InterMat Staff

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The No. 21-ranked University of Northern Iowa wrestling team closed its home dual season with an 18-12 victory over the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs in front of 475 fans in the West Gym. The Panthers honored its senior class prior to the match and all three came up big on Saturday with victories to pace the home squad. UNI moved to 8-6 on the season, while Chattanooga dropped to 11-10 overall. Senior Andrew Anderson got the draw to start the dual for the Panthers at 197 pounds. Anderson secured a takedown 34 seconds into the match and did not trail as he scored a 5-3 victory over Chattanooga's Ethan Winel. However, the Mocs won three straight matches to a take a 9-3 advantage in the dual. Chattanooga's Cody Sliger scored a 3-1 sudden victory over UNI's Dustin Bauman at heavyweight and 125-pounder Demetrius Johnson scored a 9-6 win over UNI's Cruse Aarhus. The Mocs' Josh Statum tallied a 6-2 triumph over the Panthers' Steven Fitzgerald at 133 pounds to the visitor's run of victories. The Panthers turned the tide at 141 pounds behind redshirt freshman Trent Washington's 6-4 victory over No. 9-ranked Cody Cleveland. Washington nearly ended the match in the first period on a five-point move, but Cleveland avoided the fall and trailed by a 5-0 count at the end of one. Cleveland was able to earn a three-point nearfall of his own at the 1:29 mark of the second period to pull within two. Cleveland pulled even closer to start the third period as Washington was dinged for his third caution of the match to make the score 5-4 in Washington's favor. Washington earned an escape four seconds into the third and was able to hold off Cleveland's shots in the final seconds for the triumph. Click here to find out more! UNI's Trevor Kittleson knotted the dual at 9-9 following his 6-2 victory over Chattanooga's Kelly Felix at 149 pounds. Kittleson trailed 2-0 after Felix began the match with a takedown, but Kittleson settled in and did not allow Felix to score again. Kittleson racked up a 1:22 in riding time and added an escape and a penalty point in the final period for the 6-2 victory. Chattanooga's Joey Knox provided the visitors with their final win of the day at 157 pounds with a 2-1 triumph over UNI's Tyson Reiner. The match was scoreless after two periods with Knox riding out Reiner in the second. Knox escaped to start the third to tally the first points of the match. Reiner was given a stalling point with 41 seconds left in the match and nearly won it with a shot in the final three seconds, but referee Mike Exline did not award the takedown and Knox hung on for a 2-1 win via riding time (1:58). Panther senior Moza Fay got the home crowd on its feet with a takedown and nearside cradle in the first period against the Mocs' Seth Garvin at 165 pounds. However, Garvin avoided going to his back and trailed 2-0 following the first three minutes of action. Fay increased his lead to 6-2 after two periods, but could not get the takedown he needed in the closing seconds and had to settle for a 9-3 decision. Fay's victory tied the dual at 12-12. UNI's Jarion Beets made his return the mat successful with an 11-5 decision over Chattanooga's Jason McCroskey at 174 pounds. Beets had been out of action since the National Dual on Jan. 10 when he suffered a concussion in a match against the Michigan Wolverines. Beets held a 4-2 lead going into the third period but then he unleashed an all-out blitz on McCroskey and nearly scored a major decision as he tallied three takedowns in the final two minutes. It was only fitting on Senior Day, that senior Alex Dolly clinched the match for the Panthers. Dolly recorded an 8-3 victory over Tyler Roberson at 184 pounds. The match was tied 2-2 heading into the third period, but Dolly took over with a pair of takedowns, an escape and a riding time point for the win. The Panthers will close the dual season next weekend with matches at South Dakota State (Feb. 21) and at North Dakota State (Feb. 22).

Lincoln -- Jordan Burroughs claimed two technical falls en route to shattering the Nebraska single-season dual takedown record and leading the fourth-ranked Huskers to notable dual wins over UNC Greensboro (43- -1) and North Carolina (24-15) at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Saturday. Husker Head Coach Mark Manning picked up his 150th career dual victory, while NU moved to 17-2-1 on the season. NU is 9-0-1 in the last 10 duals, its longest unbeaten streak since notching the same mark to start the 1995-96 season. The highlight of the night went to Burroughs, though, as he broke NU's single-season dual takedown record in impressive fashion. The Sicklerville, N.J., native entered the night six short of the record he set last season with 98. Burroughs reached the mark and surpassed it with 21 takedowns in 25-9 and 24-9 technical falls over UNCG's Andrew Saunders and No. 20 Thomas Scotton of UNC, respectively. Burroughs has 114 takedowns in 18 dual appearances to go with his 27-0 record this season at 157 pounds. Two other Huskers posted bonus-point victories against the Tar Heels, as Nebraska picked up its 22nd consecutive dual win over an Atlantic Coast Conference school. Stephen Dwyer claimed a 12-2 major decision against No. 17 Keegan Mueller, while Vince Jones posted five takedowns against Daneil Llamas for a 13-5 major decision. Andy Pokorny started the dual with a 5-3 decision against Nick Shields, as Pokorny went 2-0 on the day at 125 pounds, while Craig Brester topped No. 17 Dennis Drury, 9-3 at 197 pounds. Matt Vacanti won by forfeit at 133 to round out NU's points. In the first dual of the night, the Huskers easily handled UNC Greensboro, racking up three pins and a technical fall en route to a 43 to -1 victory. Vacanti, Brester and Andy Johnson recorded the falls, while Burroughs earned his first technical fall of the night. Brester accomplished the task quickest, falling Jeremy Cannon in 52 seconds. Vacanti pinned Casey Boyle in 1:18 and Johnson earned a 2:49 pin against Brett Miller in his first dual appearance of the season. Five other Huskers posted decisions to help NU win all nine contested weight classes. Pokorny started the contest with his first dual victory since Jan. 18, posting a 4-2 decision over Mitchell Johnson at 125 pounds, while Robert Sanders returned from a minor shoulder injury with a 7-3 victory over Ben Wilmore at 149 pounds. Alex Ward moved to 3-0 in duals this season with an 8-6 win over Victor Hojilla at 165 and heavyweight Tucker Lane notched a 9-4 decision over Joe Sheffield. Jones earned an unusual victory at 184, claiming two escapes and a stalling point to go with a riding-time advantage for a 5-4 win, despite giving up two takedowns. Curtis Salazar won by forfeit at 141. Nebraska finishes the dual season at home against Iowa State on Feb. 22. Wrestling is set to begin at 2 p.m. in the NU Coliseum. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Nebraska Ticket Office at (800) 8-BIGRED or online at Huskers.com.

Tempe, Ariz. -- Teddy Astorga delivered the key pin, John Drake won a pivotal overtime bout and heavyweight Kurt Klimek won the final decisive bout Saturday afternoon as Cal State Fullerton pulled out a 20-18 Pac-10 wrestling dual meet victory at Arizona State. The win in the final dual meet of the season improved the Titans' record to 11-6 overall and 5-3 in the Pac-10. Each team won five bouts in the nip and tuck affair. Each captured three decisions and one technicall fall. But the Titans' won because of the 6 team points Astorga captured with a fall at 149 pounds over Vicente Varela at 2:54 compared to the four ASU got from a major decision. T. J. Dillashaw provided the other Titan bonus points with a technical fall at 133 (16-0) over David Prado. ASU held an 18-14 lead after eight bouts. But Drake won the 197-pound bout in sudden victory, 5-3, over Jake Crawfor to put Klimek in a position to win with a decision, which he got over Imaniborn Etueven at 5-0. Both teams will next compete in Titan Gym on March 1-2 in the Pac-10 Championships.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team closed the home portion of its 2008-09 schedule with a dominant 31-6 victory over 24th-ranked Penn State on Friday evening (Feb. 14) in front of 771 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. The victory was a big turnaround for the Wolverines, who fell to PSU by three points (18-21) at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals last month. Michigan (9-7-1, 4-1-1) won eight individual matches and earned bonus points in three, including a forfeit victory at 133 pounds, to snap a three-dual losing streak against the Nittany Lions and remain near the top of the Big Ten Conference standings. Sophomore Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), ranked fifth at 141 pounds, opened the dual meet with his 15th consecutive win, earning a 3-1 decision against Frank Molinaro for the second time this season. After a scoreless first period, Russell took the only lead he needed on a reversal midway through the second frame, coming out on top of an extended scramble and nearly putting the Nittany Lion wrestler to his back before the official stopped action due to Molinaro's chinstrap coming up across his face. Russell picked up an additional point in the third when, out of a scramble and with the Wolverine draped over his shoulder, Molinaro threw himself backward to slam Russell on the mat. Russell, who improved to 6-0 in Big Ten duals, has not lost a match in more than two months. A Penn State victory at 149 pounds evened the dual score, but the Wolverines reeled off six straight wins to lock up the team victory. Junior/sophomore Aaron Hynes (Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) claimed his second bonus win of the weekend with a dominant performance in the 157-pound contest, using a combination of leg attacks and turns to take a 17-6 major decision against Tim Darling. Hynes converted on an early double leg and a late front headlock and scored the remainder of his points on the mat, demonstrating a good knack for scrambling with three separate four-point moves. Hynes nearly had Darling stacked up on two occasions, but the Nittany Lion was able to stay off his back as Hynes had to settle for the major. Sophomore Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) picked up his first win over a ranked opponent in the 165-pound contest, rallying back from an early deficit to defeat 20th-ranked Dan Vallimont, 3-2. Vallimont took the first lead on a first-period takedown, but Zeerip scored a pair of escapes and rode out the entirety of the second period to earn 1:49 in riding-time advantage, which proved the difference at match's end. Fifth-year senior Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS), the nation's top-ranked 174-pounder, went out a winner in his final match at Cliff Keen Arena with a 6-4 decision against 16th-ranked Quentin Wright. The Wolverine captain finished on a high crotch and a single leg in the first period and, despite giving up just his second takedown in the third, held on to improve to 22-0 on the season. Junior/sophomore Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./ChippewaValley HS), ranked 13th nationally, rolled past Jack Decker in the 184-pound contest, using a reversal and two third-period takedowns to win 7-1. After a scoreless first period, Biondo caught Decker off guard early in the second with an immediate switch for a reversal and rode out the period to build sizable time advantage. The Wolverine converted on a high crotch early in the final period and, after cutting Decker loose, scored out of a late scramble to cap the win. Fifth-year senior Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) spent little time on the mat in his final Cliff Keen Arena appearance, pinning the Nittany Lions' J.R. Brown just 1:38 into the 197-pound bout. Todd, ranked sixth nationally, struck quickly on a single-leg, lifting it high and dumping Brown to the mat to gain the advantage. The Wolverine captain went to work on top after a restart, using his signature near wrist-head scoop combination to earn his third consecutive first-period fall. Todd, who extended his win streak to 10 matches with the win, also pinned Brown in their meeting at the National Duals. Todd leads the Wolverine team with eight pins on the season. Junior/sophomore heavyweight Eddie Phillips (Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS) cruised to a 7-0 decision against Cameron Wade behind takedowns in the first and third frames and a second-period reversal. The Wolverine wrestler controlled the bout from beginning to end, scoring out of a flurry late in the opening period before adding a last-second takedown in the third off an errant PSU half shot. Even in defeat, the Wolverines looked strong at 149 and 125 pounds. In the former match, junior/sophomore Mark Beaudry (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) narrowed the gap against second-ranked Bubba Jenkins to just two points in the third period after the Nittany Lion wrestler was hit with his second stalling call but could not penetrate Jenkins' defense in the closing seconds and fell 5-3. Senior Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) overcame an early deficit against 13th-ranked Brad Pataky at 125, using a lateral drop to pick up four points late in the second. Watts led by two after a quick escape in the third, but the Nittany Lion wrestler hit a four-point cement mixer soon after to retake the lead and hold on for an 11-9 decision. The Wolverines will close out the dual-meet portion of their 2008-09 slate next weekend with a pair of Big Ten road contests. U-M will travel to Champaign, Ill., to face Illinois on Friday evening (Feb. 20) before wrapping the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 21) against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Both duals are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Since dropping a heartbreaking match to Minnesota Feb. 1, the sixth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team has won three-consecutive matches in impressive fashion, including a 26-17 win against No. 17 Michigan in Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, Friday. The Buckeyes, who now move to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, were spurred by a match-changing pin by sophomore Nikko Triggas at 125 pounds. The unranked Triggas, who hails from Moraga, Calif., pinned No. 17 Michael Watts in 2:02 to give the Scarlet and Gray its first lead of the match at 17-14 with just three bouts remaining. It was Triggas' team-leading 11th pin of the season. "A win over Michigan is always great," Triggas said. "There is nothing like shifting the momentum, especially with a pin." Ohio State would not relinquish its advantage as second-ranked Reece Humphrey followed with a 3:37 pin of Zac Stevens at 133 pounds. Despite senior J Jaggers dropping a close 4-2 decision to No. 5 Kellen Russell at 141 pounds, the Buckeyes held on for the victory with fourth-ranked Lance Palmer capping the evening with a 6-0 shutout of Mark Beaudry in the 149-pound division. The Buckeyes now have won back-to-back matches against the Wolverines for the first time since 1992 and for the first time in consecutive seasons since the 1991 and 1992 campaigns. It also was the Scarlet and Gray's first win in Ann Arbor since 1992. "Beating Michigan is a priority for this program," Tom Ryan, head coach said. "This was a total team effort and Nikko Triggas showed signs of the special young man we recruited." The evening began with the 157-pound matchup between Buckeye and Sandusky, Ohio, native Owen Schaefer and Wolverine Aaron Hynes. Schaefer, who will be one of four Buckeyes honored Sunday prior to Ohio State's match vs. Illinois for Senior Day, lost, 16-1, and the Scarlet and Gray were quickly down, 5-0. However, second-ranked Colt Sponseller, a sophomore from Glenmont, Ohio, wasted little time in getting the Buckeyes on the board after major decisioning Justin Zeerip. Following the second period, Sponseller tallied seven points to Zeerip's two. In the third stanza, Sponseller continued to dominate, limiting Zeerip to just a pair of escapes while he tacked on three more takedowns, an escape and a riding time of 1:13. A warning on Zeerip also awarded Sponseller an additional point. It appeared as though Dave Rella, a junior from Akron, Ohio, would have his hands full against No. 1-ranked Steve Luke, but it was more like Luke had his hands full against the feisty Rella at 174 pounds. Although Luke held an early 2-1 advantage on a takedown after the first period, Rella scored an escape 30 seconds in to the second period to even the score at 2-all. However, in just the first second of the final stanza, Luke was able to score an escape for the slim 3-2 win. With Ohio State trailing Michigan, 8-4, a major decision win by No. 2 Mike Pucillo at 184 pounds would pull the two rivals even at 8 a piece. Pucillo, a junior from Strongsville, Ohio, recorded a 10-2 victory over No. 13 Anthony Biondo. Pucillo entered the second stanza with a small 2-0 lead, but soon began racking up the points in the middle period courtesy of pair of takedowns to head into the third period with a 6-2 advantage. In the third period, Pucillo scored an additional takedown, along with an escape and compiled a riding time of 2:14 to solidify the win. Michigan again regained the lead (14-8) at 197 pounds when No. 6 Tyrel Todd pinned Jason Cook, a junior from Dayton, Ohio, in 1:41. Thanks to a 3-2 decision by junior Corey Morrison over Eddie Phillips at heavyweight, the Buckeyes were able to cut the Wolverines' lead to three. After a scoreless first period, Phillips struck first, escaping Morrison's hold two seconds into the stanza. After choosing down, the Buckeye, who is a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, countered with an escape of his own to even the score and 14 seconds later scored a takedown for a 3-1 lead. Phillips notched an escape at the 1:05 mark, but it was not enough as Morrison garnered the 3-2 win. It was then in the 125-pound bout, the momentum surely shifted to the Buckeyes' side on Triggas' pin. Prior to the pin, Triggas' had a 2-0 lead on a takedown recorded at 1:22. It took Humphrey, a junior from Indianapolis, Ind., a little longer to record his eighth fall of the season. Nonetheless, Humphrey, who is ranked second in the country, held a 13-4 advantage over Stevens prior to the pin. Jaggers' loss to Russell was a close affair as a Russell takedown in the final minute of the third period was enough for the Wolverine to win, 4-2. Jaggers owned a 1-0 lead after the second period, but Russell scored a reversal early in the third stanza and answered Jaggers' match-tying escape (2-2) 34 seconds in the period with the winning takedown. With the Wolverines' needing a pin to tie the match, Palmer made sure that would not be the case with his 6-0 shutout against Beaudry. The sophomore from Columbia Station, Ohio, scored two takedowns, an escape and owned a riding time of 5:18 in the win. Notes: Colt Sponseller recorded his team-leading 26th win (3 losses) of the season and is 5-0 in the Big Ten. Mike Pucillo remains undefeated at 13-0 and is 5-0 in the Big Ten. Sponseller, Pucillo and Lance Palmer are undefeated in the Big Ten at 5-0. Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan is one win away from tallying his 150th-career victory. Prior to leading the Buckeyes, Ryan spent 11 seasons at Hofstra. Ryan improves to 2-1 against Michigan as the Ohio State head coach. Ohio State will honor its 2008-09 seniors – Wes Bergman, J Jaggers, Jason Johnstone and Owen Schaefer Sunday prior to the Buckeyes' match vs. No. 8 Illinois at 2 p.m. in St. John Arena. The Big Ten Network will re-air the match between the Buckeyes and Wolverines again at 6 p.m. Feb. 14, 1 p.m. Feb. 15, 1 p.m. Feb. 17 and 4 a.m. Feb. 18.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. -- Collecting wins in seven of 10 bouts, including three pins and two major decisions, the top-ranked Augsburg College wrestling team finished its regular season with a 35-10 victory over the No. 10-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday night at UWSP's Berg Gymnasium. Augsburg (11-2 in dual meets), the top-ranked team in Division III wrestling, improved to 16-1 in the all-time series with Wisconsin-Stevens Point (15-4-1 in dual meets), dating to the 1992-93 season. Augsburg is now 238-21 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 16 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 242-23 since the 1979-80 season and 166-13 since the 1989-90 season. Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 5 nationally at 125, opened the match with a third-period pin for the Auggies, and the Auggies closed the match with two pins -- a 1:15 match-ender by No. 2-ranked Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) at 197, and a 5:38 win by Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.), ranked No. 7 at heavyweight. Massey improved to 22-1 on the season with his 12th pin. Witzel is now 28-6 on the season, while Flodeen is now 16-4. Willy Holst (SR, Prescott, Wis.), ranked No. 1 nationally at 149, collected a 12-3, major-decision win to improve to 21-1 on the season, while Zach Molitor (SO, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS), ranked No. 7 at 174, scored a 13-1, major-decision win to improve to 26-7 on the year. Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 4 nationally at 157, improved to 32-5 on the year with a 6-2 win, and top-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) improved to 29-0 with a forfeit win at 133. Lang collected his 26th bonus-point victory with his second forfeit of the year; he also has 17 pins, three technical falls and four major decisions. Wisconsin-Stevens Point's wins came at 141, as Chase DeCleene claimed a 9-6 win over Augsburg's No. 4-ranked Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), and from two nationally-ranked wrestlers -- a 9-2 win by No. 7-ranked Chase Wozniak at 165 and a 14-4, major-decision win by No. 6-ranked Ben Engelland at 184. Augsburg is idle until competing at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional next Saturday (2/21) at Concordia University-Wisconsin in Mequon, Wis. Wisconsin-Stevens Point hosts Wisconsin-Eau Claire this Saturday (2/14) at 1 p.m., in its final home dual meet of the regular season.

