The Buckeyes (1-2-0; 0-0-0 Big Ten) will welcome its third non-conference opponent to St. John Arena before opening their conference schedule against Purdue at 2 p.m. Jan. 14.
BERGMAN FINISHES SECOND AT SCUFFLE
J.D. Bergman captured a second-place finish at the 2006 Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. Bergman, who wrestled at 197 pounds, had an impressive outing on day one of the event, recording two falls and a major decision en route to the quarterfinals. The following day, Bergman notched a decision to advance to the semifinals where he was slated to meet No. 2 seed and nationally No. 2-ranked Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell. However, Rinaldi was forced to take a medical forfeit and that set up the rematch between Bergman and No. 1 seed and top ranked Max Askren of Missouri. After leading 2-1 going into the third period, Bergman fell to Askren in the championship.
LUCKY NO. 13
Chris Vondruska entered the 2006 Southern Scuffle with a five-match winning streak and winner of eight of his last nine. Vondruska then went on to win his first four match-ups at the Southern Scuffle, including recording two major decisions in the rounds of 64 and 32, to extend his winning streak to nine. Although he dropped his next two bouts, Vondruska rebounded in the fifth-place match with a 6-2 decision and now has been victorious in 13 of his last 16 matches.
The fifth-place showing at the Southern Scuffle was Vondruska's third Top 5 tournament showing this season. Vondruska also finished third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December and fourth at the EMU Open in November.
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY
Ohio State has competed in the Southern Scuffle two times in the tournament's four-year history and during that span the Buckeyes have collected nine individual Top 8 finishes. The Scarlet and Gray competed in the Southern Scuffle for the first time in 2005 and six Buckeyes placed, including J Jaggers who had a second-place outing at 149 pounds. In 2006, J.D. Bergman finished second at 197 pounds, while classmates Chris Vondruska and Lance Palmer placed fifth and seventh, respectively.
TOURNAMENT SUCCESS
During the past five seasons, Ohio State has posted impressive individual tournament outings. Since the 2002-03 season, the Buckeyes have captured 24 first-place finishes and 10 second-place outings. Ten third-place, fourth-place and fifth-place showings each have been collected during that span.
ROLLING INTO THE NEW YEAR
The Buckeyes begin their busiest month in January, competing in seven duals. Ohio State will host three duals during the month (Kent State, Purdue and Indiana), while traveling to the Ashland Duals where it will face Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland, followed by a trip to Penn State.
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
Four Buckeyes are ranked in the latest edition of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA standings (Jan.3). Lance Palmer is No. 20 at 149 pounds. Chris Vondruska remains the 18th-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds. Wrestling at 184 pounds, Mike Pucillo is the highest ranked Buckeye at No. 3. J.D. Bergman moved up two spots from No. 6 to No. 4 at 197 pounds.
BUCKEYES FACE FOUR OHIO SQUADS IN 2007
In 2006-07, the Scarlet and Gray will compete against four Ohio schools - Kent State, Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland. OSU has faced just four teams from the Buckeye state on eight occasions - 1975, 1981-82, 1985-86, 1992-93, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2004-05 and 2006-07. Ohio State has met five Ohio teams in a season five times and has faced six Ohio squads during a campaign two times. The Buckeyes have met an all-time high seven Ohio opponents on one occasion in 1983-84.
VS. THE STATE OF OHIO
Ohio State owns a 138-32-3 (.806) all-time record vs. Ohio schools. Against colleges and universities in the state of Ohio that currently supports a wrestling program, the Buckeyes have a 94-28-3 (.764) ledger.
Record against Ohio Teams
*No longer supports a wrestling program
Ashland 18-1
Baldwin-Wallace 1-0
*Bowling Green 8-0
*Capital 5-0
Case Western Reserve 2-0
*Central State 0-1
*Cincinnati 7-1
Cleveland State 19-13-2
*Cuyahoga CC 5-0
Findlay 6-0
*Hiram 1-0
John Carroll 3-3
Kent State 10-6
*Lakeland College 1-0
*Miami 5-1
Muskingum 1-0
Ohio 34-5-1
*Toledo 10-1
VS. THE MAC CONFERENCE
Ohio State owns a 61-15-2 record against the current members of the Mid-American Conference. OSU has winning records against all six wrestling programs.
OSU record against Mid-American Conference Programs
Buffalo 6-0
Kent State 9-5
Ohio 34-5-1
Central Michigan 3-2-1
Eastern Michigan 3-0
Northern Illinois 5-2
BUCKEYES VS. GOLDEN FLASHES
Ohio State leads Kent State, 9-5, in the all-time series. The Buckeyes and the Golden Flashes met last season in Kent, Ohio, where OSU dropped a 25-13 decision. Prior to the match-up last year, the Scarlet and Gray had won four consecutive meets.
