InterMat Staff

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Clinging to a 10-9 lead after the first five bouts, Bucknell rattled off five straight wins to roll to a 28-9 victory over East Stroudsburg in EIWA wrestling action on Friday evening in Davis Gym. With the win, the Bison move to 8-10-1 on the year and 3-3 in the EIWA, while the Warriors fall to 3-11, 2-4 in the EIWA. To begin the night, sophomore Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area), who is currently ranked 19th nationally at 165 pounds, recorded his 50th career win. Rendos posted a 15-2 major decision over Joe Schick, his 10th of the season, to remain undefeated in EIWA matches at 6-0. Sophomore Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) followed up by blanking Shane Mallory, 6-0, in the 174-pound bout for his 13th straight duals win. He is now 14-1 in duals and 5-0 against EIWA foes. Freshman David Thompson (West Liberty, Ohio/Graham Local) stretched Bucknell's lead to 10-0 with his win at 184, a 9-2 decision versus Tom Pagano. Despite the strong start for the Orange and Blue, East Stroudsburg managed to pull within a point of the Bison at 10-9 following wins at 197 and heavyweight. Dave Williams pinned freshman Charlie Wonsettler (Scenery Hill, Pa./Bentworth) in 3:14 and sophomore George Hingson (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) dropped a 9-3 decision to Chris Birchler. Greg Hart (Bedminster, N.J./Bernards) put Bucknell back on track with his victory in the 125-pound bout. The sophomore registered a 12-4 major decision against Matthew Benedetti to push the Bison advantage to 14-9. In the 133-pound match-up, sophomore David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Central), who is currently ranked 18th nationally, added three more points for the Orange and Blue by logging a 9-6 win over Matt Swallow. Then sophomore Luke Chohany (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita) recorded a dramatic come-from-behind victory wrestling at 141 against Sean Carr. Chohany trailed 4-1 early in the first, but cut his deficit to two, closing out the opening period with an escape. He crept closer with another escape in the second and picked up the riding time point to tie the score at four. With 25 seconds left in the first overtime period, Chohany registered a takedown for the 6-4 win that preserved his perfect EIWA record (5-0). After a high-scoring opening period, freshman Kevin LeValley (Hugo, Colo./Limon) clinched the win for Bucknell with a 22-6 technical fall over Jesse Dunn, 4:27 into the 149-pound bout. Sophomore Brantley Hooks (Spartanburg, S.C./James F. Byrnes) then closed out the meet with a 6-4 decision against Kyle Hesselpoth at 157. The Bison will be back in action this Sunday as the squad will face American in its final home meet of the 2007-08 season, beginning at 1 p.m. in Davis Gym.

ATHENS, OHIO -- The West Virginia University wrestling team defeated Ohio University, 28-13, in a non-conference match on Friday, Feb. 15, in Athens, Ohio. The Mountaineers (7-4, 3-1 EWL) won seven of 10 matches against the Bobcats in a meet that began at 174 pounds. Junior Kurt Brenner (184) started WVU off with a 10-8 decision in overtime over Erik Schuth of Ohio. Brenner scored two takedowns in the first period and led 7-6 through two periods until Schuth scored a takedown near the end of regulation to force overtime. Brenner recorded a takedown with five seconds left in the extra session to get his 12th win of the season. No. 14 Jared Villers (197) had another strong showing, earning his third consecutive technical fall after defeating Chris Iammarino, 15-0. Villers recorded eight near fall points during the match and scored a takedown with 34 seconds left to give WVU five team points. No. 20 Dustin Rogers (HWT) also wrestled impressively after garnering a 12-5 decision over Jason Marshall. Rogers recorded five takedowns throughout the match and fell one point shy of a major decision, but earned 1:53 riding time to improve to 8-4 this season. Kyle Turnbull (125) got his first major decision of the season by defeating Heath Allen, 12-1. Turnbull controlled the match throughout, racking up 5:23 of riding time and scoring seven points in the first period to pace his victory. David Jauregui (149) scored a crucial major decision over Kevin Christensen, winning 14-6. With the Mountaineers leading 15-13 through seven matches, Jauregui scored eight points in the third period and added 2:09 riding time to give WVU four team points and extend its lead to 19-13. Zac Fryling (157) clinched the match for WVU after defeating Clay Tucker in a 5-3 decision. Fryling extends his overall record to 10-5, including 7-4 in dual matches. WVU will travel to No. 14 Edinboro in its next match on Friday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m.

EDINBORO, Pa. -– It was certainly hard to tell on Friday night that the Edinboro wrestling team wrestled at Ohio State on Thursday evening, arriving back in Edinboro in the wee hours of the morning. The fact that the Fighting Scots, ranked 14th in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Top 25, had suffered a 23-13 loss to the sixth-ranked Buckeyes may have provided some motivation. The end result was Edinboro coming away with a 37-3 win over Buffalo, winning nine of ten matches. The victory boosted Edinboro to 9-3, while Buffalo is now 8-7-1. Edinboro is now 12-0 all-time against the Bulls. Edinboro would win the first seven matches to jump to a commanding 31-0 lead. Eric Morrill got things started at 125 lbs. with a 13-4 major decision over UB's Dylan Dabolt. The sophomore improved to 14-8 with the win, one night after losing by fall in the first period. He led 4-0 after one period thanks to a takedown and two near-fall points, then went up 6-0 on a second period reversal. A wild third period saw Morrill record three more takedowns. Ricky Deubel gave Edinboro a 10-0 lead with a win by fall over Joe Wilson at 1:53 in the 133 lb. bout. It was the junior's third fall of the season and gives him a 21-11 record. Freshman Torsten Gillespie turned in a strong showing against Buffalo's Andrew Stella, who came in with a 26-15 record at 141 lbs. One night after suffering a heart-breaking 3-1 loss in overtime, Gillespie came away with a 10-2 major decision thanks to a big first period. An early takedown was followed by three separate near-fall moves accounting for seven more points and a 9-0 lead after one period. Stella would close to 9-2 on a reversal in the second period, but the only other scoring was a point for riding time. Gillespie improved to 17-13. Daryl Cocozzo was another Edinboro wrestler who struggled on Thursday evening. He rebounded with a 10-5 decision over Ryan Needle at 149 lbs. After a first period takedown gave Cocozzo a 2-0 lead, he would go ahead 6-2 after two periods. He escaped to start the second period, then in a wild exchange that lasted a matter of seconds, Needle recorded a takedown, released Cocozzo, and Cocozzo followed with a quick shot for his second takedown. He would go up 8-2 with a takedown in the third before Needle rallied with an escape and takedown. Cocozzo is now 26-10. Gregor Gillespie, ranked first in the country at 157 lbs. by InterMat, registered his 13th win by technical fall to boost the Edinboro lead to 22-0. The final score was 18-0 over John Cummings, with the end coming at 4:06. The junior led 11-0 after one period as he posted a takedown at the 2:15 mark, then turned Cummings three times, each for three points. Gillespie chose top to start the second period and tilted Cummings two more times to end the match. Gillespie is now 27-2 and boosted his career record to 101-8. Jarrod King improved to 25-7 with a win by injury default over Scott Rendos at 165 lbs. King is ranked 15th by InterMat. The junior dominated the match, leading 5-0 after one period and 8-0 after two. He registered his third takedown of the match at the 6:16 mark to go up 10-1, and in the process Rendos suffered an apparent leg injury and was unable to continue. Phil Moricone, ranked 18th by InterMat, made it seven straight wins as he won a 3-0 decision over Mike Ragusa. Following a scoreless first period, the junior took the lead with a reversal at the 1:38 mark. Moricone rode out Ragusa the rest of the period, and ended up with 1:18 in riding time for the final point. He is now 20-9, while Ragusa is 27-11. Mickey Moran snapped the string for the Bulls with a 3-1 overtime decision over Chris Honeycutt at 184 lbs. The Edinboro freshman came in ranked 16th by InterMat. The two traded escapes in the second and third periods, but Moran was able to come up with the winning takedown with 25 seconds left in overtime. Honeycutt fell to 22-6, while Moran is now 29-8. The Fighting Scots closed out the match with a pair of tight decisions. Pat Bradshaw improved to 25-9 with a 4-3 decision over Jimmy Hamel (27-11) at 197 lbs. Bradshaw led 2-0 after one priod on a takedown with 20 seconds left, but Hamel cut the margin in half with an escape. An escape to start the third gave Bradshaw a 3-1 lead, but Hamel knotted the bout at 3-3 with a takedown with just over a minute left. Bradshaw's escape at the minute mark proved the winning point. Joe Fendone, ranked 19th at heavyweight, closed out the win with a hard-earned 3-0 decision over Jeff Parker. The junior posted the only takedown of the match at 2:33 of the first period and rode Parker out. That would be the only scoring, with Fendone gaining a riding time point to improve to 14-7. Parker dropped to 24-14. Edinboro concludes its dual match season next week, hosting West Virginia on Friday, February 22, before traveling to Pittsburgh on Saturday, February 23.

Raleigh, N.C. -- The NC State wrestling team defeated Virginia Tech in dramatic fashion 21-19 on senior night at Reynolds Coliseum on Friday night. Seniors Jay Coman, Chris Gambino and Jalil Dozier were honored before the match began. The win snapped a three-match losing streak for the Pack as they improved to 9-10-1 overall and 2-4 in the conference on the season. Virginia Tech fell to 6-8 for the year and 1-3 in conference matches. The Wolfpack got off to a nice start winning the first two matches before Virginia Tech won the next five. The first match began as Jalil Dozier received a forfeit at 165 pounds. Ray Ward then extended the Pack's lead to 9-0 as he defeated Andre Johnson 11-7. Ward recorded an early takedown and three near-fall points to take a 6-3 lead after the first period. The second period began as Ward recorded two escapes to lead 8-5 heading into the third period. In the period Ward recorded another takedown and an escape to win 11-7. Trailing 9-0, Virginia Tech started to get rolling as they won the next five matches. Tommy Spellman got it started for the Hokies at 184 pounds when he won by technical fall over Dane Coffee 17-0. D.J Bruce followed in his footsteps by winning a major decision over Mark Jahad 15-6 to tie the team at 9-9. Virginia Tech had their first lead of the night after Bobby Isola narrowly lost 3-2 to David Marone at heavyweight. The difference in the match was Marone's takedown in the second period. Justin Staylor was up next for the Hokies at 125 pounds as he defeated Taylor Cummings by major decision 17-8. This match increased his teams lead to 16-9. Jared Jones upped the Hokies lead to 19-9 after an 8-3 decision over Darius Little. No. 5 Joe Caramanica began to right the ship for the Pack by beating Chris Diaz 6-4 in overtime. Although Caramanica dictated the pace throughout the match, it was scoreless after the first period. In the second period Caramanica recorded and escape and a takedown to lead 3-0. In the third period Diaz recorded a takedown and two near-fall points. Caramanica was able to escape with two seconds left in regulation to force an overtime. In overtime Caramanica was again dictating the pace and recorded the winning takedown 35 seconds into the extra period to cut the Hokies lead to 19-12. Next up for the Pack was No. 9 Darrion Caldwell who recorded his nation-leading 19th pin of the season over Paul Grinups. Caldwell took Grinups down early in the match and received three near-fall points for a cradle. Caldwell went back to the cradle to secure the pin only 1:11 into the match cutting the lead to 19-18. Caldwell's pin moved him into a tie for third place in Wolfpack history for the most pins in a career with 29. It all came down to the final match of the night between Colton Palmer and Matt Rosen. Palmer set the tone from the beginning recording a takedown in the first 20 seconds. He added another takedown later in the period to carry a 4-2 lead after the first period. In the second period Palmer recorded two more takedowns and went on to win the match 8-3. That win capped off a remarkable comeback for the Pack with a 21-19 victory over the Hokies. The Wolfpack will return to action on March 8th as travel to College Park, Md. for the 2008 ACC Championships. Taylor Cummings, Joe Caramanica, Darrion Caldwell and Ryan Goodman look to defend their titles from last seasons ACC Championship winning team.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Despite being down 17-14 with only two matches remaining, No. 12 Northwestern got late victories from Mike Tamillow and Dustin Fox to defeat the Purdue Boilermakers Friday in West Lafayette, 21-17. Six 'Cats scored wins in the dual, tying a season record for most wins in a dual. The win makes Northwestern .500 in duals, improving its overall record to 7-7. The match started well for the Wildcats, as No. 5 Brandon Precin's 12-3 major decision over Akif Eren gave NU the early 4-0 lead. Purdue answered back, however, taking two of the next three matches. Two late points for Purdue's Sean Schmaltz gave PU the victory at 131 lbs. over Eric Metzler, 2-1. No. 6 Ryan Lang couldn't contain Purdue's top ranked wrestler, No. 14 Jake Patacsil, as the Boilermaker scored three near falls in the second period on his way to an 18-6 major decision. Back from injury at 141 lbs., Keith Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward) returned to the mat just as hot as he left it, recording a 6-0 shutout victory against Matt Redmond. After trading victories at 157 and 165, Purdue had the slight advantage, 11-10. Nick Bertucci was able to score Purdue's second-straight major decision victory at 157 lbs. against NU's Andrew Nadhir. Dominic Marella countered for Northwestern with a 6-3 decision over Purdue's Justin Praga. With the 'Cats down a point, No. 12 Nick Hayes took to the mat against No. 17 Nick Corpe in the 174 lb. match. The two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods, sending the match into overtime with a 1-1 tie. Hayes held Corpe scoreless in the first overtime and scored another escape in the second tiebreaker to give the 174-pounder the 2-1 victory and the Wildcats the 13-11 advantage. Northwestern had its work cut out for it, however, after surrendering a fall at 184 lbs. to give Purdue a 13-17 lead. NU's top two weight classes came through, though, as No. 2 197-pounder Mike Tamillow and No.1 heavyweight Dustin Fox combined for 10 takedowns on their way to 10-2 and 16-5 major decisions, respectively. The Wildcats return to action at 2 p.m. Sunday against No. 8 Illinois at Welsh Ryan Arena. The 'Cats will celebrate Senior/Alumni Day.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The top-ranked Iowa wrestling team posted its 12th straight win with a 28-7 victory over #21 Indiana Friday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes remain undefeated in Big Ten competition at 6-0 and improved to 19-1 this season. Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 50th career win, as Iowa won eight bouts and scored bonus points in four. Indiana fell to 12-7, 1-5 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead with wins at the first four bouts. Hawkeye junior Charlie Falck brought the crowd of 6,116 to its feet when he upset #2 Angel Escobedo, 4-2, at 125. Falck, who is ranked third in the nation, handed Escobedo (24-1) his first loss of the season. Sophomore Joe Slaton won his 10th straight match with a 3-2 decision over Andre Hernandez at 133. Sophomore Dan LeClere scored 19 points in the last two periods of his 141-pound match to post a 23-8 technical fall over Scott Kelly. At 149, sophomore Brent Metcalf won his 21st straight match with a 19-6 major decision over Kurt Kinser. Indiana put points on the board with wins at 157 and 165, but the Hawkeyes shut the Hoosiers out in the final four matches. Sophomore Jay Borschel extended his winning streak to 12 matches with his 11-3 major decision over Trevor Perry at 174. Sophomore Phillip Keddy followed with a 17-5 major decision over Marc Bennett at 184 to pick up his seventh straight win. At 197, sophomore Chad Beatty scored a takedown with 30 seconds left in the match to beat Joe Fagiano, 9-7. Senior Matt Fields closed out the dual at heavyweight with his 7-3 victory over Nate Everhart. Iowa will host #10 Michigan (15-6, 2-3 Big Ten) Sunday at 8 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It will be the second meeting for the Hawkeyes and Wolverines this season, as Iowa scored a 23-13 win in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals semifinals Jan. 13 in Cedar Falls. The dual will be a Black Out event, where all fans are encouraged to wear black clothing. It will also be Senior Night, Fan Appreciation Night and 25 Years in Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be celebrated. Seniors Matt Fields (Hwt.) and Mark Perry (165) will be recognized, and fans will be eligible to win prizes and receive a free commemorative meet program.