ERIE, Pa. -- Eleventh-ranked Mercyhurst won the first six weight classes, including two by major decisions, to build a 20-0 lead as the Lakers finished with a 23-18 victory over No. 15 Findlay in the final dual meet of the regular season. The win is the eighth-straight for the Lakers and raises their record to 16-5-1, setting the program record for season dual-meet victories and winning percentage, eclipsing the 2005-06 squad that went 15-8. The victory also marks the 10th consecutive meet that Mercyhurst has went undefeated (9-0-1), tying the 2006-07 squad that holds the record for consecutive wins when it closed out the season winning nine straight before tying Pitt-Johnstown in the season finale. Payne Lint kicked action off at 125 lbs, entering the third period with a 4-2 advantage before surrendering an escape point with just under a minute left. However, the senior maintained the lead and added a point for riding time for the 5-3 decision. At 133 lbs, Michael Baxter narrowly avoided an upset after Findlay's Michael Peraino tied the match with 30 seconds remaining at 3-3 before Baxter finished with an escape to finish the Lakers second-straight decision at 5-3. Lance Pitcel turned up the intensity in the third period and made the team score 10-0 with his 10-2 major decision over Alex Shumaker at 149 lbs before Andy Lamancusa stretched his winning streak to 12 matches with a 13-3 major decision over the Oilers Michael Lybarger. The nation's top-ranked 165-pounder in Mercyhurst's Josh Shields entered the third period tied 2-2 with Shields answering Findlay's Justin Shannon 2-0 lead on a takedown of his own in the waning seconds of the middle stanza. Shields began the ending period down and quickly put up an escape point to make the score 3-2, which would stay as the final. Pat Leahy came from behind in the second period to take a 4-3 lead before giving up two points to Jeff Halvelka in the final 20 seconds to enter the third with a 5-4 deficit. Halvelka took the lead once more with just under a minute remaining to make it 7-6, outlasting a rallying Leahy for Findlay's first victory of the night. Findlay would claim the remaining three weight classes on the night, including falls by the nation's fourth-ranked Hiram Smith at 187 lbs (2:36) and Andy Zalaiskans at 197 lbs (2:40).

KENT, Ohio -- It was Friday the 13th and Stephen King could not have written a better script. With the blind draw pointing to a start at the 149-pound weight class, senior Clint Sponseller got the match off right and senior Drew Lashway finished it at 141 as Kent State dominated Ohio 29-6. With the match starting with Sponseller, you would hardly have known the fifth-year senior has not wrestled in over a month. Sponseller jumped out in the first period with two takedowns and added an escape and the riding point for the 6-1 win over the Bobcats Kevin Christensen. Thanks to Sponsellers performance in his final appearance at the M.A.C. Center, KSU was up 3-0 after one. A senior known for his overtime matches, it was fitting Eric Chine went to extras at 197. With both wrestlers getting escapes in regulation, it all came down to three overtime periods. When neither wrestler got the takedown in the first, Chine chose bottom and quickly escaped to go up 2-1. However, the most exciting point of the match came in the third overtime. Chine, needing to ride Ohio's Chris Iammarino out for the win, did just that. It looked as if Iammarino would square the match with seconds remaining, but Chine picked him up and slammed him to the mat for the win. Kent State held a 13-6 edge after six. Senior Jermail "Gentle Giant" Porter stepped to the mat at 285 and was anything but gentle. Porter and OU's Justin Powell danced around for the match's first 2:30 before Porter got the late takedown to take a 2-0 lead. In the second, Porter made Powell pay for choosing defense. Twice, Porter titlted Powell for three back points and rode him for the entire period to lead 8-0 after two. In his final stanza at the MAC Center, Porter added two takedowns and the riding point for a 13-2 major. KSU led 17-6. The final match of the night belonged to senior Drew Lashway. Lashway was patient with his shots to begin the match, but he got a hold of Germane Lindsey in the final seconds for the takedown and 2-0 lead and pushed the advantage to 3-0 with a second-period escape. In the third, Lashaway showed the faithful why he is a potential All-American. Lindsey cut the lead to two with an escape from bottom. Lashaway would counter with the match-clinching takedown and won 5-2 to give Kent State a 29-6 win and a perfect 4-0 record at the M.A.C. center this season. Despite the spotlight on the seniors, redshirt freshman Dustin Kilgore, sophomore Nic Bedelyon and redshirt juniors Danny Mitcheff and Obie Simpson made their presence known. With the match squared at 6-6 after four, Kilgore put the Flashes up for good with a major at 184. Kilgore struck with a takedown to begin the match, but OU's Erik Schuth quickly countered with an escape and takedown of his own. However, as he has done all season, Kilgore reversed Schuth to regain the lead. Schuth would escape to knot the match at four after one. The second spelled doom for Schuth as Kilgore won the period 5-1. Starting from the bottom, Kilgore quickly escaped and added the takedown for the 7-4 lead. Schuth would then tap for injury time and then escaped on the restart, but Kilgore added another takedown before the end of the period for the 9-5 lead after four. In the third, Kilgore netted three more takedowns and the riding point for the 16-8 major win and put the Golden Flashes up for good. Coming off a tough match at Buffalo, Bedelyon wasted no time in exciting the home crowd. In the first, Bedelyon struck with a takedown and added five back points for the commanding 7-0 lead. In the second, the Bobcat's Tim Silvers chose down and Bedelyon made him pay. Bedelyon got the tilt to build a commanding 9-0 lead before the pin at 4:09. Mitcheff patiently waited for his shots at 133 and took them when they came in the second. Danny started down in the second and added the escape for 3-0 lead. In the third, Mitcheff added a takedown and the riding point gave Mitcheff a 6-1 win. With the match squared at 3-3 going into 165, Simpson wasted no time in winning his fifth-straight dual. Simpson got two first-period takedowns and never looked back in a 5-2 win. Kent State will have to make the quick turnaround when the wrestle Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti Sunday at 4 p.m.

