InterMat Staff

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Rutgers wrestling team opened the 2009-10 season Sunday afternoon with a dominating performance as the Scarlet Knights won all 10 matches against the Pioneers for a 43-0 victory at the William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, Conn. “We got after it today and I was excited about how we performed,” said Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale. “It was good to go against somebody else and it gave us a chance to see where we are at.” Senior Kellen Bradley (Newton, N.J.), redshirt junior Dominick Russo (Netcong, N.J.) newcomer junior Bill Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) and freshman Jesse Boyden (Kelinworth, N.J.) all claimed pin victories. 14th-ranked Russo won the quickest bout as he pinned Paul Schweighardt in 1:32. 19th-ranked Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.) showed no rust after redshirting last season as he won by major decision over Brandon Lapp, 12-1. Along with Boyden, freshmen Vincent Dellefave (Toms River, N.J.), Daniel Rinaldi (Lodi, N.J.) and Braden Turner (Edison, N.J.) all picked up victories. Turner defeated Anthony Priore by a 4-2 decision. Priore was ranked fifth in the 157-weight class of the preseason Colonial Athletic Association rankings. “I was concerned about how they (freshmen) would do with their first match and how they would react,” said Goodale. “Dellefave started us off with the first win. They all did a good job of competing and scoring bonus points today and that was exciting.” Sophomores Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) and Gregory Zanetti (Edison, N.J.) also picked up victories for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights will be back in action next Saturday at the Brockport Gold Tournament in Brockport, N.Y. Rutgers 43, Sacred Heart 0 November 8, 2009 Fairfield, Conn. William H. Pitt Center 125 –Vincent Dellefave (RU) dec. Pat Feely (SHU) 3-1 133 – Bill Ashnault (RU) pins Justin Belanger (SHU) 3:45 141 – Trevor Melde (RU) dec. Cory Dunn (SHU) 6-3 149 – Kellen Bradley (RU) pins Paul Galipeau (SHU) 4:50 157 –Braden Turner (RU) dec. Anthony Priore (SHU) 4-2 165 – Gregory Zanetti (RU) dec. Jonathon Rizzitello (SHU) 6-4 174 – Daniel Rinaldi (RU) dec. Michael Hartman (SHU) 10-4 184 – Jesse Boyden (RU) pins Sam Sheppard (SHU) 2:01 197 – #19 Lamar Brown (RU) major dec. Brandon Lapp (SHU) 12-1 285 – #14 Dominick Russo (RU) pins Paul Schweighardt (SHU) 1:32

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Bolstered by bonus point victories at the first three weights, No. 19 Lehigh opened its dual season with a convincing 31-3 win over Rider Sunday afternoon inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Senior Matt Fisk won by technical fall at 133 while sophomore John McDonald (125) and senior Seth Ciasulli (141) each won by major decision as Lehigh built a 13-0 lead and went on to win nine of ten bouts on the day as the Mountain Hawks won their second straight season opener. “The first three guys really came out and got the ball rolling for us,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “That’s what we’re looking for. They built leads and weren’t content to win by just three or four points. They really got us off to a great start.” McDonald built a comfortable 7-2 lead on Tim Trivisonno after two periods then racked up six third period takedowns to coast to the 20-7 major decision. Fisk followed with an early takedown against Filiberto Colon, then utilized a near-side cradle to rack up 14 points worth of near falls, five in the first period and nine more in the second as she won 16-0 in 4:56. Ciasulli closed out the run with a 17-9 major over Matt Bradley. After giving up a first period reversal and second period takedown, Ciasulli broke open the bout with five points off a Peterson roll. Rider picked up its only win at 149 as Michael Kessler held off sophomore Brian Tanen 3-2. At 157, sophomore Sean Bilodeau overcame a slow start to beat Zac Cibula 5-1, putting Lehigh up 16-3 at intermission. The second half of the dual saw Lehigh win all five bouts by decision. At 165, senior Mike Galante found himself in trouble after being ridden out by Rob Morrison in the second period. Galante was able to score a third period takedown to take the lead and prevented Morrison from escaping in the final 20 seconds. Riding time for Morrison sent the match to sudden victory, where Galante scored the decisive takedown just 11 seconds into the period. Freshman Robert Hamlin made his varsity dual debut with an 8-2 win over Mike Ward at 174. Senior David Craig then followed with a 2-1 win over Mike Miller, with riding time the decisive factor in the bout. The final two bouts also went to Lehigh as sophomore Joe Kennedy won a 6-1 decision over Tyler Smith and sophomore Zach Rey downed Ed Bordas 5-2 in a battle of ranked wrestlers at 285. “When there was blood to be had we went after it,” said Santoro. “In a few instances we had some guys in a close matches and we’ll have to a better job opening up, especially with two really tough matches coming up next week.” The Mountain Hawks return to action on Friday night when they welcome No. 14 Penn State to Stabler Arena in the 98th dual meet between the longtime rivals. Match time is set for 7 p.m. For tickets, call 610-7LU-GAME or visit the Lehigh ticket office located in Grace Hall. Weight Match-up Result Score/Time 125 John McDonald (Lehigh) maj. dec. Tim Trivisonno (Rider) 20-7 133 Matt Fisk (Lehigh) tech fall Filiberto Colon (Rider) 16-0, 4:56 141 Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh) maj. dec. Matt Bradley (Rider) 17-9 149 Michael Kessler (Rider) dec. Brian Tanen (Lehigh) 3-2 157 Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh) dec. Zac Cibula (Rider) 5-1 165 Mike Galante (Lehigh) dec. Rob Morrison (Rider) 7-5, s.v. 174 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. Mike Ward (Rider) 8-2 184 David Craig (Lehigh) dec. Mike Miller (Rider) 2-1 197 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) dec. Tyler Smith (Rider) 6-1 285 Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. Ed Bordas (Rider) 5-2 Attendance – 1,451 Referee – Jake Llewellyn

Josh Lowe

Ever since this group of senior wrestlers first stepped onto the high school scene in late 2006, there has been much discussion about the superlative quality among these wrestlers. Ten wrestlers from this Class of 2010 start the year off No. 1 in their respective weight classes. In looking through the 14 weight classes, seniors dominate the rankings in all but the lowest three weights. Andrew Alton defeated Josh Kindig to win the Junior Nationals freestyle title at 140 pounds in a battle of two of the nation's top recruits from Pennsylvania (Photo/Dave Jedlicka/jedicheetah.com)Six of the top seven ranked wrestlers in the Class of 2010 will start the year off No. 1 in their respective weight class -- Logan Steiber (Monroeville, OH) at 125 pounds; Andrew Alton (Central Mountain, PA) at 145 pounds; Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin, PA) at 160 pounds; Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA) at 152 pounds; Josh Kindig (Blue Mountain, PA) at 140 pounds; and Jamie Clark (St Edward, OH) at 130 pounds. Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ) ranks third overall in this senior class, but starts the year ranked second at 145 pounds behind the No. 2 senior in the nation, Andrew Alton. Other seniors ranked first in their weight classes classes are Ryak Finch (Safford, AZ) at 119 pounds; Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) at 135 pounds; Kyle Cowan (Cascia, OK) at 215 pounds; and Jimmy Lawson (Manchester, NH) at 285 pounds. These wrestlers are ranked 23rd, 26th, 25th, and 18th respectively in the Class of 2010. The top two ranked juniors also find themselves at the head of their respective weight classes. Chris Phillips (Monroeville, OH) -- No. 1 in the Class of 2011 -- is also No. 1 at 171 pounds. Second-ranked in this junior class is Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, NJ) -- who is ranked first among wrestlers at 189 pounds this season. The other junior at the top of his weight class is Evan Silver (Blair Academy, NJ); who is first at 112 pounds, and ninth in the Class of 2011. The remaining No. 1 ranking in a weight class goes to freshman Joey Dance (Christiansburg, VA), who is ranked fifth overall in the Class of 2012. Ranked first in that class is Ben Whitford (Marmion Academy, IL); who is ranked seventh among wrestlers at 119 pounds. Rounding out the class rankings, Taylor Massa (St John's, MI) is ranked tops among sophomores; while Jered Cortez, who is from Illinois, is at the head of the junior high rankings. As the 2009-10 season is about to begin, one of the major stories has to be the absolute dominance of the Keystone State; in particular the Class of 2010. Five seniors rank first in the country, and 24 find themselves in the top 20 of their respective weight class. Sixteen of the InterMat Top 100 wrestlers in this graduating class are from Pennsylvania. Overall, there are 35 Pennsylvania wrestlers ranked in their respective weight class, by far the most of any state. Next in line is New Jersey with twenty-eight, and Ohio with 25. These three states also have eleven of the wrestlers ranked first in their weight class (Five for Pennsylvania, three each for Ohio and New Jersey. Other states that have double digits in terms of nationally ranked wrestlers are Iowa and California with 16 each, Illinois with 15, while Missouri and New York have 11 ranked wrestlers each. In all, 39 of the 49 states that sanction high school wrestling have at least one wrestler ranked. Blair Academy (NJ) has several nationally-ranked wrestlers, but Evan Silver (112) is the lone Buccaneer who begins the season ranked No. 1Despite half of the Blair Academy lineup being in the national rankings, the defending national champions according to many outlets (though InterMat does not conduct team national rankings) do not have a clear grip on being the best team in the country. Among those that have examined lineups from across the country, there are four other teams that may be able to make a case for top billing by year's end -- Graham, OH; Apple Valley, MN; Wyoming Seminary, PA; and Brandon, FL. Graham and Apple Valley each have four ranked wrestlers, while Wyoming Seminary and Brandon have three each. The team with the second most ranked wrestlers in the country is actually St Edward, OH with five. However, the perception is that they do not have the broad lineup depth to compare to the five squads listed above. There are five teams other than Graham and Apple Valley with four nationally ranked wrestlers; those would be Central Dauphin, PA; St Mark's, DE; Park Hill, MO; and Eastern Regional, NJ. InterMat looks forward to covering the high school wrestling scene during the course of the season. Five events currently are slated to have live coverage -- Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, Ohio State Wrestling Championships, Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, and Flo Nationals. However, additional events may be added to the docket as the year proceeds. The weight class rankings and graduating class rankings will be updated at varying times throughout the season. In addition, expect weekly previews and recaps starting with the first weekend of December. View Weight Class Rankings View Class/Recruiting Rankings (Platinum) Listen to Josh Lowe's Breakdown (TDR)

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. -- Baker University was founded 152 years ago. Tonight, the Baker wrestling team made history defeating York College (Neb.), in their first ever dual-meet competition. Brandon Gebhardt from Las Vegas, Nevada sealed the dual in the 197 lbs match when he took down Shuan Howard to give Baker the 30-15 advantage from which they never looked back. Freshman Joe Pace from Platte City, Missouri was the first Baker wrestler to win a match on Saturday evening when he pinned Jamel Wheatley to give Baker the 21-15 advantage in the 174 lb match. Freshman Jacob Nowak responded in the 184 lb match immediately after defeating Bryan Irsik a Junior from Garden City, Kansas by a score of 7-3. Baker will be back in action tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m., when they host the Dan Harris Wildcat Open all-day long in the George F. Collins Center. Full Match Details: 125 lbs: Jordan McGuire (Baker) - 0 Matt Banta (York) - 6 133 lbs: Robb Waters (Baker) - 6 Open (York) - 6 141 lbs: Zach Reeb (Baker) - 3 Rickey Creek (York) - 7 149 lbs: Brett Delich (Baker) - 0 Bryan Williams (York) - 6 (PIN) 157 lbs: Nathan Sommer (Baker) - 6 Open (York) - 0 165 lbs: Jacob Price (Baker) - 7 Nick McGrew (York) - 3 174 lbs: Joe Pace (Baker) - 6 (PIN) Jamel Wheatley (York) - 0 184 lbs: Jacob Nowak (Baker) - 7 Bryan Irsik (York) - 3 197 lbs: Brandon Gebhardt (Baker) - 6 (PIN) Shaun Howard (York) - 0 285 lbs: Open (Baker) - 0 Jason Lloyd (York) - 6

