InterMat Staff

The Cardinal wrestling team will have a chance to showcase its talent at home this week, wrestling on the Farm for the first time in 2007-08. Stanford will square off with Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday night at 7 p.m., and will take on Menlo College and conference foe Portland State in a pair of duals beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday. Both matches will take place at the Ford Center. Stanford is having one of its best seasons in program history, with a 7-2 overall record entering this weekend's action. Two-time All-American and defending Pac-10 Champion Tanner Gardner (27-1) is ranked No. 6 nationally at 125 pounds. The Berryton Kans. native will be looking for his career-best 15th pin on Thursday and aims to inch three wins closer to the all-time Stanford win record. Gardner enters the week just nine wins short of Matt Gentry's career win record (138) set in 2005. At 157 pounds, senior All-American Josh Zupancic (25-5) has upset two top-10 opponents this month, and is also climbing the career win chart (4th, 106). This week, he moved into the No. 10 spot in the national rankings. In addition to its two All-Americans, a number of other Cardinal wrestlers are having impressive seasons. Sophomore Zack Giesen, the 2007 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, is 17-6 at 184 pounds with a 6-1 record in duals. Redshirt freshman 149-pounder Lucas Espericueta is 8-1 in duals and is second on the team with 37 dual points. Sophomore Jake Johnson is close behind with 18 wins and 36 dual points at 197 pounds. Stanford opens the weekend against Cal State Bakersfield (5-1, 4-1 Pac-10) on Thursday night, looking to oust the Roadrunners for the second straight year. Last season, Cal State Bakersfield was the Pac-10 runner-up, and had conference placers at nine of the ten weight classes. The Runners return just one of their five 2007 NCAA qualifiers, senior 165-pounder Daniel Atondo (18-9). Atondo and 141-pounder Elijah Nacita have the best dual records on the team at 5-1, and senior 149-pounder Jeremy Doyle leads the squad with 21 wins. Last season, Stanford won an exciting battle with Cal State Bakersfield, edging the Roadrunners in a tight contest in Bakersfield, 22-21. Led by Giesen's first career pin, the Cardinal won five matches to slip past the Roadrunners. Stanford wrestlers are 10-11 in previous meetings with Cal State Bakersfield wrestlers this season, with meetings at the Menlo Open, Fullerton Open, Reno Tournament of Champions and Las Vegas Invitational. Menlo, the 18th-ranked team in the NAIA, is led by Robert Davis, who is seventh-ranked at 165 pounds and Jesse Ruiz, who is sixth-ranked at heavyweight. Portland State (1-7, 0-5 Pac-10) finished 10th in the conference last year, and did not produce a conference placewinner. The young team is composed of 11 freshmen, five sophomores and six upperclassmen. This season, the Vikings are led by 141-pound sophomore Greg Einerson and 149-pound freshman Alan Dickey, each with eight wins on the year. Last season, Stanford bested Menlo, 29-14, on Jan. 27 and Portland State, 36-9, on Feb. 11. Stanford wrestlers are 7-5 against Menlo wrestlers this season. Zupancic is the only Cardinal wrestler to meet a PSU wrestler, defeating Brady Garner at the Fullerton Open in November.

THIS WEEK Iowa (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) will host #10 Northwestern (5-4, 0-0 Big Ten) Sunday at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes enter the dual on a six-match winning streak. NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS Northwestern is 5-4 (0-0 Big Ten) with wins over North Dakota State (35-9), Southern Illinois (44-3), Eastern Michigan (29-6), Tennessee-Chattanooga (31-11) and Missouri (22-19), and losses to Northern Illinois (19-22), Nebraska (9-25), Ohio State (17-19) and Iowa State (16-26). The Wildcats, who enter Sunday's dual ranked 10th in the nation, placed fifth at the 2007 Midlands Championships and eighth at the 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Head Coach Tim Cysewski is 137-164-5 in 18 seasons at Northwestern. He was an all-American at 134 pounds for Iowa in 1976, and a four-time Hawkeye letterwinner (1973-76). He is assisted by Ryan Bertin (Michigan, 2005), Drew Pariano (Northwestern, 2000) and Bill Scherr (Nebraska, 1984). The Wildcats are led by sophomore Brandon Precin (125) and seniors Ryan Lang (149), Nick Hayes (174), Mike Tamillow (197) and Dustin Fox (Hwt.). Fox is the nation's top-ranked heavyweight and is undefeated at 13-0. Lang (10-1) and Tamillow (19-2) are both ranked fourth and are returning all-Americans, along with Fox. Precin is #5 and boasts a 25-2 record. Hayes, who is 16-4 this season, is a native of Council Bluffs, IA. THE SERIES Iowa leads the series, 63-7-1, and has won the last three duals. The Hawkeyes hold a 27-3 advantage in Iowa City. Northwestern's last win in the series was 22-19 at Evanston in 2005, which snapped Iowa's 35-match win streak against the Wildcats. LAST MEETING - IOWA 24, NORTHWESTERN 14 Iowa scored its second dual win over Northwestern in eight days with a 24-14 win Jan. 21 at Rolling Meadows High School in Rolling Meadows, IL. The trip to Northwestern was a little unconventional for the Hawkeyes, who lost at Oklahoma State (21-11) Jan. 19. Iowa's flights out of Oklahoma were cancelled due to inclement weather, so the Hawkeyes rented vans and drove from Stillwater to Rolling Meadows. Northwestern jumped out to an 8-0 lead with wins at 197 and heavyweight. Northwestern's Mike Tamillow scored a 19-4 technical fall over redshirt freshman Rick Loera, who was wrestling for injured starter Dan Erekson. Northwestern junior Dustin Fox followed with his fourth career victory over Hawkeye junior Matt Fields - a 2-0 decision at heavyweight. Iowa responded with wins in the next seven bouts and 24 unanswered team points. Sophomore Charlie Falck started things at 125 with a 5-2 decision over Brandon Precin - avenging an earlier loss. Junior Alex Tsirtsis scored his 60th career win with a 15-4 major decision over James Kohlberg at 141. Senior Alex Grunder (149) and junior Mark Perry (165) also recorded major decisions for Iowa. Northwestern scored its final points of the dual when Iowa forfeited the 184-pound match. Iowa 24, Northwestern 14 197 - Mike Tamillow (N) tech. fall Rick Loera (I), 19-4 Hwt. - Dustin Fox (N) dec. Matt Fields (I), 2-0 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Brandon Precin (N), 5-2 133 - Mario Galanakis (I) dec. Eric Metzler (N), 6-1 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) maj. dec. J. Kohlberg (N), 15-4 149 - Alex Grunder (I) maj. dec. M. Gould (N), 12-4 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. D. Marella (N), 8-3 165 - Mark Perry (I) maj. dec. Greg Hagel (N), 10-0 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Nick Hayes (N), 6-2 184 - Jake Herbert (N) won by forfeit HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are collegiate career results from probable Iowa-Northwestern match-ups: 125 - Charlie Falck vs. Brandon Precin, 2-1 Falck dec. Precin, 4-2, at 2006 Midlands Precin pinned Falck, 3:20, at 2007 National Duals Falck dec. Precin, 5-2, at 2007 dual 157 - Ryan Morningstar vs. Kyle Bertin, 1-0 Morningtar dec. Bertin, 13-6, at 2007 Midlands 165 - Mark Perry vs. Dominic Marella, 1-0 Perry pinned Marella, 0:42, at 2007 Midlands Hwt. - Matt Fields vs. Dustin Fox, 0-5 Fox dec. Fields, 7-6, at 2005 dual Fox dec. Fields, 3-2, at 2005 Big Ten Championships Fox dec. Fields, 3-2 TB-1, at 2007 National Duals Fox dec. Fields, 2-0 at 2007 dual Fox dec. Fields, 2-1 TB-1, at 2007 Big Ten Champ's LAST WEEK Iowa opened the 2007-08 Big Ten season with wins over #6 Ohio State (24-10) and #7 Penn State (27-13). Iowa won seven of 10 bouts at Ohio State Friday night at St. John Arena in front of a record-setting crowd of 4,378. Iowa jumped out to a 12-0 lead with wins by a quartet of Hawkeye sophomores, and then traded wins with the Buckeyes at the last six weights. The Hawkeyes returned home to beat #7 Penn State (27-13) Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeyea Arena. Iowa improved to 13-1 and snapped Penn State's two-match win streak in the series. A crowd of 7,525 gathered to watch the Hawkeyes win its 802nd dual in school history, taking seven of the 10 bouts. Five Hawkeyes went undefeated on the weekend. Junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophmores Joe Slaton (133), Dan LeClere (141), Brent Metcalf (149) and Jay Borschel (174) each defeated their Big Ten opponents. Falck remains undefeated (13-0) in dual competition and is on an 11-match winning streak. Metcalf has won his last 15 matches and is 18-1 (13-1 in duals this season). He defeated #5 Lance Palmer of Ohio State (5-3) and pinned #6 Bubba Jenkins of Penn State in 5:33. In the Metcalf-Jenkins match, the Hawkeye sophomore fought off his back and a 6-1 first-period deficit. Before recording the pin, he led Jenkins 23-13 with over a minute remaining in the match. Top-ranked senior 165-pounder Mark Perry did not compete in either dual due to injury. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's three 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. FAMILY FOUR PACK AVAILABLE The University of Iowa is offering a Family Four Pack ticket package for the Iowa vs. Indiana dual on Feb. 15. 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. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 159-18 (.898) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 820-215-30 (.784) 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. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa (13-1, 3-0 Big Ten) will take the first of two straight weekend road trips. The Hawkeyes will wrestle at Minnesota (8-3, 0-0) Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. The dual in Williams Arena will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. The Hawkeyes will then travel to Madison to face Wisconsin (8-2-1, 0-1) Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin Field House.

