InterMat Staff

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma wrestling team will travel to Edmond on Wednesday night to take on the University of Central Oklahoma in the Sooners' first dual of the season. "This a very exciting time as we get our dual season under way against a very tough and competitive Central Oklahoma team," said head coach Jack Spates. Last season the Sooners dominated Central Oklahoma, beating the Bronchos 34-3 in Norman. The Sooners recorded three falls and one major decision, while only losing one match. The Sooners are coming off the tournament and Open portion of the schedule when they wrestled at the SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, Missouri Open and hosted the 35th Annual Oklahoma Open. The Sooners captured the Brockport team title with a score of 171 points and captured five individual titles. At the Missouri Open the Sooners placed 11 wrestlers, and Jake Hager won the teams lone individual title at heavyweight. Oklahoma placed nine wrestlers and had seven individual champions last weekend at the Oklahoma Open. "Central Oklahoma is a perinial Division II national power and this dual should provide some very exciting matchups," continued Spates. The Sooners will return home this weekend to take on Lehigh in the first home dual of the season on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.

University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) senior Alaina Berube (Escanaba, MI) spent her Thanksgiving Holiday competing at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France. On November 26, 2005, Berube and several other top wrestlers in the United States captured a total of eight medals. Berube defeated four opponents to claim a medal at the tournament. She defeated 2005 University Games bronze medalist Myriam Selloum of France, 2-1, 3-0, in the finals to claim one of three gold medals earned by the United States.

Fresno, Calif. -- Head Coach Shawn Charles and the rest of the Bulldog wrestling staff have announced the signing of four wrestlers to letters of intent in the early signing period. "This class is a terrific one for us," said Charles. "They are great wrestlers, great students and role models in their community. We're very excited about this first recruiting cycle." As a winter sport, the team will also announce more recruits following the late signing period in April. The four signings reflect a complete recruiting strategy, bringing in two Californians, including a local recruit, as well as two national wrestlers from Florida and Illinois. "Our first goal is to make sure that the best wrestlers in California stay in California," said Charles. "However, when the opportunity opened to recruit some other high-level athletes from across the country, we made sure to take advantage of it." The class starts out with local prospect Josh Betancur from Buchanan High School in Clovis. A lightweight, Betancur is currently ranked No. 1 in the state, and should wrestler either 125 or 133 for the Bulldogs. "There is a lot of wrestling talent in the greater Fresno area, and Josh certainly fits into that mold," said Charles. "We need to keep that talent here, and Josh is a great wrestler to help continue that tradition." The Bulldogs brought in another California wrestler in Armando Gonzalez. A native of Gilroy, his father coaches for his high school and he has been brought up in a wrestling environment. "Armando is another talented wrestler that we are glad to be able to bring into Fresno State from inside California," said Charles. "As a result of his background, he really knows wrestling and loves the sport." Looking outside the state, the Bulldogs have brought in another state champion in Andre Johnson. Johnson projects to wrestler at either 133 or 141 pounds, and hails from Royal Palm Beach, Fla. "Andre is a great student and a hard worker, in addition to being a favorite to repeat as state champion," said Charles. "We did not want to lose our chance to recruit him just because he was an out-of-state athlete." The final signing of the early period is Brian Martin, a projected 149-pounder from Illinois wrestling power Montini High School. "Brian will be a three-time state champion from one of the top wrestling programs in the state of Illinois," said Charles. "We were very glad to get the opportunity to recruit Brian and have him join us here as a Bulldog."

Brian BlackUpper Iowa University junior Brian Black (Oviedo, Fla.) was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week today. Black pinned Dusty Garner of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in just 32 seconds at heavyweight last Wednesday to remain a perfect 2-0 on the season. His win capped a 23-13 UIU victory over SIU-Edwardsville. Early this season, Black posted a 7-4 decision over Iowa State University's Ben Dunkelberger. Upper Iowa is an affiliate member of the NSIC in wrestling this season and will be a full league member beginning in 2006-07. Upper Iowa (1-1) will host Waldorf College in a dual meet Thursday at 6 p.m. before competing at the Northern Iowa Open in Cedar Falls Sunday. Upper Iowa University, located in Fayette, is the only NCAA Division II Institution in the state of

UFC Stars Phil Baroni, Forest Griffin, Alex Karalexis, Joe Stevenson and others set to join America's Wrestling Radio as it will once again offer complete coverage, results and play by play of this historic event free of charge. Baroni, a former Chippawa of Central Michigan gives plenty of praise for his college coach Tom Borrelli. He's excited to be there with TDR in Vegas, said Scott Casber of TDR. Other UFC stars will join us as we start our broadcasts this Friday on Thewrestlingmall.com Our sponsors -- TheWrestlingMall.com, Asics, 7 Flags Athletics, the Body Bar, Terribles Casinos and the 76th Annual NCAA Championships of Collegiate Wrestling invite you to tune in to these free broadcasts at Takedownradio.com. Join TDR hosts Scott Casber, Steve Foster and 1973 World Freestyle and Greco Team member, 2 X Big 8 Conference Champion, Midlands Champion and National Greco Champion Jim Duschen and stars of the UFC for extended broadcast coverage as we come to you LIVE from the Cashman Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational is largely viewed as the first real test for many teams from across the country. Last years finals were exceptional with the previous years top 2 trading places. Michigan was 1st and Nebraska was 2nd. What will happen this year? Tune in to find out. Broadcast are set to go off: Friday 10:00am: Round 1, Round 2 & Consolation Pigtails 7:00 pm: Quarter Finals & Consolation Round 1 & 2 Saturday 9:00am: Consolation Round 3 10:00am: Semi-Finals & Consolation Round 4 11:30am: Consolation Semi-Finals 12:30pm: Consolation Finals 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Places 5:00pm: Consolation Finals 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Places

BUFFALO, NY -- One win shy of UB's career record in wins and off to the best start of his career, senior Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) was named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week, the league office in Cleveland announced Tuesday. It is the third time in his career that Cerminara has won the honor, earning it for the weeks of Feb. 2, 2004 and Feb. 25, 2003. The two-time MAC Champion is also the second consecutive Buffalo grappler to earn the honor, as sophomore Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) (165 pounds) earned the honor last week. The 2004 All-American has already set the school's career dual meet takedown record (149-passing John Stutzman's (1995-98) mark of 135) this season as he has started off on a career-best 14-match winning streak, which is now 10 shy of Stutzman's school-record of 24 consecutive wins. Cerminara, with 112 career wins, is also just one win shy of tying the school-record for career wins set by Gary Cooper (1998-2003). Cerminara won the award on the strength of his dominating performance at the Mat Town USA Invitational at Lock Haven, PA on Saturday, where he wrapped up the Harris Lipez Most Outstanding Wrestler Award after beating two nationally-ranked grapplers. Cerminara faced his biggest test of the young season Saturday as the 197-pounder ran up against Indiana's NWMA/Intermat/NWCA eighth-ranked Brady Richardson in the finals. Cerminara passed the test with flying colors, as the fifth-ranked grappler posted a first period takedown, then added an escape and another takedown to take a commanding 5-0 lead. A third period escape proved too little, too late for Richardson, as Cerminara added a riding-time point to clinch the 6-1 win. Cerminara entered the finals after pinning Lock Haven's Troy Charles 75 seconds into his match and then earning a 9-8 decision against Rider's T.J. Morrison, ranked 30th by the WrestlingReport.com. Buffalo will head to the Las Vegas Invitational starting Friday for a true litmus test as it will compete with 50 NCAA Division I, II and III teams as well as junior colleges. The prestigous tournament includes three teams currently in the top 10 in USA Today/NWCA/Intermat's preseason poll in Michigan, Arizona State and Cornell.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- The Lock Haven University wrestling program and head coach Rocky Bonomo announced the cancellation of their dual meet with Binghamton University originally scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. The other meet that day with Millersville University, slotted for 5 p.m., will still take place. For further updates, visit the athletics' web site at www.havensports.com.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State head wrestling coach Tom Minkel has announced that former Spartan grappler Rashad Evans will join his staff as volunteer assistant coach for the 2005-06 campaign. "We are excited about Rashad joining our team for the season," Minkel said. "He is a marvelous athlete and we look forward to him bringing the same as an integral part of our coaching staff." Evans most recently competed in the Ultimate Fighting 2 competition, winning the heavyweight division of the tournament and earning a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championships. The Niagara Falls, N.Y., native came to State from Niagara Junior College in 2000 and wrestled for the Green and White unitil 2003, accumulating a 48-34 record. Evans, a two-time NCAA qualifier, took fourth place at the 2002 Big Ten Championship and claimed third at the 2003 Big Ten tournament.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Duke wrestling team posted eight top-ten finishes at the Carolina Open on Saturday, highlighted by second-place finishes from sophomores Aaron Glover and Dan Tulley. Sophomore Daniel Shvartsman added a third-place finish for the Blue Devils. Glover captured second place in the 165-pound weight class, falling to Belmont Abbey's Phil Bliss in the championship bout. Glover defeated Mike Lemieux of Central Florida and Virginia Tech's T.H. Leet to advance to the semifinals. In his semifinal bout, Glover pinned North Carolina's Garrett Atkinson, the defending ACC champion, in 5:25 to reach the championship match. Tulley took home second place at 184 pounds after falling to Virginia Tech's Steve Borja in the championship match. Tulley reached the final round by defeating Newberry's Kevin Ryan, Penn State's Mike Ward and Kane Smith from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Shvartsman finished third in the 149-pound weight class, defeating UNCG's Andrew Krieger in the consolation finals. Shvartsman opened the tournament by pinning his first two opponents before falling to eventual champion Brent Metcalf of Virginia Tech in the semifinals. Five other Blue Devil grapplers placed in the top-ten in their respective weight classes. Freshman Michael Degli Obizzi went 3-2 to place in the top-ten at 133 pounds while junior Philip Wightman went 4-2 on his way to a top-ten finish at 141 pounds. Junior Zach Weisberg and freshman Addison Nuding both finished in the top-ten at 157 pounds while freshman John Barone registered a top-ten finish at 174 pounds. The Blue Devils will be back in action next weekend, competing at the Las Vegas Open Dec. 2-3.

