InterMat Staff

Last season, Dustin Schlatter of the University of Minnesota claimed the NCAA title at 149 pounds, becoming the first freshman in school history to accomplish that feat. He finished with a 42-1 record. He also became just the ninth Golden Gopher wrestler to win a Big Ten title and NCAA title in the same season. Dustin SchlatterSchlatter, a four-time Ohio state champion and a high school legend, is 28-0 this season. He has won 58 straight matches, which currently ranks as the third-longest winning streak in school history. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with the sophomore sensation to talk about the pressure of repeating as NCAA champion, what has changed from last season to this season, renewing his rivalry with Brent Metcalf in the Big Ten, and whether or not he's planning on competing in freestyle events after the collegiate season. You've had some close matches score-wise this season, whereas last season you seemed to win by larger margins. Are wrestlers wrestling you more defensively this season? Schlatter: Yeah, I mean, I think so. People this year scout me a lot more, obviously, which is going to happen. I don't think guys are coming after me as much … maybe not taking as many shots … just trying to keep the score close. I think that's the goal of a lot of people. Yeah, I think people are changing up their style when they wrestle me. It's something that I'm learning to adjust to. I have to change my strategy a little bit against certain people. Last season, you were a freshman and the expectations weren't as high. Do you feel more pressure to win every match after winning an NCAA title as a freshman? Schlatter: Obviously, after you win one, there's going to be a lot more pressure. Last year, I don't think many people expected as much from me. But at the same time, during this time last year, I was ranked No. 1 and was the No. 1 seed at the NCAA's, so I still think there was pressure. There might be more this year. But I don't think it's an incredible amount more. It's nothing I can't handle. There's a little bit more expectation, but not too much. Your only collegiate career loss occurred at the Northeast Duals as a freshman last year to Mark DiSalvo of Central Michigan, which you later avenged. How much does that lone blemish on your record bother you? Do you think about it? Does it eat away at you at all Schlatter: Well, the fact that I wrestled such a poor match … when I look back on it. I could have easily won that match. You never want to lose, but I think that loss was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me. It kind of opened my eyes and made me realize that I need to start wrestling no matter who they are … whether they're a returning All-American or not. It's kind of like, it's college now. I need to wrestle everyone. In a way, it helped. Obviously, I would much prefer to be undefeated, but I think it helped for the rest of the season. Did it take some pressure off you of not having to stay undefeated? Schlatter: At that time, I was probably ranked 18th and had only wrestled like 12 matches. There really wasn't much pressure from outside forces. I would imagine there would be a little more if I was still undefeated. You appear to be stronger and bigger this season? How much weight did you add to your frame last off-season? Schlatter: Probably just a couple pounds. I mean, I don't think I got a lot bigger. I still don't cut much weight to make 149. It's not much trouble. But I probably put on a couple pounds of muscle this summer. What do you weigh naturally? Schlatter: In the off-season, I'm probably around 160. During the season, with all the workouts, I come in maybe in the mid 150's. After a day or two of practice, I'm only a pound or two over. Who are your regular workout partners? Schlatter: I work out with Manny (Rivera), CP (Schlatter), and Tyler Safrotowich. I also work out a lot with Chad Erikson, Luke Becker, and Jared Lawrence. Those are the main guys I work out with. I think it's good because they all have different styles. Some of them are big, some strong, some quick, some funky, so it really gives me every style there is … a lot of different looks. Your teammate, Rivera, has made great strides this season. He's currently 33-0. What do you attribute to his improvement from last season? Schlatter: I think the big thing with him is confidence. Last year, I think he had all the tools, but I don't know if he really believed in himself, believed that he could be a national champion or All-American. This year, he's been working really hard over the summer and I think now believes that he can be a national champion. He has all the tools for it. He's been working real hard for it … and it's been paying off. Your high school rival, Brent Metcalf, transferred from Virginia Tech to Iowa last off-season. Are you excited about renewing your rivalry in the Big Ten with Metcalf? Schlatter: Yeah, I think it's great for the sport. I also think all the coaching changes are great for the sport. You've got Cael Sanderson now coaching at Iowa State, Tom Ryan at Ohio State, and Tom Brands at Iowa. It's phenomenal for the sport. It's definitely going to do something for Minnesota versus Iowa. Hopefully we can get the attention that we got in 2002 when they were wrestling at the Target Center and had 15,000 fans. I really hope the next two seasons we can get that going and have some fun battles going. I'm really looking forward to that. Dustin Schlatter (Photo/The Guillotine)Last season, it seemed when wrestlers attacked you, like Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State, you were able to put more points on the scoreboard. Do you think Metcalf's attacking style will help bring out the best in you? Schlatter: Yeah, I think so. Like I said, some wrestlers this year have changed a little bit and don't go after me. But I don't really foresee Metcalf being one of those guys who is going to hold back. I think he'll come after me … just like a lot of guys did last year. Who has been the toughest match-up for you stylistically in your collegiate career? Schlatter: I would say Zack Esposito. The second time I beat him pretty good. But both matches he took me down first. He has a lot of technique. You have to always be on your toes because you never know what he's going to pull out. The first time I wrestled him, it was back and forth … I think that might have been one of the most exciting and most interesting match-ups I had. You had regular season wins over both Esposito and Ty Eustice of Iowa last season. Did you have a preference on which wrestler you would rather face in the finals last season? Schlatter: Well, they're both tough guys. But I was probably looking forward to facing Esposito more … just because it was in Oklahoma City, where he has a huge fan base. I just thought that would make for a more fun finals match with all the fans into it. There was a lot of anticipation going into this season's Southern Scuffle about the possibility of you wrestling Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, but that match never materialized. You have yet to face Gillespie. Is that a match-up you're looking forward to in the future? Schlatter: Yeah, I was expecting to have him at the Scuffle. I think he's one of those wrestlers who will come after me, too. I don't think he's going to hold back at all. He has a really good shot. He's a really quick wrestler. And I think that will make for a much more exciting match. I think that will happen in the near future. I think that will be a good one. CP came back at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals … and seems to be wrestling with a lot more confidence this season. In your opinion, what does he need to do to win a national title this season? Schlatter: I mean, he has all the tools. He's definitely capable of winning it. He's beaten all the top guys. He just needs to believe in himself and take one match at a time. He can't be overlooking anyone. He's in great shape. He's strong. He's quick. He just needs to put it all together and wrestle his match, wrestle his style. Don't let his opponents get in his head … or put their style into the match. He just needs to stick with what he does … and believe in himself. He has as good a chance as anyone at winning the title. Dustin Schlatter (Photo/The Guillotine)After next season, CP graduates. Do you anticipate eventually moving up 157 for your senior season? Or do you expect to compete at 149 for the rest of your career? Schlatter: I don't know. I haven't really thought of that. Right now, the weight is not a problem. But who knows, I could hit a growth spurt. I don't know. It definitely could happen, but right now it's a couple years away. It could happen, I guess. If there was one wrestler you would pay to watch, past, or present, who it would be? Schlatter: Well, one event stands out. When I was growing up, I went to the 1995 World Championships in Atlanta. I was pretty young at the time, like 9 years old. I think that is what opened my eyes to how great wrestling was and fun it was. I just had a blast there. I remember watching guys like Dave Schultz, Kevin Jackson, Kurt Angle … it was just an amazing experience. I just had such a blast watching them. We won the World Championships that year … I would love to see all that action again. That weekend was just amazing for me. Next season you'll return nine of your 10 starters in the lineup, but lose NCAA champion Cole Konrad to graduation. Can other wrestlers improve enough to offset the loss of Konrad … and make next season's team even stronger? Schlatter: It's obviously going to be hard to replace someone like Cole, who you could count on for a win or to get the pin. Guys like that don't come around often. But we obviously have a solid core coming back, pretty much everyone. If the guys keep doing what we're doing now … keep improving, I think next year we could be even stronger. We have a couple of young guys who are definitely making a difference on the team now. If we just keep going in that direction, I think we will definitely be a stronger team next year. From a fan's perspective, it has been a two team race between Minnesota and Missouri for most of the season. Iowa State came up with a big victory over Missouri on Sunday. Did that surprise you at all? Schlatter: To be honest, I wasn't surprised by Iowa State beating Missouri. We've wrestled Iowa State twice now, so I know how tough they are as a team. I just think that makes it more exciting. Having more teams in the thick of it will make it more competitive come tournament time. I'm really excited about that. You opted not to compete in freestyle in 2006 after winning your NCAA title. Do you plan to wrestle freestyle this coming spring? Schlatter: Yeah, I would like to. But I haven't really thought about it. At this point, we're mainly focusing on getting ready for Big Ten's and NCAA's. But I did it every year growing up. I really enjoy freestyle. I guess that I'll probably play it by ear … and see how I feel come NCAA time and afterwards … and make a call. Right now, it's up in the air. Do you have aspirations of competing in the Olympic Games Schlatter: I think I would like to. Hopefully if I keep on the track I'm on now … I'll be at the level where I can fulfill that. It's definitely a goal of mine in the future. Your success in Fargo at the Cadet and Junior Nationals is well documented. Do you favor one style over another? Schlatter: I think when I was growing up and in high school, I enjoyed freestyle a little more. I thought it was more fun. I had a better time doing it. But I haven't wrestled freestyle with the new rules yet. So I'll find out this summer or next summer what I like now. But I always grew up liking freestyle more. Please Note: This story also appears in the Feb. 23 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 how to subscribe to The Guillotine, click HERE!

