InterMat Staff

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -– The Rutgers wrestling program, under the guidance of first-year head coach Scott Goodale, saw its 2008 recruiting class dominate the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) wrestling championships, held on March 8 and March 9 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. "I am absolutely overjoyed by the success the student-athletes we are bringing in had in the state tournament, but I am not surprised," said Goodale. "These are some of the best wrestlers in the country and the staff is very excited about the future of the Rutgers Wrestling program. Their performance over the weekend has caught the attention of the wrestling community, and the excitement about RU wrestling is spreading so obviously that is great news. It would really be tough to ask a group to have a better state tournament then they did, with four championships, a second-place finish, two third-place finishes and a fifth-place finish." Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) of Jackson Memorial, the number two ranked senior recruit in the nation by InterMat, finished his stellar career 137-0, winning the 160-pound class with a pin of Sacred Heart's Scott Kelley in 2:14. In winning his third State championship, Winston became the first four-year wrestler to finish his career without a single loss. The other champion for Rutgers was Jesse Boyden (Kenilworth, N.J.) of Brearley, who won at 215, 3-1 over Glenn Carson of Southern. In the championship bout at 140, Trevor Melde (Wayne, N.J.) of DePaul was pinned by Anthony Baldosaro of Delsea at 5:59. InterMat ranks Melde as the 17th-best recruit in the nation. Dan Rinaldi (Lodi, N.J.) of Lodi won third-place at 171 with a 4-1 decision over Madison's Kyle Kaufmann. Rinaldi is ranked No. 19 at 171-pounds by USA Wrestling. Other wrestlers who will be attending Rutgers in 2008 include Nick Menditto (Ocean, N.J.) of Ocean Township, who won his second consecutive title at 152 with a 10-2 major decision over Greg Zannetti (Edison, N.J.) of J.P. Stevens, Joey Langel (Farmingdale, N.J.) of Howell, who won the 112-pound class with a 6-2 decision over Ocean Township's Mike Berardesco and Ocean Township's Zach Coulas (Ocean, N.J.), who finished fifth at 130-pounds. Rutgers' 2008 recruiting class was ranked No. 10 by WIN Magazine.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- Hawkeye sophomore 149-pounder Brent Metcalf has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for March 4-10. The Davison, MI, native earned the national honor after winning his first Big Ten title last weekend in Minneapolis. Metcalf knocked off two-time Big Ten champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, 5-3 in the finals. He also scored the most team points (24) of any competitor in the 110-man field. For his efforts, Metcalf was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships. He is one of only four Hawkeyes in school history to earn both honors in the same season. Metcalf is ranked first in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News, Intermat/NWCA/NWMA and W.I.N. Magazine. He is 30-1 in collegiate matches and 21-1 in duals in his first season with the Hawkeyes. Since his lone loss - a 1:40 pin by North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell at the St. Edward duals on Nov. 24 - Metcalf has gone on a 27-match winning streak. He posted an undefeated 8-0 mark in Big Ten duals, scoring team bonus points in all but one bout. The 2007 Midlands champion and 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Division I Outstanding Wrestler leads the team in several statistical categories, including collegiate wins (30), collegiate winning percentage (.968), dual wins (21), dual winning percentage (.954), team points scored in dual competition (100), falls (10) and technical falls (6). He was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Jan. 16 and Jan. 23, becoming the first wrestler in conference history to earn the honor in consecutive weeks. He was also named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week Jan. 16. Each week, TheMat.com selects an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. Metcalf and the Hawkeyes will head to the 2008 NCAA Championships Mar. 20-22 in St. Louis, MO.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State University wrestling Head Coach Thom Ortiz and the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club will join forces this summer to offer a variety of camps and training, both organizations announced Tuesday. The camps, ranging between May 27 through July 20, will offer a variety of training techniques and conditioning while also offering several different venues to attend. The Technique and Conditioning Camps will be held in Tucson (May 27-30), Flagstaff (June 27-30) and Tempe (June 6-10, 17-21, 21-25, July 12-16 and 16-20) and is designed for wrestlers in training. The camp will offer technique, conditioning, drilling, live wrestling and a mini-tournament on the mats while also offering other activities. The Intensive Camp will be held June 17-25 and July 12-20 in Tempe and are structured similarly to the Technique camps. After five days of training, more advanced training techniques. Also in the Valley will be the annual Sunkist Kids Wrestling Team Camp, which will be held June 30-July 3. Arizona teams can train with some of the best as numerous members of Team USA-Men's Freestyle will be in town training toward the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, holding camp at the Riches Complex from July 4-12. The final camp offered will be a true camp experience in Mancos, Colo., as wrestlers will live in log cabins surrounded by pine trees and a lake. Fishing, hiking and other sports will be a part of the experience, along with technique and conditioning training on the mats. Many top coaches and wrestlers will be on hand at all the camps, including current Sun Devil head coach and member of the 1988 NCAA Championship team, Thom Ortiz. Other former Sun Devils also include four-time All-American, 2004 NCAA Champion and Dan Hodge Award winner Eric Larkin and two-time All-American and national finalist Brian Stith. Nine-time national champion Melvin Douglas, Elite Team Member Ben Zwaschka and three-time national champion James Johnson also will be on hand at the camps. For more information, including times and pricing, and for registration forms, visit the wrestling page at thesundevils.com or the home of Sunkist Kids Wrestling at sunkistkids.org.

Des Moines, IA -- Scott Casber, founder and host of the ten year old national radio program Takedown Radio, will be a guest panelist on this Fridays premier airing of a new episode of Inside MMA on the HD-Net network. Casber is joined by other guest panelists UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and MMA sensation Cung Lee. The program is hosted by Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten and features an interview with Forrest Griffin. The weekly television program is filmed entirely in high definition and is available via satellite as well as many cable systems. HD-Net is owned by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban. The program provides reporting on all aspects of mixed martial arts (MMA) ranging from the UFC to regional promotions. This Fridays program (9:30 PM EST) marks the first time both Casber and Jackson have appeared on the show. In conjunction with Casber's trip to Los Angeles to appear on the show, he will visit Black Mat Mixed Martial Arts in Whittier, CA on Tuesday, March 11. Black Mat MMA is the non-profit organization founded out of a garage by Phillip Koon to enrich the lives of young people through MMA and wrestling. "Our mission is to build faith, love, acceptance, compassion, harmony, and respect with kids that need it most." stated Coach Koon. The Black Mat program reaches out to at risk youth and serves as many as 30 kids at any time. Black Mat was featured in Tap Out, Extreme Fighter, and Wrestling USA publications and web sites. During his visit, Casber will deliver a motivational speech to Black Mat members. Black Mat has been visited previously by other MMA dignitaries including Bas Rutten, Chris Horodecki, and Kimbo Slice. " I learned first hand what Black Mat has done to turn peoples lives around when I interviewed several of their members on the radio program recently. I'm honored Coach Koon is allowing me to contribute to their meaningful effort." Casber commented. Takedown Radio is heard each Saturday from 9AM-11AM CST on KXNO1460 Des Moines Sports Station and via the internet at www.takedownradio.com and www.matchannel.com

IRVING, Texas –- Three Iowa State wrestlers have been named to the Academic All-Big 12 Conference team, the league office announced. Ben Hanisch and Nick Fanthorpe received first-team honors, while Cyler Sanderson was named to the second team. Hanisch receives the honor for the third time, while Fanthorpe and Sanderson are receiving the award for the first time. The academic all-league wrestling squad consisted of 13 first-team members combined with four on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA. Hanisch is a senior majoring in biochemistry and minoring in entrepreneurial studies and economics. The Waterloo, Iowa native is one of two Iowa State wrestlers to receive first-team honors on three occasions. The only other ISU grappler to earn such accolades was current associate head coach, Cody Sanderson, who earned the honor four times (1997-2000). Fanthorpe is a sophomore from Naperville, Ill., majoring in community and regional planning. Sanderson is a sophomore majoring in fine arts. He joins the likes of his three older brothers by earning Big 12 academic honors. Cody, Cole and Cael Sanderson all earned academic recognition at least once during their Cyclone wrestling career.