Senior Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) entered the season 15 wins shy of the career wins mark at Buffalo. The 197-pounder couldn't appear more determined to smash the record, as he has won his first 14 matches of the season. Cerminara will look to tie Gary Cooper (1998-2003) with his 113th career win in the first round of the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday at 9:00 am. Turning it Around at Mat Town After placing 11th out of 13 teams, while only three wrestlers placed at Lock Haven's Mat Town USA Invitational in 2004, the University at Buffalo had a significant turnaround in an eight-team field in 2005. This time the Bulls placed in a tie for second with Oregon, racking up 138.5 points and four individual championships. Eleven Bulls placed at the event. Beating the Best Buffalo wrestlers downed seven nationally-ranked wrestlers at the Mat Town USA Invitational, led by Cerminara, who beat two. Buffalo's 10 wrestlers to earn team points lost five matches to nationally-ranked opponents. Kudos for Kyle Cerminara earned the Mat Town USA Invitational's Harris Lipez Most Outstanding Wrestler award after he claimed the 197-pound title at the event. The 2004 All-American downed InterMat/NWCA/NWMA eighth-ranked Brady Richardson of Indiana, 6-1, in the finals of the tournament and also beat Wrestling Report.com's 30th-ranked T.J. Morrison of Rider, 9-8, in the semifinals. What Happens in Vegas... Buffalo will get a true litmus test this weekend as it travels to the prestigous Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The event will feature 50 teams across the whole spectrum of collegiate wrestling, with Division I, II, III and junior college teams at the meet. Included in that mix are three of the top 10 teams in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat poll (Michigan, third; Illinois, fourth; Cornell, ninth). Stringing Together Wins Cerminara is 10 wins shy of John Stutzman's school-record mark of 24 consecutive wins. The 197-pounder is currently on a career best 14-match winning streak, as he passed his former best mark of 13 straight wins set in 2004 from Jan. 10 to March 6, as Cerminara picked up a New York State and MAC Championship in the process. Budding Onto the National Scene Junior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) earned his first national ranking in the WrestlingReport.com's Nov. 16 poll, ranking 30th. Budd, who leads Buffalo with 15 wins this season, has won two tournament championships this season, winning the Slippery Rock Open and the Mat Town USA titles at 133 pounds. Budd also beat WrestlingReport.com's 13th-ranked Justin Perch of Oregon, 4-2, in the semifinals of the Mat Town tournament en route to the championship. Pinning Down a Title Senior Harold Sherrell (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) posted a pin in the finals of the Mat Town USA Tournament against W.I.N. Magazine's 19th-ranked Dave Herman of Indiana. The pin, posted on a leg split in the second period, helped Sherrell to his second tournament title of the year, as he also won the Slippery Rock Open on Nov. 5. Sherrell is 14-2 overall this season, his first as a starter at heavyweight. Can We Stay Here? Sherrell will take some very positive memories from Thomas Fieldhouse in Lock Haven. Besides winning the heavyweight title this year, Sherrell also posted a second place finish in 2004, as he beat eventual All-American Phil Davis of Penn State and Minnesota's nationally-ranked Matt Koz to make the championship match at 197 pounds. Gingerich Takes Down His First Title Sophomore Dana Gingerich (Spring Grove, PA/DeLone Catholic) won his first collegiate tournament on Saturday, as he posted a takedown in the sudden-victory overtime period against Oregon's Skyler Woods, ranked 27th in the nation by WrestlingReport.com. Gingerich has posted an 8-3 mark so far this season and has won his last seven bouts. The former Pennsylvania state champion also earned his 25th career win in the process. Taking the Fall In the past two years, Gingerich has recorded 11 wins by fall to lead the Bulls. Last season, he won seven of 17 matches by fall to lead the team and finish ninth in the nation at 141 pounds. He is tied for the team lead with four pins this season. Hicks and Stones Senior Garrett Hicks (Chautauqua, NY/Chautauqua Lake) lost his first match in seven bouts in the finals of Saturday's tournament as Oregon's Shane Webster, ranked 11th in the NWCA/Intermat/NWMA poll, earned a 29-11 technical fall. However, Hicks did still manage to run his season record to 8-3 and he also beat WrestlingReport.com's 28th-ranked Justin Curran of Indiana, 6-2, in the semifinals. Hicks is two wins shy of his 50th career victory. Double the Pleasure In just one month of the 2005-06 season, sophomore Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) has already doubled his win total from 2004-05. The 165-pounder has won 14 matches after going 7-23 as a freshman. He has also made two tournament finals, as he finished second at both the Oklahoma Gold Classic and the Mat Town USA Invitational. At Mat Town, Moran beat Indiana's Max Dean, ranked 15th in TheWrestlingMall.com's preseason rankings, 9-4, in the semifinals. MAC Daddy Mickey Sophomore Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) picked up his first conference accolade last Tuesday, as he earned the MAC Wrestler of the Week award. Moran went 3-0 at Buffalo's quad-meet on Nov. 19 to earn the award, as he won two matches by fall and also earned a major decision in the matches to lead Buffalo's three-win effort. The 165-Pound Dilemma Buffalo has gotten nothing but production out of its 165-pound wrestlers, as Moran and sophomore Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) have posted place finishes at all three tournaments the Bulls have entered in. Moran has led the way with a 14-3 record but Ragusa is right behind him with a 12-5 mark. Making matters more interesting is the presence of Jake Blowers (Johnstown, NY/Broadalbin-Perth), ranked second in the MAC's preseason rankings, who was hampered by an eye injury at the Oklahoma Gold, but managed to place at the Mat Town USA Invitational. Even with the injury, Blowers is still 6-5 overall with two pins to his credit. 50 is Not So Far Away Three Buffalo wrestlers enter the Las Vegas Invitational with a chance at winning their 50th career match. Junior Pat Lloyd (Middletown, NY/Valley Central) is closest to the mark as he enters the meet with 49 career wins. Hicks is not far behind with 48 and Budd also has a shot at reaching the four-bits mark as he stands at 45 career wins.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Lock Haven University grappler Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) has been named the Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Nov. 27. This is the first honor for Blanc and the wrestling squad. Blanc, a sophomore who competes for the Bald Eagles at 125 pounds, helped lead the Haven to a fourth place finish at the Mat-Town USA Tournament which was hosted by Lock Haven this past Saturday. After a first round fall and a 13-10 decision in the semi-finals, Blanc dropped his match in the final round to defending national champion and No. 3 Joe Dubuque from Indiana. Last season as a redshirt freshman Blanc placed third in the 2005 EWL Tournament and logged a record of 31-14. Blanc is aiming to win the EWL title and become an NCAA All-American in the 2006 NCAA event at Oklahoma City. Blanc and the rest of the Bald Eagle grapplers will hit the mat this Saturday, Dec. 3 against Millersville University. The event is slated to begin at 5 p.m. in the Thomas Field House.