TEMPE, Ariz. –- For the first time ever, college wrestling fans across the country will have the opportunity to watch the 2007 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships live via online streaming video free of charge, the Pac-10 Conference announced. Available exclusively at www.pac-10.org, the tournament, which will be held February 24-25 at the Icardo Center on the CS Bakersfield campus, will be feature four sessions of competition as well as the Parade of Champions that precedes the final session. "The Conference is pleased to partner with Turner Broadcasting to make this outstanding event available to Pac-10 fans across the country," said Thomas C. Hansen, Commissioner of the Pac-10 Conference. "We hope to expand the use of live streaming at our championships to give more fans the opportunity to understand why the Pac-10 is the ‘Conference of Champions.'" The online video streams will be produced and distributed by Turner Broadcasting, which also provides streaming video for many online properties, including CNN.com, NASCAR.com, PGA.com and PGATour.com, as well as ACCSelect.com, a new broadband network offering exclusive coverage of hundreds of live events from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Top 3 wrestlers in each weight class and nine wild card selections will advance to the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Palace of Auburns Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich., March 15-17. Tickets for the Pac-10 Championships are currently on sale. Tickets can be purchased by calling the CSUB ticket office at (661) 654-BLUE with more information available at www.GoRunners.com. Prices for all-session passes are $40 for premier chairback seating, $30 for general admission bleachers and $20 for general admission for youths/seniors/students. 2007 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships Schedule (All times are Pacific) Saturday, February 24 11:00 am - Session I (pigtails and quarterfinals) 6:00 pm - Session II (consolation pigtails, semifinals and consolation quarterfinals) Sunday, February 25 11:00 am - Session III (consolation semifinals and fifth-place matches) 5:30 pm - Parade of Champions 6:00 pm - Session IV (championship and third-place matches)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Air Force Academy's 149-pounder Bridger Lord has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Lord's win on Saturday helped Air Force secure its first WWC victory, a 25-21 decision over South Dakota State. Lord, a senior from Missoula, Mont., registered his first fall of the year, pinning SDSU's Sean Flynn in a time of 1:33. Lord improves his dual mark to 8-4 on the season. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. Others Nominated: North Dakota State: Eric Hoffman, 125, Jr., Davenport, Iowa (Iowa Central C.C./North HS) Northern Iowa: Moza Fay, 157, So., Anamosa, Iowa (Anamosa HS) Northern Colorado: Tony Mustari, 125, R-Fr., Greeley, Colo. (Greeley Central HS) South Dakota State: Ryan Meyer, 165, R-Fr., Parkston, S.D. (Parkston HS) Wyoming: Dan Barrone, 184, So., El Prado, N.M. (Taos HS)

Sioux City, Iowa -- The Great Plains Athletic Conference announced its first ever All-Conference wrestling team. Newly crowned Dana College landed five wrestlers in the first team, five on the second team, and one on the honorable mention team. The Vikings also walked away with wrestler-of-the-year and coach-of-the-year honors. Dana College went 5-0 in regular season conference duals and put up 124.5 points in the conference wrestling tournament. 2006-2007 is the first year that the GPAC is offering wrestling as an official conference championship sport. All five of the Vikings conference champions were named to the first team. Matt Jacobson (FR, Craig, NE), Terrence Almond (SR, Pelham, GA), Brian Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO), Dan Pray (SO, St. George, KS), and Wade Jordan (JR, Coulee City, WA) were named to the inaugural all-conference first team. Webster Farris (JR, Nebraska City, NE), Burke Barnes (JR, Lake Stevens, WA), Jesse Boggs (FR, Deming, NM), Ryan Tuzon (FR, Wailuku, HI), and Craig Trampe (SR, Ord, NE) were named to the second team. Eric Graham (FR, Kansas City, MO) made the honorable mention team. Terrence Almond was also named the first ever GPAC Wrestler-of-the-year. The senior from Pelham, GA is closing in on Dana's all-time win and pin marks. Viking skipper Richard Fergola was named the GPAC Coach-of-the-Year in his first season. The Vikings will be in action next weekend at Dickinson, N.D., when they take part in the NAIA Regional Tournament. The NAIA National Wrestling Tournament will be held in Sioux City, Iowa at the Tyson Event Center on March 2-3.

Following a pair of decisions over top 10 opponents, junior Manuel Rivera has been named the Co-Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced today. Rivera, currently ranked No. 2 in the country, defeated fourth-ranked Andy Simmons and seventh-ranked Dominick Moyer to keep his perfect 33-0 record intact and help the Golden Gophers to blowout wins over Michigan State and Nebraska last weekend. In what appeared to be an evenly contested match early on against Simmons on Friday, Rivera turned it up a notch to score two takedowns in the third period on his way to a 7-2 decision. On Sunday, Rivera scored a takedown midway through the third period to secure a 5-2 decision over Moyer. After qualifying for his first NCAA Tournament at 141 pounds last season, Rivera has taken it to another level this year and become arguably Minnesota's most consistent performer. His 33 consecutive wins ranks as the sixth-longest winning streak in school history and is the fifth-longest active streak in the nation. He boasts a 12-0 record against ranked opponents on the season. Rivera shares the first weekly award of his career with Illinois 197-pounder Patrick Bond, who posted back-to-back upsets over ranked wrestlers last week. He is the fourth Gopher wrestler to earn weekly honors this season, following Jayson Ness (Dec. 12), Roger Kish (Nov. 29) and Gabriel Dretsch (Nov. 22).

The top-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team will look to wrap up the 2006-07 Big Ten regular season title with a pair of road matches against border rivals Wisconsin and Iowa. Minnesota will face off against the ninth-ranked Badgers at 7 p.m., on Friday in Madison, and will then head to Iowa City to take on the No. 10 Hawkeyes on Sunday at 6 p.m. #1 MINNESOTA (18-1, 6-0) at #9 WISCONSIN (18-2, 4-2) Location: Madison, Wis. Arena: UW Field House (10,300) Date: Friday, Feb. 16, 2007 Time: 7 p.m. (CST) Live Webcast: Live audio will be available on Wisconsin's website at www.uwbadgers.com. #1 MINNESOTA (18-1, 6-0) at #10 IOWA (13-4, 4-2) Location: Iowa City, Iowa Arena: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) Date: Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007 Time: 6 p.m. (CST) Live Results: Live results will be available through Iowa's website at www.hawkeyesports.com. Results will be updated after each weight class. GOPHER WRESTLING NOTEBOOK THE SERIES VS. WISCONSIN Minnesota leads the all-time series against Wisconsin, 53-30-1. The Golden Gophers snapped a two-meet losing skid against the Badgers with a 26-12 victory last year in Minneapolis. Head coach J Robinson holds a 15-9 record against Wisconsin during his career. In the 15 wins, Minnesota has won by an average of 21 points. WHERE DID THESE GUYS COME FROM? Wisconsin has not traditionally been a Big Ten power in wrestling, but the Badgers have forced the rest of the nation to take notice with an 18-2 record so far this season. After entering the season unranked, the Badgers have climbed to as high as No. 7 in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA coaches' poll, their highest ranking in five years. The highlight of Wisconsin's season was a 21-14 victory over Iowa on Jan. 27, its first win over the Hawkeyes in 42 years. STORIED RIVALRY Iowa leads the all-time series against Minnesota by a 62-23-1 margin. The Hawkeyes have dominated throughout much of the history of the rivalry, holding a winning record in each decade except the 1940s (MN 6-4) and from 2000 to the present (MN 5-4). Minnesota's longest win streak was six meets from 1936 to 1942, while the Hawkeyes had a streak of 19 straight victories over the Gophers during a 20-year span from 1974 to 1994. From the 1973-74 season to 1996-97, Iowa won 23 of the 24 meetings between the two schools. Minnesota has turned the corner against the Hawkeyes in the last decade, however, with eight wins in the last 13 meetings. The turning point in the series came in the finals of the National Duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 18, 1998. The Gophers trailed 17-12 entering the heavyweight bout before seventh-ranked Shelton Benjamin pinned eighth-ranked Wes Hand in 2:16. With the 18-17 victory, Minnesota became just the second team in 16 years to beat Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye. DID YOU KNOW? The Golden Gophers' 25-9 win over Iowa last season was their biggest win over the Hawkeyes since a 23-6 victory in 1941. CLASS OF THE CONFERENCE Since snapping Iowa's run of 25 consecutive conference titles at the 1999 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Golden Gophers have claimed five of the last eight Big Ten Conference crowns to overtake the Hawkeyes as the class of the conference. The Golden Gophers have finished either first or second at the Big Ten Championships in eight straight seasons and have placed in the top three each of the past 10 years. Minnesota has had a Big Ten-best 23 individual Big Ten Champions since 1999, including four last season. Dustin Schlatter, C.P. Schlatter, Roger Kish and Cole Konrad all claimed individual titles last year. SEEKING PERFECTION With a 6-0 start to the Big Ten season, Minnesota hopes to complete a perfect season in Big Ten dual meets for the fourth time in Head Coach J Robinson's tenure. The last time the Gophers went undefeated in the conference was 2002 (8-0) before they went on to claim their second straight NCAA Championship. The Gophers also finished a perfect 8-0 during their first national title run in 2001. Robinson guided Minnesota to its first undefeated Big Ten season since 1957 when he led the Gophers to a 9-0 conference record in 1999. WE'RE GOING STREAKING! Following a season-opening loss to Hofstra at the Northeast Duals, Minnesota has rattled off 18 straight dual meet wins, currently tied for the fourth longest winning streak in school history. The Gopher will look to extend that streak this weekend against Wisconsin and Iowa. Minnesota began the 2005-06 season with 19 straight victories before suffering their only loss of the season at Michigan on Feb. 17. The 19-match winning streak stands as the third-longest in school history. Here is a look at the longest winning streaks in school history: Longest Winning Streaks in School History 1. 33 (Jan. 11, 2001 - Nov. 15, 2002) 2. 23 (Jan. 22, 1999 - Jan. 23, 2000) 3. 19 (Dec. 2, 2005 - Feb. 17, 2006) 4. 18 (Nov. 25, 2006 - current) ....18 (Feb. 2, 1997 - Jan. 18, 1998) ....18 (Dec. 12, 1993 - Feb. 19, 1994) 20 WINS WITHIN REACH With two wins this weekend, Minnesota would reach 20 dual meet wins in a season for just the fifth time in school history and fourth time under Head Coach J Robinson. The Golden Gophers posted 20 wins last season for the first time since the 1993-94 team went 20-2. Minnesota's other 20 win seasons came in 1964-65 (20-5) and 1992-93 (21-3-1). The Golden Gophers have reached double digit wins in 14 of the last 15 years. In 2004-05, the Golden Gophers finished 9-9. A CUT ABOVE THE REST Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Iowa have combined to win the last 17 NCAA Championships. The Golden Gophers (2001-02) and Cowboys (2003-06) have won the last six titles. The last team outside of those three to win a national title was Arizona State in 1988. MACK RETURNS HOME Junior Mack Reiter returns to his home state this weekend to face the team he idolized growing up. The first four-time Iowa state champion to wrestle for Minnesota, Reiter was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year following his individual title in 2005 and has earned All-America honors in both of his first two years as a starter. After missing the first three months of the season due to a knee injury, Reiter returned to the starting lineup two weeks ago and is currently ranked ninth in the nation at 133 pounds. STREAKY GOPHERS Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad is currently riding the second-longest winning streak in the nation at 65 consecutive matches and will be going for numbers 66 and 67 this weekend. Each win Konrad gets the remainder of the season extends his school-record winning streak. He broke Tim Hartung's school record of 58 consecutive victories with his win against Penn State on Sunday, Jan. 21. Sophomore Dustin Schlatter is not far behind Konrad with 58 straight victories of his own, which currently ranks as the third-longest streak in school history. Konrad's and Schlatter's streaks currently rank second and third in the nation, respectively, behind only Missouri's Ben Askren, who has won 77 in a row. Junior Manuel Rivera boasts the nation's fifth-longest winning streak at 33 consecutive matches. Here is a look at the longest active winning streaks in Division I wrestling: Streak....Wrestler 77...........Ben Askren (Missouri, 174) 65...........Cole Konrad (Minnesota, Hwt) 58...........Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota, 149) 50...........Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State, 165) 33...........Manuel Rivera (Minnesota, 141) 26...........Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma, 125)