Ohio State vs. Kent State all-time series
2006 - Kent State 25, Ohio State 13
2005 - Ohio State 23, Kent State 16
2003 - Ohio State 22, Kent State 13
1999 - Ohio State 28, Kent State 6
1998 - Ohio State 25, Kent State 7
1985 - Kent State 23, Ohio State 20
1983 - Ohio State 26, Kent State 11
1976 - Kent State 21, Ohio State 18
1964 - Ohio State 20, Kent State 8
1963 - Ohio State 20, Kent State 8
1942 - Kent State 14, Ohio State 12
1941 - Kent State 15, Ohio State 9
1932 - Ohio State 23, Kent State 3
1930 - Ohio State 19, Kent State 8
SO LONG 2006
Ohio State finished the 2006 portion of its schedule 1-2 in dual action, while also participating in various open tournaments and invitationals. Starting the season at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Nov. 12, Ohio State's J.D. Bergman led the Buckeye contingent, winning the 197-pound crown. Sophomore Corey Morrison finished fourth at 285 pounds and Jason Johnstone took home fifth-place honors at 149 pounds. T.J. Enright was a sixth-place finisher at 133 pounds, while Blake Maurer was sixth at 174 pounds. Will Livingston was seventh at 125 pounds and Lance Palmer was eighth at 149 pounds.
Ohio State opened its dual schedule Nov. 16 with a home match-up against then-No. 3 Missouri. It was the home debut of first-year head coach Tom Ryan. The Buckeyes fell to the Tigers, 29-9, however, the Scarlet and Gray rebounded with an 18-17 upset victory against then-No. 9 Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., ten days later. It was a match that came down to the final bout at 133 pounds with Enright going up against Cornell's Nick Bridge. With Ohio State down 17-15, Enright was able to secure a 5-3 win to give the Buckeyes the one-point edge. The win marked the first victory for Ryan as the OSU head coach and it served as his 110th career victory. Ohio State then took a break from dual action and competed at the Las Vegas Invitational in early December. Mike Pucillo paced the Buckeyes in the tournament, winning the 184-pound division. Pucillo recorded a pair of major decisions and a fall en route to defeating two Top 4 wrestlers in the semifinal and final for the title. Chris Vondruska and Palmer also placed for the Buckeyes, with Vondruska finishing third and Palmer taking home seventh place honors. Ohio State returned to dual action at home in St. John Arena Dec. 17 and played host to Chattanooga. OSU fell to the Mocs, 28-13. Three Buckeyes garnered victories in a match-up that did not feature injured Enright at 133 pounds or J Jaggers at 141 pounds.
OSU officially concluded 2006 with a final tournament outing at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. Bergman again led the Buckeye contingent, finishing second at 197 pounds. Vondruska went 5-2 in the event for a fifth-place showing while classmate Palmer finished seventh.
VETERAN FRESHMAN
Redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo has made an immediate impact, starting the first half of the 2006-07 season with a perfect record at 8-0. Not since J.D. Bergman, during the 2004-05 season, has a Buckeye started the season 8-0. Pucillo began his campaign in Ohio State's season opening dual against Missouri and overcame No. 4 Raymond Jordan, 3-2, in his first action as a Buckeye before going on the road and scoring an 11-4 decision against Cornell's Luke Hogle. It was at the 25th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Pucillo reeled off five consecutive wins to be crowned champion at 184 pounds. In the semifinal and final, Pucillo compiled wins against two Top 4 wrestlers in No. 4 Jordan and No. 3 Tyrel Todd of Michigan. After taking a week off from competitive action, Pucillo earned his eighth win against Chattanooga's Josh Edmondson, 12-3.
LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL CHAMPION
Redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo won the 184-weight class at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2 in Primm, Nev. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title.
Pucillo became the first Buckeye to win a title at the event since current assistant coach Tommy Rowlands won in 2003 at heavyweight.
CONFERENCE LAURELS
After his winning performance at 184 pounds in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Mike Pucillo was named the Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week for the week of Dec. 4. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title.
MAKE IT 110
OSU head coach Tom Ryan earned his 110th career victory with the Buckeyes' 18-17 win over Cornell Nov. 26. Ryan gathered his first win as the head coach of the Scarlet and Gray, while his other 109 wins came at Hofstra, where he was the head coach for 11 seasons. Ryan's career record is 110-84-1 (.567).