Date: Friday, Dec. 2 Time: 7 p.m. CST Location: Ames, Iowa (Hilton Coliseum) On Friday night, the Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Ames to battle the Iowa State Cyclones in one of the most celebrated wrestling rivalries in NCAA history. The Hawkeyes have dominated the series in recent history -- winning all but two meetings over the past 18 years. Coincidentally, the Cyclones have beaten the Hawkeyes the past two seasons. Last season was the first time since 1977 the Cyclones left Iowa City with a victory -- and the first-ever win for the Cyclones in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Can the Cyclones extend their winning streak over their cross-state rivals to three straight? RevWrestling.com breaks down this year's dual. 125: Lucas Magnani (Iowa, Junior) vs. Ben Hanisch (Iowa State, Sophomore) Magnani, who transferred from Brown after the 2003 season, was thrust into the starting lineup after Charlie Falck broke his foot in a motorcycle accident. He's no world beater, but he certainly appears to be improving. Case in point: Last season, Magnani lost 14-0 to Jeremy Mendoza of Arizona State. This season, Magnani lost 8-2 to Mendoza. Hanisch, who was expected to be a backup this season to Grant Nakamura, is a scrappy wrestler who wrestles hard every time out, but lacks the talent to be competitive at the Division I level. The two met last season at the Midlands -- and Magnani won 11-1. Expect a similar result. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Magnani major decision over Hanisch (Iowa +4) 133: Daniel Dennis (Iowa, Freshman) vs. Jesse Sundell (Iowa State, Senior) Dennis, a true freshman, is hoping to provide some consistency at a weight class where the Hawkeyes have struggled since NCAA champion Cliff Moore graduated. Dennis placed fifth in the 20-and-under division at the Kaufman Brand Open -- and then picked up a pin on Saturday in a dual against Arizona State. He has an aggressive style that Iowa fans seem to love. Sundell, a four-time state champion in Iowa, was an NCAA qualifier last season. He's adequate on his feet, but great on the mat. Sundell is a pinner, though, and he certainly has the ability to score six for the Cyclones here, although I'm not ready to stick my neck out and make that prediction. But I don't see a true freshman beating a fifth-year senior in a dual of this magnitude. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Sundell decision over Dennis (Iowa State +3) 141: Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa, Sophomore) vs. Nate Gallick (Iowa State, Senior) Tsirtsis posted a 27-13 record last season as a true freshman, but seemed to wear down as the season went on. At the Kaufman-Brand Open this season, he reached the finals, but two of his wins were by one point -- and another by two points in overtime. He has always been tough to score against, but often times struggles with his offense. Gallick might be the most technically polished wrestler in the country. He never seems to get out of position. The biggest knock on Gallick, though has always been his lack of offense against quality opponents. He looked great in his victory over Teyon Ware at the NWCA All-Star Classic, and completely dominated the match, despite the 3-1 score. Tsirtsis lost by just a single point in each of his two meetings with Gallick last season, which should give him confidence into this match. For the Cyclones to have a shot at knocking off the Hawkeyes, they will need every bonus point they can get, so you can bet that Gallick will be thinking major decision or more this time around. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Gallick major decision over Tsirtsis (Iowa State +4) 149: Ty Eustice (Iowa, Senior) vs. Jason Knipp (Iowa State, Junior) Ty EusticeEustice, a returning All-American, has been impressive thus far. He won the Kaufman-Brand Open, which included a semifinal win over the highly touted Brent Metcalf of Virginia Tech, and also looked impressive in a dual meet victory against Arizona State. Eustice has always had great defense, but doesn't always open up offensively as much as he could or should. Knipp posted a 17-12 record last season -- and has been solid this season. He won matches against Wisconsin-La Crosse and Utah Valley State, then won the Cyclone/Harold Nichols Open, but failed to place at the Kaufman-Brand Open. There is also a chance that Iowa State could send out sophomore Aron Scott, who is 8-3 this season, with a win over Knipp at the Kaufman-Brand Open. One interesting thing to note, though, is that Knipp lost just 10-8 to Eustice in the quarterfinals of the Kaufman-Brand Open, which might make him the likely choice here for the Cyclones. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Eustice decision over Knipp or Scott (Iowa +3) 157: Joe Johnston (Iowa, Senior) vs. Trent Paulson (Iowa State, Junior) So far this season, Johnston hasn't wrestled like the same wrestler who reached the NCAA finals in March. He is at his best when he continuously attacks and keeps the pressure on his opponents while using conditioning to his advantage. Johnston was shutout by Paulson in the Kaufman-Brand Open finals, 4-0, and then lost a 4-2 match to Alex Tirapelle at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Paulson, who finished fourth at last year's NCAA Tournament, is off to a 12-0 start this season. In addition to beating Johnston in Omaha, he also defeated the Hawekeye, 10-8, last season at the dual in Iowa City. Expect another physical battle between two of the nation's top wrestlers in a match that will be huge in determining the final outcome of this dual. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Paulson decision over Johnston (Iowa State +3) 165: Cole Pape (Iowa, Senior) vs. Travis Paulson (Iowa State, Junior) Travis Paulson (photo by Johnnie Johnson)After much speculation, it appears that Pape will be the starter at 165 pounds and that two-time JUCO national champion Eric Luedke (who defeated Pape at the Kaufman-Brand Open) will redshirt. Pape was an NCAA qualifier in 2004, but was bumped out of the Iowa lineup last season by Mark Perry. Paulson, like his twin brother, is off to a 12-0 start, which includes winning the Kaufman-Brand Open. Pape lost a 5-1 decision to Paulson in the Kaufman-Brand Open finals. It will be interesting to see if Pape can keep it close again -- or if Paulson can widen the gap and possibly earn bonus points. The last time Pape wrestled at Hilton Coliseum, two years ago, he was pinned by Iowa State's Nick Passolano. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Paulson decision over Pape (Iowa State +3) 174: Mark Perry (Iowa, Sophomore) vs. David Bertolino (Iowa State, Sophomore) Perry, last season's NCAA runner-up at 165 pounds, opted to skip out on the NWCA All-Star Classic to rest and recover from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee. The sophomore sensation made his season debut on Saturday night with a second period pin over Alex Pavlenko of Arizona State. Perry has an exciting, go-for-broke style that has made him a fan favorite. He's a very confident and driven wrestler who expects to dominate every time he steps foot on the mat. Bertolino, a high school All-American from Ohio, is extremely talented, but doesn't always wrestle to his ability. He placed fourth at the Kaufman-Brand Open, which included splitting matches with talented freshman Brandon Mason from Oklahoma State. Bertolino certainly has the talent to keep this match competitive, but whether or not he does remains to be seen. There is also a chance that Iowa State could send out Grant Turner here. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Perry major decision over Bertolino (Iowa +4) 184: Paul Bradley (Iowa, Senior) vs. Kurt Backes (Iowa State, Junior) Bradley might be best known for his constant bleeding and bandaged head, but let's not forget that he's a two-time All-American (fourth in 2004, fifth in 2005) who can compete with anyone in the country. Technically, he's not great, but he more than makes up for it with his strength, tenacity, and aggressive style. Bradley was a bit flat in his loss to Pete Friedl at the NWCA All-Star Classic, a match he lost 4-2, but rebounded nicely with a 17-5 win over Jason Trulson of Arizona State. Backes was an All-American as a freshman in 2004, but failed to place in March as the No. 2 seed. He's very good technically. And with Olympic champion Cael Sanderson serving as his main training partner, he should continue to improve and excel. These two wrestlers have quite a history against one another. Two seasons ago, Backes came from behind to defeat Bradley, 4-3. Last season, Bradley won all three meetings with Backes -- all by two points or less. One of those wins came at the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis and knocked Backes out of the competition. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Backes decision over Bradley (Iowa State +3) 197: Adam Fellers (Iowa, Senior) vs. Joe Curran (Iowa State, Freshman) This might be the weakest weight class for both the Hawkeyes and Cyclones. Last season, Fellers split time in the Hawkeye lineup at 174 and 197 and posted a 4-14 record. Fellers, though, is an aggressive wrestler who is better than his record indicates. He just hasn't fully grown comfortable with the 197-pound weight class. There has been some lobbying by Iowa fans to start true freshman Dan Erekson, who placed third at the Kaufman-Brand Open in the 20-and-under division. But based on the fact that Fellers started against Arizona State, it appears that he will get the nod this season. Curran is a true freshman who might take his fair share of lumps this season, but should continue to improve with workout partners like Backes, Sanderson, and Zach Thompson. Curran won his opening match against Upper Iowa, but failed to place at the Cyclone/Harold Nichols and Kaufman-Brand Opens. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Fellers decision over Curran (Iowa +3) Hwt: Ryan Fuller (Iowa, Senior) vs. Richard Schopf (Iowa State, Junior) This weight class has been the hot button topic for Iowa fans all off-season … and now into the preseason. Last season, Fields was an NCAA qualifier as a true freshman, but spent the summer recovering from hip surgery. Fuller had an impressive fourth-place finish at the World Team Trials in Ames over the summer. The two wrestled in the finals of the Spartan Classic, which Fields won in overtime. With Fields still having the option of using a redshirt season (to fully recover from his injury), in might be in the best interest of the Hawkeyes to start Fuller this season, even though Fields has stated that he does not want to redshirt. Regardless of which wrestler starts in this dual, it will most likely be a Hawkeye victory -- and possibly bonus points. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Fuller major decision over Schopf (Iowa +4) Final Dual Prediction: Iowa 18, Iowa State 16