Columbia, Mo. -- The Missouri wrestling team improved to 12-2 on the season with a 20-12 victory over Old Dominion in the Hearnes Center. The Tiger's second to last dual of the 2006-07 campaign, six Missouri grapplers won in their weight class with two earning extra point wins. Opening the dual at 125 pounds, redshirt freshman John Olanowski (Virginia Beach, Va.) suffered a one point loss, 7-6, to Kyle Hutton in the final seconds of the bout. Entering the third period with a 5-2 advantage, Hutter chose down to start the third, escaped, managed a takedown and put Olanowki on his back for a two-point nearfall and eventual win. Junior All-American Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) returned to the mat for the first time in two duals and brought the Tigers even with the Monarchs, 3-3. Wrestling Christian Staylor at 133 pounds, McCormick won the bout, 2-1, on 1:19 of riding time and improves to 8-4 in dual competition. The Tigers lost back-to-back bouts at 141 and 149 pounds before sophomore Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) added three Missouri points to the board with his 5-3 win over Chris Brown at 157 pounds. Chandler, ranked 12th in the nation, and his Monarch opponent were scoreless through the first period and Chandler escaped in the second after choosing down. With Brown down to start the third period, he escaped in nine seconds but was returned to the mat after 14 seconds of action. Each wrestler scored a reversal, but Chandler managed his with five seconds left in the match to regain the lead and take the win. After a five minute intermission, junior James Williamson (Blue Springs, Mo.) made his third career start and improved to 3-0 in dual competition with his 4-2 decision of Nick Pullano at 165 pounds. Williamson took a 2-1 lead into the second period starting down after Brown deferred. Williamson escaped, allowed Brown an escape in the third and tacked on one point with 1:14 or riding time. The win brought Missouri even with ODU for the second time of the night. The tie was short-lived after sophomore John Andrews (McLean, Va.) lost a 6-0 battle to Derek Coffey at 174 pounds. Three Missouri starters, Ashtin Primus (141 pounds), Matt Pell (165 pounds) and Ben Askren (174 pounds) sat out the dual while recovering from the flu. Wrestling at 184 pounds, fifth-ranked Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) gave the Tigers their first lead of the night, 13-12, earning an 11-3 win by major decision over Jesse Strawn. Jordan, who led the entire bout, collected 1:59 of riding time and recorded his 13th win of the season by major decision scoring a final takedown at the buzzer. Redshirt freshman Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) rebounded from his Sunday loss with a 4-2 decision over David Mendoza. Askren struck first with a takedown in the first period adding to his total with a takedown in the second. Askren allowed Mendoza only two escapes in the seven minutes of competition. Closing out the dual at heavyweight, 20th ranked redshirt freshman Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) helped Missouri to its final 20-12 win with a 10-0 shutout of Matt Pellar. Ellis controlled the bout scoring two takedowns, a reversal and a three-point nearfall while racking up a1:58 of riding time. "Everybody wants to come in and knock you off the top," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "I knew we had a few back ups in and it was going to be a tough dual. Old Dominion came in and wrestled hard. Our guys are really sick and I need to figure out a way to get them healthy before Sunday." The Missouri wrestling team will close its regular season campaign Sunday, Feb. 18, against UTC at 2 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center. Seniors Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) and Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) will be recognized for the accomplishments prior to the start of the dual. The first 400 fans, ages 12 and under, will receive free Truman the Wrestling Tiger bobbleheads upon entrance into the dual.

This week's edition of 'On the Mat' will feature Brock Lesnar, Tim Hartung and Tom Brands. Lesnar was an NCAA champion at heavyweight for the University of Minnesota in 2000 and was a former WWE world heavyweight champion. He is currently training for mixed martial arts competitions and will be one of the celebrity guests at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum Grand Opening. Lesnar is scheduled to appear at museum from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, February 18. Hartung is the currently the head assistant coach at Iowa State University and was a two-time NCAA champion for the University of Minnesota. Brands, the current head coach at the University of Iowa, was a three-time NCAA champion and a gold medal winner at the 1996 Olympics. 'On the Mat' is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa hosts the show. 'On the Mat' can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan.