Wrestling Media Members: To request media credentials for the 2010 InterMat JJ Classic, media members must fill out a media credential application and send as an e-mail attachment to Matt Krumrie at mattkrum@yahoo.com. The deadline to apply for media credentials for the 2010 InterMat JJ Classic is October 20. There is wireless Internet all throughout the UCR Regional Sports Center. College Wrestling Coaches: To get placed on the college wrestling coaches pass list for free admission into the 2010 InterMat JJ Classic, college wrestling coaches must send an e-mail to Matt Krumrie at mattkrum@yahoo.com.

After compiling a perfect 4-0 record, Augustana's Beau Severtson has been named the North Central Conference Wrestler of the Week, the league office announced today. Severtson, a senior 184-pounder from Flandreau, S.D., won all 4 matches last week as the Vikings competed in 4 duals. Two of his victories were first-period pins. He pinned Dominck Oliver of Minnesota West Community College in 1:54 and posted a 15-12 decision over Cole Spree of Northwestern (Iowa) in a triangular. He then upset sixth-ranked Brad Padgett of St. Cloud State, pinning him at 2:41. He finished the week with an 8-2 win over Ben Becker of Minnesota State to improve to 2-0 in NCC matches. Severtson and the rest of the Vikings return to the mat on Wednesday when they wrestle Dakota Wesleyan and the University of Sioux Falls at USF's Stewart Center. Augustana will face Dakota Wesleyan at 6:45 p.m. and USF at 8 p.m.

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Hofstra sophomore wrestler Lou Ruggirello, who posted a 5-0 record at the Colonial Athletic Association Duals this past weekend, has been named the CAA Wrestler of the Week, for the second consecutive week, for all competition between January 15 and 22. Ruggirello, a native of Walden, New York, swept through all five of his matches last Friday and Saturday, recording two wins by fall, two tech falls and a major decision. The sixth-ranked wrestler in the country at 133 pounds, pinned Zach Cunliffe from Rider in 2:56, and Old Dominion's Kyle Hutter in 1:15; posted identical 17-0 tech falls over Binghamton's Michael Kleeman and Boston University's Ryan Goddu; and a 10-1 major decision over Joe Coughlin from George Mason. He helped boost Hofstra's conference dual match undefeated streak to 59 matches including 56 consecutive victories. The Valley Central High School graduate has now won 11 consecutive matches to boost his record to 27-4 on the season including a 16-0 mark in dual matches and a 5-0 record in the CAA. Ruggirello shares the CAA Wrestler of the Week honor with Kevin Bidelspach from Campbell, who also posted a 5-0 record last weekend at the CAA Duals. Old Dominion's James Nicholson, a 125-pounder from Des Moines, Iowa (Theodore Roosevelt High), was named the CAA Rookie of the Week. He went 4-1 at the CAA Duals last weekend.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Sam Sheridan and Randy Lewis. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 5-6 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. Sheridan is the author of the book "A Fighter's Heart." In the book Sheridan – a Harvard graduate turned fighter – explores what drives people toward combat sports. Sheridan is in the process of writing a new book on the mental game in fighting and competition. Lewis is currently involved with the University of Iowa wrestling program as a club coach. Internationally Lewis made two Olympic teams, winning an Olympic gold medal in 1984. Known as one of the most entertaining wrestlers ever, Lewis was a four-time All-American and a two-time NCAA champion for the Hawkeyes from 1978-1981. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

EDMOND -- Cody Rowell's stunning second-period fall propelled No. 3-ranked Central Oklahoma past No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney, 23-16, in a Saturday night showdown of NCAA Division II wrestling powers at Hamilton Field House. Rowell pinned fourth-ranked Taylor May in 4:49 of their 165-pound battle to give the Bronchos a 17-10 lead and the two teams split the last four matches to leave UCO with its second win in a week over the Lopers. The Bronchos, who edged UNK 21-19 in the third-place match of the NWCA Division II National Duals last Sunday in Cedar Falls, Iowa, improved to 8-3 with their eight win in nine outings. UCO also got a technical fall from 141-pounder Kyle Evans, while 184 Heath Jolley and 197 Jarrett Edison both had easy wins and undefeated Tim Elliott picked up a forfeit at 133 as the Bronchos overcame two one-point losses and an overtime defeat. Rowell's win was the biggest as the Duncan sophomore decked May late in the second period. May had escaped early in the second stanza to break a scoreless tie, with Rowell taking May down to his back and scoring the pin with just 11 seconds left in the period to the delight of the roaring crowd. "Cody came through for us, no doubt about it," said UCO coach David James, who picked up his 301st career win. "He did a great job getting the takedown and we were happy with that, but he just kept going and put him on his back to get a big fall. "We lost some close matches that we've got to find a way to win, but overall I was pretty pleased with our effort." UNK took a 4-0 lead with a major decision in the opening match at 125, then Elliott moved to 10-0 with his forfeit at 133 to put the Bronchos on top to stay. The top-ranked Evans followed with his eight technical fall of the season, racking up four near-falls en route to a 17-0 rout to make it 11-4. The Lopers pulled out tough wins in the next two matches, getting a 3-2 victory from No. 8 Ryan Etherton over No. 7 Colby Robinson at 149 and a 3-1 sudden-victory decision from No. 2 Joe Ellenberger over fifth-rated Jason Leavitt at 157 to make it 11-10. Rowell notched his clutch fall in the next match to increase the lead to 17-11, then UNK's Keenan McCurdy came back with a 4-3 win over Daniel Morrison at 174 to pull the Lopers within 17-14. UCO clinched it with wins by Jolley and Edison. Jolley used a second-period near-fall to overcome a 3-2 deficit and added two third-period takedowns for an 11-4 triumph at 184 and Edison piled up four minutes riding time in a methodical 5-0 decision at 197 that wrapped up the dual. Top-ranked and defending national champion Tervel Dlagnev downed Dustin Finn 10-5 in the final match to arrange the final score. UCO goes back on the road next week, traveling to Alamoso, Colo.to meet No. 5-ranked Adams State next Thursday before going on to Gunnison on Saturday for the Western State Duals.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A trio of Penn State true freshmen claimed individual titles at the Kent State Open this past weekend. Wrestling unattached, freshmen Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) and Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) each finished first in their respective weight classes at the event on Saturday and combined to go 14-0 with three pins, a technical fall and a major. All Penn State entrants in the tournament were unattached. Molinaro went 5-0 with a pin at 141 to claim the title. Molinaro beat Clarion's Greg Lewis 6-4 in the finals for first place. Darling went 5-0 with a pin and a technical fall to win the 149 pound crown. Darling posted a 7-2 win over Central Michigan's Ryan Cubberly for his championship. Wade went 4-0 with a pin and a major to grab the heavyweight crown. Wade defeated Pittsburgh's Ryan Tomei 7-5 in the finals. Junior Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio) also placed for Penn State, going 5-2 and finishing fourth at 184 pounds. Other Nittany Lions competing at the event were Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.), 0-2 at 125; Desmond Moore (Easton, Pa.), 0-2 at 125; Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.), 2-0 with a pin at 141 then withdrew; Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.), 2-2 with a major at 141; Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.), 0-2 at 165; Craig Owsiany (Phoenixville, Pa.), 2-2 at 165; and Nathan Andrews (Spring Mills, Pa.), 0-2 at 184.