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The North Carolina wrestling team hosted the 2005 Carolina Open in Woollen Gymnasium Saturday and had several wrestlers finish at the top of their division. UNC's Vicent Ramirez captured first place in the 141 pound division, while Bobby Shaw (125), Alex Maciag (174), David Dashiell (197), and Spencer Nadolsky (Hwt) each earned second-place honors at their respective weights. Ramirez's individual title marks his first as a Tar Heel and follows an impressive fourth-place finish at the East Stroudsburg Open. In the first two rounds of the Carolina Open, he won by technical fall and major decision. He then went on to defeat his opponents 7-0 and 1-0 in the semifinals and finals, respectively. Ramirez, a Durham native, now has a 10-2 record in open tournaments this season. UNC heavyweight Spencer Nadolsky improved to 14-2 on the season after his second-place finish at Saturday's event. Nadolsky opened the tournament with a 3-1 decision over David Hazell of Appalachian State, followed by a 5-0 decision over Kelly Anundson of Newberry. He then faced teammate Dan Goetter, who forfeited in the semifinals. Nadolsky lost his only match of the day by a narrow 4-3 margin to UNC Greensboro's Tyler Shovlin. Goetter went on to claim fourth in the heavyweight division. In other action for the Tar Heels, junior Bobby Shaw took second place at 125 pounds, while teammate Jared Royer captured third in the same class. Coming off of a second place finish at the East Stroudsburg Open, sophomore Alex Maciag won by technical fall and pin in his first two matches on Saturday. He then won a semifinal match over Chad Davis of Gardner Webb before losing to Jay Borschel of Virginia Tech in the 174 pound finals. Junior David Dashiell took second place at 197 pounds. Dashiell pinned teammate Dennis Drury to advance to the finals, but lost in the championship match. The Tar Heels return to action on December 4 when they travel to State College, Pa. for the Penn State Open.

November 26, 2005 - The fifth-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team (4-0-0) won all four of its matches at the Northeast Duals on Saturday in Albany, N.Y. Minnesota defeated Virginia Tech, 41-7, No. 25 Tennessee-Chattanooga, 36-6, No. 15 Central Michigan, 19-13 and American, 40-10. The Golden Gophers rolled past the Hokies in the first match of the day. Minnesota racked up three pins and a technical fall and also benefitted from a pair of forfeits. Second- ranked heavyweight Cole Konrad closed out the match with a 7-2 decision against No. 12 Michael Faust. In a match tied at one, Konrad finished the third period with a flurry of takedowns to claim the win. Against the Mocs, the Golden Gophers trailed 6-3 after three matches, but rallied with seven straight wins to breeze to the victory. Third-ranked Mack Reiter posted the most impressive win of the match with an 8-0 major decision against 12th-ranked Matt Keller at 133 pounds. Senior All-American Matt Nagel picked up his second straight pin in 6:24 against Daniel Peterson at 165 pounds. Nagel leads Minnesota with six falls this season. Minnesota was tested against 15th-ranked Central Michigan in a 19-13 win. With the Golden Gophers leading 16-13, Konrad clinched the win with a 9-4 decision against 19th- ranked Bubba Gritter at heavyweight. The final match of the day against American provided a couple of surprising results. Nagel and sixth-ranked Roger Kish were both handed their first losses of the season. Nagel suffered a 13-3 major decision defeat against eighth-ranked Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov at 165 pounds. At 184, 12th-ranked Josh Glenn pinned Kish in 4:02. Despite the losses, Minnesota dominated in the other eight matches en route to the 40-10 win. Konrad finished an impressive day with a 19-4 technical fall against No. 14 Adam LoPiccolo. Minnesota returns to the road next weekend when they face Northern Iowa on Friday, Dec. 2. #5 Minnesota 41, Virginia Tech 7 Northeast Duals Albany, N.Y. 125 - Andrew Domingues (Minn.) dec. Christian Smith (VT), 6-2 133 - #3 Mack Reiter (Minn.) pinned Sheridan Moran (VT) 141 - #11 David Hoffman (VT) dec. Manuel Rivera (Minn.), 7-5 149 - Dustin Schlatter (Minn.) pinned Joe Thompson (VT) 157 - #8 C.P. Schlatter (Minn.) tech. fall Dave Kiley (VT), 17-2 165 - #4 Matt Nagel (Minn.) pinned Joe Czarny (VT) 174 - Minnesota wins by forfeit 184 - Minnesota wins by forfeit 197 - John Laboranti (VT) maj. dec. Justin Bronson (Minn.), 12-2 HWT - #2 Cole Konrad (Minn.) dec. #12 Michael Faust (VT), 7-2 #5 Minnesota 36, #25 Tennessee-Chattanooga 6 Northeast Duals Albany, N.Y. 125 - Adam Rains (UTC) dec. Andrew Domingues (Minn.), 10-7 133 - #3 Mack Reiter (Minn.) maj. dec. #12 Matt Keller (UTC), 8-0 141 - #5 Michael Keefe (UTC) dec. Manuel Rivera (Minn.), 10-5 149 - Dustin Schlatter (Minn.) maj. dec. Wayne French (UTC), 14-1 157 - #8 C.P. Schlatter (Minn.) dec. Jake Yost (UTC), 3-2 165 - #4 Matt Nagel (Minn.) pinned Daniel Peterson (UTC), 6:24 174 - #14 Gabriel Dretsch (Minn.) tech. fall T.J. Sayers (UTC), 19-4 184 - #6 Roger Kish (Minn.) tech. fall Lloyd Rogers (UTC), 23-8 197 - Mitch Kuhlman (Minn.) dec. Wes Taylor (UTC), 9 -4 HWT - #2 Cole Konrad (Minn.) wins by forfeit #5 Minnesota 19, #15 Central Michigan 13 Northeast Duals Albany, N.Y. 125 - Matt Steintrager (CMU) dec. Andrew Domingues (Minn.), 5-1 133 - #3 Mack Reiter (Minn.) dec. #9 Jason Borrelli (CMU), 3-2 141 - Manuel Rivera (Minn.) dec. Eric Kruger (CMU), 6-5 149 - #7 Mark DiSalvo (CMU) dec. Dustin Schlatter (Minn.), 1-0 157 - #8 C.P. Schlatter (Minn.) dec. #15 Eric Neil (CMU), 2-1 165 - #4 Matt Nagel (Minn.) maj. dec. Justin Petrone (CMU), 11-3 174 - Brandon Sinnott (CMU) dec. #14 Gabriel Dretsch (Minn.), 9-3 184 - #6 Roger Kish (Minn.) dec. Christian Sinnott (CMU), 3-1 OT 197 -#4 Wynn Michalak (CMU) maj. dec. Justin Bronson (Minn.), 13-4 HWT - #2 Cole Konrad (Minn.) dec. #19 Bubba Gritter (CMU), 9-4 #5 Minnesota 40, American 10 Northeast Duals Albany, N.Y. 125 - Andrew Domingues (Minn.) wins by forfeit 133 - #3 Mack Reiter (Minn.) maj. dec. Jordan Lipp (AU), 9-0 141 - Manuel Rivera (Minn.) wins by forfeit 149 - Dustin Schlatter (Minn.) tech. fall Tom Kniezewski (AU), 15-0 157 - #8 C.P. Schlatter (Minn.) tech. fall Chris Stout (AU), 17-2 165 - #8 Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov (AU) maj. dec. #4 Matt Nagel (Minn.), 13-3 174 - #14 Gabriel Dretsch (Minn.) tech. fall Dwayne Hash-Barberis (AU), 17-2 184 - #12 Josh Glenn (AU) pinned #6 Roger Kish (Minn.), 4:02 197 - Mitch Kuhlman (Minn.) maj. dec. Tyler Flatt (AU), 8-0 HWT - #2 Cole Konrad (Minn.) tech. fall #14 Adam LoPiccolo (AU), 19-4