Blacksburg, Va. -- With three matches and just a glimmer of hope remaining, Kent State battled back from an 18-7 deficit to defeat 21st-ranked Virginia Tech 20-18 Saturday at Cassell Coliseum. The Golden Flashes then overcame a 15-10 margin to knock off Chattanooga 22-15. Five Golden Flashes competed in their first college dual meet against the Hokies Saturday, including Adam Cogar (197) and Brendan Barlow (285), who grabbed a major decision and a pin in the final two matches to complete the comeback. Sophomore Dustin Kilgore began the late rally at 184 with a 9-6 decision over Tommy Spellman in a battle of two nationally ranked wrestlers. Cogar followed with a 12-4 victory over Chris Penny. With his team down 18-14, Barlow finished the comeback with a third period pin of Tim Miller. "I just wanted them (Kilgore, Cogar, Barlow) to wrestle well," Jim Andrassy said about trailing 18-7. "I never thought about getting a team win at that point. I never expected Adam to get a major or Brendan to get the pin. There's not too many times in your career a heavyweight gets the chance to win it for your team with a pin and he did it his first dual. He knew he needed the pin and he just kept scoring points and going at him." While the opening bout was a loss, it may have been a positive sign for things to come as sophomore Troy Opfer took 12th ranked Jarrod Garnett to overtime before falling 8-6 at 125 pounds. "Troy wrestled as well as he could have," Andrassy said. "He's right around where Nic Bedelyon was at this time two years ago and he could be our guy for the rest of the season." Senior Danny Mitcheff followed with 3-2 victory over Eric Spjut at 133. The Hokies took the lead back when redshirt freshman Chase Skonieczny fell to seventh ranked Chris Diaz 6-0. True freshman Tommy Sasfy got the start at 149 and stayed competitive with 15th-ranked Pete Yates in a 4-1 loss. Sasfy started in place of junior transfer Matt Cathell who is expected to make his debut with the Flashes soon. Redshirt freshman Mallie Shuster made the most of his first college dual meet with a 12-4 major decision over Taylor Knapp. At 165, junior Sli Bostelman competed in his first varsity dual in two seasons and was pinned with 40 seconds remaining in the third period. Junior Chris Estep was then edged 3-1 at 174 before the comeback began. Immediately after an emotional team victory, the Flashes took on Chattanooga. Redshirt freshman Stevie Mitcheff competed in his first dual against the Mocs and fell 3-1.Older brother Danny then earned his second win of the day with a 12-4 major decision over Josh Sandoval. Skonieczny was then pinned by 20th ranked Cody Cleveland to give the Mocs a 9-3 lead, but Sasfy swung the momentum back in KSU's favor with an 8-5 win. Shuster followed with his second win of the day, a 7-5 victory over 16th-ranked Joey Knox. "Mallie did a very good job today," Andrassy said. "He's one of the reasons I feel very comfortable with our young guys out there." Back-to-back losses by senior Obie Simpson (165) and redshirt freshman Casey Newburg (174) put the Flashes in another hole (15-10) with three matches to go. Kilgore, Cogar and Barlow all responded once again with victories. Kilgore grabbed a first period pin before Cogar came away with a 3-2 decision. Barlow ended the Flashes' day with a little more drama, this time a 3-1 overtime triumph. "We're a better program than Chattanooga right now," Andrassy said. "And we were able to wrestle some different guys (Stevie Mitcheff, Simpson, Newburg)." KSU extended its dual meet winning streak to nine after winning its last seven during the 2008-09 season. Of the 10 KSU starters competing at last year's MAC Championships, only three got the starting nod against the Hokies. The Golden Flashes will head to the nearby Salem Civic Center tomorrow (Nov. 8) when 447 wrestlers compete in the Hokie Open.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The No. 17 Virginia wrestling team opened its 2009-10 season with a pair of wins Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium, downing Anderson (S.C.), 37-9, and Campbell, 36-6. The Cavaliers won 16 of their 20 individual matches in the two victories. Third-ranked Chris Henrich (Jr., Lansdale, Pa.) had a strong start to his season. The reigning All-American recorded a technical fall and pin at 174 pounds and needed less than a period in both. Matt Snyder (R-Fr., Lewistown, Pa.) and Derek Valenti (So., Newton, N.J.) each recorded a pin and tech fall at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively. Snyder was making his first appearance as a Cavalier after transferring from Bloomsburg University. Mike Salopek (R-Fr., North Huntingdon, Pa.) added a pair of wins at 184 pounds, while Kellon Balum (Sr., Herndon, Pa.) posted a fall and major decision at 149. At 197 pounds, ninth-ranked Brent Jones (Jr., Burke, Va.) needed just 29 seconds to pin Anderson's Luis Audelo for his 35th career fall, breaking the Virginia school record. Michael Chaires (R-So., Scotia, N.Y.) made his return to the mat after a year off with an 8-3 decision over Campbell's Chris Mazzatta in the 165-pound class. Dan Gonsor (R-So., Cleveland, Ohio) also looked sharp in coming off a redshirt season as he racked up a tech fall over Campbell's Jake Fose at 157 pounds. In a neutral-site match to start the day, Anderson recorded a trio of pins to slip past Campbell, 21-20. Virginia travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., Nov. 15 to compete in the ACC Challenge. UVa will face No. 16 American, Bucknell and Gardner Webb. Virginia 37, Anderson (S.C.) 9 125: Matt Snyder (UVa) tech fall Dequan Warner (AU), 19-4; UVa 5-0 133: Christopher Francis (AU) pinned Matt Cubillos (UVa), :35; AU 6-5 141: Derek Valenti (UVa) pinned Melchisedac LaVergne (AU), 1:59; UVa 11-6 149: Kellon Balum (UVa) tech fall Dalton Harper (AU), 16-0; UVa 16-6 157: Jonathan Jackson (AU) dec. Pat Riley (UVa), 4-2 (SV), UVa 16-9 165: Beau Fisher (UVa) dec. Jordan Lide (AU), 7-2; UVa 19-9 174: No. 3 Chris Henrich (UVa) tech fall Trevor Sanford (AU), 17-2; UVa 24-9 184: Mike Salopek (UVa) dec. John Hamrick (AU), 6-0; UVa 27-9 197: No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa) pinned Luis Audelo (AU), :29; UVa 33-9 285: Calvin Cardillo (UVa) major dec. Chase Duke (AU), 8-0; UVa 37-9 Virginia 36, Campbell 6 125: Matt Snyder (UVa) pinned Wes Heavener (CU), 1:23; UVa 6-0 133: Richie Apolinar (CU) dec. Matt Cubillos (UVa), 9-6; UVa 6-3 141: Derek Valenti (UVa) tech fall Ethan Carmody (CU), 15-0; UVa 11-3 149: Kellon Balum (UVa) major dec. Nick Rex (CU), 15-4; UVa 15-3 157: Dan Gonsor (UVa) tech fall Jake Fose (CU), 16-0; UVa 20-3 165: No. 16 Michael Chaires (UVa) dec. Chris Mazzatta (CU), 8-3; UVa 23-3 174: No. 3 Chris Henrich (UVa) pinned Peter Comis (CU), 2:00; UVa 29-3 184: Mike Salopek (UVa) major dec. Derek Tomasone (CU), 17-7; UVa 33-3 197: Parker Burns (CU) dec. No. 9 Brent Jones (UVa), 9-5; UVa 33-6 285: Jack Danilkowicz (UVa) dec. Khiry Reid (CU), 3-2; UVa 36-6 Anderson 21, Campbell 20 125: C.J. Gittens (CU) dec. Dequan Warner (AU), 12-9; CU 3-0 133: Richie Apolinar (CU) dec. Christopher Francis (AU), 12-9; CU 6-0 141: Melchisedac LaVergne (AU) pinned Ethan Carmody (CU), 6:29; 6-6 149: Nick Rex (CU) major dec. Dalton Harper (AU), 18-5; CU 10-6 157: Jonathan Jackson (AU) dec. Jake Fose (CU), 6-2; CU 10-9 165: Chris Mazzatta (CU) dec. Jordan Lide (AU), 7-2; CU 13-9 174: Trevor Sanofrd (AU) pinned Ryan Ham (CU), 4:53; AU 15-13 184: John Hamrick (AU) pinned Derek Tomasone (CU), 5:19; AU 21-13 197: Parker Burns (CU) major dec. Luis Audelo (AU), 13-4; AU 21-17 285: Khiry Reid (CU) dec. Chase Duke (AU), 7-3; AU 21-20

BUFFALO, NY -- The University at Buffalo wrestling team captured a 31-9 home-opening dual meet victory over Ashland University on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena. Sophomores Kevin Smith and John-Martin Cannon and junior Jimmy Hamel each collected falls in the Bulls' dominating performance over the Eagles. Ashland opened the dual meet with an overtime decision, 3-2. Facing a 2-1 deficit heading into the third period, sophomore Dylan Dabolt rode his way to a 2-2 tie through the end of the third. In overtime, the Eagles' Brandon Davis stole the win at 125 on a penalized move by Dabolt. The Bulls quickly erased Ashland's 3-0 lead as Smith pinned AU's Jacob Creed at 5:50. Smith dominated Creed throughout the first two periods, not allowing Creed to score a single point in the 133-pound bout. "Kevin dominated his guy. He was able to break him down and turn him for the pin," said head coach Jim Beichner. With the score tied up at 6-6, Desi Green picked up a close 10-9 decision over Ashland's T.J. Rigel. Picking up four takedowns in his victory, the 16th nationally-ranked wrestler has moved into 20th place in the all-time UB list for most takedowns in a career (75). At 157, the Bulls widened their margin to 13-6 as senior Andrew Stella collected a 12-0 major decision. Following a scoreless first period, Stella turned it on in the remaining periods as nine of his 12 total points came off three-point nearfalls. "After a scoreless first period, Andrew came back with four solid minutes of wrestling. He dominated his opponent on top, which says something," stated Beichner. Moving up a weight class from last year, Cannon came out to rebound from his performance at last week's UB Open. In the first ten seconds of the match, he took Ashland's Peter Lewis to the mat. In the first period alone, Cannon recorded five takedowns. On his final takedown of the second period, Cannon was able to work Lewis to his back, recording a fall at 4:25. "Following his disappointing performance at the UB Open, John-Martin bounced back today. He was himself, coming out to wrestle from the start," said Beichner. Redshirt-freshmen Matt Bogardus at 174 and Josh Peters at 184, scored their first career dual meet victories. Both wrestlers won in 6-3 decisions. In his bout at 174, Bogardus wrestled the final period with a knee injury. "Matt's relentless attitude showed the mental toughness needed to compete in this sport," explained Beichner. In the 197-pound bout, Hamel attacked the Eagles' Josh Grider from the start. In the first period, the 20th nationally-ranked wrestler built an 8-2 lead including a two-point nearfall. In the second period, Hamel buried Grider's shoulders to the mat for his first career fall at 4:28. "We did what we expected of ourselves. Overall, it was a dominating performance. Ashland fought hard throughout the entire match and was able to close the door on bouts where we were unable to. Smith, Cannon and Hamel gave our team insurance points by recording pins in their bouts," said Beichner. The Bulls will return to dual meet action on Sunday, November 15 as they travel to Hempstead, NY to face Hofstra University at 1:00 pm. University at Buffalo 31, Ashland University 9 125: Brandon Davis (AU) dec., Dylan Dabolt (UB), 3-2 (OT). 133: Kevin Smith (UB) fall, Jacob Creed (AU), 5:50. 141: Scott Meyer (AU) dec., Andrew Schutt (AU), 4-2. 149: Desi Green (UB) dec., T.J. Rigel (AU), 10-9. 157: Andrew Stella (UB) maj. dec., Hunter Pool (AU), 12-0. 165: John-Martin Cannon (UB) fall, Peter Lewis (AU), 4:25. 174: Matt Bogardus (UB) dec., Tommie Graszl (AU), 6-3. 184: Josh Peters (UB) dec., Jake Ewing (AU), 6-3. 197: Jimmy Hamel (UB) fall, Josh Girder (AU), 4:28. 285: Jacob Southwick (AU) dec., Robert Ryhal (UB), 5-1.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - NC State dropped the first bout of the evening, then won six in a row and cruised to a 21-18 victory over The Citadel in the college wrestling season opener for both teams. “We had four freshmen in the lineup and I thought we wrestled pretty well overall,” Wolfpack head coach Carter Jordan said. “We did some really good things and we did some really young things. We have some things to work on and it’s going to take time, but we did well. I was very pleased at our aggressiveness. We went after it.” Odie Delaney, the defending SoCon champion and NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds, started off the dual with a quick two-point takedown of the Wolfpack’s Christian McClean and led 2-0 after one period. Delaney started down in the second period, but quickly escaped, reversed McClean, then pinned him at the 3:44 mark to put The Citadel up 6-0. Wolfpack heavyweight Bobby Isola led Ivan Muller 2-1 after one period. Isola escaped to earn the only point of the second period, going up 3-1. In the third, Muller earned an escape point, but could not down Isola as NC State won at heavyweight to cut into the team lead to 6-3. Moving to the top of the lineup, The Citadel’s Richard Alarcon took the Pack’s Taylor Cummings down 30 second into the 125-pound match. Cummings escaped to trim the lead 2-1 and followed with a couple of takedowns to go up 5-2 after one period. In the second, Cummings started on bottom and quickly escaped, opening his lead to 6-2. Alarcon turned the tables with a takedown, but Cummings escaped to make the final score 7-4, tying the team score at 6-6. The Wolfpack’s Darrius Little, a 2009 NCAA qualifier, took a 2-0 lead over Jordan Dix with a takedown at the end of the first period. Dix made it 2-1 with an escape to start the second perod, but Little got a takedown with 10 second to go in the first to go up 4-1 after two. Little got the escape followed by a takedown to start the third period. Little increased his lead and won the match 9-3. NC State took the lead at 9-6. Wolfpack freshman Dale Shull, a 2009 high school national champion, led Nick LaFevre 2-0 after one period at 141 pounds. LaFevre started on top in the second and rode out the period with Shull earning a point on an illegal hold to go up 3-0. The third period featured a scoreless affair with the match ending at 3-0 and NC State moving up 12-6 in the dual. Colton Palmer began the 149-pound bout with a quick takedown of Pierre Frazile, who immediately called an injury timeout and wound up defaulting at the 10-second mark. The six team points pushed the Wolfpack’s team lead to 18-6. NC State’s Bobby Ward and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj took a 4-4 tie into the third period. An escape and riding time gave Ward a 6-4 victory and a 21-6 team lead for the Pack. The Citadel won the last three bouts, including an injury default at 184, to close the final margin to three points at 21-18. “Our veterans wrestled really well, and Dale Shull wrestled a solid match for his first college bout,” Jordan said. “This is going to be a good team.” NC State 21, The Citadel 18 197 - Odie Delaney (CIT) pinned Christian McClean, at 3:44 HWT - Bobby Isola (NCS) dec. Ivan Muller, 4-2 125 - Taylor Cummings (NCS) dec. Richard Alarcon, 7-4 133 - Darrius Little (NCS) dec. Jordan Dix, 10-3 141 - Dale Shull (NCS) dec. Nick LaFevre, 3-0 149 - Colton Palmer (NCS) injury def. Pierre Frazile, at 0:10 157 - Bobby Ward (NCS) dec. Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, 6-4 165 - Derek Sickel (CIT) dec. Kasey Young, 7-4 174 - J.C. Oddo (CIT) dec. Quinton Godley, 5-1 184 - Kelby Smith (CIT) injury def. John Becker, at 6:02