GREENSBORO, NC -- On Tuesday evening the UNC Greensboro Spartans travel to the Campbell University campus in Buies Creek, NC to take on the American University Eagles. Wrestling is set to begin at 8:30pm in Carter Gymnasium following the match between Campbell and American. This is the first time the two teams have met on the mats since the 2000-01 season. American and UNCG are currently tied with a 2-2 series record. UNCG is now 5-5 overall with a 3-1 Southern Conference record following a 30-9 defeat over Davidson and a 24-18 loss to Virginia on Sunday afternoon in Greensboro, NC. American holds a 2-9 overall record and is 1-3 in the EIWA. In their last match, the Eagles lost to No. 22 Navy, 31-16. Both teams currently have one wrestler each ranked in the InterMat/NWCA/NWMA individual polls at the 197-pound weight class. AMU's Josh Glenn holds the top rank with an 8-0 record while UNCG's Daren Burns is listed 11th with a record of 23-4. The Eagle's Mike Cannon is ranked 10th at 165 lbs. UNCG is back in action the following day as they head to Boiling Springs, NC to compete against the Gardner-Webb University Runnin' Bulldogs. The dual is set to begin at 7:00pm. For more news on UNCG wrestling, ticket prices, a complete season schedule, and all other Spartan athletic information log onto www.UNCGSpartans.com.

OMAHA -- Sometimes you can go home again. After having three duals cancelled in Minnesota, three NIACC wrestlers found some competition elsewhere on Saturday. The NIACC trio and staff traveled back to Omaha for the University of Nebraska-Omaha Open for the second time this season. Freshman DaVaughn Perkins, who grew up in Omaha, NE and attended North High School, won his second individual title at a University of Nebraska-Omaha meet this season, taking all five of his matches at157 pounds in Saturday's Brand Open. Perkins was 86-0 in high school and won three large school Nebraska prep state titles. He continues to be unbeaten in Nebraska since his sophomore year of high school, pinning three opponents, including the final. He needed just 3:34 to dispatch of (unattached) wrestler Nathan Sigman, who competes at the host school. After pinning Jordan Ginger of Nebraska-Kearney in his opening match, Perkins beat Wyoming's Michah Kadera 8-3 and edged the host school's Josh Heckendorn 10-4. In the semifinals, he pinned Iowa's Brooks Copsa in 2:25. For the season, Perkins is now 31-5 and is ranked second in the NJCAA heading into Wednesday's dual meet at Iowa Central Community College. Another NIACC wrestler, 174-pounder Glenn Rhees, also fared well. He placed third in his division, getting four wins in five matches. He's 16-3 and ranked sixth in the NJCAA. NIACC is currently fifth in the NJCAA rankings and has four wrestlers rated in the top eight of their respective weight classes, including top-ranked Albert White at 149 and fourth-ranked T.J. Moen at 141.

Dustin Schlatter vs. Brent Metcalf. It's a matchup that has been talked about, dissected, and analyzed to death ever since the two wrestlers split two matches as high school seniors in 2004-2005. Since then, both have taken very different paths. Their paths, however, will cross again on February 1, when Brent Metcalf's Iowa Hawkeyes invade Minneapolis to battle Dustin Schlatter's Minnesota Gophers at Williams Arena. Schlatter vs. Metcalf at 149 pounds will be the premier matchup in a much-anticipated dual meet between two Big Ten wrestling programs who despise each other. Dustin Schlatter and Brent Metcalf split two matches as high school seniors (Photo/NHSCA)Schlatter and Metcalf first met on December 29, 2004 at the Medina (Ohio) Invitational at 145 pounds. Metcalf won that meeting by riding out Schlatter in double overtime. Schlatter evened the score a little over three months later at the 2005 NHSCA Senior Nationals, where he defeated Metcalf, 4-3, in the finals. Both had legendary prep careers. Schlatter was a four-time state champion in Ohio with a dazzling 154-4 record. Metcalf was a four-time state champion in Michigan with a perfect 228-0 record. Even more impressive, though, were Schlatter and Metcalf's accomplishments in the international styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both won six straight titles at the Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, and were very rarely challenged. What happened in the years following their high school careers has been well documented. Schlatter enrolled at the University of Minnesota and immediately stepped into the Gophers lineup at 149 pounds. He won the NCAA title at 149 pounds as a true freshman in 2006. Metcalf enrolled at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), a program that looked to be on the rise with its new head coach, Tom Brands, and a top recruiting class. He redshirted his freshman season. His older brother, Chase, a wrestler for the University of Michigan, was killed in a car accident that year. In the spring of 2006, Iowa bought out the final year of Iowa coach Jim Zalesky's contract and Brands was hired as Iowa's new head coach. Once Brands was hired back to his alma mater, Virginia Tech's freshmen, including Metcalf, followed their coach to Iowa and became Hawkeyes. However, the Virginia Tech administration refused to release them from their scholarships, which meant the athletes could transfer to Iowa, but had to sit out a season and lose a year of eligibility. Metcalf spent last season practicing with the Hawkeyes and competing in senior level freestyle events. Mike Zadick (Red) won a silver medal at the 2006 World Championships in freestyle (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Two wrestlers who know all about heated rivalries and the intensity of Iowa-Minnesota duals are Mike Zadick and Jared Lawrence. Zadick, a three-time All-American for the Hawkeyes, and Lawrence, a four-time All-American and NCAA champion for the Gophers, wrestled against each other seven times in college. Coincidentally, their rivalry was at 149 pounds, which is the weight class in which Schlatter and Metcalf compete. Both are currently training to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic freestyle team. Zadick, who competes at 132 pounds, was a silver medalist at the 2006 World Championships. Lawrence, who competes at 145.5 pounds, has yet to make a World or Olympic team, but has been knocking on the door. He was runner-up at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Both serve as assistant coaches for their alma maters. Zadick says the fact that it's Iowa-Minnesota intensifies the rivalry between Schlatter and Metcalf, but sees another striking similarity between his past rivalry with Lawrence and the current rivalry between Schlatter and Metcalf that also adds to the intensity. "It's more intense from the standpoint that when we used to wrestle each other it was No. 1 vs. No. 2," said Zadick. "That's the same as Schlatter and Metcalf. We have No. 1 vs. No. 2. Both guys are going out there thinking they are going to win." Metcalf and Schlatter's wrestling styles are almost polar opposites. Metcalf, who has been called a Tom Brands clone, puts pressure on his opponents by constantly attacking and wearing them down. He has become the new poster child for the Iowa style. "He's never satisfied," said Zadick. "He's in your face. He's always working to improve the entire time. He's an offensive machine. You shouldn't want to call the kid a brawler. He's a brawler, but he's going to score points. It's not that he's going out and push, push, push. You hear a lot of coaches yell that against him, �He's just pushing.' But you know what? I'll take him pushing you all over the mat any day because he's trying. It's an offensive style. And it's fun to watch." Schlatter, on the other hand, relies more on keeping great position, out-slicking his opponents, and using counter offense. Schlatter put together one of the most impressive true freshman seasons in NCAA wrestling history two seasons ago. He compiled a 42-1 record and dominated the nation's top wrestlers all season long. He defeated a returning NCAA champion, Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State, who many regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the country, twice, including an 11-2 shellacking in Oklahoma. Jared Lawrence won the NCAA title at 149 pounds in 2002 (Photo/The Guillotine)However, since winning his NCAA title as a true freshman, Schlatter has wrestled a lot more close, low-scoring matches. He has won almost every one of those tight matches, with the exception of a 3-2 loss in the 2007 NCAA semifinals to Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, and then 3-2 loss to Mike Roberts of Boston this season in the finals of the Southern Scuffle. Still, despite the fact that he is winning almost every time out, many wrestling fans across the country have become frustrated with Schlatter's inability to put points on the scoreboard and dominate his opponents like he did as true freshman, when he outscored his opposition at the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships by a combined 74-6 margin. So what is going on? Has Schlatter's style changed? "No, his style is still the same," said Lawrence, who works out with Schlatter on a regular basis. "It's just people he's wrestling don't actually wrestle him. He likes his counter offense. I think people aren't wrestling him at the pace that they were his freshman year. When he was a freshman, nobody really knew, so they went out and wrestled him a little more. Now, I think people are a little more hesitant to go after him. His openings are fewer because people don't stay offensive on him." The consensus is that Metcalf is the one wrestler who will actually go after Schlatter. It's not part of his makeup to wrestle conservatively and try to keep it close. At the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Metcalf wrestled a couple close matches … at least score wise, although the scores were not indicative of how much Metcalf dominated the matches. He defeated two highly-ranked wrestlers, Josh Churella of Michigan, 4-2, and Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska, 6-2, but was not satisfied with his performance. Brent Metcalf"I'm personally not happy with those wins," said Metcalf, without even a hint of arrogance in his voice. "It's not enough to win by two points. I hope the person looking at the newspaper does say, 'You know what, that's not enough.' Because that is the attitude that we have instilled here and we need it in the rest of the country too. There are too many people winning by one, two points. We're here to dominate. Two points is not domination. I'm not happy with it. I need to do more." Metcalf also stated that he has been looking forward to the matchup with Schlatter. Many expected it to happen in Cedar Falls, but Schlatter was forced to miss the event because of a hamstring injury. Iowa and Minnesota did not meet at the event. "It's a matchup I've been looking forward to for a while, but it just keeps on disappearing," said Metcalf. Lawrence can't say one way or the other whether it's a matchup that carries extra significance to Schlatter. He's not sure. "Metcalf hasn't been around for a long time, so Dustin might be like, 'Hey, it's just another guy," said Lawrence. "But the last time they wrestled, Dustin beat him, so maybe Metcalf is carrying that. And then Dustin ended up winning the NCAA title his true freshman year, while Metcalf was sitting out and probably wanting that revenge a little more." The Iowa-Minnesota dual on February 1 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis is expected to draw a large crowd. Zadick and Lawrence know all about wrestling in front of large crowds. Ironically, when Schlatter and Metcalf meet on February 1, 2008, it will be exactly six years to the day (February 1, 2002) since Lawrence and Zadick wrestled in front of an NCAA record crowd of 15,646 fans at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. Zadick won that match, 3-1, but Minnesota won the dual, 22-15. "It's a lot easier to get pumped up when you know there are 15,000 people there as opposed to a dual to a dual that has like 2,000 people there," said Lawrence. "It's a lot easier to get up for those matches." Zadick agrees. "Speaking for myself and our program, that is what you are there for," said Zadick. "Being a Hawkeye, we have 7, 8, 9,000 people a dual meet on average, so we're used to it. Throw 15,000 in there and it's just that much more exciting. It's an unbelievable energy that works for you. If they are behind you or if they are against you, it still works for you. Dustin Schlatter (Photo/The Guillotine)Both Schlatter and Metcalf have always represented the sport with utmost class on and off the mat. It's virtually impossible not to like the two humble 21-year-olds. Last season, Schlatter competed at the NCAA Championships with a sprained MCL and was upset by Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro in the semifinals. Schlatter, though, never used his injury as an excuse for losing. Metcalf had every reason to be bitter about the Virginia Tech situation and how things were handled, but chose to take the high road and focused on training to become a better wrestler. So what can fans anticipate when the two longtime rivals finally meet again on February 1? "I think it's going to be more of a high-scoring match because both guys will wrestle and force a lot of action," said Lawrence. "I don't think Metcalf will stand back and not do anything against Dustin. I think he will come after him, so I think it will be a good match." Zadick expects Metcalf to do what he always does and wrestle at a high pace. "I think it's a pretty anticipated match," said Zadick. "From what I know of Brent Metcalf, I'm going to say one hundred percent that he's going to go out there to look for big points, big scores and really put his mark on the weight class. It will all play out how high Metcalf is picking his pace up. He's going to bring it to him. I'm not going to put any kind of point spread on it or anything like that, but I think it's going to be an exciting match." Regardless of the match outcome, wrestling fans will certainly be in for a treat when Dustin Schlatter and Brent Metcalf renew their rivalry on February 1 in Minneapolis. Please Note: This story also appears in the January 25 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.