TEMPE, AZ -- The University of Iowa wrestling team opened its 2005-06 dual season with a 26-13 win over Arizona State in Tempe, AZ, Saturday night. The Hawkeyes scored wins at six weights, picking up bonus-point victories in four matches. The Sun Devils fell to 3-2 on the season with the loss. Iowa got pins from true freshman Daniel Dennis (133) and sophomore Mark Perry (174), and major decisions from seniors Ty Eustice (149) and Paul Bradley (184). Senior Joe Johnston (157) and sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (141) picked up decisions for the Hawkeyes. Eustice improved to 6-0 with the win, while Perry and Bradley recorded wins in their first collegiate matches of the season. Johnston and Tsirtsis both improved to 5-1, while Dennis improved to 5-2. Iowa (1-0) will face intra-state rival Iowa State (3-0) Friday night in Ames. The dual is set to start at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. The winning team will receive two points in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa State currently leads the series, 5-0, with wins in football and women's soccer.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The No. 16 Indiana wrestling squad placed 13 grapplers en route to its Mat Town Invitational title today in Lock Haven, Pa. Defending national champion Joe Dubuque, All-American Brandon Becker and junior Matt Cooper each claimed individual titles to lead the Hoosier effort. The Hoosiers (179) finished 40.5 points ahead of both the University of Buffalo (138.5) and the University of Oregon (138.5) who finished tied for second. Lock Haven University (4th, 99.5) and Rider University (90) rounded out the top-five team finishers. Senior No. 1-ranked Dubuque, 125, pinned two wrestlers en route to his first title of the season, getting his season started strong with a 4-0 record. Sophomore No. 5-ranked Becker, in his first competition of the year, now owns a 3-0 record after posting one major decision on his way to the 157-pound invitational title. Cooper nabbed his first career title after going 4-0 at Mat Town, extending his season mark to 7-1. Redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez (2nd, 133 pounds), sophomore Marc Bennett (2nd, 174 pounds), senior Brady Richardson (2nd, 197 pounds) and sophomore Dave Herman (2nd, 285 pounds) each brought home silver performances against steep competition. Dubuque dismissed one ranked opponent during the competition, No. 18 Obenson Blanc (Lock Haven), while Hernandez also downed No. 16 Michael Martin (Old Dominion) in the semifinal bout to advance to the finals. Becker held to his top-five national ranking defeating No. 19 Seth Martin (Lock Haven), while No. 11 Richardson's sole loss came against No. 5 ranked Kyle Cerminara (Buffalo) in the championship bout. On his journey to the title match, Richardson notched his third win over a ranked opponent defeating No. 19 Adam Wright of Old Dominion. Freshman Scott Kelley (8th, 133 pounds), Nick Spatola (4th, 141 pounds), junior Isaac Knable (7th, 149 pounds), sophomore NCAA qualifier Max Dean (3rd, 165 pounds), sophomore Justin Curran (3rd, 184 pounds) and junior Josh Buuck (5th, 184 pounds) also found their way to the placement podium. The Hoosiers continue their pre-conference schedule at the UNI Open in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Dec. 4.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Johny Hendricks recorded a technical fall over Michigan State's Bryan Harney to put away the Spartans and clinch the dual as the Cowboys won 21-15 at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State kept the dual tight early, splitting the first six matches with the Cowboys. The Cowboys, however, held an 11-9 advantage at the midway point thanks to bonus point victories by Steve Mocco at and Nathan Morgan. "I liked that we scored bonus points in the matches that we won," head coach John Smith said afterward. "We had some ugly losses, but we can take something from those matches and move forward." The two anticipated matches with ranked wrestlers at 125 and 141 were both dominated by the Simmons brothers of Michigan State. Fourth-ranked Nick Simmons recorded a takedown and a three-point near fall on his way to a 6-0 decision over No. 5 Coleman Scott. No. 4 Andy Simmons controlled No. 13 Daniel Frishkorn and came away with a 7-1 decision. Zack Esposito extended the lead for the Cowboys with a technical fall over Darren Mcknight at 149. After Michigan State's Tony Greathouse upset eighth-ranked Kevin Ward to make the dual 16-12, Hendricks clinched the dual with his tech. fall over Harney. Michigan State's R.J. Boudro defeated OSU's Brandon Mason in the final match at 174 to make the final score 21-15. "Overall, it is not what I wanted to see," Smith said. "It is not all negative though because now we know what we need to work on to get better for our next match against Lehigh. The Cowboys open the home portion of their schedule on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Cal State Bakersfield wrestling alumni squad edged out the current Roadrunners by a 20–18 count in the CSUB alumni dual Sunday afternoon at the Icardo Center. The annual match features a number of former Roadrunner stars at weights they remembered from high school or earlier pitted against the current Bakersfield squad. The outcome of the match came down to the final weight class of the day. Roberto Vargas, an All–American from last season's squad, faced junior Matt Schumm (Corona, Calif./Centennial HS) at 141 pounds. After a close first period, Vargas, who weighed a bit more than the 141 he wrestled at last year, outscored Schumm 9–0 in the second period en route to a 15–2 win. Tommy Vargas (Highland, Calif./Northwestern) scored a narrow 3–2 victory over Moses Delfin, an All–American in 1999 for the 'Runners and a current assistant coach for the squad. Vargas scored the only takedown of the match in the first period and managed to hold off Delfin for the victory. The most entertaining match of the evening came at 174 pounds where Bakersfield's Christian Arellano (Moreno Valley, Calif./Canyon Springs HS) edged out Ian Nelms by a count of 8–6. The two wrestlers battled back and forth, combining for four reversals. Arellano managed the final reversal midway though the final period and held on for the win. Another close match came just one match later at 184 pounds. Lou Montano, a former two–time NCAA Division I All–American held a slight 4–3 lead with riding time advantage nearing the end of the match. The Roadrunners' Brandon Ceremello (Clovis, Calif./Clovis HS) was able to score a quick escape and benefited from a stalling call with a few seconds left to force overtime. In the extra period, Ceremello was able to overcome at least a 30 pound disadvantage and score the takedown for the victory. At heavyweight, junior Eric Parker (Ramona, Calif,/Ramona HS) held off a strong challenge from former three–time Pac–10 placewinner Brian Malavar for a close 4–2 decision. The match was the only one of the night where the Alumni wrestler was close to making weight. Former two–time All–American Coby Wright scored a tech fall victory over freshman Brandon Zoetewey (San Ramon, Calif./De La Salle HS) at 125 pounds. Wright, who had a 20 pound weight and at least one foot height advantage, took the freshman down at will, scoring the technical fall at the end of the match. Bakersfield returns to action this weekend as the squad travels to the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- No. 8 Lehigh got its first look at an EIWA opponent on Sunday afternoon and the Mountain Hawks rolled to a 36-3 win over Rutgers at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Lehigh secured wins in nine of ten weight classes and got bonus points in five bouts as the Mountain Hawks improve to 5-1 heading into next weekend's showdowns against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. Rutgers drops its dual opener and falls to 0-1. The match started at 174 and Travis Frick got the Mountain Hawks off to a fast start. Frick scored early and often en route to a 19-6 major decision over Scarlet Knights' freshman Michael Whalen. Rutgers picked up its only victory at 184 as last minute replacement Ben Bishop wrestled tough and gave up only a decision in a 4-1 loss to Rutgers' No. 9 ranked Rudy Medini. Lehigh re-asserted its dominance in the remaining bouts. Matt Cassidy and Tom Curl delivered wins by decisions at 197 and heavyweight respectively. When the lineup turned over to the lightweights, freshman Matt Fisk and sophomore Jeff Santo delivered bonus wins. Fisk was very impressive in a 15-5 major decision over Ryan Jablonski at 125 and then Santo built a 12-0 lead before pinning Andrew Cardella in 3:56. Matt Ennis earned a 4-2 decision subbing for Cory Cooperman at 141. Trevor Chinn and Derek Zinck wrapped things up with wins with Zinck's coming by major decision. Troy Letters was a winner by forfeit for the Brown and White at 165. "I thought we wrestled well today as a team," said head coach Greg Strobel. "Today was a good challenge for us and a good measuring stick before we head to Oklahoma next week." The Mountain Hawks return to action on Friday night when they travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma to face No. 1 Oklahoma State. Friday's match gets underway at 8:00 EST from historic Gallagher-Iba Arena. The match will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at lehighsports.com with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) stayed undefeated this year, knocking off fourth-ranked Matt Nagel of Minnesota and Josh Glenn (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson) pinned all his opponents, including sixth-ranked Roger Kish of Minnesota to highlight the American University wrestling team's performance at the Northeast Duals Saturday. The team wrestled without a 125 or 141 and went 1-3 on the day, beating Virginia-Tech and losing to No. 5 Minnesota (40-10), No. 13 Central Michigan 27-16, No. 25 Tennessee-Chattanooga by five points. Wins by Abdurakhmanov and Glenn highlighted AU's final dual of the day, against #5 ranked Minnesota. Abdurakhmanov major decisioned fourth-ranked Matt Nagel, 13-3. Nagel came into the match undefeated, recently beating defending NCAA Champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State. Abdurakhmanov is now 10-0 on the year. At 184, Glenn pinned sixth-ranked Roger Kish 4:02 into the match for the win. It was Kish's first loss of the year. Glenn had four wins on the day, all by pin. He has won every match this year by pin and is now 10-0 on the year as well. Matt Morkel (Omaha, Neb./Skutt), American's promising 125 pounder, was unable to compete because of an injury that occurred in the team's season opener.