THIS WEEK Iowa (13-4, 4-2 Big Ten) will host two Big Ten foes to close out the 2006-07 dual meet season. The Hawkeyes host Ohio State (8-5, 4-2 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. and top-ranked Minnesota (18-1, 6-0 Big Ten) Sunday at 6 p.m. Hawkeye fans are encouraged to wear black to the Iowa-Minnesota dual as part of a Black Out promotion. Iowa will also honor its fans and seniors with appreciation nights against the Golden Gophers. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. All remaining dual meets will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Live audio broadcasts from all competitions will also be available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To listen online, go to the wrestling schedule, click on the event and click on the Listen link. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($6.95 per month or $49.95 per year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($99.95 per year). Television - College Sports Television will air a tape-delayed broadcast of the Iowa-Ohio State dual Monday, February 19 at 8 p.m. (CT). The Iowa-Minnesota dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television. Jason Knapp and Ken Chertow will provide commentary for CSTV, and Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons will call the action for IPTV. "BLACK OUT" SET FOR IOWA-MINNESOTA DUAL Hawkeye fans are encouraged to wear black to the Iowa-Minnesota dual on Sunday, February 18, as part of a "Black Out" promotion. The official Iowa Wrestling Black Out shirt is currently available at all Iowa Hawk Shop locations and online at www.bravosportsmarketing.com. Senior Night and Fan Appreciation Night will also be observed at the Iowa-Minnesota dual. The 2007 senior class of Mario Galanakis (133), Alex Grunder (149), Eric Luedke (174), Lucas Magnani (125), Ben Stedman (164/174), Brett Stedman (149) and Joe Uker (165/174) will be recognized for their effort and commitment to Iowa Wrestling. All fans in attendance will be eligible to win prizes. It will also be the final opportunity that Hawkeye wrestling fans have to help Iowa "March To A Million" and achieve this year's goal of a million participants at all University of Iowa athletics events. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Hawkeye senior 174-pounder Eric Luedke will be celebrating his 22nd birthday Sunday. This season the Colby, KS, native is 23-2 in collegiate matches, 14-1 in duals and 5-1 in Big Ten duals. He leads the team in collegiate wins (23), dual wins (14), collegiate winning percentage (.920) and dual winning percentage (.933), and ranks third on the team in falls (5). Luedke has a career record of 46-17 in two seasons at Iowa. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES Ohio State is 8-5 (4-2 in the Big Ten) with wins over Cornell (18-17), Purdue (28-6), Ohio (26-10), Appalachian State (30-12), Ashland (25-15), Michigan State (19-14) and Northwestern (18-16), and losses to Missouri (29-9), Tennessee-Chattanooga (28-13), Kent State (20-18), Penn State (26-12) and Michigan (21-15). Head Coach Tom Ryan is in his first season at Ohio State. The University of Iowa alum compiled a 109-82-2 record in 11 seasons at Hofstra. Ryan was a two-time all-American, Big Ten champion and letterwinner at 158 pounds for the Hawkeyes in 1991-92. He is assisted by Lou Rosselli (Edinboro, 1993), Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State, 2005) and Joe Heskett (Iowa State, 2002). The Buckeyes are led by redshirt freshman Mike Pucillo (184), junior returning all-American J.D. Bergman (197), senior Chris Vondruska (165) and freshman Lance Palmer (149). Pucillo is 17-1, Bergman is 19-5, Vondruska is 28-10 and Palmer is 24-11. Pucillo and Vondruska transferred from Hostra. THE SERIES Iowa leads the series, 32-2, having won the last 30 meetings between the two teams. The Hawkeyes hold an 11-1 advantage in Iowa City. Iowa won the last meeting with a 30-6 decision in Columbus, OH, in 2005. Ohio State's last win in the series was 14-11 in 1966 in Columbus. HAVEN'T WE MET? The only potential Iowa-Ohio State matchup that has previously met is Hawkeye senior Mario Galanakis vs. Ohio State junior T.J. Enright at 133. Galanakis is 3-0 vs. Enright, winning a 7-4 decision at the 2005 Iowa-Ohio State dual, a 2-0 decision in the opening round of the 2005 Big Ten Championships and a 5-4 decision in the 5th/6th place match at the 2005 conference meet. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS Top-ranked Minnesota is 18-1, 6-0 in the Big Ten, with wins over Central Michigan (24-9 and 30-7), American (32-10), Pennsylvania (28-12), Northern Colorado (45-0), Oklahoma State (21-15), Iowa State (19-13 and 24-11), Arizona State (44-3), Cornell (32-11), Missouri (20-16), Penn State (31-12), Michigan (29-6), Purdue (32-9), Indiana (29-7), Illinois (28-12), Michigan State (35-4) and Nebraska (32-6). Minnesota lost its season-opening match (18-17) to Hofstra. The Golden Gophers will wrestle at Wisconsin Friday at 7 p.m. Head Coach J Robinson is 314-103-3 in 21 seasons at Minnesota. He has coached 10 NCAA champions, 35 Big Ten champions and 80 all-Americans at Minnesota, while leading the Golden Gophers to five Big Ten and two NCAA titles. Robinson served as an interim head coach at Iowa in 1984, when then-Head Coach Dan Gable coached the U.S. Olympic team. He was an assistant coach (1976-83) and graduate assistant (1972-76) at Iowa. The Golden Gophers are led by defending NCAA champions Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt.), returning all-Americans Mack Reiter (133) and Roger Kish (184), juniors Manuel Rivera (141) and C.P. Schlatter (157) and redshirt freshman Jayson Ness (125). Rivera (33-0), Dustin Schlatter (28-0), and Konrad (24-0) are all undefeated this season. Kish is 27-1, Reiter is 6-1, C.P. Schlatter is 18-4 and Ness is 31-3. Reiter is a Gilbertville, IA, native and was a four-time Iowa state champion at Don Bosco High School. THE SERIES Iowa leads the series, 62-23-1, and is 30-11 in matches in Iowa City. Minnesota won the last meeting, 25-9, at Minneapolis in 2006. Iowa's last win in the series was 23-14 in 2005 at Iowa City. HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are career results of possible Iowa-Minnesota match-ups: 133 - Mario Galanakis (I) is 0-1 vs. Mack Reiter (M) Reiter dec. Galanakis, 2-0, at 2005 Iowa-Minnesota dual 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) is 0-1 vs. Manuel Rivera (M) Rivera dec. Tsirtsis, 4-3, at 2006 Iowa-Minnesota dual Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) is 0-2 vs. Cole Konrad (M) Konrad dec. Fields, 2-0, at 2005 Iowa-Minnesota dual Konrad won by injury default over Fields at 2006 Iowa-Minnesota dual FALCK UNDEFEATED IN BIG TEN DUALS Sophomore 125-pounder Charlie Falck is on an eight-match winning streak and the only Hawkeye to remain undefeated (6-0) in Big Ten duals this season. The Strawberry Point, IA, native is 18-5 in collegiate matches and 14-3 in duals. He has a 32-16 career record at Iowa. He leads the team in dual wins (14) and major decisions (5), ranks second in dual winning percentage (.824), and third in collegiate winning percentage (.783) and dual team points scored (51). His winning streak will be tested by Ohio State freshman Will Livingston and Minnesota redshirt freshman Jayson Ness this weekend. Ness is 31-3 (18-1 in duals), and owns a 14-match winning streak of his own. MCLAUGHLIN STICKS DEBUT Sophomore 197-pounder Jordan McLaughlin made his Hawkeye wrestling and Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut a wild one on Sunday, pinning Michigan State's Nick Palmieri in 6:33. Palmeiri scored three takedowns and two escapes to build an 8-4 lead with 1:04 remaining in the match. McLaughlin threw the Spartan redshirt freshman to his back and got the pin with 27 seconds left on the clock. The Belmond, IA, native is no stranger to the black and gold, as he has played linebacker and fullback on the Iowa football team for the past three seasons. He joined the wrestling team after Christmas break this season and is filling in for injured starter Dan Erekson. McLaughlin was a state champion and three-time state placewinner at Belmond-Klemme High School. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 155-16 (.906) 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's meet with Iowa State earlier this year drew 13,732. That figure ranks 11th in NCAA and Carver-Hawkeye Arena history. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 808-213-30 (.783) in 95 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 16, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 129 all-Americans have earned all-America status 263 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's remaining home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office. Tickets purchased in advance are $8 for adults and $4 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. Tickets purchased at the door are $10 for adults and $5 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge with a student ID. For tickets, contact the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. LAST WEEK Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 30th career victory as Iowa pounded Michigan State, 33-9, Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes won eight bouts in front of 5,035 fans, including an upset by sophomore Charlie Falck (125) and a pin by sophomore Jordan McLaughlin (197) in his Iowa wrestling debut. Falck handed Spartan Franklin Gomez his second dual loss of the season with a 5-3 win at 125. The Strawberry Point, IA, native scored a takedown in the first 30 seconds and another with one second remaining in the match to secure his eighth straight victory and remain undefeated (6-0) in Big Ten duals. Michigan State scored its first of two wins on the day when Nick Simmons won by injury default over senior Mario Galanakis in 2:23 at 133. Junior Alex Tsirtsis accepted a forfeit at 141, and senior Alex Grunder followed up with a pin in 5:32 to score his 30th career victory. Redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar (157) took Iowa into the intermission with a 3-2 win over Tony Greathouse. Iowa junior Mark Perry climbed out of a sticky situation to defeat Spartan Rocky Cozart, 9-7, at 165. Perry had to bounce back from a 5-0 deficit after getting caught in his own offensive move and fighting off his back early in the match. Hawkeye senior Eric Luedke improved to 23-2 in collegiate matches and 14-1 in duals with a 2-1 win over John Murphy at 174. Michigan State scored its second and final win of the night when Joe Williams defeated Hawkeye redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy, 6-3, at 184. McLaughlin made his Hawkeye wrestling and Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut a wild one, pinning Nick Palmieri in 6:33. Palmeiri scored three takedowns and two escapes to build an 8-4 lead with 1:04 remaining in the match. McLaughlin threw the Spartan redshirt freshman to his back and got the pin with 27 seconds left on the clock. Hawkeye junior Matt Fields ended the dual with an 8-4 win over Alan O'Donnell at heavyweight. HAWKEYES SIGN TWO Iowa signed two student-athletes to national letters of intent in the early signing period. Jordan Johnson of Bettendorf, IA and Brodie Ambrose of Eldridge, IA, are Tom Brands' first signings as Iowa's head coach. Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight title at Naperville North High School. He moved to Bettendorf, IA, and is competing for Bettendorf High School this season. Ambrose placed third at 171 pounds at the 2006 Class 3A state tournament for North Scott Eldridge High School. He is competing at 189 pounds this season and is a projected 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes. Ambrose also is a 189-pound Fargo freestyle all-American. THE INTERNET Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and dual livestats are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live dual scoring, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Dan Gable, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of two Olympic gold medals, seven NCAA titles, 10 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 605-84-2 (.877), including three undefeated seasons. IOWA WRESTLING ON JEOPARDY! Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice were featured in a clue of the category "Iowa" December 8th, and in several clues of the category "Wrestling" January 8th on the TV game show JEOPARDY! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the JEOPARDY! Clue Crew taped clues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena featuring the Eustice brothers in August. The Eustice brothers are natives of Blue Earth, MN. Luke was an all-American and NCAA finalist at 125 pounds in 2002, lettering for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04. Ty was a two-time all-American at 149 pounds, competing in the NCAA finals in 2006. He lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2003-06. They are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa will compete at the 2007 Big Ten Championships, March 3-4 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The meet will be broken into three sessions. Session I will start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CST), Session II will start Saturday at 6 p.m. and Session III will start Sunday at 11 a.m. All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Sunday's finals session tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, while Saturday's single session tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Michigan State University's Ticket Office at 517/355-1610.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -– The Rutgers University wrestling team will travel to Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, Feb. 13, as it closes out its season in a non-conference match-up with Drexel University at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Match time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Scarlet Knights (10-5, 5-3 EIWA) are coming off a 26-10 loss to No. 24 Lehigh, 26-10, on Feb. 10. Only three Scarlet Knights came up with victories against the Mountain Hawks. Dan Hilt (Manalapan, N.J.) won a 3-0 decision against LU's Kevin Vinh at 133 pounds. At 165, Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) beat Manuel Schubert, 6-2, registering his ninth win out of the last 10 matches. At 197 pounds, Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.) recorded a major decision win over Eddy Silverman, 13-5, moving to 7-2 on the year. Drexel leads the all-time series with the Scarlet Knights, 9-7, including an 8-6 mark against teams under the direction of head coach John Sacchi Last season, the Dragons won a 28-10 match-up, having won three of the last four meetings. Rutgers is led by Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.)who has a 16-13 mark on the year, while Hilt is 14-13 and freshman Chris Norrell (Phillipsburg, N.J.) owns a 14-14 mark. Norrell leads the team in pins with eight, including four in the last seven matches. Following the match-up with the Dragons, the Scarlet Knights will travel to East Stroudsburg, Pa., to compete in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships from March 2-3.

