InterMat Staff

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's third-ranked wrestling team held on in the final three matches to defeat No. 9 Iowa State, 16-15, at Gallagher-Iba Arena Sunday evening. Sunday's victory marked the second win in three days for OSU as the Cowboys improved to 12-2-1 on the season. The Cowboys are now 27-5-1 all-time at home against the Cyclones. "I don't walk out of this match very pleased with our effort," said OSU head coach John Smith. "What I do walk out with is you've got to find ways to win when things are not looking real good. I thought that some of our 'A' guys, guys that wrestled hoping to get some bonus points, struggled in some of their matches, but at the same time they picked up key takedowns to make the difference." The decisive match of the dual came at 174 pounds. OSU junior and seventh-ranked Brandon Mason recorded a takedown and two near falls in the first period against ISU's Aron Scott. Mason went on to earn a major decision of 9-1 to give the Cowboys four needed points. At 165 pounds, No. 5 Jake Dieffenbach had an important last-second takedown to grab a win over No. 6 Jon Reader. In the final match of the night, OSU senior Jack Jensen battled top-ranked Jake Varner to a 2-1 decision in the Cyclone's favor, but it was not enough for the visitors to overtake the Cowboys. Match-by-Match Breakdown: 197 pounds: After a slow start, Iowa State's 20th ranked David Bertolino scored points on an escape and a takedown in the second period to edge Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster 3-1 in the first match of the night. Heavyweight: In the first of many top 10 matchups of the night, No. 5 David Zabriskie registered the only takedown in the second period to escape with a 3-2 win over No. 7 Jared Rosholt. 125 pounds: The Cowboys were down 6-0 in the dual until Tyler Shinn upset No. 17 Tyler Clark by recording a takedown early in the first. Shinn earned a 3-2 win to pull the Cowboys to within a decision of the Cyclones. 133 pounds: No. 1 Coleman Scott met with No. 7 Nick Fanthrope, and Scott's two takedowns, one escape and the addition of riding time were enough to earn a 6-2 decision. 141 pounds: In one of the most eventful matches of the night, No. 20 Nick Gallick fell to No. 2 Nathan Morgan. Gallick was ahead 3-2 going into the third period, but Morgan recorded a takedown and riding time to hold on for a 6-4 win. 149 pounds: Mitch Mueller handed Cowboy senior Ryan Freeman a loss as Mueller recorded a takedown in the final period to grab a 3-2 victory. 157 pounds: No. 17 Newly McSpadden took on No. 6 Cyler Sanderson in a heated battle. Sanderson was just too much for McSpadden as he recorded two takedowns in the final three minutes of play to come away with a 5-2 victory. 165 pounds: In another matchup that featured two top 10 opponents, No. 5 Jake Dieffenbach scored the last four points of the match to prevail over No. 6 Jon Reader, 6-3. Reader had nearly ensured riding time and a possible tie when Dieffenbach scored a takedown with six seconds left to go ahead 6-3. Dieffenbach's victory tied up the team score at 12-12. 174 pounds: The most exciting match of the night for the Cowboys came in the matchup between No. 7 Brandon Mason and Aron Scott. Mason exploded to a fast start in the first by recording two near falls and a takedown to go up 8-0. With riding time, Mason hammered Scott, 9-1, to earn a major decision that gave the Cowboys the crucial four points to go ahead 16-12. 184 pounds: The final match of the night was a tough battle between No. 1 Jake Varner and Jack Jensen. Varner edged Jensen 2-1 with the help of riding time.

The fourth-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team completed a perfect weekend in the state of Michigan with a big 24-15 win over the No. 6 Wolverines Saturday night. The Gophers jumped out to an early 15-0 lead and held on to defeat Michigan and improve their dual meet record to 12-3 (2-0 in the Big Ten). After Michigan stormed back to within three points (18-15) following the 184-pound bout, Minnesota's Justin Bronson (197 pounds) and Ben Berhow (heavyweight) pulled off impressive victories to seal the win for the Gophers. The dual meet victory avenges the Wolverines' 23-16 upset of Minnesota earlier this month at the National Duals and was the Gophers' second in their last five meetings with Michigan. Minnesota also defeated Michigan State 23-15 Friday in East Lansing. The defending national champions have won their past 11 Big Ten dual meets dating back to the 2005-06 season. Minnesota's vaunted group of lightweights took care of business in the early going Saturday and allowed the Gophers to jump out to a substantial lead after just three matches. Both No. 1 Jayson Ness (125 pounds) and No. 2 Mack Reiter (133 pounds) earned sub-2:00 minute pins to start the dual, and No. 4 Manny Rivera followed that with an upset victory over third-ranked Kellen Russell of the Wolverines at 141 pounds. Ness' pin (coming in just 1:13 over Michigan's Jason Lara) was his NCAA Division I-leading 17th of the season and puts him just three shy of the Gophers' single season mark of 20, set by current head assistant head coach Marty Morgan in 1989-90. Ness is a perfect 26-0 on the season and owns the second-longest active winning streak in Division I wrestling. Reiter, coming off a hard-fought loss to No. 5 Franklin Gomez of Michigan State Friday night, bounced back with a dominating performance against Michigan's Chris Diehl. The two-time All-American pinned his Wolverine opponent in just 1:34 to improve his overall record to 16-2 on the season. Rivera gained a measure of revenge at 141 pounds against the freshman Russell. Then ranked first in the nation, Russell beat Rivera 10-6 in mid-January at the National Duals, but it was the Gopher that turned the tables Saturday night. Rivera scored a takedown in the second and a clutch reversal in the third period to emerge with the 4-2 win and improve to 25-2 on the season. Down big early, the Wolverines narrowed the gap to 15-6 after Minnesota's Luke Mellmer was pinned by No. 8 Josh Churella, but No. 7 C.P. Schlatter extended the Gopher lead with a 10-4 win over Jeff Marsh at 157 pounds. Tyler Safratowich wrestled well against third-ranked Eric Tannenbaum at 165 pounds, but lost a tight 6-2 decision. The Gopher junior, well known for knocking off several highly-ranked wrestlers last season en route to his first-ever NCAA appearance, was down just 2-1 after two periods but could not muster anything offensively in the final two minutes of action. Gabe Dretsch, fresh off his 100th career victory Friday night against the Spartans, was overpowered by Michigan's second-ranked Steve Luke at 174 pounds and lost a 9-3 decision. Luke also topped Dretsch earlier this month at the National Duals. After Mitch Kuhlman was beaten at 184 pounds by No. 2 Tyrel Todd, the Wolverines had closed the gap to 18-15 entering the final two matches of the night. Needing an individual victory, Minnesota turned to Bronson at 197 pounds against Michigan's Ryan Selley. The two evenly-matched wrestlers battled through a scoreless first two periods, but the Gopher senior finally wore down his opponent in the third frame. Bronson earned an escape to start the third and notched a late takedown which, combined with the bonus point for riding time, gave him a 4-0 victory in the match. Redshirt freshman Berhow had struggled somewhat in dual meets this season, posting a 2-3 record entering Saturday. But the Hayward, Minn. native outscored Matt Guhn 5-1 in the third period to pull off the 7-3 victory at heavyweight and send the Gophers home with a perfect Big Ten opening weekend. Saturday's announced attendance was 1,181. Minnesota now turns its attention to the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, who will visit Williams Arena Friday night (Feb. 1) at 7:30 p.m. The Hawkeyes will enter the highly-anticipated meet sporting a 14-1 dual meet record and have held the top spot in the nation since winning the National Duals two weeks ago. Iowa will be without top-ranked 165-pounder (and defending national champion) Mark Perry, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this week. The meet will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The No. 21 Maryland wrestling team continued its winning ways in the Atlantic Coast Conference as the Terrapins defeated NC State and Duke on January 26 at Comcast Pavilion. Maryland beat the Wolfpack, the 2007 ACC Champions, 27-12, before dominating Duke, 33-5. Five Terps earned a pair of victories in the two duals. Maryland has now won nine-straight ACC dual meets which is something that has not happened since 1974. The Terps are also 13-1 over the last three seasons within the conference. Sophomore Brendan Byrne was the first of five Terps to win two matches on the day. He started off by pinning NC State's Taylor Cummings, the defending ACC champion at 125 pounds, in the first period. Byrne then went on to beat Kellan McKeon of Duke, 5-4, in his second match. Sophomore Steven Bell picked up two more wins and improved his record to 20-7 at 133 pounds. It took two tiebreakers against Darius Little of NC State, but Bell came away with a 4-2 win. The wrestlers were locked up at 1-1 after three periods and neither could score a takedown in the one minute overtime. Bell started down in the first tiebreaker and escaped to take a 2-1 lead, but Little did the same in the second, recording his escape with 19 seconds left. Bell was able to score again before time ran out though, getting the winning takedown with just five seconds remaining. Bell then defeated Duke's Bryan Gibson, 6-4. Freshman Brian Letters has been on a roll as of late having now won his last five matches at 157 pounds. He picked up a pair of decisions on the day as he beat Colton Palmer, 8-3, and Voris Tejada of Duke in a tight one, 2-1. Sophomores Mike Letts and Hudson Taylor both went 2-0 on the day as well. The two handled their opponents form NC State and proved to be too much, forcing both wrestlers to stop their matches due to injuries. Against Duke, they both earned major decisions as Letts beat Ben Wales, 16-4, and Taylor got the best of Dan Tulley, 11-1. Letts improved to 15-4 on the season at 174 pounds while Taylor is now 23-2 at 197. Maryland (12-3, 4-0 ACC) heads to the road next weekend for a pair of duals, facing Penn in Philadelphia on Saturday, February 2 before taking on Columbia in New York City on Super Bowl Sunday.