LINCOLN -- The Big 12 Conference announced Monday that Husker junior Brandon Browne has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for his performances in competitions from Jan. 14-20. Browne defeated second-ranked Brandon Mason of Oklahoma State 2-1 last Sunday as the Huskers topped the Cowboys 22-13 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Browne, a native of Plattsmouth, Neb., is currently ranked sixth at 174 pounds. Browne felt out Mason in the first period until he capitalized on an opening and scored a takedown with eight seconds left. Mason chose down in the second and scored an escape 25 seconds in. Browne chose the neutral position in the third, but neither was able to score a point as Browne held on for the 2-1 decision. Browne's win broke a 10-10 tie as the Huskers never relinquished the lead after Browne's win. Browne improves to 24-2 on the year, including 9-1 in duals. Browne has scored 35 dual points for NU while allowing just three. He is second on the squad in bonus-point wins with seven major decisions, four technical falls and two pins. Browne and the Huskers resume action on Feb. 2 as NU host No. 11 Missouri for Alumni Night at 7 p.m. in the NU Coliseum.

FAIRFAX, VA -- The 12th-ranked Hofstra Wrestling team captured three more conference victories Saturday to sweep through the 2008 CAA Duals at the George Mason University Field House. The Pride defeated Boston University, 38-7, George Mason, 28-9, and Old Dominion, 22-19 to boost their season record to 10-6 overall and 5-0 in the CAA. Hofstra also extended its conference dual match undefeated streak to 59 matches, and its conference dual match winning streak to 56. In the first match of the day, Hofstra won eight of 10 matches including wins by fall by seniors Charles Griffin and Tom Daddino, as the Pride downed the Terriers of Boston University, 38-7. The sixth-ranked Griffin pinned Alex Cournoyer in 5:45 of the 141-pound match while Daddino pinned James Connors in 1:08 in the heavyweight match. The Pride jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind the "big little three" combination of Dave Tomasette, Lou Ruggirello and Charles Griffin. Tomasette received a forfeit win at 125, Ruggirello had a tech fall over Ryan Goddu and Griffin's pin. Boston University closed the gap with a major victory by Mike Roberts over Jeff Rotella at 149, and a 7-5 sudden victory decision by Carlo Ferrandin over Anthony Tortora at 157. But the Pride swept the next five matches including a tech fall by Joe Rovelli at 197 and a major decision by Alton Lucas at 174. In the second match of the day, the Pride also won eight of the 10 matches to down the host Patriots of George Mason, 28-9. Four Hofstra wrestlers posted major decisions as Dave Tomasette, Lou Ruggirello, Charles Griffin and Jonny Bonilla-Bowman tallied four-point victories. The Patriots were only able to muster victories at 149 and at heavyweight, where Harry Zander notched a win by fall. The Pride led 12-0 on major decisions by Tomasette, Ruggirello and Griffin before GMU's Aaron Keeton closed the gap with a 10-3 decision at 149. But Bonilla-Bowman's 18-8 major decision over James Kaden at 157 started the Pride's five match run that put Hofstra up 28-3 heading into the heavyweight match. The final match of the day turned out, as expected, to be the Pride's closest conference contest since a 25-24 win at James Madison during the 2001-02 season. Like that match six years ago, the Pride went into the match missing two starters with Mitch Smith out at 149 with a groin injury suffered in the National Duals last week, and Ryan Patrovich, who gamely wrestled in only two matches this weekend, with an ankle sprain, out at 165. The ODU match did not start off as usual for the Pride as #16 James Nicholson handed Hofstra's 10th-ranked Dave Tomasette his first loss of the CAA Duals with an 8-6 decision in sudden victory. But Ruggirello pinned ODU's Kyle Hutter in 1:15 at 133 pounds, and Griffin majored #13 Ryan Williams, 13-4, to take a 10-3 lead. The Monarch's #17 Kaylen Baxter posted a victory by fall over Hofstra reserve Jeff Rotella in 2:10 to close the deficit to 10-9. But the Pride continued to use bonus point victories beginning with Bonilla-Bowman, who notched a 20-7 win over Dan Rivera at 157. Anthony Tortora battled ODU's Chris Brown at 165 before dropping a 6-4 decision but Hofstra's Alton Lucas recorded an 18-5 major decision over Nick Pullano to boost the lead to 18-12. Jesse Strawn then majored Hofstra freshman Justin Danz, 12-0, at 184 pounds to close to 18-16. Hofstra senior Joe Rovelli's 8-0 major decision over David Mendoza at 197 gave the Pride a 22-16 lead which required a ODU victory by fall in the heavyweight match to tie the match. In that contest, Hofstra's Tom Daddino, giving up 50 pounds to his opponent, Andrew Tortusek, battled him to a 2-2 tie after three periods. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Totusek was able to post an escape in the tie-breaker for a 3-2 win.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Army wrestling team finished first out of 18 teams at the 39th-Annual New York State Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships, Saturday as two Black Knights won individual championships and three others finished runner-up. The title was Army's first since winning back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005. Senior captain Fernando Martinez won his second-straight 125-pound championship, while sophomore Matthew Kyler swept four matches en route to his second-consecutive 141-pound crown. Junior Whitt Dunning (133 pounds), freshman Sean Joyce (157) and sophomore Ryan Mergen (174) all wrestled to second-place finishes, while senior heavyweight Nathan Thobaben finished third and freshman Casey Thome (149) finished fourth. Sophomore Richard Starks (197) and freshman Patrick Smith (184) also scored for Army, each notching sixth-place efforts. "I thought this was a really good team performance," said head coach Chuck Barbee. "We battled some injuries and really had to work our tails off to hold off a tough Buffalo team so I'm real proud of our team. Coming in, we certainly weren't the favorite to win, but the guys really stepped it up and made it happen. The five guys in the finals all wrestled very well." Martinez, seeded first in the weight class, started the tournament off with a 16-0 tech fall over NYU's Kyle Christensen (3:00) on Friday night, before earning a 8-5 decision over Cornell's Frankd Perrelli and a 5-0 decision against Buffalo's Dan Bishop. Ranked 15th in this week's W.I.N. Magazine national poll, and 19th in the Intermat/NWCA poll, Martinez improved his record to 24-3 this season and picked up his 60th career victory for a 61-23 collegiate record. Kyler, also the top-seed in his division, opened the championship on Friday night by pinning Niagara County C.C.'s Mike Tiller (2:58) and Oneonta State's Michael Gregg (4:57), before picking up a 14-3 major decision opposite Buffalo's Andrew Stella in the semifinals, and downing NYU's Stephen Hult, 11-6, in the championship bout. Ranked in three national polls, including 17th in the Intermat/NWCA, Kyler's season record is now a team-best 27-5, including a squad-best 13 pins and 16 bonus-point victories. After picking up a 19-2 tech fall (7:00) over Oneonta's Walter Moore and a 4-0 decision from Columbia's Jerome Greco on Friday, Dunning advanced to the championship match with a 4-3 decision over Cortland's Dave Colagiovanni. Nassau C.C.'s Chris Notte earned a 3-1 decision over Dunning in the final. Dunning's season record stands at 21-12. Fourth-seeded Joyce picked up a 6-2 decision over Wagner's Sean Quinn on Friday, before opening the second day of action with a 6-3 decision over top-seeded John Cummings from Buffalo. His championship bid came up short after a tough 2-0 loss to Columbia's Matt Dunn in the final. Mergen, seeded third, pinned Nassau C.C.'s Eric Roering (4:50) and picked up a 13-4 major decision over Oneonta State's Josh Wake on Friday. Following a slim 1-0 decision over Buffalo's Mike Ragusa, Mergen fell, 6-1 in the final to top-seeded Joey Hooker of Cornell. Thobaben, seeded second, picked up decisions over Columbia's Jed Wade (4-1) and Nassau C.C.'s Brandon Williamson (10-3) to start the tournament off, before losing a 7-4 decision to Cornell's Maliej Jochym in the semifinals on Saturday. He bounced back with a 57-second pin of Columbia's Jed Wade in the consolation bracket, before beating Buffalo's Jeff Parker, 6-1, in the third-place match. After hosting Sacred Heart this Wednesday (Jan. 23) at 7:30 p.m. in Gillis Field House, Army will travel to New England on Saturday (Jan. 26) and make stops at Brown (11:00 p.m.) and Harvard (5:00 p.m.) for two separate dual meets.