"In terms of work ethic, he's up there with anyone I've coached … up there with Brad Vering, Mark Munoz, Rulon Gardner, Tolly Thompson." "He's similar to Josh Glenn -- really stands out in my room filled with hard workers." Mike CannonThose are the words of Mark Cody, head wrestling coach at American University for the past six seasons, and, before that, long-time upper-weights coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, talking about American's 165-pound starter, Mike Cannon. It's pretty heady stuff for a sophomore to be mentioned in the same breath as some legendary NCAA champs, All-Americans and Olympians from the Cornhuskers and the Eagles that Cody has coached. But it's all in a day's work for Mike Cannon, who has been ranked in the top ten in the 165-pound weight class by RevWrestling.com for most of the season. A hard worker, from the start Ask Mike Cannon about his work ethic, and he says, "It's a core value of mine. It was instilled by my dad, who wrestled in high school and has officiated for about twenty years. I'd ask him about what I needed to do to get better. The only way to get better is to work harder." "Sitting around pouting wasn't going to take me to the next level." "Working hard has also helped me develop my confidence, which has helped me become a better wrestler," Mike adds. Mike Cannon was introduced to wrestling by his father, Matthew. "He kept asking if I'd like to get started in the sport," says the native of Mechanicsville, Maryland. "I took it up when I was nine years old. I loved it from the start." "In high school, I set goals every year, and came up short every year. I hated coming up short. It was almost devastating." "In my junior year, my losses in the regionals and conference were one-point losses -- really tough." "Now I see those devastating losses as what fueled me to work harder, to train harder." "My senior year was my best year," according to Mike. "I was undefeated that year. I had no points scored on me at the state tournament." Mike concluded his prep career at Chopticon High School with a 140-17 overall record, and a Maryland state title. He was a four-year letterwinner and named team captain three times. In addition, he was named Student of the Year and earned P.E. Athlete of the Year honors … all while developing a 3.6 grade point average. Becoming an American Eagle "I told myself I wanted to wrestle in college, " according to Mike. "For a long time, I cast a wide net, thinking about schools all over. Then, in my senior year, I wanted to be closer to home, so that my family could continue to support me and attend my wrestling matches." Mike Cannon is currently 26-3 this season"I knew I wanted to compete in Division I. I looked at (University of) Maryland, George Mason, and American University. I visited all three schools … I loved the team, and the campus. I really liked Mark Cody's attitude and work ethic. He wants to win national championships." "I couldn't have made a better decision," continues the Eagle sophomore. "I don't think I'd be having the same level of success elsewhere." "Coach Cody wants us to be well-rounded, disciplined athletes. Be a good student, respectful. That fits my goals." "Mike is a very well-rounded individual," says Mark Cody. "He was an Academic All-American last year." "He's incredibly focused in practice. He's a year 'round wrestler, working hard to get better. That's why he is where he is right now." Flying high in college In is first year on the American University campus in Washington, D.C., Mike Cannon took a redshirt, and compiled a 15-7 record for the 2005-06 season in open tournaments. He won the 157-pound title at the Millersburg Open, and placed at the long-running Wilkes tournament. In his first year of official collegiate competition, Mike moved up to the 165-pound weight class, and compiled an overall record of 29-8. Among the high points of the 2006-07 season: won the Keystone Classic, and placed eighth at the 2006 Midlands (only the fifth Eagle to place at the prestigious Christmastime tournament). At the 2007 EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Conference) championships, Mike was the first seed at 165. He pinned his first opponent in just over a minute, then got 5-2 and 5-3 victories to find himself in the finals against Steve Anceravage of Cornell. Mike lost 9-6, but his finalist status at the EIWAs earned him a tenth seed at the 2007 NCAAs, where he went 2-2 in the national championships. As for Mike's redshirt sophomore season, of this writing, he's built up a 26-3 record. At the 2008 EIWA conference championships on March 8-9, Mike lost to Zach Shanaman of the University of Pennsylvania in the semifinals, but bounced back in the wrestlebacks, pinning Navy's Justin Jacobs in 55 seconds. In the consolation finals, the Eagle 165-pounder defeated Bucknell's Andy Rendos, 5-2, to place third … qualifying for the 2008 NCAA tournament. A sense of style When asked to describe his wrestling style, Mike Cannon responds, "I'm a grinder. I keep going. If you wrestle me, you're in for a dog fight." Mark CodyMike mentioned that he's one of those wrestlers who was once small -- having competed at 103 pounds as a high school freshman -- which he believes has shaped him into the competitor he is today. "As you grow and progress, your style changes somewhat. As you're lighter, you tend to be faster, more agile, relying more on technique," says the 165-pounder. "Now, at this weight, in the college ranks, it tends to be more muscle-oriented, with strength being more of a factor." "I'd like to think that I still have some of that agility of a lightweight, which helps in taking on guys my size." Ask American's head coach Mark Cody to assess Mike Cannon's style, and his immediate response: "He's in great shape. Very explosive. Great on top, really puts a lot of pressure on top. His long body-build opens up lots of offense." Success in the classroom … and beyond Mike Cannon's considerable work ethic that's demonstrated in the practice room and on the wrestling mat is also on display in the classroom at American University. He earned Academic All-American honors last year; in his first semester this season, Mike earned a 3.3 GPA and made the Dean's List. Mike is majoring in business accounting, with a minor in Spanish. "I really liked Spanish in high school, and have a great time in my Spanish classes in college," Mike discloses. "I hope to be able to use it in the business world." Someone who works this hard in academics and athletics doesn't have a lot of free time … but when Mike has some downtime, "I go back home and hang out with my family. Or I spend time with my friends here at school -- maybe go to a movie, or to the Mall in Washington … I really like the outdoors -- camping, hiking." Cannon charts his course As for his plans after graduation, Mike Cannon says, "I can see starting my career in an accounting firm, though I'm also considering a high school coaching position, or maybe as an assistant in a college program. Right now, my future isn't exactly crystal-clear." "I can see myself helping out at my high school, helping my brothers." (Mike is the oldest of eight brothers -- there are three older sisters, too -- with all of the boys who are already in school following in big brother Mike's footsteps as wrestlers.) Ask Mike to envision what kind of coach he might be, and he replies, "I would incorporate what I've learned from my coaches throughout the years." Mike Cannon finished third at the 2008 EIWA Championships"What I've learned from (Coach) Cody is golden. He's been here six years, and you can see the success he's having." A decision about which career path to take -- coaching, accounting, or a combination of the two -- is a number of years away. As for more immediate concerns, Mike says his main wrestling goal right now is "to win a national championship -- bottom line. I'm a sophomore, so, ideally, I'd want to win three NCAA titles." Mark Cody thinks it's possible. "Mike's very capable of winning a national title, even this year." That's from a coach who's guided more than his share of individuals who've won All-American honors and NCAA championships, including titlewinners Tolly Thompson and Brad Vering at Nebraska, and, just last year, Josh Glenn, who brought home the 197-pound crown to American University -- the school's first-ever. Thanks to his never-quit wrestling style and solid work ethic, Mike Cannon may join that elite list someday -- and make it two for the Eagles.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Tim Flynn and Dave Malacek. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. Flynn is the current head wrestling coach Edinboro University. The Fighting Scots finished the dual meet season with an 11-3 overall record and a 6-0 record against conference competition. Edinboro won the Eastern Wrestling League tournament Edinboro will be sending all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament. As a wrestler, Flynn was an All-American for Penn State University in 1987. Malacek just completed his second year as the head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. His team placed third at last year's NCAA Division III tournament Rapids and placed second at this year's tournament held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last week. Malacek was an assistant coach at Wartburg from 2000 through 2006. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Malacek was an All-American for the Panthers in 1994. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

For the second year in a row, Liberty has claimed the team title at the NCAA East Regional Wrestling Championship, winning six weight class titles along the way to a dominating performance, Sunday afternoon, inside the Vines Center. Liberty finished 41 points ahead of second-place finisher Gardner-Webb, as the Flames posted 108.5 team points to the Bulldogs' 67.5 points. The top five in the standings remained completely unchanged from last year, when Liberty claimed a 17.5-point victory over Gardner-Webb during the event which was hosted at Duquesne on March 4, 2007. Also for the second year, head coach Jesse Castro was tabbed the NCAA East Regional Coach of the Year, leading six grapplers to the NCAA National Championship in the first-ever NCAA championship event hosted by Liberty. Delaware State's Matt Cathell (149 pounds) was named the event's Most Outstanding Wrestler, posting a major decision victory and a win by fall (4:04) during the title bout. Liberty's repeat weight class champions included Christian Smith (133 pounds), Tim Harner (141 pounds), Chad Porter (165 pounds) and Patrick Walker (285 pounds). The foursome will be joined on the road trip to St. Louis, Mo., by the pair of Aaron Kelley (174 pounds) and Chris Daggett (184 pounds), who were also victorious on the day. Smith's road to victory at 133 pounds, included a technical fall victory over Nicholas Boghos of Wagner (22-4, 5:00) and a 10-2 major decision over Kevin Chapman of Duquesne in the finals. Harner claimed three different victims on the day, giving the junior his 30th victory of the year. The 141-pounder first took down Gardner-Webb's Charles Franz by fall (2:25), followed by decisions over Duquesne's Jaky Cobbs (10-6) and Millersville's Mike Greck (4-1). Porter followed suit with Smith, winning two matches en route to his second regional title at 165 pounds. The junior downed Brendan Couture of Gardner-Webb, 13-5, to reach the finals, where he got a third-period pin (6:24) over Delaware State's Brandon Gardner. Kelley started his run to his first championship and ticket the NCAA national event with a technical fall victory over Wagner's Peter Morano (18-2, 5:55). The second-year grappler followed with a 16-5 major decision over Duquesne's Scott Blank, while capping off his run with a pin (6:28) over Millersville's Jeremy Brooks in the title bout. Daggett started his day by pinning Wagner's Edward Broderick midway through the second (3:50), followed by consecutive major decisions. The first was an 11-2 victory over Matthias Piasecki of Gardner-Webb, followed by a 16-6 win over No. 2 seed Ryan Sula of Duquesne. Liberty's final NCAA qualifier was the event's most heralded grappler, as Walker entered the tournament ranked No. 16 in the country among heavyweights. The sophomore got into the finals with a first-period pin of Wagner's John Graeffe (2:51), followed by a 6-0 blanking of Delaware State's Eric Sewell in the championship round. With the individual championships on the afternoon, the Flames' six grapplers have now earned an invitation to the NCAA National Championship. The three-day event, which begins on March 20, will be contested at the Scottrade Center, where Missouri will serve as the official host.

MINNEAPOLIS -- No. 1 seed and second-ranked Mike Poeta stormed through the 157-pound bracket, winning by at least six points in each victory, to become Illinois' first Big Ten champion since 2005. Six of his teammates will join him for the NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in two weeks as Illinois finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships in front of 7,271 fans at Williams Arena. "Overall, it was a good performance in one of the toughest conference meets that I've been associated with," Illinois coach Mark Johnson said. "I'm happy for Mike Poeta winning the Big Ten title. He deserves it with his work. Jimmy and Gabe both did a good job to medal, and a lot of good things happened this weekend." No. 1 seed and third-ranked Jimmy Kennedy finished second at 133 pounds, dropping his title bout to Michigan State's third-seeded and fifth-ranked Franklin Gomez. No. 5 seeded and eighth-ranked Gabe Flores took third and No. 3 seeded and 11th-ranked Patrick Bond finished fourth. No. 5 seeded and 15th-ranked John Dergo and No. 5 seeded and 13th-ranked John Wise each took fifth, and fifth-seeded Roger Smith-Bergsrud took sixth place. Illinois' fourth-place team finish marks head coach Mark Johnson's 12th top-five finish at the Big Ten Championships. Flores started strong against second-seeded and second-ranked Charlie Falck (IOWA), scoring a takedown with two minutes left in the first period. Falck nearly scored a reversal after 50 seconds, but a stalemate was called. Falck eventually notched the escape with 35 seconds left, then got ahold of Flores' right leg, but time ran out before control could be gained. Flores started down in the second and escaped within a minute. Falck again got a leg and put Flores into the Iranian position, but couldn't gain an advantage before a stalemate was called. Flores ended the second ahead, 3-1, and Falck chose a neutral start in the third. After a mad scramble that lasted for most of the final minute, Flores held off a late takedown attempt by Falck to secure the 3-1 win and take third place, his highest-ever finish at the Big Ten Championships. In Kennedy's championship bout against No. 3 seed and fifth-ranked Franklin Gomez (MSU), the pair felt each other out for most of the first period before Gomez nailed a takedown with 26 seconds left and rode out Kennedy. Gomez started down in the second and escaped quickly, the period's only scoring. Kennedy started down in the third and escaped in 40 seconds, narrowly keeping Gomez from getting the riding time point. Kennedy worked for some offense in the final 80 seconds but couldn't hit anything as Gomez won, 3-1. Kennedy's second-place medal betters the fourth-place finish he grabbed as a true-freshman last season. No. 1 seed and second-ranked Mike Poeta was the next Illini to take the mat, and he and No. 2 seed (No. 3-ranked) Dan Vallimont (Penn State) spent the first period on their feet and ended it without a score. Poeta started down in the second and escaped in two seconds, then ripped off a takedown with 30 seconds left in the period for a 3-0 lead. Vallimont started down in the third and escaped quickly, but with one minute left, Vallimont shook out of a single-leg hold only to have Poeta shoot for a double-leg takedown and a 5-1 lead. Vallimont escaped, but Poeta defended a shot by the Nittany Lion and recorded another takedown with 33 seconds left. With the riding time point, Poeta won, 8-2, to become Illinois' first Big Ten champion since Alex Tirapelle (157) and Pete Friedl (184) both accomplished the feat in 2005. "It's a great feeling," Poeta said of winning his first Big Ten title. "But it's just a steppingstone for two weeks from now. That's the best guy I've wrestled all year. I just give so much credit to the coaching staff, especially assistant coach Carl Perry. He battles me every day in practice and makes me so much better." In Roger Smith-Bergsrud's fifth-place tilt against Indiana's sixth-seeded Matt Coughlin, the grapplers fought to a scoreless tie after one period. Coughlin started down in the second and escaped in 11 seconds, then he notched a takedown with 35 seconds left in the period. Smith-Bergsrud escaped 11 seconds later, then started down in the third place and escaped in five seconds to cut it to 3-2, but the Illini junior couldn't connect on any late offense as he fell, 3-2. It is Smith-Bergsrud's second-straight sixth-place finish. At the 174-pound fifth-place match, Dergo and Indiana's Trevor Perry fought to a scoreless first period, then Dergo started down in the second and escaped for a 1-0 lead after two periods. Perry started down in the third and escaped near the one-minute mark, but Dergo hit him with a takedown with 40 seconds left in the bout. Perry escaped with 30 seconds left to come within 3-2, but Dergo held him off to take fifth at Big Tens for the second-straight year. Bond faced Wisconsin's fourth-seeded and sixth-ranked Dallas Herbst in the third-place bout, and the two wrestled through a scoreless first period. Herbst deferred choice and Bond chose a neutral start for the second period. Herbst got in on a single-leg and took Bond down with 1:03 left in the period, but Bond escaped 32 seconds later to finish the second trailing, 2-1. Herbst started down in the third and, after a restart, Bond used an optional restart to let him up for a 3-1 Badger lead. Bond got a leg with 40 seconds left but couldn't gain control. He nearly put Herbst on his back, but the Badger spun around for the takedown and the 5-1 victory. Bond's fourth-place finish is a career best, topping his fifth-place finish at Big Tens a year ago. Wise and Minnesota's eighth-seeded Ben Berhow fought to a scoreless first period, but Wise started down in the second and escaped in five seconds for a 1-0 lead. The Illini junior followed that up with a textbook double-leg takedown with 1:20 left in the period, then rode him out for a 3-0 lead with 1:13 of riding time after two periods. Berhow started down in the third and Wise continued to ride the Gopher, racking up 2:06 of riding time before Berhow escaped with just over a minute left in the match. Berhow shot with 10 seconds left, but Wise defended it to hold onto his 4-1 win and a fifth-place finish, a career-best finish.