Northfield, MN -- The NIACC Trojans pulled their overall season record to an even 4-4 with a 38-15 victory over NCAA Division III St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. The Trojans claimed seven of ten matches. NIACC would receive forfeits at 125 and 133 as the Oles were open. The Trojans would forfeit at 141. The action would get started at 149 as No. 1 rated Albert White would record seven takedowns and the fall over Landon Peppel in 5:27. Freshman DaVaughn Perkins would follow White with a 14-6 major decision over Josef Waples. At 165, Aaron Hancock would get down early by a score of 11-3 in the first period, but would battle back with six takedowns, but a late reversal by Thomas Kopietz in the last few seconds would give Kopietz the 20-19 victory. At 174, Tyler Hancock would lose by fall to Josh Bain. Bumping up to fill the spot at 184, would be the sixth rated Glenn Rhees who would claim another major decision for the Trojans by a score of 19-8 over Justin Bain. The Trojans would finish out the dual in style recording two falls at 197 and heavyweight. Brad Theilen would pin Paul Sheppard in 4:01 and heavyweight Beau Tudor pinned Justin Luthey in 4:48. The NIACC wrestling team will travel to Baldwin City, KS on Tuesday January 29th for their next opponent, the Pratt Community College Beavers for a 6:30 pm dual.

Mesa, Ariz. -- The Oregon State wrestling team tallied five of the eight bonus point matches led by senior Travis Gardner (Portland, Ore.) and redshirt freshman Chris Platt (Eagle Point, Ore.), both recording falls, as the team stopped the Arizona State Sun Devils 27-14 on Friday evening. Platt recorded his second dual meet win of the season, pinning Cory Nelson in 2:34 at 174 pounds. Gardner earned his fourth pin of the season over Kenny Lester at heavyweight in 2:35. Arizona State jumped to a quick 8-0 lead after a pair of major decisions at 125 and 133 pounds before junior Heinrich Barnes (Pretoria, South Africa) cut the lead in half with a major decision over Chris Drouin, his sixth major decision of the season, at 141 pounds. Senior Kyle Larson (Hermiston, Ore.) tied things up at eight at 149 pounds with his seventh major decision of the season over Orlando Jimenez, 15-3, holding Jimenez to only escape points. Adding to the bonus point streak, sophomore 157-pounder Dan Brascetta (Aurora, Colo.) tallied the third major decision for Oregon State, 13-1, over Preston Pruett to boost the Beavers up by four. Sophomore Keegan Davis (Salem, Ore.) earned the last win for the Beavers at 165 pounds with a 4-2 decision with riding time, knocking off No. 15 Patrick Pitsch with a takedown and escape. All four points came in the final period. The Beavers improve their overall record to 7-5, 4-2 Pac-10, rebounding after a loss to Cal State Bakersfield last Friday. Arizona State falls to 8-4, 2-4 Pac-10 with the loss. Oregon State continues its two-meet trip at Boise State on Sunday. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. PT.

DeKalb, Ill. -- Kent's State's big guns caught fire on a frigid Illinois night. Trailing Northern Illinois 7-3 after three matches at the Convocation Center, Kent State's upper weight trio of Eric Chine, Michael Blackwell and Jermail Porter toasted the scoreboard for a total of 44 points in the next three matches to give the 24th-ranked Golden Flashes a 14-7 lead – one they would never relinquish in a spirited 20-16 conference win over the Huskies. "They all tried real hard in certain situations. We've been trying very hard to get them into situations where they can score points and capitalize on different match situations," head coach Jim Andrassy said. Wrestling without returning national qualifier Dan Mitcheff and fourth-ranked (MAC) Clint Sponseller on the trip, the Flashes sent Nick Dierkes out to start things at 157. He would surrender a 4-2 decision to put the good guys behind out of the chute. It didn't look forgiving for Kent State at 165 pounds either. Despite taking the first shot, Kurt Gross was eventually turned over on the same move by the Huskies' Jesse Linczmaier. Down 5-0 out of the gate, Gross would respond by closing the match on a 16-6 scoring run which included six takedowns. It tied things up between the two teams, 3-3. After Duke Burk's major decision of Chris Estep at 174, the Flashes' big guns started the scoring party. A dominating third period by Eric Chine against Brad Dieckhaus gave him the necessary points to stretch out a precarious lead. Chine's seven-point third stanza turned the final score to 14-4, tying the dual at 7-7. The very next match saw a major offensive explosion as Michael Blackwell followed suit by putting 20 points on the Convocation Center scoreboard against Jake Smith. The back-to-back majors but Kent ahead, 11-7. At 285, Jermail Porter became the third straight Flashes grappler to eclipse double figures. Porter notched a 10-4 win over NIU's Dave Benner. The three solid, uncontested wins gave the Flashes the big 14-7 lead as the dual turned over to the top of the order. Ranked second in the MAC, Nic Bedelyon found himself in a defensive struggle with fellow freshman TJ Wunnecke. Wunnicke tried his hardest to slow down Bedelyon's attack, but a takedown and advantage time point in the opening period proved to be the difference as the KSU rookie prevailed, 4-3. "I thought (Bedelyon's) riding time point was probably the difference in the dual meet," NIU head coach Dave Grant said. "We came in here without two of our starters, two ranked starters," Andrassy said. "That would be like a football team going to battle without a cornerback and linebacker out. I was very proud with how our kids wrestled as a team." Kent State then yielded a six-point forfeit to the Huskies at 133 in lieu of the ailing Mitcheff. Ahead 17-13, a win of any kind by 18th-ranked (NCAA) Drew Lashaway would clinch a key road win for Kent State. And the junior would not disappoint as he secured a commanding 8-3 win over Tristen DeShazer at 141 pounds. It gave the Flashes a 20-13 lead, and the final of 20-16 would be realized when Kalen Knull knocked off Jeremy Depoy 7-4 at 149. The Flashes will return to action – and hopefully get healthy in the meanwhile – on Thu. Jan. 31 when they travel to Pittsburgh for a 7 p.m. tilt with the Panthers. "It's a great challenge for us. Our goal is to get healthy and I think we match up with them really well. We need to keep working hard," Andrassy added.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly dropped UC Davis 28-15 in a Pac-10 dual at Mott Gym Friday night as the Mustangs won seven of 10 matches, including a pair of forfeits by the Aggies. A shorthanded UC Davis team mustered a win by fall at 125-pounds, but lost its next seven matches. The Aggies would earn another fall at 197 and a decision at heavyweight, but it was all Mustangs the rest of the way. Cal Poly improved to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in Pac-10 duals with the win. Chad Mendes defended his No. 1 ranking for the first time Friday night, earning a 10-2 major decision over UC Davis' Nexi Delgado to improve to 19-0 on the season. Mendes has held the top spot at 141 for two straight weeks in InterMatWrestle.com's poll. He is the first Mustang wrestler to hold a No. 1 ranking since Scott Heaton and Rick Worel did so together in 1980. Chase Pami rebounded from a loss in his last outing to earn a 6-1 decision over UC Davis' Drew Maraglia at 157. Pami, ranked No. 13 in the nation, improved to 19-4 on the season. A number of Mustangs will compete at the All-California Open on Saturday. The squad returns to dual meet action for its penultimate Pac-10 match against Stanford on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in Mott Gym.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team kicked off its Big Ten Conference dual season in impressive fashion, rallying from a nine-point deficit to claim a 24-12 victory over Purdue on Friday evening (Jan. 25) in front of 752 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines won seven individual bouts, including three with bonus points. With the dual meet starting at 197 pounds, the Boilermakers took a sizable and unexpected advantage when sophomore/freshman Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) was forced to default midway through the second period. Purdue claimed a decision victory subsequent contest at heavyweight to push its lead to nine points. Junior Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) and sophomore Chris Diehl (Burton, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) initiated the Wolverines' rally with back-to-back decisions at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively. After a scoreless first period against the Boilermakers' Akif Eren, Watts picked up a quick escape in the second and rode out the final frame, building 1:38 in time advantage to win 2-0. Diehl took a different path en route to his 10-4 victory over Sean Schmaltz in the following bout, dominating the first period with a quick drag and later a blast double that put the Boilermaker on his back for an additional two points midway through the frame. The Wolverine wrestler added a single-leg takedown in the third and accumulated 2:24 in riding time to claim his first career win in a conference dual meet. Freshman Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) gave Michigan its first advantage of the meet -- entering the halftime intermission -- after securing a bonus point for his team with a 10-0 major decision over Matt Redmond at 141 pounds. Russell, ranked third in the latest NWCA/InterMat national poll, broke open a scoreless match in the second period with a quick fireman's carry and used a reverse half late in the frame to tack on three back points. He added another takedown midway through the third and built up nearly three minutes in riding time to claim his fourth consecutive win. After Purdue claimed its final individual victory of the dual meet at 149 pounds, where junior/sophomore Justin Chrzanowski (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer West HS) -- who was weighed in at 141 -- held 15th-ranked Jake Patascil to a decision, the Wolverines won the final four contests to cruise to the team victory. Fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) came back from an early deficit after Sam Patacsil countered an early shot off the whistle to score the first takedown in the 157-pound contest. The Wolverine earned his escape quickly in the second frame to even the score and followed it with an immediate double leg -- all within the period's opening 10 seconds -- to win 5-3 after riding time. Marsh gave his team a scare late in the match when Patacsil threw the U-M wrestler to his back, but Marsh stayed in motion and scrambled back to his feet, refusing to give up a single point. Michigan dominated in the final three contests as fifth-year senior Eric Tannenbaum (Northville, Ill./North HS), senior/junior Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and senior/junior Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) all took advantage of a dominant attack from their feet and outscored their opponents by a combined 36-10 margin. Tannenbaum, ranked third at 165 pounds, converted on seven takedowns -- mostly his trademark low single -- against Luke Manuel, including three in the middle period, to claim a 16-5 major decision. Luke finished on three takedowns, using a variety of single and double legs, in the opening period to claim an early edge over Nick Corpe at 174 pounds. The Wolverine, ranked fourth, fought off a handful of deep shots in the remaining two periods and added a point at match's end for accumulating 1:29 in riding time to cap an 8-3 decision victory. Todd used a balanced attack against A.J. Kissel in the final bout of the evening -- at 184 pounds -- scoring a pair of single-leg takedowns in the first period and adding one a piece in the second and third to claim a 12-2 major decision. Kissel wrestler chose top to start the final frame and rode Todd for much of the period to erase the Wolverine wrestler's riding time advantage. But Todd broke free late and immediately shot in on another low single, earning the call with about 30 seconds remaining in the period to maintain the major. Michigan (14-3, 1-0 Big Ten) will continue its Big Ten slate Saturday evening (Jan. 26) with a home dual against fourth-ranked Minnesota. The meet is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Cliff Keen Arena.

NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 9 Iowa State opened Big 12 action by blasting No. 18 Oklahoma 31-3 Friday night in Howard McCasland Field House. ISU won nine bouts on the night, including a major decision by Tyler Clark at 125 pounds and a fall at 133 pounds by Nick Fanthorpe. The Cyclones improve to 12-3 on the year and 1-0 in conference matches, while the Sooners slip to 11-3 and 0-2. "We looked good tonight," head coach Cael Sanderson said. "This is a big win for us because conference matches are so important. We wrestled hard and our fundamentals and conditioning are good. Clark, (Nick) Gallick and (Mitch) Mueller all wrestled outstanding matches. We won the close matches tonight and that helped us." The 28-point margin of victory is the largest ever by an Iowa State squad in Norman. The previous mark was set on March 7, 1964, when ISU won by 20 points (23-3). The Cyclones have won six straight in the series dating back to 2003. It marks the third time in series history that Iowa State has won six consecutive duals against OU. The other two streaks came in 1921-29 and 1970-73. ISU also matched a school best by garnering its third consecutive win in Norman. Clark, a true freshman currently ranked 17th, opened the dual at 125 pounds with a 9-0 major decision over Joey Fio. Clark took down Fio in each period and accumulated over four minutes of riding time. Clark has two major decisions on the year and holds a 14-6 record. Fanthorpe, the nation's seventh-ranked grappler at 133 pounds, tallied his fourth pin of the year with a 5:29 stick of John Starzyk. The Naperville, Ill., native built a 9-2 lead through the first two periods on a pair of takedowns in each stanza. At 1:49 in the third period, Fanthorpe again took down Starzyk for an 11-2 advantage. Fanthorpe had Starzyk's shoulders tilted on the takedown, working for back points and moved the Sooners' shoulders enough for the pin. The Cyclone sophomore holds a 22-3 record. "The opportunity came, and I was in a position where I was comfortable and able to turn him [Starzyk]," Fanthorpe said of his pin. "Up and down the lineup we wrestled hard, and everybody felt pretty good. We were relaxed going into the match. It's a big match Sunday (at Oklahoma State), but its just another match. It's good competition and preparation for nationals." Nick Gallick improved to 16-10 in his sophomore campaign at 141 pounds with a 10-3 decision over No. 14 Zack Bailey. Gallick, ranked 20th nationally, had a 4-1 lead on Bailey before using a spladle to get a three-point near fall to conclude the second period with a 7-1 advantage. A pair of escapes in the third period, along with 2:01 worth of riding time, clinched the upset. Mueller followed at 149 pounds with an upset of his own on a 5-2 decision of No. 9 Will Rowe. The sophomore hailing from Iowa City held a 5-0 advantage midway through the second period on two takedowns and an escape. The only points that the Sooner was able to put on the board were escapes in the second and third periods. Mueller, currently ranked 13th, pushes his record to 17-8. A takedown with 17 seconds left in the 174-pound bout lifted Aron Scott past No. 20 Jeff James, 3-1. After a scoreless first period of action, both wrestlers exchanged escapes in the second and third periods to tie the match at 1-1. Scott's takedown sealed his seventh win of his senior campaign. "The coaches have been working with me on my technique," Scott said. "I have found a style that fits me well and got into a rhythm. These Big 12 matches are important. Our team wrestled hard tonight and it will carry into Sunday's dual." No. 6 Cyler Sanderson (157), No. 6 Jon Reader (165), No. 1 Jake Varner (184) and No. 5 David Zabriskie (HWT) also picked up wins on the night. Sanderson notched an 8-3 decision over No. 20 Chad Terry. In his first overtime match, Reader emerged victorious with a 9-7 decision over three-time NCAA qualifier and Indiana transfer Max Dean on a takedown with 28 seconds left in sudden victory. Varner handed Josh Weitzel his first loss of the year on a 5-1 decision. In a tight heavyweight match against Nathan Fernandez, Zabriskie picked up a 6-5 decision. Iowa State will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for its second Big 12 contest against No. 3/5 Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. Sunday. A video webcast of the dual will be available to Clone Zone subscribers. Live stats will also be available on cyclones.com. The Cyclones return to Hilton Coliseum Feb. 8 to face Oregon State at 7 p.m.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The West Virginia University wrestling team enjoyed their most impressive performance of the season after defeating Bloomsburg, 21-12, on Friday, January 25, at the Coliseum. The Mountaineers (5-3, 2-0) won the meet despite losing the first three bouts until reeling off six consecutive victories over the Huskies (3-6-1, 0-3), who defeated WVU last season. The first match brought plenty of excitement as junior Kyle Turnbull (125) nearly upended No. 11 ranked Mike Sees of Bloomsburg, who won in a 15-10 decision. With Sees winning 9-3 heading into the third period, Turnbull scored a reversal late in the match along with three near fall points, but just missed the pin fall as time expired. David Jauregui (149) put WVU on the board after winning a 3-2 decision over George Hickman. With the match tied 2-2 going into the third period, Jauregui scored on an escape in what proved to be the match-winning point. Without stalling, Jauregui defended his lead for nearly 1:40 to get the win. The match of the night belonged to the Zac Fryling-Matt Moley bout at 157 pounds, in which No.18 ranked Fryling earned a 3-1 decision in overtime. With the score tied 1-1 going into sudden victory, Fryling scored a takedown over the No. 17 ranked grappler Moley with six seconds left to notch his eighth win of the season as WVU trailed 9-6 through five matches. Donnie Jones (165) also won a tight contest, earning a come-from-behind 6-5 decision over Bloomsburg's Rickey Schmelyun. Jones scored on two reversals through two periods until earning a key takedown that enabled him to win despite trailing largely in riding time. Chance Litton scored a key victory for the Mountaineers, defeating Brian Shaw in a 10-2 major decision to help WVU take the lead, 13-9. Litton scored a decisive takedown with 47 seconds left to make the score 9-2, followed by another point at the end of the match as Litton garnered 3:24 riding time. Junior Kurt Brenner gave the Mountaineers their fifth straight victory after decisioning Jesse Hasseman, 6-3. The victory improved Brenner's overall record to 9-3, including 7-1 in dual matches. Senior Jared Villers provided the most dominating performance and sealed the match for WVU with 47 seconds left in the second period after winning by technical fall, 16-0. Villers now has 12 victories on the season and remains undefeated in dual matches. His victory gave WVU an insurmountable 21-9 lead with only one match left. The Mountaineers will wrestle in their third straight home match when they take on Lock Haven on Sunday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m. at the Coliseum.