IOWA CITY, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team treated their fans to some great matches during Saturday morning's wrestle-off finals at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. Returning all-Americans and seniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) won their bouts, while senior Chad Beatty also posted a win at 197. Sophomores Montell Marion (141) and Jordan Johnson (Hwt.), redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125) true freshman Derek St. John (157) also recorded wins at their weight classes. "We saw some good potential and depth in a lot of places," said University of Iowa Head Wrestling Coach Tom Brands. "This was a chance for our guys to weigh-in, have a competition and shake some of the cobwebs out. The results mean a lot and mean nothing at this point. We have a lot of depth and competition in our room, which is no secret, but in order for us to win championships we need guys to wrestle well at every competition." The defending NCAA and Big Ten champion Hawkeyes will open the season Nov. 14 at the Harold Nichols Open in Ames. Iowa's first home dual will be Nov. 20 when it hosts the six-team Iowa City Duals in Carver Hawkeye Arena. Iowa will wrestle Coe at 10:30 a.m., Cornell College at Noon, Iowa Lakes at 1:30 p.m., North Carolina-Pembroke at 3 p.m. and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 5 p.m. Wrestling season tickets can be ordered from the UI Athletics Ticket Office, at (319) 335-9327, or online at www.hawkeyesports.com. Tickets are $60 for members of the public and $48 for UI faculty and staff. Single meet prices are $10 for adults and $5 for youth if purchased in advance for the Iowa City, Northern Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern duals, and $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under for the Oklahoma State, Penn State and Ohio State duals. Day of the meet tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youth for the Iowa City, Northern Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern duals, and $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under for the Oklahoma State, Penn State and Ohio State duals. IOWA'S WRESTLE-OFF RESULTS Saturday's Final Results 125 - Matt McDonough dec. J.J. Krutsinger, 10-3 133 - Daniel Dennis dec. Nate Moore, 5-3 141 - Montell Marion dec. Dan LeClere, 11-7 149 - Brent Metcalf tech. fall Phillip Sheridan, 21-4 in 6:10 157 - Derek St. John won by injury default over Aaron Janssen, 3:35 165 - Ryan Morningstar maj. dec. Joe DuCharme, 12-3 174 - Jay Borschel dec. Ethen Lofthouse, 8-3 184 - Phillip Keddy dec. Grant Gambrall, 6-2 197 - Chad Beatty dec. Luke Lofthouse, 7-3 Hwt - Jordan Johnson dec. Blake Rasing, 3-2 Friday's Semifinal Results 125 - J.J. Krutsinger maj. dec. Nick Trizzino, 16-5 125 - Matt McDonough dec. Tyler Clark, 5-1 133 - Nate Moore dec. Mark Ballweg, 13-7 149 - Phillip Sheridan pinned Jeret Chiri, 4:59 149 - Brent Metcalf pinned Stew Gillmor, 2:17 157 - Aaron Janssen dec. Jake Kerr, 6-2 157 - Derek St. John dec. Matt Ballweg, 7-4 165 - Joe DuCharme dec. Ruffin Tchakounte, 4-3 184 - Phillip Keddy maj. dec. Tomas Lira, 16-5 184 - Grant Gambrall dec. Vinnie Wagner, 6-4 Thursday's Quarterfinal Results 149 - Stew Gillmor dec. Ethan Sebert, 2-1 157 - Derek St. John dec. Brooks Kopsa, 10-5

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The 10th-ranked University of Maryland wrestling team opened the 2009-10 season in dominant fashion, winning a pair of duals against Drexel and York in a tri-meet Saturday at Comcast Pavilion. The Terrapins (2-0) opened the day with a 35-6 victory against Drexel (1-1) and returned shortly after with a 57-0 shutout of York (0-2) that lasted less than 45 minutes and featured eight pins. "I was happy. We won 18 of 20 matches and got bonus points in a lot of matches," Maryland head coach Kerry McCoy said. "It was a great performance in front of our home crowd. All of our guys got a chance to compete and they competed well." Maryland opened its match with Drexel with three straight major decisions to open an early 12-0 lead. James Knox won 9-1 at 125 pounds, No. 8 Steven Bell took over late to defeat Steve Mytych, 12-3, at 133 pounds and No. 4 Alex Krom also used a late flurry to knock off Matt Dugan at 141 pounds, 13-5. Drexel broke through at 149 pounds with a Brett McCurdy decision over Jon Kohler, 4-1, but Maryland re-gained control and cruised to victory from there. Kyle John and Joseph Booth engaged in the closest and arguably most-entertaining match of the entire day at 157 pounds. John trailed 8-4 heading into the third period and was behind 8-6 with less than a minute remaining. However, John eventually got Booth on the ground to tie the score late and he was able to ride Booth out and earn the riding-time bonus for a thrilling, 9-8 victory. Josh Asper then took an 18-5 major decision at 165 and Drexel forfeited at 174, putting Maryland on top, 25-3. Corey Peltier followed with an 11-0 major decision at 184 and No. 3 Hudson Taylor had little trouble at 197, pinning Jack Callender in 1 minute, 29 seconds. The Dragons salvaged the final matchup at heavyweight, as Kyle Frey bested Patrick Gilmore, 7-5, in the first sudden victory period. Maryland had absolutely no trouble in the final match of the day against York. Maryland won by fall or technical fall in nine of 10 matches, as only one went the regulation seven minutes. Only three matches needed a second period to be decided. Knox pinned Aaron Repman 52 seconds into the second period to begin the dual and Bell followed suit with a fall in 1:17 against Alex Paladino to give Maryland a 12-0 advantage. Krom was superior at 141 pounds, earning a 19-4 technical fall with 23 seconds remaining in the first period. Kohler pinned Ryan Catton in 2:09 at 149 and John needed only 58 seconds to pin Alan Dyer at 157. Asper won a 17-5 major decision against Matt Heisey at 165 pounds in the only match that wasn't decided by fall or technical fall. After winning by forfeit against Drexel, No. 5 Mike Letts took the mat to wrestle in a dual meet for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Letts was stellar in his return, pinning Paul Richards in 1:19. The Terps capped the day with three more pins. Peltier pinned Alex Martocello in 6:49, Taylor took out George Saliba in a swift 39 seconds and Gilmore sealed the shutout against Thomas Fitzpatrick, earning a win by fall in 2:01. Drexel defeated York, 37-9, in the first match of the day. Maryland has a week off before a highly-anticipated matched Friday, Nov. 20 at Cornell. No. 10 MARYLAND 57, YORK 0 125 - James Knox (MD) fall over Aaron Repman, 3:52 (6-0) 133 - No. 8 Steven Bell (MD) fall over Alex Paladino, 1:17 (12-0) 141 - No. 4 Alex Krom (MD) tech. fall over Will Pumphrey, 19-4 [2:37] (17-0) 149 - Jon Kohler (MD) fall over Ryan Catton, 2:09 (23-0) 157 - Kyle John (MD) fall over Alan Dyer, :58 (29-0) 165 - Josh Asper (MD) major dec. Matt Heisey, 17-5 (33-0) 174 - No. 5 Mike Letts (MD) fall over Paul Richards, 1:19 (39-0) 184 - Corey Peltier (MD) fall over Alex Martocello, 6:49 (45-0) 197 - No. 3 Hudson Taylor (MD) fall over George Saliba, :39 (51-0) HWT - Patrick Gilmore (MD) fall over Thomas Fitzpatrick, 2:01 (57-0) No. 10 MARYLAND 35, DREXEL 6 125 - James Knox (MD) major dec. Joshua Yurasits, 9-1 (4-0) 133 - No. 8 Steven Bell (MD) major dec. Steve Mytych, 12-3 (8-0) 141 - No. 4 Alex Krom (MD) major dec. Matt Dugan, 13-5 (12-0) 149 - Brett McCurdy (DU) dec. Jon Kohler, 4-1 (12-3) 157 - Kyle John (MD) dec. Joseph Booth, 9-8 (15-3) 165 - Josh Asper (MD) major dec. Alex Rinaldi, 18-5 (19-3) 174 - No. 5 Mike Letts (MD) wins by forfeit (25-3) 184 - Corey Peltier (MD) major dec. Justin Wieller, 11-0 (29-3) 197 - No. 3 Hudson Taylor (MD) fall over Jack Callender, 1:29 (35-3) HWT - Kyle Frey (DU) dec. Patrick Gilmore, 7-5 sv1 (35-6) DREXEL 37, YORK 9 125 - Joshua Yurasits (DU) tech. fall over Aaron Repman, 18-3 [6:27] (5-0) 133 - Steve Mytych (DU) fall over Alex Paladino, 2:26 (11-0) 141 - Matt Dugan (DU) tech. fall over Will Pumphrey, 18-2 [5:29] (16-0) 149 - John McDermott (DU) fall over Ryan Catton, 4:44 (22-0) 157 - Joseph Booth (DU) tech. fall over Alan Dyer, 16-0 [5:56] (27-0) 165 - Alex Rinaldi (DU) dec. Matt Heisey, 3-2 (30-0) 174 - Paul Richards (YC) wins by forfeit (30-6) 184 - Justin Wieller (DU) dec. Alex Martocello, 3-2 (33-6) 197 - George Saliba (YC) dec. Jack Callender, 7-4 (33-9) HWT - Kyle Frey (DU) major dec. Thomas Fitzpatrick, 13-4 (37-9)

BOISE, Idaho -- The Boise State wrestling team recorded its’ first official win of the season, Friday (Nov. 6) night, as the Broncos (1-0, 0-0) took care of the University of Great Falls-Montana (0-1, 0-0) with a dominating 40-3 win in their first home dual of the season in Taco Bell Arena. The Broncos lost just one match on the night, while winning two matches by fall and four more by major decision. Alan Bartelli scored the first Boise State points of the night in the 125-pound match, where he recorded a pin (2:04) against Bryan Borst to give the Broncos a 6-0 lead. Andrew Hochstrasser followed suit in the 133-pound match, also recording a win by fall (5:43) against Kyle Middlemist of Great Falls. Levi Jones recorded his first win of the season at 141 pounds, beating Jason Costello 10-3 to give Boise State a 15-0 lead. At 149 pounds Jason Chamberlain recorded the first major decision of the night with an 18-7 win against Byron Kuylen. Chamberlain was followed by Adam Hall, who won the 157-pound match with another major decision (12-2) over Michael Hader. Michael Cuthbertson earned Boise State’s third major decision victory of the dual at 165 pounds with a 12-2 win against Noah Hatton. He was followed by Nate Lee, who defeated Brendon DeCock with a 9-3 decision at 174 pounds. Kirk Smith pushed the Bronco lead to 34-0 after a 17-3 major decision win over Michael French at 184 pounds. Boise State scored its’ final points of the night with a forfeit in the heavyweight match to push the final score to 40-3. Boise State is off the mat now for a couple weeks until the Broncos head to Corvallis, Ore. on Nov. 22 to take on the University of Wisconsin and Oregon State in a double-header. Boise State does not return home until Dec. 11 (Friday) when the Broncos host Montana State-Northern at 7 p.m. in Taco Bell Arena. Boise State 40, Great Falls 3 125 – Alan Bartelli (BSU) fall (2:04) Bryan Borst (UGF) 133 – Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) fall (5:43) Kyle Middlemist (UGF) 141 – Levi Jones (BSU) dec. Jason Costello (UGF) 10-3 149 – Jason Chamberlain (BSU) major dec. Byron Kuylen (UGF) 18-7 157 – Adam Hall (BSU) major dec. Michael Hader (UGF) 12-2 165 – Michael Cuthbertson (BSU) major dec. Noah Hatton (UGF) 12-2 174 – Nate Lee (BSU) dec. Brendon DeCock (UGF) 9-3 184 – Kirk Smith (BSU) major dec. Michael French (UGF) 17-3 197 – Alex Calvi (UGF) dec. Matt Casperson (BSU) 6-5 HWT – Sam Zylstra (BSU) win by forfeit