LANCASTER, Pa. -- The Big Red wrestling team won its second-straight EIWA Championship on Sunday night edging out Penn by a half of point. Freshman Mack Lewnes won the individual championship at 165 pounds, while juniors Jordan Leen and Steve Anceravage were runners-up at 157 and 174 pounds, respectively. The Big Red qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament, and all 10 Cornell grapplers finished in the top six of their respective weight classes. 125 To open the day, senior Mike Rodriguez faced Penn's Rollie Peterkin. The two wrestlers were trading points back and forth in the first two periods with the Penn grappler holding a slight 7-5 advantage. Rodriguez chose to start the third period in the down position, and Peterkin turned him earning the pin in 5:54. In the consolation round, Rodriguez picked up bonus points for Cornell pinning Columbia's Brandon Kinney in 4:59. In his bout for third place, Rodriguez won an 11-6 decision over American's Jason Borshoff to qualify for his first NCAA tournament. 133 At 133 pounds, freshman Mike Grey faced Navy's Joseph Baker in the quarterfinals. After a scoreless first period, the two were tied at two points apiece after two periods. Baker chose to start the third period in the down position and took the lead with a reversal. Grey came within a point with an escape and tied the match with Baker's second stalling warning. With 1:01 in riding time, Baker walked away with a 5-4 decision. In the consolation round, Grey defeated Harvard's Thomas Picarsic 10-3 to advance to the third place match. Grey qualified for his first NCAA tournament with a 10-4 decision over Brown's Jeffrey Schell to place third. 141 In the consolation round, sophomore Adam Frey squared off against Brown's Mark Savino. Frey held a 7-2 lead after the first period. The Big Red grappler dominated his opponent in the second and earned valuable bonus points for the Big Red pinning him in 3:47 to advance to the third place bout, where Frey picked up the victory after Harvard's Corey Jantzen injury defaulted. With the third place finish, Frey qualified for this second NCAA tournament. 149 In the quarterfinals, freshman DJ Meagher wrestled No. 2 ranked JP O'Connor of Harvard. Meagher earned the first points of the match with a takedown, but with an escape and a takedown of his own O'Connor claimed the lead the continued to pull ahead of the Big Red wrestler. O'Connor earned two back points with time winding down in the first period, and with an escape and a takedown in the second took an 8-2 lead into the third. Meagher chose to start the third at neutral looking to score points, but O'Connor earned another takedown at the end of the period. With 1:50 in riding time, the Harvard wrestler won an 11-2 major decision. In the consolation bracket, Meagher was edged out by a 4-1 decision by Columbia's Anthony Constantino. Meagher placed sixth after dropping a 6-2 decision to Lehigh's Trevor Chinn. 157 In the quarterfinals, junior captain Jordan Leen hit the mat to wrestle American's Christopher Stout. Leen took a 6-1 lead after the first period earning two takedowns and two back points with time running out. Stout earned his second point of the match with an escape from his initial down position, but with another takedown, Leen turned his opponent to his back pinning him in 4:54. In the finals, Leen faced David Nakasone of Lehigh. The two were scoreless in the first, and Nakasone chose to start the second in the down position and earned a point with an escape in the only point of the period. In the third, Leen tied the match up with a quick opening escape. With less than a minute left in the bout, Nakasone took the lead with a takedown. Leen came within a point with an escape, but the Lehigh grappler earned another takedown to the win the title with a 5-2 victory. 165 At 165 pounds, freshman Mack Lewnes took on Bucknell's Andrew Rendos in the quarterfinals. The two were scoreless after the first period, and Rendos earned the first mark with an escape from his initial down position. With six seconds left in the period, Lewnes took the lead with a takedown. Lewnes started the third period in the down position and earned another point with an escape. He earned two takedowns in the third to win a 7-2 decision to advance to the finals. Lewnes and Penn's Zack Shanaman were tied at four points apiece after regulation in the finals. Lewnes won the title with a takedown in sudden victory. 174 Junior Steve Anceravage earned a quick takedown over Penn's Scott Griffin, but let the Quaker wrestler up looking for more points in the quarterfinals. Anceravage continued to attack throughout the rest of the period, but Griffin was able to evade staying within a point. Anceravage earned the only point of the second period with an escape from his initial down position. Griffin chose to start the third period down, but was unable to get away from Anceravage's clutches. With 2:03 in riding time, Anceravage advanced to the finals with a 4-1 victory. In the finals, Anceravage faced Navy's Matthew Stolpinski. The two were scoreless after the first period. In the second, Stolpinki escaped from his initial down position and with 24 seconds left in the period took a three point lead with a takedown. Ten seconds later, Anceravage came within a point with a reversal. Anceravage tied the match at three points apiece in the third with an escape to start the period. The two remained tied after regulation and the match went to sudden victory. Anceravage placed second after Stolpinski earned a takedown midway through the period. 184 In the quarterfinals, sophomore Josh Arnone faced off against Penn's Lior Zamir. Zamir earned a takedown over Arnone and caught hold of the Big Red wrestler's arm and turned him earning two back points. In his efforts to escape, Arnone was injured and medical forfeited out of the match. Arnone forfeited his match in the consolation bracket, and placed sixth after forfeiting the fifth place bout. 197 Freshman Justin Kerber was scoreless against Rutgers' Lamar Brown after the first period. Kerber earned the only point of the second with an escape. They were tied after regulation after Brown earned an escape from his starting down position. Brown earned the win in sudden victory with a takedown. In the consolation round, Kerber faced Army's Richard Starks where he was edged out, 4-2. Kerber placed fifth after winning a 9-8 decision over East Stroudsburg's David Williams. HWT In his opening bout in the consolation brackets, freshman Maciej Jochym was up 2-0 after the first period. With an escape, a takedown and three back points, he held a 7-0 advantage going into the third. Jochym earned two more takedowns in the third, and with 1:54 in riding time, won a 12-2 major decision. In his next match, Jochym took on Brown's Levon Mock. Mock inched past the Big Red grappler, 4-3. Jochym placed sixth after losing to the No. 2 seed Trey McLean (Penn) 4-2 in sudden victory.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Senior heavyweight Dustin Fox went into the Big Ten Championships with something to prove. A late dual loss cost him the top seed and his No. 1 ranking. Fox avenged his earlier loss by major decision in the semifinals and scored a convincing victory over top-seeded JD Bergman of Ohio State in the finals for his first career Big Ten title. Fox becomes NU's first heavyweight Big Ten Champion since 1961 and gives NU at least one Big Ten champion in the past four seasons. With 23.5 team points, Fox scored the second-most points for his team in the tournament. Only Brent Metcalf of Iowa, the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, scored more team points. Mike Tamillow took home second place at 197 lbs., Nick Hayes and Keith Sulzer both finished fourth at 174 and 141, respectively and Brandon Precin and Ryan Lang took home seventh-place honors at 125 and 149, respectively. All six Wildcats automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. As a team, Northwestern finished in an eighth-place tie with Indiana in the team standings. Iowa captured the Big Ten team title. Fox breezed through the heavyweight bracket, but he knew he would be in for a battle with Bergman in the finals. Fox won the previous meeting in close fashion at the National Duals. Unlike the rest of his matches in the tournament, the first period ended scoreless and Fox went to bottom to start the second. Fox could not escape on his first try, but got out after a restart to go up 1-0 and put both wrestlers back to neutral. Fox flirted with a little bit of danger in the closing seconds of the first, but went to the third leading 1-0 and starting on top. Bergman could not escape Fox's clutches at the start of the period or on the next restart as both wrestlers ended up out of bounds. Fox threw Bergman violently to the ground several times and maintained his hold enough to gain the crucial one minute of riding time. The senior, who finished third at both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships last season, capped off an impressive tournament with a 2-0 win in the championship match. In the 197-pound final, the top-seeded Tamillow faced a familiar foe in second-seeded Phil Davis. Davis defeated Tamillow in exhibition action this season, but the Wildcat downed the three-time All-American in dual action this season. It was Davis that came out on top this time with a 3-2 decision over the defending Big Ten champion Tamillow. Tamillow shot in deep and got a leg in the opening 20 seconds, but despite having Davis on one leg, could not take him down and the wrestlers went back to neutral. The two traded several shots, but each defended to avoid takedowns. Davis started on bottom for the second period and got his escape in the first 20 seconds to go up 1-0. He scored a takedown with an upper body throw to go up 3-0 in the second. The Wildcat got on the board with an escape with just over 40 seconds remaining in the second and again, the wrestlers went back to neutral. Tamillow grabbed on ankle on a shot, but could not convert the takedown in the closing seconds of the frame and went into the final period down 3-1 and starting on bottom. The senior got his escape in five seconds to close to 3-2. Tamillow got in on a deep shot, but could not convert in the closing seconds to fall by 3-2 decision. After winning the conference title last season, Tamillow settled for second place. In the third-place match at 141 lbs., Sulzer fell to Ohio State's third-seeded J Jaggers to take fourth place in his first Big Ten Championships. Sulzer struck first with a takedown in the opening seconds, but the Buckeye reversed and was able to lock up Sulzer for the pin with 19 seconds remaining in the first period. In his first year as a starter at 141 lbs., Sulzer clinched a spot in the NCAA Championships field. Hayes' also fell in his third-place match and settled for fourth. The senior had a rough first period against Iowa's second-seeded Jay Borschel, giving up an early takedown without being able to get loose for the rest of the period. Borschel put up points in the third to defeat Hayes by a 10-2 major decision. Northwestern's six NCAA qualifiers will return to action in two weeks at the NCAA Championships held in St. Louis, Mo.