The No. 13 Wisconsin wrestling team captured its first Big Ten Conference victory of the season with a 20-15 win over No. 17 Indiana. The Badgers won five bouts and improve to 10-2-1 overall, 1-1-0 in the Big Ten while Indiana falls to 11-3, 0-1-0. The win also marked the fourth time in the last five years that the Badgers have won at least 10 dual matches. The night started at 157 lbs. and pinned Wisconsin's No. 2 Craig Henning against Indiana's No. 9 Brandon Becker. These two grapplers are familiar foes and have faced each other five times throughout their careers, with all five meetings ending with a Becker win. On Friday, the first two periods were scoreless and Becker got on the board in the third period with an escape to take a 1-0 advantage. Henning stuck in it until the end but could not score and Becker captured a 2-0 win with riding time to give Indiana the quick 3-0 lead. The loss snapped Henning's 10-match winning streak and was just his second loss this season. Indiana then pushed ahead to a 6-0 lead with a win at 165 lbs. Wisconsin senior Jake Donar matched up against No. 9 Matt Coughlin and came back from a 3-0 deficit to knot the score at three in the third period. Coughlin broke the match open though with a takedown and a nearfall to put the score at 7-4. Donar would score one more point with an escape but Coughlin closed the bout with a takedown to win, 9-4. Senior Dan Clum moved into the Wisconsin lineup Friday and got the Badgers on the board with a win at 174 lbs. Clum, who usually wrestles at 165 lbs., matched up against Indiana's Trevor Perry and scored five points in the first period to go up 5-0. In the second, Perry came back with two takedowns to pull within two at 6-4. That was the closest the bout would get as Clum scored five more points to capture the 11-4 win. Wisconsin sophomore Trevor Brandvold, ranked No. 13, then met Marc Bennett at 184 lbs and fell in a 9-3 decision. With Indiana up, 9-3 the match moved onto 197 lbs. and junior Dallas Herbst helped the Badgers pull within one with a tech fall victory over Joe Fagiano. Herbst, ranked No. 4 in the country, allowed Bennett to score just four points in the 21-4 win. The Badgers then took their first lead of the night with a big win at heavyweight. No. 14 Wisconsin junior Kyle Massey had a 4-1 lead over Indiana's Nathan Everhart heading into the third period but scored six points for the Badgers with a pin at 5:33 to put the score at 14-9. Indiana then put the score at 14-12 with a win at 125 lbs. Badger senior Collin Cudd, ranked No. 18, faced 2007 NCAA runner-up Angel Escobedo, ranked No. 2, and fell in a 9-2 decision. Wisconsin expanded on its lead with an upset win at 133 lbs. No. 12 junior Zach Tanelli faced Indiana's returning All-American, No. 10 Andrae Hernandez and after a scoreless first period, the Badger grappler tallied three points in the second period. Tanelli allowed just two escape points in the bout and won, 5-2 to give Wisconsin the 17-12 advantage. The Badgers then secured their first Big Ten victory of the season with a win at 141 lbs. No. 8 Kyle Ruschell met Scott Kelly in the bout and scored just two points in the second period but that was all he needed to capture the 2-0 victory. Freshman Kendall Vogel closed out the night, facing Indiana's Kurt Kinser at 149 lbs. and fell in a 5-0 decision. After 13 matches away from home, the Badgers finally return to the UW Field House for Big Ten action next weekend. Wisconsin begins the weekend with a 7 p.m. match against Michigan State Friday, Feb. 1 and then host Iowa, the top ranked team in the country, at 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 3.

BOISE, Idaho -- Winning nine of 10 matches, Boise State University recorded another convincing Pac-10 Conference wrestling victory on Friday (Jan. 25) with a 34-3 win over the University of Oregon. After dropping the first match of the night in the 125-pound weight class, the Broncos won the remaining matches to improve its overall record for the 2007-08 season to 6-1, and 5-1 in the Pac-10. Oregon drops to 9-8 and 0-5 in the league. Ranked No. 12 in this week's Intermat/NWCA/NWMA poll at 157 pounds, Tyler Sherfey led the Broncos as the junior from Kennewick, Wash., recorded the only major decision win of the night with a 15-2 victory over Kyle Bounds. With the exception of being awarded two forfeits at 141 and 184 pounds when Oregon was unable to present a wrestler in those two weight classes, the rest of Boise State's win came by decision. Those wins came from Cory Fish at 133 pounds, Eli Hutchison at 149 pounds, No. 17 Kurt Swartz at 165 pounds, Nate Lee at 174 pounds, Matt Casperson at 197 pounds and Nick Smith in the heavyweight class. The Broncos will be back in action this Sunday (Jan. 27) at 1:00 p.m. in Bronco Gym when they host Oregon State University in another Pac-10 dual. Following are complete results of the match in the order they were wrestled.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Down by as much as nine points on two occasions, the seventh-ranked Ohio State wrestling team rallied to beat No. 8 Penn State, 22-19, Friday night in front of 2,231 fans in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes trailed throughout the evening taking their first and only lead for the win after the final match at 141 pounds. Down, 19-16, redshirt-junior J Jaggers pinned fifth-ranked Jake Strayer in 3:25 to seal the OSU victory. It is the second time this season Ohio State has defeated Penn State as the Buckeyes also garnered a 24-11 win over the Nittany Lions at the National Duals Jan. 13. "We were able to beat Penn State at the National Duals and we were able to battle for the win tonight," Tom Ryan, head coach, said. "It was an ugly win, but we got it. I haven't been a part of too many dramatic wins, but this was great. The stakes were high, battling against a Big Ten team for the conference win. With it being alumni night too, it was a great way to end the evening." In front of 55 Buckeye wrestling All-Americans and team captains, 10th-ranked Jaggers and senior heavyweight J.D. Bergman kept Ohio State (14-3; 2-1 Big Ten) in the match after pinning their respective opponents. Prior to Jaggers' pin, Bergman, ranked second in the nation, dropped Stefan Tighe in 1:45 to pull the Scarlet and Gray within three points (16-13) with just three bouts remaining after being down by nine points (16-7) for the second time in the match. Trailing by six points after true-freshman Nikko Triggas lost a close 7-5 decision at 125 pounds, redshirt-sophomore Reece Humphrey pulled the Buckeyes back within three (19-16) after decisioning Tim Haas, 6-2. Jaggers and Strayer then concluded the match at 141 pounds. "J is an outstanding wrestler," Ryan said. "He can win a national championship and he wants to dominate. He always beats himself up when he isn't successful, but that is how he is. He cares about his teammates and this program." Sophomore and fifth-ranked Lance Palmer and Penn State's Bubba Jenkins, who is sixth in the nation, started the meet off at 149 pounds. After both wrestlers were scoreless in the first period, Jenkins got on the board thanks to an escape and takedown in the second stanza. Palmer was able to record two escapes in the third period, but that was not enough, as Jenkins tacked on two more points courtesy of a takedown for the final 5-2 score. Jason Johnstone also dropped a close decision at 5-3. Up 2-1 after the first period, Johnstone could not hold onto the lead as fourth-ranked Dan Vallimont scored a final escape and owned a 1:38 riding time for the win. With Ohio State down, 6-0, true-freshman and 13th-ranked Colt Sponseller got the Buckeyes on the board at 165 pounds after posting a 9-2 decision over Dave Rella. Owning a 2-0 advantage heading into the second period, Sponseller added five more points on a pair of takedowns and second stalling call on Rella. Sponseller then finalized the match with an escape and an additional point for another Rella stall. Up next at 174 pounds, senior Alex Picazo faced a tough opponent in No. 16 David Erwin. With Erwin up 2-0 on a takedown at the 2:25 mark, the Nittany Lion was able to pin Picazo in 1:27. Now down by nine points, third-ranked and redshirt-sophomore Mike Pucillo was up next at 184 pounds. Pucillo earned the 12-2 major decision over Jack Decker to give the Buckeyes four points. Penn State was able to gain the four points back as true-freshman John Weakley dropped an 11-0 major decision to No. 2 Phil Davis at 197 pounds. However, it was at heavyweight Bergman gave Ohio State six points on the pin to cut the Nittany Lion lead to three. Ohio State hits the road for three-consecutive matches, beginning with a Feb. 1 meet against Indiana at 7 p.m. in Bloomington. The Buckeyes then will travel to West Lafayette, Ind., Feb. 3 to face Purdue at 2 p.m. Ohio State wraps up its road trip Feb. 8 against Michigan State at 7 p.m. in East Lansing.

