-up Wyoming Seminary, PA. The Knights continue a run through the nation's most rigorous schedule; already having competed at the Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, and Cheesehead -- with Mount Mat Madness and a quad at Blair Academy, NJ still remaining. Other notable teams in the field are Council Rock South, PA; Paulsboro, NJ; and Sussex Central, DE. The defending champion Wildcats feature three of the nine wrestlers that return to defend titles from last year's Escape the Rock -- Jordan Rich (135), as well as Andrew (145) and Dylan (152) Alton. The 135 pound weight class featuring Rich and Simon Kitzis (Wyoming Seminary, PA) is one of three brackets to include two nationally-ranked wrestlers. Andrew Alton is featured in the only bracket with two returning tournament champions, as Matt Martoccio (Council Rock South, PA) joins him at 145 pounds. Dylan Alton's primary challenger is likely to be state placer and two-time Beast of the East placer Bo Candelaria (Middletown, PA). Likewise, Wyoming Seminary features three defending tournament champions in Dominick Malone (112), Kyle Johnson (119), and Mike McMullan (285). Malone is competing in one of the tournament's tougher weight brackets, with fellow nationally-ranked wrestler Chris Donaldson (Salesianum, DE) joining him in the competition. In addition, state placers Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) and Billy Hagany (Lenape Valley, NJ) join those two at 112 pounds. The primary challenger for Johnson at 119 pounds will be Brandon Davis (Parkland, PA). McMullan, ranked first in the nation at 285 pounds, seeks to continue his dominant run of wrestling in what might be the easiest leg of his gauntlet run with only state placer Zach Corl (Central Mountain, PA) of real note in his weight class. The third and final weight class with a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers is the one at 140 pounds featurning Junior National freestyle champion Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) and Beast of the East runner-up Codey Combs (Sussex Central, DE). Dziewa is ranked third nationally, while Combs is currently 11th in the rankings. Also in this weight class is Cadet National freestyle runner-up Brian Brill (Central Mountain, PA). The other team with defending tournament champions is Paulsboro, NJ with Joe Duca (125) and Zack Greenwald (215) -- both of whom are nationally ranked. Duca is the favorite in a weight class that also includes state qualifier Matt Rappo (Council Rock South, PA); Walsh Ironman placer Garrett Hammond (Wyoming Seminary, PA); and former Beast of the East placer Brandon Shultie (Sussex Central, DE). Greenwald is slated to compete in arguably the tournament's feature weight class, which also includes Beast of the East champion Matt Idelson (Garnet Valley, PA) as well as a pair of state placers in Scott Syrek (Owen J. Roberts, PA) and Jon Gingerich (Bald Eagle Area, PA). Rounding out the list of twelve nationally-ranked wrestlers in the event is Jamie Callender (Council Rock North, PA), 14th at 189 pounds. Virginia Duals turn 30 This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Virginia Duals National Invitational Wrestling Tournament in Hampton, VA. The event, which includes three divisions of high school competition and two divisions of collegiate competition, will be held this coming Friday and Saturday. It was the initial event to use the team advancement concept, and remains one of the pre-eminent events using the format. All three high school divisions feature a 16-bracket. The American Division is the second level bracket and features primarily schools from the Commonwealth of Virginia -- only four programs come from out of state. The top seed is Grundy, VA; while St Christopher's, VA anchored by Brandon Jeske -- ranked 12th nationally at 119 pounds -- is the second seed. The Black and Blue Division is the bottom-level bracket including teams exclusively from Virginia. The top seed is Skyline, while the second seed is Brooke Point. With five wrestlers nationally ranked by InterMat, St Mark's, DE is the top seed in the National Division. Nick Schenk (130) and Bobby Telford (285) are the anchor wrestlers, ranked second and third nationally; Tyler Pendergast (112), Sean Dolan (119), and Sean Boylan (125) also populate the rankings for the Spartans. In the first round, they draw Hopewell, VA -- which is anchored by Cody (152) and Clint (171) Allala. Presuming a first round win, the Spartans would advance to face the winner of the dual meet between the eight seed South Plainfield, NJ and Wantagh, NY. The lone nationally-ranked wrestler in this dual is Matthew Loew (189) of Wantagh. The match between Loew and Mike Wagner, who placed fourth at state last year, is the feature match of the dual meet. South Plainfield is an incredibly young team with a number of impact freshmen in the lineup, and they are favored to win the dual meet due to their excellence in the lower half of the lineup. Other featured wrestlers for the Tigers include Anthony Ashnault (103), Troy (112) and Nick (135) Heilmann, and Ryan Sacco (140). The tournament's fifth seed is Phillipsburg, NJ -- state champions in Group III last year. The Liners are anchored by state placer Oliver Burkhardt (145), along with Matt Lane (130) and John Horak (135). The feature bout of the first round dual against Fauquier, VA will be at 145 pounds where Burkhardt is slated to compete against Walsh Ironman placer Connor Miller (145). Other wrestlers to watch for the Indians are Greg Flournoy (119) and Ryan Hunsberger (125). Six-time state champion Christiansburg, VA is the tournament's fourth seed and should be favored to advance to the quarterfinals against (mot likely) Phillipsburg. The Blue Demons are anchored by a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers in Joey Dance (112) and Devin Carter (125). Four other wrestlers placed in the POWERade -- Logan Bosley (130), Brady Epperly (140), Rich Eva (152), and Tyler Miles (160). Their first round opponent is Canon McMillan, PA -- which is led by freshman Connor Schram (103), two-time state placer Nick Catalano (135), and Cody Klempay (215); Schram and Klempay were POWERade runners-up. Moving to the lower half of the draw, the third seed is Eastern Regional, NJ. The Vikings are a very top heavy team with a quartet of nationally-ranked wrestlers, one additional state placer, but not much strength across the rest of the lineup. Robert Deutsch (119), Hank Stinson (140), Anthony Baldosaro (145), and Preston Kieffer (160) are the ranked wrestlers; while Dave Newcomber (152) placed eighth in the state tournament last year. Their first round opponent is Kellam, VA; which is anchored by two-time state runner-up Aaron Runzo (125), who also was a Junior National Greco-Roman AA this past summer. Presuming the likely first round win for the Vikings, they would move on most likely to face Nazareth, PA. The Blue Eagles are anchored by two-time state runner-up Zach Horan (125), who is ranked 10th nationally. In addition, Nazareth features state placer Ryan Krecker (152). Their first round opponent is Columbia, NY. The most intriguing of the eight opening round matchups in the National bracket is the one placing seventh-seed Bethlehem Liberty, PA against Camden Catholic, NJ. The Hurricanes had six placers in their home tournament over the holidays - led by Anthony Cabrera (103), Devon Lotito (112), and state placer Anthony Marino (125). Camden Catholic have won six consecutive state titles in the Parochial Group A classification, and are anchored by state champion Taylor Walsh (140/145). Three other notable wrestlers are freshman Chad Walsh (103); Matt Sausman (119), third at state; and Beast of the East placer freshman TJ Miller (125). Best of Buckeye State to do battle While there is no official dual meet state championship within Ohio, the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association (OHSWCA) State Duals this Sunday will have to make do. Starting at 12:00 noon at three different sites, each division will have an eight-team bracketed dual meet tournament. The big-school division will compete at Wadsworth, Division II will compete at Graham, while Division III (small-school) will compete at Evergreen. Competition will continue at each site with the second round at 2:00 p.m., and the finals will commence at 4:00 p.m. Most notable is the Division I tournament, which should feature a finals match between two of the nation's elite squads in St Edward and Wadsworth. While St Edward has won the last 13 individual state tournament titles, Wadsworth knocked off the Eagles in last year's state duals and in a dual meet later on during the season. In order to advance to the final, St Edward has to beat Springboro in the first round and then most likely Twinsburg in the semifinal; while Wadsworth has Mentor in the first round, and the winner of Marysville vs. Cincinnati Elder in the second round. Key to the Eagles team should be the return of Jamie Clark, tops in the nation at 130 pounds. Clark competed in the season's opening weekend, but did not compete in the Walsh Ironman and has not since appeared on the mat. In addition, the squad features nationally-ranked wrestlers in Dean Heil (103), Anthony Salupo (145), and Nick Sulzer (160); as well as former state champion Gus Sako (125). The Grizzlies will also be welcoming back a key ingredient to their squad in Caleb Busson (189). A state placer last year, Busson is one of the lead contenders for a state title in the big-school division at his weight; however, he has not competed yet to date this year due to football injury. Wadsworth features nationally-ranked wrestlers in Kagan (119) and Brad (145) Squire; and has two other notable wrestlers favored for state titles in their weight class -- sophomore Nick Tavanello (215) and senior Ben Buzzelli (285). The host Falcons should walk their way to a Division II state dual meet title with their four nationally-ranked wrestlers -- Ryan Taylor (103), Nick Brascetta (119), Felipe Martinez (140), and Max Thomusseit (189). Their championship final could come against Medina Invitational runners-up Oak Harbor. One would think the small-school division favorite is Monroeville with their "big four." However, that is not the case for two reasons. First, two members of the big four are question marks for the event -- as Hunter Stieber (119/125) and Chris Phillips (171) were out at their last tournament due to injury. Second, beyond state qualifier Cal Clark (135/140), the rest of the Eagle squad is suspect. In terms of fan interest, the other two contenders for the state title -- CVCA and Chanel, both out of the Cleveland/Akron area -- are also not in the event. Therefore, look for a final between West Jefferson and Cuyahoga Hts.