After trailing by as many as eight points down the stretch, the No. 13 Wisconsin wrestling team won the final two bouts of the evening to upset No. 10 Michigan 20-18 during senior night at the UW Field House. Wisconsin won five total bouts in front of 814 fans and improves to 12-4-1 overall and 3-3-0 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines drop to 15-7-0, 2-4-0. The match began at 125 lbs. and No. 19 Collin Cudd defeated Michigan's Michael Watts, 9-5. Watts got out to a 3-2 lead in the first period but Cudd scored a takedown in the second and Watts had an escape to even the score at four. In the third, Cudd scored five points off of a reversal, a takedown and 1:49 of riding time to put the Badgers up, 3-0. At 133 lbs., No. 11 junior Zach Tanelli scored four points for the Badgers with a major decision victory over Chris Diehl. Tanelli had three takedowns and scored six nearfall points in the 14-1 victory. Michigan then got on the board with a win at 141 lbs. Badger sophomore, No. 6 Kyle Ruschell, met No. 10 Kellen Russell and both wrestlers were scoreless after the first period. In the second, Russell had a reversal and two-point nearfall for the 4-1 advantage. Ruschell struck first in the third with an escape to put the score at 4-2 but Russell would notch another takedown to expand the lead at 6-2. Shortly after, Ruschell scored a reversal but that was all the Badger grappler would score in the 6-4 Michigan victory. The Wolverines then came within one point (7-6) with another win at 149 lbs. Badger freshman Kendall Vogel met Justin Chrzanowski and fell in a 7-2 decision. Wisconsin then continued to build on its lead with another win at 157 lbs. No. 5 senior Craig Henning matched up against No. 20 Jeff Marsh and got out to a 2-1 lead in the first. Marsh scored an escape to even the score at two at the end of the second. In the third, Henning scored four points to capture the 6-2 victory and put the team score at 10-6. Wisconsin's lead did not last long as Michigan won the next three bouts to eventually take an 18-10 lead. At 165 lbs., senior Jake Donar met the third-ranked Eric Tannenbaum and fell, 6-3. The Wolverines scored three more points at 174 lbs. and took over the lead (12-10) when No. 4 Steve Luke defeated the Badgers' senior Dan Clum, 10-3. Michigan then had yet another wrestler ranked in the top five of their weight class with No. 3 Tyrel Todd at 184 lbs. Todd met Wisconsin junior Justin Peterson and pinned him in 2:58. Despite the eight point deficit, No. 8 junior Dallas Herbst helped Wisconsin get back into the match by recording his 13th pin of the season at 197 lbs. Herbst matched up against No. 15 Anthony Biondo and pinned him in 1:17 which put the match score at 18-16. Herbst now has 43 career pins and is four away from tying Lee Kemp's school record of 47. Down two, the Badgers then looked to junior Kyle Massey to give them the win. Massey, ranked No. 4 at heavyweight, met Michigan's Chad Bleske and got out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first period. Massey then added to the lead by scoring three points in both the second and third periods to secure the Badger victory with an 11-0 major decision win. The Badgers continue the weekend with a dual on the road against No. 4 Minnesota Sunday. Match time is set for 2 p.m. inside the Williams Arena. Sunday's match is part of the Border Battle and the winning team will score 40 points for their school. UWBadgers.com will also be blogging live from the dual as part of the 2008 Border Battle Blog which can be found here.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 9 nationally, dominated visiting Michigan State in a nationally televised Big Ten wrestling dual, posting a 26-13 win in Rec Hall. Head coach Troy Sunderland's squad won seven of ten bouts and got major decisions from junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) and sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) in the process. Michigan State got out to an early lead after three injury timeouts forced Nittany Lion sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) into a match termination against Spartan Rex Kendle. But Penn State answered quickly with wins from No. 16 David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) at 174 and No. 14 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) at 184. Senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 197, trounced No. 16 Joe Williams 7-0 to put Penn State up 9-6 in a match that featured four Williams stall warnings. No. 16 Laboranti then stepped in and broke things open with a 14-4 major of MSU's Alan O'Donnell at HWT. Michigan State did pick up two more wins, getting a decision at 125 as Nittany Lion starter Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) was held out of the dual with a skin condition and Spartan Joel Trombley downed PSU freshman Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) 7-1 at 125. Spartan Franklin Gomez, ranked No. 4 at 133, got a major decision over Penn State's Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) as well, but that would be all the scoring the Spartans would manage. Penn State closed out the dual with a forfeit victory for No. 9 Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) at 141, a 7-2 win for No. 5 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) at 149, and No. 3 Vallimont's 15-3 major at 157. Penn State moves to 12-5 on the year, 4-3 in Big Ten action, while Michigan State fell to 3-12, 0-7 in Big Ten action. The Nittany Lions will close out the home portion of their schedule when they hosts Purdue on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets for all regular season duals are on sale now at the athletic department ticket office in the Bryce Jordan Center. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted free! Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order single-dual or season tickets. All Penn State duals will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com. All home duals will feature a live video webcast and live scoring at www.GoPSUsports.com as well. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 165: The bout began at 165, where Nittany Lion Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) took the mat against Michigan State's Rex Kendle. The duo battled for upper body position early, with neither man gaining an advantage. Kendle gained control of Rella's right ankle with 1:00 left, but action moved off the mat and the bout was scoreless after the first three minutes. Rella chose down to begin the second period but could not escape Kendle's control. Kendle received a first stall warning for a parallel ride with :37 left but did manage to ride Rella out and keep the bout scoreless after two periods. With 2:00 in riding time, Kendle chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Needing a takedown to get back in the match, Rella began forcing Kendle towards the edge of the mat. Rella, cramping badly in the bout, took his third injury time out in the third period and giving Michigan State an injury default and an early 6-0 lead. 174: Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 16, battled Spartan junior John Murphy at 174. Erwin, looking to energize a Rec Hall crowd that was silenced after Rella's loss, quickly stepped behind Murphy to take a 2-0 lead at the 2:10 mark. Erwin quickly cut Murphy loose and began working for another takedown. Murphy managed to block off every Erwin shot and then took one of his own with :50 left. Erwin countered the move and nearly scored himself, but Murphy did a fine job of fighting out of trouble to keep the bout close. Down 2-1, Murphy chose defense to start the second period. Erwin took advantage of the decision and worked to complete a cradle. Murphy was able to fight off Erwin's first attempt and then force a stalemate on Erwin's second attempt. Erwin escaped to a 2-2 tie after a reset with :45 left and then shot low on Erwin, looking to complete a double-leg to take the lead. But the Penn State sophomore managed to force a reset and keep things tied with :20 left in the second period. Tied 2-2 with 1:20 in riding time to his advantage, Erwin chose bottom to start the final stanza. The Nittany Lion slowly worked his way to his feet, stepped behind Murphy and got a hard-fought reversal with 1:20 left in the bout. Erwin then rode Murphy long enough to build up his riding time edge again and then began trying to turn the Spartan for back points. But with :30 left, Murphy reversed Erwin to tie the bout at 4-4, but Erwin had a riding time advantage that the Spartan could not overcome and Erwin escaped with a hard-fought 5-4 win. The victory cut MSU's lead to 6-3. 184: No. 14 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) met Michigan State's Nick Palmieri at 184. Palmieri quickly took a 2-0 lead with a swift ankle pick and takedown at the 2:34 mark. Bomberger escaped easily to a 2-1 deficit and began looking for a scoring chance against the Spartan sophomore. The junior completed a textbook double-leg in the middle of the mat to take a 3-2 lead with 1:14 left. After a Palmieri escaped tied the bout at 3-3, the duo traded shots but no scoring over the period's last seconds. Tied 3-3, Bomberger chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. Palmieri then took a 5-4 lead with a solid takedown at the 1:24 mark, but Bomberger escaped to tie things at 5-5. Palmieri nearly added another takedown, but Bomberger managed to step out of the Spartan's control before giving up any points. Tied 5-5, Palmieri chose down to begin the third period and quickly escaped to a 6-5 lead. Bomberger began pressuring for a go-ahead takedown, but Palmieri was equal to the task, fighting off every Bomberger double-leg attempt for nearly the entire period. But with :05 left, Bomberger pressured Palmieri to the end of the mat and, as the Spartan looked to escape the circle, Bomberger tripped him up and completed the takedown by grabbing both Palmieri's ankles. The takedown gave Bomberger a 7-6 win tied the bout at 6-6. 197: In the dual's only match-up between ranked wrestlers, Penn State's Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) met Michigan State's Joe Williams. Davis entered the dual ranked No. 3 at 197 while Williams was ranked No. 16. The three-time All-American patiently waited for an opening in Williams' defense. Davis continued to pressure the defensive Spartan, getting two stall warnings called on the MSU wrestler and giving Davis a 1-0 lead after the first period. Davis chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-0 lead. Davis wrapped his arms around Williams' chest and threw the Spartan to the mat on the outer circle to get his first takedown and take a 4-0 lead. After a reset in the middle of the mat, Davis began working for a pin. While Davis worked to turn Williams, the Spartan managed to keep from getting turned. Davis led 4-0 after two periods and Williams chose neutral. Williams tried to take Davis down with a shot in the third period, but the Nittany Lion used his flexibility to step out of the situation and force a reset. Another Williams stall gave Davis a 5-0 lead with :45 left. Davis added a final takedown with just :01 left and posted a convincing 7-0 win over the No. 16-ranked Spartan. The victory put Penn State up 9-6. HWT: Nittany Lion junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.), ranked No. 16, met MSU's Alan O'Donnell at heavyweight. Neither wrestler mounted a serious offensive threat through the first three minutes, with each man looking for an opening that never presented itself. With the bout scoreless after the first period, Laboranti chose bottom to begin the second period and turned a near-escape into a two-point reversal with 1:25 left. Leading 2-0, Laboranti rode O'Donnell for :30 until the Spartan escaped. Laboranti then used a strong move to O'Donnell's midsection to take the Spartan to the mat. He then added two near fall points and, after an O'Donnell escape, led 6-2 after two periods. O'Donnell chose down to begin the third period but Laboranti took advantage of the situation. Just :30 into the ride, Laboranti completed a cradle and turned the Spartan for three near fall points and a 9-3 lead. The Nittany Lion then added another takedown to up his lead to 11-4 (after cutting the MSU wrestler) with :30 left. Not content with a major via a riding time point, Laboranti added a double-leg takedown with :10 left and walked away with an impressive 14-4 major decision. The four team points put Penn State up 13-6 heading into intermission. 125: Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 10 nationally, was forced to miss the dual with a skin infection. In his absence, red-shirt freshman Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut, taking on Michigan State's Joel Trombley at 125. Caschera wasted no time in trying to get an early lead, completing a single leg right out of the gates. But Trombley forced a stalemate and a reset with 2:30 left to wrestle. Trombley got the bout's first takedown after a scramble with 2:00 left. Trombley then put together a strong ride, keeping control of the young Nittany Lion for the remainder of the period. Down 2-0, Caschera chose neutral to start the middle period. Trombley shot low on Caschera, but the Nittany Lion freshman worked around and nearly got his own takedown. In the ensuing scramble, Trombley got his second takedown and upped his lead to 4-0. Trombley picked up a stall warning during his ride after the second takedown but still managed to ride Caschera out. Leading 4-0 with a bonus point assured, Trombley chose down to start the third period. Caschera tried for back points right away, but Trombley slid through and scored a reversal to go up 6-0. Trombley cut Caschera loose with 1:00 left, looking for bonus points with a major. The Spartan tried for the takedown on the edge of the mat, but Caschera did a fine job of forcing a scramble and eventual reset with :20 left. The Nittany Lion freshman would fight off Trombley's efforts and keep the loss to a regular decision, falling 7-1. The Spartan win cut Penn State's lead to 13-9. 