Wednesday evening, right around the time that the New York Yankees were surging to a 2-0 Game 6 lead by virtue of a Hideki Matsui home run, Lighthouse Wrestling was in the process of getting it confirmed that two-time defending CHSAA Catholic State/2008 NYS DI champion Andrew Lenzi had indeed officially come off of the market. Responding to a Facebook message left for him, the two-time NYS finalist confirmed that earlier in the evening, he had contacted the University of Pennsylvania’s head wrestling coach, Rob Eiter, to inform him that he had decided to make the Philadelphia-based campus his home away from home for the next four years (commencing in the fall of 2010). Lenzi becomes the first recruit from the current senior class to formally announce his intentions to join the Quakers. A household name in New York since 2006 when he won the schoolboy state title in impressive fashion, teching nearly all of his opponents, the future student-athlete at the famed Wharton School of Business, has found himself on everybody’s radar ever since. Electing to concentrate on the academic adjustment that accompanies matriculation at a top-flight college preparatory school in 2007, Lenzi and his family made the decision to forego the rigors of weight cutting. However, despite being pitted against physically more mature upperclassmen, the Ram wrestler compiled a more than respectable freshmen campaign, culminating with a third-place finish at the Catholic state tournament (CHSAA qualifier for the NYS tournament). As a sophomore, Lenzi would distinguish himself as a true contender for the federation hardware at the Eastern States Tournament (considered by some to be a tougher tournament to win than the NYS title because it includes wrestlers from both divisions). Seeded 12th, Lenzi would go on to win his first four matches, including a 10-4 decision over top-seeded Brian Benton (currently at George Mason University), before bowing out in the finals to Dom Oddo. This would be a loss that Lenzi would study and learn from, avenging the defeat several weeks later in the quarterfinals of the state tournament….a 14-5 major decision over Brandan McKeown in the semifinals would set the stage for a rematch with Benton, with the victor not only going the spoils, but claiming the 130-pound state crown as well. And, again, it would be the representative from the Catholic League that got his arm raised, emerging with the 5-3 decision. The win made Lenzi the first wrestler from the CHSAA to earn the top step on the podium since 2000 When St. Anthony’s Lucas Magnani (wrestled for Brown University and the University of Iowa) won the title as a sophomore. Lenzi would be an emphatic exclamation point on 2008, earning All-American honors at the NHSCA Sophomore National tournament, finishing sixth at 135-pounds. Lenzi, rated as the No. 8 senior in the Empire State’s 2010 class, would wrestle his way back onto center state last season, winning his first three matches in Albany (including a thrilling 6-5 decision over former 2x NYS champion/Current Harvard freshman Paul Liguori). However, unlike his magical sophomore season, the future Quaker would have to watch as his opponent, Rocky Point’s Stephen Dutton (No. 3 senior in NYS; Verbal commitment to Lehigh University) would go on to get his first taste of glory, knocking the defending champion from his throne via a 10-1 major decision. Now, just a month or so away from the beginning of his swan song, those of us who have chatted with Lenzi know how hungry he is to return to the top of the mountain. Should the FP captain succeed in his mission to recapture the gold, he will have made history, becoming the first wrestler from the Catholic League to win multiple state crowns. In doing so, he will immediately join the likes of the aforementioned Magnani in the discussion of the greatest wrestler in CHSAA history. Projected as a 141-pounder on the next level, Lenzi chose the University of Pennsylvania over Ivy League rivals Columbia University, Harvard University, and Princeton University. When asked about the deciding factors, the two-time CHSAA State Most Outstanding Wrestler cited the quality of the coaching staff, saying "Coach Eiter and Coach Valenti are really good guys and really good coaches. I believe I will be able to achieve all of my goals under them. They are the type of people that would do anything for me or any other member on the team to help them achieve their goals." Lenzi also spoke very highly of the camaraderie that he experienced during his visit to the campus, talking in detail about how he was impressed with the fact that all of the team members are friends off of the mat as well. To conclude, Lenzi commented about life after wrestling and how he felt the strength of the academics (especially the Business program) were ideal for him, saying "Wharton is the No. 1 business school in the nation. It will provide me with the opportunity to be most successful after my career on the mat is finished." With the addition of former two-time NCAA champion Matt Valenti to the UPenn coaching staff, coupled with the return of incumbent starter Bryan Ortenzio (133) and former blue-chip recruits Dan White and Zack Kemmerer, there should be no shortage of quality workout partners to reach the fullest extent of his potential. On behalf of everyone at LHW, we offer our sincerest congratulations to Andrew and his family on this big moment. Coach Eiter is getting a great young man!!! Jason Bross from Monsignor Farrell High School contributed to this story. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from LighthouseWrestling.com.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa wrestling fans packed the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena Friday evening to catch an early glimpse of the defending NCAA and Big Ten champion Hawkeyes at the team's annual wrestle-offs. Hawkeye fans saw 10 semifinal bouts Friday night. Advancing to Saturday's finals were seniors Brent Metcalf (149) and Phillip Keddy (184), junior Aaron Janssen (157), sophomore J.J. Krutsinger (125), redshirt freshmen Matt McDonough (125), Nate Moore (133) and Grant Gambrall (184), and true freshmen Phillip Sheridan (149), Derek St. John (157) and Joe DuCharme (165). Sheridan and Metcalf both pinned their semifinal opponents, while Krutsinger and Keddy scored identical 16-5 major decisions. St. John scored the upset of the night with his 7-4 victory over junior Matt Ballweg at 157. Saturday's competition will feature wrestle-off finals at all 10 weights and is set to start at 8:30 a.m. Takedown Radio will air their Saturday morning radio show at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex from 9-11 a.m. Fans can listen to the show on 1460 KXNO or www.takedownradio.com. The defending NCAA and Big Ten champion Hawkeyes will open the season Nov. 14 at the Harold Nichols Open in Ames. Iowa's first home dual will be Nov. 20 when it hosts the six-team Iowa City Duals in Carver Hawkeye Arena. Iowa will wrestle Coe at 10:30 a.m., Cornell College at Noon, Iowa Lakes at 1:30 p.m., North Carolina-Pembroke at 3 p.m. and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 5 p.m. Wrestling season tickets can be ordered from the UI Athletics Ticket Office, at (319) 335-9327, or online at www.hawkeyesports.com. Tickets are $60 for members of the public and $48 for UI faculty and staff. Single meet prices are $10 for adults and $5 for youth if purchased in advance for the Iowa City, Northern Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern duals, and $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under for the Oklahoma State, Penn State and Ohio State duals. Day of the meet tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youth for the Iowa City, Northern Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern duals, and $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under for the Oklahoma State, Penn State and Ohio State duals. IOWA'S WRESTLE-OFF RESULTS & MATCH-UPS Thursday's Quarterfinal Results 149 - Stew Gillmor dec. Ethan Sebert, 2-1 157 - Derek St. John dec. Brooks Kopsa, 10-5 Friday's Semifinal Results 125 - J.J. Krutsinger maj. dec. Nick Trizzino, 16-5 125 - Matt McDonough dec. Tyler Clark, 5-1 133 - Nate Moore dec. Mark Ballweg, 13-7 149 - Phillip Sheridan pinned Jeret Chiri, 4:59 149 - Brent Metcalf pinned Stew Gillmor, 2:17 157 - Aaron Janssen dec. Jake Kerr, 6-2 157 - Derek St. John dec. Matt Ballweg, 7-4 165 - Joe DuCharme dec. Ruffin Tchakounte, 4-3 184 - Phillip Keddy maj. dec. Tomas Lira, 16-5 184 - Grant Gambrall dec. Vinnie Wagner, 6-4 Saturday's Final Match-Ups 125 - J.J. Krutsinger vs. Matt McDonough 133 - Daniel Dennis vs. Nate Moore 141 - Dan LeClere vs. Montell Marion 149 - Brent Metcalf vs. Phillip Sheridan 157 - Derek St. John vs. Aaron Janssen 165 - Ryan Morningstar vs. Joe DuCharme 174 - Jay Borschel vs. Ethen Lofthouse 184 - Phillip Keddy vs. Grant Gambrall 197 - Chad Beatty vs. Luke Lofthouse Hwt - Jordan Johnson vs. Blake Rasing

Lincoln -- The eighth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team had its first taste of competition for the 2009-10 season, as the Huskers hosted the annual Wrestle-Offs at the Devaney Center on Friday evening. Nearly 200 high school coaches from across the region were in attendance, as the Wrestle-Offs were held in conjunction with the 2009 Fall Coaches Clinic. Led by four returning national qualifiers, defending 157-pound national champion Jordan Burroughs dominated his only match of the night, pinning freshman Michael Klinginsmith (1:24). A 2009 All-American, senior 197-pounder Craig Brester defeated junior Cameron Browne by technical fall, 16-0, while senior Stephen Dwyer (174 lbs) and sophomore Tucker Lane (HWT) each went 2-0. Dwyer won a major decision bout (22-8) over redshirt freshman Ethan Studebaker and defeated freshman Caleb Kolb by a 10-3 decision. Lane pinned redshirt freshman Alex Thomas and downed senior Levi Wofford (8-4 decision). 165-pound junior Alex Ward led the Huskers in victories, producing an undefeated 3-0 record with victories over freshman Jerad Gubbels (major dec., 10-2), junior James Nakashima (tech. fall, 19-4) and redshirt freshman Tyler Koehn (dec., 3-2). Mike Koehnlein, a 141-pound junior college transfer from West Minster, Calif., dominated each of his matches, pinning freshman Matt Rasmussen (2:48) after he opened the night with a 15-0 technical fall victory over freshman Frankie Odierno. Koehnlein’s pin was one of six at the Wrestle-Offs, joining falls by Burroughs, Lane, Gubbels, Odierno and redshirt freshman Chris Hacker. Nebraska opens the 2009-10 regular season on Sunday, Nov. 15 at the NU Coliseum, when the Huskers host the Wisconsin Badgers at 1 p.m. Media guides will be available for purchase at the dual. 2009 Wrestle-Off Results Mat 1: 165 – Alex Ward vs. Jerad Gubbels Ward by major dec. over Gubbels, 10-2 165 – James Nakashima vs. Tyler Koehn Koehn by major dec. over Nakashima, 10-2 184 – Josh Ihnen vs. Cameron Browne Ihnen by major dec. over Browne, 11-2 133- C.J. Napier vs. Ridge Kiley Napier by dec. over Kiley, 3-1 141- Mike Koehnlein vs. Matt Rasmussen Koehnline by fall over Rasmussen, 2:48 125 – Dalton Bullard vs. Kyle Waldo Waldo by dec. over Bullard, 5-4 165 – Scott Kwiatkowski vs. Jerad Gubbels Gubbels by fall over Kwiatkowski, 5:06 149 – Chris Hacker vs. Mike Klinginsmith Hacker by fall over Klinginsmith, 1:57 133 – C.J. Napier vs. Ridge Kiley Napier by dec. over Kiley, 4-2 165 – James Nakashima vs. Scott Kwiatkowski Nakashima by dec. over Kwiatkowski, 7-6 133 – Frankie Odierno vs. Matt Rasmussen Odierno by fall over Rasmussen, 0:39 Mat 2: 141 – Mike Koehnlein vs. Frankie Odierno Koehnlein by tech. fall, 15-0 165 – Ethan Studebaker vs. Caleb Kolb Kolb by dec. over Studubaker, 6-1 HWT – Tucker Lane vs. Alex Thomas Lane by fall over Thomas, 1:24 157 – Jordan Burroughs vs. Michael Klinginsmith Burroughs by fall over Klinginsmith, 1:26 HWT – Levi Wofford vs. Alex Thomas Wofford by major dec. over Thomas, 15-5 174 – Caleb Kolb vs. Stephen Dwyer Dwyer by dec. over Kolb, 10-3 165 – James Nakashima vs. Alex Ward Ward by tech. fall over Nakashima, 19-4 197 – Craig Brester vs. Cameron Browne Brester by tech. fall over Browne, 16-0 174 – Stephen Dwyer vs. Ethan Studebaker Dwyer by major dec. over Studebaker, 22-8 HWT – Tucker Lane vs. Levi Wofford Lane by dec. over Wofford, 8-4 165 – Tyler Koehn vs. Alex Ward Ward by dec. over Koehn, 3-2