Cyclone Notebook • Iowa State heads to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take part in the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, presented by Hibiclens. The second-ranked Cyclones took third place at last year’s edition of the event. ISU faces Bloomsburg in the first round. • ISU held off sixth-ranked Minnesota Jan. 3, 19-16, with a decisive pin being recorded by top-ranked Jake Varner at 197 pounds. The Cyclones split the dual matches with the Gophers at 5-5. • Iowa State notched a team runner-up fi nish at the 47th Annual Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., Dec. 29-30. ISU’s Jake Varner took the 197-pound crown. • The Cyclones are 3-1 in the 2009-10 season with earlier dual victories coming Nov. 12 in Hilton Coliseum over South Dakota State (43-3) and Dec. 19 at UNI, 42-0. • ISU is currently ranked 2/2 in the Intermat and W.I.N. Magazine polls, respectively. • Iowa State is 992-262-20 all-time in duals, dating back to 1916. • The Cyclones are coming off a third-place showing at last year’s NCAA Championships. • Iowa State returns four grapplers who earned All-America honors in at the 2009 NCAA Championships: Nick Gallick (141), Jon Reader (165), Jake Varner (197) and David Zabriskie (HWT). ISU 133-pounder Nick Fanthorpe was an All-American in 2008. Iowa State at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals • Iowa State placed third at the 2009 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, presented by Hibiclens, posting a 3-1 record in the event. • En route to the third-place showing, ISU notched dual victories over Indiana (35-0), Boise State (19-15) and Nebraska (20-19). The No. 2 Cyclones were dropped in semifinal action by then third-ranked Cornell, 22-15. • ISU has participated in five-straight National Dual events. • In the events history, Iowa State has taken one team championship (2000), and has been team runner-up once, in 1992. Iowa State vs. Bloomsburg Series Notes • The Cyclones are a pristine 6-0 versus Bloomsburg all-time, with the last meeting between the teams taking place Jan. 2, 1988. ISU handled the Huskies by a score of 26-12. • Iowa State and Huskies have met before in a dual tournament setting. ISU turned away Bloomsburg with a 31-9 victory at the Virginia Duals, Jan. 11, 1986. Iowa State won the event with three dual victories. Scouting the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals • No. 2 Iowa State will face off with Bloomsburg in the first round of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The Huskies are 8-2 in duals this season. • BU is coached by John Stutzman, who is in his fi fth season at the helm of the Bloomsburg wrestling program. Last season, the Huskies went 9-7 and 3-3 in the Eastern Wrestling League. • The Cyclones face a possible second-round matchup with seventh-seed, Maryland. UM is out to a 7-1 dual start, which is the school’s best since a 9-1 start in the 1994-95 season. • The Terps are coached by Kerry McCoy, who was a two-time Olympian. McCoy is 17-9-1 in his second season at Maryland. • ISU hasn’t faced the Terrapins since Jan. 11, 1969. Iowa State won the matchup, 23-12, to be 3-0 all-time against Maryland. • There are familiar faces around the dual tournament bracket. Participants on the 2009-10 Cyclone wrestling schedule include: No. 1 Iowa, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 6 Cornell, Arizona State, Missouri, Nebraska and host, Northern Iowa. • Other participating teams include: Buffalo, No. 4 Central Michigan, Northwestern, No. 3 Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Cody Sanderson

Dan Hicks

Jack Spates

Robbie Waller

Donny Pritzlaff

Bart Friedenberg

Steve Fittery

Colin McDonough

Our mobile Brute adidas studios will be on the road in Cedar Falls this week for the NWCA National Duals. Join us this week as we broadcast the National Duals live from UNI. No scheduled guests- just Steve Foster and I with Great Action. Special programming note- You can watch 1 of 10 cameras as we partner with livesportsvideo.com to bring you video and audio all weekend long from the UNI Dome. This is a free weekend! Please note that Episode 39 of TDR TV is now up on all the top web sites around the country and is available for your viewing. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio and TV! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. TDR "the Radio Program" airs 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning we look forward to having you listen. Thanks and Happy New Years!

Mike Moyer

In the spring of 2008, Tim Hartung, a two-time NCAA champion for the University of Minnesota in the late 90s, walked away from wrestling, resigning from his position as an assistant coach at Iowa State. A year and a half later, Hartung is back in wrestling ... coaching at the high school level in Eagan, Minnesota. InterMat recently talked to Hartung about a variety of subjects, including coaching in high school and college, Cael Sanderson, Jake Varner, Mark Perry, Brock Lesnar, Marty Morgan, and much more. Tim HartungAfter the 2008 season, you left your position as an assistant coach at Iowa State. That move surprised some because it's not often that a Division I college coach walks away from the sport. What went into that decision at the time? Hartung: It was completely family. I had a little baby on the way. My wife and I had talked about it forever that once we start a family I was going to get out of the college coaching world. You're gone too much ... and way too much time away from family. That was the only decision. What intrigued you about getting into coaching wrestling at the high school level? Hartung: It's a catalyst for me. My long-term plan is to get into administration. In order to get an administrator's license, I have to teach three years before I'm eligible to become an administrator. I have to teach for three years and while I'm teaching, it was a good fit for me to also coach wrestling. Obviously, I love the sport. I missed it a little bit. And it's just a way to stay connected. So you don't see coaching as a long-term thing? Hartung: You might be able to find a district that would allow you to be an administrator and coach, but most of the time that's not an option. It's not like once you get your administrator's license you're just a shoe-in. It may take me six, seven, eight, nine, ten years before I find an administrative job that I like. But eventually, yeah, I don't plan on coaching forever. Most of the time, once you become an administrator in some capacity, you're real busy and they don't allow you to coach. I can imagine there are some differences between coaching in high school and coaching in college ... Hartung: There are, but it's all the same. You try to take a group of kids or young adults, help them get better and accomplish their goals. What you're trying to accomplish is the exact same. You're just working with different people and different levels of ability. So really the approach is the same. I was surprised. The mentality that you try to preach ... the style that you try to preach ... the commitment that you try to preach might be toned down a little bit, but it's really the same. You have the same goals and the same intentions in mind. It's kind of crazy. Not only were you successful as a competitor at a very high level, but you also were able to coach at three of the nation's top college wrestling programs. How important was that for you to be able to spend time in three different top collegiate wrestling programs? Tim HartungHartung: Well, I can tell you right now, as a coach, I use a lot of the skills, tactics, techniques, and mentalities that I picked up at all three places. I got to work with great people. It's no different than a business man that bounces around and spends time in three or four different companies. You learn from each place and ultimately it makes you better. That's the thing that I took away from it ... different philosophies, different approaches to try to achieve the same objective. I know it has helped me. Coming out of J [Robinson]'s program, he's real strict and his mentality is awesome. He's been real successful. Jimmy [Zaleskey] had a different twist. He was a little bit more laid back and tried to motivate the guys a little bit more intrinsically. And then Cael [Sanderson] brought a different twist to that too. So I have just kind of been a sponge and taken different pieces from each guy and kind of made it my own, so it's been interesting. The programs that you have been associated with have only known winning. The high school where you're now coaching, Eagan, isn't a wrestling powerhouse in Minnesota, so it's obviously going to take some building. I know you're focused on getting Eagan to the top, but how patient are you going to be with winning? Hartung: One of the biggest things I learned from Coach Sanderson at Iowa State ... When he coached, he was real consistent with his message. It never involved winning and losing. It involved your best effort. I use that same exact team motto every day. It's your best effort ... That's all I'm concerned about. Your best effort. Your best performance. Trying to achieve your best results ... Whatever that is. That has kind of been my approach with these guys. We are a real inexperienced team. We don't have a strong, winning tradition. I'm a realist. We have Apple Valley in our district. They are one of the premier programs in the country. My goals for this team are just to get better and for them to give their best effort and learn more of the life lessons on how to fight and how to go after your goals. Winning will come, but obviously it's going to take a while. But there are bigger lessons to learn. That's kind of our approach right now. You mentioned Apple Valley. Do you like being in the same conference and section as Apple Valley because it shows your wrestlers a higher level, maybe a level that you would like to get to? Or would you just as soon not have to deal with Apple Valley? Hartung: That's a loaded question. I mean, any team wants to beat the best eventually. But the facts are ... a team that's less experienced and a team that has been taking a beating from a team like Apple Valley forever, it's tough to overcome that obstacle. You look at Iowa-Iowa State. Iowa State has had some teams that most people would argue were better, but they never seem to be able to win that dual. It's a psychological thing. I haven't been here long enough to know what our guys are feeling. We do wrestle them in the middle of January. I would imagine that we get real intimidated. I'm sure that happens. Any coach's goal would be to make the state tournament first of all ... and then try to do the best you can there. That kind of puts you behind the eight ball when you have Apple Valley in your district. Would I rather be in a different district? Potentially. But eventually your goal is always to be the best, so you have to beat them at some point. In April, Cael Sanderson left his position at Iowa State to become the head coach at Penn State. Obviously, you have developed a relationship with Cael. How surprised were you that Cael left Iowa State? Cael Sanderson (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Hartung: I don't know that anybody saw it coming. But I know that he wants to win. Obviously, he felt that Penn State gave him a better chance to do that. I was a little bit surprised, but I guess that's the coaching world. You see it all the time in all the different sports. I don't even know what type of deal he got or whatnot, but it had to be decent to get him away from Iowa State. It's awesome to see wrestling do that. Other sports do it all the time. Programs come in and try to sweep a great coach away by spiffing up the deal. That's what happened I think with Cael. It's just awesome that wrestling had that opportunity. You won two NCAA Division I titles, so obviously you know what it takes to win at that level. Cael is the only wrestler to go undefeated in college and win four NCAA Division I titles. Do you think we will ever see another wrestler go undefeated and win four NCAA Division I titles in our lifetime? Hartung: There is always somebody coming along that will have a chance to do it I'm sure. It's an incredible feat ... as anybody that has wrestled in college knows ... between injuries, being tweaked, getting sick, wrestling through pain ... There are just so many variables. There have been plenty of guys probably with the talent level to do it, but it takes an extremely solid, mentally strong individual to go four years undefeated like he did. It wasn't like he sat out a lot of matches. I'm not sure he sat out any. That's just unbelievable. There are so many things. There was some luck involved I would imagine because he didn't get injured a lot. The way he wrestled probably had something to do with that. No major sicknesses like pneumonia or something. There are just so many things. It's such a hard thing. I think people realize the magnitude of the accomplishment, but it always seems there is a next generation guy coming through in all the sports. LeBron James ... Everyone thought he was going to be better than Jordan. Tiger Woods came along after Jack Nicklaus. There is always somebody coming. But do I think it will happen? The smart man would say no. You worked closely with Jake Varner while at Iowa State. He won an NCAA title last season and then made his first U.S. World Team. How great do you think he can be? Hartung: He's just a great kid. He's earned everything he's got. He's the hardest worker that I've been around. He's the hardest guy I've ever wrestled while coaching and wrestling college athletes. The kid is good. He's so solid. He's so strong. He works extremely hard. At the end of every practice, he would grab Cael and go a couple more takedowns ... or he would grab me. Or he would jump rope for another 20 minutes. He really works for what he's got. He gets criticized from time to time for not being as offensive as people would like him to be. But you look back at the history ... guys like Lee Kemp. He wasn't an offensive machine either, but he got it done. That's kind of what he does. Tim Hartung (Photo/The Guillotine)In 2002, you won the U.S. Nationals and also made the U.S. World Team that year. But the U.S. did not participate in the 2002 World Championships in Iran due to a threat of violence towards the team. How much does that bother you that you didn't get an opportunity to represent the U.S. when you earned the spot? Hartung: Well, you always want a chance to compete at that level. I don't think much about that. It bothers me more that I fell a little bit short in 2004. That was my ultimate goal ... to make the Olympic Team. The 2002 thing was out of my control, so it's a little easier to kind of just let it go. But in 2004, I fell short on my own efforts. That's never the way you want your career to end. In talking to Mark Perry recently, he brought up your name when talking about coaches who have helped him throughout his career. Perry is now the top assistant at Cal Poly and already seems to be making a tremendous impact as a coach. Did you foresee a coaching career in his future when you were working with him at Iowa? Hartung: Well, he's got unbelievable knowledge of the sport. I think it comes from his family. I know he's talked about when he grew up, he was in the Oklahoma State room every day as a kid. He understands the sport probably as well as anybody. He's a real likeable kid. He has that knack for building relationships and connecting with people. I think that's what potentially could make him a really good coach. The guys that come into a college program will instantly gravitate towards him and kind of attach to him. He's got great credentials, great technique, great knowledge, and great enthusiasm for the sport. He should do really well. Your former teammate, Brock Lesnar, is now the UFC heavyweight champion. He pulled out of a November UFC event because of an illness. It was recently reported that Lesnar has an intestinal condition that has been ongoing for around a year. Do you still keep in touch with Lesnar? And if so, have you heard how he's doing? Hartung: I don't talk to him much. I was up training with him a little bit last May, so we kind of reconnected then. But he's busy and I'm busy, so it's tough to stay connected. But I heard through a couple guys that he's recovering well. They keep it pretty quiet. They don't really tell people exactly what's going on. So that's kind of where I'm at. You developed a relationship with Marty Morgan during your time at the University of Minnesota. Morgan is now working with Lesnar. He has said there are only a couple Division I head coaching jobs that we would consider. Do you think Morgan will ever become a Division I head coach? Tim Hartung (Photo/The Guillotine)Hartung: I don't know. I know one of the things he's enjoying now is his family. He has four kids. When he stepped away from coaching one of the things he said was, 'Wow, this is what it's like to have a life?' Coaching is a grind. All coaches will tell you that. You're constantly on the trail ... the recruiting trail or on the competition trail. And if you're not, you're not one of the best programs. The commitment that you need, it's just a hard life. You better enjoy it and you better make it a priority. It's real hard thing to do when you have a family that is trying to pull your commitments from that side. But I'm not sure if he will ever become a Division I head coach. It's a good question. I would say if it's sometime in the real near future ... like the Minnesota job or something, I think he would strongly consider it. But I'm not real sure. Do you stay connected with the University of Minnesota wrestling program? Hartung: I haven't that much. I have only been in the room one time since I've been back here, which has been about a year and a half. I really wish I could more. But I'm working on some teaching license stuff and I'm going to school. I have a new job in the Eagan school district. I'm coaching. Your time is limited. I have my family, which is my No. 1 priority. Everybody gets busy. It's tough to stay connected. I would love to more ... I know that. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Hopefully I will when I slow down at some point. I would really like to. This story also appears in the January 1 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe, click HERE.