Columbia, Mo. -– Senior 174 pound defending National Champion Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) was named to the 2007 Big 12 Conference Winter Sports Good Works Team as announced by the league office. This honor is given in recognition of the community service efforts by Big 12 student-athletes. Askren, one of only three males named to the team, was the sole wrestler represented in the 12-member class that consisted of individuals participating in men's basketball, women's basketball, swimming and diving and gymnastics. Each member institution of the Big 12 Conference selected a student-athlete for recognition based upon significant community service, good academic standing and participation in a Big 12 sponsored event. Askren, a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, has given his time not only to Columbia but communities across the nation. Last Friday, Askren, the current Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC) President, participated in the Cedar Ridge Read-A-Thon. This came two days after he was involved in the Starlight Reading program during which Askren read via satellite to elementary school children across the state of Missouri. Among Askren's other list of activities, he was an active member in the Shepard Elementary School Fundraiser this past fall and along with his teammates aided in the Hurricane Katrina apartment restoration program in St. Louis (2005). Askren has completed public service announcements for alcohol and drug awareness, as well as Internet safety, and has helped in numerous fundraisers for the Mid-Missouri Food Bank and Granny House. A tutor in the Total Person Program, Askren also serves as a camp counselor in Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith's TigerStyle wrestling camps as well as aiding support in numerous other camps across the country. Askren is currently 32-0 on the season and owns a 77-consecutive win streak that dates back to the start of his junior campaign. The 2006 Hodge Award winner and NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler, Askren has pinned 25 opponents this season, tying the Missouri season falls record he set one year ago. This season alone, Askren has been named Big 12 Wrestler of the Month and claimed both Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Southern Scuffle titles.

Hempstead, NY -- The eighth-ranked Hofstra Pride lost just one match on the mat as they extended their conference undefeated streak to 54 matches, including 51 straight victories, with a 29-9 Colonial Athletic Association win over Rider at the Mack Sports Complex Tuesday night. The Pride improved to 18-3-2 overall and 7-0 in conference action. The Broncs of Rider fall to 9-8 and 3-3 in the CAA. Opening the match at 285, Hofstra graduate student Matt Pollock (12-21) had a big second period, building a 6-0 lead, on the way to an 11-0 major decision over Nick Ciufo. The Pride forfeited 125 to Tommy Lorenzo (11-19) as Hofstra junior continues to recover from an injury sustained on January 28. The Pride regained the lead at 8-6 at 133 pounds as 17th-ranked freshman Lou Ruggirello (27-7) rolled to a 12-0 major decision over Brian Polashuk (4-5). Eighth-ranked junior Charles Griffin (25-4) posted an escape, takedown and received the riding time point in the third period to break a 4-4 tie and post an 8-4 victory over Don Fisch (24-8) at 141. At 149, Hofstra's redshirt freshman Mitch Smith (7-3), ranked first in the CAA and 14th in the country, battled Rider's Mike Kessler (17-10), ranked second in the conference, to a scoreless draw through two periods. But late in the third period, Kessler posted a reversal and two back points to record a 4-2 victory. At 157 pounds, Hofstra second-ranked senior James Strouse (33-2) cruised to his 18th consecutive victory with a 10-1 major decision over Nathan Galloway (5-3) to boost the match lead to 15-9. Pride senior Mike Patrovich (13-4), ranked first in the CAA and sixth in the country, posted a 21-6 tech fall over Rob Morrison (7-14) at 165. It was Patrovich's fourth consecutive victory. In a battle of top 20 wrestlers, Hofstra's ninth-ranked sophomore Alton Lucas (20-8) posted a 3-2 decision over #14 Doug Umbehauer (22-10) at 174 pounds for a 23-9 advantage in the contest. Pride junior Joe Rovelli (27-5) then blanked Mike Miller (20-12) at 184 pounds before Hofstra senior Chris Weidman (24-6), ranked 11th, notched a 9-3 win over T.J. Morrison (24-8) at 197 to close out the contest. The Pride will travel to Norman, Oklahoma this weekend to face the 14th-ranked Sooners of Oklahoma on Saturday at 7 p.m.

IRVING, Texas -- The Big 12 Conference announced Tuesday that Iowa State senior 197-pounder Kurt Backes has been named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for his performances against Rider and at Missouri last weekend. It is the second time in his career that Backes has received the honor. Backes, ranked ninth nationally, downed 14th-rated T.J. Morrison of Rider with an 8-3 decision Friday in Hilton Coliseum as part of Iowa State's 38-6 win over the Broncs. Backes then pinned Missouri's top-ranked and previously unbeaten Max Askren in 3:11, as the third-rated Cyclones recorded a 27-12 dual victory at No. 2 Missouri Sunday. The pin was Backes' fifth of the season. Backes' season mark stands at 21-4 and he leads Iowa State with four wins by technical fall. Backes was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week last season after he registered a major decision over formerly top-rated Penn State All-American Eric Bradley.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell wrestler Josh Arnone (Honesdale, Pa.) was named the Tompkins Trust Company Athlete of the Week on Monday for his role in the Big Reds key Ivy wins over No. 16 Penn and Princeton. Arnone wrestled in his first home dual matches of his career going 2-0, pinning both of his opponents at 184 pounds. On Friday night, the unranked wrestler upset No. 13 Lior Zamir pinning him in 4:59 to help Cornell win its 25th straight Ivy match with a 28-13 victory over Penn. On Saturday, Arnone was part of the Big Reds 56-0 win over Princeton which was the largest margin of victory in school history, topping Oliver Noteware by fall in 1:05. Arnone was a five-time letter winner at Honesdale HS. He finished seventh at the state championships in 2001 and improved on that in 2004, making the finals and finishing second. As a senior, he won the Pennsylvania state championship. He was also a sixth-place finisher at the Greco-Roman national championships. Josh Arnone is the son of Joseph and Teresa Arnone, and has four brothers, three older and one younger. He is studying human development in Cornell's College of Human Ecology.

From time to time, I test new wrestling products, including videos, shoes, shorts, energy bars, and other miscellaneous items. Below is a performance review of the Gable Ultimate wrestling shoes by Asics. The Gable Ultimate, the latest in the line of Asics shoes endorsed by legendary Dan Gable, combines design elements from previously released Asics wrestling shoes. The thinly lined durasuede upper provides the same lightweight flexibility as the Asics Dave Shultz Gold Medal (previously released as the Asics Quicksilver in the late 1980's). The stiff polyurethane sole and intercrossing webbing bring similar traction and support as the Asics Rulon. I tested the performance of this shoe while competing against former Division I wrestlers and talented high school standouts. The traction of the shoe enabled explosive offensive shots (while leaving a white streak across the mat). However, the stiffness of the shoe restricted my ability to elude my opponent's attacks to a degree. My inadequacy in mat wrestling made the performance of the Gable Ultimate irrelevant in that position. Overall, the Gable Ultimate is a good choice for all levels of competition. However, I encourage every wrestler to maintain a few pairs of quality shoes that can be rotated throughout the season. This approach forces their reactions to grow in depth (based upon the capability of the shoe) while also extending the life of the shoe. The rigidity and support of the Asics Gable Ultimate is ideal for wrestlers who like the performance of the Asics Rulon or the Adidas Mat Wizard. If you prefer a shoe that is more lightweight and flexible, you may want to consider a pair of Adidas Combat Speed or Asics Super Lyte. eBay Bidding Check out eBay if you are in the market for vintage wrestling shoes. I have been able to procure unused gems dating back to the late 1980's for less than the original retail price (ORP). Last year, I provided the winning bid ($55) for an unused pair of Asics Purple Lyte (ORP = $100, c.a. 1990). Buyer beware: I have also found myself in bidding wars with fellow wrestling shoe aficionados who are willing to pay top dollar in an attempt to recapture the nostalgia of their youth. A year ago, I was battling for a pair of never-been-used Asics Gable Ultra XL. As the bidding came to an end, I kept picturing Tom Brands sitting at his desk clicking "Refresh" and increasing his maximum bid in order to "break" his opponent (me, in this case). Time expired with me desperately trying to keep up with my obsessive opponent, but ultimately falling short. The winning bid was $160 (ORP = $85, c.a. 1987). I know how Joey Gilbert must have felt. For nearly 10 years, I have coveted a pair of white/green Adidas Equipment wrestling shoes (ORP = $130, c.a. 1993). My heart skipped a beat when a used pair appeared on eBay a few weeks ago. The shoes were in fair condition and probably had a few years left in them. At closer look, they showed substantial wear in the soles. The seller admitted to making a hasty decision in buying the shoes a few years earlier despite the fact that they weren't his size. As a fellow wrestling shoe junkie, I empathized with him. These opportunities are as rare as a Ben Askren haircut. He set the minimum bid at $200 in order to recover his original investment. Five days into the bidding process, the minimum bid was achieved by a passionate (and wealthy) bidder. After a significant amount of soul searching, I passed on the opportunity. I guess I'll have to wait for the stars to align when these shoes appear on eBay again.