Note: Recap items use the previous rankings (team updated Dec. 21, and individual updated Dec. 14). Preview items use the new rankings (team and individual) that will be published on Tuesday. 45th Annual POWERade Christmas Wrestling Tournament Dates: Thursday, Dec. 29 and Friday, Dec. 30 Location Canon-McMillan High School (Canonsburg, Pa.) Key Note: The quarterfinals (Thursday 7:30 p.m.), semifinals (Friday 11:30 a.m.), consolation finals (5:00 p.m.), and championship finals (7:30 p.m.) will be streamed live at the following link -- http://www.wrestlingreport.com/stream/combined.htm Top Teams (Pennsylvania unless noted): No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J., No. 11 Canon McMillan, No. 26 Central Dauphin, No. 50 Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Norristown, Solanco, and Walsh Jesuit, Ohio Notable Wrestlers (Pennsylvania unless noted): 106: No. 10 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), Zach Elvin (Central Dauphin), Ricky Cavallo (Hempfield), A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg) 113: No. 3 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 19 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional), Brandon Thompson (Solon, Ohio), Sam Krivus (Hempfield), Dalton Macri (Canon McMillan), Jeremy Schwartz (Central Dauphin), Zach Fuentes (Norristown) 120: No. 8 Conner Schram (Canon McMillan), No. 15 Godwin Nyama (Brashear), No. 18 P.J. Klee (Blair Academy, N.J.), Cory Stainbrook (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), Thomas Traxler (Bellefonte) 126: No. 2 Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area), No. 14 Corey Keener (Blue Mountain), No. 17 Max Hvolbek (Blair Academy, N.J.), Eric Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.), Colton Shorts (Canon McMillan), Michael Kostandaras (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) 132: No. 3 Mark Grey (Blair Academy, N.J.), Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin), Colt Cotten (Benton), Mack McGuire (Upper St. Clair), Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Va.) 138: No. 1 Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), No. 5 Todd Preston (Blair Academy, N.J.), Shyheim Brown (Central Dauphin), Fox Baldwin (Oscoela, Fla.), Justin Arthur (Huntington, W.Va.) 145: No. 8 Solomon Chisko (Canon McMillan), No. 9 Anthony Collica (Solon, Ohio), No. 10 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 11 Matt Cimato (LaSalle), No. 19 Ty Lydic (Greater Latrobe) 152: No. 20 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin), Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, N.J.), Casey Kent (LaSalle, Pa.), Peter Galli (St. Paul's, Md.), Kevin Johnson (Forest Park, Va.), Tyler Manion (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) 160: No. 1 Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale), No. 17 Brett Harner (Norristown), Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, N.J.), Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe) 170: No. 5 Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan), Tyler Rill (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.), Shane Springer (Norristown), Connor Moran (Solanco), Adam Bicak (Ripley, W.Va.) 182: Dakota DesLauriers (Burrell), Ryan Burnheimer (Westmont Hilltop), Michael Mocco (Blair Academy, N.J.) 195: No. 13 Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, N.J.), Scott Mohring (Greater Latrobe) 220: No. 9 Thomas Haines (Solanco), David Farr (Blair Academy, N.J.), Alex Campbell (Canon McMillan), Zack DeLuca (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) 285: No. 1 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 16 Cody Klempay (Canon McMillan), Josh Duplin (Westmont Hilltop) History made and upsets abound in Land of Lincoln's showcase event Last week's high school notebook lead was about the extreme depth of the 113 pound weight class. Even with a pair of nationally ranked state champions scratching from the tournament -- No. 10 Matt Garelli (Oak Park Fenwick, Ill.) and No. 12 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.) -- as well as 2010 state champion John Wells (Milton, Wis.) moving up one weight class, the 113 pound weight class remained one of the tournament's main story lines. It included arguably the tournament's most impressive performance in the championship run of Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem, Ill.), who made it three consecutive years in which the host school would earn a weight class title. He advanced to the semifinals with a pair of pins, including one against returning state placer Mark Duda (Marist, Ill.). In that semifinal, Northrup earned a 6-4 upset victory over No. 5 Phillip Laux (Iowa City West, Iowa) on the strength of a first period takedown and third period reversal. The championship final saw Northrup upend yet another state placer in Jordan Laster (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 11-5, one round after Laster defeated defending Dvorak champion Jared Parvinmehr (Barrington, Ill.) by a 2-1 decision in the semfinal. Things went from not good to worse for Laux, as he would lose in the third place match as well, 9-6 to Duda. It was also that kind of tournament for No. 20 Iowa City West, as the Trojans placed only six wrestlers to finish third in the standings with 178.5 points. No. 12 Dakota Bauer, competing at 132 pounds, was their sole champion, and even his journey was imperfect -- struggling to win 4-3 over Chris Garcia (Montini Catholic, Ill.) in a somewhat controversial semifinal match. Two nationally ranked Iowa City West wrestlers were also upended in the championship round. No. 13 Jack Hathaway fell to defeat against No. 5 (at 132) Eddie Klimara (Providence Catholic, Ill.) by a 7-2 score. With that result, Klimara became just the second four-time Dvorak champion joining former teammate Edwin Cooper who won his fourth just last year. Then for the second straight year, No. 7 Justin Koethe was knocked off in the finals at 160 pounds -- coming in to the match with an undefeated record, and facing an unranked wrestler that also had an undefeated record. This year, Koethe entered the match 23-0, the vast majority of those wins coming by first period fall (including three earlier ones in this tournament). However the final was a different story, as returning state runner-up Shaun'Qae McMurtry (Lockport, Ill.) came through with the 6-3 victory. McMurtry would not be the lone champion for Lockport to win a battle of undefeated wrestlers, as No. 7 Brad Johnson did the same at 195 pounds. However, both competitors in this match were nationally ranked, having won state championships and Junior National freestyle All-American honors in the last calendar year. Johnson earned the 6-4 victory over No. 3 Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.), and was also named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. From the team standpoint, No. 29 Montini Catholic, Ill. made it three Dvorak Memorial championships in four years, as the Broncos scored 205.5 points on the strength of nine placers, including seven in the top three. The lone champion was Kevon Powell (120); Laster and Drew Vrebenec (138) finished in second place; while Tommy Pawleski (106), Chris Garcia (132), Conor Winel (170), and Edgar Ruano (220) earned third place finishes. Second in the standings was Marist, Ill. with 182.5 points. Despite having no champions, the Red Hawks had a tournament-high ten placers, including a pair of runner-up finishes from juniors Ethan Benoit (182) and Tom Howell (220). In addition, only one of those place finishers was a senior, Joe Galason who finished seventh at 160 pounds. Fourth in the standings went to Barrington, Ill. with 171 points, eight placers, including a pair of champions in Adrian Gonzalez (106) and Cameron Thomson (170), while fifth went to No. 35 Glenbard North, Ill. with 157 points on the strength of a championship from No. 4 Brian Murphy (152) and seven placers despite the absence of No. 5 Jered Cortez at 120 pounds. Additional weight class champions were Clayton Lutzow (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.) at 138 pounds, No. 7 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) at 145, Ian Johnson (Milton, Wis.) at 182, Mike Swider (Wheaton North, Ill.) at 220, and Rob Bain (Bolingbrook, Ill.) at 285. Medina Invitational Wrestling Tournament Dates: Wednesday, Dec. 28 and Thursday, Dec. 29 Location Medina High School (Medina, Ohio) Top Teams (Ohio unless noted): No. 15 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich., No. 27 Massillon Perry, Lexington, CVCA, and Richmond, Mich. Notable Wrestlers (Ohio unless noted): 106: David Bavery (Massillon Perry), Cody Burcher (Claymont), Ruben Victoria (Mason), Trevor Zdebski (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 113: No. 2 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA), Ryan Hornack (Medina) 120: Calvin Campbell (Lexington), Luke Langdon (Claymont), Stephen Ireland (Richmond, Mich.) 126: Ken Bade (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Trevor Fiorucci (Olentangy), Ryan Murdock (Dublin Coffman) 132: Malik Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Josh Decatur (CVCA), Logan Strope (Lancaster), Devin Skataza (Richmond, Mich.) 138: No. 20 Mitch Newhouse (Massillon Perry), Logan Marcicki (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Anthony Fosco (Olentangy), Garrett Edwards (Richmond, Mich.) 145: No. 16 Jake Faust (Lexington), Alec Mooradian (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Kyle Warner (Claymont), Matt Hammer (Medina), Matt Dobben (CVCA) 152: No. 11 Zack Dailey (Massillon Perry), Alex Bergman (Oak Harbor), Nick Mason (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Colin Rininger (Medina Highland), Justin Stitzlein (West Holmes) 160: Andrew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Nick Corba (Beavercreek) 170: No. 7 Felipe Martinez (Genoa), Vince Pickett (Grove City Central Crossing), Garrick Montgomery (Ashland Crestview) 182: Kevin Beazley (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Adam Kluk (Medina Highland) 195: Joe Tayse (Massillon Perry), Josh Lehner (Lexington), Evan Rosborogh (Painesville Riverside) 220: No. 10 Matt Meadows (CVCA), Greg Sebastian (Richmond, Mich.) 285: Mike Brown (Sandusky), Bryan Young (Olentangy) South Plainfield rallies to set tone in the Garden State The top two nationally ranked teams that compete in NJSIAA wrestling (No. 1 Blair Academy competes in the National Prep championships, not sponsored by the state association) met this past Thursday night, as No. 34 South Plainfield made their way to No. 40 Bergen Catholic's house for a dual meet. With the starting weight being 160, things were set up for Bergen Catholic to start out strong. The match started with Beast of the East runner-up Johnny Sebastian (160) and state alternate Alex Kruklinski (170) securing major decisions for Bergen Catholic. The train would continue rolling with decisions from Luke Iorio (182), Christian Jenco (195), Hunter Kiselick (220), and Carmine Goldstack (285) before a 17-7 major decision from Tyler Casamenti (106) gave them a 24-0 lead heading into the meat of the South Plainfield lineup. Sophomore Ray Jazikoff (113) buffered the momentum and got the Tigers on the board with a 14-4 major decision, before state runner-up No. 10 Troy Heilman (120) scored a pin and two-time undefeated state champion No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (126) earned technical fall to reduce the South Plainfield deficit to 24-15 heading into arguably the key match of the evening at 132 pounds between two-time state qualifier Scott Del Vecchio and two-time state placer Connor Melde, who placed third at the recently completed Beast. With the score tied 2-2 in the second period, the wrestlers butted heads, and Melde was unfortunately not able to continue as he was diagnosed by medical staff to have a concussion. Momentum was firmly with South Plainfield, and the Tigers sealed the dual meet with a first period pin from state placer Tyler Hunt (138), a 7-2 decision from Super32 placer Corey Stasenko (145), and a 13-0 major decision from Dylan Painton (152) to earn the 34-24. The dual meet victory establishes South Plainfield as the early team to beat in the Garden State, and shows the continued relevance that Bergen Catholic will have this year -- especially if/when Melde is able to return to the mats. In addition, they should get back three-time regional qualifier Charlie Mitchell (126) from injury and state qualifier James Dawson (152/160) transitioning back from football at some point during the season. Lowell, Mich. at Glenbard North, Ill. -- nationally ranked teams collide This coming Thursday at noon ET a pair of nationally ranked teams will take to the mats at Glenbard North High School just outside of Chicago, Illinois. The Red Arrows from Lowell, Mich. -- ranked No. 45 nationally -- travel to take on the No. 39 Panthers in a dual meet. Below are the projected matchups. 106: Jack Bailey, L (7th at state) vs. Richard Browne, GN (No. 2 in 3A per IM) 113: TBD, L vs. Chris Gonzalez, GN (No. 9 in 3A per IM) 120: TBD, L vs. No. 5 Jered Cortez, GN (state champion, Junior freestyle All-American) 126: Nate Limmex/Jordan Hall, L (No. 2/10 in D2 at 125 per MG) vs. Jon Marmolejo, GN (state qualifier, Cadet Greco-Roman All-American) 132: Hall/Limmex, L vs. Johnny Gosinski, GN (4th at state) 138: TBD, L vs. Cody Brandle, GN 145: Gabe Morse, L (state champion, FloNationals 8th) vs. Dan Johnson, GN (Dvorak placer) 152: No. 13 Andrew Morse, L (state champion, FloNationals 3rd) vs. No. 4 Brian Murphy, GN (state runner-up, Junior freestyle runner-up) 160: Angus Arthur, L (No. 5 in D2 at 152 per MG) vs. Davis Jimque, GN 170: Kamron Dean, L (state qualifier) vs. David Johnson, GN 182: Jake Stehley, L (state qualifier) vs. Dan Fierro, GN (Dvorak placer) 195: No. 2 Gabe Dean, L (state champion, FloNationals runner-up) vs. Dan Eldridge, GN 220: Garrett Stehley, L (4th at state) vs. Cezar Vega, GN 285: Luke Stephens (state qualifier) vs. Dan McHale, GN **Glenbard North also has junior Mario Rodriguez who could fit in the lineup between 145 and 160, though he did not compete in the Dvorak **MG = Michigan Grappler, IM = Illinois Matmen Brandon asserts superiority in the southeast with Kyle Maynard Duals title This past Wednesday's Kyle Maynard Duals hosted by Collins Hill featured some of the best teams that the southeastern United States brings to the table. However, when the day was said and done, No. 5 Brandon, Fla. stood out as best of them all. Brandon dominated three dual meets in their preliminary pool -- 58-20 over Woodland, Ga., 58-18 over Bremen, Ga., and 45-24 over McCallie, Tenn. -- to advance to a semifinal collision with Soddy Daisy, Tenn., which the Eagles won 45-24. The other standout team of the duals was No. 25 Collins Hill, Ga., who likewise dominated their preliminary pool with three victories -- 54-21 over Manatee, Fla., 69-6 over Cass, Ga., and 60-16 over Peachtree Ridge, Ga. They advanced to the finals with a 43-30 semifinal victory over Baylor, Tenn. In the championship match, Collins Hill scored victories in the three opening matches -- Sean Russell with a forfeit at 106 pounds, Ryan Millhof upending James Flint 3-2 at 113 in a battle of Super32 placers, and Drew Ferguson knocked off Victor Fugate 4-2 at 120. Brandon righted the ship with dominant victories from two of their anchor wrestlers -- No. 7 Rossi Bruno with a pin at 126 and No. 6 Kevin Norstrem with a 12-4 major decision victory over state runner-up Steven Bradtmuller at 132. Collins Hill got a first period pin from Spencer Rickman at 138 before the Brandon barrage of seven straight victories began -- Dakota Greene with a 10-5 victory at 145, Travis Berridge with a first period pin at 152, No. 6 Clark Glass with an 11-3 major decision at 160, Jacob Haydock with a first period pin at 170, Kyle Koziel with a 7-2 victory over Ironman placer Andrew Krawulski at 182, Robert Enmon with the 9-5 win at 195, and Jonathan Sumitt with the 8-2 victory at 220. Super32 placer Zach Carmin did get Collins Hill a victrory at 285 with a first period pin, but by then it was too little and too late. Rumble on the Red Dates: Thursday, Dec. 29 and Friday, Dec. 30 Location Fargo Dome (Fargo, N.D.) Top Teams: No. 35 Scott West, Minn.; Foley, Minn.; West Fargo, N.D.; Jackson County Central, Minn.; Skutt Catholic, Neb. Notable Wrestlers: 106: No. 17 Jared Oftedahl (Benilde St. Margaret's, Minn.), Zach Siegle (Scott West, Minn.), Trevor Westerlund (Albert Lea, Minn.), Thomas Walton (Fargon North, N.D.) 113: Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.), Tristan Manderfield (Foley, Minn.), J.T. Sloboth (Skutt Catholic, Neb.) 120: Brett Stolarzyk (Stewartville, Minn.), Nick O'Brien (Wayzata, Minn.), Griffin Parriott (New London, Minn.), Luke Betchwars (Scott West, Minn.) 126: No. 8 Mitch Bengtson (St. Cloud Apollo, Minn.), Mitch Lexvold (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.), Luke Zilverberg (Scott West, Minn.), Jake Walker (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Keith Thell (Foley, Minn.) 132: No. 4 Thomas Gilman (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Evan Hietpas (Kaukauna, Wis.), Oakley McClain (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.), Ryan Becker (Napoleon, N.D.) 138: Nate Lynn (Adrian, Minn.), Drake Borsgard (Windom, Minn.), Andrew Fogarty (Scott West, Minn.), Anjelo Shepard (West Fargo, N.D.) 145: Gabe Fogarty (Scott West, Minn.), Grant Nehring (St. Cloud Apollo, Minn.), Adam Cooling (Madelia-Truman, Minn.), Brad Maas (Medford, Minn.) 152: No. 8 Jared Reis (Napoleon, N.D.), Curt Maas (Medford, Minn.), Adam Jackson (Rosemount, Minn.), Charlie Pesch (Scott West, Minn.), Zane Sackett (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Travis Holt (Cambridge-Isanti, Minn.) 160: Taylor Lewandowski (Foley, Minn.), Cody Skog (Cambridge-Isanti, Minn.), Darik Vacura (Jackson County Central, Minn.), Grant Randall (Skutt Catholic, Neb.) 170: No. 9 Cooper Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.), Trey Hable (Albert Lea, Minn.), Nick Dvorak (Scott West, Minn.), Tommy Longendyke (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Scott Van De Loo (Kaukauna, Wis.) 182: No. 16 Preston Lehmann (West Fargo, N.D.), Clayton Jennisen (Cambridge-Isanti, Minn.), Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.), 195: Tom Peterson (Lakeville North, Minn.), Adam Josephson (Minneota, Minn.), Jarren Jensen (Rapid City Stevens, S.D.), Drew Johnson (West Fargo, N.D.) 220: No. 4 Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.), Josh Overbecke (Minneota, Minn.), Alex Howard (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Andrew Beine (Napoleon, N.D.) 285: Jerrad Nieland (St. Cloud Tech, Minn.), Kyle Weimann (Elk River, Minn.), Tommy Doeden (Hillsboro, N.D.) Scott West with mild upset over STMA in Gopher State showdown Thursday night also marked a showcase of top 40 teams in the Gopher State, as No. 36 St. Michael-Albertville collided with No. 39 Scott West in a dual meet. St. Michael-Albertville came in having out-pointed Scott West by four points for third place at last weekend's Minnesota Christmas tournament. The dual meet started at 106 pounds, where David Flynn (Scott West) upended Aaron Dick by a 6-4 decision. However, the rest of the lower weights went the way of St. Michael-Albertville, as they won the next five matches, but were only able to get one bonus point victory. No. 11 Tommy Thorn defeated Zach Siegle 8-4 in a match of Cadet freestyle All-Americans at 113 pounds. Then, Scott West gambled and lost, as they moved up two state placers in the lineup. The resulting match between unproven wrestlers at 120 went in favor of STMA, as Colton Schoen earned a 9-1 major decision victory over Phillip Dvorak. The next two matches would now feature four wrestlers that placed in the state tournament, but were matches in which STMA had an on-paper advantage. That advantage held up, as Cole Sladek scored a 10-5 victory over Luke Betchwars at 126, and Mark Voss beat Luke Zilverberg by a narrow 3-2 score at 132. The final result in the five-match win string was a 1-0 decision for Lincoln Mallinger over Andrew Fogarty at 138 pounds, which gave STMA the 16-3 lead through six matches heading into the meat of the Scott West lineup. Scott West would answer with five consecutive wins of their own starting at 145 pounds, where they dropped 152 pound Minnesota Christmas Tournament runner-up Gabe Fogarty into the lineup to get a pin against 2010 state placer Wayne Voss. That reduced the deficit down to 16-9. At 152 pounds, Patrick Dvorak entered the Scott West lineup after not wrestling in the MCT, and earned a 13-2 major decision victory. Then, at 160, state placer Charlie Pesch won 9-4; state qualifier Nick Dvorak scored a second period pin at 170; and Jake Deweese scored a 16-1 technical fall at182 pounds to extend the lead to 27-16. At 195 pounds, St. Michael-Albertville would stem the momentum with a third period pin from MCT placer Mitchell Eull, as Scott West sent out a reserve wrestler in order to bump starters up into the last two weight classes. At 220 pounds, STMA did not have MCT placer Nick Edling, but his backup Bennie Wilson still scored a 6-2 victory over Mike Riker who placed eight at 195 pounds in last week's MCT. Then, in the evening's last match, with a 27-25 dual meet lead, No. 4 (at 220) Michael Kroells sealed the deal for Scott West with a second period pin over MCT placer Michael Kessler.