Jim Andrassy never scribbled his plan down on paper. He never typed it; he didn't post it on the team bulletin board; he certainly never e-mailed bullet points to recruits or boosters. Still, the Kent State skipper claims the program's crawl from fledgling MAC program to the national rankings was the expected result -- of a plan. Jim AndrassyKent State's has been a success of late (12-match winning streak, top 15 national ranking) but according to Andrassy, the achievement wasn't borne of providence or the enlistment of a huge recruiting class finally coming to maturity. Rather it's a motley collection of some hard-nosed local boys, a proven in-the-room training system that relies on technique and toughness, and a heavy portion of patience. "I knew we had some limitations when I got the job [in 2003],"Andrassy said. "I decided to focus on what we could do better than the big schools and for me that meant finding the local kids and teaching them up." Results were gradual. After hiring Josh Moore, an NCAA finalist and former Penn State standout, the program had success recruiting better classes each season, landing two top 25 classes in their first four seasons. Still the success of the team lagged behind a few seasons, including the extension of an All-American drought that lasted 23 years (Kent State brought home two trophies last year.) Despite some lean years, the coaching duo says they weren't fazed. "Coach Moore and I are taking it one year at a time," said Andrassy, who's been at Kent State for 19 years including his time as a wrestler, assistant coach and head coach. "The guys know our goal is only to do better than the year before. If we do even a little bit better then soon enough we'll be top 10 at NCAAs for a lot of years to come." Josh Moore (left) is in his sixth season as an assistant coach on Jim Andrassy's staff (Photo/Kent State Sports Information)While big conference schools rip through the state dangling full scholarship offers and NCAA title hopes in front of top recruits, he has courted what he believes are the state's toughest wrestlers -- second-tier grinders he and Moore can develop into All-Americans over the course of five years. Staying close to campus has been their unofficial modus operandi: of the 30 wrestlers listed on the team's Web site, 23 are from Ohio, including nine starters (Andrassy credits Central Michigan head coach Tom Borrelli for popularizing the local-first method of recruiting in the MAC.) "We want to own Ohio and then slowly -- over the next several years -- make our way into Pennsylvania, and then hopefully New York," said Moore, a Pennsylvania native who recruited the one non-Ohioan in the starting lineup, fellow Keystone-stater Mallie Shuster. "We try not to get caught up in too many recruiting battles."Andrassy said. "Ohio is one of the best wrestling states in the country and I think we are an exciting option for talented hard workers who wanna scrap." Dustin Kilgore is currently ranked No. 5 at 184 pounds (Photo/Kent State Sports Information)One exception to Andrassy's second-tier rule has been third-ranked Ohioan Dustin Kilgore. The redshirt 184-pound sophomore was recruited by several Big Ten programs, but said he chose Kent State because he connected with the coaches and trusted their plan for his development. "The coaches seemed ready to turn things around," Kilgore said. "I got here it was obvious that they knew what they're doing. They don't push too much, but they're also not soft. I've become a better wrestler with much better technique." Kilgore redshirted his first year on campus, which according to Moore is also a vital part of sustaining a deep talent pool. While other schools feel pressure to win now with big name 18-year-old recruits, Moore said he trusts that their system will eventually prepare all their wrestlers for a shot at an All-American title or better. "What's the hurry?" Moore questioned. "We can get guys the extra year in the room and give them the time to develop and mature. Shuster got 30-plus matches last year and now he has four years to test himself at NCAA's and hopefully place." According to fifth-year senior Danny Mitcheff, that philosophy has worked well to develop his mat ability. The 11th-ranked Ohioan is preparing for his third trip to Nationals and a shot at becoming an All-American, an opportunity the single-time Ohio state champion might not have been afforded had Kent State not shown interest. Danny Mitcheff was looking at wrestling in Division II before the Kent State coaches asked him to come (Photo/Kent State Sports Information)"I was looking at Ashford (Division II) and then coaches asked me to come to Kent State. I mean, it's near my house and they were Division I."Mitcheff said. "It's been a long career, but I've worked really hard with the coaches, and they spend the time helping me get better." Andrassy and Moore claim that while they can't directly compete with the budgets, facilities, or tradition of many of the top programs right now (a new room is in the plans), they'll continue building a base of wrestlers, training them to compete at the national level. According to Kilgore the team and coaching staff have the same goal -- to place in the top 10 at the national tournament, something Kilgore says he reminds the team about every day at the end of practice. For Andrassy the real goal is much simpler, "Sure, I want Kent State to be in the top 10 every year," he said. "But right now I'm happy if we just do better than the year before." "Just show improvement. That's the plan."

WATERLOO -- Five former NCAA champions and one of the nation’s finest wrestling officials will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, Class of 2010. The event begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 17 inside the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. Members of the Class of 2010 are Gordon Hassman, Chuck Jean, Dan Holm, Mike Allen, Mark Reiland, and Tolly Thompson . "This is another great class of inductees,” said Kent Sesker, marketing director at the Gable Museum. “All are well-deserving of this prestigious honor." Also that weekend is a wrestling clinic featuring Tolly Thompson, one of this year’s inductees. This free clinic will begin at 11 a.m. at the Dan Gable Teaching Center located in the museum. The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor the people who have made an impact on the sport on a national level, or who have done extraordinary work in the State of Iowa. The hall recognizes native born Iowans, and those who achieved their fame while wrestling or coaching for an Iowa college. To date, 98 individuals have been honored by the hall. This is the ninth class. The hall is named after Glen Brand, an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1948, who won an Olympic gold medal the same year, at 174 pounds in London. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering and by 1983 he owned two companies in Omaha -- Brand Hydraulics and Brand Fluid Power. The companies had over 50 distributors around the world. He attended every hall of fame inductions, and passed away on Nov. 15, 2008, in Omaha, at the age of 85. "This is a chance to honor six worthy inductees and a chance to honor Glen Brand," said executive director Kyle Klingman. "Brand continues to influence wrestling through his remarkable contributions." Gordon Hassman was a three-time All-American and two-time Big Eight champion for Iowa State. As a junior in 1964, Hassman capped a perfect season with an NCAA title at 157 pounds. The following season he placed third at the same weight and was part of the Cyclones’ first NCAA team championship. Born and raised in New Hampton, Iowa, Hassman won a state title in 1960. A native of Albert Lea, Minn., Chuck Jean won NCAA titles for Iowa State in 1969 and '70 before transferring to Adams State and winning NAIA titles in 1972 and '73. He was also part of four team championships, making him the only collegiate wrestler to win four individual national titles and four team national titles. Jean was a state champion for Albert Lea High School in 1967. Dan Holm was a three-time All-American for the University of Iowa. Placing third at the NCAA tournament in 1973 & '74, Holm won an individual NCAA title in 1975. His title was part of the first NCAA team wrestling championship in school history. Holm wrestled for Libertyville High School in Illinois, winning a state title in 1971. His high school coach was 1972 Olympian and Glen Brand Hall of Famer Bob Buzzard. Mark Reiland won two state titles and was a four-time placer for Eagle Grove (IA) High School from 1984-1987. He went on to the University of Iowa where he was a two-time All-American and NCAA champion in 1991. He has achieved excellence in coaching as well, leading the Iowa City West program to six state championships: four dual meet titles and two traditional state titles. Mike Allen grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and attended East High School where he competed in football and wrestling. He also competed in both sports at Ellsworth Community College (IA) and the University of Northern Iowa. Allen is best known for his 35-year career as a wrestling official. He has officiated national wrestling tournaments in all five divisions, including 23 NCAA Division I tournaments. Tolly Thompson was a two-time state runner-up for Janesville (IA) and a three-time All-American for the University of Nebraska. Thompson won an NCAA championship at heavyweight for the Cornhuskers in 1995. He was also a three-time Big Twelve champion. Thompson won three U.S. Open freestyle titles and was a member of two World teams, earning a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2005. Thompson will be providing a free youth clinic in the Dan Gable Teaching Center located inside the Museum. The clinic will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 17 prior to the induction ceremony. Coaches and parents are welcome to attend. The Kids Clinic is limited to the first 25 wrestlers who sign up. For more information or to sign up, contact Kent Sesker at (319) 233-0745 or kent@wrestlingmuseum.org. Schedule of Events April 17 Saturday, April 17: Tolly Thompson Kids Clinic, 11 a.m. This clinic free clinic, limited to first 25 who sign up, includes a free tour of museum and admission to hall of fame inductions Inductions to Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, 1 p.m.