CLARION, Pa. -- Pitt took seven of 10 matches from Clarion and redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman recorded his 10th fall of the season, moving into a tie for seventh place for falls in a season as the Panthers got back on the winning track with a 24-10 win over Eastern Wrestling League rival Clarion. Clarion (7-13, 0-4 EWL) went up 3-0 with a decision by Jay Ivanco in the 125-pound match. Junior Jimmy Conroy quickly tied the match at 3-3 with an 8-2 decision over Cameron Moran at 133. The Panthers (4-6-1, 4-0-1 EWL) increased their lead to 9-3 with Nauman's 10th fall of the season 52 seconds into the third period over Sal Lascari. Senior Mark Powell made it 12-3 in favor of Pitt with his 9-4 decision over Greg Lewis at 149. At 157 pounds, Clarion's Hadley Harrison was a 12-2 winner by major decision over Phil Sorrentino, pulling the Eagles to within five at 12-7. Pitt would put the match out of reach with three consecutive decisions. Sophomore Ethan Headlee started the momentum with a 4-0 shutout decision over Dominic Ross at 165 and was followed by freshman Karl DiCiantis' 3-2 decision over Scott Joseph at 174 and freshman Zac Thomusseit's 5-3 sudden victory decision over Clint Podish in the 184-pound match. After dropping the 197-pound contest, Pitt closed out the match on a high note as junior A.J. Hunte wrestled up at the heavyweight division from his usual 197-pound slot for the third time this season, pulling off the 10-9 decision over Roman Husam. Pitt remains on the road on as it completes the regular season at No. 13 Edinboro Friday, Feb. 20. Match time is set for 7 p.m.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 8 Illinois dominated No. 20 Indiana in front of 673 fans Friday at Huff Hall, winning the final six bouts and eight of 10 to take the dual, 25-6. No. 3 Jimmy Kennedy scored the only bonus points of the night for either team with his 15-5 major decision, No. 2 Mike Poeta improved to 7-0 and John Dergo and No. 12 Jordan Blanton each won their fourth-straight Big Ten match. "We've been wrestling well the last few times out and we continued that tonight," Illinois head coach Mark Johnson said. "We challenged our guys and they have responded really well in our last four duals." After a scoreless first period at 125, No. 5 Angel Escobedo started down in the second against B.J. Futrell. Escobedo was awarded a point when the referee called Futrell for fleeing the mat and Escobedo escaped in 30 seconds. Off a neutral restart, Futrell got in on a leg but Escobedo fought him off. Futrell started down in the third, trailing 2-0, and nearly escaped twice off different restarts, but Escobedo maintained control and locked up the riding time point, riding Futrell out for the 3-0 decision. At 133, No. 3 Jimmy Kennedy nailed a double-leg takedown on Matt Ortega 50 seconds into the bout. Kennedy planted him on his back on the takedown, nearly getting back points, but Ortega flattened out. The Hoosier escaped with 1:25 left in the period and Kennedy executed a smooth throw-by takedown with 1:12 left for a 4-1 lead. Kennedy cut Ortega loose off a restart and countered a shot by the Hoosier for the takedown. After cutting Ortega loose, Kennedy shot off another restart and got the double-leg for a takedown and an 8-3 lead with 1:22 of riding time after the first. Ortega started down in the second and Kennedy cut him loose. Ortega was warned for stalling with 1:24 left, but Kennedy blocked a shot by the Hoosier, turned him for the takedown and Ortega escaped to give Kennedy a 10-5 lead at the end of the period. Kennedy started down in the third and escaped with just over a minute left, then was awarded a point for stalling at the one-minute mark when Ortega bailed out on a Kennedy shot. Kennedy finished the takedown for a 15-5 major decision after riding time, giving the Illini a 4-3 win. Ryan Prater and Andrae Hernandez got into a scramble with 40 seconds left that lasted the rest of the period, but neither man was able to score. Hernandez started down in the second and Prater immediately turned him for a two-point near-fall. But Hernandez slipped out of his hold off a restart and flipped over for a reversal to tie it at 2. The pair battled to the edge of the mat where Prater was able to free his leg for the escape and a 3-2 lead with 20 seconds left. After no further scoring, Prater started down in the third and quickly escaped for the 4-2 lead. Prater worked Hernandez's head for much of the period, then tossed it by and grabbed both ankles for the takedown. Off a restart, Prater got a fast tilt for two more back points and an 8-2 win, pushing Illinois up 7-3. Eric Terrazas and Nick Walpole battled through a scoreless first period and Terrazas started down in the second. Walpole worked hard to turn the Illini freshman, but Terrazas fended him off. Walpole rode him out then started down in the third and escaped in 13 seconds for the 1-0 lead. Terrazas got a leg on the edge of the mat with one minute left, but Walpole fended him off and eventually turned the corner for the takedown. Walpole rode him out for the 4-0 win that cut Illinois' lead to 7-6. At 157, No. 2 Mike Poeta tossed Kurt Kinser by him on the edge of the mat and looked to get the takedown, but Kinser fought out of it and got the stalemate. After Kinser blocked another shot, Poeta put together a nice reshot and got behind him for the takedown. Off a restart, Poeta was looking for the tilt, but Kinser slipped out and got a leg for the reversal. Poeta quickly went out the back door for a 3-2 lead then dropped from Kinser's head to his ankles for the double-leg takedown and rode him out for a 5-2 lead after a period. Poeta started down in the second and escaped in two seconds. From a tie-up position, Poeta dropped to an ankle for a single-leg takedown and rode him out for the 8-2 lead with 1:01 of riding time after two periods. Kinser started down in the third and Poeta let him loose after he wasn't able to get a tilt. Kinser continued to block Poeta's shots without putting forth much offense himself and Poeta nearly landed a double-leg late, but Kinser fought it off as Poeta took the 9-3 decision. No. 15 Roger Smith-Bergsrud shot off the whistle against Paul Young and connected with a double-leg takedown right off the start. Young escaped with 2:16 left and got Smith-Bergsrud's leg with 1:20, but the Illini senior scrambled through and got the takedown for a 4-1 lead. Young escaped with 40 seconds left, making the score 4-2 after a period. Young started down in the second and quickly escaped, but Smith-Bergsrud shot in and got both ankles for a takedown on the edge of the mat. Young escaped off a restart to make it 6-4 in the Illini's favor, but Young got a leg and tripped Smith-Bergsrud for the tying takedown at the end of the period. With Smith-Bergsrud holding 1:15 of riding time after two periods, he started down in the third and quickly escaped for a 7-6 lead. After blocking a shot by Young, Smith-Bergsrud got an ankle and finished the takedown on the edge to extend his lead to 9-6. Young escaped with 35 seconds left, but the Illini veteran shot in on a double-leg and planted Young for the finishing takedown, then added riding time for the 12-7 win that extended Illinois' advantage to 13-6. At 174, John Dergo and No. 15 Trevor Perry traded shots for the first three minutes of the bout without scoring and Dergo started down in the second. He escaped in just a few seconds and quickly got in on a leg. After some last-gasp defense by Perry, Dergo finished it for a takedown, but Perry escaped 18 seconds later. Perry was warned for stalling on a Dergo shot with 30 seconds left, but neither scored the rest of the period. Perry started down in the third and escaped quickly, making it 3-2 in Dergo's favor. But Dergo got in on a leg with 1:05 left and finished the takedown for a 5-2 margin. Dergo added the riding time point for a 6-2 win that pushed the Illini ahead 16-6. No. 12 Jordan Blanton got a leg with 1:45 left in the first against Eric Cameron, lifted it and finished the takedown on the edge with 1:36 remaining. Cameron escaped with 1:10 left and was hit with a stalling warning with 10 seconds left in the period. The lanky Hoosier started down in the second and escaped in 15 seconds to tie the bout at 2. Cameron was hit with a stalling point but was able to work behind Blanton and eventually take him down for the 4-3 lead on a re-shot. Off a restart, Cameron went down to a leg and Blanton was able to jerk it out and escape with two seconds left to tie the bout at 4. Blanton started down in the third and escaped in 15 seconds to go up 5-4. After a series of tie-ups, Cameron tried a slide-by takedown and got a leg, but the Illini rookie blocked it and held on for the 5-4 win that sealed the team victory at 19-6. At 197, Patrick Bond blocked a shot by Matt Powless late in the first and turned the corner for the takedown before riding out the Hoosier. Bond started down in the second and scrambled around, getting a reversal on the edge of the mat before Powless escaped with 1:15 left. Powless got in on a leg after a restart and scored the takedown to get within 4-3, but Bond escaped and the period ended with no further scoring. Powless started down in the third and escaped with 1:37 left to make it 5-4 in Bond's favor. The Illini was warned for stalling but countered a weak shot by Powless with a takedown. An escape by the Hoosier made it 7-5 and Powless got a point when Bond was called for stalling, but he held on for the 7-6 win that improved Illinois' lead to 22-6. No. 9 John Wise got a leg on Nate Everhart at heavyweight and quickly finished the takedown with 1:37 left in the first. Wise kept looking for the tilt as he rode Everhart hard, but the Hoosier escaped off a restart with 30 seconds left to make it 2-1 after three minutes. Everhart started down in the second and escaped with 1:15 left to tie the bout at 2. After no further scoring, Wise started down in the second and escaped in nine seconds for a 3-2 lead with 1:39 of riding time. The Illini was hit with a stalling warning and later Everhart shot but Wise caught him halfway through and reversed his field with a fierce double-leg takedown. Everhart escaped with 1:10 left to make it 5-3 with Wise holding two minutes of riding time advantage. Everhart shot and got in shallow on a double-leg, but Wise blocked it and turned the corner for a takedown. Everhart escaped, but it was too little, too late as Wise walked away with the 8-4 decision and Illinois finished off the Hoosiers, 25-6.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- For the second-straight dual meet the Rutgers wrestling team relied on its heavyweight D.J. Russo (Netcong, N.J.) and the Scarlet Knight delivered again. The sophomore pinned Navy's Tyler Moyer in 3:26 to give RU an 18-17 victory over the Midshipmen Friday night at Halsey Field House for its first victory over the service academy in eight years. In RU's last dual meet on Saturday, Russo pinned his opponent in 3:06 in the final bout to lift the Scarlet Knights to a 19-17 victory over No. 21 American. Rutgers, which last earned a victory over Navy on Jan. 27, 2001, improved to 20-5 on the season and 8-1 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, extending the program's school-record victory total. It is the Scarlet Knights' ninth victory in 10 dual meets. Navy jumped out to a 7-0 lead through two bouts before the Scarlet Knights notched their first victory. Freshman Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.), who entered the national rankings this week, posted RU's first win with a hard-fought 4-3 decision over Navy's Matt Pagan at 141 pounds. The Scarlet Knights and Midshipmen split the next two matches with each school's nationally-ranked wrestler taking the victory. Navy's Bryce Saddoris, ranked seventh in the nation, earned a major decision at 149 pounds before RU freshman Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.), ranked 11th in the nation, earned a 5-4 decision over Navy's Glenn Shober at 157 pounds to make it 11-6. Rutgers continued to chip away at the Mids' lead when senior Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) earned a 3-1 victory over Navy's Matt DeMichiel at 165 pounds. Navy victories at 174 and 184 pounds halted the Scarlet Knights' momentum as the Midshipmen pulled out to a 17-9 advantage heading into the final two bouts. That would be the last bout the Mids would win, however as senior Karim Mahmoud (Wallington, N.J.) posted a 6-1 decision against Navy's Philip Neese at 197 pounds to make it 17-12 and set up Russo's final-bout heroics. The Scarlet Knights return to action Wednesday against Drexel at 7:00 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pa.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 24 nationally, hammered Michigan State 28-12 in a Big Ten road dual. With five freshmen in the startling line-up, Penn State got wins from four of them, including the dual clincher from Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) at 197. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 125, got the Nittany Lions off to a hot start with a 17-2 technical fall over MSU's Eric Olanowski. Senior Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) did not make weight at 133 and gave up a forfeit, but Penn State quickly answered with two more wins. Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) got a 4-0 win at 141 and junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) returned to action after missing the last five duals by getting a 21-6 technical fall over Michigan State's David Cheza at 149. Jenkins, ranked No. 2 nationally, improved to 20-0 with the win. Michigan State's Anthony Jones picked up his 21st win of the year with an 8-4 victory at 157 over Nittany Lion freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) before a 10 minute intermission, cutting Penn State's lead to 13-9. Junior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 20, notched a hard-fought 6-5 win over Michigan State's Rex Kendle at 165. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, posted a 10-3 win at 174 to put the Lions up 19-9. Michigan State's Nick Palmieri downed Lion Jack Decker 7-5 at 184 to cut Penn State's lead to 19-12. But freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.), also wrestling for the first time since being injured against Indiana on Jan. 23, iced the dual meet with a 4-1 win at 197, putting Penn State up 22-12. Nittany Lion heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) capped off the 28-12 dual win by pinning Michigan State's Steve Andrus at the 3:30 mark. Penn State had 11 takedowns to Michigan State's eight but the Lions rolled to victory on the back of seven wins and seven bonus points. Penn State is now 8-10-2, 1-4-2 in conference duals. Michigan State is now 6-7, 1-5 in the conference. The Nittany Lions close out their Big Ten season at Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 14, in a 7 p.m. match-up. Penn State's final home dual of the season is set for Friday, Feb. 20, when it hosts Penn at 7 p.m. in a non-conference battle. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Penn State's Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 125, took on Michigan State freshman Eric Olanowski at 125. Pataky once again wasted no time in going on the offensive, nearly scoring ten seconds in before action moved out of bounds. But Olanowski countered his next shot and took a 2-0 lead at the 2:26 mark. Pataky worked to escape from Olanowski's control, forcing the Spartan into a stall warning escaping at the 1:20 mark. The Lion then added a quick takedown to take a 3-2 lead with just over a minute left in the opening period. Pataky then worked to turn the Spartan to his back but Olanowski signaled for an injury timeout. After the reset, Pataky gained control of Olanowski, turned him for three back points with :11 left, rolled him back to his stomach and managed another two-point near fall to lead 8-2 after one period. Olanowski chose neutral to begin the second stanza, but Pataky used a strong high double leg to up his lead to 10-2 with 1:15 left. Gaining control of Olanowski's arm once again, Pataky muscled the Spartan over for three more back points to lead 13-2, then picked up a point on another Olanowski stall. Then with :07 left, Pataky ended the bout by turning Olanowski for three more points and a 17-2 technical fall as the second period ended. The early win put Penn State up 5-0 133: Penn State's Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) did not make weight, allowing No. 6 Franklin Gomez to get a forfeit victory at 133. The six points put Michigan State up 6-5. 141: Penn State freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) took on Spartan Collin Dozier at 141. Molinaro got in high on Dozier's right thigh, looking for an early takedown, but Dozier fought off the effort to force a reset. But Molinaro would not be denied the early lead, powering through Dozier for a 2-0 lead at the 1:56 mark. The Nittany Lion then put together a strong ride, building up a solid time advantage while trying to turn Dozier to his back. Molinaro rode Dozier out to lead 2-0 with 1:56 in riding time after one period. He then chose down to start the second stanza. He forced Dozier into a stall before escaping to a 3-0 lead but Dozier gained control of his left leg and nearly notched his own takedown. Molinaro managed to fight his way to a stalemate at the 1:00 mark. Molinaro picked up his first stall warning before the second period ended. Dozier, down 3-0, chose down to start the third period, but Molinaro was once again strong on top, forcing Dozier to the mat. Molinaro secured the bonus point, but Dozier was nearly able to reverse him before a stalemate at the :34 mark. Still on offense, Molinaro was able to continue his ride for the remainder of the bout and posted a solid 4-0 win. The decision allowed Penn State to retake the lead, 8-6. 149: Returning to the line-up for the first time since Jan. 24, Penn State's Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) took on David Cheza at 149. Jenkins entered the bout 19-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally. Jenkins looked to shake off the ghosts of a long lay-off with early offense. The Nittany Lion gained control of Cheza's ankle and worked his way into a score. But after taking the 2-0 lead, the Nittany Lion called for an injury timeout, forcing a reset with 2:15 left. After the reset, Jenkins quickly tilted Cheza for three near-fall points and a 5-0 lead. Cheza escaped to a 5-1 deficit with 1:42 left, and then took Jenkins down at the 1:15 mark to cut the Lion's lead to 5-3. Jenkins got hit with a first stall warning with :40 left in the period but managed a reversal with :10 left to take a 7-3 lead into the second period. Jenkins chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to an 8-3 lead. Cheza looked to shoot on Jenkins, but Jenkins countered for a takedown, nearly pinning the Spartan in the process but picking up three back points. Jenkins reset himself and picked up three more near fall points to lead 16-3 after two periods. Cheza chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 16-4 deficit. Jenkins nearly caught Cheza in a mixer, but Cheza countered and took Jenkins down, nearly picking up back points. But Jenkins did not just counter the near fall attempt, he worked his way around for a reversal at the 1:00 mark to lead 18-6. After a reset, Jenkins steadily worked himself into control of the Spartan, turning him for three near fall points and finishing on top. Jenkins finally got the technical fall call from the officials, winning 21-6 at the 6:59 mark to put Penn State up 13-6. 157: Red-shirt freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) continued his Big Ten welcome at 157 by taking on Michigan State sophomore Anthony Jones, who was 20-9 heading into the dual. Jones used a solid double leg to take and early 2-1 lead after a Darling escape. The duo battled to a stalemate and a reset with 1:40 left. Jones looked to work in on Darling, but the Lion freshman was able to fight off a late Jones shot and trailed only 2-1 after the opening period. Jones chose defense to start the middle period, but Darling was able to force the Spartan's stomach to the mat and put together a very strong ride, working the clock down but giving up a point on an illegal hold. After the reset, Jones managed to reverse Darling with just :01 left and led 5-1 heading into the third period. Darling, with a 1:48 riding time edge, chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to a reversal with 1:23 left, cutting Jones' lead to 5-3. Needing takedowns, Darling cut Jones loose and trailed 6-3 with 1:15 left. After a reset at the 0:46 mark, Jones used a solid high double to notch another takedown an take an 8-3 lead. The Spartan then rode Darling to the :01 mark to get his 21st win of the season with a solid 8-4 victory. The win cut Penn State's lead to 13-9. 165: Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 20 at 165, took on Michigan State's Rex Kendle, who entered the bout with a 20-9 record. Vallimont took the first shot, nearly taking a quick 2-0 lead. But Kendle was able to step back and keep things scoreless. Vallimont, however, continued to b the aggressor and final got his takedown to lead 2-0 at the 1:45 mark. Kendle, however, was able to reverse Vallimont and tie the bout at 2-2 with 1:30 left. The Spartan was able to ride Vallimont out as well. Tied 2-2 but facing 1:20 in riding time, Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. The Nittany Lion then gained control of Kendle's leg and looked for another takedown, but Kendle countered on the edge of the mat and took Vallimont down to lead 4-3. Vallimont quickly escaped to tie the bout, but Kendle still had 1:29 in riding time. With :45 left, Vallimont used a low single to gain control of Kendle and take a 6-4 lead with just under :30 left. Vallimont then rode Kendle out to carry that lead into the third period. Kendle chose down to start the final stanza and quickly escaped to a 6-5 deficit. Kendle upped the offensive pressure, trying to work his way around Vallimont for a go ahead takedown. Each man was hit with a stall warning at the :30 mark and Kendle could not break through Vallimont's defense. The Nittany Lion All-American's 6-5 win put Penn State up 16-9. 174: True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) took on Michigan State's Ian Hinton at 174. Wright took a quick 4-0 lead with a fast takedown and a two-point near fall. The Nittany Lion, ranked No. 16 nationally, then dominated Hinton on top. After a reset, Wright forced Hinton to the mat repeatedly, looking for a chance to turn the Spartan for more near fall points. While not managing to turn Hinton, the 2:29 ride-out allowed Wright to carry the 4-0 lead into the second period. Wright chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-0 lead. Wright tripped Hinton to the mat for a takedown and a 7-0 lead with :50 left. A Hinton escaped with :32 left gave the Spartan his first point and Wright led 7-1 after two periods. Hinton chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-2 deficit, but Wright had secured a riding time point. Looking for a major, Wright nearly picked up another takedown with :20 left to take a 9-3 lead, but a locked hands call kept him from securing the major. Still, the 10-3 decision put Penn State up 19-9. 184: Nittany Lion senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) battled MSU's Nick Palmieri at 184. The duo spent the first minute battling in the center of the mat, with each man hoping to gain control of the other's shoulders. A double-stall warning at the 1:04 mark forced a reset and Decker began shooting low on Palmieri. The Lion's offensive efforts paid off with :37 left when he countered a soft Palmieri shot, worked behind the Spartan junior and took a 2-0 lead with a takedown. Palmieri took a second injury timeout, so after the reset, Decker chose down with :20 left. But Palmieri was able to turn Decker to his back for two near fall points as the period ended. Tied 2-2, Decker chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:25 left (Palmieri had 1:02 in riding time). Decker and Palmieri battled evenly for the remainder of the second period. Since he had the riding time edge, Palmieri chose neutral to start the third period. Palmieri took a 4-3 lead with a takedown at the 1:02 mark, but Decker quickly escaped to a 4-4 tie Still, Palmieri's 1:10 riding time edge was still a deciding factor. Decker took a shot, but Palmieri countered and iced the bout with a high double with :14 left, taking a 6-4 lead. Decker escaped, but Palmieri was able to notch a 7-5 win and cut Penn State's lead to 19-12. 197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) stepped in at 197 to take on Spartan Tyler Dickenson. Steadman, like Jenkins, had not wrestled since being injured in the dual at Indiana on Jan. 23 and was making his first appearance since then. Dickenson gained control of Steadman's right thigh, but the Nittany Lion freshman was able to counter and nearly work his way around for his own takedown at the :51 mark. The stalemate forced a reset. Steadman once again countered a Dickenson shot as the period ended and nearly managed a takedown at the end of the first period. But time ran out with the bout still tied 0-0. Steadman chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Neither man found any chances to score, but Steadman's steady offensive pressure enabled the Lion freshman to set the tone. Trailing 1-0, Dickenson chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Steadman, however, countered a Dickenson shot, skipped around behind him and took a 3-1 lead with a swift takedown at the 1:40 mark. Steadman then dominated Dickenson from the top, riding the Spartan out, getting the bonus point and winning 4-1. The decision pot Penn State up 22-12, icing the dual. HWT: Penn State red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) took on MSU's Steve Andrus at heavyweight. The freshman duo battled evenly throughout the first half of the opening period. Wade gained control of Andrus' right leg and looked for the lead with a takedown, but the Spartan was able to pull back and keep the bout scoreless with 1:00 left to wrestle. With the score knotted at 0-0, Wade chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed Andrus to take a 2-0 lead. He then turned the Spartan to his back and ended the dual with a pin at the 3:30 mark. The fall gave the Nittany Lions a 28-12 dual meet win.