RealProWrestling has announced a change in format for Season Two but has not provided much detail about this change or the reasons why. We hope this announcement will answer the frequently asked questions regarding this shift. RPW's plans remain the same today as they have been for the last five years. We have divided the task of starting a pro league into multiple steps. The first was the research and pilot Showcase and that we have finished. The second stage was the television show. This we accomplished in Season One. It was our desire to immediately move to the third stage for Season Two. This would be the tour where we have eight dual meets in eight different cities followed by a championship series. This is the path we pursued and came very close to launching. However, we ran into a few snags and have decided to postpone moving to this stage. From the very beginning, we built our plan for flexibility to be able to do this. It might cause some confusion, especially when we told people we were moving to the tour. However, it is important for us not to expand to fast. This is what we were doing and is why we are now making a change. Our production side is able to scale but our sales and business side had not kept up. The business side depends on deals with other companies and we obviously cannot always predict or control other companies. We actually have most of those pieces in place but not all. We determined it was best to hold back the fast moving areas until the others caught up. We have shifted our resources to those areas that needed a boost and are now making excellent progress. However, we did have to move back the start of Season Two from the Spring to the Fall of 2007. We still will have the Super Pro-Am Challenge and look forward to the regional champion challengers giving it their best shot at making a team. RPW has some exciting deals we are negotiating. However, we cannot go public with the details lest we mess up the negotiations. As soon as possible we will announce further information. Until then, be assured the same determination and hard work wrestlers use on the mat are being brought to bare in business and negotiations for the sport of wrestling.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The end came in quick and stunning fashion. Iowa State All-American 197-pounder Kurt Backes used a defensive pin maneuver at the 3:11 mark to stick previously unbeaten freshman Max Askren of Missouri as the No. 3 Cyclones wrestled away a 27-12 victory from No. 2 Missouri Sunday in the Hearnes Center. ISU 149-pounder Cyler Sanderson also beat a higher rated foe, at 149 pounds. Iowa State is now 11-3 in dual action and swept its conference foes (4-0) for the first time since the 1991-92 season. Missouri falls to 10-2. "Backes' pin was a good win and he gave it to us when we needed it," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "Our freshman are doing well and are consistent. Our seniors are competing hard to get the win." Backes, came into the match ranked ninth nationally and had jumped out to a 6-4 lead in the first period over Askren, who entered the bout rated first nationally with a 24-0 record. Starting the second period in the down position, Backes rolled with his Tiger opponent and grabbed Askren's head at the perfect time to stick his shoulder blades to the mat. It happened so fast that both benches took a couple of seconds to take in what had happened. Backes is now 21-4 this season and 101-28 for his career. "(Max Askren) is a tough kid and he scrambles a lot," Backes said. "I wanted to scramble with him. I like the position, I've been comfortable with it since high school. It was all in the timing." Cyler Sanderson, ranked 14th at 149 pounds, tallied a pair of third-period takedowns to beat seventh-rated Josh Wagner 5-2. Both wrestlers are now 23-8 this season. The bout remained scoreless until Sanderson registered an escape with 53 seconds remaining in the second period. Wagner evened the score at 1-1 with an escape of his own to begin the third period, but Sanderson replied with a takedown to go up 3-1. With another escape, Wagner pulled within a point to put the score at 3-2. Sanderson sealed the win with a takedown with four seconds on the clock. Cyler's older brother and head coach was impressed. "That was a quality road win for Cyler," Cael Sanderson said. "Wagner is a tough competitor." Iowa State's Paulson twins joined fellow senior Backus to notch significant wins over rated opponents. Trent Paulson, ranked fourth nationally at 157 pounds, improved to 20-4 by whipping No. 13 Nick Marable, in a 20-5 technical fall victory. Trent was relentless, taking down Marable six times in the first two periods while also notching a two-point and three-point near fall. The win was the 106th (106-20) career victory for Trent Paulson, moving him into a tie with Billy Kelly (1984-87), Zach Roberson (2001-04) and Nate Gallick (2002-06) for 23rd on the all-time ISU career win list. "I thinks this proves we are a different team now," Trent Paulson said. "Things are falling into place and we are going to be very strong in March." Travis Paulson (21-4), ranked third nationally at 165 pounds, beat seventh-rated Matt Pell (15-4), reversing the Tiger in the second period after starting in the down position. The two rivals have split their four meetings on the mat. Travis Paulson's career record stands at 99-29 and the 165-pounder would be the 32nd Iowa State wrestler with 100 career victories with his next dual win. "Those two (Paulson and Pell) have a great rivalry going," Cael Sanderson said. "It won't be long and they will meet again." The Big 12 Championship is March 3 in Columbia, Mo. "I could tell Pell wanted space between us because he has long arms and legs," Travis Paulson said. "I wanted to close out that space. I used the third period for riding. It's great to see our team progress and make such consistent improvement." Sanderson liked what he saw at 165 pounds. "Travis went after the guy and worked hard trying to score points," Cael Sanderson said. "We are trying to make progress. We have two duals in Virginia to keep improving. Guys are doing what we preach and believing in us. It has made the job fun. Iowa State wrestles at Virginia Tech Friday at 6 p.m. CST. The Cyclones close out the dual season Sunday with a 11 a.m. CST match at Virginia.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- In its first season back on the mat since the program was reinstated, the Bucknell wrestling team reached a milestone on Sunday afternoon in Davis Gym as the Bison matched the program record for wins in a season by defeating Wagner, 49-0. The victory was the 11th of the year for the Orange and Blue, the third by shutout, as the squad improves its record to 11-9 overall (2-3 EIWA), while the Seahawks drop to 0-16. Bucknell, which began to sponsor wrestling as a varsity sport in 1946-47, has won 11 duals in a season on three prior occasions--in 1983-84, 1989-90 and 1992-93. The 2006-07 Bison will have two more opportunities to eclipse the mark as the team will face Columbia and Harvard next Saturday, Feb. 17. The Orange and Blue began Sunday's meet with a 12-0 lead after Greg Hart (Bedminster, N.J./Bernards) and David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Area) both were winners by forfeit at 125 and 133, respectively. Marble, who upset 10th-ranked Joe Baker on Saturday at Navy, improved to 24-7 overall on the year and Hart to 13-12. In the 141-pound bout, Zach Galligan (Boonville, N.Y./Adirondack) led comfortably at 8-0 after two periods against Nicholas Keshecki before closing things out with two takedowns, a near fall and an escape in the third, plus the riding time point, for a 17-4 major decision. At 149, Justin Ensign came close to putting Wagner on the scoreboard as he led 1-0 over Jack Conroy (Westport, Conn./Green Farms Academy) in the third. However, with nine seconds remaining, Conroy pinned Ensign to steal the victory and move Bucknell's advantage to 22-0. Brantley Hooks (Spartansburg, S.C./James F. Byrnes) then brought the score to 25-0 with his 6-3 decision over Sean Quinn at 157. Following a double forfeit at 165, Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area) made quick work of Vincent Giordano. Wrestling up at 174, Rendos, who is ranked 18th in the nation at 165, pinned Giordano in 28 seconds to improve his season duals mark to 18-2. Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) followed up with a pin of his own, winning by fall 2:38 into his bout with 184-pounder Tim Lopresti. Eric Lapotsky (Mount Carmel, Pa./Mount Carmel Area) won by forfeit at 197 and heavyweight George Hingson (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) pinned John Graeffe in 5:43 to close out the meet. The Bison will next travel to Cambridge, Mass., on Saturday, Feb. 17, for their final meet before the EIWA Championships and will face EIWA foes Columbia and Harvard at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively.

NORFOLK, VA -- Old Dominion (12-6) defeated nationally ranked American (29th by wrestlingreport.com) to drop the Eagles to an 8-10 season record. It was a match that saw seven lead changes as the teams battled back and forth, each winning five bouts. With the lead 20-17 going into the heavyweight bout, redshirt freshman Matt Pellar stepped up in a big way and pinned his opponent in the first period to win the match for the Monarchs. His pin sealed the victory 23-20. In the most anticipated matchup of the night, the 197-pound bout, (4) Josh Glenn (AU) was across the mat from ODU's top wrestler, David Mendoza. With time winding down in the second period Glenn found Mendoza in a compromising position, turned and put him on his back. The referee signalled for the pin, but time had already expired. Glenn would go on to win a 13-1 major decision and put the score at 17-20. Pellar would make the controversy a moot point however, with his pin. Even had Glenn been awarded the fall in the 197-pound weight class, Pellar's pin would have sealed the victory for the Monarchs anyway. "It's been a common theme for us this year," said head coach Steve Martin. "When some guys under-perform, other guys step up. And that's what Pellar did tonight." The Monarchs were unable to stretch the lead against the Eagles as they went into a quick 0-6 hole when Jasen Borshoff pinned Kyle Hutter. Senior Christian Staylor and sophomore Ryan Williams took the lead for the Monarchs with a 15-4 major decision and 9-5 decision to make the score 7-6. Kaylen Baxter was unable to extend the lead for ODU however, as he went down 6-5 to Damian Swietlik. Red shirt freshman Chris Brown would do his best to make up for the loss, however, with a 17-6 major decision over Jimmy Pepper in the 157-lb weight class. After halftime, Nick Pullano (165) and Derek Coffey (174) fell in back-to-back bouts to give the Eagles a five-point advantage, 11-16. It was true freshman Jesse Strawn that would step up for Coach Martin, then, in the 184-lb. weight class. Strawn looked to be on the ropes against Anthony Fuschino until halfway through the first period. Strawn laid a massive takedown on Fuschino that would stop the match for almost the full 1:30 of injury time. Fuschino would continue, but Strawn pinned him early in the second period to regain the lead for ODU, 17-16. With Mendoza taking the major decision loss the score ran to 17-20 and it would all be up to Pellar. "It's nervewracking," said Pellar. "I hate when it comes down to heavyweights, but you put the team score aside and wrestle your own match." And Pellar did just that, pinning Evan Murtaugh in 2:04. The Monarchs are back in action this Wednesday, February 14, as they fly to Columbia, Missouri to face the number two ranked team in the nation. Missouri is 11-2 and coming off a loss to number three ranked Iowa State.