As the wrestling season's start is fast approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From early August until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and from Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to the potential stars of future NCAA Championships. The rankings within this article do not necessarily reflect those done by InterMat. Did you a miss a Wrestling 49 feature? Visit Wrestling 49 archives. South Dakota wrestling is gaining momentum on the national scene. The state may have just sent its best class of recruits to take the next step in college. Last year's class was led by Robert Kokesh (Nebraska), Seth Lange (Minnesota), Josh Keszler (UNO), and Jayd Docken (Augustana). The 2010-2011 class does not fall far off and is led by Fargo champion Logan Storley of Webster. The highly-touted Storley is making his bid for a sixth title and looks to join only one other South Dakotan that has accomplished the feat, Kirk Wallman (Freeman). The duo from Rapid City Stevens High School of Kris Klapprodt and Jarret Jensen would make a very nice addition to any college team and be able to compete with the best. Clint Wilson, Garret Heiberger, and Derrick Walraven all have wrestled in the national tournament and have gained valuable experience that will help them be successful not only on the mat this year, but on the mat in college as well. South Dakota is really working hard on building its summer wrestling programs as more and more kids are competing during the summer months. Look for Rapid City Stevens and Sturgis to continue battling for the top spot in South Dakota wrestling and entering in national rankings as a team during the season. South Dakota is also very proud to have had Les Sigman (Sturgis) compete for Team USA as a U.S. World Freestyle Team member this year. Keep up the great work, Les! Logan Storley1. Logan Storley School: Webster Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171/189 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Analysis: Coming off a Fargo title in freestyle, Logan Storley looks to go out with a bang in South Dakota as he is going for his sixth state title this year. He has been compared by many to Lincoln Mcllravy, a South Dakota native who went on to win three NCAA titles at Iowa and three World-level medals in freestyle. 2. Kris Klapprodt School: Rapid City Stevens Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 171/189 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Analysis: Right on the heels of Storley sits Klapprodt, a very fierce competitor that will not back down from a brawl or a challenge. He was a Junior Nationals freestyle All-American in Fargo as well as the runner-up to Storley at NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach. Jarret Jensen3. Jarret Jensen School: Rapid City Stevens Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: The Stevens duo of Klapprodt and Jensen look to knock off the Sturgis Scoopers this year in the Class A tournament. Their best match of the season may come in the practice room. Jensen's father was a standout wrestler for SDSU. 4. Garret Heiberger School: Tri Valley Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: Heiberger looks for his third state title this year. A very strong wrestler that will succeed at the college level. 5. Clint Wilson School: Sturgis Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 215 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: Wilson looks to put the Sturgis Scoopers on his back as they try to defend their state title. He is also a standout on the football field for the Scoopers as well. Derrick Walraven6. Derrick Walraven School: Huron Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Walraven looks to defend his state title this year and guide the Huron Tigers to a state championship as well. Derrick's brother, Dustin, is a member of the SDSU wrestling team and was one match away from qualifying for the NCAA Championships. 7. Sawyer Hoffman School: Watertown Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Hoffman looks to rebound from his runner-up finish last year. He is the heart of a very tradition-rich Watertown Arrows wrestling team. 8. Tanner Donelon School: Garretson Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: A two-time state champ with a runner up finish, Donelon returns for his senior season and looks to prove that he belongs with the top five on the list. Brady Edgar9. Brady Edgar School: Redfield Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 130 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Edgar, who is also a two-timer and a runner-up, looks for a third title. Behind Edgar are a group of Redfield wrestlers that look to dethrone Wagner as three-time champs. 10. Taylor Harris School: Harrisburg Projected 2010-11 High School Weight Class: 285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: Earning the state heavyweight title last year, Harris returns to defend his title. He is a very strong and mobile heavyweight. Honorable Mention: Jordan Redmond (Milbank) Pat Waring (Miller/Highmore) Tim Weber (West Central) Eric Reiff (Parkston) Thomas Geyer (Kimball)

IRVING, Texas -- Iowa State's Andrew Long has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, it was announced Monday by the Big 12 Conference. This is the first league honor of Long’s career. ISU redshirt freshman 125-pounder Long had an outstanding holiday break. Long was seeded fourth heading into the prestigious Midlands Championships Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill. After advancing due to forfeit in the initial round, the Creston, Iowa, native reeled off three straight pins. After sticking Seth Wright (New Mexico-Highlands) in 3:27 and Matt Steintrager (Central Michigan) in 2:15, Long recorded his third fall over top-seeded Brandon Precin. Long stuck the redshirting Northwestern All-American at the 4:20 mark. The Iowa Stater fell in the tournament finals to Iowa’s Matt McDonough in overtime, 9-7 (SV). The Cyclone followed his Midlands runner-up finish with another impressive victory at Minnesota Jan. 3. Long, ranked 13th according to Intermat, took down No. 3 Zach Sanders of Minnesota by decision, 8-4. Sanders, who placed sixth at last year’s NCAA Championships, had no answer for Long’s continual offensive attack. The Iowa Stater iced the bout with a late third-period takedown. With a 6-4 lead late in the final period, Long went straight at his Gopher opponent for his third takedown of the match to win by decision, 8-4. Long advances his record to 15-2 in his freshman campaign. He holds a 3-1 mark in dual action. This is the second Big 12 weekly honor received by a Cyclone this season. Long's teammate Jake Varner(197) notched league accolades Dec. 21.