ASHLAND, Ohio -- No. 15 Illinois rolled through its three duals at the Wendy's Duals at Kates Gymnasium, defeating Cleveland State, 37-0, Liberty, 40-0, and the host Ashland, 46-0. As a team, the Illini racked up seven pins, two technical falls and five major decisions in their final tune-up heading into Big Ten dual action on Feb. 1. "Our guys did some good things," Illinois assistant coach Carl Perry said. "It was good to have a chance to work on some different areas to get ready for Big Tens." No. 13 Gabe Flores (125) started Illinois on the right foot against CSU with a 10-1 major decision, and No. 9 Jimmy Kennedy (133) pinned Josh Palivoda in 1:57 for an early 10-0 Illini lead. Consecutive decisions by No. 19 Ryan Prater (141) and Grant Paswall (149) were follwed by No. 1 Mike Poeta's technical fall at 157, pushing Illinois' lead to 21-0. Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165), No. 17 John Dergo (174) and Dave Gleissner (184), No. 13 Patrick Bond (197) and No. 19 John Wise (HWT) all recorded decisions to finish off the 37-0 win. Against Liberty, Flores started with a pin in just 33 seconds, followed by back-to-back decisions by Kennedy and Prater. Paswall then pinned Sam Walters in 43 seconds, putting the Illini ahead 18-0. Poeta and Smith-Bergsrud each recorded decisions, followed by a 13-2 major decision for Dergo. Gleissner earned a decision, Bond got a pin in 4:41 and Wise notched a 15-3 major decision to ice the 41-0 victory. In the final match of the day, against the host Ashland Eagles, Flores notched a 20-2 technical fall and Kennedy recorded his second pin of the day, this time in 1:20. Prater and Paswall each earned decisions and Poeta recorded his second pin of the year. Smith-Bergsrud followed with a pin and Dergo got a 14-5 major decision to put Illinois up 33-0. Ben Friedl (184) notched a 9-3 decision, Bond got a win by injury default and Wise earned a 13-5 major decision to ice a 46-0 Illini victory. "Kennedy had two falls," Perry said. "He's really starting to get in a groove. He's right on track. And Mike Poeta had a great week of practice and continues to put himself among the best in the country." Illinois will take a week off from competition before beginning the Big Ten dual season Friday, Feb. 1, at Michigan. The match will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, starting at 5 p.m. (CT).

The No. 13 Wisconsin wrestling team closed out the non-conference schedule Sunday with an exciting 18-15 win over No. 18 Oklahoma at the ESPNU Invitational in Oklahoma City. With the win, Wisconsin head coach Barry Davis earned his 150th career win and became the second coach in UW history to do so. The Badgers won six bouts to improve to 9-2-1 overall (0-1-0 Big Ten Conference) while the Sooners drop to 11-2 on the season. The Badgers got out to a strong start and won their first three matches to go up 9-0. The dual began at 125 lbs. and No. 18 senior Collin Cudd scored three takedowns and had a point of riding time to earn a 7-4 victory over Oklahoma's Joey Fio. UW junior Zach Tanelli, ranked No. 12, added to the lead with a 10-5 win over John Starzyk at 133 lbs. Wisconsin's No. 8 sophomore Kyle Ruschell had a tough bout against Oklahoma's No. 11 Zack Bailey at 141 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Ruschell scored a takedown with 39 seconds remaining in the second while Bailey had an escape with 24 seconds left in the period. In the third, Ruschell secured the victory with an escape at 1:25 and hung on for the 3-1 win. The Sooners then got on the board with a major decision victory at 149 lbs. Wisconsin freshman Kendall Vogel met No. 9 Will Rowe and fell, 19-6 to put the score at 9-4. Wisconsin rebounded though with a win at 157 lbs. Senior Craig Henning, ranked No. 2, held Oklahoma's Chad Terry scoreless in a 4-0 win. Henning had a takedown in the first period, an escape in the third and one point of riding time for the victory that put the Badgers up 12-4. At 165 lbs. senior Jake Donar met OU's Shane Vernon and wrestled a close match. Donar had a 5-4 lead heading into the third period but a two-point reversal for Vernon gave the OU grappler a 6-5 advantage with 1:36 left. Donar had a reversal of his own to re-gain the lead at 7-6 but Vernon would score a final reversal with just 16 seconds left to win the bout, 8-7 and put the team score at 12-7. Oklahoma then pulled within one after a major decision win at 174 lbs and took the lead with another major decision win at 184 lbs. Badger junior Justin Peterson faced OU's Jeff James and fell, 10-1 in the 174 lbs. bout. At 184 lbs., No. 14 sophomore Trevor Brandvold scored the first two points of the match with a takedown in the first period, but Oklahoma's No. 7 Josh Weitzel came back for the 11-2 win and put the Sooners up, 15-12. Down three, the Badgers had another tough bout at 197 lbs., which pinned Wisconsin's No. 6 Dallas Herbst against Oklahoma's undefeated No. 3 Joel Flaggert. In the first period, Flaggert took a 2-0 lead with a takedown. After a scoreless second period, Herbst then evened the score at two with a nearfall with 32 seconds remaining in the third. With neither wrestler securing riding time, the bout went into a sudden victory period. After a scoreless minute, the match then moved on to a tiebreaker. In the first tiebreaker, Herbst did not allow Flaggert to score and rode out the 30-second period. In the second overtime, Herbst scored a reversal to put the score at 4-2 and maintained his riding time to give Flaggert his first loss of the season and tie the score at 15. With the match on the line, UW junior Kyle Massey met OU's Nathan Fernandez in the heavyweight bout. Fernandez struck first with an escape in the second period to put the score at 1-0. Massey then responded in the third with an escape of his own and a takedown to go up 3-1. Fernandez scored one more escape but it was not enough as Massey won the bout 4-2 with 1:13 riding time and secured the Badger victory. The Badgers will now look to the Big Ten schedule as they travel to Bloomington, Ind. to face Indiana Friday. Match time is set for 4 p.m. (CT) and will broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Oklahoma City, Okla. -- The No. 3 Nebraska wrestling team won six matches, including two bonus-point wins, en route to a 22-13 upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State in front of 2, 496 fans at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Huskers' win snapped a 14-dual losing streak to the Cowboys as the Huskers improved to 10-2 on the year. Nebraska was led by junior Vince Jones and sophomore Jordan Burroughs, who both scored bonus-point wins. Jones pinned OSU's Jack Jensen in 1:48 at 184 pounds to put the Huskers up 19-10 with two matches left. Jones earned his seventh pin of the year in high fashion to quiet the crowd. Jones took Jensen down halfway into the first period and caught him a cradle seconds later to earn the fall. Jones improves to 16-7 on the season and 8-2 in duals. Burroughs scored 11 takedowns, including five in the first period, to score a 25-11 major decision over OSU's Quinten Fuentes at 149 pounds. The win is Burroughs' ninth major decision of the year as he leads the Huskers in bonus-point wins. Junior Paul Donahoe rebounded from a 2-2 weekend at National Duals with an 8-6 decision over OSU's Tyler Shinn at 125 pounds. Donahoe was down 5-4 in the third period, but scored an escape and a takedown to earn the come-from-behind victory. Fellow junior Chris Oliver also went 2-2 last weekend and also earned a big win against the Cowboys. Oliver racked up 2:23 of riding time to win a close 3-2 decision over No. 15 Newly McSpadden at 157 pounds. Junior Brandon Browne defeated second-ranked Brandon Mason at 174 to improve to 24-2, and Craig Brester won 6-3 over No. 20 Clayton Foster at 197 as the Huskers won three of the final four matches. The Huskers' last win against OSU came 39-12 in Stillwater in 1993. The victory is just Nebraska's third all-time against the Cowboys. Nebraska resumes action on Feb. 2 as the Huskers host No. 11 Missouri for Alumni Night at 7 p.m. in the NU Coliseum.