Corvallis, Ore -- On "Senior Day" at Gill Coliseum, the No. 18 Oregon State University wrestling team concluded its regular season with a 31-13 victory over fellow Pac-10 member Stanford (6-7, 4-3 in Pac-10) and followed with a 29-11 win over North Dakota State (8-4). The Beavers, who have won 30 of 32 duals vs. Stanford, finish the 2007 regular season with a 17-2 overall record (7-1 in Pac-10) and with their most wins in a year since 1986. "Today was good competition going into the Pac-10 Conference Championships," first-year head coach Jim Zalesky said. "We are a little bit beat up; we now have a chance to get healthy. We have two weeks to get ready for the conference meet." The Beavers fell behind to NDSU 11-3 after four matches, before winning the last six. Freshman Keegan Davis started the match win streak with a 6-3 decision over Adam Aho at 157 pounds to close the gap to 11-6. Brett Arand narrowed the Bison's lead to one with a 14-0 major decision over Mike Quamme and No. 19 Jeremy Larson got the Beavers the lead for good with a pin of Warren Gall to make the score 19-11. The match finished with Kyle Bressler at 184 scoring a 4-1 decision, Travis Gardner posted a technical fall at 197 10-0 and No. 6 ranked Ty Watterson earned his 10th consecutive win with a pin. Oregon State dropped the first match of the day vs. Stanford, but then scored on its next three. The Cardinal forfeited at 133, Eric Stevenson wrestled two weights up and earned a pin at 141, and Derek Kipperberg scored a decision at 149. Travis Gardner had a pin in the second period at 197 to clinch the victory. "I like the way Travis Gardner and Eric Stevenson are wrestling right now," Zalesky said. "Overall the team is wresting well, we just need to shore up a couple of things in the next two weeks." Seniors making their final appearance in Beaver wrestling gear at Gill Coliseum were Bobby Pfennings, Jeremy Larson, Jamie Rakevich, Stevenson and Watterson. In between the two matches Oregon State University honored former head coach Joe Wells. Wells directed the program for 14 years and led the team to four NCAA top-10 finishes and was twice honored as the Pac-10 Coach of the Year. The Beavers head to Bakersfield, Calif., for the conference championships Feb. 24-25.

STILLWATER, Okla. -– Oklahoma State continued its Bedlam dominance with a convincing 29-6 victory over Oklahoma in front of 7,014 fans in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday afternoon. OSU won eight of the 10 bouts, with four wins coming by bonus points. Tyler Shinn, Coleman Scott and Jack Jensen all recorded major decisions and senior Johny Hendricks recorded a technical fall in his final match at home. The Cowboys improved to 14-5 on the season and extended their Bedlam winning streak to 18 consecutive matches. OU dropped to 7-6 on the year. The Cowboys jumped out to an 11-0 lead after the first three matches. Tyler Shinn recorded a major decision over Henry Roman and Coleman Scott received a major decision over Brian Shelton. Scott needed a takedown for a technical fall, but Shelton tied up Scott's leg and ran the clock out. Nathan Morgan followed with a narrow decision over Kyle Terry at 141 pounds. OU got on the board at 149 with a decision by third-ranked Matt Storniolo over B.J. Jackson. The Cowboys took control of the dual after that. Newly McSpadden recorded a takedown with 40 seconds remaining to rally and defeat OU's No. 15-ranked Will Rowe. Johny Hendricks then put the dual out of reach for the Sooners. OU's Shane Seibert came out aggressive and it backfired as Hendricks quickly put nine points on the board in the first period. Hendricks added to it over the next two periods, and came close to pinning him in the third period. Hendricks scored a takedown with 17 seconds remaining and rode out the match for a technical fall to put OSU up 19-3 in the dual. The best match of the night came at 174 and sealed the win for the Cowboys. Brandon Mason scored a quick takedown on Josh Weitzel and piled well over two minutes of riding time in the first period. Weitzel quickly erased the riding time with a second period ride out, and he scored a third period takedown to send the match into overtime. Neither wrestler could take the other one down, nor could neither wrestler escape. Mason and Weitzel battled through three sudden victory sessions and three tie-breaker periods. Until after an exhaustive 13 minutes of wrestling, Mason snuck behind Weitzel and scored the winning takedown to put the score out of reach, 22-3, with three matches remaining. Jack Jensen was impressive with a major decision over Josh Hinton. Jensen scored a takedown with seven seconds remaining in the match to secure the major. OU scored a decision at 197, but OSU's Jared Rosholt put the finishing touches on the rout with a decision at heavyweight. "I think there was definitely an improvement today and we are heading in the right direction," head coach John Smith said. "It is going to have to be a lot more to get where we need to be. I know what it is going to take for us at the end and we have not given that to this point. Even with a 29-6 win, there has to be more. I believe we can get there. I think this sent a good message that we are working our tails off for the drive for five." The Cowboys have three weeks off to prepare for the Big 12 Championships in Columbia, Mo., on March 3.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After dropping an upset decision at the opening weight class, the No. 23-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team rallied to defeat No. 17 Ohio State 21-15 in front of 1,339 fans in Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines won three consecutive matches at the middleweights and boasted a pair of bonus victories to capture its first win of the Big Ten dual season. With three wins a piece just beyond the meet's halfway point, junior/sophomore Casey White (Commerce Twp., Mich./Walled Lake Central HS) electrified the crowd after rallying from an early deficit to take control in the third period and put Buckeyes Corey Morrison flat at the 6:47 mark to claim his first pin of the season. White trailed 4-3 entering the final frame after giving up a takedown in each of the opening two periods. With Morrison choosing the bottom position, the Wolverine immediately applied a high-leg turk and locked up a bow and arrow to hold Morrison in a pinning situation for nearly a minute. With time winding down, White used the same move to turn the Buckeye again, forcing him flat with just 13 seconds remaining to earn his first win at heavyweight. Sophomore Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) completed the Wolverines' second straight come-from-behind win, sealing Michigan's team victory with an 8-5 decision over Will Livingston at 125 pounds. The Buckeye wrestler struck first with a takedown midway through the opening frame; on a restart only 30 seconds later, Watts got a quick jump from underneath to force Livingston to his back for three near-fall points. Watts added a takedown in the second, spinning behind on a bad OSU shot. Livingston added a takedown midway through the third, but Watts held on for his first dual win of the season. The dual began with an Ohio State upset at 149 pounds as the Buckeyes' 17th-ranked Lance Palmer gave his team an early advantage with a 6-4 decision over senior/junior Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS). After a scoreless first period, Churella took the first advantage early in the second, scrambling out of Palmer's legs to claim a reversal less than 30 seconds into the frame. Palmer evened the score with a pair of escapes. Churella fought off takedown midway through third period to keep the match tied at 2-2 but couldn't finish on single leg at end of regulation, forcing the match into an overtime session. Palmer and Churella traded reversals in the first tiebreaker, but Churella was reversed with two seconds left in the second tiebreaker to lose 6-4. Fifth-year senior Rob Sulaver (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn HS) evened the team score in the subsequent match and kicked off a stretch of three consecutive U-M wins with a 7-2 decision over Jason Johnstone at 157 pounds. The wrestlers traded points midway through the first period; Sulaver struck first with a single-leg takedown, and Johnstone quickly scrambled to claim reversal. Sulaver, however, scored an escape before the end of the period to maintain a one-point advantage. After riding Johnstone for the entirety of the second period, Sulaver scored on a restart midway through the third, forcing a scramble as he maneuvered himself to the top. Senior/junior captain Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) accepted a forfeit victory at 165 pounds, as the Buckeyes bumped 14th-ranked Chris Vondruska to 174 pounds to face unranked sophomore/freshman Jordan Sherrod (Portage, Mich./Central HS). The OSU plan backfired, however, as Sherrod eked out a 2-1 upset victory. After a scoreless opening frame, Sherrod took the match's first lead with a quick second-period escape and -- with Vondruska continually backing up -- extended his advantage when the Buckeye was hit with a second stalling call. Vondruska cut the gap with an escape early in the third, but neither wrestler could convert on scoring attempts in the closing minutes as Sherrod held on for his second dual win. In the dual's marquee match at 184 pounds, third-ranked Mike Pucillo used an escape and a stalling call to claim a 5-3 decision over fourth-ranked junior/sophomore Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS). Pucillo struck first with the bout's first offensive points, a single-leg takedown midway through the second period. The Buckeye then attempted a cross-body ride, but Todd high-hipped over to earn a quick reversal. Todd could not keep Pucillo on the mat, allowing an escape in the waning seconds of the period that -- combined with the Michigan stalling call earlier in the frame -- proved the difference. The bout at 197 pounds, matching 19th-ranked fifth-year senior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) against sixth-ranked J.D. Bergman, would follow suit as the Buckeye wrestler needed only an escape and stalling call to emerge the 2-0 victor. With the final result already locked up, Ohio State ended the contest with back-to-back wins at 133 and 141 pounds. 18th-ranked T.J. Enright converted a takedown late in the opening period and added another in the third to claim a 5-2 decision over freshman Chris Diehl (Burton, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) at 133 pounds. In the final match of the day, at 141 pounds, OSU's J Jaggers scored three takedowns, including two in the first, and accumulated 1:04 in riding time to take a 8-3 win against sophomore/freshman Justin Chrzanowski (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer West HS). The Maize and Blue wraps up the regular season next weekend with Big Ten Conference duals against Penn State and Northwestern. On Friday (Feb. 16) U-M hosts the Nittany Lions in Cliff Keen Arena at 7 p.m., and Michigan closes out the dual schedule Sunday (Feb. 18) against the Wildcats in Evanston, Ill., at 7 p.m. CST.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State University wrestling team closed out its home schedule Sunday afternoon inside Wells Fargo Arena with a 26-18 decision over visiting Cal Poly with all three Sun Devil seniors picking up individual wins to help the Sun Devils to victory. The Sun Devils improved to 7-11 overall on the year and 4-2 in the Pac-10 while the Mustangs slipped to 6-9 overall and 4-4 in the conference. The dual opened at 165 with No. 15 Patrick Pitsch pinning Evan Barbre in 4:13 to stake the hosts to an early 6-0 lead. That lead grew to 10-0 after Rick Renzi scored a 16-8 major decision over Steve Gee. The first Sun Devil senior to compete on the day was Greg Gifford, who capped his ASU home career with a 10-2 major decision. From there, Jason Trulson won by forfeit at 197 to extend the Sun Devils' lead to 20-0. After a fall at heavyweight made the dual score 20-6, senior John Espinoza took the mat and won a 4-1 decision over Joshua Obergon to push the advantage to 23-6. But, the Mustangs would win the 133 bout by fall and followed with two more wins by decision to cut the lead to 23-18 with one bout remaining. In the final bout of the day, senior No. 5 Brian Stith scored a 4-1 decision victory to give the hosts the victory. The win moved Stith into the No. 14 position on the ASU all-time wins list with 108 while also pushing him up to No. 9 in career dual victories with 54. ASU hits the road next weekend to close out its 2007 dual schedule with a 7 p.m. dual Friday in Palo Alto, Calif., with the Stanford Cardinal.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa Head Wrestling Coach Tom Brands picked up his 30th career victory as Iowa pounded Michigan State, 33-9, Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes improved to 13-4 (4-2 in the Big Ten) with wins at eight bouts in front of 5,035 fans, including an upset by sophomore Charlie Falck (125) and a pin by sophomore Jordan McLaughlin (197) in his Iowa wrestling debut. Michigan State fell to 3-8 (2-4 in the Big Ten). Falck handed Spartan redshirt freshman Franklin Gomez his second dual loss of the season with a 5-3 win at 125. The Strawberry Point, IA, native scored a takedown in the first 30 seconds and another with one second remaining in the match to secure his eighth straight victory and remain undefeated (6-0) in Big Ten duals. Michigan State scored its first of two wins on the day when Nick Simmons won by injury default over senior Mario Galanakis in 2:23 at 133. Junior Alex Tsirtsis accepted a forfeit at 141, and senior Alex Grunder followed up with a 5:32 pin over Spartan Jeff Wimberley at 149 to score his 30th career victory. Hawkeye redshirt freshman 157-pounder Ryan Morningstar took Iowa into the intermission with a 3-2 win over Tony Greathouse. Iowa junior Mark Perry climbed out of a sticky situation to defeat Spartan Rocky Cozart, 9-7, at 165. Perry had to bounce back from a 5-0 deficit after getting caught in his own offensive move and fighting off his back early in the match. He scored three reversals, two nearfall points of his own and a point for riding time in the win. Hawkeye senior Eric Luedke improved to 23-2 in collegiate matches and 14-1 in duals with a 2-1 win over John Murphy at 174. Michigan State scored its second and final win of the night when Joe Williams defeated Hawkeye redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy, 6-3, at 184. Iowa sophomore 197-pounder Jordan McLaughlin made his Hawkeye wrestling and Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut a wild one, pinning Nick Palmieri in 6:33. Palmeiri scored three takedowns and two escapes to build an 8-4 lead with 1:04 remaining in the match. McLaughlin threw the Spartan redshirt freshman to his back and got the pin with 27 seconds left on the clock. McLaughlin is no stranger to the black and gold, as he has played linebacker and fullback on the Iowa football team for the past three seasons. Hawkeye junior Matt Fields ended the dual with an 8-4 win over Alan O'Donnell at heavyweight. Iowa will close out the 2006-07 dual meet season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena next weekend. The Hawkeyes will host Ohio State Friday, February 16 at 7 p.m. and top-ranked Minnesota Sunday, February 18 at 6 p.m. The Iowa-Ohio State dual will air tape-delayed on College Sports Television (CSTV), and the Iowa-Minnesota dual will be broadcast live on Iowa Public Television (IPTV). Hawkeye fans are encouraged to wear black to the Iowa-Minnesota dual as part of a Blackout promotion. Iowa will also honor its fans and seniors with appreciation nights against the Golden Gophers.