With the release of the updated InterMat high school weight class rankings having occurred right after the Christmas holiday, there was much discussion about the relative merit of the new rankings. After a week that included many major tournaments, the "upsets" were plentiful. The saying that "rankings don't decide matches" was never clearer. Evans sparks Blair Academy to title at Bethlehem Holiday Classic In probably the most anticipated match of the first month of the scholastic wrestling season, the 189 pound championship match of the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic placed career undefeated Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, NJ) against Ironman and Beast of the East champion Mike Evans (Blair Academy, NJ). Ranked first in the nation, the junior Campolattano got the match's first takedown. However, the University of Iowa bound Evans responded with a reversal as the first period would end tied at 2-2. Over the course of the next two periods, Evans would be the dominant wrestler and emerge with a 7-2 victory. Still without the services of Austin Ormsbee (135), Evans was one of the six Blair Academy wrestlers -- out of eight in the finals -- to earn a tournament championship. Other Buccaneers on the top step of the podium were Max Hvolbeck (103), Evan Silver (112), Mark Grey (119), Chris Villalonga (145), and Jesse Shanaman (152). Finishing in second place were Todd Preston (130) and Brooks Black (285). That was enough to amass 238-1/2 points. Finishing back in second place was St. Mark's, DE with 172-1/2 points on the strength of four finalists, two of which were champions. Nick Schenk (130) and Bobby Telford (285) won their finals match, Sean Boylan (125) and Matt Buckworth (135) finished second. Sean Dolan (119) finished in third for St. Mark's, losing to Grey in a semifinal match placing nationally ranked wrestlers against one another. Nazareth, PA was the leading local team, finishing in third with 172 points. Zach Horan (125) was the lone Blue Eagle champion, while Franco Ferraina (119) and Ryan Krecker (152) finished as runners-up. Rounding out the weight class champions were Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, PA) at 135 pounds; Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) at 140; Patrick LaBuz (Hazleton, PA) at 160; Colin Hedash (Northern Lehigh, PA) at 171; and Spencer Myers (Selinsgrove, PA) at 215. Two other nationally ranked wrestlers suffered upset losses during the course of competition -- Tyler Pendergast (St. Mark's, DE) at 112 pounds and Ben Dorsay (Cox, VA) at 145. Pendergast, ranked ninth in the country, lost a 6-2 decision to 13th ranked Caleb Richardson (Cox, VA) in the semifinals before falling on the short end of a 6-0 result against Devon Lotito (Bethlehem Liberty, PA) in the consolation semifinal. Coming off a championship at Beast of the East, Dorsay -- ranked third nationally -- was upended by Taylor Walsh (Camden Catholic, NJ); Walsh was ranked in the preseason, but after a disappointing Beast of the East fell out of the rankings. Apple Valley tries to establish normalcy at Cheesehead In a tournament with five prominent teams and gobs of ranked wrestlers, there was bound to be fireworks -- and that there were. Apple Valley, MN won its third Cheesehead title in a relatively close team race over defending champion Brandon, FL. Twelve Apple Valley wrestlers made the upper eight-man bracket with seven wrestlers advancing to the championship final as part of a 710-1/2 point effort. Brandon countered with eleven in the top bracket, six in the final, to score 671-1/2 points. Wyoming Seminary, PA had ten in the top bracket, with three finalists, on the way to 585 points. Despite each only having a lone finalist, and no champions; Montini Catholic, IL and Simley, MN finished fourth and fifth respectively with 512-1/2 and 481-1/2 points. Montini had ten in the upper bracket, while Simley had all seven of its upper bracket wrestlers placing inside the top five. Two of the Apple Valley championships came from lower profile wrestlers -- Jordan Kingsley (103) and Devin Scott (140), though Kingsley did defeat No. 15 Kevon Powell (Montini, IL) 3-1 in the semifinal round. On the other hand, Destin McCauley -- ranked second nationally - won the evening's feature final bout at 152 pounds; a 6-5 victory over defending tournament champion Joey Cozart (Brandon, FL), who entered the match ranked fourth in the nation. Steven Keogh (160) also was a weight class champion for the Eagles. On the other side of the ledger, Dakota Trom (119) lost a 3-2 decision to No. 20 Rossi Bruno (Brandon, FL); while Jake Waste (171) lost 6-2 to Noah Budi (Kaukauna, WI) in a battle of nationally ranked wrestlers. Matt Kelliher (125) defeated Jameson Oster (Lockport, IL) 11-6 in a semifinal battle of nationally ranked wrestlers before falling short against the unranked Johnni DiJulius (Walsh Jesuit, OH) 2-1 in the championship match. Joining Bruno as a weight class champion for Brandon, FL was Zach Baldwin (215). Along with Cozart falling short in the final - Clark Glass (145), Mike Ettore (189), and Henry Chirino (285) suffered the same fate. In the 285 pound final, the eighth ranked Chirino lost by fall to top-ranked Mike McMullan (Wyoming Seminary, PA). Clearly the tournament's most chaotic bracket was the one at 135 pounds. Coming off of a Beast of the East championship, and ranked fifth nationally, Simon Kitzis (Wyoming Seminary, PA) lost a 5-4 decision against state runner-up Jake Sueflohn (Arrowhead, WI) in the tournament semifinal. The other semifinal match had the unranked Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, WI) upending state champion Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, MN) 4-2; Dieringer was a double Cadet National champion in Fargo, while Kingsley was ranked 17th nationally up at 140 pounds. This year's Cheesehead final was a rematch of last year's third place bout at 125 pounds that Dieringer won by a 20-9 score; however, the story this year was much different, as Sueflohn rose to the top of the podium with a 10-6 victory. In the third place bout, it was Kingsley defeating Kitzis 4-0. Other weight class champions included Dominick Malone (112) of Wyoming Seminary, PA; Nate Skonieczny (130) of Walsh Jesuit, OH; Joey Uccardi (145) of Plainfield Central, IL; and Eric Nelson (189) of Stoughton, WI. Rams anchor way to POWERade title Central Dauphin, PA mustered a three-peat at the POWERade Christmas Wrestling Tournament anchored by a trio of champions in Tyson Dippery (103), Marshall Peppelman (160), and Kenny Courts (171); Kyle Wolfe (215) also helped the cause with a fourth place finish. Peppelman -- the nation's top ranked wrestler at 160 pounds - became only the second four-time champion in event history with a 4-2 victory over No. 10 Eric Hess (Benton, PA). All four of his matches prior to the finals ended in the first period, three pins and a 15-0 technical fall; the combined length of those matches was four minutes and 18 seconds. Despite a disappointing tournament for their two anchor wrestlers, finishing second was Collins Hill, GA with 147 points. Ranked 14th in the country at 125 pounds, TJ Mitchell lost a pair of 3-2 decisions to unranked wrestlers -- Brandon Choate (Blue Mountain, PA) in the quarterfinals and Tanner Hough (Westmont Hilltop, PA) in the consolation quarterfinals -- as part of a seventh place finish. Joel Smith, ranked 10th nationally at 140 pounds, lost by fall in the semifinals to No. 20 Pete Baldwin (Osceola, FL) and a 5-1 decision to unranked Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) in dropping to fourth place. Other placers for the Eagles were Mac Bennett, fifth at 189 pounds, and CJ Collins, third at 215. Four other teams were within nine points of Collins Hill, led by Christiansburg, VA with 144-1/2 points. The Blue Demons had six place-winners led by Devin Carter, who finished third at 125 pounds. Ranked second in his weight class nationally, Carter was upset by No. 7 Mitchell Port (Bellefonte, PA) 11-4 in the semifinal round. Joey Dance, ranked 18th nationally at 112 finished fourth - losing 5-4 to No. 19 Corey Keener (Blue Mountain, PA) in the quarterfinals, and 6-1 to No. 20 Stephen Myers (Moeller, OH) for third place. A pair of Blue Demon wrestlers also finished seventh and eighth. Connelsville, PA was fourth with 143-1/2 points led by a championship from Nate Gaffney (215), a runner-up finish from Jesse Swink (145), and three other placement finishes (third, fifth, and seventh). Blue Mountain, PA was fifth with 140-1/2 points led by a trio of finalists -- Josh Kindig (140) was the lone champion, while Keener and Tyler Rauenzahn (130) earned second place. The team also had two wrestlers take home sixth place. Finally, Shady Side Academy, PA scored 138-1/2 anchored by a pair of finalists -- Frank Martelotti (130) took home the title with Matt Cunningham (171) in second place -- along with three other placers (third, fourth, and eighth). Most Outstanding Wrestler honors went to freshman Cody Wiercioch (Charleroi, PA), the champion of the 152 pound weight class. Prior to the final, Wiercioch had victories over the fifth, seventh, and third place wrestlers. Of interest was that all three victories came by two points or less; 6-5 over Aaron McKinney (West Allegheny, PA); 3-2 over Rich Eva (Christiansburg, VA); and 2-0 over Travis McKillop (Burrell, PA). In the final, he defeated Pierce Harger (Moeller, OH) -- ranked 18th nationally at 160 -- by a 2-1 score on a late third period reversal. There was a duo of finals matches involving a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers that went to overtime. Nico Megaludis (Franklin Regional, PA) -- ranked second at 119 pounds -- defeated No. 18 Mike Rhone (Benton, PA) 2-1 on an ultimate tiebreaker rideout. At 285 pounds, it was No. 9 Tyler Demott (Benton, PA) defeating No. 5 Karl Green (Mt St. Joseph, MD) 4-2 in the sudden victory period. Other weight class champions included Jimmy Gulibon (112) and Travis Shaffer (135) of Derry Area, PA; Mitchell Port (125) of Bellefonte, PA; Gabriel Bird (145) of Osceola, FL; and Jamie Callender (189) of Council Rock North, PA. Megaludis is on course to become the third 4x tournament champion next year, while Gulibon is halfway home to four titles at the POWERade. Dardanes twins headline "Red" Schmidt Holiday Tournament Chris (135) and Nick (140) Dardanes of Oak Park River Forest, IL were among the 14 weight class champions crowned at the "Red" Schmidt Holiday Tournament hosted by Granite City, IL during this past week. Over seven matches, Chris Dardanes had three pins and three major decisions heading into championship final -- which was a battle of undefeated and nationally-ranked wrestlers. Dardanes -- ranked 13th at 135 -- upended Keith Surber (O'Fallon, IL), who was ranked 14th at 130, by a 5-4 score. His twin brother Nick was dominant during his seven matches of the tournament with four pins and three major decisions. The twins -- along with Sam (171) and Ben (215) Brooks, who finished third and second respectively -- catapulted the Huskies to a second place finish with 499-1/2 points. Winning the tournament title was Neosho, MO with 600 points on the back of four finalists and two other wrestlers that took home third place. Blake Stauffer (171) was the lone champion while Joe Barnes (112), Carter Boatright (125), and Ryne Hatter (140) took home runner-up honors. Three other teams had multiple champions -- Oak Park, MO; Francis Howell Central, MO; and Fort Zumwalt West, MO. Winning titles for Oak Park were Brad Perkins (103) and Cody Brewer (125); Terrel (130) and Brandon (152) Wilbourn were champions for Francis Howell Central; while Fort Zumwalt West had Drake Houdashelt (160) and Isaac LeBlanc (215) winning tiltes. Grizzlies dominate, scratches rule nation's oldest holiday wrestling tournament At the 49th annual Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament, it was Wadsworth, OH running rampant over a field that is considered Ohio's toughest in-season tournament other than the Walsh Ironman. Using six finalists -- and a trio of champions in Alfredo Gray (112), Brad Squire (145), and Ben Buzzelli (285) -- the Grizzlies scored 275-1/2 points with eleven total placers. This was despite state placer Caleb Busson (189) not yet able to compete due to injury from football, and Kagan Squire (119) having to scratch out of second day competition due to injury and dropping back to sixth place; Busson is the projected favorite in the big-school division at his weight, while Squire is ranked 19th nationally at his weight. Speaking of injuries, two members of the "Monroeville Four" were unable to compete; fourth-ranked Hunter Stieber (119) sustained an injury prior to the tournament, while top ranked Chris Phillips (171) was still not fully recovered from the injury he sustained in the first round of the Walsh Ironman. Two of the three nationally-ranked wrestlers for St. Ignatius, OH were also impacted by varying ailments. Jerome Robinson (119) -- ranked seventh nationally -- was not cleared to compete; while it was clear that David Habat (152) was not in top condition recovering from the skin condition that forced him to scratch the second day of the Walsh Ironman, as he lost a pair of overtime matches in taking fifth place. Despite no finalists -- and only one finalist -- Chanel, OH took home second place honors with 168-1/2 points. Five Firebird wrestlers competed in the consolation finals, seven placing in all; with three earning third place finishes. Chanel is one of the three major contenders for a small-school title this year in Ohio. George DiCamillo (103) of St. Ignatius; Jake McCombs (125) of Marysville, OH; and Harrison Hightower (152) of University School, OH each won their second tournament title. Logan Stieber (130) and Cam Tessari (140) of Monroeville each won their third title at the event, which means that Tessari remains on pace to become only the third four-time tournament champion next year. DiCamillo is also on schedule for four titles should he replicate his performance over the next two years. Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Ty Mitch of Aurora, OH -- champion of the 119 pound weight class. Ranked fifth nationally, Mitch was absolutely dominant during the course of the tournament with three pins, a major decision, and a technical fall in the championship match. St. Edward fired first with domination at Medina Probably the biggest question in Ohio high school wrestling this year is if St. Edward, OH can win a 14th straight big-school state title. While Wadsworth was dominating at Brecksville, the Eagles did the same at the Medina Invitational Tournament. St. Edward made up for failing to win Medina last year, as they took home their fifth title in six years with 285-1/2 points. Even without top-ranked Jamie Clark (130), seven St. Edward wrestlers made the finals with five taking home championships. Dean Heil (103), Gus Sako (125), Anthony Salupo (145), Nick Sulzer (160), and Greg Kuhar (285) stood atop the podium. Heil defeated Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, OH) by a 3-0 score in the evening's opening final, which was a battle of nationally ranked freshmen. The two other teams with multiple champions finished second and third respectively. Oak Harbor, OH was second with a trio of finalists; Ian Miller (140) and Keith Witt (152) stood on top of the podium for the Rockets, who scored 168-1/2 points. For defending tournament champions Massillon Perry, OH -- Zach Dailey (135) and Anthony Wise (215) were weight class champions to anchor a 150-1/2 team point effort for the Panthers. A pair of wrestlers ranked fourth nationally in their weight class earned the Outstanding Wrestler awards for the tournament. Earning top honors was Josh Demas (Westerville North, OH) -- champion of the 171 pound weight class with two major decisions and three technical falls. One of those major decisions was over returning state placer, and Ironman runner-up, Michael Alexander (Findlay, OH) in the championship final. The second outstanding wrestler award went to Nick Sulzer (St. Edward, OH) -- champion of the 160 pound weight class with two technical falls and three pins during the tournament. Some order at the GMVWA but not totally The feature weight class at the Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association (GMVWA) Holiday Tournament hosted by Vandalia Butler High School outside of Dayton, OH was 140 pounds, where three defending or former state champions were in the bracket. Felipe Martinez (Graham, OH) was ranked sixth nationally, 2008 state champion Tucker Armstrong (Kenton Ridge, OH) was ranked 12th, while Shawn Fayette (Miamisburg, OH) was just outside the national rankings. The first salvo was in the semifinal round when Armstrong defeated Fayette by a 3-2 score. However, the final round match would also be a 3-2 score -- this time not in Armstrong's favor as Martinez emerged victorious in the match between present and former Graham wrestlers. Graham wrestlers would also be part of the disorder during the course of competition. Ranked 13th nationally at 103 pounds, Ryan Taylor would lose on a defensive fall during the second period of his semifinal bout against eventual champion Nick Garcia (Oregon Clay, OH). In the final at 160 pounds, state champion Kyle Ryan was on the wrong end of a 5-4 decision against state qualifier Charles Mason (Cincinnati Princeton, OH). When all was done, Graham did win the tournament with 376-1/2 points, almost doubling the next best team -- which was Princeton with 187-1/2 points. Along with Martinez, six other Falcon wrestlers won championships -- Nick Brascetta (119), Bo (130) and Isaac (135) Jordan, Matt Stephens (145), Huston Evans (171), and Max Thomusseit (189). Buchanan leads California invasion at Sierra Nevada Classic Buchanan, CA dominated a formidable field of approximately 95 teams at the Sierra Nevada Classic held in the Reno Livestock Event Center scoring 185 points. The squad had three finalists, two others take third place, and one finish seventh in the tournament. The lone champion was Martin Fabbian (171) -- ranked 17th nationally -- and he had to survive an 8-7 battle against sophomore sensation Brandon Griffin (Sprague, OR). Finishing as runners-up were Adrian Rodriguez (112) and Kyle Papendorf (285). Five other wrestlers from the Golden State came home with individual crowns; Aaron Ceballos (130) of McNair, David Ferry (140) of Central Catholic, Kevin Maelfeyt (145) of Trinity, Derrick Hawkins (189) of Santiago, and Peter Aguiano (285) of Franklin. In fact, Maelfeyt had the biggest upset of the finals, mustering a 4-2 decision against 13th ranked Nick Wooden (Spanish Springs, NV). Two schools had multiple champions -- Caldwell, ID and the host school Reno, NV. Winning titles for Caldwell were Martin Meza (119) and Colby Kloetzer (152), while Bo Bettinson (112) and Joey Lavallee (125) were champions for the host squad. Rounding out the weight class champions were Curtis Lampert (103) of Spanish Springs, NV; Nick Schlager (135) of Carson City, NV; Charlie McMartin (160) of Capital, ID; and Brian Chamberlain (215) of Moses Lake, WA. Schlager and Kloetzer earned the Most Oustanding Wrestler awards with wins by fall in the championship final. Schleger had three falls from six matches during the tournament, while Kloetzer had five out of his six victories coming by fall. Teike/Bernabi unkind to Peru wrestlers The two nationally-ranked wrestlers from Peru, NY fell in the finals of the Teike/Bernabi Invitational hosted by Spencerport, NY. Alec Dierna (Wayne, NY) knocked off No. 7 Jacob Goddeau 7-2 in the final at 103 pounds; while Sean McCormick (Johnson City, NY) defeated No. 6 Arik Robinson 3-2 in the final at 112 pounds. Nick Kelley (119) and John Belanger (135) anchored the team title efforts of Shenendehowa, NY with weight class championships, as the squad scored 204 points for the tournament. Finishing as weight class runners-up were Mike Almavia (189) and Cole Lampman (285), while two other wrestlers took home third place honors. The host squad -- Spencerport -- came in second place with 186-1/2 points. Winning their lone title was Joe Inzana (160), while Paul Morabito (145) and Enzo Zargari (215) earned runner-up honors; the host squad also had three wrestlers earn runner-up honors. Despite having sharing the tournament lead with three champions, Wantagh, NY finished in third place as a team with 156 points. Joe Kavanagh (171), Matthew Loew (189), and Tom Hall (215) were weight class champions; however, they only had two other wrestlers in the top four -- one in third and one in fourth. Johnson City, NY also had three champions -- which included McCormick, the tournament's Most Oustanding Wrestler; Lance Moore (285), ranked 15th nationally; and Kyle Halladay (125). However, this team did not have another wrestler finish among the top four.