Jack Spates

The mobile Brute adidas studios will hit the road this Saturday for one of our second LIVE road show of the year. Join Scott Casber and Steve Foster for what has now become a tradition on TDR. We'll talk with the wrestlers during and after practice, the coaches and some of the fans that will be on campus. Our host for the weekend is Tom Brands and his Hawkeyes. We'll broadcast from the wrestling room at Carver Hawkeye Arena. This will be a video and audio program. Please feel free to tune in and listen at Takedownradio.com. We'll tell this story on next weeks edition of TDR TV. Missed an episode of TDR? Now You can get TDR on your PDA or iPhone at Lightsout.tv and at iTunes Please note that Episode 30 of TDR TV is now up on all the top web sites around the country and is available for your viewing. TDR every week! It's appointment Radio! Join us at Takedownradio.com. America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show airs on Supertalk 1570 in Michigan, AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa and on a radio station near you or on line at many of our broadcast partners around the world including Livesportsvideo.com. We air 9 AM to 11 AM CST every Saturday morning and look forward to having you listen in.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Virginia wrestling team, ranked as high as No. 17 nationally, will begin its 2009-10 season this Saturday when it plays host to Anderson and Campbell in a double dual at Memorial Gymnasium. Anderson and Campbell will start the day with a 10 a.m. dual, followed by Virginia facing Anderson at noon. The Cavaliers and Camels will close the day with a 2 p.m. bout. Admission is free to all three matches. Fourth-year head coach Steve Garland welcomes back starters back at eight weight classes from last season and also returns 2009 redshirts Michael Chaires (So., Scotia, N.Y.), Shawn Harris (So., Cleveland, Ohio) and Danny Gonsor (So., Cleveland, Ohio) to the mix. As a team, Virginia is ranked as high as No. 17 nationally in the W.I.N. tournament power index - the team's highest ranking in program history. UVa also is ranked 20th in the preseason InterMat, Amateur Wrestling News and D1Wrestling.net rankings. Six Cavaliers are ranked in the various preseason polls. Chris Henrich (Jr., Lansdale, Pa.) highlights the list of Cavaliers in the individual rankings - he is ranked as high as No. 2 (WIN, D1Wrestling.net) in the 174-pound weight class. Henrich earned All-America honors last season and went 40-3. Brent Jones (Sr., Burke, Va.) is ranked as high as No. 7 at 197 pounds, and Nick Nelson (Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) stands as high as 10th at 141. Michael Chaires (So., Scotia, N.Y.) is 16th in the InterMat rankings at 165 pounds, while Ross Gitomer (Sr., Flemington, N.J.), who is coming back from a season-ending knee injury last year, is 17th in the D1CollegeWrestling.net rankings at 125 pounds. Matt Bonson (So., Lewistown, Pa.) is ranked 21st at 133 pounds by D1CollegeWrestling.net. UVa will welcome several new faces to the mix this weekend. Bloomsburg transfer Matt Snyder (R-Fr., Lewistown, Pa.) and true freshman Matt Cubillos (Schenectady, N.Y.) each are expected to see their first action as Cavaliers at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively, while redshirt freshman Mike Salopek (North Huntingdon, Pa.) is slated to compete at 184 pounds as he takes over for three-time ACC champion Rocco Caponi, who graduated in the spring. Virginia has a challenging November ahead. Next week, the Cavaliers will face No. 16 American as well as Bucknell (with four ranked wrestlers) and Gardner-Webb at the ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill, N.C. Two weeks later UVa will square off with No. 13 Central Michigan, perennial power Hofstra and Sacred Heart at the Northeast Duals in Albany, N.Y. Anderson (S.C.) is ranked 10th in the preseason NCAA Division II Super Region I poll. At 133 pounds, Chris Francis is ranked sixth, while J.J. Jackson is ranked third in the region at 157 pounds. Jackson finished 16-8 last season after earning a spot at the NCAA Championships. Luis Audelo is ranked sixth at 197 pounds. The teams last met in the 2007-08 season opener, a 45-3 UVa win at Mem Gym. The Cavaliers own a 2-0 series advantage. Campbell went 8-10 last season and finished fifth in the East Region Championships. Parker Burns (197) and Khiry Reid (285) each finished as runners-up at the region championships. The Camels suffered at 32-9 loss to Virginia last season in Buies Creek, N.C. UVa holds a 2-0 edge in the all-time series.

Balancing a successful wrestling career at a young age is extremely demanding. As one of the toughest sports to compete in and train for the commitment is one few at a young age can do it. Not far behind when it comes to the amount of work athletes have to put in is swimming. For one of the most successful 14-year-old wrestlers, Michael Johnson Jr., it's all in a day's work. Michael Johnson Jr.Johnson, who won 17 national and state wrestling tournaments through 2009, showed his parents his interest in the sport at a very early age. "When Michael was about two years old he was able to turn the TV on by himself," said Michael Johnson Sr. "He had the remote and he stopped on a Northwestern (Wildcat) wrestling meet. When his mom came into the room, he was holding the remote, watching the TV, and was kind of moving back and forth watching the match. Then right before Thanksgiving the whole extended family was in the kitchen except for Grandpa -- who was sleeping on a pillow on the floor -- and Michael. We heard Michael screaming out there with his grandpa so we all ran out there. He had a half nelson on his grandpa who was asleep and he was running in place trying to turn him over." Already involved in competitive swimming, the kid from Downers Grove, Illinois started his wrestling career, but not without some conditions put in place by his mother, Jane, who made a deal with him in kindergarten. If Michael could get "all pluses" on his report card he could be involved in both sports. Michael took the deal and didn't look back. He has never fallen below the standard set by his mom and is now a straight-A student. Success in the classroom didn't translate into immediate success on the mat. "I liked it, but I wasn't good at it at all," said the younger Johnson. "I was frustrated when I was little and thought about quitting, but I stuck with it." While it might not have come easy, a change in wrestling associations gave him the lift he needed. "Michael was in four-year-old preschool and was wrestling kids that were in second and third grade," said his dad. "It was ugly, but he went to a wrestling camp and he had such a good time that we ended up changing clubs to accommodate his swimming and when we changed clubs we saw drastic improvements." He was in an organization that took wrestling more seriously and allowed him to wrestle kids closer to his age with positive results. "When he changed clubs, the wrestling was a lot more serious," said Michael Johnson Sr. "Almost all the kids were state placewinners or state qualifiers. They did freestyle and Greco and the expectations were different. He started beating kids he wouldn't even see because he wouldn't get deep enough into tournaments. Kids who would routinely tech and pin him now he was beating." While the club and age group switch helped, the real reason behind Johnson Jr.'s success was something you can't get from any club or organization. It was his work ethic. "There were guys on my team that were more talented than me," said Michael Johnson Jr. "They just got it faster. But I always wanted to learn more and I worked harder than most kids." Israel Martinez"He has a great focus for the sport," said Israel Martinez, who was recently hired as the head wrestling coach at Montini Catholic High School in Illinois. Martinez has been coaching Johnson Jr. on and off almost Johnson Jr.'s whole career. The last six months Martinez has been Johnson Jr.'s main wrestling coach. "He is a world-class Olympic-style weight lifter," said Martinez, who finished his high school wrestling career in Illinois with a record of 118-1, losing only one match due to an illegal slam. "He is unbelievably strong. If he doesn't make the Olympics one day as a wrestler, I truly believe he could make it as a weightlifter." Michael Johnson Jr. is a three-time Illinois weightlifting champion and won a national title weightlifting, but wanting to be the best wrestler he could be, getting into the freestyle and Greco Roman styles was a given. It took some time, but Johnson Jr. soon was competing at a high level in all three styles. "I read about Brandon, Florida and all the state champs, and Fargo champs, and that really motivated me to do freestyle and Greco," said Johnson Jr. "The first year I did it, I didn't really get it. It is a lot different than folkstyle with a lot faster pace. The third year I did it, I started to get it. It took me a while to get used to being able to lock your hands on top and rolling for points -- what in folkstyle is a bad position is scoring in freestyle and Greco was tough to do." Soon his career started to take off. Twice he has won the USA Wrestling's Triple Crown (a national title in all three styles of wrestling) -- once at Novice and once at the Schoolboy levels. It was a gradual progression, but Johnson Jr. and his dad both pointed to one tournament where he started to turn the corner. "There was one tournament series when I started beating better kids," recalled Johnson Jr. "It was the Boarder Wars Nationals." As he became more successful in wrestling, his swimming career had to be revised. "A year or two ago, Michael realized he was a wrestler who love to swim, not a swimmer who loved to wrestle," said Michael's father. With the schedule he held at the time and the modifications he had to make, many athletes would have dropped one sport or the other, but Johnson Jr. isn't built that way. "Up until last summer when he broke his ankle, it wasn't hard to make the argument that he was a better swimmer than wrestler. When he was in fourth grade we had to switch swim teams because there was a swimming and wrestling conflict. He had to start his swimming workouts on his own. He would wake me up in the morning and we would go a swim workout at the YMCA." While training before the Greco-Roman state championships, Johnson Jr. broke his foot. It caused him to keep swimming on the back burner and put competing at State in serious jeopardy. "He did therapy every day," said Michael Johnson Sr. "He really wanted to make freestyle and Greco Nationals," said his father. "He really wanted to go bad and if there was a way we will go, but it really didn't look like he was going to be able to go. We ended up taping up his ankle and winning the Triple Crown at Schoolboy Nationals. He pretty much wrestled on one leg." Before the tournament he would ice his ankle constantly and during the tournament he would get it taped up by a college trainer. In between matches he would go back to the hotel and soak it in ice water. "Greco was easier than freestyle because people weren't attacking it," said Johnson Jr. "There was one kid that would stomp on it and stuff, but I just had to deal with it and just not let it phase me." That kind of effort and determination doesn't come as a surprise to Martinez. "He lifts weights four times a week," said Martinez. "He swims. He's just a worker. He goes to swimming, then he goes to wrestling, then he goes home and gets his work done. I don't know how many kids are that focused. To do all those things at a high level, it tells you about his work ethic." On the mat, Johnson Jr. feels he is strongest while on his feet and in the top position. "I do a sweep single on the feet and I do a really good wing and arm bar series." "He moves great for a big guy," said Martinez. "He has great motion and great position. When he really grows into his body he is going to be a phenomenal athlete." With such a commitment to athletics, the people around Johnson Jr. might worry about burnout. Johnson Jr. has never given anyone an indication that it will be a concern. "He will walk out of a really intense wrestling practice, his shirt will be soaked, almost like he just got out of a pool," said his father. "He will walk out of the practice and he will have a big smile on his face. He really loves to wrestle." With aspirations of wrestling at the international level as his career moves forward, his swimming, weightlifting, and wrestling schedules will have to continue to be full. The kind of drive Johnson Jr. has shown throughout his athletic career has not given any indication that he will have any issues balancing his ever-expanding world. Three styles of wrestling, swimming at a high level, and competitive weightlifting -- for Johnson Jr., it's just all in a day's work.