The top-ranked University of Minnesota wrestling team wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 32-6 win over No. 21 Nebraska on Sunday in Lincoln, Neb. The Cornhuskers sent a statement early on that they were not going to go down without a fight and wrestled aggressively the entire day, but the Gophers responded and turned in yet another dominating performance, winning eight of 10 matches on the day. Jayson Ness and Manuel Rivera both earned decisions over ranked opponents, while Mack Reiter got his first pin in dual meet action this season to lead the Gophers to victory. Gabriel Dretsch and Roger Kish contributed major decisions to help in the cause. With the win, Minnesota is now unbeaten in its last 18 matches and sits at 18-1 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten heading into the final week of dual meet action. Ness, ranked No. 4 in the country, was forced to stage a late comeback in the first match of the day after No. 13 Paul Donahoe took a 6-3 lead midway through the third period. Despite trailing almost the entire match, Ness was relentless in the final stanza, working his way free to get the escape before scoring a takedown with less than 10 seconds remaining to send the match into overtime. In the extra session, Ness was simply too strong for Donahoe and scored the winning takedown just over 30 seconds in to earn the 8-6 decision. Reiter also faced an early deficit at 133 pounds when Nebraska's Patrick Aleksanyan scored an early takedown, but he responded to take control of the match and pinned the Nebraska wrestler in the second period. Reiter got an escape and takedown to take a 3-2 after the first, and with Aleksanyan starting down in the second, Reiter worked him to his back to get the fall in 3:34. In a tight battle between two top 10 opponents at 141, Rivera wore down seventh-ranked Dominick Moyer to earn a 5-2 decision. Moyer tied the score at two with an escape early in the third period, but Rivera got a takedown less than 30 seconds later and rode him out the rest of the way to add the bonus point for riding time. With the win, Rivera remained unbeaten at 33-0 on the season. Top-ranked Dustin Schlatter followed with a 9-6 decision over Jordan Burroughs to move into a tie for second place in school history with his 58th consecutive win. Schlatter took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown just 13 seconds into the match, but Burroughs wrestled aggressively and remained within striking distance the rest of the way. Schlatter put the match out of reach, however, with a takedown late in the third period to put Minnesota ahead 15-0 in the dual. Nebraska got on the board in the next match when Chris Oliver upset third-ranked C.P. Schlatter at 157 pounds by a score of 7-4 in overtime. With the match tied at four in the third period, Schlatter nearly got what would have been the deciding points with a reversal, but Oliver scrambled out of it and stayed on top of Schlatter to send the match into overtime. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Oliver rode Schlatter out for the first 30 seconds of the tiebreaker and then got an escape and late takedown to claim the victory. Tyler Safratowich followed with his fourth straight victory since re-entering the starting lineup, downing Stephen Dwyer 10-4. Safratowich controlled the match throughout, scoring the first takedown midway through the first period. He led 4-1 after the first and built his lead in the third with an escape and two more takedowns while also adding the bonus point for riding time advantage. At 174, Dretsch out-muscled Marc Harwood on his way to a 10-1 decision to seal the dual for the Gophers. With a 2-1 advantage, Dretsch rode Harwood out the entire second period and then built his lead with an escape, takedown and three back points in the third, adding the bonus point for riding time to secure the major decision. Kish had his eyes on bonus points from the opening whistle in his match against Casey Roberts at 184, opening up a 5-0 lead with a takedown and three-point near fall in the first period. From there, Kish repeatedly took Roberts down and allowed him to escape throughout the second and third periods, eventually winning the match 23-9. Kish's 23 points scored tied a career high as he improved to 27-1 on the season. Nebraska got its only other win of the day at 197 pounds, with ninth-ranked Craig Brester winning an 8-1 decision over Yura Malamura. Malamura wrestled a much closer match than what the score would indicate but simply ran out of gas in the third period. With the match tied at one entering the final stanza, Brester scored a takedown midway through the period and added five back points to get the win. With the outcome of the dual already decided, Nebraska forfeited to Cole Konrad at heavyweight to make the final margin 32-6. The Cornhuskers became the sixth team to forfeit the weight class in a dual meet this season, as Konrad extended his school-record winning streak to 65 consecutive matches. Minnesota wraps up the regular season next weekend on the road against border rivals Wisconsin and Iowa. The Gophers will take on the seventh-ranked Badgers on Friday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m., and will clash with the Hawkeyes on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.