133: Senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hills, Pa.) took on one of Michigan State's only two ranked grapplers when he met No. 4 Franklin Gomez at 133. Gomez took an early 2-1 lead with a takedown in the bout's first seconds and the upped his margin to 4-1 with another swift takedown after the Haas escape. Gomez then managed to control Haas for nearly a minute and a half before Haas escaped to a 4-2 deficit. That score would hold for the rest of the period and, up by two, Gomez chose down to start the middle stanza. The fourth-ranked Spartan quickly reversed Haas for a 6-3 lead after Haas escaped. Gomez upped his lead to 8-3 with 1:00 left with another takedown. He then rode Haas out to carry the five point lead (with 2:37 in riding time) into the final period. Haas chose down to start the final period and escaped to an 8-4 lead. Gomez began working towards a major with another takedown, this one on the edge of the mat with 1:10 left. With a 10-4 lead and a bonus point assured, Gomez worked for back points on Haas but could not turn the Nittany Lion senior. Haas escaped with :20 left to cut Gomez lead to 10-5, but Gomez quickly took Haas down on the edge of the mat to take a 12-5 lead with :15 left. A Gomez ride out later and the Spartan posted a 13-5 major decision. The win tied the dual briefly at 13-13. 141: True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), newly ranked at 141 at No. 9, received a forfeit at 141 when Michigan State's Jeff Wimberly did not pass the medical check for skin. The six team points put Penn State up 19-13 and improved Scott's record to 15-3 on the year. 149: Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) put his No. 5 ranking at 149 on the line against Spartan Eddie Skowneski. Jenkins wasted no time in getting his first takedown, driving through Skowneski's legs and taking a 2-0 lead with 2:30 left. After a Skowneski escape, Jenkins added a second takedown at the 1:15 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore then looked to turn the Spartan junior. But Skowneski fought off two Jenkins near fall attempts to keep things close early on. Jenkins led 4-1 after the first period and Skowneski chose down to start the second period. The Nittany Lion sophomore kept control of the Spartan until an escape at the 1:30 mark, but Jenkins build his riding time edge up to 1:59. Jenkins nearly turned Skowneski with a textbook mixer, but Skowneski rolled through without giving up any back points. Still, the takedown put Jenkins up 6-2 with under a minute left in the period. Jenkins then managed to maintain control for the ride out to lead 6-2 with 3:02 in riding time (assuring him of a bonus point). Jenkins chose down to start the final period but could not break free of Skowneski's control for the entire period. Jenkins posted a 7-2 decision and put Penn State up 22-13. 157: Penn State sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 3 nationally at 157, met Michigan State's John Fulger. Vallimont quickly opened up a 2-1 lead after a takedown :15 into the first period (cutting Fulger loose). A second Vallimont escape followed and the Nittany Loin sophomore was up 4-2 midway through the period. The steady Vallimont used another single leg to deftly up his lead to 6-2 (with 1:42 in riding time) after a dominating first period. Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. A fourth takedown in the middle of the mat put Vallimont up 9-2 with 1:20 in the period and the Nittany Lion began working for back points. Vallimont turned Fulger once, but the Spartan managed to keep his back off the mat and avoid any near fall points. With Vallimont up 9-2 with 2:59 in riding time, Fulger chose top to start the third period. Vallimont was undeterred and quickly escaped to a 10-2 lead. He then added his fifth takedown, driving through Fulger's midsection and taking a 12-2 lead with 1:20 left to wrestle. Fulger escaped with :30 left, only to watch as Vallimont grabbed both feet for his sixth takedown of the bout. The move on the edge of the mat put Vallimont up 14-3 and allowed the Nittany Lion sophomore to put an exclamation point on the dual win with a 15-3 major decision. The victory gave Penn State a 26-13 win.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- No. 8 Illinois upset No. 4 Minnesota, 19-17, behind a pin from No. 2 Mike Poeta and consecutive victories by Ben Friedl and No. 11 Patrick Bond at 184 and 197, respectively, to finish the dual. The Illini (12-2 overall, 4-1 in the Big Ten) have now won four consecutive duals and their last two matches in Minneapolis. "It was just a good team win," Illinois coach Mark Johnson said. "Jimmy Kennedy did a good job against a really tough kid (at 133 pounds) and Ben Friedl did a great job. It was one of those nights where both teams were a little banged up, but it's a good win any time you can get it up here." The two teams split the 10 bouts, with Minnesota getting two major decisions (125 and 141) and Illinois notching one (HWT), but Poeta's six-point pin at 157 proved to be the difference. "Poeta went out against a kid and knew that he needed bonus points, and that was the difference in the match," Johnson said. "It was nice to have our best kid take it to a guy and those points won the match." Friedl, a redshirt-freshman, won his first career Big Ten match at 184, getting a 4-1 decision over Jeremy Larson to turn the tide of the dual in Illinois' favor. No. 9 Kennedy ran his winning streak to eight matches with a 6-0 win over No. 5 Mack Reiter and 15th-ranked heavyweight John Wise has now won seven of his last eight bouts after earning a major decision over Ben Berhow. Bond continued his hot streak with an 8-2 win, meaning he has now won 14 of his last 15 bouts. The dual started at heavyweight and with just over one minute left in the first period, No. 15 John Wise shot in and got a double-leg takedown on Ben Berhow for a 2-0 lead. Berhow started down in the second and earned the escape after Wise got nearly another full minute of riding time. With less than 30 seconds left in the second period, Berhow shot in and Wise defended it then spun behind him to earn the takedown. Wise held on the rest of the period for a 4-0 lead and a 2:13 riding time advantage. Wise started down in the third and got a quick escape, taking a 5-1 lead. After some handfighting, Wise shot in for another double-leg takedown and let Berhow up for the escape and a 7-2 lead. Working late into the match, Berhow shot and nearly got the takedown but Wise fended him off and once again spun around him for a takedown. Berhow tried to avoid the major decision, but Wise rode him out for the 10-2 win after the riding time point. At 125, No. 1 Jayson Ness shot in and got a leg nearly one minute into the contest, but Illinois' ninth-ranked Gabe Flores fended him off and slid off the edge of the mat. On the restart, Flores shot for a takedown and Ness rolled him over and nearly got him on his back. Flores kept working and nearly got the takedown but Ness worked his way out of it. After the next restart, Ness bolted in for a quick takedown and a 2-0 lead, then rode out Flores the rest of the period. Ness started down in the second period and escaped for a 3-0 advantage. The Gopher quickly shot in for another takedown and rode Flores for most of the period. Flores was called for stalling a second time, pushing Ness' lead to 6-0 with a two-minute riding time advantage after the second period. The wrestlers started neutral in the third and Flores shot high, allowing Ness to take him down for an 8-0 lead. The riding time point gave Ness the 9-0 lead as he improved to 31-0 on the season. No. 9 Jimmy Kennedy scored an early takedown on No. 5 Mack Reiter at 133 and rode him the rest of the first period for a 2-0 lead. Kennedy started down in the second and, after Reiter nearly cleared all the riding time, Kennedy escaped. The pair started neutral in the third and Kennedy was warned for stalling with just 35 seconds left in the match. But he notched a takedown with 12 seconds remaining and rode out Reiter for the bonus point and a 6-0 decision, giving Illinois a 7-4 lead. At 141, the Gophers' third-ranked Manuel Rivera scored a takedown with 1:33 left in the first period and rode out No. 11 Ryan Prater for a 2-0 margin. Rivera started down in the second, scored a reversal at 3:13 and got two near-falls within a 20-second span. Prater notched a reversal, but Rivera reversed him once again and scored another near-fall for a 13-2 lead after two periods. Prater started down in the third and escaped quickly, but Rivera got a takedown before Prater escaped once more. Rivera's riding time advantage gave him a 16-5 major decision victory and Minnesota an 8-7 lead. Minnesota's third-ranked Dustin Schlatter scored a takedown on Grant Paswall just over a minute into the match at 149 and rode him out the rest of the period for a 2-0 lead with 1:48 of riding time. Paswall started down in the second and got an escape, but Schlatter got another takedown then let Paswall up once more. Schlatter then took down the Illini true-freshman once more for the 6-2 margin with 2:57 of riding time after two periods. The wrestlers started neutral in the third, with Schlatter shooting early and Paswall fighting him off. Paswall was then called for stalling a second time, giving Schlatter a 7-2 lead. After a restart, Schlatter shot again but Paswall fought him off to a stalemate. Schlatter nearly got another takedown but was ruled out of bounds as time expired for the 8-2 win and an 11-7 Gopher advantage. At 157, No. 2 Mike Poeta ripped off an early double-leg takedown on Luke Mellmer then turned him for a three-point near-fall and a 5-0 lead. After a restart, Poeta hooked Mellmer's foot and rolled him over for another three-point near-fall. Mellmer was warned for stalling as Poeta turned him over again for a third three-point near-fall and an 11-0 lead with 2:56 of riding time. The wrestlers started neutral in the second, with Mellmer shooting early but Poeta fending him off and getting a takedown of his own for a 13-0 margin. Poeta worked to turn the Gopher once more, cradling him for the fall at 4:00 and pushing Illinois ahead, 13-11. Shortly into the match at 165, Clint Arlis notched a takedown on No. 20 Tyler Safratowich, but Safratowich escaped to cut Arlis' lead to 2-1. After multiple stalemates, Safratowich shot in and scored a takedown on Arlis late in the first period for the 3-2 lead. Safratowich started down in the second and escaped quickly for a 4-2 margin. He then shot in for a leg, but Arlis fended him off and the two went off the edge of the mat. With just under a minute left in the period, the Gopher worked a single-leg into a takedown and a 6-2 lead, riding Arlis out the rest of the period. Arlis started down in the third and escaped with just over a minute left, cutting the deficit to 6-3. But Safratowich notched another takedown then allowed Arlis to escape for an 8-4 margin. The Gopher nearly scored again, but Arlis drug him of the mat for a stalemate. Safratowich wasn't finished, though, recording a final takedown for the 11-4 win after the riding time bonus point and putting Minnesota back on top, 14-13. After some hand-fighting early in the match at 174, No. 15 John Dergo grabbed a leg, but Minnesota's 11th-ranked Gabe Dretsch fought him off to a stalemate. Dretsch shot in for a leg, but Dergo spun him around to another stalemate. But Dretsch shot in with just under a minute left, got a leg and took Dergo down before turning Dergo for a two-point near-fall and a 4-0 lead. Dergo escaped before time ran out, cutting the margin to 4-1 after a period. Dretsch started down in the second and Dergo wiped off the Gopher's 34-second riding time advantage and gained time of his own with a strong ride to start the period. But after a restart with less than 30 seconds left, Dretsch escaped for a 5-1 lead. Dergo started down in the third and managed a quick escape, preserving most of his riding time. Dergo shot in, but Dretsch fought him off. Dergo shot again and nearly got the takedown, but Dretsch spun away to avoid the scoring opportunity. After a stalling warning on Dretsch, the Gopher worked into a takedown and rode out Dergo for the 7-2 win and a 17-13 advantage for the Gophers. At 184, Ben Friedl faced off against Minnesota's Jeremy Larson, who was subbing for the injured and 10th-ranked Roger Kish. Friedl and Larson wrestled on their feet for the better part of the first period, but Larson shot in with just over a minute left in the period and Friedl countered to take him down and ride him out the rest of the period for a 2-0 lead. Larson started down in the second and managed an escape after 23 seconds. The Gopher shot with less than 30 seconds left, but Friedl fought him off to a stalemate before the period ended. Friedl started down in the third with 1:26 of riding time in his favor. The Illini redshirt-freshman escaped after Larson took him to the edge of the mat for a 3-1 margin. Friedl was called for stalling with just over a minute left and Larson nearly scored a takedown, but Friedl squirmed out of it at the edge of the mat. With a raucous crowd attempting to lift Larson to victory, Friedl stayed on his feet and won 4-1 with the riding time point, cutting Minnesota's lead to 17-16. In the night's final match, the 197-pound bout, No. 11 Patrick Bond was called for a headgear violation in the first period and a point was awarded to Minnesota's Yura Malamura, who was wrestling his first Big Ten match of the year. Bond then hooked a leg and scored a takedown, going ahead 2-1 and riding him out the rest of the period. Bond started down in the second and three consecutive cautions were called on Malamura, giving Bond a point and a 3-1 margin. Malamura wiped off the riding time, but Bond escaped to go ahead 4-1. With 30 seconds left in the period, Bond scored a takedown and rode him out the rest of the period, leading 6-1. Malamura started down in the third and quickly escaped, cutting the margin to 6-2. The two traded shots through much of the period with neither connecting. After a restart, Malamura shot and missed, with Bond getting behind him for a final takedown and an 8-2 win, giving Illinois the 19-17 upset. Up Next: The Illini finish up the three-match road trip Sunday at No. 12 Northwestern. The Wildcats boast six ranked wrestlers, four of whom are in the top 5 of the NWCA/Intermat poll. "No question tonight's win helps build our guys' confidence," Johnson said. "Sunday will be a tough matchup and we'll have to wrestle well."