The defending national champion and fifth-ranked Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team made quick work of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Sunday at the Sports Pavilion, winning the afternoon dual meet by a score of 34-9. A Minnesota lineup that featured just four regulars won seven of 10 matches, including the 24th consecutive victory of the season for top-ranked sophomore Jayson Ness. Fresh off a weekend in which they wrestled four times at the NWCA National Duals, the Gopher coaching staff elected to rest a number of starters – regulars Mack Reiter, Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter, Scott Glasser, Gabe Dretsch and Roger Kish were all held out of the lineup for various reasons. Ness (wrestling for the first time in his collegiate career at 133 pounds), No. 7 C.P. Schlatter (157 pounds) and returning NCAA qualifier Tyler Safratowich (165 pounds) highlighted the Gophers' revised lineup, which featured four wrestlers making just their first, second or third dual meet appearances of the season. Ness took part in the only 133-pound match of his short career. By dominating Nick Kulseth of South Dakota State, Ness moved to 24-0 overall on the season and 12-0 in dual meets. Seeking his NCAA-leading 17th pin of the season, Ness held Kulseth in a half nelson for the majority of the first period, but was unable to run the hold and gain the pin. After hooking the Jackrabbit and gaining three back points on the near fall, Ness took advantage and gained another three points to run the score to 10-0 in the second period. With only 20 seconds left in the frame, Kulseth escaped to gain his first point of the match and ended the period trailing 10-1. Following a takedown by Ness and a technical point for stalling against Kulseth, Ness was appeared in position to earn a tech fall victory. But on a failed headlock, Kulseth gave the Gopher faithful a scare by reversing Ness and turning him to his back. Ness was able to fight off the nearfall and finish with a 14-5 major decision victory, putting Minnesota ahead 21-6 for the dual at the time. Another highlight of the afternoon included Jeremy Larson's quick pin over Justin Retallic to start the meet at 174 pounds. Competing in only his second dual meet of the season, Larson was able to finish off the Jackrabbit in only 1:39 and gave his fans something to cheer about on Jeremy Larson Community Day at the Sports Pavilion. Displaying the aggressiveness that has earned him the seventh spot in the nation, C. P. Schlatter was able to pin SDSU's Marc Wermerson in only 39 seconds at 157 pounds, helping to cap off a day that saw Minnesota lead the entire meet. Schlatter moved to 19-2 overall on the season, with a 7-2 record in dual meets. It was the fourth pin of the season for Schlatter, a new career high. Gaining another big victory for Minnesota was senior Justin Bronson at 197 pounds. The Gopher scored first against Jeremy Swier with a takedown and then proceeded to rack up point after point on first period nearfall by keeping the Jackrabbit locked up. Eventually scoring 15 straight back points, Bronson won by tech fall 17-0 in 2:51. Competing in his first dual meet since his sophomore season, fifth-year senior Dan Jackson got a shot in the spot normally reserved for Ness. Competing against Alan Marvin of SDSU proved to be more than the Gopher could handle – ultimately the SDSU wrestler pulled out an 8-4 win, one of only three Jackrabbit victories on the day. Luke Mellmer gave Minnesota a hard-fought won his first dual meet decision of the season in seven tries, filling in for the injured Dustin Schlatter at 149 pounds. After a scoreless first period, it was Mellmer who struck first against Jeff Cooley, shooting in on Cooley's legs and taking him down for the 2-0 advantage. Cooley struck back with an escape and a takedown of his own to take the lead at 3-2 going into the third period. A standup by Cooley then brought the score to 4-2. Firing back with a minute left in the match, Mellmer bridged a failed double leg into a successful and acrobatic takedown to tie the score at four apiece. After the takedown, Mellmer was able to ride out the remainder or the period giving him the point advantage and the victory 5-4. The Gophers other victories came from Safratowich, a 10-1 major decision to close out the meet at 165 pounds, and Malamura, who won by forfeit at heavyweight. Other Gophers competing included Jake Mellmer (141 pounds) and Brandon Sitch (184 pounds). Sundays' dual meet lasted just one hour and 23 minutes. The announced attendance was 1,604. The two-time defending Big Ten champion Gophers will open conference dual meet competition this Friday night when they travel to Michigan State. The Gophers have lost just one time to the Spartans in their past 13 meetings dating back to 1996. Minnesota will then go to Ann Arbor for a showdown with the No. 4 Wolverines. Michigan topped the Gophers in the third-place meet at last weekend's National Duals. The Gophers have lost just one Big Ten dual meet in the past two seasons. Minnesota's next home competition promises to be one of the biggest match-ups of the entire collegiate wrestling season, as the defending national champs host the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes on Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Williams Arena. The Hawkeyes, ranked first nationally for the first time since the 2000 season,