Nebraska head wrestling coach Mark Manning and Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, January 6. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Manning is the current head wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska. He took his current position in 2000 following a three-year stint as the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa. The Cornhuskers are currently ranked 12th by Intermat. Moyer is the executive director at the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The NWCA will be hosting the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Jan. 9-10. The event features schools from all college wrestling divisions.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The 10th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team (5-0-1) began the New Year by recording its second top 20 victory of the season over No. 16 Cal Poly (3-2) by a 27-13 final Sunday at the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman. It marked the first dual of the season Oklahoma appeared as a top-10 team. OU vaulted up the rankings after a 16-16 tie versus then-No. 3 Oklahoma State on Dec. 1. “Cal Poly is a good team and we knew that coming in,” head coach Jack Spates said. “We knew we had to come to wrestle. One big positive for us is the third period belonged to us. If you look at the third periods in all of our matches, we did most of the scoring. That is a compliment to our training.” Freshman Jarrod Patterson (16-3) put the Sooners on the board first with a 6-1 decision over Micah Ferguson. The Cushing, Okla., product scored takedowns in the first and third period and accumulated over two minutes of riding time to record his second dual win (2-0) of the season. Cal Poly took a 10-3 lead after ninth-ranked Boris Novachkov blanked Greg Cannon at 133 pounds, 9-0, and No. 13 Filip Novachkov pinned No. 4 Zack Bailey of Oklahoma (4:18) at 141 pounds. Fifth-ranked Kyle Terry closed the Mustang lead to 10-7 with a dominate 12-3 major decision win at 149 pounds over Eric Maldonado. Terry posted five takedowns in the victory to push his season record to 12-2. Cal Poly then extended its lead, 13-7, when No. 4 Chase Pami defeated 11th-ranked Shane Vernon by a 4-1 decision at 157 pounds. Pami scored all four points in the final period with an escape and a takedown and was awarded a riding time point. A 10-1 major decision by 17th-ranked 165-pound Sooner Tyler Caldwell (13-5) brought Oklahoma within two team points, 13-11. The Wichita, Kan., product dominated Mustang Steven Vasquez by recording four takedowns and accumulating three minutes 18 seconds of riding time. Jeff James, ranked eighth at 174 pounds, gave Oklahoma its first lead, 14-13, since after the opening bout with a 7-2 decision over Ryan DesRoches. James posted three takedowns in the 174-pound win to improve his season record to 14-2. Erich Schmidtke (12-6) then posted an impressive 16-8 major decision over Kelan Bragg at 184 pounds. The redshirt freshman recorded a match-high eight takedowns in the victory while gathering 2 minutes 13 seconds of riding time to give Oklahoma an 18-13 team lead. Sooner heavyweight Nathan Fernandez (17-4) closed out the afternoon with a 2-0 victory over Jim Powers. A Cal Poly forfeit at 197 pounds gave Eric Lapotsky his 14th victory of the season (14-1) and the Sooners a 24-13 team lead heading into the final bout of the afternoon. Next up, the Sooners will travel to the highly competitive Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va., on Jan. 8. The team will resume its home slate on Jan. 22 when it takes on Big 12 foe Iowa State at 7 p.m. “There will be some great competition at the Virginia Duals with teams like Oklahoma State, Lehigh, Penn State and Edinboro,” Spates said. “We will have to be ready, prepared and tough.” Results: 125: No. 12 Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. Micah Ferguson (CP), 6-1 133: No. 9 Boris Novachkov (CP) maj. dec. Greg Cannon (OU), 9-0 141: No. 13 Filip Novachkov (CP) fall No. 4 Zack Bailey (OU), 4:18 149: No. 5 Kyle Terry (OU) maj. dec. Eric Maldonado (CP), 12-3 157: No. 4 Chase Pami (CP) dec. No. 11 Shane Vernon (OU), 4-1 165: No. 17 Tyler Caldwell (OU) maj. dec. Travis Rasmussen (CP), 10-1 174: No. 8 Jeff James (OU) dec. Ryan DesRoches (CP), 7-2 184: Eric Schmidtke (OU) maj. dec. Tyler Holt (CP), 16-8 197: No. 4 Eric Lapotsky winner by forfeit HWT: No. 9 Nathan Fernandez (OU) dec. Jim Powers (CP), 2-0