College wrestling changed forever in November of 2002 when Cornell head wrestling coach Rob Koll unveiled his program's brand-new Friedman Wrestling Center, the nation's first stand-alone wrestling facility. The media gathered and Cornell, already enjoying a string of successful seasons, became an instant premier program. The brick and mortar of the building attracted attention and more donors, which in-turn set off a nine-year cycle of talent recruited and national success. Friedman Wrestling CenterCornell's construction and subsequent ascendancy had unexpected consequences on the rest of college wrestling. Almost immediately an arms war developed among those wanting to be mentioned among the top echelon of college wrestling programs. Schools that had once happily relied on the governance of one or two premier coaches and 1500 square feet of Resilite now needed plasma television, 4500 square feet of mat space, and stacked coaching staffs. From Penn State to Nebraska to Iowa, wrestling programs began to find donors willing to help create mega-programs where the new-normal for success would be available to student-athletes seeking status as All-Americans and NCAA champions. For six years the 80-some-odd programs have been trying to keep up with the Jones' Koll's of the college wrestling world, and while schools have made incredible, almost illogical, gains, none have matched the recent 18-month spending spree and product development of the Michigan Wolverines. Bahna Wrestling CenterLike Friedman before it, the Bahna Wrestling Center was the catalyst for change in Ann Arbor. The state-of-the art complex that became only the second stand-alone wrestling facility when it was dedicated in October of 2009, and though Bahna brings about Twit Pic-inducing amenities a bright-eyed 18-year-old recruit might want (Playstation, plasma televisions, Gatorade machine), it also has everything they need to succeed (training room, weight room, 7500 square feet of mat space). What is different about Michigan is the sudden influx of human capital -- a concentration of coaching and athletic talent very rarely, if ever, assembled in one program. Michigan head wrestling coach Joe McFarland and the Michigan athletic program did what no other program in the country has been able to match, instantly recruiting the best coaches, senior-level wrestlers and top prospects all at once. The confluence of technical expertise, international success, and expectation for future results has taken a Wolverine program from Big Ten after thought last season to talk of future title contender. The Michigan coaching staff was the first significant change inside the Wolverine programs. McFarland recruited arguably the two most sought after head coaching prospects in the country, Sean Bormet and Donny Pritzlaff, and asked them to come to Ann Arbor as assistant coaches. Both, ever-accomplished as competitors, had made their respective marks in junior, senior, and collegiate coaching. Donny Pritzlaff"On the interview it was clear to me that the administrator wanted to be the best and were willing to do what it took to get there," said Pritzlaff a two-time NCAA champion and former assistant-head coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin. "Michigan wanted the best coaches, assistant coaches, wrestlers, student-athletes and recruits. I'm a competitive guy and I could tell they were all-in. They expect to win." According to Pritzlaff the jump from Wisconsin to Michigan started with an initial interest in the head-coaching job at American University. Once change had crept into his thought process, the 400-mile move from Madison to Ann Arbor became manageable. "I spent 11 years in Madison as a wrestler and a coach, and I think it was time to get new experiences and new challenges." Helping to make the decision was the recent hiring of Sean Bormet, who not only wrestled and coached at Michigan, though he'd spent the last 11 years running the epically successful Overtime School of Wrestling in Naperville, Ill. Bormet's Fargo team swept the event in 2010, winning freestyle and Greco in both Juniors and Cadets. He saw Michigan as an opportunity to create a new professional challenge. Sean Bormet"Opening and running Overtime taught me a tremendous amount in terms of business management and the foundation of development in the types athletes I will now be recruiting," said Bormet. "There is an enormous amount of work that goes into running a Division I program and I was not going to underestimate that fact. For me it was not about the staff title I would hold, but about the coaches I am working with, the support and commitment of the administration, and the athletes I have to train and coach." When it come to respecting ability Bormet and Pritzlaff shared the praise. Said Bormet of his former athlete, "Pritzlaff is special. He was exceptional as a competitor and he is as a coach. It was an honor to coach Donny and contribute to his success at the NCAAs and the World Championships." Pritzlaff, who won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, credits Bormet with being one of the motivating factors in his decision, "I've always wanted to work with Bormet; he recruited me to Wisconsin and coached me at the senior level. He's one of the best in the country at what he does and I wanted to learn from him." Michigan Men (left to right): Jimmy Kennedy, Andrew Howe, Tyrel Todd, Josh Churella, Mike Poeta, and Jake Herbert (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)Somewhat controversially, what followed was a nationwide shuffle of talent. Coaches aren't to blame when their athletes follow them to schools, and most try their best to prevent gutting a program, but as with any martial art relationship bonds of leadership formed in times of great emotional need can't always be easily severed. When Bormet and Pritzlaff reported to Ann Arbor, they attracted one of the most exceptional and accomplished groups of senior-level athletes assembled to date. World silver medalist Jake Herbert, Mike Poeta, Jimmy Kennedy, Tyrel Todd, Josh Churella and Andrew Howe (who is not enrolled at Wisconsin or Michigan) are all full-time members of the senior-level program called the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, and live and train alongside the Michigan Wolverine wrestling team. "I love Bormet," said Herbert, a two-time NCAA champion at Northwestern. "I wanted to train with him because he's going to get me prepared to win an Olympic title. I also get to be around six or seven other guys who have the same goals and are working hard to achieve them every day. It's like being back on a team." "They also have a chocolate milk machine," Herbert said only half-jokingly. The recent influx of talent and their relationship to the Michigan program was prompted, nay -- encouraged, by the changed relationship between the NCAA and senior-level wrestlers. Previously the senior-level wrestlers could only participate in club practices, but with schools who've now gained designation as Regional Training Centers (RTC) from USA Wrestling, senior-level athletes can now wrestle with the college athletes during scheduled NCAA practice periods. By earning an RTC designation and recruiting Bormet and Prtizlaff, Michigan gathered up seven more world-class competitors to join in select practices and drill sessions. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club members with Sean Bormet (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)"It's been pretty awesome to have the senior-level guys in the room," said 2011 NCAA Champion Kellen Russell. "I'm drilling with Jimmy Kennedy and getting technique advice from guys like Howe. The whole team benefits from having these guys around -- they all know how to win." "Pollination of technique and competitive mindset between wrestlers at the NCAA level and the World level is optimal for everyone involved," said Bormet of the RTC designation and how its influenced programs like Michigan and Ohio State. "There are several significant college programs making this commitment around the country and it is healthy for American wrestling as a whole." Pritzlaff sees his time coaching under McFarland and with Bormet as a catalyst for his on career, but also an important visualization tool for the Michigan wrestlers, "I always wanted to be involved in this type of program -- around guys who want to be Olympic champions. They are here every day working their strength and condition and it's been great for our wrestlers to see these guys working out -- to see the intensity." Michigan's current wrestlers are obviously benefiting from the exposure to the talent, and that should help push the Wolverines, who have seven guys ranked in the top 20, into a possible podium position at the Big Ten Championships. Their improvement and the expected influx of talent, including InterMat's top recruit Taylor Massa, means that the coffer of talent won't soon be diminished, or suffer from a lack of development. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club teammates Andrew Howe and Jake Herbert wrestle while Sean Bormet gives instruction (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)Though they are pampered by their surroundings, the competitive edge of the Michigan team and senior-level athletes like Herbert doesn't wane with the ease of a facility that has everything in one location. Russell thinks his 2011-2012 teammates are hungrier than ever, readying themselves for the five-month season, "We're ready to start winning," he said. Even Herbert, who lost his 2010 World team position to Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson in 2011, has a renewed outlook on the coming season and how he'll accomplish his goals. "Kenny Monday had Dave Schultz, Henry Cejudo had Stephen Abas, it's only fair that I have Cael Sanderson." He'll also have a weight room, 7500 square feet of mat space, and a training room. But more importantly he and the current Wolverine wrestlers will have multiple training partners and coaches -- each of them with newly minted designations as Michigan Men.