The Golden Gopher wrestling team was unable to hold onto its opening day lead at the 2008 Big Ten Championships Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena, relinquishing the Big Ten team title to the Iowa Hawkeyes 127 – 112.5. Minnesota did qualify nine wrestlers for the the 2008 NCAA Championships in two weeks, but saw its four finalists come up short their championship matches. Jayson Ness, Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter and Gabe Dretsch all finished in second place after losing during Sunday afternoon's championship round. The top seven in each weight class, along with two wildcards, qualify for nationals. Minnesota's Mack Reiter (fourth), C.P. Schlatter (sixth), Roger Kish (sixth), Justin Bronson (seventh) and Ben Berhow (sixth) will also make the trip to St. Louis March 20-22. While Sunday's announced crowd of 7,271 witnessed an exciting day of collegiate wrestling, no match carried more weight than the 149-pound title match between Iowa's Brent Metcalf and Dustin Schlatter. This pair of former four-time high school state champions squared off for the first time in nearly three years (their first match as collegians), with Metcalf winning by a 5-3 decision. Schlatter grabbed the early lead in Sunday's much-anticipated "Match of the Century" with a takedown of Metcalf a little over one minute into the match. But the Hawkeye tied the score at two with escapes in the first and second periods. Schlatter started down in the second and jumped ahead with an escape, but was called for stalling late in the match and finally suffered a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the final frame. The loss was just the fifth in 102 collegiate matches for Schlatter, who was the two-time defending Big Ten champion. Sunday's other big disappointment for Gopher fans came at 125 pounds, where sophomore Ness was relinquished his Big Ten title to Indiana's Angel Escobedo by a 4-2 decision. A second-period reversal allowed the Hoosier to get on top of the previously-undefeated Ness, a position he did not relinquish until the closing seconds of the match. Ness' only points came on a reversal with under 10 seconds left as Escobedo racked up an impressive 3:39 worth of riding time. It was the first loss for Ness this season (35-1) and snaps a 36-match winning streak for the Bloomington, Minn. native. Escobedo is the only wrestler to beat Ness in his previous 38 matches – Ness' win streak began at the 2007 NCAA Championships after a 7-3 loss to Escobedo in the consolation bracket. At 141 pounds, Rivera's first-ever conference title match did not go as planned against Michigan freshman Kellen Russell. Rivera beat Russell 4-2 at a Jan. 26 dual meet, only to lose 3-2 Sunday at Williams Arena. Russell jumped ahead with an early takedown and tacked on a second-period escape, as Rivera was unable to muster any offense against the 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Minnesota's last finalist of the day was another senior making his first-ever Big Ten title bout. Frazee, Minn. native Dretsch took on Michigan's Steve Luke at 174 pounds and lost a close 5-3 match. The stocky Luke took down Dretsch twice in the first period to open a 4-0 lead and held on for his fourth straight win against the Minnesota wrestler. Luke also beat Dretsch twice earlier this season and once at last year's NCAAs. Minnesota's consolation wrestlers also did not fare particularly well during Sunday's final session. Reiter dropped his third-place match to second-seeded Joe Slaton at 133 pounds (losing 3-0) to place fourth, while 2007 NCAA qualifier and third-seeded Tyler Safratowich suffered a surprising pin in the seventh-place match at 165 pounds to Wisconsin's Jake Donar to finish out of the NCAA qualifying set. Safratowich did not earn one of the Big Ten's two at-large wild card bids despite entering the tournament ranked 11th in the national coaches poll. He was named as a first alternate for NCAA consideration. The Gophers' two first-time conference tournament wrestlers were the only bright spots at an otherwise-disappointing final day. Bronson picked up the Gophers' lone victory of the day with a pin of Ohio State's John Weakley at 197 pounds to earn seventh place and a spot at his first-ever NCAA Championships, while heavyweight Berhow finished sixth after close losses to fourth-seeded Matt Fields of Iowa (4-1 in overtime) and fifth-seeded John Wise of Illinois (4-1). The Gophers were also shut out of the conference awards, as Iowa's Metcalf was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. Iowa coach Tom Brands was the conference's coach of the year, while Russell was voted best newcomer. Nearly 20,000 fans attended this weekend's event in Minneapolis, which was hosted by the University of Minnesota and Williams Arena for the first time since 1997. Sunday's attendance of over 7,000 pushed the official tally to 19,981 for all three sessions. The Big Ten Network broadcast Sunday's championship matches live to over 35 million households nationwide, their final wrestling telecast of the 2007-08 season. Minnesota and head coach J Robinson must now turn their attention to the 2008 NCAA Championships, to be held March 20-22 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The defending national champion Gophers' nine qualifiers is their highest total since 2005. The Gophers had eight qualifiers and five All-Americans last season en route to their third national title.

Rev Audio: Angel Escobedo (Indiana) Rev Audio: Kellen Russell (Michigan) Rev Audio: Brent Metcalf (Iowa) Rev Audio: Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) Rev Audio: Mike Poeta (Illinois) Rev Audio: Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) Rev Audio: Steve Luke (Michigan) Rev Audio: Phil Davis (Penn State) Final Brackets Final Team Scores Saturday: Minnesota Leads MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team came back with a strong performance Sunday to win its 32nd Big Ten team title at the conference championships in Minneapolis, MN. The Hawkeyes scored 127 points, while runner-up Minnesota tallied 112.5. Sophomore Brent Metcalf became Iowa's 101st Big Ten Champion when he won the 149-pound title, and the Hawkeyes qualified nine wrestlers to the upcoming NCAA Championships. It is the first time that Iowa has advanced nine competitors since 2004 when it qualified its entire 10-man lineup. Iowa nearly swept the post-meet team awards as Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, and Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Metcalf is the third Hawkeye to earn both honors in the same season. Former Hawkeyes Tom Brands (1989), Terry Brands (1992) and Mark Ironside (1997) also accomplished that feat. Brands is the third Hawkeye coach to earn the annual Big Ten honor, as former head coaches Dan Gable (1993, 1996) and Jim Zalesky (2000, 2004) each earned the honor twice. "We had a good (first) session, then a not-so-good (second) session and ended with a good (third) session, which is what you want," explained Brands. "We won the team title and had a lot of fans at the arena. We also had a lot of guys stay tough in the wrestlebacks." Metcalf, who is the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, earned his first Big Ten title when he defeated two-time Big Ten champion and two-time all-American Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, 5-3. It was the first collegiate meeting between the two. The Hawkeye sophomore scored his 30th season and career win and extended his winning streak to 27 matches with the decision over Schlatter, who is ranked third in the country. Schlatter scored the first takedown, but Metcalf countered with two escapes to tie the score at 2-2 after two periods. Schlatter escaped to start the third period, but Metcalf was awarded a point when the Golden Gopher junior was given his second stall warning of the match to tie the match at 3-3. Metcalf secured the win by scoring a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the bout. "Brent Metcalf did an outstanding job." said Brands. "He is a great example of what I want all our guys to aspire to. Duplicate Brent Metcalf." Senior 165-pounder Mark Perry wrestled in his fourth Big Ten finals match, but came up short in defending his 2007 conference title. Perry lost a 3-2 decision to Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum. Perry, who is the nation's top wrestler at 165, is now 2-2 against the Wolverine senior, who is ranked third in the country. Hawkeye senior Matt Fields (Hwt.) and sophomores Joe Slaton (133), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) helped the team win its first conference title since 2004 when they wrestled back for third place at their respective weight classes. Fields won both of his Sunday matches in the tiebreak overtime, picking up his 90th career victory in the third-place match. Junior Charlie Falck placed fourth at 125 and sophomore Dan LeClere placed fifth at 141. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar picked up his 20th season win when he posted a 6-1 decision over Purdue's Nick Bertucci to place seventh at 157 and automatically advance for the NCAA Championships. Iowa's final competition of the season will be at the NCAA Championships, March 20-22 in St. Louis, MO. All matches will be held at the Scottrade Center. The finals will be televised live on ESPN. Tickets to the event are available at (866) 646-8849 or www.ticketmaster.com.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -– The Edinboro wrestling team continued its domination of the Eastern Wrestling League on Saturday as the Fighting Scots won their sixth straight EWL Tournament and tenth in the last eleven years. Edinboro finished with three champions and 133 points to easily outdistance second place Pittsburgh, who had 111.50 points. Pittsburgh hosted the event at Fitzgerald Field House. West Virginia came in third with 103.50 points, followed by Bloomsburg (86), Lock Haven (70.50) and Clarion (55). Cleveland State finished seventh with 53 points. Gregor Gillespie was recognized as the Outstanding Wrestler after winning the title at 157 lbs. It marked the junior's third straight EWL crown. Daryl Cocozzo took home first place at 149 lbs., and Jarrod King was first at 165 lbs. In addition to the three first places, Edinboro had three wrestlers finish second and the other four place third. Edinboro was assured of six wrestlers heading to Nationals, and was awaiting word on the EWL's 12 wildcard selections. Here's a look at how Edinboro's wrestlers did, weight class by weight class: 125 lbs. Eric Morrill gave seventh-ranked Mike Sees of Bloomsburg a tough battle before dropping an 8-7 decision in the championship bout. Morrill will make his first trip to Nationals after his second place finish, and has an 18-9 record. 133 lbs. After suffering a disappointing loss in his first match, Ricky Deubel came back to finish third and put himself in position for a second trip to Nationals. The junior came back with three wins in the consolation bracket. In the consolation semifinals he won a 6-2 decision over Bloomsburg's Jason Guffey. In the third place match, he won by major decision over Josh Palivoda of Cleveland State, 11-1. That left Deubel with a 26-12 record. 141 lbs. In one of the bigger surprises, true freshman Torsten Gillespie earned a trip to Nationals with a second place finish. After a pair of wins, his magical run finally came to an end with a 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh's Drew Headlee. Gillespie will join his brother at Nationals with a 19-16 record. 149 lbs. Daryl Cocozzo moved up from 141 lbs. this year and came away as the champion. For the second time in three weeks he bested West Virginia's David Jauregui, this time by a 4-2 decision in the finals. Cocozzo, a sophomore, will head to Nationals with a 31-10 record. 157 lbs. Gregor Gillespie competed in one of the two toughest weight classes in the EWL Tournament, and boosted his record to 32-2 and 106-8 for his career. Last year's national champion at 149 lbs., the junior faced an old foe in Matt Moley of Bloomsburg in the finals. He handed Moley, ranked 19th by InterMat, a 7-2 defeat. Gillespie moved into 18th place in career wins. 165 lbs. Jarrod King reached the finals in his first appearance at EWL's, and he made it count with a 9-5 decision over West Virginia's Donnie Jones. . The transfer from Oklahoma is now 30-7. 174 lbs. Phil Moricone had to settle for his second third place finish at EWL's, as the junior rebounded from a loss in the semifinals with a pair of impressive wins in the wrestlebacks. He won by major decision over JT Miller of Cleveland State, 12-0, then came back with another major decision in the third place match, an 8-0 win over Tom Kocher of Lock Haven. That leaves Moricone with a 24-11 ledger and a likely second trip to Nationals. 184 lbs. While neither of Edinboro's two true freshmen came away with titles, both made quite an impression. Chris Honeycutt battled 18th-ranked Kurt Brenner of West Virginia, finally losing 10-8. That leaves Honeycutt with a 25-8 record as he heads to Nationals. 197 lbs. Pat Bradshaw rebounded from a semifinals loss to capture third place in his first EWL tourney appearance. The sophomore decisioned Eric Shaw of Bloomsburg, 8-3, in the consolation semifinals, then won third place with a 3-1 win in a tiebreaker over Jamie Luckett of Clarion. Bradshaw is now 29-11. Hwt. Joey Fendone faced an uphill battle in his quest for a third trip to Nationals after losing his opening match to Cleveland State's Rashard Goff. But the junior left a lot to ponder as a wild card after coming back to finish third. He defeated 15th-ranked Dustin Rogers of West Virginia to advance to the third place match. After suffering a 3-0 loss to Goff earlier in the day, he reversed the score with a 3-0 win over the Viking. That left Fendone with a 17-9 record.