IOWA CITY, IA -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team extended its winning streak to six matches with a 27-13 win over #7 Penn State (8-3, 0-1 Big Ten) Sunday afternoon in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) snapped Penn State's two-match win streak in the series, taking seven of the 10 bouts. A crowd of 7,525 gathered to watch Iowa win its 820th dual win in school history. The dual started at 174 pounds, and Iowa jumped out to an 8-0 lead on wins by two Hawkeye sophomores. Jay Borschel (174) posted an 11-5 decision over Mark Friend and Phillip Keddy (184) scored a 19-3 technical fall in 6:35 over Philip Bomberger. Penn State answered at 197 when #2 Philip Davis pinned sophomore Chad Beatty in 4:57, to tighten the team score at 8-6. Iowa rolled off five straight wins and 19 unanswered team points to guarantee the win. Senior Matt Fields started the run with his 80th career win - a 7-3 decision over John Laboranti at heavyweight. Junior Charlie Falck followed with a 2-0 win over Mark McKnight at 125, extending his winning streak to 11 matches and remaining undefeated in duals (14-0). Sophomore Joe Slaton picked up extra team points at 133 with his 14-6 major decision over Tim Haas. At 141, sophomore Dan LeClere scored a late takedown to defeat Garrett Scott, 4-3. Sophomore Brent Metcalf fought off his back and rebounded from a 6-1 first-period deficit at 149, pinning Bubba Jenkins in 5:33. The win was Metcalf's 15th straight as he improved to 18-1, 13-1 in duals. The Nittany Lions closed out the dual with wins at 157 and 165. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar (157) dropped a 6-2 decision to Dan Vallimont and redshirt freshman Aaron Janssen (165) lost an 11-3 major decision to Dave Rella. Janssen was competing for senior injured starter Mark Perry. Iowa will host Northwestern (5-4, 0-0 Big Ten) in its next dual. The match will be held Sunday, January 27 at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Ninth-ranked Central Michigan topped No. 4 Michigan, 21-13, in front of a raucous, Rose Arena record-crowd of 4,273 Sunday afternoon. The fourth-ranked Wolverines (13-3 overall) are the highest ranked opponent CMU has defeated since a 19-15 victory over No. 3 Oklahoma at National Duals in 2006. The Chippewas (9-2 overall) have now defeated Michigan each of the last two seasons. The Chippewas (9-2 overall) won six of the 10 individual bouts on Sunday, tallying bonus points in two of the six victories. Luke Smith staked the Chippewas to an early 5-0 lead with a technical fall at 125 pounds, but the Wolverines would post victories at 141, 149 and 157 pounds to build a 10-8 lead. CMU answered with back-to-back victories at 165 and 174 pounds to take the lead for good. Eleventh-ranked Trevor Stewart posted arguably the biggest win of his career at 165 pounds, upsetting No. 2 Eric Tannenbaum, 5-3. Tannenbaum scored an early takedown and led 2-1 after one period, but Stewart rode Tannenbaum for the entire second period. Stewart started in the down position to begin the third, and Tannenbaum allowed an uncontested escape to even the score at 2-2. Stewart took advantage, scoring a takedown later in the period to take a 4-2 lead. Tannenbaum would escape, but Stewart's 2:06 riding time advantage was the difference in the 5-3 decision His victory put the Chippewas in front, 11-10. The 174-pound match featured seventh-ranked Brandon Sinnott and fourth-ranked Steve Luke. Sinnott scored a takedown in the second period to take a 2-0 lead, but escapes by Luke later in the second period and early in the third evened the score at 2-2. After a scoreless first sudden victory period, both Sinnott and Luke tallied an escape in the first tiebreaker to knot the score at 3-3. The pair again went scoreless in the second sudden victory period. Luke began the second tiebreaker in the down position and scored an escape to take a 4-3 lead. Sinnott tallied an escape in the second half of the tiebreaker to draw even at 4-4. Neither wrestler would score again, but Sinnott's nine-second riding time advantage in the overtime periods served as the tiebreaker in a 5-4 victory. Michigan drew back within a point, 14-13, when No. 2-ranked Tyrel Todd claimed a 6-4 decision over No. 4-ranked Christian Sinnott at 184 pounds. A 9-1 major decision by No. 5 Wynn Michalak at 197 pounds and a 6-1 decision by No. 8 Bubba Gritter at heavyweight, however, put the match out of reach. Michalak's victory moved him into sole possession of fifth on CMU's career victories list; he is now 116-33 in his career. Smith's 19-3 technical fall, which saw him score a takedown and two nearfall points just 20 seconds into the match, and a 5-2 decision by Conor Beebe at 133 pounds gave the Chippewas an early 8-0 lead. Both Smith and Beebe amassed more than three minutes of riding time in their respective victories. Third-ranked Kellen Russell opened the scoring for Michigan with a 3-0 decision over No. 12 Eric Kruger at 141 pounds. The match was scoreless through two periods before Russell scored an escape and a takedown in third. Michigan's eighth-ranked Josh Churella followed Russell with a 14-6 major decision over Nathaniel Holt at 149 pounds. Churella won on the strength of six takedowns, the final of which came just before the final buzzer to secure the major decision. Jeff Marsh's 3-2 decision over Tyler Grayson at 157 pounds gave the Wolverines their only lead. After a scoreless first period, Marsh opened the second period with an escape to take a 1-0 lead. Grayson countered with a takedown, but Marsh evened the score at 2-2 with another escape later in the period. Marsh started in the top position to open the third period and eventually won the match via riding time. From there, CMU would win four of the final five bouts, including Stewart and Brandon Sinnott's victories at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively, that had the near-sellout crowd on its feet. The win was CMU's 36th in 41 home duals dating back to the start of the 2000-01 season; the Chippewas have won their last nine home duals. CMU returns to action Saturday, opening the Mid-American Conference portion of the schedule at Eastern Michigan. The dual begins at 6 p.m. CMU's next appearance at Rose Arena is Feb. 7 against Northern Illinois.

Columbia, Mo. -- The 11th-ranked Missouri wrestling team (6-2-1) recorded its 14th tie in program history, ending the day knotted with second-ranked Oklahoma State (10-1-1), 16-16. Both teams won five bouts a piece, with Missouri winning three of the last five matches on the day. "We won a lot of tight matches today," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "We outwrestled Oklahoma State in the third period and I was pleased with how our team came out and performed. It's not a win, so we can't be happy with that. But, our guys really showed a lot of improvement from last week's performance." Opening the dual at 184 pounds, fourth-ranked Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) helped Missouri take a 3-0 lead while earning his 80th career victory. Outwrestling Jack Jensen, 8-2, Jordan scored on a double leg takedown 1:24 into the bout. Tacking on three additional points in the second period, a takedown at the third period buzzer, and after accumulating 1:16 of riding time, Jordan walked away the winner. The victory was Jordan's 18th of the season and ninth consecutive win. Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, sophomore Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.), earned his seventh career Big 12 victory after besting No. 20 Clayton Foster, 18-8. Askren moved to No. 4 in the nation after upsetting Northwestern's Mike Tammillow at the National Duals. Scoring first in today's bout, Askren ended the first period with a 5-3 lead. Foster chose down to start the second period and was quickly turned giving Askren three back points and an 8-4 advantage. Askren scored seven points in the third period and rode out Foster for the major decision. After suffering four straight losses, Missouri found itself down to OSU, 13-7, heading into the 149 pound bout. Missouri's 15th-ranked Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) snapped a three-match losing streak with a 10-6 win by decision over Ryan Freeman. The win also set the Tigers on a three-bout win streak that would put Missouri ahead of the Cowboys by three points heading into the final, 174 pound match. Junior Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) and Oklahoma State grappler Newly McSpadden met for the third time of their career. With Chandler holding a 2-0 advantage over McSpadden, he proved worthy of his higher ranking, shutting out the Cowboy, 4-0. The shutout was just the third of the season for Chandler, who scored a takedown and two escapes for the win. Chandler now stands at 18-2 on the season. Possibly the most exciting match for the 1,470 fans in the stands came at 165 pounds. Pitting third-ranked sophomore Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) against No. 5 Jake Dieffenbach, the competition between the top-five wrestlers proved intense. Forced into overtime after finishing regulation tied at one, the one minute sudden-victory win was awarded to Marable, who lifted Dieffenbach on the edge of the mat and took him down for the 3-1 lead. "I knew I had to do something to win," Marable said. "We were on the edge of the mat and I just reacted. Jake's a good wrestler and that was a tough match." Missouri's Brock Wittmeyer (Platte City, Mo.) did just enough to keep his loss to a mere decision at 174 pounds. Battling with second-ranked Brandon Mason, Wittmeyer suffered a 4-0 loss, but allowed Oklahoma State the minimum in team scoring, three points, to create a tie. Missouri will host its third home dual of the season when they take on No. 19 Cornell, Sunday, Jan. 27, at 1 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team scored its first shutout since the 2003 season with a 40-0 win over the Wyoming Cowboys in a Western Wrestling Conference dual on Friday night in the McLeod Center. UNI head coach Brad Penrith said there were a lot of positives tonight for the Panthers. "We did a good job of getting to our feet and getting off bottom," Penrith said. "We struggled with that in the bigger duals. We had a lot of first moves off the whistle." The Panthers began the dual with an offensive assault by tallying a pair of falls at 197 pounds and heavyweight. Junior Andrew Anderson led his 197-pound match with Dan Barrone, 9-3, in the closing seconds before he put Barrone on his back and got the fall at 6:49. Redshirt freshman Dustin Bauman gave the Panthers a 12-0 lead with a pin over Wyoming's Jason Still at the 5:38 mark of their heavyweight tilt. Redshirt freshman Caleb Flores hung on for a 3-2 win over Wyoming's Cody Grant at 125 pounds, while junio Josh Baldridge tallied a 4-1 triumph over Cory VomBaur at 133 pounds. The Ettelson brothers kept the momentum going with a pair of dominating efforts at 141 and 149 pounds. Senior C.J. Ettelson earned a 16-0 technical fall over Brandon Gifford, and sophomore Charlie Ettelson netted a major decision over Cody Chipperfield, 12-4. "I was extremely happy with Charlie's adjustments in the middle of his match so he could end up with a major decision," Penrith said. Sophomore Tyson Reiner scored a hard-fought 8-1 victory over Wyoming's Dane Fuhrman at 157 pounds, and junior 165-pounder Moza Fay was awarded a major decision over Wyoming's Eric Coxbill, 11-3. Senior Alex Dolly then secured a 2-1 victory at 174 pounds against Wyoming's Kyle Morrow. Redshirt freshman Andy O'Loughlin put together a comeback victory at 184 pounds when he took on Wyoming's Mikel Hoopes. Hoopes took a 6-1 lead in the match, but O'Loughlin battled back and tied the match at 9-9 in the closing seconds of the third period. O'Loughlin then won the match 19 seconds into sudden victory with a takedown near the edge of the mat. "I liked the way Andy finished the match, but not how he started," Penrith said. The Panthers last shutout prior to tonight came against Eastern Illinois in the 2003 season, when UNI notched a 39-0 victory. UNI will take on Northern Colorado tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the McLeod Center.