AMES, Iowa -- Before Friday's wrestling match between No. 2 Iowa State and Tennessee-Chattanooga in Hilton Coliseum, Cyclone fans gave Moc head coach Chris Bono and UT-Chattanooga assistant coach Nate Gallick, a round of recognition worthy of two former Iowa State national champions. It was all downhill from there for the visitors. Iowa State won the nine contested weight classes in a 37-6 rout that improved the Cyclones to 13-2 overall in dual competition. UT-Chattanooga is now 11-9. The Cyclones showed skill from their feet, tallying 27 takedowns to UTC's two. "I like how we are wrestling," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "We scored a lot of points tonight. (UT-Chattanooga) is a young team but they are coached by Cyclones and that means they fight. Now we'll get on the bus and head for Missouri." The Cyclones wrestle the No. 5 Tigers Sunday at 2 p.m. in Columbia, Mo. In a matchup of top-10 wrestlers in the 141-pound weight class, ISU's Nick Gallick was dominant. Ninth-ranked Cody Cleveland of Chattanooga was shut out by Gallick's offensive attack as the ISU All-American scored a major decision, 12-0. Gallick regained the team lead for ISU after the Cyclones' empty spot at 133 pounds. Gallick has won 19 straight matches against collegiate wrestlers. "I'm feeling good right now," Gallick said. "I am being aggressive and going out there to score bonus points. " Iowa State's Jake Varner proved once again why he is the No. 1 wrestler in the 197-pound weight class. The two-time NCAA finalist turned UTC's Ethan Winel to his back in the first period at the 2:33 mark to score his fifth dual fall of the season. The Bakersfield, Calif. native has 12 total pins in his junior campaign and stands at 22-1 this season. Junior ISU heavyweight David Zabriskie didn't need to win his fourth-straight match in overtime as he handled Chattanooga's Cody Sliger, by a 19-6 major decision. Zabriskie tallied seven takedowns over the match to improve to 25-2. ISU's Jon Reader (165) and Jerome Ward (184) both won by major decision. Reader showed off his offense against Chattanooga's Seth Garvin, winning 14-2. It took Ward until the very end of the third period to secure his major decision for the Iowa State team. The redshirt freshman notched the final takedown needed at the 0:03 mark to win 10-2 over UTC's Tyler Roberson. Sometimes a wrestler does not need a takedown to score a pin. Junior Duke Burk proved the point for the Cyclones. The Peoria, Ill. native found himself nearing a takedown against Jason McCroskey of Chattanooga and had put his opponent in poor position. Burk planted the Mocs' wrestler on his back in 4:36 to score the big bonus points for ISU. Iowa State's Mitch Mueller (149) and Cyler Sanderson (157) both won by sound decisions for the Cyclones. Mueller, ranked 18th at 149-pounds, beat the Mocs' Dan Waddell, 9-2. Sanderson was the victorious wrestler in a heated battle against Chattanooga's Joey Knox. The returning All-American used three takedowns in the third period to power past his opponent, 11-6. To start off the dual, 10th-ranked Tyler Clark scored a decision for the Cyclone effort. Clark fought off the efforts of UTC freshman Demetrius Johnson to win by a score of 7-5. It was Senior Night for the Cyclone wrestling team and as ISU hohored Joey DeMarie (141), Ricky Lundell (149) and Chris Pursel (174). The meet's start was delayed 10 minutes to accommodate referee Randy Hartman. Hartman's plane was diverted to Cedar Rapids instead of Des Moines because of weather Friday afternoon. Hartman was a trooper, renting a car in Cedar Rapids and driving to arriving in Ames moments before the meet began.

IOWA CITY, IA -- This Friday the 13th was pretty lucky for the top-ranked Iowa wrestling team. The squad blanked #25 Purdue, 38-0, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to remain undefeated at 21-0 (5-0 Big Ten) this season. Iowa has won its last 35 matches, and despite adverse weather conditions, 5,709 fans turned out for the dual. It was the first time Iowa shut out an opponent since beating Binghamton (48-0) on Nov. 29 at the Journeymen Duals in Troy, NY. Purdue fell to 11-5-1 (0-4-1 Big Ten) with the loss. Iowa dominated the dual, scoring 36 takedowns while holding Purdue to two. Iowa senior Charlie Falck opened the dual at 125 with a 14-4 major decision over Purdue's Matt Fields, extending his own winning streak to six matches. Junior Daniel Dennis (133) and senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) followed with match-ending technical falls to build a 13-0 lead for Iowa. Dennis, who was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Tuesday for his wins at Michigan State and Penn State last weekend, posted his seventh straight victory with a 20-3 win over Carson Beebe in 6:58. Tsirtsis picked up his 90th career victory and his 20th win in Carver-Hawkeye with a 17-1 victory over Matt Hemry in 5:00. The Griffith, IN, native has won his last five bouts. In one of the night's marquee match-ups, junior Brent Metcalf improved to 25-0 on the season with a 14-4 major decision over Jake Patascil at 149. Metcalf, who is ranked number one in the nation, extended his winning streak to 57 matches while handing eighth-ranked Patascil his fifth loss of the season. Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg followed with a 6-2 decision over Colton Salazar at 157, and junior Ryan Morningstar tallied his 70th career victory with a 5-2 win over Luke Manuel at 165. Iowa junior Jay Borschel made his return to the lineup with a 15-3 major decision over Nick Corpe at 174. Borschel, who scored his 20th season victory with the win, missed the last three duals due to injury. Iowa junior 184-pounder Phillip Keddy extended his winning streak to 11 matches with a 14-4 major decision over Jason Martin. Hawkeye junior Chad Beatty, who is ranked #18 at 197, scored an escape in the tiebreak period to upset #13 Logan Brown, 2-1. Beatty has won his last five matches. Iowa redshirt freshman Jordan Johnson preserved the shutout for the Hawkeyes with his 5-2 win over Chris Kasten. Johnson was wrestling for injured Hawkeye starter Dan Erekson. Iowa will host #11/#13 Minnesota (14-6, 4-2 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in its final home dual of the 2008-09 season. Hawkeye seniors Derek Coorough (149), Charlie Falck (125), T.H. Leet (165) and Alex Tsirtsis (141) will recognized before the dual. The Golden Gophers lost at #18/#17 Wisconsin (15-19) earlier tonight. Iowa Public Television will air a live broadcast of the Iowa-Minnesota dual, while the Big Ten Network will air a taped-delay broadcast at 7 p.m. Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye Head Coach Dan Gable will call the action for the broadcast.