KENT, Ohio -- Central Michigan University won seven individual titles en route to its seventh consecutive Mid-American Conference Championships crown on Saturday. CMU entered Saturday's championship round with seven individuals in the finals, and all seven — Brandon Carter (149), Steve Brown (157), Trevor Stewart (165), Brandon Sinnott (174), Christian Sinnott (184), Wynn Michalak (197) and Bubba Gritter (285) — emerged victorious. Those seven individuals earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis in two weeks. All 10 of CMU's individuals placed in the top four of their weight class. Luke Smith and Conor Beebe were third at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively, while Eric Kruger finished fourth at 141 pounds; both Smith and Beebe earned wild-card bids to the NCAA Championships, giving CMU a school-record tying nine national qualifiers. The Chippewas' 110 team points beat out runner-up Kent State (75.5 points) and third place Northern Illinois (60.5 points). CMU's run of seven straight conference tournament titles is matched only by Ohio, which also won seven straight from 1970-76. CMU also collected a pair of the conference's annual specialty awards. Tom Borrelli was named MAC Coach of the Year for the sixth straight season and 10th time overall, while Michalak was named MAC Wrestler of the Year for the third straight season. Michalak became the fourth individual in MAC history, and first Chippewa, to win four conference titles. CMU's seven titles overall are the second-most in school history. Brandon Carter was the first Chippewa to punch his ticket to nationals, pinning Ohio's Kevin Christensen at the 2:39 mark. Carter had built a sizable lead on the scoreboard before sticking Christensen in the center of the mat. The conference title is the first of Carter's career and ensures him of his second trip to the NCAA Championships. Steve Brown capped his first MAC Championships appearance with an individual title at 157 pounds. Brown and Northern Illinois' Bryan O'Connor were deadlocked 2-2 after two periods, but Brown scored a reversal and two-point nearfall early in the third to take control of the match. For the second time in two weeks, Trevor Stewart and Kent State's Kurt Gross needed extra periods to decide a match at 165 pounds. On Saturday, Stewart avenged an earlier loss to Gross with a 3-2 decision in the second sudden victory period. Stewart and Gross scored escapes in the opening seconds of the second and third period, respectively, and the match was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Both Stewart and Gross were scoreless in the first sudden victory period, and Stewart rode Gross out through the first 30-second tiebreaker. Stewart took a 2-1 lead with an escape in the second 30-second tiebreaker, but Gross evened the score when Stewart was called for stalling. The decisive point came in the closing seconds of the second sudden victory period when Gross was whistled for a technical violation. Kent State's protest of the result was denied. Brandon Sinnott secured his third consecutive conference title at 174 pounds with an 8-2 decision over Northern Illinois' Duke Burk. Sinnott's advantage was 3-2 until the closing moments of the bout, when he scored a takedown and two-point nearfall just before the whistle. He also held a riding time advantage of 1:10. Sinnott is the first individual to win three MAC titles at 174 pounds since Miami's Russ Pickering (1978-80); at that time, the weight class was 167 pounds. Christian Sinnott followed his twin brother with a 5-3 decision over Eastern Michigan's Charlie Pienaar in the finals at 184 pounds. Sinnott and Pienaar were tied at 2-2 entering the third period, but Sinnott scored an escape and a takedown in the third period to secure the win. Wynn Michalak made history in dominating fashion, pinning Kent State's Michael Blackwell at the 3:51 mark of the 197-pound championship. Michalak was leading 7-0 at the time of the fall, his 12th of the season and 49th of his career. He will enter the NCAA Championships with an overall record of 26-1. Bubba Gritter defended his heavyweight title with a 4-1 decision over Kent State's Jermail Porter. A second-period escape, third-period takedown and riding time accounted for Gritter's points. Gritter and Porter also met in the 2007 final, with Gritter also winning that matchup by a 4-1 decision. Luke Smith, Conor Beebe and Eric Kruger are eligible for wild-card bids to the NCAA Championships. The conference's nine wild-card selections will be announced later Saturday. Check back to cmuchippewas.com later today for archived video of CMU's seven championship matches on the CMU Sports Zone.

LANCASTER, Pa. -- The Big Red wrestling team sits in first place at the end of day one at the EIWA Championships with a total of 68.5 team points. All 10 Cornell wrestlers will compete on Sunday with eight advancing to the semifinals, and two are still alive in the consolation bracket. At 125 pounds, No. 4 seed senior Mike Rodriguez opened the Big Red's day off to a great start pinning Brown's Nathan Myers in 2:57. The two were scoreless late in the first period when Rodriguez took down the Bears' grappler quickly turning him to his back to earn the fall with only three seconds left on the clock. Rodriguez followed with a win over the No. 5 seed Greg Hart of Bucknell. The senior will face the No. 1 seed, Rollie Peterkin of Penn, Sunday morning in the semifinals. Rodriguez won a 14-4 major decision over then No. 8 ranked Quaker in the teams' dual match earlier this season. The No. 1 seed at 133 pounds, freshman Mike Grey had a bye in the opening round. In the quarterfinals Grey made quick work of American's Matthew Mariacher winning an 11-3 major decision. On Sunday, the rookie will take on the No. 4 seed Joseph Baker of Navy. In his first match since January, sophomore Adam Frey took on the No. 4 seeded Corey Jantzen of Harvard. Frey opened the match aggressively, but Jantzen caught the Big Red grappler and earned valuable back points in the first period to jump out to a 7-2 lead. Frey controlled the entire second period never letting Jantzen escape from his starting down position. The sophomore earned two points with a reversal to start the third and came within two points after earning two back points of his own. Frey let Jantzen up looking to tie the match with a takedown, but with time running out, the Crimson wrestler countered an attack by Frey to grab a late takedown winning 11-7. In the consolation round, Frey won a high-scoring 22-14 major decision over Lehigh's Jeff Santo. On Sunday, Frey will take on Brown's Mark Savino. After receiving a bye in the first round, No. 5 seeded DJ Meagher faced the No. 4 seed Bryce Saddoris of Navy in his opening bout. Meagher earned two points with a takedown with only 21 seconds off the clock and rode the Midshipman for the remainder of the period. The Big Red wrestler started the second down on the mat and earned another point with an escape. Saddoris chose to start the third period in neutral, but Meagher earned another takedown. With riding time, Meagher won a 6-2 decision. In the semifinals on Sunday, he will face the No. 1 seed, JP O'Connor of Harvard. At 157 pounds, junior Jordan Leen is the No. 1 seed. He opened with an 8-0 major decision over Harvard's Bobby Latessa and followed with a 9-2 win over Princeton's Martin Everin. On Sunday, Leen will take on the No. 5 seed, Christopher Stout of American. The No. 1 seed at 165 pounds, freshman Mack Lewnes made quick work of his opponents on Saturday. The rookie opened the tournament pinning Columbia's Joe Kushnerick in 2:37. In the quarterfinals, Lewnes was racking up the points against Harvard's Matthew Button when the Big Red grappler turned him quickly pinning him in 6:52. In the semifinals, Lewnes will face Bucknell's Andrew Rendos. At 174 pounds, junior Steve Anceravage continued to dominate his opponents. The No. 1 seed picked up his 16th pin of the season over American's Johnathan Powell in 2:33. Anceravage racked up points against Navy's Ryan Mergen with numerous takedowns and backpoints working his way to a 16-3 major decision. Anceravage has earned bonus points on his last nine opponents. In the semifinals, he will face Penn's Scott Griffin. At 184 pounds, sophomore Josh Arnone opened the day pinning Franklin & Marshall's Daniel Canfield in 2:56. In the quarterfinals, he followed with another win by fall over Columbia's Kenji Porter in 2:23. Arnone will take on Penn's Lior Zamir in the semifinals on Sunday. Freshman Justin Kerber continued his success at 197 pounds on Saturday. Kerber defeated Princeton's Zackary Morse 4-2 in his first match, before winning by tech fall, 20-4, over the No. 7 seed East Stroudsburg's David Williams. In the semifinals, he will square off against the No. 6 seed, Lamar Brown of Rutgers. Freshman Maciej Jochym, the No. 5 seed at heavyweight, defeated Harvard's Andrew Knapp in his opening match of the day. The rookie was edged out, 6-2, by the No. 4 seed Nathan Thobaben (Army) in the quarterfinals. In the consolation round, Jochym won an 11-3 major decision over Samuel Ritter of Princeton. On Sunday, he will face Rutgers' Kareem Mahmoud. The semifinals will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 9.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The No. 22 Maryland wrestling team claimed the 2008 ACC Championship on March 8 at Comcast Center by two points, securing the Terrapins' first ACC title since 1973. The Terps had five individual champions on the day and finished with 86.5 points while Virginia, who placed nine in the top three, had 84.5 points. North Carolina finished third with 77.0 points. It is the first time a team outside the state of North Carolina has won a tournament championship since 1977. Maryland's first title since 1973 now gives it 21 overall which leads the conference. Entering the finals, the top three teams were separated by just seven points. Virginia led with 78.5 while North Carolina was right behind with 74.0. Maryland sat in third place with 71.5 points but had the most wrestlers in the finals with six. The Tar Heels had five while Virginia placed four in the finals. Ross Gitomer of Virginia started the championship round with an 8-3 decision in the 125 pound title match but then sophomore Steven Bell edged Darrius Little of NC State, 6-5, to win the 133 pound championship. Sophomore Jon Kohler, the No. 5 seed for Maryland at 141 pounds, beat a better seed in every match on his way to the conference title. He first beat No. 3 Chris Diaz of Virginia Tech, 6-0, and then beat the second seed Nick Stabile of North Carolina, 5-2. In the final, he topped Virginia's Nick Nelson, the fourth seed, 3-0, in an important win over the Cavaliers. The 149 pound championship featured sophomore Eric Medina and NC State's Darrion Caldwell, the two top seeds in the bracket. Caldwell overpowered the freshman, though, and claimed a 12-2 major decision. In the 157 pound title match, freshman Brian Letters won the championship with a tight 3-2 decision. Virginia Tech's Matt Epperly, voted the tournament's Most Valuable Wrestler, upset the top three seeds en route to his championship at 165 pounds. He defeated No. 2 Mike Chaires of Virginia, No. 3 Addison Nuding of Duke, and took down top-seeded Keegan Mueller of North Carolina for the title. Sophomore Mike Letts claimed his second-straight ACC title at 174 pounds, beating Virginia's Chris Henrich in the final, 4-3, in a closely contested bout and Virginia's Rocco Caponi cruised to the 184 pound championship, winning 6-4 in the semifinals and 7-2 against Ryan Goodman of NC State. Sophomore Hudson Taylor sealed the win for the Terps with his 10-5 decision at 197 pounds, pushing Maryland past the Cavaliers to win the team championship. Justin Dobies of North Carolina finished up the evening with a 4-3 win at heavyweight to win his conference title. The 10 individual champions will go on to represent their schools in the NCAA Championship while the four wild cards will be determined on Sunday morning by the coaches.