COLUMBUS, OH -- The top-ranked Iowa wrestling team opened the 2007-08 Big Ten season with 24-10 win over #6 Ohio State at St. John Arena in Columbus, OH, Friday night. The victory is Iowa's fifth straight and extended Iowa's winning streak in the series with the Buckeyes to 32 matches. The Hawkeyes improved to 12-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten, while Ohio State fell to 13-3, 0-1. Iowa jumped out to a 12-0 lead with decisions in the first four matches by a quartet of Hawkeye sophomores. Joe Slaton improved to 16-2 with a 6-2 win over Reece Humphrey at 133 to open the dual. Dan LeClere (141) and Brent Metcalf (149) followed with identical 5-3 wins over their Ohio State opponents. LeClere is now 14-4 this season, while Metcalf is 17-1 in collegiate matches and 12-1 in duals. Metcalf, who was named Wrestler of the Week by the Big Ten and TheMat.com, extended his winning streak to 14 matches. The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes traded wins at the last five weights. Ohio State put its first points on the board at 165 when Colt Sponseller scored a 22-11 major decision over redshirt freshman Jake Kerr. Kerr was filling in for senior Mark Perry, who injured his knee last week at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Iowa sophomore Jay Borschel (174) responded after the intermission, pinning Alex Picazo in 3:43, but #3 Mike Pucillo of Ohio State scored a 3-2 win over Phillip Keddy at 184 to keep the Buckeyes alive. Hawkeye sophomore Chad Beatty scored a hard-fought 3-2 win the second tiebreak period over John Weakley at 197. Beatty, who has wrestled at 174, 184 and 197 this season, notched six seconds of riding time in the overtime to post his second dual win at 197 and seal the team victory for Iowa. Ohio State's second-ranked heavyweight J.D. Bergman scored the final Buckeye win of the night (4-2), handing Hawkeye senior Matt Fields his first dual loss of the season. Iowa junior Charlie Falck ended the dual with a 9-3 win over Nikko Triggas at 125. Falck remains undefeated (13-0) in dual matches and is 21-1 in collegiate competition. Iowa (12-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will host #7 Penn State (8-2, 0-0 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. There will be a free youth wrestling clinic at noon, in Carver-Hawkeye, prior to the dual. Children from kindergarten through eighth grade can join members of the Iowa coaching staff on the mat to learn some fundamental techniques.

AMES, Iowa -- Bonus points by Mitch Mueller (149), Jon Reader (165) and Jake Varner (184) lifted No. 8 Iowa State past No. 13 Wisconsin 24-18 Friday night in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones won six bouts on the night and overpowered the Badgers with 21 takedowns. Wisconsin was only able to take the Cyclones down on two occasions. The win tonight gives the Cyclones a 34-8-1 all-time series lead and pushes ISU's season record to 11-3 heading into Big 12 Conference action. The Badgers slip to 8-2-1. "I think we wrestled extremely well up until those last two weights," head coach Cael Sanderson said. "Everybody is stepping it up, but when you're getting pinned that just means we need to spend some time on the mat with those guys. That's an easy thing to correct. Overall, I'm happy with the way things are going. We just have to keep on moving." Mueller notched his second win via technical fall with a 20-5 (7:00) victory over Kendall Vogel at 149 pounds. The nation's 13th-ranked grappler used seven takedowns, three of which came in the third period, and a three-point near fall on the Badger. The sophomore hailing from Iowa City improves his record to 16-8. "He's (Vogel) a pretty strong kid," Mueller said. "It was good to go out there and wrestle and have some fun. I got to the point where I was trying to control the tie-ups. You just have to go out there, wrestle hard the whole time, and do what we've been working on in practice." After Wisconsin took a close match at 157 pounds, Reader brought his own version of Hilton magic at 165 pounds by pinning Dan Clum in 1:13. Clum was able to score a takedown in the bout's opening 30 seconds, but Reader responded with a reversal and the pin. The redshirt freshman has registered two consecutive dual falls and has five on the year. Currently the nation's sixth-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds, Reader now leads the Cyclone squad in victories with 22. "We've been working on that situation a lot when guys are backing up like that and not letting you wrestle," the Davison, Mich., native said. "You want to get in their face and that aggressive style that will get you sometimes. You have to relax. I think I came after him a little too hard, but I got the job done after that." Varner, the nation's top-ranked grappler at 184 pounds, used two takedowns in the first and second periods en route to a 14-2 major decision over No. 13 Trevor Brandvold. It took less than 20 seconds before the sophomore All-American registered his first takedown on the edge of the mat, nearly pinning the Badger. Varner has yet to be defeated this season, carrying a 17-0 mark. True freshman Tyler Clark opened the dual by making his Hilton Coliseum debut with a 7-6 decision over three-time NCAA qualifier Collin Cudd at 125 pounds. Nick Fanthorpe, ranked seventh nationally, improved to 21-3 on the year with an 11-4 decision of No. 12 Zach Tanelli at 133 pounds. Senior Aron Scott (6-8) defeated Justin Peterson with a 7-3 decision at 174 pounds. Iowa State will open Big 12 competition on the road Jan. 25 against Oklahoma at 7 p.m. in Howard McCasland Field House. The Cyclones will then travel to Stillwater Jan. 27 to face Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Live stats for both duals will be available on cyclones.com.

Columbia, Mo. -- After suffering back-to-back losses at the National Duals last weekend, the 11th-ranked Missouri wrestling team looks to return to its winning ways in the Saturday, Jan. 19, dual against second-ranked Oklahoma State beginning at 1 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center. Tickets for the Big 12 season-opener are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Missouri, now 6-2 on the season, looks to hand the Cowboys, 10-1, their second loss of the year. Earlier in the campaign, Oklahoma State suffered a 21-18 loss to then-No. 5 Penn State. Since Jan. 5, the Cowboys have won five straight duals and captured the Virginia Duals Championship Title on Jan. 12. This marks the 36th meeting between the two programs. While Oklahoma State holds the 32-3 advantage, it's Missouri's that has won two of the last three contests. Most recently, the Tigers held off the Cowboys, 17-15, in Gallagher Iba Arena (Stillwater, Okla.) last season. In the 11 years of the Big 12 Conference, Missouri has won only three league openers, with two of the three wins coming over Oklahoma State (2003-04, 2006-07). Missouri's first Big 12 opening win came at Nebraska, 24-16, during the 2001-02 season. One of the key matchups of the afternoon can be found at 165 pounds. Missouri's Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) ranked as high as third in the nation, will take on fifth-ranked Jake Diffenbach. The two have never met, but both have impressive records. Marable owns a 15-3 record in his sophomore season with his three losses coming to then-No. 1 Eric Tannenbaum, No. 1 Keith Gavin (at 174 pounds) and current No. 1 Mark Perry. Marable's recent bout with Perry was sent into overtime where he suffered a 3-2 loss. Despite the loss, Marable's two points came by way of takedown, while Perry was only able to manage three escapes for the win. Dieffenbach, at 13-1, lost his only bout to then-No. 14 Mack Lewnes of Cornell at the Reno Tournament. Big 12 Wrestler of the Week Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) climbed to No. 4 in the nation at 197 pounds after a 3-0 run at the National Duals. Askren upset Northwestern's Mike Tammilow in Missouri's final dual of the day, 5-2. Askren opened the tournament with a 12-1 win by major decision over Joe Fagiano of Indiana and followed with a fall in 3:34 over Iowa's Rick Loera. Looking for his ninth straight win of the season, and 19th of the year, junior Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) is set to take on Jack Jensen or Cody Hill. Jordan collected his 80th career victory in Missouri's meet with Northwestern. Pairing with Adil Kolovic, Jordan won a 15-5 major decision. To date, only eight of Jordan's 18 bouts have been decided by decision. The rest have been won by major decision, technical fall or fall. Fans attending the afternoon dual will have the opportunity to pick up the second of five unique wrestling programs. Each program this season will feature a specific Missouri grappler.