The Wisconsin wrestling team picked up its first home conference win Friday night, beating Minnesota 19-15 in front of 1,050 fans at the UW Field House. Wisconsin grabbed six victories in the match, bringing the Badgers to 8-7 on the season, 2-4 in the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers drop to 14-6, 4-2 in conference. Wisconsin's win also gives the Badgers 40 points in the sixth annual Border Battle. Wisconsin now leads the Border Battle, 205-175. The Badgers are now 1-1 in dual action against Minnesota this year after dropping a 22-15 match at National Duals. You can re-live all of Friday's action with the archived Web stream and Wrestling Blog. The Badgers fell behind early 9-0, but used two wins at 141 and 149 lbs., in addition to four consecutive victories at 165, 174, 184 and 197 lbs. to seal the victory. Minnesota jumped out to an early lead in the 125 and 133 lbs. weight classes. Minnesota's Zach Sanders, ranked eighth at 125 lbs., won a 10-4 decision over Wisconsin junior Drew Hammen to help the Golden Gophers to a 3-0 lead. Fifth-ranked Jayson Ness of Minnesota then pinned Badger junior Erik Senescu at the 1:51 mark at 133 lbs. to bring the Golden Gopher lead to 9-0. Top-ranked Zach Tanelli then took on Minnesota's No. 8 Mike Thorn at 141 lbs. and got the Badgers on the board with a 7-5 decision at 141 lbs. Tanelli led 3-1 after the second period but Thorn scored two escapes and a takedown to even the score at five with 32 seconds left. Tanelli registered an escape of his own with 29 seconds left and had 1:20 of riding time for the win. Tanelli improves to 22-3 overall and extends his winning streak to 15 matches. At 149 lbs., junior Kyle Ruschell registered bonus points with a 12-4 major decision over Minnesota's Joe Grygelko. Ruschell scored four takedowns in the third period, including one in the last second to secure the major decision. Ruschell, who is ranked No. 5, is now 21-5 overall this year and 12-2 in dual action. Freshman Ben Jordan wrestled tough at 157 lbs. but fell in a close 7-5 decision to Tyler Safratowich. With Minnesota up 12-7, the Badgers rattled off four victories in a row to take over the lead and clinch the win. True freshman and eighth-ranked Andrew Howe improved to a perfect 11-0 in dual action with a 4-1 decision over Scott Glasser at 165 lbs. Howe had a takedown, 1:22 of riding time and an escape in the win. True freshman Travis Rutt, who is a New Prague, Minn., native, registered his first victory of the Big Ten Conference dual season at 174 lbs. He took down Kaleb Young with a 3-1 sudden victory. Both wrestlers traded escapes in regulation but Rutt registered the match-winning takedown with 32 seconds left in sudden victory. Rutt's win put the Badgers ahead 13-12 and sophomore Eric Bugenhagen extended the UW's lead to 16-12 with another close win at 184 lbs. Bugenhagen met Sonny Yohn and each wrestler traded escapes until Bugenhagen registered a takedown with 1:01 left in the third. Yohn escaped with just two seconds left and that's all he could do in the 3-2 win for Bugenhagen. "That's the dual meet right there with Rutt and Bugenhagen getting wins," UW head coach Barry Davis said. "Rutt kept his poise and got the takedown there at the end which was really good. The last couple of matches, he didn't keep his pose as much so he did a good job there. I can't say enough about Eric Bugenhagen tonight. That was a big win and that was pretty much the dual meet right there and that was a great win for us." Senior Dallas Herbst cemented the Badger victory with a 5-2 decision over Minnesota's Gordon Bierschenk at 197 lbs. Herbst, who is ranked No. 3, had a takedown and two escapes for his 18th win this season. Minnesota registered one more win as Ben Berhow upset UW's eighth-ranked heavyweight Kyle Massey, 3-2 to put the final tally at 19-15 in favor of Wisconsin. "The win was good but I think we could have gotten a couple more wins there," Davis said. "I thought we'd do better at 157 lbs. and heavyweight. When you lose that last match at the end, it takes something out of you but the win was good." Wisconsin returns to action at the UW Field House Sunday at 1 p.m. when No. 25 Purdue comes to town.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- True freshman Scotti Sentes pinned Troy Doylan at 125 pounds, and ninth-ranked Central Michigan went on to win six of the first seven bouts in a 22-14 win at No. 5 Missouri Friday night. The fifth-ranked Tigers are the highest-ranked opponent CMU has defeated since a 21-13 win over No. 4 Michigan last season. The Chippewas (15-2-1 overall) improved to 3-1-1 against top-10 ranked opponents this season. Missouri falls to 17-4 overall. Sentes's fall at 125 pounds was his third of the season. He improved to 21-5 overall with the win. Sentes was leading 11-1 when he stuck Dolan at the 5:51 mark. Conor Beebe and Tony D'Alie then followed with decisions at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, before Steve Brown scored bonus points with a 10-2 major decision at 149 pounds. Beebe scored takedowns in both of the first two periods and used a 2:15 riding time advantage for his 6-5 decision at 133. A third-period takedown by D'Alie sent the 141-pound bout to overtime tied at 3-3; D'Alie tallied a takedown and three-point nearfall in sudden victory for the 8-3 decision. Brown scored four takedowns and had a riding time advantage of 4:41 in his major decision at 149. His victory gave CMU a 16-0 lead on the scoreboard. Michael Chandler claimed Missouri's first win of the match with a technical fall at 157 pounds. CMU, however, answered with decisions by Trevor Stewart and Mike Miller at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively, to stretch its lead to 22-5 with three matches remaining. A second-period escape and riding time were enough for a 2-0 decision for Stewart at 165. Miller, facing No. 5-ranked Raymond Jordan, tied the score at 1-1 with a third-period escape and was the recipient of a penalty point when Jordan was called for stalling later in the third period. The loss was just the third of the season for Jordan, who fell to 28-3 overall. Missouri claimed decisions in each of the final three bouts, including a 4-2 decision by Dorian Henderson over Vince DiDona at 184. The match was tied 1-1 after regulation and 2-2 after both Henderson and DiDona scored escapes in the first tiebreaker. Henderson's takedown in the second sudden victory period was the difference. CMU is back in action Sunday, visiting Northern Illinois for a Mid-American Conference dual at 1 p.m.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- Franklin & Marshall's grapplers won five of the six bouts wrestled at Bream Gymnasium to hand Gettysburg a 35-13 setback at the Battlefield. The victory was the Diplomats (5-10) 58th in 66 meetings with the Bullets (1-22). 174-pounder Justin Herbert (19-9) racked up his 33rd career pin and ninth of the season, flattening Luke Mitchell 46 seconds into the second period. The Diplomats' all-time pins leader was up 14-5on the strength of four takedowns, two near falls and a reversal when the official slapped the mat. Gettysburg led for much of the early portion of the match. F&M spotted the Bullets six points with a forfeit at 125 pounds. Michael Slabinskli ran the lead out to 9-0 with a 10-4 decision over Matt Murray (3-16). Murray managed an early takedown, but Slabinski reversed it and turned the Diplomat for a near fall to take the lead for good. Frank Higgins (3-11) got F&M on the scoreboard with a technical fall of Jack Bostrom, midway through the sedons period. Bostrom scored the first points against on a takedown, but Higgins went to work with an escape, a takedown, and three near falls to close the first period. Jay Tracy (2-4) collected a forfeit at 141 to give F&M its first lead of the night, 11-9. The advantage was short lived as Andrew Goldstein bested Al Gianforti (11-15) 14-6 to make it 13-11 in favor of the hosts. It was the Bullets last win of the night. Anthony Bongarzone (13-14) posted an 8-3 decision of Anthony Iorio at 165 pound to put the Diplomats out in front for good. That was followed by Herbert's pin and 12 more points without breaking a sweat at 184 and 197. The final bout was one of the night's most spirited matchups. F&M's Nico Somers (13-11) managed a takedown in the first period. Working from the bottom in the second, Somers escaped and took Bobby Christopher to the mat once more. Christopher reversed to get on the board, and escaped at the start of the third period, but both wrestlers ran out of steam, leaving Somers with the 6-3 win. The Diplomats return to the mats and their Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Slate on Saturday when F&M heads to Lehigh to take on the Mountain Hawks, who ranked seventh in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Division I Team Rankings released on Monday.