LOCK HAVEN, Pa.; January 4, 2010 - No. 15 Penn State, returning to the mats for the first time in two weeks, made short work of host Lock Haven on its way to a 32-6 victory over the home standing Bald Eagles. The Nittany Lions won eight of ten bouts in front of a near capacity Thomas Field House crowd to coast to the victory. No. 11 Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) got Penn State off to a fast start with a pin in under a minute at 125. After an LHU victory at 133, Penn State senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) got his first career dual meet win at Penn State with a 15-3 major at 141, putting Penn State up 10-3 after three bouts. Penn State's three All-Americans then did their damage in fine fashion. Sophomore Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 149, posted an 11-2 major; senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 2 at 157, posted a 24-9 technical fall at 157; and senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 165, notched an impressive 16-6 major to put Penn State up 23-3 after six bouts. Freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) picked up his third dual meet win, getting a takedown just :10 into a sudden victory period to post a thrilling 8-6 (SV) win over Lock Haven junior Derek Caldwell at 174. Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 14 at 184, then added a convincing 6-1 win over Lock Haven veteran Jeremie Cook. Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) got Penn State's final win with a 6-2 decision at 197 as sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) was upset 6-1 by LHU's Daniel Craig at heavyweight. The Nittany Lions dominated the takedown war, posting a 36-4 edge in takedowns. Penn State also collected eight bonus points to none for Lock Haven. The Nittany Lions got a pin, a technical fall and three majors in front of nearly 2,000 fans. Penn State moves to 6-1-1 on the year while Lock Haven fell to 0-3. The Nittany Lions will trek to Hampton, Va., for the 2010 Virginia Duals next weekend. Penn State will take part in the two day dual meet tournament on Friday and?Saturday, Jan. 8-9, at the Hampton Coliseum. Penn State's next home dual is set for Jan. 22 when it hosts Illinois at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $4 in advance and $5 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC?(1390 AM) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Results: 125: #11 Brad Pataky PSU pinned George Ester LHU, WBF (0:50) 6-0 133: John Trumbetti LHU dec. Bryan Pearsall PSU, 7-4 6-3 141: Adam Lynch PSU maj. dec. Justin Loudon LHU, 15-3 10-3 149: #6 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Brock Parker LHU, 11-2 14-3 157: #2 Cyler Sanderson PSU tech. fall Seth Creasy LHU, 24-9 (TF; 6:11) 19-3 165: #8 Dan Vallimont PSU maj. dec. Kevin Dufresne LHU, 16-6 23-3 174: Justin Ortega PSU dec. Derek Caldwell LHU, 8-6 (SV) 26-3 184: #14 David Erwin PSU dec. Jeremie Cook LHU, 6-1 29-3 197: Clay Steadman PSU dec. Harry Turner LHU, 6-2 32-3 285: Dan Craig LHU dec. #12 Cameron Wade PSU, 6-1 32-6 BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 125, took on Lock Haven's George Ester. Pataky wasted no time in gaining control of Ester with a front headlock, but Ester was able to fight off the first move before giving up the pin on a cement mixer at the 0:50 mark. Pataky's quick pin put Penn State up 6-0 early. 133: Freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) met Lock Haven's John Trumbetti at 133. Trumbetti got the first takedown at 133 just over ten seconds in to take an early 2-0 lead. Trumbetti then put together a strong ride, controlling Pearsall for the entire period to lead by two (with 2:50 in riding time). Trumbetti chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Trumbetti added a second takedown at the :42 mark to up his lead to 5-0 (with a guaranteed riding time bonus point) after two periods. Trailing by essentially six, Pearsall chose neutral to start the final stanza. Pearsall quickly scored on a fast double leg to cut the lead to 5-2. Trumbetti escaped to a 6-2 lead with :45 left in the bout. Pearsall added another takedown with :15 left but Trumbetti would hold on for a 7-4 win, cutting Penn State's lead to 6-3. 141: Nittany Lion senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) faced off against Bald Eagle Justin Loudon at 141. Lynch took an early lead, turning a single leg into a takedown at the 2:20 mark. The Lion senior then put together a strong ride, building up over a minute's worth of riding time while to turn Loudon for back points. Lynch worked on a cradle, but Loudon was able to work out of trouble for an escape with :30 left. Lynch, however, quickly turned into the Bald Eagle and turned another single leg into a 4-1 lead off a solid takedown. With just :07 left, Lynch locked in on a cradle and turned Loudon to his back for two near fall points and a 6-1 lead after one period. Loudon chose neutral to start the second stanza, but Lynch used a solid shoulder throw to force Loudon down for another takedown and an 8-1. Lynch then dominated Loudon on top, riding the Bald Eagle out to carry the 8-1 lead with 3:36 in riding time (guaranteeing the bonus point) into the third period. Lynch also chose neutral and upped his lead to 10-2 with a quick takedown and cut. Looking for more bonus points, Lynch got his fifth takedown to up his lead to 12-3 at the 1:00 mark. The Nittany Lion continued to pressure Loudon for the remainder of the period and used a high crotch for one more takedown and a 15-3 major decision. The win put Penn State up 10-3. The win was Lynch's first dual meet victory as a Nittany Lion. 149: All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 149, met Lock Haven sophomore Brock Parker. Molinaro and Parker battled through an uneventful first period, with neither wrestler finding an opening in which to walk through for a takedown until Molinaro exploded into a high double to get the first takedown with :20 left. A short ride out allowed the Nittany Lion to carry that slim 2-0 lead into the second period. Parker chose down to begin the middle stanza, but Molinaro was able to maintain control of the Bald Eagle and work his way into a turning combination. The Lion sophomore turned the Bald Eagle for three near fall points with just :10 left to lead 5-0 with 2:20 in riding time after two periods. Molinaro chose down and quickly exploded out to a 6-0 lead with a quick escape. Molinaro used a single leg, driving through for an 8-1 lead after cutting Parker loose with 1:10 left in the third period. With the riding time assured, Molinaro added another takedown with :58 left to up his lead to 10-1. Molinaro cut Parker loose with :18 left and nearly added a final takedown. But Parker was able to flee the mat as time expired. Still, the 11-2 major by Molinaro gave the Lions a 14-3 lead. 157: All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 2 at 157, took on Bald Eagle Seth Creasy. Sanderson began a demolition of Creasy with a takedown/cut at the 2:30 mark and another with 2:08 to lead 4-2 early. A third takedown at the 1:15 mark gave the Lion senior a 6-3 lead. Sanderson added another takedown and cut with an ankle pick at the :40 mark. A counter of a Creasy shot gave the Nittany Lion a fifth takedown and a 10-4 lead with 1:17 in riding time after one period. Sanderson chose down to begin the middle stanza and quickly reversed Creasy to up his lead to 12-4. A two-on-one tilt gave added two back points and put the Lion up 14-5 after cutting Creasy loose. Another ankle pick led to a sixth takedown and a 16-6 lead after a Creasy escape. Sanderson added one more takedown to lead 18-6 after two periods (with 2:27 in riding time). Creasy chose down to begin the final period. Sanderson secured the bonus point before cutting Creasy loose to an 18-7 lead. Sanderson added two quick takedowns to up his lead to 22-9 and then got the final takedown at the 6:11 mark to post the 24-9 technical fall. The five points put PSU up 19-3. 165: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 165, met Bald Eagle Kevin Dufresne. Vallimont got his first takedown at the 2:12 mark, taking a 2-0 lead with a single leg turned high double for the score. Dufresne escaped at the 1:10 mark, only to have Vallimont turn into the Bald Eagle and up his lead to 4-1 with a takedown just eight seconds later. Dufresne escaped once more trailed only 4-2 after one period. The Bald Eagle chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-3 deficit, but Vallimont quickly upped his lead to 6-3 with another takedown at the 1:00 mark. The Nittany Lion then put together a strong ride, amassing 2:50 in riding time with a ride out to lead 6-3 heading into the final period. Vallimont chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead with an assured bonus point. Vallimont used a quick single leg for a fourth takedown and a 9-4 lead after cutting Dufresne loose with 1:29 left. A fifth takedown and cut gave Vallimont an 11-5 lead with :58 remaining in the bout. Looking for bonus points, Vallimont secured the major with two quick takedowns at the :30 mark. The 16-6 major put Penn State up 23-3. 174: Nittany Lion freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) took on Haven junior Derek Caldwell at 174. Caldwell got the bout's first takedown, taking a 4-0 lead by adding two back points less than :30 into the opening period. Ortega escaped to a 4-1 deficit and action returned to the center circle. Ortega fought off two solid Caldwell shots as the period ended to keep the bout close, trailing 4-1 after one period. The Nittany Lion freshman chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 deficit. Ortega deftly tied the bout with a quick single leg trip as the period ended, tying action at 4-4 heading into the final period. Caldwell chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 5-4 lead. But Ortega was relentless with his pressure, consistently forcing Caldwell back towards the edge of the mat. The hard work paid off as Ortega countered a Caldwell shot to take a 6-5 lead with :50 left in the bout. The Lion freshman then rode Caldwell hard but the Bald Eagle rolled to a takedown with just :03 left to tie the bout and send action into overtime tied 6-6. Ortega then worked his way around Caldwell just :10 into the sudden victory period to post a thrilling 8-6 (sv) win and put Penn State up 26-3. 184: Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 14 at 184, met talented Lock Haven junior Jeremie Cook. Erwin battled the veteran Bald Eagle evenly for most of the opening period and then took a 2-0 lead with a late takedown at the :14 mark. Cook chose down to start the second period, only to get ridden by the senior Lion for the entire period. The dominating ride allowed Erwin to lead 2-0 with 2:14 in riding time heading into the final period. Erwin chose down to start the third stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. A high double leg by Erwin put the Nittany Lion up 5-0 with 1:25 left before cutting the Bald Eagle loose after securing the riding time point. Erwin got in on a low single with :30 left, but Cook forced a stalemate and a reset with :16 left. Erwin walked away with an impressive 6-1 win, putting Penn State up 29-3. 