Stillwater, Okla. -- The No. 3 Oklahoma State wrestling team rolled over No. 25 Northern Iowa, 33-0 Friday at Gallagher-Iba Arena, pushing the Cowboys edge in the all-time series between the two teams to 21-2-0. Friday's win marked OSU's second shutout of the year, as the Cowboys also claimed a 42-0 victory over American at the Northeast Duals in November. The most exciting match of the night came when Cowboy junior Newly McSpadden held on to beat Northern Iowa's Tyson Reiner 6-5 by scoring a riding time point. Senior Coleman Scott had the best performance for the Cowboys, pinning Northern Iowa's Josh Baldridge just 1:37 into the match. Cowboy heavyweight Jared Rosholt set the pace for the rest of the night with his 7-0 decision over Panther Dustin Bauman in the first match of the dual. Match-by-Match: Heavyweight: The dual started with a bang for the Cowboys as No. 7 Jared Rosholt defeated Dustin Bauman, 7-0. Rosholt scored early with a takedown at the 2:24 mark of the first period and never looked back. In the second period, he recorded an escape with 53 seconds remaining and quickly recorded another takedown with 41 seconds on the clock. A stalling penalty on Bauman with three seconds left in the period brought the score to 6-0. There was no scoring in the third period, but Rosholt was able to add 1:52 riding time to win 7-0. 125 pounds: Tyler Shinn helped the Cowboys with an 8-3 decision over Caleb Flores. Shinn scored a takedown with 2:14 left in period one, but had an illegal hold penalty with 36 seconds left in the period. He was able to register an escape and a takedown in the second period and a takedown in the third. Shinn had a 3:27 riding time advantage at the end of the match. 133 pounds: No. 1 Coleman Scott made short work of Josh Baldridge, recording a takedown with 2:42 left in the first period and pinning him in 1:37. 141 pounds: Second-ranked Nathan Morgan handled C.J. Ettelson to record his 24th win of the season. The match began with two Morgan takedowns followed by Ettelson escapes in the first period. Ettelson had an escape in the second period to bring the score to 4-3 in favor of Morgan. The deciding point in the match came when Morgan recorded a reversal with 1:40 left in the third period to go up 6-3. Morgan added 1:25 riding time to end the match at 7-4. 149 pounds: Cowboy senior Ryan Freeman wrestled at the 149 spot for the Cowboys and won the decision over Nick Pickerell. Freeman was on top the entire match, scoring two points in every period and adding 2:48 riding time to win, 7-1. Pickerell's only point came when he escaped with 1:15 left in period three. 157 pounds: Easily the most exciting match of the night, No. 17 Newly McSpadden's match against Tyson Reiner went down to the wire. McSpadden jumped to a 3-0 lead at the end of the second period with an escape and takedown, but Reiner made things interesting. With only one minute left in the final period, Reiner had two takedowns followed by McSpadden escapes to tighten the score gap. A penalty on McSpadden with nine seconds left tied the score at five, but his 1:28 riding time advantage gave him the 6-5 decision. 165 pounds: Another close match followed McSpadden's win as No. 5 Jake Dieffenbach faced No. 11 Moza Fay. Dieffenbach had two takedowns and an escape and Fay had two escapes in the first two periods to bring the score to 5-2. Fay had an early escape in the third to bring the match within one takedown, but Dieffenbach was able to hold on for the 5-3 decision. 174 pounds: No. 7 Brandon Mason handled Alex Dolly with a takedown in the first period and an escape and takedown in the final period. His final takedown came with two seconds left in the match and brought the final score to 5-0. 184 pounds: The first of two back-to-back 11-5 decisions for the Cowboys came when senior Jack Jensen defeated Andy O'Loughlin. Jensen wrestled consistently throughout the match to record the win. 197 pounds: The second 11-5 win came when Clayton Foster defeated Andrew Anderson in the final match of the evening. Foster jumped to a 5-0 lead in second period and hung on for the win.

The defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team enjoyed a successfully opening to its Big Ten season Friday night with a 23-15 win over Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The fourth-ranked Gophers (10-3) notched bonus points in four of their five match wins and held off the pesky Spartans (3-6) even without the services of injured stars Roger Kish and Dustin Schlatter. The win was Minnesota's ninth in their last 10 Big Ten openers and their 13th in 14 tries against Michigan State. The Spartans have beaten the Gophers just one time (2005) since 1996. Friday night's match was closer than the final score would indicate, however. The dual meet began at 149 pounds, and Minnesota jumped out to a 13-3 lead after No. 11 Gabe Dretsch pinned MSU's No. 19 John Murphy in just 46 seconds for his 100th career victory. But the Spartans battled back and closed the gap to 17-15 after fifth-ranked Franklin Gomez won a tight match with Minnesota's second-ranked Mack Reiter at 133 pounds, a 7-4 decision in favor of the MSU wrestler. But No. 4 Manny Rivera clinched the dual meet victory for the Gophers with a pin in 4:04 over Michigan State's Micah Carter in the final match of the evening. Earlier in the dual, top-ranked 125-pounder Jayson Ness improved his overall season record to 25-0 with a dominating 15-3 major decision victory over MSU's Joel Trombley. Ness has earned bonus points in 80 percent of his matches this season, including four major decisions and a whopping 16 pins. He remains just four shy of the Gopher single-season pins record. The match of the night was the Reiter-Gomez dual, one of just two match-ups between ranked wrestlers on the evening. Gomez jumped out to an early 4-1 lead after one period on the strength of two early takedowns, but Reiter battled back to pull within two points at 5-3 with just over a minute to go in the third period. However, a dramatic Gomez takedown with only 20 seconds remaining in the match sealed the victory for the Spartan. The loss was just Reiter's second on the season (15-2 overall); he also dropped a match to Iowa State's Nick Fanthorpe last Dec. 2. Other victories for the Gophers came from No. 7 C.P. Schlatter at 157 pounds (a 10-2 major decision win over John Fulger) and Tyler Safratowich at 165 pounds (a 12-5 decision over Rex Kendle). Dretsch's career victory number 100 came in his 149th career match. The fifth-year senior out of Frazee, Minn. improved to 21-6 overall this season, including 8-3 in dual meets. Minnesota now turns its attention to the sixth-ranked Michigan Wolverines, who they will face Saturday night in Ann Arbor beginning at 6 p.m. Central time. The Wolverines have proven to be a thorn in the Gophers' side during their run of dominance over the past decade, as Michigan has won three of their last four and five of their last seven match-ups with Minnesota. The Wolverines defeated the Gophers 23-16 earlier this year at the NWCA National Duals.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Winning six bouts, including the last two of the match to break a 15-15 tie, the Augsburg College wrestling team scored a 22-15 victory over the University of Nebraska-Omaha in a battle of small-college wrestling powers on Friday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall. Augsburg, the defending NCAA Division III national champions and winners of 10 of the last 17 national titles, is now 8-1 in dual meets this season. The Auggies are ranked No. 3 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings. Nebraska-Omaha, currently ranked No. 2 in the Division II national rankings, is now 3-2 on the season. Augsburg now has a 3-1 edge in the series against the Mavericks; the teams have battled the last four seasons, with each of the three previous victories coming by the visiting team. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 226-18 since the 1989-90 season, losing just 13 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. In the highlight match of the evening, Augsburg's Willy Holst (SO, Prescott, Wis.), ranked No. 2 in Division III at 149 pounds, improved to 22-2 on the season with an 8-4 win over Nebraska-Omaha's Todd Meneely (JR, Omaha, Neb./Skutt Catholic HS), ranked No. 1 in Division II. Meneely is now 11-2 on the year. Holst scored three takedowns and had a 6-1 lead after two periods, holding off a comeback by Meneely in the third period while also collecting 3:44 of riding time. Tied at 15-15 after eight bouts, Augsburg scored two wins from ranked wrestlers to claim the match victory -- a 6-0 decision by No. 4-ranked Seth Flodeen (JR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125 pounds and a 12-4, major-decision triumph by No. 4-ranked Travis Lang (JR, Bismarck, N.D.) at 133. Flodeen claimed two takedowns and accumulated 4:57 of riding time in his win, while Lang collected three takedowns, a reversal and three-point near-fall, while building 3:40 of riding time. Augsburg won four of the first five bouts in the match, including one by forfeit, to take a 15-3 lead into the halftime break. In addition to Holst's victory at 149, Lucas Murray (FY, Anoka, Minn.) claimed an 11-4 win at 141, as did Beau Hansen (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.) at 157. George Lynaugh (SR, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) scored a forfeit win at 174. The lone win for the Mavericks in the first half of the match came from No. 3-ranked Aaron Denson (FY, Omaha, Neb./Millard South HS) at 165, as he scored a reversal and riding-time point in the third period to claim a 5-2 win over Augsburg's Brandon Klukow (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.). In the second half of the match, the Mavericks claimed three victories in a row to square the match at 15-15 -- a 5-3 win by No. 3-ranked Brent Pankoke (SO, Beaver Crossing, Neb./Centennial HS) over No. 8-ranked Robbie Gotreau (SR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) at 184, a 2:14 pin by No. 2-ranked Jacob Marrs (SO, Oak Hill, Kan./Clay Center HS) over Wallace O'Connor (SR, Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) at 197, and a 2-1 win on a third-period escape by No. 8-ranked Tony Lewis (JR, Ulysses, Kan.) over Augsburg's Andy Witzel (SO, Fulda, Minn.) at heavyweight. Both teams return to action with road dual meets against ranked opponents in their own divisions this weekend. Augsburg travels to face No. 2-ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse in a dual on Sunday (1/27) at 2 p.m., while Nebraska-Omaha travels to face No. 16-ranked St. Cloud State on Saturday (1/26) at 2 p.m.