Nice, France -- Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) won a gold medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. at the Henri Deglane Challenge on Friday evening by defeating fellow American Chris Pendleton (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) in a men's freestyle final, 6-0, 0-3, 1-1. Hrovat swept through four opponents on his way to the gold medal, as he continued his strong start to the 2005-06 freestyle season. Also winning a medal in men's freestyle competition was Angel Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) with a silver at 60 kg/132 lbs. Cejudo won his first two matches with 6-0 scores in all four periods wrestled. In the finals, he dropped a 6-0, 1-0 decision to Petru Toarca of Romania, who placed fourth in the 2002 World Championships. Ron Groves (Colorado Springs, Colo./Unattached) posted a 1-1 record and Aaron Holker (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) lost his first-round bout. Both competed at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. In Greco-Roman competition, John Wechter (East Lansing, Mich./Sunkist Kids) won a bronze medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. Wechter downed Asian Junior champion Davoud Hadavand of Iran in the first round before losing to eventual champion Denis Forov of Russia in the second round. Forov was a 2003 Junior World champion. After winning one bout in the consolation bracket, Wechter defeated Pedro Garcia of Spain, 2-0, 3-0, for the bronze. Also competing for the U.S. in Greco-Roman but not placing were Willie Madison (Metairie, La./Gator WC/USOEC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Mark Rial (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. On Saturday, two more men's weight classes, 74 kg/163 lbs. and 96 kg/211.5 lbs., will compete in each style as will three women's weight classes, 55 kg/121 lbs., 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

State College, Pa. -- The No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team nearly pulled off an upset of its own, leading early but falling to No. 2 Michigan in Rec Hall. Penn State would bolt out to a 12-3 lead only to see Michigan's bevy of ranked grapplers spur a Wolverine comeback as Michigan posted a hard-fought 23-15 win over Penn State. A season-high 2,364 fans packed Rec Hall for the Big Ten dual. The dual began at 197, where Penn State's Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), a returning All-American and ranked No. 6 in the country, broke open an early tight match vs. Michigan's Casey White with five late points in the second period off a reversal and a three-point near fall. Davis would dominate the third period and post a 6-0 win to put Penn State up 3-0. Greg WagnerAt heavyweight, junior Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.) stepped in to face Michigan's Greg Wagner, ranked No. 3 in the nation. Wagner took Anspach down midway through the first, but Anspach would quickly escape. A last second takedown gave Wagner a 4-1 lead after one. The bout would head to the third with Wagner up 5-1. Anspach would escape to tighten the match at 5-2 but get no closer and drop the close match 8-2. Sophomore Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) fresh off his title at the East Stroudsburg Open, got up early on Michigan junior Jim Shutich with two take downs plus a riding time edge of 1:30. Up 4-1 heading into the second, Haas would ride Shutich for another :50 before Shutich's escape made the score 4-2 going to period three. Haas chose down to start the third and was allowed up :45 seconds in. Shutich would post a late take down but Haas held on for the 6-4 win and a 6-3 Penn State team lead. With nationally ranked Wolverine Mark Moos out, Penn State freshman Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) scored early on Michigan's Brandon Elliott, wrestling up from his natural 125. Strayer would take Elliott down four times in the first period and lead 9-3 with riding time heading into the second. Strayer would continue to dominate the match and lead 17-4 after two. Strayer would eventually pin Elliott at 5:34, giving Penn State a 12-3 lead after four bouts. A key battle at 141 started with No. 8 Josh Churella of Michigan getting an early takedown on Penn State's No. 16 DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.). Driscoll would quickly escape to tighten the hotly contested bout at 2-1. Churella scored another takedown and ride Driscoll out to lead 4-1 with a riding time edge heading into the second. Driscoll was reversed early in the second period and trailed 6-1 after two. Churella would score a late take down in the third period and post a 9-1 major. Penn State led 12-7 at the midway point. Two more ranked wrestlers squared off at 149. Penn State's James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.), ranked No. 14, battled No. 3 Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan tough early, but Tannenbaum scored a takedown a minute in and ride Woodall for the remainder of the period to lead 2-0 with a 2:01 riding time edge after one period. Tannenbaum would extend his lead to 5-1 with a takedown in the second and go on to post a 10-4 win, cutting Penn State's team lead to 12-10. Steve LukePenn State's Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.), ranked No. 10 at 157, fell behind No. 19 Steve Luke early as Luke scored a take down to start the match and post another take down late in the first period to lead 4-1 after one. Luke would increase his edge to 6-3 heading into the third period with a 2:14 riding time advantage. Luke's early reversal in the third period would increase the lead and he would hold off a late Galloway rally to post the 11-9 win and give Michigan its first lead of the match, 13-12. Freshman Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) faced No. 3 Ryan Churella of Michigan at 165. Churella took Bomberger down in the first and rode the freshman for 1:45 to close out the first period with a 2-0 lead and a 1:45 riding time advantage. Churella would increase his edge to 9-0 after two before posting a pin at 5:32 and increase Michigan's edge to 19-12. 174-pounder James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) entered his match with No. 11 Nick Roy of Michigan with a 4-0 mark and a two straight wins over ranked opponents. The duo battled to a scoreless first period. Roy chose down to start the second and escape :11 in to lead 1-0 after two. Yonushonis was down to start the third and escaped five second in to tie the bout at 1-1. Plenty of action but no scoring would send the 1-1 bout into a sudden victory period. Yonushonis would post a take down with just :22 into the bout to post his third straight win over a ranked foe, 3-1. Penn State found itself down 19-15 with a bout remaining. With top-ranked Nittany Lion Eric Bradley still nursing an ankle injury for Penn State, freshman Neil Bretz (Carlisle, Pa.) moved up to 184, needing not just a win but bonus points vs. Michigan freshman Tyrel Todd. Todd scored the first take down of the bout in the first period and continue to score on Bretz, a natural 174-pounder, through the second period leading 10-2 with riding time after two periods. Todd would go on to post an impressive 18-5 major and give Michigan a 23-15 dual victory. Penn State hosts the Nittany Lion Open next Sunday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are available at the door the day of the event. Penn State's next home dual is on Sunday, Jan. 8, when the Lions host Cornell at 1 p.m. in Rec Ha... Single match tickets can be purchased by visiting the BJC Ticket Center or by calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and senior citizens. DUAL MATCH SUMMARY: No. 11 PENN STATE 15, No. 2 MICHIGAN 23 Saturday, November 26, 2005 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa. Wt. Result PSU-UM 197: #6 Phil Davis PSU def. Casey White UM, 6-0 3-0 HWT: #3 Greg Wagner UM def. Aaron Anspach PSU, 8-2 3-3 125: Tim Haas PSU def. Jim Shutich UM, 6-4 6-3 133: Jake Strayer PSU pinned Brandon Elliott UM, WBF 5:34 12-3 141: #8 Josh Churella UM maj. dec. #16 DeWitt Driscoll PSU, 9-1 12-7 149: #3 Eric Tannenbaum UM def. #14 James Woodall PSU, 10-4 12-10 157: #19 Steve Luke UM def. #10 Nathan Galloway PSU, 11-9 12-13 165: #3 Ryan Churella UM pinned Phil Bomberger PSU, WBF 5:32 12-19 174: James Yonushonis PSU def. #11 Nick Roy UM 3-1 SV 15-19 184: Tyrel Todd UM maj. dec. Neil Bretz PSU, 18-5 15-23 RECORDS: Penn State 3-2, 0-2 Big Ten; Michigan 1-0, 1-0 Big Ten ATTENDANCE: 2,364