The Lindenwood wrestling team repeated as national champions on Saturday evening as the Lions captured the 2008 NAIA Wrestling National Championship. The Lions are the first NAIA program to repeat as national champions since Montana State-Northern won three straight from 1998-2000. The Lions led throughout the tournament, but needed at least one win in Saturday's championship finals to seal the victory. Lindenwood got more than that as Ray Stephens (133), Ryan Moyer (149) and Matt Cauley (174) all won individual national titles. Lindenwood finished with 130 points, defeating second-place McKendree by 20.5 points. Dickinson State (107.5), Great Falls (101) and Dana (91.5) rounded out the top-five. Head coach Joe Parisi was honored after the competition as the NWCA/NAIA Coach of the Year. Ray Stephens had little trouble winning his weight class, with his closest match being a 9-7 decision win in the quarterfinals. He had one pin and two major decision wins in his other matches, including an 18-7 win in the finals against Dana's Burke Barnes. Ryan Moyer also did not receive much of a challenge at 149 pounds. He advanced to the finals with two major decisions, one technical fall and one pin. In the finals, he had his toughest match but won by a 13-9 margin over Missouri Valley's Brian Graham. Matt Cauley put the icing on the cake for Lindenwood by winning the 174 pound title. Cauley went 4-0 at nationals with one fall and two major decision wins. He won the finals by a 22-8 major decision over Great Falls' Brendon DeCock. Other Lindenwood wrestlers to place at the event were Dennis Kakrah, who was second at 125 pounds, Lance Shunia, who was sixth at heavyweight, and Sam Schmitz, who finished eighth at 149 pounds. Kakrah won three matches, one by technical fall and two by decision, to advance to the finals at 125 pounds. In the finals, he dropped an 11-5 decision to Montana State-Northern's Cody Borges, who was the number one ranked wrestler in that weight class. Shunia went 4-3 at the event for his sixth-place finish. He won his first two matches before falling in the championship quarterfinals. Shunia bounced back with two decision victories before falling in the wrestleback semifinals and fifth-place match. Schmitz also started the tournament with two wins before falling in the quarterfinals. He went 1-2 in wrestlebacks to finish the tournament with a 3-3 record. The other six Lindenwood wrestlers all recorded at least one win to help contribute to the national championship. Michael O'hara won three matches at 157 pounds. Richard Zuniga (125), John Lloyd (133), John Sumner (165) and Neil Kemp (184) all won two matches. Those five wrestlers all lost in the fourth-round of wrestlebacks. Glen Shaw (165) won his opening match before two straight losses to end his tournament. Lindenwood has now won four national championships since 2002 and have finished second or better in six of the last seven seasons. The program's four national titles tie for the fourth most in the NAIA's 51-year history, and the team's 22 individual national championships are the sixth-best in NAIA history. Session One Recap Lindenwood went 15-4 during the first session as eight wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals. Even more impressive were that seven of the victories came by pin, two were by technical fall and two were by major decision. Richard Zuniga and Jonathan Lloyd both had a pair of pins for Lindenwood during the Thursday evening session. Lindenwood led the team standings after the round with 37 points, seven more than second-place McKendree. The Lions and McKendree each had eight wrestlers into the quarterfinal round. The only other school with more than five wrestlers in the quarterfinals was fourth-place Missouri Valley who had seven. Session Two Recap The highlight of session two was four Lions advancing to the championship semifinals. At 125 pounds, Dennis Kakrah earned a 7-3 decision in the quarterfinals. At 133, Ray Stephens captured a two-point decision win. Ryan Moyer earned a major decision victory to advance to the semifinals at 149. The final quarterfinal winner was Matt Cauley at 174 pounds. Michael O'hara, John Sumner and Neil Kemp all picked up two victories to advance through the wrestlebacks. They joined four other Lindenwood wrestlers who lost in the championship quarterfinals, in the fourth-round of wrestlebacks. Lindenwood had 74 points after the session, 9.5 more McKendree who remained in second. Session Three Recap Lindenwood went 4-0 during the championship bracket matches during the third session and opened up a 26.5 lead. Dennis Kakrah won his semifinal match by a 4-2 decision. Ray Stephens had little trouble in his match, winning by a 17-7 major decision. Ryan Moyer also made it look easy with a technical fall victory. Matt Cauley made it four-for-four for Lindenwood semifinal victories with a major decision win. In the wrestlebacks, Lindenwood wasn't as fortunate, going 2-5. Sam Schmitz and Lance Shunia each advanced to Saturday's wrestleback quarterfinals. Session Four Recap Lindenwood's opponents had a chance to catch up to the leader during session four as the Lions had just two wrestlers remaining in wrestlebacks. No team could make a big enough move though as Lindenwood still led by 10.5 points at the end of the session. Lance Shunia opened up the session with a 4-2 decision victory in the wrestleback quarterfinals. He lost the semifinal contest and also fell in the fifth-place contest. Sam Schmitz also lost twice in the session as he lost matches in the wrestleback quarterfinals and the seventh-place contest. Session Five Recap Heading into the final session, Lindenwood needed just one win to seal the national championship, with four wrestlers competing in national title matches. At 125 pounds, Dennis Kakrah faced the top-ranked wrestler for the title. MSU-Northern's Cory Borges held up his ranking by earning an 11-5 decision. Ray Stephens ended the suspense of the team title at 133 pounds when he competed his run through his bracket with an 18-7 major decision over Dana's Burke Barnes in a battle between the top two ranked wrestlers in that class. Coming into the tournament, Moyer was first in the national rankings and Graham was sixth at 149 pounds. Moyer was able to capture the title with a 13-9 decision over Graham. Matt Cauley was the final Lindenwood wrestler to see the mats and he finished the team's tournament on a high note. Cauley captured a 22-8 major decision over Great Fall's Brendon DeCock. Lindenwood's second-biggest victory of the season at the NAIA National Duals was also capped off when Cauley defeated DeCock in the finals.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Chattanooga won five individual Southern Conference wrestling titles Saturday and claimed its 23rd overall SoCon Championship. The Mocs, the only current or former SoCon member to win more than 10 league crowns, produced weight class winners at 125 pounds, 141, 157, 174 and 184. Chattanooga took the team title with 104.5 points, edging Appalachian State who finished second with 86.5 points. Each individual champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, held in St. Louis March 20-22. "I'm disappointed that we didn't qualify more guys," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. "But I am very proud of our team. We had eight guys in the finals. All five of our champions had outstanding tournaments. We won't win the NCAAs, but we can make some noise and come home with a few All-America certificates if we continue to work next week." UNC Greensboro, which placed third with 71.5 points, had three champions and a runnerup. The Mountaineers ended up with one champion, two-time titlist Scott Ervin at 149, and put four others in the championship finals. Ervin was the Co-Wrestler of the Year and edged UTC's Joey Knox, 4-3. VMI rounded out the division winners as heavyweight Josh Wine, seeded third, edged UNCG's top-seeded Ryan Hsu, 4-3. Wine was the only non-No. 1 seed to earn a title. UTC's Javier Maldonado completed an undefeated SoCon career to win the 125-pound title. He won his third straight 125-pound championship with a 15-4 major decision over Davidson's Ben Altman. Maldonado, a senior, finished with a remarkable 22-0 record against SoCon opponents. Cody Cleveland was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, recording two first-period pins for the Mocs to take home the 141-pound trophy. He pinned Davidson's Ben Wilmore at 2:08 in the semifinals and won the title with a fall at 2:16 over runnerup Marcus Cox of ASU. Seth Garvin and Lloyd Rogers joined Cleveland as first-time SoCon Champions. Garvin was the 157-pound winner, defeating Appalachian State's Eddie Hutchinson, 8-2. Rogers, the Co-Wrestler of the Year, registered a 12-5 victory over ASU's Neal Martin at 174. UTC senior Josh Edmondson claimed his second straight SoCon title with an 8-3 decision over ASU's Austin Trotman in the 184-pound match. UNCG placed three wrestlers at the top of the medal stand. Jeff Hedges defeated ASU's Terreyl Williams, 6-4 at 133, Byron Sigmon beat UTC's Nick Davis, 3-0 at 165 and Darren Burns was a 2-1 overtime winner over UTC's Matt Koz at 197. Joey Knox (149), Nick Davis (165) and Koz were runnerups for the Mocs. Senior Steve Hromada finished third at 133. The Southern Conference receives five wildcard entrants to the NCAA Championships. Representing the SoCon in addition to the 10 champions are Hromada, Knox and Koz from Chattanooga and Trotman and Williams from Appalachian State.