"This was by far the biggest individual victory in the history of the program." Chris BrownThat's how Steve Martin, head coach at Old Dominion University, described a late November 2007 match in which his school's 165-pound redshirt sophomore Chris Brown upset Iowa's Mark Perry, the defending NCAA champion. Chris had been ahead 13-1 towards the end of the match when Perry was disqualified for flagrant misconduct. That match made Chris Brown the talk of the college wrestling world. But Chris' life and mat accomplishments go far beyond the outcome of a single bout. The talk of the Tidewater … and beyond Chris Brown grew up in Newport News, Virginia, raised by his aunt since he was six months old. He was introduced to wrestling at age four. "I went along with a friend," says Chris. "I was excited by the WWF and all that. I was kinda bummed that there were no (championship title) belts though." Despite that initial disappointment, Chris stuck with wrestling, and was part of a youth league in Newport News up to eighth grade. It was in high school that Chris' mat career really took off. He transferred to one of the top prep programs in the country, Great Bridge. As Chris puts it, "Great Bridge wrestles all over the country. I wanted to be exposed to lots of different styles of wrestling … I also chose it for the great coaching." His head coach for two of those years in high school was none other than Steve Martin, who is now Chris' coach at Old Dominion. Chris Brown made a name for himself in Virginia by being a four-time placer in the state tournament. In recounting his appearances at the state tournament, Chris discloses, "My sophomore year at state felt 'forced.' I was nervous, uptight; I had what coach called a 'fear of failure.' It affected my performance, and I ended up losing. But it fueled my fire." Chris stoked that fire his junior year, winning his first Virginia AAA state championship. In his senior year, Chris went 50-2, claimed his second state title, and wrapped up his prep career with a 176-18 overall record. Chris' mat prowess earned respect beyond Virginia. He was a USA Wrestling Cadet Freestyle All-American in 2003, and a FILA Cadet National Champion in 2004. As he puts it, "In my junior year, I started winning the hard tournaments." That culminated in his senior year -- the 2004-05 season -- when Chris tested his mettle against the best preps in the nation, and brought home individual titles from the Beast of the East and the Ironman tournaments, one of only three wrestlers to win titles at both of those tough national events that year. Crossing the bridge to college When it was time to choose a college, Chris Brown made the decision to go to Old Dominion, in large part because of coach Steve Martin. "I knew I could trust him to make me a better wrestler," says the Monarch 165-pounder. "He's a phenomenal coach. He looks out for all the wrestlers on the team." "I feel comfortable staying with him. I was concerned that other coaches might try to change my style." Chris BrownWhen asked to describe his wrestling style, there was a long, thoughtful pause … then some self-conscious chuckling … then Chris responded, "I'd say it's a more technical style, focused on technique. There's a little bit of slickness thrown in, too." When coach Martin was asked to assess Chris Brown's style, he didn't hesitate. "He's a great athlete. Extremely quick … Kinda reminds me of the old Oklahoma State style, always moving. Solid on bottom and top." Chris also talked about the transition from high school wrestling to the college ranks: "One of the biggest challenges was getting used to wrestling a stud every match. Everybody you wrestle in college is a state champ. In high school, the opponents vary a lot in terms of talent." "Strategizing is also different, and more important �- when to attack, saving a particular move for later in the match, riding time." The upset discussed 'round the wrestling world As of this writing, Chris Brown is 29-7 his sophomore season, with nine major decisions (tied for third in the nation in that statistic) and one pin. He also claims a team best 13-2 record in dual-meet competition this year, and is 4-1 in the CAA. As a freshman, he led the team with 35 wins, including five pins and thirteen major decisions. In tournaments last year, he placed third at the Virginia Intercollegiates and the Mat Town Open, and second in the Michigan State Open. With all those accomplishments in his first two seasons of official competition at Old Dominion, ask Chris what his college career highlight is, and he immediately responds, "I have yet to win a tournament. That's frustrating." "I don't have a highlight yet," continues the Old Dominion grappler who recently turned 21. "I'm building towards the nationals." Ask college wrestling fans that same question, however, and many would immediately say that Chris Brown's upset victory over 2007 NCAA champ Mark Perry would definitely have a prominent place on the highlight reel of the Monarch 165-pounder. The match took place on November 24, 2007 at the St. Edward Duals in Cleveland. At the tournament, the Old Dominion team had defeated nationally-ranked Division II Findlay University, and the country's top junior college program, Iowa Central, before taking on perennial powerhouse University of Iowa. When asked about the bout, the first thing Chris Brown said was, "It was a crazy match." "Coaches and I had a game plan, and we stuck with it." "I had frustrated (Perry) so much, he couldn't score. Yet I was able to score points pretty easily." Steve MartinCoach Martin weighs in: "Chris got a five-point hold early in the match, then rode Perry much of the first period. Took him to his back again in the second." (Before the match was called towards the end of the third period, Chris had scored thirteen points to Perry's one.) Chris Brown: "As his frustration grew, he tried to choke me out three times. The ref blew the whistle, but he kept the hold on for about ten seconds." Coach Martin: "Perry got frustrated, had words with the ref, and that was the end of it. He was disqualified." Chris Brown: "(During a blood timeout), Perry and the ref were talking off to the side, away from me, so I wasn't sure exactly what was going on at the time." "(Being declared the winner was) one of the biggest adrenaline rushes ever," Chris continues. "I didn't fully realize what I had done 'til I was back in the hallway." Immediately after the match, Steve Martin was quoted in published reports as saying that Chris Brown's upset of Mark Perry was the most significant single victory in the history of the Old Dominion wrestling program, because "Brown beat a guy who's defending a national championship, ranked number one by everyone, and a three-time All-American." A few weeks later, in the interview for this profile, coach Martin put some perspective on the win: "Mark Perry didn't wrestle up to his standard. He probably didn't take (Chris) seriously enough." What's down the road When asked to describe Chris Brown, coach Steve Martin -- who's worked with the Monarch's man at 165 in high school and in college -- lists a number of attributes: "A church-going kid. Always smiling, has lots of friends. The comedian of the team. A good talker, but very humble. Capable of beating anyone in the country." Chris describes his own personality as being "a little bit goofy, a little bit charismatic, amimated." In talking to Chris, his friendly, outgoing, fun-loving side is readily apparent; he laughs easily and heartily. Yet, he also displays a serious side. He comes across as a thoughtful, polite young man who said, "Yes sir" and "No sir" throughout our conversation. His coach also cites his leadership skills: "(Chris is) very popular with his teammates. He's been a counselor at my Granby camps for while now. He could be a hell of a coach. He's really great with kids." Chris Brown"Messing with the little guys at camp is always fun," says Chris. "I try to put in some entertainment into the camp sessions, to help make the experience more interesting and memorable for the young wrestlers." Then the Monarch wrestler continues: "I want to go into coaching. I want to give back to the sport, follow in Coach Martin's footsteps. The way he trains us, teaching technique and conditioning. He shakes up our workouts. That keeps us motivated, interested." "I've taught technique at camps, and really like that." Right now, Chris Brown's career path seems to be in the direction of sports. He's majoring in regional tourism study, "a management-type degree," as Chris describes it, "You manage camps, parks, recreational facilities." In the meantime, Chris works towards winning that elusive first tournament, and strives to bring a national title to the Tidewater region. (Even if there's no championship belt.) Watch Chris Brown vs. Mark Perry:

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa 165-pound defending national champion wrestler Mark Perry has undergone knee surgery. The announcement came today from Iowa's Head Wrestling Coach, Tom Brands. The Hawkeye senior, from Stillwater, OK, will miss 2-3 weeks of action. Perry had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected back on the mat in early February. 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. "We had the best doctor on the planet do the surgery," said Brands. "We know he's in good hands with Dr. Ned Amendola."