The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team will kick off its 2005-06 slate on Saturday (Nov. 26) with a Big Ten Conference dual meet against No. 11 Penn State in State College, Pa. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Rec Hall. Michigan holds the narrow 22-20 advantage in the all-time series against Penn State, dating back to 1933. The Wolverines have also been dominant of late with wins in eight of the last nine meetings, including a pair of lopsided victories last season. U-M rallied from early deficits in both duals, winning 31-9 in the regular-season affair in Ann Arbor before posting a 29-14 win at the National Duals one week later. Senior/juniors Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) played instrumental roles in both wins, each collecting back-to-back falls at 165 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Joe McFarlandMichigan head coach Joe McFarland owns a near-perfect 7-1 record against the Nittany Lions since taking the helm of the Wolverine squad while PSU head coach Troy Sunderland owns a 67-65 career record in eight seasons at Penn State and is 1-7 against the Wolverines. The Nittany Lions own a 3-1 record already this season, losing 19-15 to Wisconsin in their most recent outing. Penn State on the Internet: www.GoPSUSports.com. Marquee Matches 149 Pounds -- #3 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. #14 James Woodall (Penn State) Eric TannenbaumTannenbaum made a pretty successful season debut on Monday (Nov. 21) with a 7-3 win over Oklahoma State's top-ranked Zack Esposito at the NWCA All-Star Classic. He will square off against a ranked opponent for the second time in as many matches when he takes on Penn State's 14th-rank James Woodall. The two wrestlers will meet for the first time as Woodall regains his 149-pound starting role after posting a 10-2 record last season while backing up PSU starter Jack Decker. The Nittany Lion wrestler owns a 2-1 mark in 2005-06 with his lone loss coming in overtime against Wisconsin's Tyler Turner (8-6). 157 Pounds -- #19 Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. #10 Nate Galloway (Penn State) One week after solidifying his starting role in U-M's lineup, Luke will immediately face his first major challenge when he squares off against Penn State's 10th-ranked Nate Galloway in just his first varsity match. Galloway is 2-2 this season with a pair of big bonus wins and both losses falling in the tiebreaker round. In his most recent outing, Galloway fell to Wisconsin's Craig Henning 5-3. Luke posted a 7-3 record in open tournament competition during his redshirt campaign and, in a successful summer season, represented the United States at the Junior World Championships. Saturday's dual meet will mark his season debut. Projected match-ups: 125: Jim Shutich (Michigan) vs. Brad Pataky or Tim Haas (Penn State) 133: Mark Moos (Michigan) vs. Jake Strayer (Penn State) 141: Josh Churella (Michigan) vs. DeWitt Driscoll (Penn State) 149: Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. James Woodall (Penn State) 157: Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. Nate Galloway (Penn State) 165: Ryan Churella (Michigan) vs. Phil Bomberger or Brian Cantalupi (Penn State) 174: Nick Roy (Michigan) vs. James Yonushonis (Penn State) 184: Tyrel Todd (Michigan) vs. Eric Bradley or Neil Bretz (Penn State) 197: Willie Breyer (Michigan) vs. Phil Davis (Penn State) Hwt: Greg Wagner (Michigan) vs. Joel Edwards (Penn State)

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Three successful high school wrestlers have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Arizona State University and compete on its wrestling team, Sun Devil Head Coach Thom Ortiz announced Wednesday. The trio of signees, which includes Shawn Jones, David Green and Kenny Lester, will enroll at ASU in time to compete for the 2006-07 team. "I am very pleased with the student-athletes we have signed to attend Arizona State," Ortiz said. "All three of them are state champions and know what it takes to be successful on the mat as well as off. I feel each will be strong contributors for this program as we strive to remain among the Top 5 teams in the nation each year." Jones will come to Tempe from Snake River, Idaho, where he will be looking to finish his high school career as a four-time state champion. Currently ranked among the Top 3 in the nation by several amateur wrestling publications, Jones holds a career 108-8 record in high school and has been dominant at the state's 3A meet, winning his first two titles by pinning his opponent in the first round of the championship bout. He also twice earned All-America honors last season as he was crowned the 2005 Greco-Roman national champion at the Fargo Cadet/Junior National Championships and a runner-up in the freestyle competition, both at 125 pounds. Both Green and Lester will come to Tempe by way of the same high school, Oviedo, the same program that produced current Sun Devil starter Jason Robbins (true freshman at 141 pounds). Green is a two-time defending Florida state champion and enters his senior season with a career record of 111-20. After qualifying for the state meet as a freshman with a 24-13 record, Green, who enters the season ranked No. 6 in the nation, won titles as a sophomore (43-6) and junior (44-1) and in his junior campaign, also helped the team to a state title. A fifth-place finisher at the 2005 Fargo Cadet/Junior National Championships in Greco-Roman (189), Green helped Team Florida to the 2004 National Junior Duals Championship title. Joining Green as a team captain for the Lions this year is Lester, one of the top ranked competitors in the national high school rankings at 275 pounds. The 2005 state champion, Lester has won at least 40 bouts in each of his three seasons and stands 132-25 overall in his career. After going 42-14 as a freshman, 42-10 as a sophomore (5th at state) and 48-1 last year, Lester will look to help his team defend their state crown this season while going for his second individual title. The school's single-season record holder for pins a year with 35, he is on pace to break the career falls record of 113 held by current Sun Devil Robbins. On the national scene, Lester also has attained All-America honors twice, earning the award at the Cadet level in 2003 and the Junior level last year. "All three of these athletes have a goal of winning national titles, both individually as well as with the team," Ortiz said. "They are strong, hard workers and will represent Arizona State University well. Our program has continued to grow and shine over the past few years and I feel these three young men will only help the program continue its climb to the top."