Marcus LeVesseur went where no other Division III college wrestler has ever gone before. From 2002-2007, the Minneapolis native compiled a perfect 155-0 record at Augsburg College and won four NCAA Division III titles, which had never been accomplished. In addition to starring on the mat for Augsburg, LeVesseur also excelled on the gridiron. He was a first-team All-MIAC quarterback for the Auggies. Marcus LeVesseur is one of the rising stars in MMA (Photo/13twentythree Photography)Following his college career, LeVesseur, a four-time Minnesota state champion, jumped into mixed martial arts (MMA). He is now one of the rising stars in the sport. On Friday night, LeVesseur will be featured on an MMA/boxing fight card put on by Seconds Out Promotions called St. Valentine's Day Massacre at Epic in Minneapolis. For information on the event or to purchase tickets, click HERE. RevWrestling.com recently talked to LeVesseur about his record-setting college wrestling career, his MMA career, whether he plans to ever wrestle again, and much more. While you were at Augsburg, you went undefeated (155-0) and won four NCAA titles. When you reflect on that amazing accomplishment, how much does it mean to you? LeVesseur: It means the world to me that I was able to accomplish my goal of being the second wrestler ever to go undefeated in college and win four NCAA titles. After I won my title my sophomore year, I was just amazed. I thought, 'Hey, I could really make this happen.' It helps me out in life now. It makes me think, 'What else great can I accomplish? Or what else do I have the passion to accomplish?' Coming out of high school, you were one of the top recruits in the country. You spent your first year at the University of Minnesota. What was that experience like for you? LeVesseur: That experience was awesome. Minnesota won the national title that season. I think the most important thing I took from that program was how intense they train. I really got used to their workout regiments. From being in the wrestling room at one of the top Division I wrestling programs in the country, I kind of knew how to train like a champion, which I've always done, but I just really took that philosophy my whole entire career. Wear your opponents down and force them to make mistakes. That's the Gophers motto nowadays. I just bought into it. Even though I transferred, I took that philosophy with me. The University of Minnesota had a wrestling room full of very talented wrestlers at the time, especially around your weight. Jared Lawrence won the NCAA title that season at 149 pounds and Luke Becker won the NCAA title at 157 pounds. What was it like working out with Lawrence and Becker? Marcus LeVesseur became the first Division III wrestler ever to win four NCAA titles and finish his career undefeated (Photo/The Guillotine)LeVesseur: It was awesome. I worked out with Luke Becker a few more times than I worked out with Jared Lawrence in the practice room. Those guys are phenoms. It was their fourth year in college. They really accepted me. And I'm really appreciative of that. It was a learning experience. After being highly recruited out of high school, you're kind of on cloud nine. And then after practicing in college, you're like, 'Man, OK, I had no takedowns today in practice. I almost got some, but Becker is so dang strong.' I think a lot of people go through that phase coming into a Division I program, especially a program like the U. Those guys are tough and they taught me a lot. As you're wrestling, some of the guys would just allow things to happen to them … whereas me and a couple guys would always fight through it and be stubborn to the situation. I think a lot of times that pushed the guys that had been there to really exceed their capabilities … and kind of put us back in our place. That was going on a lot and it was awesome. What caused you to make the decision to transfer to Augsburg? LeVesseur: One main thing was that I wasn't happy with everything that was going on at the U and in the wrestling program. And there were a few other key things, like family issues and problems, and then personal and social life problems. Those things just kind of attacked at one time. I just thought, 'OK, what's the best case scenario? And what's the next best scenario?' I spent a lot of time thinking about it. It really didn't help too much that my roommate, Cory Cooperman, was in the same position. Obviously, since we were roommates, we talked about whether we should transfer or stay and fight through it. The best choice for me was to cut ties and focus on school. That was my biggest focus my first month and a half there. I was doing superb in the classroom. I was pretty much getting a 4.0. About a month and a half into it, it became a little more challenging. There were a few more parties to attend. School slipped a little bit. So I'm like, 'Hey, I need to get this in check … because obviously I want to graduate.' And then I thought, 'What about transferring across the river to Augsburg?' Within the rules, I talked to (Jeff) Swenson. He was like, 'Our door is open if that is what you want to pursue.' So it just happened that I ended up wrestling for the Augsburg Auggies. How is your relationship with Jeff Swenson? Jeff SwensonLeVesseur: I value our friendship more than just about anything nowadays. I just think about the life lessons we talked about … and how he has sort of sculpted me into being the man I am … and helped me develop some of my characteristics. Maybe in the public's eye it might not have appeared this way, but I looked at Swenson as like a second father. He really opened up his heart and his arms and was willing to help me with some of the things I was having issues with. But then he was also the coach and helped me get better. He always challenged me to be a better wrestler, a better student, and a better man. And he succeeded in that. We still keep in contact nowadays. He's a great guy. I'm sure you heard the critics when you were in college. There were people who said someone with your talent had no business competing in Division III and should have been competing in Division I. Some people even went as far as to stay that if you broke Cael Sanderson's consecutive wins streak of 159, they wouldn't recognize it because you accomplished it in Division III and not in Division I. When you would hear criticism like that, did it bother you? LeVesseur: No, it didn't bother me. But you would hear it all the time if you went on TheGuillotine.com or TheMat.com. You would see some of the posts. A lot of times, that was my challenge. It motivated me. I was like, OK, we all have our opinions. If saying that is what you feel, I didn't mind that at all. I just used that as a little bit of fuel for the fire. Because of what you accomplished in Division III, there were people who wondered how you might have fared against Division I competition. At the time, did you ever think about how you might do against Division I competition? Marcus LeVesseur won his first three NCAA Division III titles at 157 pounds before moving up to 165 pounds for his senior season at Augsburg (Photo/The Guillotine)LeVesseur: I always thought about it. A lot of the guys that were at the top of the ranks were the guys I was wrestling with all the way up from middle school and high school. I kind of compared myself to them. There was one tournament that I wrestled in (University Freestyle Nationals) where I wrestled several NCAA Division I qualifiers at 165 and 174. I saw some competition there. Admittedly, probably not the toughest competition, but I wrestled some tough guys. I never let that get to me or bother me. I was just like, 'Hey, at some point, I will be wrestling some of these top guys … and that's in the future. When that time comes, then we'll have something to talk about.' Did you ever consider wrestling in the Midlands? LeVesseur: I for sure wanted to wrestle in the Midlands. There was always a conflict with Augsburg's schedule. Of course, I would have liked to have wrestled in the Midlands. When you were in high school, you defeated Olympian Ben Askren handily, 13-4, in the finals of the Bi-State Tournament in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Were you surprised by how successful Askren became after high school? LeVesseur: No, I wasn't surprised at all. Askren has a truly sound, developed, and unorthodox style. He's like Gumby. He can twist and turn. He's very good at countering people's attacks. When I wrestled him, I recognized that early in the match and was able to jump out to a big lead quickly … and then just sort of sat on it. But I wasn't surprised at all by his success. Obviously, if you're wrestling some of the top guys, like Chris Pendleton, year after year, with a similar style to mine, you're going to get good. Askren is a funky wrestler. His motto is "Fear the Funk" because he has a lot of funky stuff that is well-calculated and pinpoint. After your college wrestling career, did you consider pursuing an international wrestling career? Or were you set on getting into MMA? LeVesseur: At first, I was set on MMA. But then in 2007, with the 2008 Olympics approaching, I was training on my own and planned to wrestle in some tournaments. But then I ended up getting injured in November of 2007. I tore my MCL and my PCL. It was a grade II tear on my MCL, so there was no surgery on that. And then I had a slight tear on my PCL, so there was no surgery on that. So rehabbing back from that brought on 2008. My knee wasn't one-hundred percent yet. One of my favorite moves is a high crotch to the left side … and I'm not able to do that yet. So my knee isn't one-hundred percent yet. But when it does get back to one-hundred percent through rehab, I'll be back on the mat wrestling. You have had a successful start to your MMA career. What are you hoping to accomplish in the sport? Marcus LeVesseur is hoping to someday become a champion in a predominant MMA league (Photo/13twentythree Photography)LeVesseur: Ultimately, I'm looking to pursue my career for the next four years as 2012 approaches, so I can be a two-sport athlete, wrestling in tournaments and competing in MMA. I would love to be a champion in a predominant league … whether it's a UFC champion, a WEC champion, an Affliciton champion, or a Strikeforce champion. Those are some of the more credible leagues. I want to have a healthy career fighting in one of those leagues. And then after that, eventually look to open up a school for wrestling and self defense, which would include boxing, kickboxing, and jiu-jitsu. That's long-term, big-picture. I just want to take it year by year. It's an exciting sport and it's growing. If I can stay healthy and have a healthy MMA career, it's going to help with paying off loans and paying bills. What is your current training situation? Do you have a regular training academy or gym? LeVesseur: No. Right now, I'm just working out with several local fighters. I'll be looking to do some jiu-jitsu training at RevolutionMMA. And just the past several weeks I've been making contacts with the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy and Greg Nelson. But that has yet to be decided. But hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be at those places full-time. After going undefeated in college wrestling, was it tough to deal with losing in MMA? LeVesseur: Nobody likes to lose, especially if they have a strong passion and are a competitor. In wrestling, you can kind of master your style and then make your opponents have to adjust to it. If they don't adjust to it, then you can score points just by making it awkward or by throwing them off … and getting the victory. In the fight world, it's totally different. You have kicks coming at you. If you take someone down, and that guy is good on the ground, you have to watch out for submissions. So there are more ways in MMA to lose. The losses just pushed me to get back in the gym and work harder. Obviously, I know there are people out there who are better than me at pretty much everything I do, so that pushes me in my training sessions. Are there any MMA fighters that you admire? Roger Huerta wrestled at Augsburg before becoming an MMA standout (Photo/Sherdog.com)LeVesseur: I admire one of my real good friends, Roger Huerta. He fought in the UFC seven times. He was 6-1 in UFC fights. I look up to him a lot just because he's a friend of mine who has accomplished great things. This is the guy I was walking down the street with, living the same old life as me. I'm like, OK, I see the path he has taken … and now I'm right behind him, three years later. Besides Roger, I admire Georges St-Pierre. He's an animal. He's technically sound. I like Anderson Silva. Pretty much all the UFC champions right now, even Brock Lesnar. He's a dominating force. He controls the fight very well. As a wrestler, that seems pretty easy … go in there, take him down, control him, and pound him. But really, can you do that every single time? No. That's what makes it a great challenge for me … I have to be skilled in all these areas. I went out to California this past summer to tap into and network in the MMA market out West. I ended up at a Muay Thai school. I was training there for three months, full-time, three workouts per day. Just like wrestling, I'm trying to master my style so that I can keep that style up and cause fits for my opponents. You have a fight scheduled for Friday night at Epic in Minneapolis that is part of an event called the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. What are your thoughts on the fight? LeVesseur: I'm excited for the fight. I've been training real hard for this fight. I've had a couple injuries here and there the past few weeks, but I'm ready to go. Obviously, this is kind of dedicated to Scott LeDoux because of his situation (Scott LeDoux, a former professional boxer and current Executive Director of the Minnesota Boxing Commission, was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease.) My thoughts go out to him and his family. I'm just glad that I can be a part of something this big for somebody so special to boxing and MMA in Minnesota. Your friend and high school teammate, Carey Vanier, is also competing on the card Friday night. Describe your relationship with him. LeVesseur: Carey and I are like brothers. Since I was 5 or 6 years old, he was always my neighbor right across the street. We grew up playing football together, wrestling together, and running around the neighborhood together. He's just a great guy. A very good friend of mine. Now that I'm 26 and he has been my friend for about 20 years, I think that's something very special that a lot of people don't find. If they do, those are good people to keep around you. So now in 2009, here we are, on the same card, fighting for a good cause, and pursuing our careers in MMA. I'm sure he's pumped up. I'm pumped up as well. I can't wait until weigh-ins, the last training session, going over the game plan, which has already been mapped out, and then just execututing.

Teague Moore, head wrestling coach for Clarion University, and Roger Moore, author of a new wrestling book on the military, will be the featured guests on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, Feb. 12. This Thursday's edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 7 p.m. CST. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the "Listen Live" link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Teague Moore is in his third year as the head wrestling coach at Clarion University. The Golden Eagles will face Pittsburgh and Cleveland State this weekend. Teague was a three-time All-American for Oklahoma State, winning an NCAA title in 1998 at 118 pounds. Roger Moore provides color commentary for Oklahoma State dual meets on 93.7 KSPI-FM radio in Stillwater and is a feature writer for W.I.N. Magazine. He is also the author of the recently published book "Glory Beyond the Sport: Wrestling and the Military." This new book was published by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum as part of its 2009 exhibit which honors those wrestlers who served in the military. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

The mobile Brute Adidas Studios will hit the road again this week and head to Columbia Missouri and Little Rock, Arkansas. TDR Schedule: Friday Feb. 13th 6:30 PM CST Missouri Vs. Cent. Mich Live Play By Play with Scott Casber and 2 X NCAA Champ Ben Askren Sat Feb. 14 th 9:05 AM to 11:00 AM CST Reg. TDR Show with Special Guests Pat Smith and Greg Hatcher Live from the Jack Stephens Center on the Campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock On phone or in studio guests include Jeff Murphy with the Kemin review of the National landscape of College Wrestling and Hofstra's Head Coach Tom Shifflet Sat Feb. 14 th 6:30 PM CST TakedownRadio.com presents the inaugural Arkansas State HS Championships. Join Scott Casber and Don Schuler for the presentation of the Finals of this historic event. Special Thanks go out to Pat Smith and Greg Hatcher and their team for the hard work and dedication to purpose in organizing wrestling at the club and HS level in Arkansas. Great work guys. Please note you can listen to these broadcast at no charge at Takedownradio.com courtesy of our partners at Livesportsvideo.com and all of our tremendous sponsors who understand that wrestling is the backbone of all that is good in sports.