The NCAA Wrestling Committee has notified participants of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational held November 30 and December 1 that results will not be considered for seeding and NCAA championships-selection purposes because the tournament did not conduct required medical examinations. The committee reached its decision based on its desire to emphasize health and safety for student-athletes. Members cited Rule 3.9.1 in the 2007-08 NCAA Wrestling Rules and Interpretations, which states that "A physician or a certified athletic trainer shall examine all contestants for communicable skin diseases before all tournaments and meets." Rule 3.9.3 also requires the medical checks to be conducted on each day at the site. Committee members have stressed the point of conducting skin checks to wrestling stakeholders by highlighting these policies in the rules book. Every NCAA school that sponsors wrestling also received a DVD that contained a 15-minute segment about skin disease. The 15-minute video can be viewed online at www.NCAA.org. The committee said the medical examinations are important because of recent cases of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a staph infection that was more commonly found in hospitals but has crept into athletics. MRSA outbreaks have occurred throughout locker rooms and clubhouses at every level of sport recently, and it has increased the awareness of the infectious disease. "People need to take this seriously," said NCAA Wrestling Secretary-Rules Editor Bob Bubb. "It is in the best interests of the student-athletes, and it is in the rule book." In 2005 and 2007, the state of Minnesota suspended high school wrestling more than a week due to skin disease outbreaks, and professional teams have disinfected their entire training and locker areas when a player acquires a staph infection. Committee members do not want intercollegiate wrestling student-athletes to experience similar outbreaks. "In any contact sport, minimizing the risk of infections is of paramount importance," said NCAA Wrestling Committee Chair Brad Traviolia, who is also the deputy commissioner of the Big Ten Conference. "There is a heightened awareness out there. More should be done to protect the student-athlete. By creating more significant rules and following through with the protocol for those rules, the committee believes it is doing the right thing." Bubb said examinations by physicians, dermatologists or certified athletic trainers at competition sites lessen the chance of spreading communicable skin diseases. "The kids step up in shorts and you have someone look at the chest, the hairline, the back, the legs and boom, you're done," he said. Data from the NCAA Injury Surveillance System (1993-2004) indicate that skin infections are associated with at least 20 percent of the time-loss practice injuries in wrestling (primarily herpes simplex and ringworm). Skin infection in fact is the No. 1 reason a wrestler stays off the mat. Open wounds and infectious skin conditions that cannot be adequately protected should be considered cause for medical disqualification from practice or competition. Many skin infections must be treated for a minimum of 72 hours before the student-athlete wrestles. Wounds or skin conditions deemed as non-infectious must be adequately medicated and covered by a securely attached bandage that can withstand the rigors of competition. Guidelines for the treatment of skin infections can be found in Appendix D of the NCAA Wrestling Rules book (also available online at www.NCAA.org).

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team opens its Big Ten Schedule this weekend, traveling to sixth-ranked University of Michigan and Michigan State University. The Boilermakers take on the Wolverines Friday night at 7 p.m. and follow up in East Lansing on Sunday at 1 p.m. Purdue carries an 8-2 record into the conference season, including seven straight dual victories. The youthful Boilermaker lineup has seen several successes throughout the non-conference schedule, including those of junior tri-captain Jake Patacsil and freshman A.J. Kissel. Patacsil is ranked 15th in the country at 149 pounds with an 18-4 record to his credit. He recently broke the Boilermakers' career back point record, and now has 419 nearfall points in less than three seasons at Purdue. He also leads the nation in technical falls with 10 on the year. Kissel is rewriting the Purdue record books as well, already tying the Boilermakers' single-season pin record just 26 matches into his collegiate career. His 15 pins match the total posted by Dave Lilovich in 1986, and move him into 17th all-time at Purdue. Kissel is tied for third in the country in falls, just two behind the national leader. Also doing damage for the Old Gold and Black have been junior Nick Corpe and freshmen Logan Brown and Luke Manuel. Corpe is 19-7 on the year and boasts a team-best 66 takedowns, while Brown touts a 17-7 mark at 197 pounds and Manuel stands at 18-5 at 165 pounds. No. 6 Michigan is 13-3 in dual competition this season, but has lost two of their last three bouts, including a 21-13 loss to fifth-ranked Central Michigan on Sunday. The Wolverines' lineup is decorated with nationally-ranked grapplers, highlighted by second-ranked 184-pounder Tyrel Todd and third-ranked 165-pounder Eric Tannenbaum. Freshman Kellen Russell, junior Steve Luke and senior Josh Churella all hold respective spots in the national top-10 as well, while freshman Anthony Biondo has a place on the national top-20 list. Russell is third at 141 pounds, Luke is fourth at 174, Churella stands eighth at 149 and Biondo is 15th at 197. The Boilermakers' only clash with Michigan this season came at 184 pounds at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, where Kissel suffered a hard-fought 4-0 loss at the hands of Todd. Michigan State enters the weekend at 3-5 in dual competition and host the fourth-ranked University of Minnesota on Friday before welcoming the Boilermakers on Sunday. The Spartans have a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers in 133-pound sophomore Franklin Gomez and 197-pound senior Joe Williams. Gomez is fifth in the country at 16-1, while Williams ranks 15th at 19-7. Purdue has seen extensive success against the Spartans in the preseason tournaments, building a 9-1 record against Michigan State grapplers throughout the ranks. Patacsil has a pair of technical falls against the Spartans, and sophomore heavyweight Chris Kasten stuck MSU's Alan O'Donnell at the Eastern Michigan Open. Results will be available upon the conclusion of each match at purduesports.com.

BOILING SPRINGS, NC -- UNC Greensboro grabbed the lead early and never looked back as they defeated Gardner-Webb, 38-3 in Boiling Springs, NC. The Spartans nearly shutout the Runnin' Bulldogs during the Wednesday night match-up recording four major decisions, two technical falls, two decisions and one fall victory. With the win, UNCG moved its overall record to 7-5. The team is currently 3-1 in the Southern Conference with four athletes undefeated against conference opponents. The loss dropped Gardner-Webb's dual record to 3-7. The Spartans took control of the mat as sophomore Mitchell Johnson (9-12, 2-2 SoCon) opened up the evening with a 4:48 fall victory over Tommy Bennett (6-16) in the 125-pound bout. This was Johnson's fourth pin of the season. Senior Jeff Hedges (18-9, 4-0 SoCon) added his second technical fall of the season as he defeated Matthew Featherston (0-11), 17-0. The No. 19 wrestler at 133-pounds was recently honored with the title of Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week. UNCG's Ben Wilmore (4-10, 2-2 SoCon) went into the 141-pound bout with the Spartans leading GWU, 11-0. The senior added another four team points as he defeated Chas Franz (14-12) with a 14-6 major decision; his second major of the season. The Spartans won three more matches in a row before the Bulldogs could mark the board with three points. Junior Marcus Hannah (11-5, 3-1 SoCon) recorded his first major decision of the season as he took the 149-pound match with a 19-8 victory over Joshua Lowe (14-4). Senior Mark Ring (6-10, 2-1 SoCon) followed with a 17-2 technical fall over Austin Reece (6-12) at 157 pounds and redshirt freshman Bryon Sigmon (12-10, 3-1 SoCon) closed out the six-match shutout with an 8-5 decision over Brenden Couture (8-12). The Bulldogs tallied their first team point as 174-pound Chad Davis (20-8) was able to hold off freshman Mikal McKee (10-13, 1-3 SoCon) to win a 3-2 overtime decision. Though GWU nabbed a win, UNCG still held a 27-3 advantage. The Spartans shook off the loss with wins in the final three matches of the evening. Senior Nick Clark (6-10, 2-2 SoCon) got UNCG back on stride with a 15-5 major decision over Matthias Piasecki (12-11) at 184-pounds, 11th-ranked senior Daren Burns (25-5, 4-0 SoCon) kept the momentum going with a 2-0 shutout over Dustin Porter (16-6) at 197 pounds, and junior Ryan Hsu (18-8, 4-0 SoCon) closed out the session in fashion with a 14-2 major decision over GWU's heavyweight, Evan Rhodes (3-11). The Spartans will have the following week off as they prepare to take on Virginia Tech on Sunday, February 3 in Blacksburg, VA. For more news on UNCG wrestling, ticket prices, a complete season schedule, and all other Spartan athletic information log onto www.UNCGSpartans.com.