USAFA, Colo. -- The Air Force wrestling team gave fans a preview of the 2009-10 season with its annual Blue-Silver Intrasquad Match, held Thursday evening in Clune Arena. The Blue team prevailed, 18-13, as the competitors battled for spots in the Falcons’ starting lineup heading into the season. The first bout of the night came at 125 pounds, where returning starter Andrew Zwirlein (Jr., Nashotah, Wis.) faced off against senior Samuel Sheppard (Ramstein AB, Germany). While Zwirlein’s only points of the match came from a pair of takedowns in the opening period, it proved to be enough, as he was able to hold on for the 4-3 decision, giving the Blue team a 3-0 lead in the match. At 133 pounds, returning letterwinner Tyler Untrauer (So., Midwest City, Okla.) battled rookie Ethan Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) to an 8-7 decision. Untrauer rolled to a 7-1 advantage after one period, but Martinez climbed back into the match, scoring an escape and a takedown in the second period, and earning penalty points after stall warning and cautions against Untrauer. Despite adding just over a minute of riding time, Martinez could not overcome his early deficit, as Untrauer picked up the decision for the Blue team. Freshman Cole VonOhlen (Jackson, Minn.) made it three wins in a row for the Blue team, picking up a decision over Derek Gillespie (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.). After a scoreless opening period, Gillespie notched the first point of the match with an escape near the end of the second period. VonOhlen tied the score with an escape of his own early in the third period and added a takedown to take the lead. With over two minutes of riding time, VonOhlen took the 4-2 victory. The Silver team captured its first victory of the night at 149 pounds, as sophomore Alec Williams (Birmingham, Ala.) scored a 9-1 major decision over classmate Tanner Weltzin (Alexandria, Minn.). After registering a takedown in the opening period, Williams rode out Weltzin for the duration of the second period. He then scored seven points in the final period, including a three-point near fall. Freshman Taylor Hollister (Colorado Springs, Colo.) put the Blue team back in the win column with a 10-3 decision over sophomore Samuel Mitchel (Peru, Ind.) at 157 pounds. Hollister scored four takedowns and accumulated nearly three minutes of riding time as he helped the Blue team extend its advantage to 12-4. In the next match, Joseph Stafford (Jr., Loomis, Calif.) went up against senior captain Justin Shadrix (Bremen, Ga.) at 165 pounds. It was a close battle, as Shadrix used a takedown and a reversal to score a 4-3 decision over Stafford. With his victory, Shadrix got the Silver team back within five points in the team scoring at 12-7. The 174-pound bout saw the return of senior Tyler French (Malta, Mont.), a 2008 NCAA qualifier who missed the latter half of the 2008-09 season due to injury. French went head-to-head with fellow senior Joshua Smith (Orem, Utah). Through the first two periods of action, the only point came on an escape by Smith. However, French opened the third period with a reversal and stayed in control for most of the period before Smith scored another escape. While the score was tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation, French was awarded an extra point with nearly two minutes of riding time, earning a 3-2 win for the Blue team. Next up was a match-up between freshman Josh Mohr (Pewaukee, Wis.) and senior James Ciccone (Mentor, Ohio) at 184 pounds. Ciccone took a 6-4 lead after the first period, scoring two takedowns and a reversal, while adding an escape in the second period. While Mohr was able to start out strong in the final period, tying the score at 9-9, Ciccone registered the last four points, including a point for riding time, to take the 13-9 decision for the Silver team. Juniors Neil Delaney (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Josh Larson (Windsor, Colo.) met in the 197-pound match, with Delaney winning a 3-1 decision. Delaney scored a takedown and an escape during the bout, while Larson’s lone point came from accumulating 1:16 of riding time. With the win, Delaney helped ice the Blue team’s victory, giving it an insurmountable 18-10 advantage. In the final match, rookie Jared Erickson (Newton, Utah) faced off against senior Stephen Larson (Lakeville, Minn.). After a scoreless opening period, Larson got on the board with an escape and a takedown. While Erickson opened the final period with an escape, Larson added a takedown and an extra point for riding time in a 6-2 decision, as the Silver team cut the final margin to 18-13. The Falcons’ season officially starts next weekend, Nov. 14, when the team heads to Laramie, Wyo., for the annual Cowboy Open, hosted by Wyoming.

Lincoln -- The defending Big 12 champion Nebraska wrestling team begins a new year of competition as the Huskers host the annual wrestle-offs on Friday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., at the Devaney Center Indoor Track. The free event is held in conjunction with Nebraska’s Fall Coaches Clinic, and will assist the Husker coaching staff in determining NU’s starting lineup for the 2009-10 season. The Huskers finished 2008-09 with a 17-3-1 record, including a share of the Big 12 title and their second straight fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Nebraska returns a pair of All-Americans from last year’s squad, including 157-pound national champion Jordan Burroughs and 197-pound NCAA runner-up Craig Brester. The Huskers also welcome back 2008 All-American Stephen Dwyer at 174 pounds and 2009 NCAA qualifier Tucker Lane at Heavywight. Behind its four returning national qualifiers, Nebraska is ranked No. 7 in InterMat’s preseason top 25 poll. Eight opponents on the 2009-10 schedule are also in the rankings. Fans will be able to pick up free posters and schedule cards at the wrestle-offs. This year’s poster features a taste of the 2009 NCAA Championships, an event co-hosted by the University of Nebraska at Qwest Center Omaha from March 18-20. The 2009-10 Nebraska wrestling media and recruiting guide will be available for free online this Friday. It can also be purchased for $5 at the Huskers’ first regular season dual on Sunday, Nov. 15, when NU hosts the Wisconsin Badgers at the NU Coliseum at 1 p.m.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The 101st season of Lehigh wrestling officially gets underway Sunday as the 19th-ranked Mountain Hawks host the Rider Broncs. The Mountain Hawks are coming off a school single-season record 23-1 dual season last year and will be looking to improve on a second place EIWA finish and 28th place NCAA Championships finish. Lehigh will send eight returning starters to the mat today, including five nationally ranked grapplers. The Mountain Hawks will open things up against a Rider squad that went 8-7 in duals last year. Head coach Gary Taylor ranks second among Division I active coaches in career dual wins (346) and his Broncs team features a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. After 100 seasons, Lehigh’s all-time dual meet record stands at 808-380-22, which ranks sixth among all Division I wrestling programs. Lehigh has won at least 12 duals in each of the last ten seasons. The Lehigh lineup that will take the mat on Sunday is very similar to the one that started and ended last season. Eight of Lehigh’s ten opening day and EIWA tournament starters return with the exceptions being at 149 and 174. There was heavy competition to replace Trevor Chinn at 149 with senior Brian Tanen having earned the first shot at a weight that still has not been decided. Tanen competed at 157 last year, going 12-8 and 2-0 in duals. At 174, deferred freshman Robert Hamlin defeated junior Alex Caruso twice in wrestle-offs to win the opening day nod. Hamlin was Lehigh’s Deferred Wrestler of the Year last year, winning 30 bouts and placing in the top three of five open tournaments. Sunday’s dual marks the season opener for the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh defeated Maryland to win its season opener last season, snapping a two-opener losing streak. The Mountain Hawks have opened their dual season against Rider twice, defeating the Broncs at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall in 2005 and losing in New Jersey in 2006. Rider is also opening its dual season Sunday afternoon. The Broncs are coming off an 8-7 dual season where they finished third in the CAA and tied for 32nd at the NCAA Championships. Gary Taylor enters his 32nd season as head coach and holds the second most dual meet wins among Division I coaches. Rider graduated All-American Doug Umbehauer, but returns two ranked wrestlers in Michael Kessler (No. 18 at 149) and Ed Bordas (No. 19 at 285). Lehigh leads the all-time series against Rider, having won 13 of the previous 18 meetings. Rider’s most recent victory came in the 2006-07 season opener. Lehigh owns a 7-3 record versus the Broncs in duals wrestled in Bethlehem, with Rider not having won at Lehigh since 1994. The Lehigh-Rider match gets underway at 2 p.m. from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting the Lehigh Ticket Office located in Grace Hall.

NORMAN, Okla. -- In its final preseason event of the season, the University of Oklahoma's wrestling squad saw the Red team dominate the White squad by a 27-6 final margin at the annual Red/White scrimmage in Norman Thursday evening. "I thought this was a good outing for us," head coach Jack Spates said. "This team has to improve in several areas, but in reality you have to remember this is the beginning of the season and guys will get better. Tonight was the first time this year our guys have been under the lights and we have identified where we need to get better." The evening began with a defensive battle at 125 pounds between redshirt freshman Justin Forrest and true freshman Jarrod Patterson. Patterson struck first late in the opening period with a takedown to lead 2-0. Patterson added an escape in the second and only surrendered an escape point to Forrest in the third to take the victory, 3-1, and give the White team a 3-0 advantage. The 133-pound bout was decided late in the third period between a pair of freshmen, Nick Lester and Alex Ekstrom. Lester led 6-2 in the final period after two early takedowns before Ekstrom stormed back with a takedown and nearfall to steal the advantage, 7-6. With just 25 seconds remaining, Lester reclaimed the lead with a reversal and held on to win 9-7 after riding time, tying the team scores at three. Zack Bailey then recorded the victory at 141 pounds over Kendric Maple with a takedown in each of the first two periods. Maple was only able to post an escape in the final stanza to give Bailey a 6-1 win after riding time. Defending Big 12 champion Kyle Terry controlled the 149-pound bout, blanking Matt Lester by a 7-0 margin. The Midwest City, Okla., product posted a takedown in the first and second periods and added a reversal in the third to win 7-0 after riding time and give the Red team a 9-3 lead. Next up was the 157-pound bout, and for the second match in a row a Terry came out on top. Chad Terry, twin brother of Kyle, posted a narrow win over fellow senior Shane Vernon, 5-4. After a scoreless opening period, Terry struck first with a reversal after choosing the down position to begin the second. Vernon quickly countered with a reversal of his own to tie the match at two. A Terry escape to end the second period gave the Midwest City, Okla., product a 3-2 lead. Vernon took back the lead, 4-3, with a reversal after choosing the down position to start the final stanza. Terry then recorded another reversal with 38 seconds to go to take the win, 5-4. At 165 pounds, freshman Tyler Caldwell posted a 4-1 victory over redshirt sophomore Derek Peperas. Caldwell used a takedown in the first and an escape in the second to lead 3-0 entering the third. Peperas posted an escape in the third but could not overcome the early deficit, bringing the White team back within six points, 12-6. Junior Jeff James then posted an impressive 16-3 major decision win over Nolan McBryde at 174 pounds. The El Reno, Okla., product posted four takedowns and two nearfalls to defeat the freshman, extending Red's lead to 16-6. Sooner fans witnessed a battle at 184 pounds between Erich Schmidtke and Ian Daube. Schmidtke jumped out to an early 4-2 lead after the first period off two takedowns, but Daube pulled back to within one, 5-4, with a takedown in the second. Schmidtke put the match out of reach with 13 seconds left in the match with a takedown to win 7-5, giving the Red team a 19-6 advantage. Eric Lapotsky took the drama out of the 197-pound bout with a 15-0 blanking over Keldrick Hall. Lapotsky, a senior from Mt. Carmel, Pa., recorded two takedowns and four nearfalls on the night. After a scoreless first period in the heavyweight match, Joe Bach posted the bout's first points over Nathan Fernandez in the second frame with an escape. After choosing the down position to begin the third period, Fernandez recorded a reversal to lead 2-1. The Lawton, Okla., native held on to win, 3-1, after riding Bach the remainder of the final period. "I am pleased about this evening, but now it is time to go against someone else," Spates said. "Our guys will get back in the room and focus on getting better. We look forward to the start of the season." The Sooners will begin the 2009-10 campaign on the road next Wednesday, Nov. 11 when they travel to Edmond to take on the University of Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS 125: Jarrod Patterson (White) dec. Justin Forrest (Red), 3-1 133: Nick Lester (Red) dec. Alex Ekstrom (White), 9-7 141: Zack Bailey (Red) dec. Kendric Maple (White), 6-1 149: Kyle Terry (Red) dec. Mat Lester (White), 7-0 157: Chad Terry (Red) dec. Shane Vernon (White), 5-4 165: Tyler Caldwell (White) dec. Derek Peperas (Red), 4-1 174: Jeff James (Red) maj. dec. Nolan McBryde (White), 16-3 184: Erich Schmidtke (Red) dec. Ian Daube (White), 7-5 197: Eric Lapotsky (Red) tech fall Keldrick Hall (White), 15-0 HWT: Nathan Fernandez (Red) dec. Joe Bach (White), 3-1