FARGO, N.D. -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team crowned six individual champions and won its 23rd straight regional title Saturday at the 2008 NCAA West Regional held in the Bison Sports Arena. The Panthers' individual champions included 133-pounder Josh Baldridge (Haysville, Kan.), 149-pounder Nick Pickerell (Albia, Iowa), 157-pounder Tyson Reiner (Mitchell, S.D.), 165-pounder Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa), 184-pounder Andy O'Loughlin (Independence, Iowa), 197-pounder Andrew Anderson (Sioux City, Iowa). UNI added three more national qualifiers after the coaches' wild card meeting, which included 125-pounder Caleb Flores (Rosemead, Calif.), 141-pounder C.J. Ettelson (Hudson, Iowa) and 174-pounder Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.). The NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships will take place March 20-22 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. Final Team Standings 1. UNI 119.0 2. Air Force 64.5 3. Wyoming 49.5 4. UNC 47.5 5. NDSU 44.5 6. SDSU 14.0 2008 West Regional National Qualifiers 125 - Eric Hoffman (North Dakota State) - 1st 125 - Tony Mustari (Northern Colorado) - 2nd 125 - Caleb Flores (UNI) - 3rd 133 - Josh Baldridge (UNI) - 1st 133 - Cory VomBaur (Wyoming) - 2nd 141 - Jacob Kriegbaum (Air Force) - 1st 141 - Carter Downing (Wyoming) - 2nd 141 - C.J. Ettelson (UNI) - 3rd 149 - Nick Pickerell (UNI) - 1st 149 - Ryan Adams (NDSU) - 2nd 157 - Tyson Reiner (UNI) - 1st 165 - Moza Fay (UNI) - 1st 165 - Stephen Crozier (Air Force) - 2nd 174 - Tyler French (Air Force) - 1st 174 - Alex Dolly (UNI) - 2nd 184 - Andy O'Loughlin (UNI) - 1st 184 - Jacob Devlin (Air Force) - 2nd 197 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) - 1st 197 - Jacob Bryce (North Dakota State) - 2nd 285 - Reece Hopkin (Northern Colorado) - 1st Alternates #1 184 - Tyler Sorenson (South Dakota State) #2 165 - Eric Coxbill (Wyoming) #3 157 - Anthony Dorward (Air Force) Outstanding Wrestler - Jacob Kriegbaum (Air Force) Most Falls - Moza Fay (UNI) Coach of the Year - Joel Sharratt (Air Force) Finals Baldridge captured the 133-pound title with a second-period fall of Wyoming's Cory VomBaur at the 4:34 mark of their match. It was Baldridge's second fall of the day and capped a perfect 3-0 mark at the regional tournament. It will be Baldridge's first trip to Division I nationals after twice earning all-America honors as a junior college wrestler. Pickerell earned his first trip to nationals with a 9-5 win over North Dakota State's Ryan Adams in the 149-pound title match. Pickerell jumped to a 6-0 lead and was able to withstand a late rally from Adams to take the match. Reiner won the 157-pound title with a third-period fall at the 6:36 mark of his match with Air Force's Anthony Dorward. Reiner got the fall after he hooked up a body lock and took Dorward straight to his back. It was Reiner's second fall of the day as he went 2-0 in the tournament. Fay wasted little time in earning his second straight regional crown as he pinned Wyoming's Eric Coxbill 28 seconds into their 165-pound championship bout. For Fay it was his second fall of the tourney and capped a perfect 2-0 weekend. Senior Alex Dolly was the lone Panther to finish second in the tournament as he dropped the 174-pound championship match to Air Force's Tyler French, 8-0. However, Dolly bounced back and dominated Northern Colorado's Ryan Johnson in the "True Second" match with a 19-6 major decision. O'Loughlin earned his first trip to nationals by notching a 6-4 win over Air Force's Jacob Devlin in the 184-pound championship tilt. Junior Andrew Anderson punched his third ticket to the NCAA Championships with a 4-0 triumph in the 197-pound championship. Anderson's win was his third of the day and he scored two major decisions and a shutout. Consolation Finals Redshirt freshman Caleb Flores (Rosemead, Calif.) earned third-place honors at 125 pounds with a 5-2 triumph over Air Force's Zach Valdez. Flores' attempt at `True Second' came up short as he was pinned by Northern Colorado's Tony Mustari at the 1:42 mark of their bout. Senior C.J. Ettelson (Hudson, Iowa) also notched third-place honors in the 141-pound weight class after he scored an 8-5 win over SDSU's Andy Everson. It marked Ettelson's second win over Everson on the day after securing a 5-4 win in the quarterfinals. Ettelson was unable to move up to "True Second" when Wyoming's Carter Downing tallied an 8-1 victory. Redshirt freshman Dustin Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) battled back for third place with a 4-0 shutout of Air Force's Anthony Stegeman. Consolation Semifinals UNI moved three of its wrestlers into the consolation finals with victories in the 2 p.m. session at the 2008 NCAA West Regional. Redshirt freshman Caleb Flores notched a 5-4 win over South Dakota State's Alan Marvin to advance to the consolation final. Flores was able to secure the winning points with an escape with only 30 seconds left in the third period. Senior C.J. Ettelson moved on to the consolation final at 141 pounds with a 9-0 major decision over Northern Colorado's Richard Lohr. Ettelson led 6-0 after the first period, but could not escape during the second period. Ettelson chose down to begin the third period and quickly registered a reversal to take control of the match. Ettelson added a riding time point for the nine-point margin. Redshirt freshman Dustin Bauman earned a spot in the consolation final with a fall at the 2:43 mark of his heavyweight match against North Dakota State's Tyler Hemmesch. Semifinals The University of Northern Iowa advanced seven wrestlers into their respective championship weight classes at the 2008 NCAA West Regional. The finals will begin later this afternoon at 4 p.m. UNI holds a commanding lead in the team race with 78.5 points following the semifinal round. Air Force is in second with 44.0 points, while Wyoming is in third with 40.0 points. North Dakota State is in fourth place with 31.0 points, and Northern Colorado is in fifth place with 20.5 points. South Dakota State is in sixth place with 3.0 points. At 125 pounds, Caleb Flores and NDSU's Eric Hoffman battled to a scoreless first period. Hoffman escaped to begin the second period and added a takedown at the 1:00 mark of the period to take a 3-0 lead. Hoffman extended the lead with another takedown and a three-point nearfall in the third period. Hoffman advanced with a 10-2 major decision over Flores. At 133 pounds, No. 4 seed Derek Gillespie tallied a four-point move in the first period against No. 1-seeded Josh Baldridge. Baldridge came back with a reversal on the edge of the match to trim the lead in half, but Gillespie netted a reversal with only three seconds left in the first period. Baldridge and Gillespie traded reversals to begin the second period. However, Baldridge came back with another reversal and then caught Gillespie in a cradle and got the fall at the 3:54 mark of their bout to advance to the 133-pound championship match. C.J. Ettelson scored the first takedown of his match with No. 3-seeded Jacob Kriegbaum at 141 pounds, but Kriegbaum turned the tables with a pair of three-point nearfalls after registering a reversal. The Hudson native cut into the margin with a reversal and a two-point nearfall and trailed only 8-6 entering the final period. Kriegbaum chose down to start the third period, but Ettelson was unable to get a nearfall in the third period and suffered a 9-7 loss. UNI's Nick Pickerell opened up a 5-0 lead in the first period and used that to score a 6-2 victory over Northern Colorado's Daniel Prater at 149 pounds. The Panthers then used a flurry of first-period falls to advance a trio into the finals at their respective weights. Tyson Reiner got his pin at the 2:03 mark against UNC's Rocco DaPaolo at 157 pounds. Moza Fay tallied his fall at 1:25 against Air Force's Stephen Crozier at 165 pounds. Alex Dolly then tied up NDSU's Shannon Fettig and got the pin at 1:01 at 174 pounds. At 184 pounds, Andy O'Loughlin became the sixth Panther to reach the finals when he dominated UNC's Patrick Carey at 184 pounds, 20-4. UNI's Andrew Anderson was overpowering at 197 pounds and moved onto the finals with a 15-4 major decision over UNC's Patrick Carey. At heavyweight, UNI's Dustin Bauman dropped a 4-3 decision to Wyoming's Jason Still. Quarterfinals UNI compiled a perfect 5-0 record in its five quarterfinal matchups. As a result, UNI advanced all 10 wrestlers into the semifinals with the other five Panthers advancing via byes. Flores scored a 4-2 victory in a matchup with Wyoming's Cody Grant at 125 pounds. It marked the second time this season that Flores had defeated Grant. Baldridge netted a hard-fought 3-0 triumph at 133 pounds against South Dakota State's Derek Pirner. Ettelson battled back from an early 4-0 deficit to tally a 5-4 victory over South Dakota State's Adam Everson at 141 pounds. Ettelson scored a pair of reversals and added a riding time point to advance to the semifinals. Pickerell wasted little time advancing to the semifinals as he tallied a fall at the 1:35 mark of his 149-pound bout against South Dakota State's Sean Flynn. Anderson took it right to South Dakota State's Jeremy Swier at 197 pounds. Anderson advanced to the semis with a 16-4 win.

Wartburg College's wrestling program put itself on the top tier of the NCAA Division III national championship podium for the sixth time since 1996 Saturday, March 8. The Knights closed the team title at this year's national meet with 147 points, clearing the rest of the field by 47 points. Head coach Jim Miller's team added three more individual title winners to the all-time total. Junior 149-pounder Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg, junior 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas, and junior 184-pounder Romeo Djoumessi of Waverly each picked individual national titles.

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- In the closest championship since 1999, Hofstra University edged Old Dominion University and seven other conference schools to capture its seventh consecutive Colonial Athletic Association Wrestling Championship Saturday at the David S. Mack Sports Complex Saturday night. The Pride, which will be sending a league-high seven wrestlers, including three conference champions, to the NCAA Division I Championships March 20-22 in St. Louis, tallied 104.5 points to defeat the second place Monarchs of ODU (87.0) by just 17.5 points. It was the lowest CAA Championship margin since James Madison edged George Mason by nine points (89.5-80.5) in the 1999 CAA Tournament. Hofstra, which has won eight straight conference championships including seven in the CAA, captured individual titles by sophomores Lou Ruggirello at 133 pounds and Jonny Bonilla-Bowman at 157 pounds, and junior Alton Lucas at 174. Four Pride wrestlers, seniors Dave Tomasette at 125, Charles Griffin at 141 and Joe Rovelli at 197, and redshirt freshman Ryan Patrovich at 165 dropped title match decisions, but will be going to the national championships in the Gateway City. ODU also posted three conference champions and six national qualifiers as redshirt freshman James Nicholson at 125, junior Ryan Williams at 141 and sophomore Chris Brown at 165 earned titles while sophomores Kyle Hutter and Jesse Strawn, and freshman Andy Totusek were finalists. Williams was named the Championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler. The Broncs of Rider earned four national championship bids, all as CAA champions, as seniors Don Fisch at 149 and T.J. Morrison at 197, and juniors Doug Umbehauer at 184 and Ed Bordas at 285 copped titles. Rider finished this with 73 points. George Mason (51), Drexel (38.5), and Binghamton (36) placed fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, with each having two qualifiers. George Mason senior Randy Oates was a finalist at 174 while freshman Cayle Byers placed third at 197 points to earn a wild card. Drexel senior Ryan Hluschak was a finalist at 157 while junior Steve Mytych placed third at 125 to earn a wild card bid. Binghamton senior Kyle Fried won his third-place match and then the true second place match to earn his invitation to nationals while sophomore Josh Patterson placed fourth at 174 and earned a wild card to St. Louis. Boston University, which placed seventh with 29.5 points, will send junior Mike Roberts to the national championships as a wild card. The 149-pounder was a finalist in his weight class but lost the true second place match to Fried. Sacred Heart (10.5) and Campbell (4.0) wrapped up the CAA Tournament field at eighth and ninth places, respectively.

Stillwater, Okla. -- Make that two in a row. Iowa State put on a strong performance Saturday at the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship, defending its league team title via conference individual crowns from sophomores Nick Fanthorpe (133), Nick Gallick (141), Cyler Sanderson (157) and Jake Varner (184). Nebraska finished second with 62.5 points, followed by Oklahoma State (52.5), Missouri (49.5) and Oklahoma (24). The Cyclones last won consecutive conference titles in 1979-80. For the second year in a row, ISU will take all 10 of its wrestlers to the NCAA Championship, March 20-22 in St. Louis, Mo. "I'm proud of this team," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "We are wrestling well at the right time. Our wrestlers have been working toward this, some of them for much of their lives." Iowa State's conference team title is the 13th league championship in ISU history. The four individual champions are the most Cyclones to finish at the top of their weight class since Iowa State had four titlists at the1996 Big Eight. Fanthorpe cruised to a 7-1 decision over Missouri All-American Tyler McCormick in the 133-pound title match. The team's leader in takedowns struck early with two picks for a 4-1 advantage after the opening three minutes of action. Starting the second period from the down position, Fanthorpe added to his lead with a reversal and 3:29 worth of riding time. Fanthorpe owns a record of 28-4. "I tried to stay solid," Fanthorpe said. "You have to be careful when you get a good lead because your opponent starts looking for that big move. We have keyed for the last three weeks of the season and it showed." Sanderson lauded Fanthorpe methodical style. "Fanthorpe is really consistent," Sanderson said. "He goes out and gives you a great effort everytime." Gallick avenged a January loss to Oklahoma State's Nathan Morgan and did it when it mattered most. The tournament's second seed at 141 pounds, Gallick used an overtime single-leg takedown in front of the Iowa State coaches and thousands of disappointed OSU fans to upset the league's defending champion and top-seed, 3-1. The match was pushed into sudden victory after both wrestlers exchanged escapes in the second and third periods for a 1-1 score. Gallick improves to 22-11 in his sophomore campaign. "I went after him in overtime," Gallick said. "I believe in our coaches, they have been there before. This meet is important for seeding at the NCAA Championship and the win tonight gives me confidence. I didn't worry about the crowd. I fire-walled them out." Coach Sanderson was impressed. "They don't get any tougher than Nathan Morgan and to see Nick win here against him should be a real confidence builder for him," Cael Sanderson said. Sanderson, ranked 12th-nationally, also found redemption over Missouri's Michael Chandler with a takedown in the closing seconds of the 157-pound title bout. Each wrestler was able to score a takedown and register an escape to deadlock the match at 3-3 heading into the final period of action. Chandler, ranked 11th-nationally, started the period from the down position and took a 5-3 lead with a reversal, but Sanderson denied Chandler on a takedown with 34 seconds left in the match. Sanderson holds a 28-4 mark. Combined, the Sanderson name has accumulated six individual conference crowns. "It was a great win and it was a hard fought match," Cyler Sanderson said. "He beat me before and it feels great to get that win back. Chandler is a tough guy and beating him shows that I can do this every time. Now I go back, keep focusing on the fundamentals, make sure I get plenty of rest these next two weeks so that I am ready to go out there [NCAA Championships] and fight. Right now our team is better than it has been all season. We are following the plan that the coaches have laid out for us." Cael Sanderson was pleased with his youngest brother's success. "Cyler stayed after it and got the takedown," Cael Sanderson said. "He is really happy to be a Big 12 champion and he should be." Varner continued his domination at 184 pounds with a 4-1 win over OU's Josh Weitzel. The All-American wasted no time getting on the board getting a takedown 13 seconds into the match. Purely overpowering his opponent, Varner added an escape in the second period and tallied 1:59 worth of riding time. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has won 25 straight matches and his record of 25-0 is the best ISU sophomore mark since head coach Cael Sanderson in 2000. Varner said the early takedown set the tempo in the match. "If you score, you win," Varner said. "I'm really not surprised at our performance tonight. The coaches have had a plan for us and we have followed it all season. Last year at the NCAA meet, no body thought we could even challenge for the title and we came up just short. We're going back with the same attitude this year." "We won this meet in no small part because of our guys who came back to get third," Cael Sanderson said. "(Aron) Scott, (David) Bertolino and (John Reader) set the table for the finals." Mitch Mueller, who was seeded third, finished as the 149-pound runner-up to Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs on a 15-6 major decision. The Husker's performance earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors. Heavyweight David Zabriskie suffered his first career loss to OSU's Jared Rosholt via 9-5 decision to finish as the runner-up. Seniors Aron Scott and David Bertolino both earned their highest finish at the Big 12 championship with third-place performances at 174 and 197 pounds, respectively. Scott advanced to the third-place match with a 3-2 decision over Oklahoma's Pat Flynn. He faced Emanuel Brooks of Missouri in the bronze-medal match and won the bout with a third-period escape and was awarded a point when Brooks was called for stalling. Scott Bertolino tied the 197-pound battle at 2-2 midway through the second period, but opened a lead with a three-point nearfall in the final period for a 5-2 advantage. He was able to maintain a ride throughout the final stanza to be awarded riding time and win on a 6-2 decision. Bertolino Tyler Clark finished fourth for ISU at 125 pounds. The NCAA Championships will take place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., March 20-22. Live updates will be available throughout the tournament on cyclones.com.