197: Nittany Lion sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) took on Lock Haven's Harry Turner at 197. Neither wrestler found a solid opening in an uneventful first period, leading to a scoreless first period. Turner chose down to start the period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead, but Steadman countered a slight Turner shot, worked his way around behind the Bald Eagle to lead 2-1 with 1:36 left. But Steadman was called for an illegal hold and the bout was tied 2-2 with Steadman still in control. The Nittany Lion sophomore then maintained control of Turner, building up a 1:36 riding time edge with a ride-out. Tied 2-2, Steadman chose down to start the final period and steadily worked his way to a 3-2 lead with an escape (while maintaining a 1:15 time edge). Steadman countered a late Turner shot to ice the bout with a late takedown to post a 6-2 win and put the Nittany Lions up 32-3. HWT: Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 12 at HWT, met LHU's Dan Craig. Wade got in on an early single leg, but the Bald Eagle countered to stun Wade with a quick takedown and two near fall points to lead 4-0 a minute into the bout. Craig then put together a very strong ride, maintaining control of the Nittany Lion sophomore until the :28 mark before Wade escaped. Trailing 4-1, Wade chose down to start the second period, but could not break free of another strong Craig ride. The two minute ride gave Craig a 4-1 lead with an assured bonus point heading into the final period. Craig chose down to start the last period, giving Wade a chance to turn the Bald Eagle for back points. But Craig was equal to the task, forcing an illegal hold on Wade and nearly reversing the Nittany Lion. Craig posted a strong 6-1 upset win over Wade, but the Nittany Lions posted the 32-6 dual meet win.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team began its preparation for the NWCA National Duals next weekend by wrestling three times Sunday and its groundwork had positive results. The Buckeyes (8-0) posted a 3-0 record on the day, first beating Hofstra, 32-6, in Hempstead, N.Y., before shutting out George Mason, 46-0, and Columbia, 37-0, in New York, N.Y. In all, Ohio State recorded six major decisions, four technical falls and three pins to earn 23 bonus points. So far this season, the Buckeyes have amassed 82 bonus points in dual action. Additionally, Ohio State has outscored its opponents, 301-39. Senior tri-captain Lance Palmer, a Columbia Station, Ohio, native had an exceptional afternoon, recording a pair of major decisions and a fall at 149 pounds. Fellow team captain and No. 1-ranked Reece Humphrey (Indianapolis, Ind.) stayed perfect on the season as he collected wins No. 16, 17 and 18. No. 3 Ohio State 32, Hofstra 6 125 - Nikko Triggas win by forfeit 133 - Ian Paddock win by medical forfeit over Jamie Franco (Hofstra) at 5:40 141 - No. 1 Reece Humphrey mdec. Luke Vaith (Hofstra), 18-7 149 - No. 4 Lance Palmer mdec. Tyler Banks (Hofstra), 12-4 157 - No. 19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (Hofstra) dec. Sean Nemec, 18-11 165 - No. 7 Colt Sponseller dec. No. 16 P.J. Gillespie (Hofstra), 4-0 174 - Dave Rella dec. No. 10 Ryan Patrovich (Hofstra), 3-2 184 - No. 20 Ben Clymer (Hofstra) dec. T.C. Pendleton, 4-3 197 - Cody Magrum dec. Anthony Tortora (Hofstra), 6-1 285 - Corey Morrison dec. Paul Snyder (Hofstra), 10-3 Major decisions, coupled with two Hofstra forfeits, helped Ohio State jump out to a 20-0 lead after the first four matches. Following a Pride forfeit at 125 pounds, freshman Ian Paddock was afforded the win at 133 pounds when Hofstra's Jamie Franco was forced to medical forfeit at the 5:40 mark. With Ohio State up 12-0, Humphrey downed Luke Vaith, 18-7. Palmer followed his teammate's performance with a major decision of his own, beating Tyler Banks, 12-4. Hofstra avoided the shutout as No. 19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman handed sophomore Sean Nemec an 18-11 loss at 157 pounds. However, the Buckeyes would score back-to-back decisions at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. No. 7 Colt Sponseller shut out No. 16 P.J. Gillespie, 4-0, before senior Dave Rella recorded the upset of the match and possibly the day against 10th-ranked Ryan Patrovich. With both wrestlers knotted up at 2-all entering the third period, Rella recorded an escape in the final frame and held on for the 3-2 victory. Wrestling at 184 pounds in place of No. 9 Mike Pucillo, sophomore T.C. Pendleton nearly upset No. 20 Ben Clymer, but a late escape in the third period by Clymer pushed him to the 4-3 win. Consecutive decisions by sophomore Cody Magrum (197) and senior Corey Morrison (285) wrapped up an impressive outing for Ohio State as both Buckeye wrestlers scored decisions. Magrum downed Anthony Tortora, 6-1, before Morrison defeated Paul Snyder, 10-3. No. 3 Ohio State 46, George Mason 0 125 - Nikko Triggas tech. fall Brian Wright (George Mason), 16-0 (3:00) 133 - Ian Paddock tech. fall Zachory Huxford (George Mason), 16-1 141 - No. 1 Reece Humphrey wins by forfeit Shohei Takagi (George Mason) 149 - No. 4 Lance Palmer pinned Brandon Bucher (George Mason), 1:59 157 - Sean Nemec dec. Ty Knapp (George Mason), 12-6 165 - No. 7 Colt Sponseller mdec. Frankie McLaughlin (George Mason), 12-3 174 - Dave Rella dec. Mendbagana Tovuujav (George Mason), 3-1 (SV) 184 - T.C. Pendleton mdec. Jimmy Webb (George Mason), 12-4 197 - Cody Magrum mdec. Bill Widener (George Mason), 11-2 285 - Corey Morrison pinned Dave Speaker (George Mason), 1:07 Seven of the 10 Buckeye wins against George Mason were backed by either major decisions, technical falls or pins. After not having to wrestle against Hofstra, 125-pounder Nikko Triggas started his day with a 16-0 technical fall over Brian Wright at the 3-minute mark. Paddock had little trouble with Zachory Huxford at 133 pounds as the Buckeye, who has a 13-4 season ledger, secured a 16-2 victory. Humphrey was given a breather in the second of three Ohio State duals Sunday afternoon since the Patriots Shohei Takagi forfeited the 141-pound match. Up next at 149 pounds, Palmer pinned Brandon Bucher in 1:59. At 157 pounds, Nemec rebounded nicely from his early setback and downed Ty Knapp, 12-6. Sponseller earned his 13th victory of the season (he now is 14-2 overall) at 165 pounds courtesy of a 12-3 major decision over Frankie McLaughlin. Following his impressive upset against No. 10 Ryan Patrovich in Hempstead, Rella still had momentum on his side, as he escaped with a 3-1 sudden victory decision vs. Mendbagana Tovuujav. Two major decisions by Pendleton and Magrum at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, gave Ohio State a 40-0 lead. Pendleton major decisioned Jimmy Webb, 12-4, and Magrum scored an 11-2 win over Bill Widener. Morrison concluded the dual in resounding fashion, pinning Dave Speaker in 1:07. Columbia 0, No. 3 Ohio State 37 125 - Nikko Triggas tech. fall Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia), 17-0 (4:23) 133 - Ian Paddock pinned Robert Dyar (Columbia), 1:11 141 - No. 1 Reece Humphrey tech. fall Jake O'Hara (Columbia), 25-10 (6:45) 149 - No. 4 Lance Palmer mdec. Steve Santos (Columbia), 20-6 157 - Sean Nemec dec. Matt Dunn (Columbia), 4-2 165 - No. 7 Colt Sponseller dec. Eren Civan (Columbia), 5-2 174 - Dave Rella dec. Stephen West (Columbia), 9-3 184 - T.C. Pendleton dec. Cary Aldrich (Columbia), 5-2 197 - Cody Magrum dec. Lou Miller (Columbia), 3-1 285 - Corey Morrison dec. Kevin Lester (Columbia), 10-4 It was another shutout for the Buckeyes, this time against host Columbia. Although, Ohio State did not amass nearly as many bonus points against the Lions, the Scarlet and Gray still managed to earn a pair of technical falls, a major decision and a fall in the victory. All four bonus point wins were recorded during the first four bouts of the match, beginning with Triggas' (18-9) 17-0 technical fall in 4:23 over Kyle Gilchrist. Paddock put six points on the board following his 1:11 pin of Robert Dyar. Humphrey, who began the day leading the team with two technical falls, earned his third of the season when he beat Jake O'Hara, 25-10, in 6:45. Palmer moved to 13-1 on the season after finishing the day with a 20-6 major decision over Steve Santos. The Buckeyes scored decisions in the remaining six bouts beginning with Nemec's 4-2 decision over Matt Dunn. Nemec improves to 12-4 on the season. A 5-2 finish by Sponseller vs. Eren Civan followed at 165 pounds, as did a 9-3 decision by Rella against Stephen West. Rella is now 13-4 this season. Pendleton also registered a 5-2 win over the Lions' Cary Aldrich. Magrum escaped with a 3-1 victory at 197 pounds to move to 11-5 overall, before Morrison finished the busy Buckeye day with a 10-4 win over Kevin Lester to improve to 11-6 in 2009-10. Up next, Ohio State will compete in the annual NWCA National Duals Jan. 9-10 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Winning all 10 matches, including seven by bonus-point margins, the Augsburg College wrestling team dominated in a 42-0 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a dual meet on Sunday afternoon at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall. Augsburg (3-0 in dual meets), the No. 2-ranked team in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings, claimed three major decisions, a pin an a technical fall in its first five bouts to build a 23-0 lead, then had two more technical falls among its final five victories over Wisconsin-Eau Claire (0-11 in dual meets). Against opponents from Divisions II and III since the 1989-90 season, Augsburg is now 241-21. Augsburg has lost just 16 matches against non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 243-23 since the 1979-80 season and 167-13 since the 1989-90 season. Brandon Bahr (SO, Bemidji, Minn.) claimed the lone pin of the day for the Auggies, a 2:45 match-ender over the Blugolds' Keith Dawson (SO, Neillsville, WIs.) at 174 pounds. Three Auggies scored technical falls -- a second-period 16-1 win by Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) at 133 pounds, and third-period 16-0 wins by Brad Baus (SO, Mukwonago, Wis.) at 197 and Josh Roberts (SO, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) at 125. Bjorkstrand improved to 15-4 on the season with a dominating effort, using three takedowns and three 3-point near-falls to secure the early ending to his bout. Roberts also had three takedowns and three 3-point near-falls in his victory, while Baus collected four 3-point near-falls in his win. Top-ranked 157-pounder Jason Adams (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) opened the match with a 10-2, major-decision win over Jon Ames (SR, Genoa, WIs./Viroqua, Wis.), improving to 19-2 on the season. Augsburg's two other ranked wrestlers competing on Sunday also scored wins -- with No. 4-ranked heavyweight Andy Witzel (SR, Fulda, Minn.) scoring a 2-0 decision over Joe Pitsch (SO, Oshkosh, Wis./North HS) and No. 3-ranked 149-pounder Tony Valek (SO, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) closing the match with an 8-2 triumph over Andy Johnson (SR, St. Cloud, Minn./Tech HS). Beau Hansen (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.) scored an 11-2, major-decision win at 165, while Caleb Lines (FY, Jackson, Minn./Jackson County Central HS) claimed three takedowns, a reversal, two near-falls and 4:23 of riding time en route to a 14-1, major-decision win at 184. Jake Saatzer (JR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) also claimed a win for the Auggies, an 8-4 triumph at 141. Augsburg is in competition this coming Saturday and Sunday (1/9-10) at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Augsburg is the defending NWCA Division III National Duals champions, having won the event four times in its eight-year history. Wisconsin-Eau Claire hosts St. Olaf and Itasca Community College next Saturday at 1 p.m. No. 2 Augsburg (Minn., 3-0) 42, Wisconsin-Eau Claire (0-11) 0 Sunday, January 3, 2010 – Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn. Action begins at 157 pounds. Time of match: 1:23. Attendance: 94. Official: Mike Roff. 157 -- No. 1 Jason Adams (AUG, 19-2) maj. dec. Jon Ames (UWEC, 2-12) 10-2 (Augsburg 4-0). 165 – Beau Hansen (AUG, 6-4) maj. dec. Levi Polus (UWEC, 2-10) 11-2 (Augsburg 8-0). 174 – Brandon Bahr (AUG, 8-8) pinned Keith Dawson (UWEC, 3-8) 2:45 (Augsburg 14-0). 184 – Caleb Lines (AUG, 10-8) maj. dec. Will Christ (UWEC, 3-11) 14-1 (Augsburg 18-0). 197 – Brad Baus (AUG, 10-5) tech. fall Andy Meyer (UWEC, 0-11) 16-0 at 5:46 (Augsburg 23-0). HWT – No. 4 Andy Witzel (AUG, 12-3) dec. Joe Pitsch (UWEC, 1-7) 2-0 (Augsburg 26-0). 125 – Josh Roberts (AUG, 6-3) tech. fall J.T. Bernstein (UWEC, 1-12) 16-0 at 5:34 (Augsburg 31-0). 133 – Paul Bjorkstrand (AUG, 15-4) tech. fall Brian Reier (UWEC, 0-1) 16-1 at 4:47 (Augsburg 36-0). 141 – Jake Saatzer (AUG, 8-3) dec. Zach Weisenberger (UWEC, 0-6) 8-4 (Augsburg 39-0). 149 – No. 3 Tony Valek (AUG, 19-4) dec. Andy Johnston (UWEC, 7-5) 8-2 (Augsburg 42-0).