EDMOND -– Heavyweight Dustin Finn pulled out a 5-3 double-overtime victory in the final match to cap a dual-ending rally that lifted No. 6-ranked Central Oklahoma past upstart Central Missouri 21-15 Thursday night at Hamilton Field House. The unranked Mules took a 15-10 lead with a fall at 174 pounds, but the defending national champion Bronchos got back-to-back 11-1 major decisions from Heath Jolley and Jarrett Edison to take an 18-15 lead and Finn's dramatic win kept UCO in front. The Bronchos improved to 13-6 with the win and stayed perfect (30-0) against UCM, though the outcome was in doubt until Finn's winning takedown nine seconds into the second sudden death overtime period. "We made some silly mistakes in a lot of matches that hurt us, but give credit to Central Missouri because they kept coming at us," UCO coach David James said. "Heath and Jarrett did a nice job getting bonus wins that we had to have and Dustin came through in a pressure situation with a big takedown." UCM surged in front of the back-and-forth dual when Travis Barbarick pinned Daniel Morrison at 4:26 of their 174-pound bout to give the Mules a 15-10 lead, with the Bronchos coming back to win the final three matches. Jolley started UCO's rally with an 11-1 major decision over Jeremy Hudson, using an early five-point move to take control and adding another near-fall late in the opening period for an 8-0 lead after the first three minutes. Edison then put the Bronchos in front with his 11-1 rout, getting the last of his four takedowns with 12 seconds remaining to clinch the bonus-point win. The fourth-ranked Finn and Cody Beck battled in a showdown of big men in the final match, trading escapes for a 1-1 deadlock after regulation. Neither scored in the first one-minute sudden death period, then Beck got a reverse early in the first tiebreaker only to see Finn tie it with a pair of escapes. Finn finally ended the match early in the second sudden death period, getting behind Beck and tripping him to the mat for the winning takedown. UCO's other three wins came from 133 Tim Elliott, 149 Colby Robinson and 165 Cody Rowell. Elliott had a pair of four-point moves in a 15-4 major decision, while Robinson racked up over four minutes riding time in an easy 7-1 win and Rowell used a penalty point and riding time point for a 7-5 triumph. The Bronchos wrap up the dual and home schedule Saturday, hosting NAIA's No. 3-ranked McKendree at 7 p.m. A group that provides support to the U.S. military will be at that match to raise money for troops overseas. The Edmond Chapter of the Blue Star Mothers is an organization made up of mothers who have sons and daughters serving in the military and their primary goal is to raise money for care packages to send to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh won six of the first even bouts, picking up a pair of falls along the way as the Mountain Hawks downed Rider 24-16 in the final home dual of the season Thursday night inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The Brown and White received wins by fall from sophomore Seth Ciasulli and freshman Alex Caruso, while junior Trevor Chinn upset 18th-ranked Don Fisch at 149 as Lehigh improves to 11-12 on the dual season. Things started well for the Mountain Hawks as freshman Mitch Berger began the dual with his first home victory of his career. Berger secured takedowns in all three periods in an 8-3 decision over Ilyass Elmsaouri at 125. Ciasulli followed with his team-leading fourth fall of the season, as he reversed Tommy Lorenzo to open the second period, and later worked him over from the top position before securing the fall in 3:55. Rider's first victory came at 141 as Fred Rodgers spoiled senior Jeff Santo's final home dual with an 8-4 win by decision. At 149, Chinn broke a 1-1 tie with a late third period takedown, defeating Fisch who earned All-America honors at 141 a year ago. Chinn's victory began a four match Lehigh run, which put the Brown and White up 24-3 after seven bouts. Dave Nakasone went out a winner in his Grace Hall finale, earning a 7-3 decision over Rob Morrison at 157. Sophomore Mike Galante followed by avenging a loss to Jason Lapham last month at the Virginia Duals. Galante converted a pair of spin-behind takedowns in the second and third periods for the 6-1 victory. Caruso closed out the run with a third-period pin of Michael Darling at 174. Lehigh's 20th-ranked freshman put own a takedown clinic to build a 19-6 lead before taking Darling down to his back and earning the fall in 6:06. The Broncs (6-11) captured the final three weight classes, with nationally ranked Doug Umbehauer (184) and T.J. Morrison (197) earning bonus wins, and Ed Bordas avenging a 3-2 loss to Lehigh sophomore Justin Allen with a win by the same score. "Overall the guys wrestled well," said Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel. "It wasn't a peak performance for us but we won in workmanlike fashion. It was a huge win for Chinn beating a ranked guy, and I was pleased to see Galante get back on track with a good win as well." The victory was Lehigh's second this season over Rider. The Mountain Hawks downed the Broncs 21-11 at the Virginia Duals last month. Thursday's dual marked the tenth time in 99 years of Lehigh wrestling that the Brown and White wrestled a team twice in the same season, and for the seventh time in those ten occasions, the team who won the first meeting won the second as well. The Mountain Hawks will return to the mat on Sunday when they put their 6-0 EIWA record on the line when they travel to Army. The match gets underway at 4 p.m. from Christl Arena at West Point, and will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com with streaming audio powered by Yahoo! Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The sixth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team concluded the home portion of its schedule with a 23-13 victory over No. 14 and nonconference opponent Edinboro Thursday in St. John Arena on senior night. It was the final home match for five Buckeye seniors – J.D. Bergman, T.J. Enright, Alex Picazo, Tommy Priestley and Nickolai Timbs. The win improves Ohio State to 19-3 overall (6-1 Big Ten) and Edinboro drops to 8-3 overall (4-0 Eastern Wrestling League). The Buckeyes won five of six bouts to open the match with a 20-3 lead. Ohio State took a quick 6-0 advantage after freshman Nikko Triggas pinned Eric Morrill in 1:04 at 125 pounds. Redshirt-sophomore and No. 13 Reece Humphrey (133) then put the Scarlet and Gray up 9-0 when he recorded a 7-3 decision over Ricky Deubel. Humphrey never trailed throughout his match holding 4-2 and 6-2 leads after the first and second periods, respectively. An escape by Deubel with a minute left cut Humphrey's lead to three, but a riding time of 2:08 would give the Buckeye the four-point lead and eventual win. Enright, wrestling at 141 pounds in his final bout in St. John Arena, pulled out a 3-1 decision in overtime against Torsten Gillespie to lift the Buckeyes to a 12-0 lead. After no scoring in the first period, Enright owned a slim 1-0 advantage on an escape after the second stanza. However, Gillespie was able to even the score at 1-all on an escape of his own with 1:34 remaining in the match and force the bout into overtime. However, just five seconds into the one-minute sudden victory period, Enright scored a takedown for the 3-1 triumph. Seventh-ranked Lance Palmer's 18-0 technical fall against Daryl Cocozzo at 149 pounds continued the Buckeye shutout. Up 2-0 following the first period, Palmer eventually sealed the win thanks to four 3-point nearfall counts during the second and third periods. Complemented by an escape, takedown and a riding time of 2:28, Palmer was able to earn his 20th win of the season. Freshman Colt Sponseller rallied for the 6-4 win in overtime against No. 15 Jarrod King at 165 pounds. Down 3-0 after the second period, Sponseller scored an escape and takedown to even the score at 3-all in the third. However, King recorded an escape with 37 seconds left to take a 4-3 lead, but a second stalling call on King gave Sponseller the crucial point needed to send the match into an extra period. With 23 seconds left on the clock, Sponseller was able to score the takedown for the 6-4 win. Sandwiched in between Palmer's and Sponseller's victories, redshirt-junior Jason Johnstone was matched-up against No. 1 and 2007 NCAA Champion Gregor Gillespie at 157 pounds. Johnstone would drop a 6-0 decision. Following the 165-pound bout, the Fighting Scots would go on to win the next three of four matches at 174, 184 and 197 pounds before Bergman concluded his final match in St. John Arena with a 5-1 decision over No. 19 Joey Fendone at heavyweight. At 174 pounds, Picazo lost, 10-1, to No. 18 Phil Moricone, while at Wes Bergman wrestled at 184 pounds and fell, 3-0, to No. 16 Chris Honeycutt. John Weakley lost, 10-3, to Pat Bradshaw at 197 pounds. Ohio State will take a week off before wrapping up its regular season at Minnesota Feb. 24. The match is at 2 p.m. CST in Minneapolis, Minn.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestler Javier Maldonado was named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for his two victories last week, the SoCon office announced Wednesday. Maldonado, a senior from Kissimmee, Fla., accounted for 12 team points in the Mocs' back-to-back wins at VMI and Virginia Tech. Maldonado registered pins in each of the dual matches on back-to-back days. Ranked 15th nationally, the 125-pounder remained undefeated in 19 career SoCon matches with a first-period pin of VMI's Jeremy Adams. The following day, Maldonado pinned Virginia Tech's Justin Staylor in the second period. His performance led the Mocs to two victories, the fourth and fifth consecutive wins for the squad. Chattanooga, 10-5, hosts No. 5-ranked Central Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m. in Maclellan Gym on the UTC campus.