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Over 2,400 fans packed Rec Hall to get a first look at the start of a new era in Penn State Wrestling as the team held an intrasquad dual meet. Head coach Cael Sanderson showcased 22 wrestlers in an 11-bout dual meet with no team scores kept. The outstanding crowd got its first look at Penn State's returning veterans, four All-Americans and a talented crop of true freshmen. The evening began with a surprise at 174, where red-shirt freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) posted a convincing 6-2 win over senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio). True freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) followed that up with a rousing 10-1 major decision over J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.) at 184. In an exhibition bout at 184, Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) posted a solid 8-2 win over sophomore David Crowell (Easton, Pa.), notching three takedowns in the win. True freshman Luke Macchiaroli (Tempe, Ariz.) notched a 5-3 win at 197 over sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.), getting the bout's only takedown in the opening period. Two ranked Nittany Lions then posted two dominating performances as sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at HWT, posted a 15-0 decision over Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) at the 7:00 mark. No. 8 Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) was brilliant in a 16-1 technical fall over Tom Reynolds (Skillman, N.J.) in just 3:17 at 125. In a spirited bout at 133, sophomore Tyler Saltsman (Concord, N.H.) notched a takedown with just :03 left in sudden victory time to post a 6-4 (SV) win over Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.). A bout of cramps in his right calf forced sophomore Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) to injury default against senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.), who lead 2-0 at the time of the default. All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 141, was convincing with a 12-4 major over James English (York, Pa.) at 149. Senior All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, then faced true freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) at 157 and came away with a hard-fought 11-4 win. True freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.) used a last-second takedown to post a 4-3 win over No. 9 Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) at 165 to close out a rousing evening. Penn State opens up the dual meet season at Lehigh on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. Penn State's first home dual is slated for Sunday, Nov. 15, at noon when the Bloomsburg Huskies invade Rec Hall. Penn State Wrestling season tickets for the 2009-10 season are on sale now. The five-event package (which does not include the Nittany Lion Open) costs $30 for adults ($6 per event) and $25 for youth ($5 per event). Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $5 in advance and $6 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC(1390 AM) and on GoPSUsports. com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. #14 Penn State Hosts Intrasquad Dual Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa. 174: Justin Ortega dec. David Erwin, 6-2 184: Ed Ruth maj. dec. J.R. Brown, 10-1 Exhib 184: Quentin Wright dec. David Crowell, 8-2 197: Luke Macchiaroli dec. Clay Steadman, 5-3 285: #20 Cameron Wade tech. fall Brendan Herlihy, 15-0 (7:00) 125: #8 Brad Pataky tech. fall Tom Reynolds, 16-1 (3:17) 133: Tyler Saltsman dec. Bryan Pearsall, 6-4 (SV) 141: Adam Lynch inj. def. Colby Pisani, (Pisani cramping) 149: #6 Frank Molinaro maj. dec. James English, 12-4 157: #5 Cyler Sanderson dec. David Taylor, 11-4 165: Jake Kemerer dec. #9 Dan Vallimont, 4-3 Final Score: No team scores kept Attendance: 2,400 (appx.) Records: Penn State 0-0, 0-0 Big Ten Up next: Penn State visits Lehigh to open up the 2009-10 season on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 174: Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), coming off a season missed with an injury, met freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) at 174. Erwin went on offense early and notched his first takedown at the 2:40 mark and led 2-1 after an Ortega escape. The senior then countered an Ortega shot to nearly notch another takedown, but Ortega forced a stalemate with 1:00 left in the period. Erwin had one final shot at points as the period ended but could not score. Trailing 2-1, Ortega chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Erwin continued to be the aggressor, but Ortega's defense kept the senior from putting any more points on the scoreboard. Ortega got hit with a first stall warning with 1:00 left in the second period. Ortega lifted Erwin with just :20 left and took the senior down for a 4-2 lead as the second period ended. Erwin chose down to start the third stanza but could not work out from a strong Ortega ride. Erwin gave up a stall point as well and Ortega broke open a 5-2 lead. The red-shirt freshman picked up a riding time point to post a convincing 6-2 win. 184: Sophomore J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.) took on true freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) at 184. Ruth wasted no time notching an early takedown, quickly opening up a 2-0 lead just :14 into the bout. Brown escaped after a :22 Ruth ride to cut the lead to 2-1 and action returned to the center of the mat. The Harrisburg native added a second takedown midway through the period and then put together a strong ride to build up a 1:44 riding time edge while riding Brown out. Leading 4-1, Ruth chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. The freshman then worked his way quickly around Brown to gain control of the bout with a third takedown, leading 7-1 with 1:30 left in the middle period. Ruth was dominating on top, not allowing Brown any room to maneuver on his way to another ride out. Ruth led 7-1 with an assured riding time point thanks to a 3:16 advantage. Brown chose neutral to start the third period, but Ruth quickly added another takedown with a quick counter to a Brown shot. Leading 9-1 with just over a minute left, Ruth began looking for a way to turn the Bellefonte native to his back for bonus points. Brown was able to keep his shoulders off the mat, but Ruth's dominating performance on top led to another ride out and a convincing 10-1 major decision (with the riding time point). Ex. 184: All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) in an exhibition bout at 184. Wright, a 2009 All-American at 174, met sophomore David Crowell (Easton, Pa.). Crowell had the first opening in the high-energy bout, but Wright was able to counter, step over the talented sophomore, and gain control for a takedown of his own and a 2-0 lead with 1:07 left. Wright maintained control over Crowell for the rest of the opening period to take a 2-0 lead into the second stanza. Wright chose down and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Wingate native then immediately turned into Crowell, looking for another scoring opportunity. But Crowell was equal to the task, looking for his own chances to score while keeping Wright from building on his lead. But a quick high single from Wright with just :17 left in the period gave the All-American a 5-0 lead as the period ended. Down 5-0, Crowell chose down to start the final stanza and quickly escaped to a 5-1 deficit. Wright worked a strong, low double leg to up his lead to 7-1 with just over :30 left and secured his riding time point in the process. Crowell added an escape as the bout wound down to cut into Wright's lead. Wright walked away with a solid 8-2 win. 197: Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) took to the mat at 197 against true freshman Luke Macchiaroli (Tempe, Ariz.). Macchiaroli got the first takedown of the bout, finishing off a low double on the edge of the mat with just :45 left in the opening bout. Steadman escaped quickly to cut the lead to 2-1 with just over :30 left and action resumed, neutral, in the center circle. Steadman chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie with 1:54 left in the period. Steadman took a low shot but Macchiaroli deftly countered, worked his way around the sophomore and got a second takedown to up his lead to 4-3 after a quick Steadman escape. Steadman quickly turned into Macchiaroli, looking to finish a high single. But the true freshman forced a stalemate to keep his lead with :40 left on the clock. Leading 4-3, Macchiaroli chose down to start the third period and escaped after :40 work to up his lead to 5-3. Steadman looked to score off a reset with :40 left, but Macchiaroli was able to fight off the move (although he picked up a stall warning in the process). Macchiaroli held on for a 5-3 win. 285: Sophomore heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at HWT, met senior Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.). Wade finished off a single leg to get the bout's first takedown and lead 2-0 at the 1:17 mark. The sophomore then quickly turned Herlihy to his back for three back points and a 5-0 lead. He then rode the senior out to take a 5-0 lead into the second period. Herlihy chose neutral to start the second period. Wade added a second takedown after a Herlihy stall and led 7-0 with just over :30 left in the period. Herlihy gave up a stall point as the period ended and Wade led 8-0 after two periods. Wade chose down to start the final stanza and escaped to a 9-0 lead. Wade countered a Herlihy shot and got his own takedown with 1:10 left, adding another three point near fall to lead 14-0 with :34 left in the bout. Wade then rode Herlihy out, added the riding time point, and notched a 15-0 technical fall at the 7:00 mark. 125: Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) took on freshman Tom Reynolds (Skillman, N.J.) at 125. Pataky will enter the 2009-10 season ranked No. 8 by Intermat. Pataky wasted no time in getting his first takedown, taking a 2-0 lead just over :10 into the bout. He quickly turned Reynolds for three near fall points and led 5-0 with 2:12 left. After resetting, Pataky added a two point near fall move and was up 7-0. Pataky added another two point turn and led 9-0 with 1:00 left. Pataky picked up one more two point near fall point before Reynolds escaped to an 11-1 deficit with :40 left. Pataky was undaunted, adding one more takedown to lead 13-1 with 2:25 in riding time after one period. Pataky chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 14-1 lead. Pataky added a final takedown to post a 16-1 technical fall at the 3:17 mark. 133: The 133-pound bout featured redshirt freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) taking on sophomore Tyler Saltsman (Concord, N.H.). Pearsall notched the first takedown after a mad scramble on the edge of the mat with 1:24 left, taking a 2-0 lead. Pearsall was able to ride Saltsman for the rest of the period, not allowing the New Hampshire native off the mat to lead 2-0 heading into the second stanza. Pearsall then chose down and escaped to a 3-0 lead with 1:30 left in the middle period. Pearsall began playing defense and Saltsman made the freshman pay, getting a takedown and two near fall points with a swift move as the second period ended. The four point move allowed Saltsman to lead 4-3 heading into the third period. Saltsman chose down to start the final stanza but Pearsall was too strong, building up a large riding time edge to secure a riding time point and maintaining control for the full two minutes. Pearsall's riding time point tied the bout at 4-4, forcing a sudden victory period. Saltsman used a strong high double with just :03 left to pull out a thrilling 6-4 sudden victory win. 141: Sophomore Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) met senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) at 141. Pisani was hampered from the get go by sever cramping in his right calf, delaying action while the Penn State training staff worked to try and get him ready to go. Pisani tried to return to action, Lynch notched the first takedown, countering a Pisani shot and taking a 2-0 lead with :45 left. Pisani then cramped again and the Penn State training staff and coaching staff stopped the bout, giving Lynch the injury default win. 149: Sophomore All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 141, took on freshman James English (York, Pa.) at 149. Molinaro wasted no time in getting the first takedown, working English to the mat for a 2-1 lead (after an escape. Molinaro countered an English attempt at a quick pin and upped his lead to 4-1 with 1:18 left in a furious opening period. Another English escape cut the lead to 4-2. Molinaro used a quick move behind English to up his lead to 6-2 after the first period with 1:13 in riding time. Molinaro chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. The sophomore All-American continued to pour on the offense, adding a fourth takedown at the 1:10 mark to up his lead to 9-2. Trailing 9-2, English chose down to begin the final period and escaped to a 9-3 deficit. English looked to score, trying a low single on Molinaro, but the Lion sophomore used his quickness to work behind the freshman for a fifth takedown and an 11-3 lead. English escaped with :22 left to cut Molinaro's lead to 11-4, but the Lion All-American had secured a riding time point with over 3:00 in time. The riding time point allowed Molinaro to post a convincing 12-4 major decision. 157: 2008 All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, met true freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio). Sanderson made his first seconds on a Rec Hall mat count with a sizzling four point move (takedown and two near fall points) right out of the gates against Taylor. Sanderson added a second takedown and two more near fall points to up his lead to 8-1 with 1:21 left in the period. A third takedown with :40 left gave Cyler a 10-3 lead after a Taylor escape. Leading 10-3, Sanderson chose down to start the second period. Taylor was able to ride Sanderson for nearly a minute before the All-American was able to escape to an 11-3 lead. Trailing 11-3 and needing back points, Taylor chose top to start the third period and nearly turned the senior for back points right off the opening whistle. But Sanderson was able to fight back to parallel and keep his eight-point lead. Taylor put together a very strong ride, maintaining control of Sanderson while trying to lock in on a cradle. But Sanderson was able to fight off every Taylor scoring effort and wind out the period. The strong ride out allowed Taylor to work up a 1:41 riding time edge and keep the bout to a regular decision. Still, Sanderson's sizzling start allowed the All-American to walk away with an 11-4 decision. 165: 2008 All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, met true freshman Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa.). The talented duo traded early shots with neither wrestler breaking through to score in the first period. Tied at 0-0, Kemerer chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Like the first period, neither grappler was able to find an opening to mount a serious scoring threat and Kemerer kept a 1-0 lead heading into the final period. Vallimont chose down to start the third stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. The senior All-American then took a 3-2 lead with a solid takedown (and Kemerer escape) with 1:15 left. Kemerer worked to score himself and, with just :05 left, finished off a strong high double to post a thrilling 4-3 win over the All-American Vallimont.