Join regulars Scott Casber, Steve Foster along with very special guests Dan Gable, Mike Duroe and former Iowa Wrestling standout and star of NBC TV's America's Biggest Loser Matt Hoover for the calls, the action and color of Cornell Wrestling's 28th Annual Matman Invitational.
Cornell will host the 28th Annual Cornell Matman Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 7, with wrestling beginning at 9 a.m., in the arena of the Small Multi-Sport Center.
Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for students. Takedown Radio will broadcast live on radio stations 1460 AM and 101.5 FM from 10 a.m. to noon. The entire tournament will be aired on the Internet at www.takedownradio.com.
Coe, which has the longest championship streak in tournament history, is searching for its fifth consecutive title. Last season the Kohawks bested Augustana (Ill.) by 42 points (147 to 105). Cornell was eighth with 37 ½ points. Cornell Coach Mike Duroe expects up to 200 wrestlers and 18 teams at the tournament. Complete varsity squads from Augustana (Ill.), Buena Vista, Central, Coe, Cornell, University of Chicago, University of Dubuque, Morningside, St. John's (Minn.), Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Wisconsin-Platteville and York (Neb.) will attend. Back-ups from Luther and Wartburg may also compete.
"This will be one of the bigger Division III tournaments and obviously we're excited that it will be broadcast by Takedown Radio," Duroe said. "St. John's has a strong team and one of our immediate goals will be to close the gap on them. If Coe brings a full team, it will be right up there, too."
St. John's was second with 124 ½ points at the Citrus Open Tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Dec. 29 and Cornell was third with 79 ½ points. The Rams (9-4 overall) host Wisconsin-Eau Claire (5-19) on Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. A victory would be the 10th of the season, which would tie for fourth all-time in school history for most dual wins.
Cornell compiled a record of 47-37 at the Citrus Open Tournament on Dec. 29 and at the Citrus Duals on Dec. 30 in Florida. Senior John Ugaste (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) won all seven bouts and captured the 197-pound championship at the Citrus Open Tournament. He upset Dan Fiecke of St. John's in the finals, 7-5 in overtime. Fiecke is ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division III. Ugaste followed the tournament championship by winning all three dual matches to improve to 23-3 on the season.
"John had a very, very solid performance," Duroe said. "He's in excellent physical condition and uses his condition in the late periods. If he continues to improve I can see him having a real good ending to his career."
Other seven-match winners for the Rams in Florida were freshman Justin Blumer (Holbrook, Pa./West Greene), who was 7-2 at 125 pounds; sophomore Pat McAuley (Austin, Texas/Lanier), who was 7-2 at 157; and freshman Caleb Wilson (Benton, Ill./Benton), who was 7-2 at 149. Cornell now has three wrestlers with 20 or more victories — Ugaste, McAuley (22-5) and freshman Dave Paramski (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville), who is 21-5 at 141 pounds. Blumer is 19-7. Blumer, Paramski and McAuley placed third at the Citrus Open Tournament. The only losses for Paramski and McAuley were to the eventual weight class champions. Blumer was third and Wilson was fifth.
The 26th-rated Rams went 2-1 in duals on Dec. 30, losing to No. 22 Heidelberg 23-11 before downing Case Western Reserve 21-16 and Mount St. Joseph 28-12.
"We're starting to work for bonus points and wrestle with the team in mind," Duroe said. "Now we're going into the tough part of our season and we'll be really tested over the next six weeks. We're making improvements technically and tactically and we certainly haven't peaked yet."
Duroe said that sophomore Chris Heilman (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's), who is rated No. 7 in the nation at 125 pounds, is expected to return to the lineup this weekend along with heavyweight Chris Gustafson (Lakewood, Colo./Bear Creek).
Neither competed in Florida because of prior commitments. Duroe added that 133-pound sophomore Greg Murphy (Cridersville, Ohio/Wapakoneta), who missed action because of a back injury, could also be back in the lineup.
Cornell Matman Invitational Results
Year Champion (points) Runner-up (points) Cornell Place (points)
2005 Coe (147) Augustana, Ill. (105) eighth (37 ½)
2004 Coe (167 ½) Augustana, Ill. (118) ninth (35)
2003 Coe (146) Wisconsin-Platteville (96 ½) seventh (37 ½)
2002 Coe (140 ½) Central (102) seventh (53)
2001 Buena Vista (101 ½) St. John's, Minn. (89) ninth (41 ½)
2000 Upper Iowa (109) Luther (106) 12th (38)
1999 Buena Vista (161) Wisconsin-LaCrosse (107) 11th (26)
1998 Simpson (178 ½) Buena Vista (140) seventh (69 ½)
1997 Wisconsin-LaCrosse (175) St. John's, Minn. (100 ½) tie 12th (38 ½)
1996 Wartburg (183 ½) St. John's, Minn. (110 ½) fifth (76)
1995 Wartburg (171) Buena Vista (128) sixth (77 ½)
1994 Wisconsin-LaCrosse (135 ¾) Wartburg (132 ¾) seventh (51 ½)
1993 Wartburg (151 ¾) Buena Vista (104 ½) fourth (88 ¼)
1992 Augustana, Ill. (99 ¾) Central (99) seventh (53)
1991 Central (103 ½) Augustana, Ill. (100 ½) sixth (77 ½)
1990 Buena Vista (114 ½) Wisconsin-Whitewater (103 ½) sixth (57 ½)
1989 Central (135 ½) Buena Vista (90 ½) seventh (47 ½)
1988 Buena Vista (96) Wisconsin-Whitewater (59 ¾) seventh (38 ¾)
1987 Central (118) Buena Vista (83 ¼) fifth (34 ½)
1986 Buena Vista (108 ¼) Central (89)
1985 Central (107 ½) Buena Vista (65 ½) third (59 ½)
1984 Central (96 ¼) Wisconsin-Whitewater (66 ½) sixth (42 ½)
1983 Wisconsin-Whitewater (65) Augustana, Ill. (63 ¾) ninth (31)
1982 Wisconsin-Whitewater (95) Cornell (78 ¾) second (78 ¾)
1981 Buena Vista (90) Augustana, Ill. (77)
1980 Buena Vista (89 ½) Cornell (80 ¾) second (80 ¾)
1979 Central (68 ¾) Cornell (66) second (66)
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