Ty Eustice was a four-time high school state champion for Blue Earth High School in Minnesota who went on to became a collegiate star at the University of Iowa. Eustice, who followed his older brother, Luke, to Iowa City, compiled a collegiate record of 111-29, earned two All-American medals, and finished his career as the NCAA runner-up at 149 pounds in 2006. Ty EusticeFollowing his collegiate career, Eustice migrated back to his home state of Minnesota and is now in his second season as an assistant coach at Division II power Minnesota State University in Mankato, the same school where his father, Jack, was an NCAA champion and four-time All-American. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with the former Hawkeye star. Eustice talked about his emotions after losing in the NCAA finals, how he sees a potential Brent Metcalf-Dustin Schlatter match playing out (Eustice defeated Metcalf and lost to Schlatter in college), how he felt about the Iowa coaching change in 2006, what Minnesota State will have to do win a national title this season, whether he plans to coach for a long time, and much more. How did you come to the decision to join the coaching staff at Minnesota State in Mankato after finishing your wrestling career at Iowa? Eustice: During my senior season at Iowa, Jim (Zalesky) had talked to my dad. My dad wrestled here at Mankato. I was contacted about it. I just got to thinking about it and thought it would be a good chance to continue my education. I'm getting my master's here at the end of this semester. Getting your schooling paid for is always good. It was just kind of a good transition out of wrestling … and gave me the chance to see if I wanted to pursue coaching or not. It's kind of the place to start. It was a good fit. Being close to home was really nice too. You became a father in May of 2005. Describe the experience of being a father. Eustice: Obviously, it has been a real positive experience in life, but also in wrestling. In wrestling, it helped me my last season at Iowa. It put a lot of things in perspective. It just helped me take wrestling for what it was. It was a lot more fun again just because there was something bigger. It kind of took the pressure off me as far as wrestling goes. You learn so much when you become a parent compared to when you're not. You have to plan more. You have to prioritize things. You just have to be a lot more organized with your life because you're taking care of someone else's life. It helps you grow up quickly. As a senior, you put together your best season ever at Iowa. You finished the season with a 28-3 record and had a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships. Describe your emotions after losing to Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota in the 2006 NCAA finals. Dustin Schlatter defeated Ty Eustice twice during the 2005-06 season (Photo/The Guillotine)Eustice: It's always emotional when you're done. I was very committed to wrestling throughout my career. Not getting what you want is a tough thing. Most people don't win their last match. I kind of figured I would. Just being done with wrestling and having to finish on a loss is tough. A lot of those things hit you that you're not going to wrestle anymore. The biggest thing I miss is just competing. I get a little of that coaching, but it's just really tough when you're done. When you're going through it, it seems like it's never going to end sometimes. But then when you're done, it just seems like it went so quickly. It's just hard not getting what you wanted. A lot of sacrifice and time was put into it. I fully planned on getting there. It just didn't happen. But it's not something you dwell on. I don't really dwell on it anymore. I still think about it. That's for sure. I believe a lot people think about what they could have done or should have done. But I don't get depressed or dwell on it all. Your older brother, Luke, lost to Stephen Abas of Fresno State in the NCAA finals as a sophomore in 2002. Did he give you any advice after you lost your NCAA finals match about how to deal with losing such a big match? Eustice: You know, it was a little different for him because he was going to continue wrestling after college. And I kind of knew that I wasn't going to be competing anymore. So I just had some closure and could just put it behind me. His college wrestling career fueled him after college a little bit. The only thing he really said is, 'When you get opportunities, you have to try to take them.' I think my style of wrestling changed from my first several years of wrestling to my last two years of college wrestling … just from learning to take advantage of every opportunity. Being that you get to go out there and compete, you have to make to try to make things happen. I was more aggressive my last couple years … and that's why my national tournaments were better. So the only advice he gave me is that you have to be really ready to go when you step on the mat. You don't want to take that opportunity for granted. As you mentioned, Luke has gone on to wrestle internationally. How did you come to the decision to stop competing? And was it a tough decision? Eustice: Yeah, it was hard. I would still love to be competing, but like we talked about … I have a child and also wanted to continue my education. And just physically, I was just kind of worn out from the training. There are injuries that people don't really know about that get in the way of continuing wrestling … because it takes such a hard toll on the body. That's why I look at some of these guys like Bill Zadick and even Terry Brands a few years ago, just the fact that they could keep wrestling into their 30s is pretty amazing. Again, the competitive part is what I miss, but with the training, I was done as far as the commitment level to that. Looking at the current TheMat.com U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings, Zack Esposito, a wrestler you defeated twice your senior season of college, is ranked No. 4 at 66 kg (145.5 pounds). Do you ever find yourself looking at rankings or results and wondering what you could have accomplished if you would have continued competing? Ty Eustice picked up two wins over 2005 NCAA champion Zack Esposito during the 2005-06 season, including in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Eustice: I'm definitely interested in the freestyle results because there are a lot of guys I look up to competing, like the Zadick brothers, and then the weight class I probably would have wrestled (66 kg), you have Doug Schwab in there. I was always a big fan of his. Esposito and I had very contrasting styles. But I think my style is probably suited a little better to the rules now than his … and he's having a lot of success. But he has definitely improved a lot. He improved a lot in college. And then after college, he's having a lot of success just because he is so dynamic and has a lot of skills that most people can't deal with. I see him continuing to get better as time goes on. Shortly after you finished your collegiate career, Iowa chose not to renew Jim Zalesky's contract. Tom Brands was brought in to replace Zalesky. At the time, there seemed to be some hard feelings and mixed emotions all the way around with how that situation played out. What was your reaction when you received the news that Zalesky was out and Brands was in at Iowa? Eustice: It was a really weird deal. You know, it was right after the national tournament. The administration felt a lot pressure and then (former Iowa Director of Athletics) Bob Bowlsby left. When I was there, the four years I was on the team, we finished eighth, second, seventh, and fourth. We weren't getting the job done for whatever reason. There were a lot of reasons. Guys leaving. We lost a lot of people to transferring. You throw in Steve Mocco's points with our points and take them away from Oklahoma State, that could have been a tipping point for Jim Zalesky's job. They chose to make that change. I don't think you can sit here and look at whose the better coach and this and that. There are just different personalities and guys are responding to Tom Brands right now. That's for sure. Something is happening down there. They're getting things right. It was definitely a shocker to a lot of people. But when the level is not being met, a change has to be made, especially in the administration's eyes. And that's what they chose. But I think things worked out for all the people involved. Jim is coaching at Oregon State. He is one of the top coaches in the country. It's not going to be a long before he's up there again … there is no doubt in my mind. But Tom Brands is just an unbelievable motivator and his intensity is probably second to none in the sport and it's rubbing off on his guys. Going back to your senior season of college, you defeated Brent Metcalf, who is now ranked No. 1 for Iowa, at the Kaufman-Brand Open while he was redshirting. Having wrestled both Schlatter and Metcalf, and also watching them compete, how do you see a match between those two playing out if it happens this season? Eustice: I hope it does happen this season … just as a fan of that weight class and the sport in general. I just don't see anyone keeping the pace that Metcalf wrestles. No one has really wrestled that pace in college since … I mean, I think of like Mark Ironside and Doug Schwab. When I watch Metcalf wrestle, that's kind of what I think about. That doesn't come along that often … just as far as someone wrestling that pace. Obviously, Schlatter is going to need to ride him if he's going to win, in my mind. That's where he beat people his freshman year. That's where he beat me. If you ride someone for two minutes, it's going to take something out of them. I don't think even riding Brent Metcalf for two minutes is going to take it out of him, though. I don't see it. Ty Eustice gets in on the leg of Dustin Schlatter in their 2006 NCAA finals match at 149 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)I just think Metcalf has so much going for him as far as his drive, endurance, and aggressiveness. I don't know if I can make a pick or anything. Schlatter has been out. Especially against Metcalf, you need to be ready to go. And I don't know where Schlatter is at as far as conditioning goes … just because he hasn't competed. If it was seven minutes on their feet, I know that I would take Metcalf without a doubt. I just don't see him wearing down. He's just going to keep coming. That's something Schlatter is going to have to deal with. He probably hasn't seen that since the last time he wrestled Metcalf. It's definitely a change to some of the other guys in the weight class. Metcalf has kind of set himself apart as far as endurance, aggressiveness, and wanting to beat people bad. That's the thing I see. Many wrestling fans have come down hard on Dustin Schlatter for not putting as many points on the scoreboard as he did during his freshman season. Do you think his style has changed? Or do you think wrestlers are just wrestling him in hopes of keeping it close? Eustice: There are definitely some people who do just want to keep it close. There are kind of two ways you can wrestle Schlatter. You can wrestle him the way I tried to wrestle him, which is to keep it close, but put pressure on him. Or there's Esposito. He wanted to try to score a lot of points. It kind of backfired on him because Schlatter is so good defensively and coming back after people attack him. It seems to me, from an outside perspective, is that it's pressure. There wasn't any pressure on him his freshman year. It was, 'You're a true freshman and you're coming into Division I wrestling.' Everything was a plus when he went on the mat. He's in a different spot now. I don't think the entire country feels too bad for him when he loses. There are a lot of people who like it. That might be tough to handle. I don't know. He just had so much success right away. But he seems like a pretty composed person. Maybe it doesn't bother him at all. It might be the injury stuff. That's just speculation. He doesn't have too many losses on his credentials, so it's not like you can sit here and say that something is broken, when he's definitely getting the job done. The scores aren't dominating, that's true, that may come back, getting the dominating wins, but right now for whatever reason it's just not happening. The matches are closer. Coming from Blue Earth, Minnesota, did you grow up a Gopher fan or a Hawkeye fan? Eustice: We were Hawkeye fans just because we got to watch them on Iowa Public Television. I have heard a lot of people say that's how they became Hawkeye fans, from watching them on IPTV. I mean, I'm from Minnesota. You have to respect what the Gophers have done. The last few years, Oklahoma State has had a big run. The Gophers won it recently. They know what they are doing. You have to respect their program because they are getting the job done when they need to. But I'm still a Hawkeye. There's no doubt about that. It's fun to watch the two programs because they are so close and there is not a lot of love lost between the two programs. But it's definitely interesting to be from Minnesota and be a Hawkeye fan. You and Luke are obviously two of the most successful wrestlers the state of Minnesota has produced in recent years, so it surprised many when you both chose to attend Minnesota's arch rival, Iowa. What do you recall of the recruiting process? And after Luke made the decision to attend Iowa, was there ever any doubt that you would follow him to Iowa City? Eustice: It's not that I didn't consider going to Minnesota. They probably wish they would have gotten Luke more than me. I think the biggest determining factor for us was having to sit a year after redshirting. But then I still would have been behind (Jared) Lawrence for a year. Luke probably would have been behind (Leroy) Vega for a year. Minnesota was also recruiting (Marcus) LeVesseur when I was being recruited. It didn't turn me away, but it's also something you have to take into consideration. Ty Eustice defeated his future Iowa teammate, Mark Perry, 8-5, at the 2001 Junior Nationals in Fargo (Photo/The Guillotine)The tradition at the time with Iowa was second to none. Luke never really thought twice about it. Obviously, his decision had a big impact on my decision. But the biggest thing was sitting behind those guys. I wanted to wrestle. I wanted to be coached by Zalesky and Brands. That was the biggest thing. The combination of those two coaches was what drew me there. Not to take anything away from Minnesota at all. They have one of the best coaching staffs in the country. Their success speaks for itself. But we just felt a little more at home in Iowa City. It's not the big city like the Twin Cities. We just felt more comfortable down in Iowa City. Iowa is currently ranked No. 1 in the country and has eight of its 10 wrestlers ranked in the top eight. Obviously, Iowa has a great coaching staff and a lot of talent in the room, but did you expect the Hawkeyes to be having this great of a season? Eustice: Honestly, I didn't see the young guys coming on so much. I don't know if anybody did. It kind of just goes to show you that when the guys are buying into what the coach is saying … and when they're doing on the mat what the coach wants, which obviously Brands wants the guys aggressive and attacking the entire match, good things are going to happen. It's good that style of wrestling is coming out and being successful. He has all the guys believing that they are the best. I think that's the most important thing. And they believe in what he's saying, I think. That gives a guy confidence, when a guy buys into what his coach is saying, and it's working. So it's only going to feed off itself. They see Metcalf and his style. And then you have (Joe) Slaton, (Dan) LeClere, and (Charlie) Falck. They just attack, attack, attack. I think it's just spreading to the rest of the team as far as that mentality. It's just going to be a matter of doing it at the right time, which is at the end of March. How has the experience been for you so far as an assistant coach at Minnesota State? Eustice: It's tough making the transition from athlete to coach. The problem I have is that a lot of times I find myself caring a little more than some of our athletes. And that's a problem. That's the hardest thing I've had to come to grips with. My competitiveness and my desire to want to win, I want it to rub off on the guys. Sometimes they don't have that same fire in them … and that's hard to handle sometimes. Watching guys come off the mat after a loss, it might not bother them much. It probably bothers me more. I can't stand that, to be honest. I think that's what you have to instill in your guys is that you cannot accept losing. It becomes a habit sometimes. That's been the biggest change for me. And just maybe seeing a lot of the mistakes that I made when I was an athlete. It's easier to see them when you're on the other side, when you're coaching. You can see those mistakes. You can kind of look back and see what you did wrong. And you just try to help them not make those same mistakes. Minnesota State won the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Division II in dramatic fashion this season. Describe that experience. Eustice: It was a lot of fun. Mankato has never really won a big tournament like that. They have been really close the last three years. I think they have placed in the top three or four the last three national tournaments. When I was at Iowa, they made it to the finals of the National Duals. Two of my high school teammates wrestled here, so I kind of kept up with the team. But it was definitely a step in the right direction for the program. It kind of just gave our guys confidence that we can be the best team. I think sometimes they are a little unsure of themselves. But that win gave our team a lot of confidence heading into the big tournaments that we can come out on top for once. Instead of being that third or fourth-place team, we need to be looking to be the first-place team. Last Friday, you traveled to Omaha and lost 32-7 to Nebraska Omaha. That score surprised many people, considering that just last month you defeated Nebraska Omaha. What happened? Ty Eustice (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Eustice: It was a terrible performance. If anyone watched the webcast or was there, you could see that we got away from the things that we did well at the National Duals. They got a national champion back at 125, which was big point swing, obviously. We had our 141-pounder out, Travis Elg. There's another points swing. But you can only make those excuses so many times before you just have to say they outwrestled us. They did. In a couple matches, we didn't do the things we needed to do. We didn't stay in the positions that were good for us. You have to say good job to them because they kind of took it to us. They like that home-mat advantage. That was big for them. I think their guys get into it. But we can't be distracted by things like that. We have to be able to wrestle where we're good. Some of our guys don't know how to get to those positions where they're good and stay. Stay away from the big moves. Things like that. Nick Smith is our 125-pounder. He's ranked No. 3. Sometimes when the first guy gets off to a bad start, it can rub off on guys. We can't let that happen as coaches. We have to treat them all separately. They need to realize that just because their teammate went down, it means nothing for their match. It was a good learning experience as far as that goes. You can't be watching and be affected by how a dual meet is going. You have to go out there and take care of business. Lost in the score are two good performances by our seniors at 157 and 165. But I hope it's a learning experience just as far as knowing that you need to be ready to go every time you step on the mat. It should open some of our guys' eyes to that fact. What does Minnesota State need to do to be in a position to win a national title on March 15 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa? Eustice: Well, we need to be healthy. Everyone across the country is battling the flu, colds, injuries, and things like that. For us, we need all of our guys in there to be healthy and just feeling good about themselves. Right now, we don't have that. We're having a tough week here right now just battling the flu, but I think like we were talking about with Iowa, when we're trying to score points, we're a very good team. But when guys are sitting back, we're average. So we need to be aggressive. If you watched the Minnesota-Iowa dual, the attacking guys were the ones getting their hands raised. Guys sitting back were getting beat. Just instilling that in their heads that when we're the ones scoring points and the ones trying to take it from the other guy, we're probably going to come out on top. We're looking forward to the national tournament because we think we finally have a team that can win it. Your father, Jack, is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Minnesota State High School League. Are you planning on coaching a long time like your father? And if so, at what level do expect to coach? Eustice: No, I don't see myself coaching after this season. If there is a position that comes up, I would consider it because I still love wrestling and everything. As far as having a family, the one thing I've learned is that coaching does not work that well with raising a family. There is a lot of time that is spent on the road on weekends. A lot of recruiting time. I don't know if it's exactly for me right now. Obviously, if something comes up, I would have to consider it. But at this time, no. I'm getting my master's in sports management. So I'm kind of looking at getting into the sports industry. Maybe get into college athletics … that area. Coaching is tough. That's what I've learned in two years. That's for sure. Please Note: This story also appears in the February 22 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on The Guillotine, Click HERE.