Rev Audio: J Robinson (Minnesota) Rev Audio: Tom Brands (Iowa) Rev Audio: Manny Rivera (Minnesota) Rev Audio: Kellen Russell (Michigan) Rev Audio: Brent Metcalf (Iowa) Rev Audio: Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) Rev Audio: Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) Rev Audio: Mark Perry (Iowa) Rev Audio: Gabe Dretsch (Minnesota) Rev Audio: Steve Luke (Michigan) Rev Audio: Mike Tamillow (N'western) Minnesota overtakes Iowa University of Minnesota Sports Information The two-time defending conference champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team enjoyed a day of ups and downs at the 2008 Big Ten Championships at Williams Arena. The Gophers had four wrestlers qualify for Sunday's championships but lost seniors Roger Kish and C.P. Schlatter to injury as they took the lead in the team competition 106-93.5 over Iowa. Seven Gophers advanced to Saturday night's semifinals, with Jayson Ness, Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter and Gabe Dretsch progressing to Sunday's championship round. But the elder Schlatter and Kish were both forced to injury default during their respective semifinal matches and will not wrestle during Sunday's placement matches. Minnesota has automatically qualified eight wrestlers for the 2008 NCAA Championships. Saturday's second session drew an announced crowd of 6,391 to Williams Arena (6,229 were in attendance during the first session), and it was the senior (and Minnesota native) Dretsch that drew the loudest reaction during his semifinal match against Iowa's Jay Borschel. Dretsch held a slim 3-2 lead after a period and extended it to 4-2 with an escape in the second before bringing the crowd to its feet with a late takedown. Dretsch's 6-3 win advanced him to the conference finals for the first time in his career, after finishing fourth each of the past two years and seventh in 2005. He will face top-seeded Steve Luke of Michigan in Sunday's final after advancing with a 4-1 quarterfinal win over Indiana's Trevor Perry. Minnesota suffered a major scare during Ness' semifinal match against Illinois' Gabe Flores at 125 pounds. The undefeated sophomore held a 4-2 lead heading into the final period, but was abruptly reversed and put on his back by Flores partway through the frame. Ness miraculously staved off what seemed like a surefire pin for nearly one minute during the third period before reversing Flores with 35 seconds remaining, grabbing a 6-5 lead and hanging on for the 7-5 win. "I got off my back and I got the strength to get out of it," said Ness after the match. "I got put on my back a lot, but I always got out of it somehow. I kept fighting, kept pushing, and I never gave up. It was a lot of heart that got me through the match." Ness, who beat Wisconsin's Collin Cudd to advance to the semifinals, remained undefeated at 35-0 on the season. "He showed what I've been trying to teach and that is, you need guts to succeed," said Robinson about Ness' effort at 125 pounds. "He was straining and going back and forth. By getting out of the hold and getting the victory, he showed how much of a warrior he was and how tough of a kid he is. He demonstrated that you always need to come back strong to get a victory." Rivera advanced to Saturday night's semifinal round at 141 pounds with a big 6-2 victory over third-seeded J Jaggers of Ohio State in quarterfinals before beating Keith Sulzer of Northwestern 3-2 in the semis. His victory over Jaggers was the first-ever opening round win for Rivera in a conference tournament, and Sunday's final appearance will also be a career first for the senior. Dustin Schlatter's convincing 8-0 major decision win over Purdue's Jake Patacsil in the semifinals Saturday set up what many consider a "dream match-up" in Sunday's semifinal. Schlatter, a four-time Ohio State high school champion, will meet former four-time Michigan high school champ Brent Metcalf of Iowa tomorrow afternoon. Schlatter and Metcalf have yet to wrestle as collegians and last faced each other during the finals of the Senior High School Nationals in 2005. Schlatter, who was seeded second entering Saturday, advanced to the Patacsil match with an 8-1 win over Indiana's Kurt Kinser remained undefeated (8-0) in Big Ten Championship competition. The two-time defending conference champ will wrestle for his third title Sunday. It appeared that Dustin's older brother C.P. would get a chance to defend his two Big Ten titles when he advanced to the semifinals Saturday night with a hard-fought 4-2 win over rival Craig Henning (Wisconsin) during the quarterfinals. But Schlatter was forced to injury default late in the third period with an apparent leg injury and will not wrestle Sunday, according to Robinson. Schlatter will finish the 2008 Big Ten Championships in sixth place. Kish, after narrowly scraping out a 4-2 overtime win over Wisconsin's Trevor Brandvold in the pigtails, came back with a strong 5-4 win over Penn State's Phil Bomberger in the quarterfinals. But he too was forced to injury default in his semifinal match with top-seeded Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) and will qualify for NCAAs as a sixth-place finisher. Senior and fifth-seeded Mack Reiter enjoyed a nice revenge victory in his quarterfinal match before losing in the semis. After falling behind 2-0 early to Wisconsin's Zach Tanelli (who beat Reiter at a Feb. 20 dual meet), Reiter stormed back to take the lead in the match before pinning Tanelli at the 6:35 mark. But Illinois' Jimmy Kennedy got the better of Reiter for the second straight time in their seimifinal match. Reiter mustered little offensively (he also lost 6-0 to Kennedy Feb. 17) in a 5-1 defeat and will wrestle for a chance at third place Sunday afternoon. Third-seeded junior Tyler Safratowich suffered an upset loss to Indiana's Kurt Kinser in the quarterfinals, but stormed back to pin Northwestern's Dominic Marella in the wrestlebacks. Safratowich then lost a close 5-4 match to Penn State's Dave Rella and will take on Wisconsin's Jake Donar for seventh place and an NCAA qualifying spot Sunday. Redshirt freshman Ben Berhow, competing in his first-ever conference tournament, was a pleasant surprise at heavyweight and remained alive after the Saturday's first day. Berhow lost 9-7 to Indiana's Nathan Everhart in the pigtails but bounced back to defeat Penn State's John Laboranti in the wrestlebacks 7-3 Saturday night. He then upset sixth-seeded Chris Kasten of Purdue 4-1 in the consolation bracket and can finish no lower than sixth place, automatically qualifying him for the 2008 NCAA Championships. Senior Justin Bronson lost twice Saturday at 197 pounds, but due to a friendly bracket draw is still alive Sunday. Bronson was defeated by Illinois' Patrick Bond 11-3 in the quarterfinals and again by Indiana's Joe Fagiano in consolation wrestling. He will wrestle for seventh place Sunday. "We have to do what we have to do," said Robinson Saturday night. "Injuries aren't new to us and we need to find ways to win. The whole year we've been trying to get everyone together and we finally did recently. However, tonight put is back to where we had been." Sunday's third session will begin at noon Williams Arena, with championship matches beginning at approximately 2:05 p.m. Sunday's championships will be televised by the Big Ten Network. Metcalf, Perry advance to finals University of Iowa Sports Information Hawkeye senior Mark Perry (165) and sophomore Brent Metcalf (149) advanced to Sunday's Big Ten Championship finals with semifinal wins Saturday night. The top-ranked Hawkeyes are in second place in the team race with 93.5 points after the first day of competition. Host Minnesota is in first place with 106. While Iowa went a disappointing 3-8 in Saturday night's second round of competition, the Hawkeyes still have nine wrestlers competing and have automatically qualified eight competitors for the NCAA Championships, which are set for March 20-22 in St. Louis, MO. The top seven Big Ten placewinners in each weight class automatically advance to the national tournament, so the Hawkeyes could score an additional qualifier in sophomore Ryan Morningstar (157) if he wins his seventh-place match Sunday. The conference coaches will select two additional wild card qualifiers after the conclusion of the meet Sunday. Metcalf and Perry were two of the bright spots on the night for the Hawkeyes. Metcalf scored a 15-3 major decision over Penn State's Bubba Jenkins in the 149-pound semifinal. The Davison, MI, native will put his 26-match winning streak and his 29-1 season record on the line when he faces two-time Big Ten champion and two-time all-American Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota in the finals. It will be the first collegiate meeting between the two. "I have to continue to score points by bringing it on the offense," said Metcalf about his finals match. "I want to keep a high pace up so I can keep scoring. I am excited for tomorrow's match. I have been waiting for it all season." Perry scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat Illinois' Roger Smith-Bergsrud, 3-1, in the 165-pound semifinal. He will face Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum in the finals - a rematch of the 2007 Big Ten finals. Perry, who is a four-time Big Ten finalist, is 2-1 against the Wolverine, winning a 4-1 decision at the 2008 National Duals and a 5-2 decision in the 2007 Big Ten finals. Tannenbaum won the first meeting between the two - a 6-2 decision in sudden victory at the 2007 dual. Iowa's third win of the session came when Ryan Morningstar scored an 11-0 major decision over Northwestern's Andrew Nadhir in the 157-pound consolations. It was Morningstar's 45th career victory. He will wrestle Purdue's Nick Bertucci in the seventh-place match to try to secure an NCAA bid. Sunday's consolation matches will start at noon, with the championship finals, third-place and fifth-place matches starting at 2 p.m. The championship finals will be aired live on the Big Ten Network.

It is one of the most exciting and eventful weekends in collegiate wrestling. In Division I, there are 10 qualifiers taking place this weekend. The NAIA Championships are taking place in Sioux City, Iowa, while the Division III Championships are being held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. RevWrestling.com will be providing coverage of the Big Ten Championships from Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday and Sunday. Follow this weekend's collegiate coverage at the the official tournament sites below. NAIA Championships NCAA Division III Championships Big 10 Championships Big 12 Championships ACC Championships SoCon Championships East Regional Championships West Regional Championships CAA Championships EIWA Championships MAC Championships EWL Championships