MARK THIS DATE
Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan compiled his first win as the OSU head coach against then-No. 9 Cornell Nov. 26.
ONLY THE BEST
Ohio State has competed or will compete against some of the toughest teams in the nation in 2006-07. Ten of the Buckeyes' opponents are ranked in the latest Top 25 of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. Four opponents - Missouri (1), Iowa (5), Northwestern (8) and Penn State (10) are in the Top 10.
CLASS OF 2007-08
Ohio State wrestling head coach Tom Ryan announced the signing of five student-athletes to the Buckeye squad for the 2007-08 season. Sean Nemec, Colton Sponseller, Bo Touris, Nikko Triggas and John Weakley will join the team next season.
"As a staff, we are honored each of these young men have chosen to pursue their academic and athletic goals at Ohio State University," Ryan said. "Each of these young men have won at the highest level with class and hard work. Our staff is looking forward to helping them build upon their successes in every aspect of their lives."
Nemec, who hails from Lakewood, Ohio, and attends St. Edwards High School, is considered by many the top wrestling recruit in Ohio. Entering his senior year at St. Edwards, Nemec is ranked as high as first in the nation at 152 pounds in the wrestling publication Amateur Wrestling News and second by Wrestling International Newsmagazine. Nemec is a two-time high school state champion, three-time finalist and the 2004 Cadet freestyle national champion. Nemec also is a two-time junior national freestyle All-American, finishing third at 152 pounds in 2006 and sixth at 145 pounds in 2005.
Sponseller, a student at West Holmes High School in Millersburg, Ohio, is a two-time high school state champion. Wrestling at 160 pounds, Sponseller also is the 2006 NHSCA Junior National Champion. Ranked as high as fourth in W.I.N. Magazine's preseason rankings, Sponseller was a seventh-place finisher in the 2005 freestyle competition.
Touris is a native of West Chester, Ohio, and attends Lakota West High School. Wrestling at 112 pounds in 2005, Touris was an Ohio high school state division I district qualifier and finished the season with a 36-6 record. In 2006, Touris returned to 103 pounds after wrestling at that weight his freshman year and finished third in the Ohio high school state championships, capping a 46-1 season. Touris also was the Ohio Cadet Greco Roman and Freestyle state champion in 2005. Touris, a Fargo Nationals Cadet Greco Roman National champion, also finished second at the FILA nationals in Cadet Greco Roman competition. Touris was ranked as high as fifth at 103 pounds in W.I.N Magazine and ninth at 112 pounds in that same publication.
Triggas hails from Moraga, Calif., where he attends Campolindo High School and wrestles at 119 pounds. Triggas was the North Coast section champion his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He is the third freshman at any weight in the history of Campolindo to become state champion and is on track to become the second wrestler at Campolindo to win four sectional championships. A three-time state qualifier, Triggas finished third his sophomore year with a 51-3 record and was state champion his junior year, compiling 51-2 mark. Triggas also was the 2005 and 2006 Cadet Greco Roman Champion and finished third in freestyle competition in 2005 with a 19-1 record.
Weakley is from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and preps at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, where he wrestles at 189 pounds. Weakley is a three-time All-American, three-time conference champion, two-time district champion and two-time sectional champion. Weakley has been ranked No. 1 in all divisions and is the No. 2-ranked senior in Ohio according to ohiowrestling.net after winning PAC-7 Wrestler of the Year last season. Weakley's freestyle and Greco Roman credentials include becoming a three-time All-American, three-time freestyle state champion, three-time Greco Roman state champion and the Greco Roman Junior National runner-up in 2006.
LIVE WEB STREAMING
Live web streaming of Ohio State's match-ups against Indiana (Jan. 28) and Michigan State (Feb. 2) are available on ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
Log on to the official web site of the Ohio State Department of Athletics for more information.
EXPANDED COVERAGE
The NCAA and ESPN announced in October expanded live television coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, Mich.
For the first time, in the 77-year history of the Division I Wrestling Championships, the Saturday morning medal round will be televised. Scheduled for 10 a.m. EST March 17 on ESPNU, the championships medal round determines the third through eighth place finishers who are honored as All-Americans.
The 2007 championships are March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. The University of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission will serve as hosts.
Tickets for the 2007 championships are available by visiting http://www.detroitsports.org/wrestling/tickets/index.html.
UP NEXT
Ohio State will begin its Big Ten Conference schedule with a home dual vs. Purdue at 2 p.m. Jan. 14 in St. John Arena.
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