The Chicago White Sox have a promotional deal with the Seven Eleven convenience store chain where the first pitch of their home games is thrown at 7:11 p.m. Maybe the Ashland University wrestling team likes that start time. On Wednesday (Feb. 13) at Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles, ranked 10th in the nation, didn't get rolling until around 7:15. The Gannon Golden Knights built a 12-0 lead before the Eagles rallied for a 21-17 verdict. The victory sends Ashland over the .500 mark at 9-8. Gannon is 6-3. At 125 pounds, GU's Scott Barnes got the best of Brandon Davis, 2-1. AU forfeited at 133 pounds and at 141, Kevin McElhaney held off Kyle Kanaga, 5-2. The AU turnaround began at 149 when Marcus Gordon raised his record to 17-9 with a 3-1 decision over Zack McKendree. The Eagles got to within 12-6 at 157 pounds when Muhammad Adbur-Rahman nipped Brandon Monin, 3-2. Abdur-Rahman is 22-6 and ranked third in the country. After one-point decisions by Tony Bradberry at 165 and Justin Ferguson at 174, Ashland went ahead to stay, 15-12 thanks to a 6-2 triumph by Jordan Job at 184. Jordan earned his ninth win of the season with the decision against Mike Cavalier. The Eagles really put some distance between themselves and 16th-ranked Gannon at 197 pounds when Josh Ohl pinned Jake Tazzi in 5:48. The pin was Ohl's team-best eighth of the year. The junior, ranked third in the nation, is 21-2. Gannon got back in the win column when Frank McGrath won at technical fall at 285 pounds. The Eagles' next match is Saturday (Feb. 16, 7 p.m.) when West Liberty visits Kates Gymnasium.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland's three ranked wrestlers from 174 to 197 pounds combined for three pins and 18 points as the No. 23 Terrapins defeated American, 37-14, on February 13 at Comcast Pavilion. Sophomore Mike Letts and junior Josh Haines both picked up their falls in under 30 seconds and sophomore Hudson Taylor's second period pin was his 16th of the year. The Terps started with a six-point advantage with a forfeit win at 125 and then sophomore Steven Bell pushed the lead up to nine with a 7-5 overtime win at 133 pounds. Down 4-2 heading into the third, Bell started down and scored a reversal to tie up the score. Matt Mariacher took the lead with an escape with 33 seconds left, but Bell had the riding time bonus point to force the extra session. In overtime, Bell won with a takedown 23 seconds in. The Eagles closed the gap to 9-5 with a technical fall win at 141 pounds, but freshman Eric Medina gained four of those points back with a major decision at 149 pounds to make it 13-5. Medina recorded three takedowns, a reversal, and accumulated over five minutes of riding time for the win. American came back with a decision at 157 pounds and then a pin in the third period at 165 to take its only lead of the night, 14-13. Maryland stormed back, though, as Letts pinned Jonathon Powell in 26 seconds and then Haines followed suit with a fall just 22 seconds in to extend the Terps' lead to 25-14. Letts' pin was the quickest of the season before Haines bested him in the very next match. Medina had previously held the distinction when he pinned Army's Ryan Nye in 39 seconds in his collegiate debut. Finally, Taylor put a lid on the match when he also got a fall midway through the second period. Maryland (14-4) will take another 10 days off before finishing up with a pair of duals on the road. The Terps face George Mason in Fairfax on February 23 before taking on Virginia in Charlottesville on February 24.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- VMI used three pins and three forfeits on their way to a 39-12 non-conference victory against Delaware State on Wednesday evening at The Thunderdome. The Keydets improve to 6-5 overall, while the Hornets fall to 1-12-1 on the season. With the Hornets forfeiting three of the first four weight classes and VMI senior Tyler Anthony pinning Kelvin Watford at 133, the Keydets took a 24-0 decision into the evening's fifth match, coming at 157. There, DSU redshirt-freshman Kyle Robinson pinned VMI freshman Andrew Dionne at the 4:08 mark, giving the Hornets their first win of the evening to cut the margin to 24-6. Hornet sophomore Brandon Gardner won the night's first decision, besting Keydet freshman Jayme Gordon at 165. In that match, Gordon broke a scoreless tie late in the second period with a takedown, however fell behind 3-2 midway through the third period and could not escape as time expired. VMI senior Dustin McCabe scored the Keydets' second pin of the evening in the second period of the 174 match. With a 2-0 lead and over a minute of riding time entering the second, McCabe began the second period in the down position. He was unable to escape until he reversed Kyle Skinner's hold in the center circle, pinning him at the 3:52 mark to push the VMI advantage to 30-9. Keydet freshman Curtis Moore won his first career dual match at 184, running up a 9-2 decision over Hornet junior Derrick Loper. Hornet junior Shawn Nowrey countered with a 10-3 decision at 197 over Keydet freshman Ronnie Ellsworth. The final match of the evening pitted DSU redshirt-freshman Ellis Hester against Keydet freshman Josh Wine. Wine continued his dominance at The Thunderdome, improving to 3-0 with three pins at home this season, doing so at the 2:54 mark of the first period to wrap up the night's action. "Well, we only wrestled seven matches, so the team score is misleading," said VMI head coach John Trudgeon. "We won four of the seven matches, and had six true freshmen in the lineup tonight. Curtis Moore had a good win tonight, it's good for him to wrestle aggressively and get a win. There's a lot of work to do out there for us. It's good to have Tyler getting back to 100%, and then we've basically got Dave, Dustin and a bunch of young pups. We've got some big challenges this weekend against Duke and Appalachian State, but tonight, a win's a win and we'll take it." The Keydets return to action this weekend, taking on Duke in Durham on Saturday before rounding out their Southern Conference schedule at Appalachian State on Sunday.

It wasn't easy, but the NCAA Division II #8-ranked and East Region #2-ranked Mountain Cat wrestling team rebounded from a sluggish start and won six of the last seven bouts to secure a 26-9 victory over East Region #8 West Liberty State (WV) College, Wednesday night in the Sports Center. Three-time All-American and #4 Mike Corcetti (Export, Pa.) broke open a 13-9 lead with a fall at 184 lbs. to help Pitt Johnstown improve to 16-5. West Liberty State jumped out to a 3-0 lead when East Region #3 Lucas Huffman defeated East Region #4 Derrek Bosso (Pequea, Pa.) 3-2 at 125 lbs., but Brandon Reasy (New Enterprise, Pa.), the #1-ranked wrestler in the nation, evened the score with a 6-4 decision over three-time National Qualifier Matt Mossor at 133 lbs.. The Hilltoppers quickly regained a 6-3 lead when #7 Doug Surra got a take down with :25 left to defeat East Region #4 Shane Valko (Windber, Pa.) in the 141 lb. bout. Once again, the Mountain Cats responded. Adam Whetstone (149 lbs.) (Claysburg, Pa.) won 4-0 over Richie Clark to tie the match, 6-6. Mazen Kholi (Allentown, Pa.) followed with a 6-3 decision over Brian Leggett at 157 lbs. to give Pitt Johnstown a 9-6 lead, a lead it would never give up. East Region #3 Kyle Keane (165 lbs.) (Clearfield, Pa.) scored a 16-3 major decision over Seth Phalen to increase the lead to 13-6. West Liberty State cut the lead to 13-9 when East Region #4 Chris Gibbs upset NCAA #7 and East Region #1 Albert Miles (174 lbs.) (Canonsburg, Pa.), 4-2. However, that was as close as the Hilltoppers would get. Corcetti (184 lbs.) (Export, Pa.) pinned J.D. Ramsey at 3:34 to put Pitt Johnstown up 19-9. #6 Patrick Walsh (Leesport, Pa.) won an 8-5 decision over Mitch Knapp, before NCAA #7 and East Region #2 Zach Majocha (Upper Burrell, Pa.) set the final score at 26-9 with an 11-0 major decision over Joey McGee at heavyweight. With the loss, the Hilltoppers fell to 9-10 on the season. The Mountain Cats wrap-up the 2007-08 regular season by hosting #15 Mercyhurst College for Senior Night on Friday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sports Center. Pitt Johnstown will also host the 2008 East Regional Wrestling Tournament on February 29 and March 1.

RALEIGH, NC -- The UNC Greensboro wrestling squad got their redemption against NC State as they defeated the Wolfpack, 23-17, on Wednesday night at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. The Spartans got the night started with two big wins in the 125- and 133-pound weight classes to take a 9-0 lead. Sophomore Mitchell Johnson (12-13, 2-2 SoCon) tacked on his fifth fall victory of the season with a 2:57 pin against Taylor Cummings (20-12). Johnson has won two of the three matches versus Cummings this year. Thirteenth-ranked senior Jeff Hedges (22-9, 4-0 SoCon) won his 11th consecutive match with a 6-4 decision over Darius Little (10-11). Hedges is now 2-0 against Little. Earlier this week he was tagged the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week. The Wolfpack seemed to be making a comeback as they won the next four matches and took a 17-9 point lead. No. 5 Joe Caramanica (28-4) got things started with a seven-minute, 17-2 technical fall over senior Ben Wilmore (4-14, 2-2). Ninth-ranked Darrion Caldwell (28-3) followed with a 1:43 fall victory over junior Marcus Hannah (14-6, 3-1 SoCon) in the 149-pound bout. Colton Palmer (6-9) kept the momentum going as he defeated senior Mark Ring (7-13, 2-1 SoCon) with a third-period takedown to win 7-4 and Jalil Dozier (12-11) won a 17-10 decision over redshirt freshman Byron Sigmon (13-13, 3-1 SoCon). Not to be putout by the eight-point deficit, the blue and gold answered with four back-to-back wins to take the lead and the dual win away from the Wolfpack. Freshman Mikal McKee (11-16, 1-3 SoCon) took the 174-pound bout with a 12-3 major decision over Ray Ward (5-8) to give the team four points and at 184, sophomore Jeremy Cannon (6-4, 0-0 SoCon) nearly shutout Dane Coffee (0-10) with a 10-1 major. With the scores tied at 17-17, thirteenth-ranked senior Daren Burns (28-6, 4-0 SoCon) not only gave the Spartans the lead with a 1-0 victory over Mark Jahad (9-17), but he also made UNCG history. The win was Burns' 100th in his career at UNCG and made him the first Spartan to ever reach the century mark. As he has done in the past, junior Ryan Hsu (19-11, 4-0 SoCon) sealed the victory for the Spartans as he took the heavyweight bout with a 5-2 decision over Bobby Isola (15-12). The Spartans are now 9-7 on the season with a 3-1 Southern Conference record. With the loss, NC State drops to an 8-10-1. UNCG is back in action Wednesday, February 20 as they take on the Duke Blue Devils. Prior to the 7pm start time, the Spartans will honor four of its senior squad members.

No. 2 ranked University of Nebraska at Omaha reeled off seven straight wins, including three pins, to cruise to a 43-3 North Central Conference dual meet win over Augustana College Wednesday night in front of 875 at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse. The victory, in the final NCC dual match ever for the Mavericks, pushed UNO to 8-2 on the season, while the Vikings fell to 4-6. UNO got an opening pin from No. 1-ranked 125-pounder Cody Garcia in just 1:49 over Al Merger to start the rout. After the Vikings defaulted at 133, Sim Bribieseca of UNO managed an escape early in the third period for a 3-2 win over Jay Sherer. No. 1-ranked Todd Meneely, at 149, then scored a fall in 5:19 over Mike Long. Henry Wahle and No. 3-ranked Aaron Denson followed with 7-0 and 10-0 decisions to clinch the victory for the Mavericks. No. 4-ranked Ross Taplin followed with UNO's third pin of the night at 174 and second-ranked Brent Pankoke scored the final six points of the match in a 10-6 win over Beau Severtson at 184. The Vikings, who forfeited matches at 133 and heavyweight, got their lone win at 197 when No. 4-ranked Ty Copsey defeated Nick Edmonds, 9-2. UNO is idle until closing its dual season with a non-conference home match against NCAA Division I Northern Iowa on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.