TDR's mobile Brute Adidas studios take to the road again this week for 2 Big Road shows that are split by 1 traditional studio show live from Des Moines, Iowa. I must take a moment to thank ALL of our sponsors, Universities and college's who have made this years extensive broadcast schedule possible. It's a real pleasure to be able to tell the story of the people who make up our sport. I'm often humbled by the experience. Our schedule: January 25th- Oklahoma Sooners Vs. Iowa State Cyclones Scott Casber and WWE Icon and Sooner Jim Ross to broadcast this important meet.The Big 12 conference battle for #1 is underway! Broadcast scheduled to start around 6:15 PM CST. at Takedownradio.com January 26th: Steve Foster and company live from the Brute Adidas Studios at Des Moines Sports Station KXNO. Scheduled to join Steve and the boys are: Hour 1 9:05 Central Michigan's Head Coach Tom Borrelli 9:25 Southern Illinois at Edwardsville's Head Coach Pat McNamara Hour 2 10:05 Founder of Defense Soap, Guy Sako- will talk on skin issues 10:25 Adams State Head Coach Jason Ramsetter Great guests and wrestling talk. Join Steve, Grant Turner and Chris Arns starting at 9:06 AM CST January 27th- Missouri Tigers Vs. Cornell Big Red Scott Casber and Steve Foster will broadcast this important meet. This is shaping up to be an epic battle. Tune in to hear who does what to whom. Broadcast scheduled to start around 12:15 PM CST. at Takedownradio.com

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army wrestling team won eight of 10 bouts to defeat visiting Sacred Heart, 30-6, Wednesday night in Gillis Field Hous. Sacred Heart (0-8) took a 3-0 lead after a decision by heavyweight Bill Biermeister over Michael Sprigg , but gave six points right back with a forfeit at 125. A 5-1 decision by junior Whitt Dunning over Patt Feeley at 133, made the score 9-3 in favor of the Black Knights, but a close 2-1 decision by the Pioneers' Cory Dunn over freshman Casey Smith, pulled the visitors back to within three points, 9-6. Dunning's victory improved his record to 22-12 this season. Army (8-4) would take over from there, sweeping the final six bouts en route to its fourth-straight dual meet victory. Freshman Casey Thome upped his record to 23-8 this season with a 9-5 decision opposite Anthony Priore at 149, before classmate Sean Joyce's 7-3 decision against Michael Powers at 157 staked the Black Knights to a 15-6 edge. Sophomore Christopher Grill compiled a 12-2 major decision over Tom Sullivan at 165 and sophomore Ryan Mergen out-pointed Jed Guguere, 5-1, at 174 to put the match out of reach with a 22-6 lead. Senior Scott Ferguson – the only senior competing for Army as several regular starters were given the night off – pulled away from Rich Eichenlaub for an 11-7 decision at 184. Sophomore Richard Starks put things away with a 19-4 technical fall at 197 to improve his season record to 20-8. "We were able to rest a couple guys tonight, but I give Sacred Heart a lot of credit for coming out to scrap. They really got after it," said head coach Chuck Barbee. "Our second and third-string guys are crucial to the program, especially at this time of year. They are the ones that push the first-string guys in the wrestling room on a daily basis and step in when something comes up. Any number-one guy has to give a lot of credit to that number-two guy because of what he does to make him better. They are also working their tails off so that when they have their chance, they are ready to go." Army heads to New England this Saturday to make two separate dual meet stops. The Black Knights will look to make it five in a row at Brown at 11:00 a.m., before heading to Harvard to take on the Crimson at 5:00 p.m. MATCH NOTES: Senior 125 pounder Fernando Martinez, sophomore 141-pounder Matt Kyler, and senior heavyweight Nathan Thobaben were all given the night off ... Martinez is ranked 20th in the most recent Intermat/NWCA national polls ... Kyler moved up to 15th in this week's W.I.N. Magazine poll and is ranked 19th in the Intermat listings ... Thobaben did see limited duty, started the night off by singing the National Anthem ... Army improved to 8-0 all-time versus Sacred Heart ... first-year Sacred Heart head coach Casey Brewster was a teammate of current Army head assistant coach Ryan Wilman at West Virginia ... the Black Knights won their third New York State Intercollegiate Wrestling Championship over the weekend, picking up their first crown since winning back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 ... after this weekend's two dual meets, Army will host the 14th-Annual Academy Wrestling Championships next Saturday (Feb. 1) in Christl Arena ... tickets are available by logging on to www.goARMYsports.com and clicking the link on the right side of the page to the meet.

Charleston, S.C. -- The Citadel Wrestling team recorded their third straight home dual meet victory Tuesday night, Jan. 22, in McAlister Field House defeating VMI 28-10. The Bulldogs were then bested by No. 19 Chattanooga in their second dual of the evening. Seven Bulldogs posted victories in their dual against the Keydets of VMI. True freshman Kirby Thompson made his dual meet debut stepping up into the 141-pound spot for the Dogs. Thompson recorded a win by way of forfeit to begin his collegiate campaign, which put six points on the board for The Citadel. Junior 133-pound grappler Anthony Easter went 2-0 on the night recording an 8-4 decision against his VMI foe Ryan Goodsell and taking a forfeit for the Bulldogs to finish off the Chattanooga dual. The victories improved Easter to 2-1 in conference action. The Citadel's 149-pound grappler Derek Royster wrestled a tough match against VMI's David Metzler, but was able to come back and defeat his Chattanooga opponent. The redshirt freshman recorded a late third period pin against Carlos Baron at the 6:10 mark. Royster's fifth pin of the season improved his dual meet record to 5-2. True freshmen Keith Koziel and Brendan Prince added three and four points respectively to the Bulldogs team score in their dual with VMI. Koxiel notch almost two and a half minutes riding time en route to his 8-4 win over the Keydets' John Held. Prince added a riding time point to his score as well, make it an eight point spread to secure the major decision. Both Darius Caldwell and John Buck recorded their tenth victory of the season during the evenings matches. Caldwell wasted little time in his 184-pound bout scoring a quick takedown and first period fall against VMI's Curtis Moore at the 2:35 mark. Buck wrestled a strong match against his VMI foe, defeating Ronal Ellsworth 6-2. Heavyweight Bulldog Aaron Brown wrestled two very intense matches against fellow Southern Conference grapplers Leon Matt Lettner of Chattanooga and Leon Barrow of VMI. The Cadets' big guy came through with a big win in his first dual of the night. His two takedowns were enough to secure the 5-2 victory and three team points. The redshirt junior was able to tie the score at two going into the third period of his match-up with Lettner. The Mocs heavyweight edged out Brown in the final period to take the match 3-2. The Bulldogs will travel to Lynchburg, Va. this Saturday, Jan. 26 for a quad meet hosted by Liberty. The Bulldogs will face-off against both Liberty and Bucknell. The Citadel will return home on Saturday, Feb. 9 when they host Appalachian State in McAlister Field House. For complete coverage of Bulldog Wrestling, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.

BUIES CREEK, NC -- The UNC Greensboro wrestling squad recorded its sixth dual victory on Tuesday night as they defeated the American University Eagles, 23-18, in Buies Creek, NC. With the win, the Spartans hold a 6-5 overall dual record and are 3-1 in the Southern Conference. The Eagles dropped down to 2-10 overall with a 1-3 EIWA record. The leader-board was in a constant shift throughout the match as the advantage was never held by either team long. The Eagles took the early lead as 125-pound Jasen Borshoff (10-11) defeated sophomore Mitchell Johnson (8-12, 2-2 SoCon) with a 10-8 decision. An 8-2 victory over Matt Mariacher (11-9) at the 133-pound weight class gave 10th-ranked senior Jeff Hedges (17-9, 4-0 SoCon) and the Spartans three points to break even with American. AU took the lead once more as Kyle Borshoff (16-6) won a 7-4 decision over senior Ben Wilmore (3-10, 2-2 SoCon) in the 141-pound bout, but UNCG once again evened the score as 149-pound junior Marcus Hannah (10-5, 3-1 SoCon) defeated Chris Clarke (2-9), 7-4. In the 157-pound bout, American took the lead once more and held on through the 165-pound round. Senior Mark Ring (5-10, 2-1 SoCon) dropped a 10-2 major decision to Christopher Stout (12-10) and redshirt freshman Byron Sigmon (11-10, 3-1 SoCon) fell in similar fashion as he was defeated by No. 7 Mike Cannon (16-3), 10-2. With American at a 14-6 advantage, freshman Mikal McKee (10-12, 1-3 SoCon) won a commanding victory at 174 pounds as he defeated Johnathan Powell (0-16) with a 23-8 technical fall to give the Spartans five points. Sophomore Nick Clark (5-10, 2-2 SoCon) gave UNCG a 17-14 lead with a 2:32 fall victory over Andy Semple (2-14). It was a battle between two of the nation's best at 197-pounds as UNCG's 11th-ranked Daren Burns (24-5, 4-0 SoCon) took on top-ranked Josh Glenn (9-0). It was Glenn who came out with the victory as he defeated Burns in a 10-5 decision and tied the teams at 17. With the outcome resting on the final match of the evening, UNCG's Ryan Hsu (17-8, 4-0 SoCon) stepped it up once again as he won his sixth match in a row with a 3:54 fall victory over Brooks Keefer (2-13). Hsu's pin gave UNCG the lead and the win as they defeated the American Eagles, 23-17. On Wednesday evening the Spartans travel to Boiling Springs, NC to battle on the mats against Gardner-Webb starting at 7pm. For more news on UNCG wrestling, ticket prices, a complete season schedule, and all other Spartan athletic information log onto www.UNCGSpartans.com.