Relentless. If there's one word to describe Ohio State's 165-pound sophomore Colt Sponseller, it's relentless. It's a word used repeatedly by the Buckeye's head coach Tom Ryan, assistant coach Joe Heskett, and by Colt Sponseller himself, in separate interviews. Colt Sponseller"He's relentless," says Heskett, who works with RevWrestling.com's No. 2-ranked 165-pound wrestler every day in the Ohio State practice room. "He wants to win so bad. He wants to dominate opponents." "He wrestles all-out, all the time. His gas tank is unlimited. He runs a five-minute mile, all at the same speed. He could run the second mile in five minutes, too." The 2002 NCAA champ at 165 pounds for Iowa State continues, "Colt goes all out in practice, in matches, even in his thinking." Coach Ryan concurs. "He trains like a true champion … A truly relentless competitor." Colt Sponseller even uses the word to describe himself. "I approach life being relentless. Do everything as hard as you can. You don't want to take any shortcuts." This relentlessness has been on display throughout Colt Sponseller's mat career. Among the highlights: A three-time Ohio high school state champ and 2007 NHSCA Senior Nationals champ … then, a 16-4 season as a true freshman at Ohio State last year, and, as of this writing, a 25-3 record as a sophomore. Raised right on a farm Colt Sponseller is very much a product of his upbringing. He grew up on a horse farm in Holmes County, Ohio -- Amish country, northeast of Columbus. "I grew up, helping out," says the Buckeye 165-pound starter. "You're bailing and mowing hay, doing chores, working out. There's not much leisure time." Colt Sponseller is 25-3 this season and ranked No. 2 in the country at 165 pounds by RevWrestling.com (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)"My dad instilled in me the mentality to work hard." As Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan puts it, "He was raised the right way. His mother raises horses, and has an incredible work ethic. His dad has coached wrestling, and also sets high standards." In fact, Colt Sponseller's father Randy helped set the stage for both of his sons to enter the sport of wrestling. (Colt's older brother Clint is a senior at Kent State University in Ohio, wrestling at 149 for the Golden Flashes.) "Dad wrestled in high school," says the Ohio State sophomore. "He runs the youth program back home, and had been a junior high coach." "I started wrestling at about age 4. In sixth grade, I won a state title in youth competition. Wrestling didn't really become serious for me until sixth grade." That may have been just the first in a number of turning points in Colt Sponseller's wrestling career. High school mat star In his freshman year at West Holmes High School, Colt Sponseller compiled a 30-11 record. He qualified for the Ohio high school state tournament, and placed third at 130. By his own admission, a real turning point was the following summer -- and an early sign of his relentless nature: "The summer after freshman year, I didn't take a day off. I worked out with my high school coaches. My work ethic skyrocketed. I turned up my work ethic to a whole new level. I wanted a state title bad." Prior to becoming a Buckeye, Colt Sponseller was a prep standout at West Holmes High School in Ohio (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)Apparently that summer of intensity paid off. As a sophomore, Sponseller compiled a 36-1 record, and won the 2005 Ohio High School Division II title – the first of three. It's that first state championship -- the result of a 16-5 major decision over Grant Hoppel of Columbus St. Francis in the 140-pound finals -- that Colt Sponseller calls, "the most meaningful. My first state title was the first time anyone at my school was a state champ in any sport." Sponseller's high school mat career continued on an upward trajectory. In his junior year, he built a 42-1 record, and won his second Ohio state title -- this time at 152 pounds, edging Josh Rohler of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 5-4, in the finals -- then went on to win the 2006 National High School Junior Wrestling Championships at 152. Senior year was the pinnacle of Sponseller's prep career. He was 46-0 that year, capping his career by winning his third Ohio Division II state title, this time in decisive fashion, with a 25-12 major decision over Canal Fulton North's Kyle Haddox in the 160-pound finals. A few weeks later, Sponseller won the NHSCA Senior Nationals championship at 160… claimed Outstanding Wrestler honors for the event … and was named NHSCA's High School Wrestler of the Year. He was also voted Region 4 Wrestler of the Year, and a finalist for the Junior Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded by WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine) to the nation's top high school wrestler. Sponseller graduated from West Holmes High with an overall record of 154-13. Born to be a Buckeye As expected for a high school wrestler with these accomplishments, Colt Sponseller "got a lot of letters from colleges, starting junior year." Tom Ryan recruited Colt Sponseller to Ohio State (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)"I looked at Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota," says Sponseller. "I always wanted to be an Ohio State Buckeye." "However, early in my high school days, Ohio State wasn't doing so hot. When Coach Ryan came on board and said he wanted to keep Ohio kids in Ohio, that really spoke to me." Tom Ryan mentions how Colt Sponseller expressed his intense desire to be a Buckeye during the recruiting process: "We talked about running the steps at Ohio Stadium as part of our training program. Guys puke their guts out after that run. But I remember him saying, ‘Coach, I've been waiting to run those steps all my life.'" In his bio in the Ohio State wrestling media guide, Sponseller says, "I chose Ohio State because it is The Ohio State University." Further demonstrating his determination to be a Buckeye, in an article from the Daily Record announcing that he had been voted the newspaper's 2006-07 Athlete of the Year -- which included a one-time college scholarship of $750 -- Sponseller explained how he could accept the scholarship: "I sacrificed a full-ride from three other schools to go to the school I wanted to go to. There isn't a lot of money available for wrestling and I understand that …" A frustrating freshman season Colt Sponseller had a strong first season wearing the Scarlet and Gray, compiling a 16-4 record as a freshman. There's always the issue of whether to redshirt a student-athlete who's new to college. In the case of not redshirting Colt Sponseller, it's something that Coach Ryan wrestles with to this day: "For me, it was a hard decision … We forced it along, but he helped us win some important dual meets." Colt Sponseller started his freshman season with a bang, but had a disappointing Big Tens (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)Part of that questioning may spring from Colt Sponseller's breaking his hand early in his freshman season. "He was out two months," according to assistant coach Joe Heskett. "He missed out on Vegas and other early-season tournaments. He didn't have the opportunity to learn like most freshman do, in those early events." After recovering from the hand injury, Sponseller had an impressive debut for the Buckeyes in December 2007, getting a 3-1 decision over Wisconsin's Jake Donar. He was one of two Ohio State wrestlers to record a perfect 5-0 mark at the 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Yet, ask the Buckeye 165-pounder about the high points of his young college career, and he immediately responds, "I really haven't accomplished anything yet." He quickly follows up with, "I had an alright year ‘til the Big Tens. I just didn't have the tournament I wanted." At the 2008 Big Ten Championships, Colt Sponseller was seeded fourth in the 165-pound bracket. He drew a bye in the opening round, then, in his first match, lost in overtime to Illinois' Roger Smith-Bergsrud, the fifth seed. In the consolation bracket, Sponseller fell to unseeded Luke Manuel of Purdue, and did not place. Nor did he qualify for the 2008 NCAA Division I Championships. "You learn from things," says Sponseller. "The Big Tens motivated me to keep that from ever happening again. I've stepped it up a lot more." Joe Heskett weighs in: "After the Big Tens, Colt has learned strategy. It's definitely helping him win the big-time matches now." "One of his most special attributes is his openness," adds Heskett. "He's open to learning, willing to grow." Sophomore success That openness to learning and relentless pursuit of perfection seems to be paying off for Colt Sponseller in his sophomore year. Right now, he's 25-3, with four pins, five technical falls, and three major decisions. Among the highlights of his second season as the Buckeye 165 starter: placing second at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational … getting a 4-1 win over Jarrod King to help rally the Buckeyes in a win at Edinboro … and being named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week in mid-December 2008. Ask Colt Sponseller to describe his wrestling style, and the first word out of his mouth is, "Relentless. Always in your face, always trying to score. Always looking for the takedown." Joe Heskett"Some guys may have more muscle mass. I know that I can't rely just on superior conditioning. But, if I can get a guy tired by the third period, well, it's helped me win a lot of my matches." "Relentless" is also the first word out of Tom Ryan when asked about his 165 starter's mat style. "His greatest gift is tolerating discomfort. He has unbelievably high threshold for discomfort." Joe Heskett agrees: "He puts in an amazing amount of work. He's able to push his body to incredible extremes … When you wrestle him, he will make you tired." "He has a great belief system. He trains to win." Life beyond wrestling In addition to being relentless on the mat and in the training room, Colt Sponseller brings a similar level of intensity to his studies. As a freshman, he earned All-American Academic honors. When asked about his class work, the sophomore responds, "It's a lot harder this year … It's your responsibility as a student-athlete to do well in the classroom. After all, you can't be a wrestler all your life." So, does Colt Sponseller have a life beyond the practice room and classroom? Yes, apparently in the offseason. The guy who grew up on a farm says, "I love the outdoors -- hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, paintball … I also like hanging out with friends, talking about anything but wrestling." "I love to cook," adds Sponseller. "I'm very much a work-in-progress in the kitchen … With my parents both being busy, I had to learn to fend for myself, doing my own laundry and my own cooking." Colt Sponseller is a business major. Right now, he's not sure what type of career might be waiting for him after graduation, but, in discussing his interest in cooking, he discloses, "I'd like to run my own business someday. Maybe even a restaurant." He's also open to the idea of possibly becoming a coach. "I'd love to be a college coach. I like the intensity. I think I could turn my hard work and determination as a wrestler into a successful coaching career." Colt Sponseller has quickly become a fan favorite (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Sponseller has nothing but praise for his coaches in Columbus: "I think the coaching staff has really turned things around. They want us to win, to prepare us for success in life. They're great human beings." His coaches return the compliment. "Colt is the prototypical Buckeye, what we want here at Ohio State," says assistant coach Joe Heskett. "He excels in every way. He's a great person, a great student, a great wrestler." "Colt Sponseller and Mike Pucillo have jump-started our rebuilding program," according to head coach Tom Ryan. "(Sponseller's) quickly become a fan favorite here … Expectations are sky-high for him." "Colt Sponseller is good for college wrestling," Ryan continues. "He's equally impressive off the mat, too." "He sets the standard, not just for the team, but for the sport."

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- North Carolina 125-pound freshman Nick Shields has been named Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after helping the Tar Heels nail down a key conference win and a non-conference victory over the weekend. Shields scored a pin and a major decision in victories over NC State and Ohio. The Metairie, La., native got the Tar Heels off to a fast start in the 33-12 win over the Wolfpack with his first career pin in 2:47 against Greyson Mills on Friday. On Saturday, Shields recorded a major decision in North Carolina's 26-12 victory over the Bobcats. Shields dropped Tim Silvers in the final seconds for an 8-0 victory to record his fifth win in the last seven bouts, With the win over the Wolfpack, the Tar Heels (12-7) completed a 4-1 regular season versus ACC competition. North Carolina still has three non-conference dual matches scheduled before the ACC Wrestling Tournament in Blacksburg, Va., March 7.

PARK RIDGE, IL -- Iowa 133-pound wrestler Daniel Dennis has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. It is the first time the junior from Ingleside, IL, has earned the honor. Dennis, who is ranked number one in the nation in the Intermat/NWCA/NWMA poll and by W.I.N. Magazine, posted two Big Ten road wins against ranked opponents last weekend. He scored a 3-2 victory over defending Big Ten champion Franklin Gomez of Michigan State Friday night in East Lansing. It was only the second loss of the season for Gomez, who was ranked first by Amateur Wrestling News and W.I.N. Magazine at the time. Dennis followed with a 6-3 victory over #9 Jake Strayer of Penn State Sunday afternoon at University Park. The Hawkeye junior is 21-2 in collegiate competition this season, 16-2 in dual matches and 4-0 in Big Ten duals. He has won his last six bouts. Dennis is the third Hawkeye to earn the honor this season. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) was named Dec. 9 after the Iowa-Iowa State dual, and junior Dan Erekson (Hwt.) followed on Jan. 27 after wins against Wisconsin and Illinois. With only two weeks left in the 2008-09 regular season, the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (20-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will host its final Big Ten duals in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this weekend. Iowa will put a 34-match winning streak on the line when it hosts #25 Purdue (11-4-1, 0-3-1 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. and #8/#13 Minnesota (14-5, 4-1 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. The Iowa-Minnesota dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television and taped delay at 7 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. Tickets are available from the UI Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Sophomore D.J. Russo (Netcong, N.J.) was named the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Wrestler of the Week, the group announced Monday. The heavyweight earned the honor after pinning American's Quinton Pruett in the final bout of the match to clinch the victory for the Scarlet Knights. RU faced a four-point deficit heading into that final bout and Russo pinned Pruett in 3:06 to earn six points and propel Rutgers to a 19-17 victory over No. 21 American. "D.J. has been doing great things for us all year and he came through again," said Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale. "It doesn't get any better than that when a heavyweight earns a pin to win the match." It was Russo's ninth pin of the season as the redshirt sophomore improved his record to 24-11 overall and 14-6 in dual competition on the year. The victory extended RU's school-record victory total to 19 as the Scarlet Knights improved to 19-5 on the season and 7-1 in the EIWA. Rutgers also handed American its first loss in the conference. The Scarlet Knights will travel to Annapolis, Md. this Friday to face EIWA foe Navy at 7:00 p.m.