ALAMOSA, Colo. -- The Adams State College Grizzlies will attempt to cease all debate on if they are the best dual-meet wrestling team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference when they host Nebraska-Kearney in a clash of RMAC titans, Thursday night in Plachy Hall. The first bout of what is ASC's final dual meet of the season, is slated for 7 p.m. In honor of Valentine's Day, the Grizzlies are holding Couple's Night in conjunction with the event, sponsored by Safeway. All couples will receive two admissions for the price of one. The Grizzlies, ranked third in the latest NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Top 20 poll, have won nine straight duals and are 10-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in RMAC action. The Lopers, ranked fourth nationally, are the 6-time defending RMAC Tournament Champions and have won three straight conference dual titles. They are 10-5 overall and 4-1 in RMAC action after seeing their 26-RMAC match winning streak snapped with a 19-17 setback to No. 5 Western on Saturday in Kearney. The Lopers, who will have up to seven nationally ranked wrestlers in their lineup, are at New Mexico Highlands on Wednesday night. They have three RMAC duals remaining this season and can get to 7-1 in conference action. Western State is currently 5-1 and can also get to 7-1 should the Mountaineers win out at Colorado Mines and New Mexico Highlands on Saturday and Monday. Their lone RMAC loss was to the Grizzlies, who mathematically have clinched the dual-meet title even if they should fall to the Lopers. The fact is certainly aided as the Grizzlies had the opportunity to wrestle and defeat affiliate RMAC member San Francisco State, something both Nebraska-Kearney and Western State did not. And because of that, ASC coach Jason Ramstetter and the Grizzlies want to end any debate on who the dual-meet champion is before it begins, something they can undoubtedly do by claiming Thursday's head-to-head match-up with the Lopers. Already winners of 10 duals for the first time since 1990 and riding a 9-dual winning streak, their longest in the NCAA Division II era (1992-93/Present), the Grizzlies hold their highest team ranking under Ramstetter, who can win his 50th career dual. ASC has five individually ranked wrestlers, up to four of which are slated to face off with fellow nationally-ranked opponents. The first of those battles could come at 125 pounds as sophomore Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) could face either seventh-ranked Joey Morrison or unranked Michael Abril. Barksdale, ranked fifth, is 19-8 overall and leads all RMAC wrestlers in that weight class with his .704 winning percentage. Abril, a junior, is 10-12 while Morrison, who may wrestle at 133 pounds, is 12-8 overall. Raymond Dunning (Nashville, Tenn.), also ranked fifth nationally, is 21-6 overall this year, the best RMAC record in the 133-pound weight class. He has not wrestled since the Western State dual on Feb. 1 and will draw either Morrison or senior Brett Allgood, a 2006 NCAA Division II National Champion who has not been out on the mat this year. On paper, the Lopers appear to have the edge at 141 pounds as senior Jeff Rutledge, a 2-time All-American, is ranked third in the country with his RMAC-best 27-11 record. The Grizzlies counter with Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.), just a redshirt freshman. Although young, Hensley has had a solid season racking up a 21-9 overall record, a mark that includes a 10-1 record in duals. Hensley is also a perfect 8-0 in RMAC duals and could make quite a case for the top seed in the upcoming Mar. 1 RMAC/NCAA West Regional Championships if he can get by Rutledge, who is 12-2 in duals this year. Another big match could come at 149 pounds as the Lopers are likely to send sixth-ranked Ryan Etherton to the mat to face ASC sophomore Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.). Deaguero, who has been nationally ranked for much of this season, is 18-8 overall and 9-2 in duals. He was a 2007 All-American at 141 pounds. Etherton, also a sophomore, is 28-11 and 12-13 in duals. He leads all RMAC wrestlers with 14 wins by fall this year, something Deaguero, who shares ASC's team lead with 8, must certainly be aware of as bonus-points could significantly factor into the entire dual. If the aforementioned matches were not enough to salivate the excitement glands of wrestling fans, the 157-pound match-up should be as Loper senior Joe Ellenberger, currently ranked second in the country, is slated to face fifth-ranked Noomis Jones. Ellenberger, a returning All-American who racked up 43 wins in 2006-07, sports a 27-6 overall record and is an impressive 14-1 in dual meets. Jones comes in with a 21-8 record and has won seven straight matches to get to 10-1 in duals. He is also a perfect 8-0 in RMAC affairs. The Lopers might have a slight edge at 165 pounds as well with junior Keenan McCurdy, ranked eighth, slated to go against and up-and-down Grizzly sophomore in Mike Gallegos (Alamosa, Colo.). McCurdy is 21-15 overall, but just 7-6 in duals. Gallegos, 7-3, has had some big wins but has also dropped some matches he would like back after missing the first half of the season with an eye injury. Another decisive tilt could be at 174 pounds as two of the top three wrestlers in the country will face off. ASC senior Evan Copeland (Las Cruces, N.M.) is ranked second in the country and sports a 21-10 record. He is slated to face Loper sophomore Marty Usman, ranked third. Usman is 15-5 overall and a perfect 4-0 in limited dual meet action. At 184 pounds, the Grizzlies have their highest ranked wrestler in Jared Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.). A winner of 15 straight matches and the reigning RMAC Wrestler of the Week, Deaguero is 26-5 in the year following his national title run. Undefeated in 20 straight matches against Division II opposition, Deaguero will be attempting to avenge his only RMAC dual meet loss of his career when he faces a Loper in Paul Sutton, a junior with a 21-11 record. Deaguero's only RMAC dual meet loss of his career came last February against UNK's Matt Farrell, a man Deaguero did defeat in the finals of the 2007 RMAC/NCAA West Regional Championships. A mid-year transfer to ASC last year, Deaguero has never lost in Plachy Hall. He and Copeland, ASC's two seniors, will be wrestling there for the final time on Thursday. At 197 pounds, the Lopers are likely to send Derek Ross to the mat. He is 15-12 this year and 6-3 in duals. ASC will counter with true freshman Collin Backlund (Taylorsville, Utah), who had his redshirt pulled off mid-season as Brandon Morris (Nucla, Colo.) left the team. Backlund is 1-8 since then. Like ASC does with Jared Deaguero, the Lopers also have a defending national champion and top-ranked wrestler in the lineup in heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev, a perfect 26-0 this year. Arguably the top big-guy in all of collegiate wrestling, Dlagnev was last year's RMAC Wrestler of the Year and earned preseason honors before this season. The Grizzlies will counter with either sophomore Jeff Schossow (Fort Morgan, Colo.) or Josh Marquez (Bakersfield, Calif.). Schossow, who replaced Marquez after the later was pinned in two straight matches, is 8-6 this year. He will also have a personal vendetta after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in last year's match with Dlagnev. Marquez is 7-6.

THIS WEEK Top-ranked Iowa (18-1, 5-0 Big Ten) will put its undefeated Big Ten dual mark on the line when it hosts two conference opponents this weekend. Iowa will wrestle #20 Indiana (12-7, 1-5 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. and #9 Michigan (15-6, 2-3 Big Ten) Sunday at 8 p.m. Both matches will be held in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It will be the second meeting for the Hawkeyes and Wolverines this season, as Iowa scored a 23-13 win in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals semifinals Jan. 13 in Cedar Falls. The Michigan dual will be a Black Out event, where all fans are encouraged to wear black clothing. It will also be Senior Night, Fan Appreciation Night and 25 Years in Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be celebrated. Seniors Matt Fields (Hwt.) and Mark Perry (165) will be recognized, and fans will be eligible to win prizes and receive a free commemorative meet program. FAMILY FOUR PACK AVAILABLE The University of Iowa is offering a Family Four Pack ticket package for the Iowa vs. Indiana dual on Friday. The package includes four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $30. Orders can be placed through the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office or at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. All dual meets will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. Live audio broadcasts from all competitions and are available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($9.95 per month or $79.95 per year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($119.95 yer year). Internet - Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and live video broadcasts from home dual meets are available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live dual scoring for home meets, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Results will be updated after each bout during the dual. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. INDIANA HOOSIERS Indiana is 12-7 (1-5 Big Ten) with wins over Wabash (44-0), The Cumberlands (50-0), Oregon (35-6), Duke (3606), Liberty (32-9), Ohio (34-9), Harper (49-0), Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (51-0), Gardner Webb (46-0), Air Force (39-3), Indianapolis (32-9) and Michigan State (32-9), and losses to Missouri (18-22), Cornell (19-22), Wisconsin (15-20), Penn State (9-25), Ohio State (13-20), Purdue (16-18) and Illinois (9-23). Head Coach Duane Goldman is 187-103-4 in 16 seasons at Indiana. He was a four-time all-American, NCAA finalist and Big Ten champion at Iowa (1983-86), winning the 1986 NCAA title. Goldman is assisted by four-time Hawkeye all-American (1994-97) and 1995 Big Ten Champion Mike Mena and Indiana alum Pat DeGain (2005). The Hoosiers are led by senior Brandon Becker (157), junior Andre Hernandez (133) and sophomores Angel Escobedo (125) and Matt Coughlin (165). Escobedo is 24-0 this season and is ranked second in the nation. Hernandez, Escobedo and Hawkeye senior Alex Tsirtis (141) all attended Griffith High School in Griffith, IN. Hoosier sophomore Trevor Perry (174) wrestled with Iowa sophomore Brent Metcalf (149) at Davision High School in Davision, MI. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES Michigan is 15-6 (2-3 Big Ten) with wins over Bucknell (33-6), Bloomsburg (27-12), Virginia (25-10), Kent State (26-14), Buffalo (32-6), Eastern Michigan (33-6), Lehigh (33-9), Harvard (35-12), Columbia (43-3), Appalachian State (32-9), Northern Iowa (30-6), Hofstra (19-15), Minnesota (23-16), Purdue (24-12) and Illinois (22-16), and losses to Maryland (16-18), Iowa (13-23), Central Michigan (13-21), Minnesota (15-24), Penn State (14-20) and Ohio State (15-16). The Wolverines will wrestle at Wisconsin Friday night at 7 p.m. Head Coach Joe McFarland is 121-39-5 in nine years at Michigan and 145-55-4 in 12 seasons as a collegiate head coach. McFarland was a four-time all-American (1981-82, 1984-85), two-time NCAA finalist and 1984 Big Ten Champion for the Wolverines. He still holds the school record for most wins in a season (48). McFarland is assisted by Michigan alums Kirk Trost (1986), Mike Kulczycki (2003) and Mark Churella, Sr. (1979). The Wolverines are led by seniors Eric Tannenbaum (165) and Josh Churella (149), juniors Steve Luke (174) and Tyrel Todd (184) and freshman Kellen Russell (141). Todd enters the dual with a 22-2 record and has won 21 of his last 22 matches. Tannenbaum is 24-2. Russell and Hawkeye senior Mark Perry (165) both prepped at Blair Academy in Blair, NJ. THE SERIES Indiana - Iowa leads the series 31-4-3 and is 15-3-1 vs. the Hoosiers in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes have won the last 16 meetings, including the last in 2006 (30-12). Indiana's last win in the series was 19-13 in Bloomington in 1968. Michigan - Michigan leads the series 25-24-1, but the Hawkeyes hold a 10-9-1 advantage in Iowa City. Iowa won the last meeting between the two teams - 23-13 last month at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls. Michigan's last win in the series was 19-15 at the 2006 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. LAST MEETING - IOWA 30, INDIANA 12 Iowa defeated the Indiana Hoosiers, 30-12, Jan. 29, 2006, at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Iowa (9-4, 3-1 Big Ten) won seven of 10 matches and picked up a pair of falls in the win over Indiana (11-2, 2-2). Things started rough for the Hawkeyes, who dropped the first two matches to fall into an 8-0 hole. Defending NCAA Champion and top-ranked Joe Dubuque opened the dual with a major decision over Lucas Magnani, then Andrae Hernandez blanked freshman Daniel Dennis, 11-0, at 133 pounds. The tide quickly turned in favor of the Hawkeyes, who won the next six matches to put the dual away. Sophomore 141-pounder Alex Tsirtsis kicked off the run by pinning Nick Spatola at 6:21. It was Tsirtsis's first fall of the season. Senor Ty Eustice picked up a win via disqualification at 149, followed by a 6-3 decision win by Joe Johnston at 157 pounds. Eric Luedke recorded an 8-4 win over Max Dean at 165 pounds, followed by Mark Perry's second pin of the year and a 9-3 win from 184-pounder Paul Bradley. Freshman Dan Erekson dropped an 11-2 major decision to Brady Richardson, but Ryan Fuller ended the dual at heavyweight with a 4-2 win over Dave Harman. Iowa 30, Indiana 12 125 - Joe Dubuque (IU) maj. dec. Lucas Magnani (I), 15-6 133 - Andrae Hernandez (IU) maj. dec. Daniel Dennis (I), 11-0 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) pinned Nick Spatola (IU), 6:21 149 - Ty Eustice (I) W by DQ Matt Cooper (IU) 157 - Joe Johnston (I) dec. Brandon Becker (IU), 6-3 165 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Max Dean, 8-4 174 - Mark Perry (I) pinned Marc Bennett (IU), 5:28 184 - Paul Bradley (I) dec. Justin Curran (IU), 9-3 197 - Brady Richardson (IU) maj. dec. Dan Erekson (I), 11-2 Hwt. - Ryan Fuller (I) dec. Dave Harman (IU), 4-2 LAST MEETING - IOWA 23, MICHIGAN 13 The second-seeded Hawkeyes (10-1) used two upsets and two major decisions to beat sixth-seeded Michigan, 23-13, in the semifinals of the 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls Jan. 13. Senior Mark Perry (165) and sophomore Jay Borschel (174) both scored upsets in their matches to lead the Hawkeyes. Perry beat then-#1 Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan, 4-1. Perry now holds a 2-1 lead his collegiate career series with Tannenbaum, winning the previous meeting - 5-2 - at the 2007 Big Ten Championship finals. Borschel upset #2 Steve Luke, 3-2. The Marion, IA, native fought off several shots from Luke and converted on his own in the third period to score his third straight victory. Junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophomore Joe Slaton (133) got the dual off to an 8-0 start for Iowa with back-to-back major decisions. Falck scored 11 points in the last two periods to beat Michael Watts, 13-5. Slaton accumulated over five minutes of riding time in his 16-5 win over Chris Diehl. Michigan put its first points on the board at 141 when top-ranked Kellen Russell caught Hawkeye sophomore Dan LeClere in a scramble and pinned him in 4:48. Iowa responded with four straight wins, starting with Michigan native Brent Metcalf's 4-2 victory over Josh Churella at 149. Metcalf scored a late takedown and a stall point to extend his winning streak to 12 matches. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar kept the momentum in Iowa's favor with a 3-2 win over Jeff Marsh at 157. The Wolverines fought back with wins at 184 and 197 before Hawkeye senior Matt Fields scored a 13-6 win over Chad Bleske at heavyweight to end the dual. Iowa 23, Michigan 13 125 - Charlie Falck (I) maj. dec. Michael Watts (M), 13-5 133 - Joe Slaton (I) maj. dec. Chris Diehl (M), 16-5 141 - Kellen Russell (M) pinned Dan LeClere (I), 4:48 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) dec. Josh Churella (M), 4-2 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Jeff Marsh (M), 3-2 165 - Mark Perry (I) dec. Eric Tannenbaum (M), 4-1 174 - Jay Borschel (I) dec. Steve Luke (M), 3-2 184 - Tyrel Todd (M) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 3-2 197 - Anthony Biondo (M) maj. dec. Chad Beatty (I), 8-0 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) dec. Chad Bleske (M), 13-6 IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 825-215-30 (.785) in 96 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 48 NCAA champions have won a total of 74 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 100 Big Ten champions have won a total of 181 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 130 all-Americans have earned all-America status 266 times, including 16 four-time, 28 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. PERRY UNDERGOES KNEE SURGERY Senior 165-pounder Mark Perry has undergone knee surgery. The announcement came Jan. 24 from Head Coach Tom Brands. The Stillwater, OK, native, had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks of action. Perry, a three-time all-American, has a career record of 89-15. He currently has a 13-2 record and is ranked first nationally. His nine pins, this season, are best on the team. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's two remaining home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office or at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. University of Iowa students will be admitted free to all matches with a student ID. Tickets purchased in advance are $8 for adults and $4 for youth. Tickets purchased at the event are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. HAWKEYES GO 2-0 ON NON-CONFERENCE ROAD TRIP Iowa won 17 of 20 bouts against two Pac-10 teams last weekend on a non-conference road trip. The Hawkeyes beat Arizona State (36-3) Friday in Glendale, AZ, and Boise State (30-9) Sunday in Boise, ID, extending their winning streak to 11 matches. Senior Matt Fields (Hwt.), junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophomores Dan LeClere (141), Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (157), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) all went 2-0 on the weekend. Metcalf posted a pin and technical fall on the trip, extending his winning streak to 20 matches. Falck collected his 60th career win against the Sun Devils. Fields scored his 20th season win and Borschel posted his 11th straight victory at Boise State. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, four NCAA titles, six conference titles and 12 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.853). BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TICKETS GO ON SALE Tickets for the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, to be held at the University of Minnesota's Williams Arena Mar. 8-9 are now available. All-session tickets are $30 and may be purchased through gophersports.com, in person at the Minnesota athletics ticket office in Mariucci Arena or by calling 1-800-846-7437 or 612-624-8080. Single-session tickets, if available, will go on sale March 3. The Big Ten Championships will feature a three-session format, with the Session 1 preliminary matches beginning at 11 a.m. on Mar. 8. Session 2 will get underway at 6 p.m. that same day, and the Session 3 championship matches will start at noon Mar. 9. Sessions 1 and 2 will feature four mats of action, while Session 3 will have three mats. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO ST. LOUIS The 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships are scheduled for Mar. 20-22 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. The Scottrade Center was the site for the national wrestling tournament in 2000, 2004 and 2005, and will host the event in 2009. The NCAA, University of Missouri and the St. Louis Sports Commission will co-host the event. Sessions I (11 a.m.) and II (6:30 p.m.) will be held Mar. 20, Sessions III (10 a.m. and IV (6 p.m.) will be Mar. 21, and Session V (10 a.m.) and the championship finals (7:30 p.m.) are set for Mar. 22. Tickets to the event are available at (866) 646-8849 or ticketmaster.com. All-session tickets are priced based on seat location. The price breakdown is as follows: Plaza - $150, Mezzanine Center & Mezzanine Corner (1st 2 rows) - $120, Mezzanine Corner & Mezzanine End (1st 2 rows) - $95, Mezzanine End - $60. NEXT COMPETITION Top-ranked Iowa (18-1, 5-0 Big Ten) will end the 2007-08 dual meet season Feb. 24 at #9/#11 Illinois (11-2, 3-1 Big Ten). The dual will be held at Huff Hall at 1 p.m. in Champaign, IL.

The Stanford wrestling team has one last tune-up this weekend before next month's Pac-10 Championships. The Cardinal (12-4, 5-3 Pac-10) will meet Arizona State on Sunday for its final dual meet, looking to cap its already landmark 12-win season with another win. The contest is set for noon on Sunday at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz. Stanford is amidst one of its best seasons in program history, having already notched the highest win total in more than three decades. The Cardinal's 12 dual wins are the second-most in program history, topped only by the 15-win record set in 1974-75. Five wrestlers have already reached 20 wins this year, with two already hitting 30 wins. Eight Stanford starters are .500 or above on the season. Leading the way is a pair of seniors who are currently ranked among the nation's top-10 in their respective weight classes and undefeated in dual matches. No. 6 Tanner Gardner is 34-1 at 125 pounds, and will be looking to equal the program's single-season pin record (18) against Arizona State. The two-time All-American needs just two more wins to match Matt Gentry's career win record. He is among the nation's top-three in both wins and pins, and leads the Pac-10 in both categories. No. 10 Josh Zupancic is 32-5 at 157 pounds, and is on a 13-bout winning streak. In addition, sophomore Jake Johnson (197 pounds), sophomore Zack Giesen (184 pounds) and redshirt freshman Lucas Espericueta (149 pounds) have all posted 20 or more wins. The trio is a combined 35-9 in duals, and has racked up a combined 152 team points. Espericueta is tied for fifth nationally with 11 major decisions. Arizona State finished fifth in the Pac-10 last year, and is 9-7 overall and 3-4 in the conference so far in 2008. The squad is led by its two ranked freshmen, 125-pounder Anthony Robles (No. 16) and 184-pounder Brent Chriswell (No. 15). Additionally, two of the Sun Devils' four 2007 NCAA qualifiers are back, 197-pound senior Jason Trulson and 165-pound senior Patrick Pitsch. Stanford wrestlers are 4-3 against Arizona State wrestlers this season. Last year, the teams were tied going into the final bout, but the Sun Devils pulled through for a close 23-20 victory in the Ford Center. Luke Feist led the way for the Cardinal with a decisive technical fall, while Phillip Doerner came out on top in a critical bout at heavyweight. Stanford will send ten wrestlers to the Pac-10 Championships in Eugene, Ore. next month. The Championships will be held at McArthur Court on the University of Oregon campus, Mar. 2-3. The top three finishers in each weight class and nine wildcard selections will qualify for the NCAA Championships, Mar. 20-22, in St. Louis, Mo.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 17 Sooners return home this Friday, Feb. 15, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman when they host the Cal Poly Mustangs (5-6) at 7 p.m., in the first annual "Beauty and the Beast" event. The squad will share the floor with the OU women's gymnastics team who will simultaneously compete against Big 12 rival Iowa State in the dual-team event. OU wrestlers (12-5, 0-4 in Big 12) are coming off a tough 21-9 defeat in Lincoln last Sunday against No. 2 Nebraska. All was not lost versus the Huskers, as freshman Joey Fio uspet No. 4 ranked and defending national champion Paul Donahoe. Fio was awarded Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, his first career conference award and the first freshman to receive the honor this season. "Despite losses, I think our team can use last weekend's duals as building blocks for the rest of the season," head coach Jack Spates said. "I was pleased with our fight and aggressiveness versus Nebraska. Our team needs to step up this Friday and get a victory." This is the 34th meeting between the two schools, with OU leading the all-time series by a 28-3-2 margin. Last season, Oklahoma prevailed on Dec. 9, 2006, by a 31-7 final in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Only two current Sooners (Will Rowe and Joshua Weitzel) recorded individual wins in the victory versus the Mustangs. Oklahoma has six nationally ranked wrestlers heading into the Friday showdown, including No. 17 Joey Fio at 125 pounds, his first career national ranking. Zack Bailey and Chad Terry are ranked No. 16 at 141 and 157 pounds respectively, and Will Rowe is No. 17 at 149 pounds. Seniors Joshua Weitzel (No. 6) and Joel Flaggert (No. 9) remain in the Top 10 at 184 and 197 pounds. Cal Poly is headed by No. 1 ranked and undefeated Chad Mendes at 141 pounds (21-0), along with Chase Pami who is No. 14 at 157 pounds. "This is going to be a great event for Oklahoma fans," Spates said. "We encourage all Sooners to come out and support these two premiere programs in their respective sports." The first 500 fans arriving Friday will receive an event T-shirt, and raffle prizes will be awarded throughout the evening. Both teams will also take part in an autograph session at the conclusion of the event. Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults. Admission is free for OU students with a valid student I.D. The match versus the Mustangs is the final non-conference dual for the Sooners this season. Oklahoma will resume Big 12 conference competition when it hosts arch-rival Oklahoma State next Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Howard McCasland Field House at 7 p.m.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 10. Scott earned the honor for his 4-3 win over then No. 4 Kellen Russell of Michigan. Scott, making his first start in a home Big Ten dual meet, thrilled over 4,000 Nittany Lion fans the critical decision over Russell. He notched a reversal and two escapes to down the fourth-ranked Wolverine and grab his first home Big Ten dual meet win. The victory helped Penn State defeat then No. 6 Michigan 20-14 as the Nittany Lions won six of 10 bouts in the victory. Scott improved to 14-3 on the year while Russell fell to 23-4. The honor is Penn State's third this season. Both Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) and David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) have earned the honor. Scott's win allowed him to make a superb debut in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll individual rankings, stepping in at No. 9 at 141. Scott is one of eight Nittany Lions ranked in the latest release, compiled and released by Intermat and viewable in full at www.intermatwrestle.com. Head coach Troy Sunderland's team moved up to No. 9 in the national team rankings, jumping up a spot thanks to its win over Michigan last Friday night. The victory improved Penn State to 11-5 on the year, 3-3 in Big Ten duals. Iowa holds down the top spot, followed by Nebraska (2), Oklahoma State (3), Minnesota (4), Central Michigan (5), Ohio State (6), Iowa State (7), Illinois (8), Penn State (9) and Michigan (10). The Big Ten, with six teams in the top ten, has nine ranked overall as Northwestern (12), Wisconsin (13) and Indiana (21) are among the nation's top 25. Scott is one of five Nittany Lions with a top ten individual ranking. Three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) holds down the No. 3 spot at 197 with a 14-1 record while sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) is No. 3 at 157 with his 22-1 mark. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) checks in with a No. 5 nod at 149 and is 17-3 on the year. Scott is No. 9 at 141 and senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) is No. 10 at 125. McKnight is 10-6 on the season. Joining that group in the national rankings are sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) and junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) Erwin, 21-8 on the year, is No. 16 at 174; Bomberger, 15-6 so far, is No. 14 at 184; and Laboranti, 20-6 this season, is No. 16 at HWT. The Nittany Lions close out their home slate this weekend with two Big Ten duals. Michigan State visits Penn State on Friday, Feb. 15, in a 7 p.m. dual that will air live to a Big Ten Network national audience. Purdue then comes to Rec Hall on Sunday, Feb. 17, for a 1 p.m. match-up. Tickets for all regular season duals are on sale now at the athletic department ticket office in the Bryce Jordan Center. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted free! Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order single-dual or season tickets. All Penn State duals will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com. All home duals will feature a live video webcast and live scoring at www.GoPSUsports.com as well.