THIS WEEK With only two weeks left in the 2008-09 regular season, the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (20-0, 4-0 Big Ten) host its final Big Ten duals in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa will put its 34-match winning streak on the line when it hosts #25 Purdue (11-4-1, 0-3-1 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. and #11/#13 Minnesota (14-5, 4-1 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. 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 and www.hawkeyesports.com. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year). Television - Iowa Public Television will air a live broadcast of the Iowa-Minnesota dual, while the Big Ten Network will air a taped-delay broadcast of the match Sunday at 7 p.m. Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye Head Coach Dan Gable will call the action for the broadcast. Internet - Press releases, meet results and audio broadcasts are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. HAWKEYE WRESTLING TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's two remaining home duals are on sale at the UI Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. Against Purdue, tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets purchased at the meet are $12 for adults, $6 for youth. UI students and children ages five and under will be admitted free. Against Minnesota, tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Due to the possibility of a sellout crowd, the first 1,000 general admission University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge after they log-in to their student account at www.hawkeyesports.com to reserve a seat and download a free paper ticket. After that allotment is sold out, students may purchase reserved seats at the youth price. SO LONG SENIORS Four Hawkeye seniors will be honored before the Iowa-Minnesota dual on Sunday. Charlie Falck (Stawberry Point, IA), Alex Tsirtsis (Griffith, IN), Derek Coorough (Hillsboro, WI) and T.H. Leet (Atlanta, GA) will be making their final collegiate appearances in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. DENNIS NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK Iowa 133-pound wrestler Daniel Dennis has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. It is the first time the junior from Ingleside, IL, has earned the honor. Dennis, who is ranked number one in the nation in the Intermat/NWCA/NWMA poll and by W.I.N. Magazine, posted two Big Ten road wins against ranked opponents last weekend. He scored a 3-2 victory over defending Big Ten champion Franklin Gomez of Michigan State Friday night in East Lansing. It was only the second loss of the season for Gomez, who was ranked first by Amateur Wrestling News and W.I.N. Magazine at the time. Dennis followed with a 6-3 victory over #9 Jake Strayer of Penn State Sunday afternoon at University Park. The Hawkeye junior is 21-2 in collegiate competition this season, 16-2 in dual matches and 4-0 in Big Ten duals. He has won his last six bouts. Dennis is the third Hawkeye to earn the honor this season. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) was named Dec. 9 after the Iowa-Iowa State dual, and junior Dan Erekson (Hwt.) followed on Jan. 27 after wins against Wisconsin and Illinois. PURDUE BOILERMAKERS Purdue is ranked 25th in the USA Today/NWCA/Intermat coaches poll. The Boilermakers are 11-4-1 (0-3-1 Big Ten) with wins over Eastern Michigan (33-6), Campbellsville (44-0), Northern Illinois (32-9), Mt. St. Joseph (30-15), Notre Dame OH (26-15), George Mason (24-15), UNC-Greensboro (30-9), Central Florida (44-9), Findlay (45- -1), Ashland (35-3) and East Stroudsburg (49-0), losses to Old Dominion (12-22), Illinois (11-29), Indiana (12-21) and Ohio State (10-28), and a 19-19 tie with Penn State. Head Coach Scott Hinkel is 21-12-1 in his second season at his alma mater. Hinkel was an all-American at Purdue, competing for the Boilermakers from 1984-87. He is assisted by Tom Erikson (Oklahoma State, 1987), Glenn Lanham (Tennessee, 1988) and Chris Fleeger (Purdue, 2008). The Boilermakers are led by senior Jake Patacsil (149) and sophomores Luke Manuel (165), A.J. Kissel (184) and Logan Brown (197). Patascil is ranked eighth in the nation, and brings a 28-4 overall record and 3-1 Big Ten mark to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Manuel is ranked 16th in the nation with a 21-9 record, while Kissel is 14th with a 24-6 record and Brown 13th with a 24-8 mark. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS Minnesota is 14-5 (4-1 Big Ten) and ranked 11th in the nation USA Today/NWCA/Intermat coaches poll and 13th by W.I.N. Magazine. The Golden Gophers have posted wins over Portland State (54-0), Northern Colorado (42-4), North Dakota State (36-6), Army (26-15), Air Force (41-3), Harvard (28-20), Buffalo (27-13), Wisconsin (22-15), Penn State (21-18 & 20-19), Arizona State (26-12), Michigan State (30-6), Ohio State (18-16) and Northwestern (18-16), and losses to Nebraska (18-21), Oklahoma State (13-23), Iowa (7-27), Ohio State (12-25) and Michigan (16-17). Head Coach J Robinson is 346-115-3 in 23 years at Minnesota. He has coached 11 NCAA champions, 39 Big Ten champions and 89 all-Americans at Minnesota. He has led the Golden Gophers to six Big Ten and three NCAA titles. Robinson served as interim head coach at Iowa in 1984, when then-Head Coach Dan Gable coached the U.S. Olympic team. He was also an assistant coach (1976-83) and graduate aassistant (1972-76) at Iowa. Robinson is assisted by Minnesota alums Joe Russell (1992), Brandon Eggum (2000) and Luke Becker (2003). Minnesota is led by junior Jayson Ness (133), sophomores Mike Thorn (141) and Ben Berhow (Hwt.), and redshirt freshman Zach Sanders (125). Ness, who was a two-time all-American and Big Ten finalist at 125, is ranked fifth in the nation at 133 with a 27-4 record. Sanders is ranked eighth with a 29-3 record, Thorn is eighth at 25-10 and Berhow is 21-6. THE SERIES Purdue - Iowa leads the series, 34-4-3, and has won the last 22 meetings. The Hawkeyes also hold an 18-1-2 advantage in Iowa City. Iowa won the last meeting (36-3) in 2007 at West Lafayette. Purdue's last win in the series was 23-9 at Iowa City in 1961. Minnesota - Iowa leads the series, 64-24-1, and is 30-12 in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting (27-7) at the 2009 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls last month. Minnesota's last win in the series was a 29-13 victory in Iowa City to close out Iowa's 2006-07 dual season. MARQUEE MATCH-UPS There are eight marquee match-ups based on the probable starters for this weekend's duals. The individual rankings listed below are the most recent from the NWCA/Intermat/NWCA poll. Iowa vs. Purdue 149 - #1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. #8 Jake Patascil (Purdue) Metcalf is 24-0 and riding a 56-match winning streak. Patascil is 28-4 and has won 10 of his last 11 matches. Metcalf who has a 1-0 record in the series - posted a 18-5 major decision at the 2007 Midlands finals. 165 - #3 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) vs. #16 Luke Manuel (Purdue) This will be the first meeting between Morningstar and Manuel. Morningstar, who will be making his 62nd consecutive career dual start, is 21-4 in collegiate matches and 16-4 in duals. Manuel is 21-9 and 1-3 in Big Ten duals. 184 - #3 Phillip Keddy (Iowa) vs. #14 A.J. Kissel (Purdue) Keddy is 20-0 in dual competition and on a 10-match winning streak. Kissel is 24-6 and has won 10 of his last 11 matches. This will be the first meeting between the two. 197 - #18 Chad Beatty (Iowa) vs. #13 Logan Brown (Purdue) Beatty and Brown have not met in collegiate competition. Beatty is 12-3 with a 3-1 Big Ten dual record, and has won his last four matches. Brown is 23-8 this season and also has a 3-1 record in Big Ten duals. Iowa vs. Minnesota 125 - #4 Charlie Falck (Iowa) vs. #8 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck will be competing in his final dual in Carver-Hawkeye Arena against Minnesota's Sanders. Falck enters the weekend with a 17-1 season record, going 15-0 in duals and 4-0 in Big Ten duals. He has won his last five matches. Sanders is 29-3 and 3-2 in Big Ten duals. His two Big Ten losses were to Penn State's Brad Pataky (14-7) and Northwestern's Brandon Precin (8-7). It will be the first meeting between the two as Falck did not compete at the 2009 National Duals due to injury. 133 - #1 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) vs. #5 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) Dennis handed Ness his second loss of the season (6-4) when the two met at the National Duals. The Hawkeye junior has won his last six matches and brings a 21-2 record to the dual. Ness is 27-4 with a 4-1 Big Ten dual record. 141 - #2 Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa) vs. #8 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) Tsirtsis will also be competing in his final dual at Carver-Hawkeye. He has a 2-0 record against Thorn - pinning him in 1:16 at the 2007 Iowa-Minnesota dual and scoring a 2-1 win at the 2009 National Duals. Tsirtsis has won his last four bouts and is 20-2 this season. Thorn is 25-10 and has a 4-1 Big Ten dual mark. Hwt - #7 Dan Erekson (Iowa) vs. Ben Berhow (Minnesota) Erekson is 1-0 against Berhow - scoring a 3-2 decision at the 2009 National Duals. The Hawkeye junior had won eight of his last nine matches before posting an injury default in last week's dual at Michigan State. Erekson is 17-6 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten. Berhow is 21-6 and has won his last seven bouts. HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are past results between the Hawkeyes and their probable Purdue and Minnesota opponents that were not mentioned previously in the release. 157 - Matt Ballweg (Iowa) vs. Tyler Safratowich (Minnesota), 0-1 Safratowich maj. dec. Ballweg, 11-3 - at 2009 Keen/NWCA National Duals 165 - Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) vs. Scott Glasser (Minnesota), 1-0 Morningstar dec. Glasser, 6-4 - at 2009 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals 174 - Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Nick Corpe (Purdue), 1-0 Borschel maj. dec. Corpe, 9-0 - at 2008 Big Ten Championships 174 - Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. Kaleb Young (Minnesota), 1-0 Borschel maj. dec. Young, 12-3 - at 2009 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals 184 - Phillip Keddy (Iowa) vs. Sonny Yohn (Minnesota), 1-0 Keddy maj. dec. Yohn, 11-3 - at 2009 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals LAST MEETING - HAWKEYES DOMINATE PURDUE, 36-3 Iowa won nine of 10 matches to defeat Purdue (36-3) at West Lafayette, IN, on Jan. 26, 2007. Senior Mario Galanakis scored his 35th career victory at 133, decking Sean Schmaltz in 2:48. Griffith, IN, native and Iowa junior Alex Tsirtsis had a happy homecoming with a 20-10 major decision over Nick Bertucci at 141. Hawkeye senior 149-pounder Alex Grunder upset Purdue's 11th-ranked Jake Patacsil, 7-5. Grunder avenged an earlier season loss to Patacsil with the win and scored his fifth straight victory. Hawkeye junior Mark Perry kept the Hawkeyes on track with a 2:27 pin over Justin Fraga at 165. Senior Eric Luedke (174) and redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy (184) followed with decisions to make the team score 32-0. Purdue scored its only points of the night at 197 when Nathan Moore defeated Iowa redshirt freshman Rick Loera, 6-0. Hawkeye heavyweight Matt Fields scored his 55th career win with a 14-4 major decision over David Pisarck to end the dual. Iowa 36, Purdue 3 125 - Charlie Falck (I) maj. dec. Brandon Tucker (P), 17-9 133 - Mario Galanakis (I) pinned Sean Schmaltz (P), 2:48 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) maj. dec. Nick Bertucci (P), 20-10 149 - Alex Grunder (I) dec. Jake Patacsil (P), 7-5 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Jake Murphy (P), 3-1 165 - Mark Perry (I) pinned Justin Fraga (P), 2:27 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Jason Martin (P), 11-7 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Nick Skinner (P), 3-2 197 - Nathan Moore (P) dec. Rick Loera (I), 6-0 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) maj. dec. David Pisarcik (P), 14-4 LAST MEETING - IOWA DEFEATS MINNESOTA, 27-7 Iowa defeated Minnesota (27-7) in the second round of the 2009 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls Jan. 10. The Hawkeyes picked up their 60th National Duals victory in the win over Minnesota. Junior Daniel Dennis, who is ranked fifth at 133, posted his 30th career win with a 6-4 upset over fourth-ranked Jayson Ness of Minnesota. Top-ranked junior Brent Metcalf posted his 49th straight win with a 23-8 technical fall in 6:22 over Minnesota's Brian Peterson at 149 to remain undefeated. Juniors Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) posted major decisions as the Hawkeyes won the final five bouts to seal the team win. Iowa 27, Minnesota 7 125 - Zach Sanders (M) dec. J.J. Krutsinger (I), 10-5 133 - Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Jayson Ness (M), 6-4 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Mike Thorn (M) 2-1 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall B. Peterson (M), 23-8, 6:22 157 - Tyler Safratowich (M) maj. dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 11-3 165 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Scott Glasser (M), 6-4 174 - Jay Borschel (I) maj. dec. Kaleb Young (M), 12-3 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) maj. dec. Sonny Yohn (M), 11-3 197 - Chad Beatty (I) dec. Chris McPhail (M), 9-4 Hwt - Dan Erekson (I) dec. Ben Berhow (M), 3-2 HAWKEYES GO 2-0 ON FIRST BIG TEN ROAD TRIP The top-ranked Hawkeyes picked up two Big Ten wins while covering 1,700 miles on a four-day bus trip last weekend. The team left Iowa City Thursday, posted a 22-15 victory over unranked Michigan State Friday night at East Lansing, traveled from Michigan to Pennsylvania Saturday and pounded #22 Penn State (31-6) Sunday afternoon at University Park before heading back to Iowa. Six Hawkeyes went 2-0 on the trip. The Spartans put up a strong fight Friday night at Jenison Field House in front of 1,103 fans, but the Hawkeyes held on for their 33rd straight win. Iowa jumped out to a 16-0 lead with wins at the first four weights. Iowa senior Charlie Falck posted his 85th career win with a 25-13 major decision over Eric Olanowski at 125 to start the dual. In the night's marquee match, Hawkeye junior Daniel Dennis handed Franklin Gomez his second loss of the season with a 3-2 victory at 133. Dennis, who is ranked first in the nation by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA, improved to 20-2 with the win. Davison, MI, native Brent Metcalf celebrated his homecoming by sticking David Cheza in 4:41 at 149. Michigan State posted three straight one-point wins at 157, 165 and 174 to make the team score 16-9. Hawkeye juniors Phillip Keddy (184) and Chad Beatty (197) both posted decisions to seal the team victory. Beatty picked up his 25th career victory with the win. Hawkeye junior heavyweight Dan Erekson was injured in the first period of his match and could not continue - defaulting to Alan O'Donnell to end the dual. Iowa posted its 20th season win Sunday when it pounded #22 Penn State, 31-6, at Rec Hall. Iowa won eight matches in front of over 5,000 fans to post its 34th straight victory. Iowa started the dual at 165 pounds, jumping out to a 16-0 lead with wins at the first four weights. Third-ranked junior Ryan Morningstar rebounded from his loss Friday night at Michigan State with a 5-4 win over #20 Dan Vallimont at 165. Iowa sophomore Colby Covington followed with a 3-2 upset over #16 Quentin Wright at 174, recording his first dual win in a Hawkeye singlet. Covington was wrestling up a weight for injured Hawkeye starter Jay Borschel. Keddy posted his 65th career win and his 10th straight victory with a 25-10 technical fall in 6:59 over Jack Decker at 184. Keddy remains undefeated in dual competition (20-0) and has a 23-1 season mark. Beatty scored his second pin of the season - sticking J.R. Brown in 5:26. Penn State freshman heavyweight Cameron Wade used a significant weight advantage to beat Iowa redshirt freshman Brodie Ambrose, 4-0. Ambrose, who was wrestling up a weight class, is a 197-pounder for Iowa. The Hawkeyes bounced back to take the next four weights and seal the team win. Falck controlled his 125-pound match with #13 Brad Pataky, posting a 9-3 win. Falck, who is ranked fourth in the nation with a 17-1 record and 15-0 dual mark, snapped Pataky's six-match winning streak and extended his own to five. Dennis posted his second big win of the weekend with a 6-3 decision over #9 Jake Strayer at 133. Dennis, who jumped to the top of the 133-pound rankings last week, is on a six-match winning streak and is 21-2. Second-ranked Alex Tsirtsis followed at 141 with a 6-2 win over Frank Molinaro to improve to 20-2. Metcalf posted his fifth straight pin and 57th straight victory at 149 when he decked Penn State's Colby Pisani in 2:18 at 149. Pisani was wrestling for injured Penn State starter Bubba Jenkins, who is ranked second in the nation. Metcalf picked up his 60th career win with the victory and is 25-0 this season. Penn State closed out the dual at 157 with Tim Darling's 5-4 victory over Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg. WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS For dates and more information about 2009 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com. HAWKEYES LOOK TO EXTEND STREAKS Iowa has won its last 34 duals, and its last 27 duals away from Iowa City. The school record for overall consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97), and for consecutive away dual wins is 31 (1994-97). The 34 straight wins rank third in school history, while the 27 away victories rank second. Junior Brent Metcalf (149) has a streak of his own, winning his last 56 bouts. Former Hawkeye Jim Zalesky (1981-84) holds the school record for consecutive wins with 89. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 167-18 (.902) 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 15,955, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State (20-15) on December 6, 2008. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. HAWKEYES SET ATTENDANCE RECORD Iowa set the national collegiate dual meet attendance record of 15,955 when it hosted #2 Iowa State Dec. 6 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The previous record of 15,646 was set Feb. 1, 2002, when Minnesota hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes won the Iowa State dual, 20-15. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Jared Frayer earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 11 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.858). H. A. W. K. CLUB PARTIES After 15 years at the First Avenue Club, the post-meet H.A.W.K. club parties will have a new location for the 2008-09 season. All parties will be held on the second floor of Kinnick Stadium's Brechler Pressbox. Using the Gate D entrance, take one of the elevators to the second floor, take a left out of the elevator and another left at the hallway. The final season party will be held after the Minnesota dual. HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 848-215-30 (.789) in 97 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 21 national titles and 32 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 49 NCAA champions have won a total of 76 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 14 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 101 Big Ten champions have won a total of 182 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 135 all-Americans have earned all-America status 273 times, including 17 four-time, 27 three-time and 33 two-time honorees. UP NEXT Top-ranked Iowa (20-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will close out the 2008-09 regular season with a Big Ten road trip. The Hawkeyes will wrestle at #18/#23 Indiana (14-4-1, 1-2-1 Big Ten) Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. (CT) at University Gym. Iowa will then travel to #16/#13 Nortwestern (9-5-1, 2-2-1 Big Ten) for its final dual of the season Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. (CT). The dual will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena.