InterMat Staff

Columbia, Mo. -- Competing at the sixth-annual Missouri Open, eight Tigers wrestled their way to the championship match of their bracket, marking the most grapplers Head Coach Brian Smith has placed in the final round since the tournament's inception. Competing unattached, three more Missouri wrestlers earned a spot in the championship match of the freshman/sophomore division. One of five Tigers to win their first Missouri Open title, junior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) ran his season-opening streak to 10 wins in a row. Dominating the 174-pound bracket, Askren utilized a series of single-leg takedowns to build a 20-6 lead over Matt Winterhalter of Illinois before pinning his opponent in the third period. Continuing his impressive performance, Askren turned the tables on a takedown attempt by opponent Eric Ring of Edinboro, making his third pin of the day 3:25 into the match. Ranked No. 1 in the nation, Askren finished the day with a technical fall over No. 19 Donny Reynolds of Illinois, 25-10. A last-second takedown in the semifinal round earned Austin DeVoe (Columbus, Kan.) a spot in the championship bout, and the senior seized the opportunity. Wrestling at 125 pounds, DeVoe utilized two early takedowns to gain a lead over opponent Ricky Deubel of Edinboro, then held on to beat Deubel, 7-4, and win Missouri's first Open title of the day. After two Tigers grappled to the top of the 141-pound bracket, senior Chris McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) and sophomore Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) wrestled to a 0-0 stalemate in the first period. McCormick ended the second period with a takedown and two-point near fall to eventually win the title. Competing in the most exciting championship match of the day, redshirt-freshman Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) earned a 3-1 overtime victory over No. 19 Alex Clemens of Edinboro to capture the title at 184 pounds. Rounding out the list of Tigers who recorded Missouri Open championships, No. 5 Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) pinned his first two opponents of the day, then finished the tournament by beating Jarrod King by injury default. Three Tigers finished second on the day. Returning Open champion Tyler McCormick, a sophomore from Leawood, Kan., lost to Shawn Bunch of Edinboro in the final, 9-4, dropping a tough match to the No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 133 pounds. Wagner and Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.), who was forced to forfeit the title bout due to injury, also placed second on the day. Competing unattached in the freshman/sophomore division, freshman John Olanowski (Virginia Beach, Va.) beat five opponents on the day to earn the title at 125 pounds. Dane Espinosa (Neosho, Mo.) took second place at 149 pounds, losing a tightly fought championship match to Chad Terry of Oklahoma by a 1-0 score. Wrestling in the final match of the all-day tournament, freshman heavyweight Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) earned the freshman/sophomore title with an escape and a takedown in the final period to beat Illinois' John Wise 4-3. In two weeks the Tigers travel to Las Vegas to compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, a prestigious two-day tournament held Dec. 2-3. For complete results of the Missouri Open please visit www.mutigers.com.

The NWCA All-Star Classic, which takes place tonight at 7 p.m. (CST) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, has become the most exciting early season event in college wrestling. Before last season, the event took place at the midpoint of the season (like a traditional all-star event). Since it is considered an exhibition, the All-Star Classic does not count against the wrestler's win-loss records. All 20 wrestlers competing have been NCAA All-Americans -- with five of those wrestlers being defending NCAA champions. Two of the match-ups, 141 pounds and heavyweight, will be rematches from last year's NCAA finals. Oklahoma State, the three-time defending NCAA champions, will have the most representation with all four of their defending NCAA champions competing. Here is a match-by-match breakdown of the 40th annual All-Star Classic: 125: Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) vs. Nick Simmons (Michigan State) These two wrestlers have opposite builds and opposite wrestling styles -- but similar accolades. Both are two-time All-Americans. Both are returning conference champions in power conferences. Both are U.S. National Team members (Hazwinkel is on the Greco-Roman team, Simmons is on the freestyle team). They were the top two seeds at last year's NCAA Tournament -- and both lost in the semifinals. These two met twice last season and both matches were won by Hazewinkel. Their first meeting was at the NWCA All-Star Classic, where Hazwinkel shutout Simmons, 2-0. Hazewinkel then beat Simmons again in the third-fourth place at the NCAA Tournament, 6-3. Both Simmons and Hazewinkel have tournament titles under their belts this season. Simmons won the Eastern Michigan and Michigan State Opens, while Hazewinkel won the SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. Expect to see another tight match. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Simmons decision over Hazewinkel 133: Mack Reiter (Minnesota) vs. Darrell Vasquez (Cal Poly) Interestingly enough, like the 125-pound match, these two have opposite wrestling styles, but similar accolades. Both reached the NCAA semifinals as freshmen and placed fourth (Vasquez in 2004, Reiter in 2005). Vasquez, who missed last season because of illness, is extremely slick on his feet with great leg attacks. Reiter, on the other hand, is punishing on the mat and a great pinner. Reiter, though, struggles with wrestlers who are better on their feet than him (which Vasquez is), but often times overcomes it with his aggressiveness, tough mat wrestling, and bottomless oxygen tank. Ironically, Vasquez's former high school teammate, Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State, defeated Reiter at the Kaufman-Brand Open last season. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Vasquez decision over Reiter 141: Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) vs. Nate Gallick (Iowa State) These two wrestlers certainly know each others styles well -- as they have met five times over the past two seasons. Although Gallick leads the all-time series 4-1, Ware won when it mattered most -- in the NCAA finals. Both wrestlers, despite their impressive credentials, have very conservative styles. Both get scrutinized by wrestling fans for not opening up and defeating marginal Division I wrestlers by more points. Ware is the better athlete, but Gallick is the better technician. One takedown might be enough to win this match. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Gallick decision over Ware 149: Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) vs. Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) You can certainly make a case for Esposito being the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the country. The defending NCAA champion has no glaring weakness. He is quick and explosive on his feet. He can scramble with the best. He's tough on the mat. Plus, he is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the country to watch. Tannenbaum, who placed fourth at the NCAA Tournament as a freshman, is going to be a great one … likely a future NCAA champion. Esposito defeated Tannenbaum, 7-2, in the NCAA semifinals last March. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Esposito decision over Tannenbaum 157: Alex Tirapelle (Illinois) vs. Joe Johnston (Iowa) Tirapelle, a two-time All-American, had the most disappointing performance of his career at last year's NCAA Tournament, where he failed to place as the No. 1 seed. Johnston, on the other hand, had the most impressive performance of his career at last year's NCAA Tournament, where he finished as the national runner-up -- coming through as the No. 8 seed. These two Big Ten foes met three times last season. Tirapelle won the first two meetings (9-5 and 7-5), but Johnston came back to upset Tirapelle in the NCAA quarterfinals, 6-5, on his way to the finals. These two have opposite builds. Tirapelle is long and lanky, whereas Johnston is short and stocky. If Tirapelle wrestles like he should, and conditioning doesn't play much of a factor, he should come out on top. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Tirapelle decision over Johnston 165: Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) vs. Matt Nagel (Minnesota) Most wrestling fans across the country would much rather see Troy Letters of Lehigh or Ryan Churella of Michigan battle Hendricks, the defending NCAA champion. But both Letters and Churella opted not to compete. Regardless, Nagel, a returning All-American for Minnesota, is still a formidable opponent who is certainly capable of wrestling with Hendricks. In fact, he proved that last December when he lost a 5-3 decision in overtime to Hendricks. Nagel has good defense, wrestles a conservative style, and doesn't take a lot of risks. Hendricks is the better technician and should win this match, but he's had letdowns in the past (losses to John Sioredas of Tennessee-Chattanooga and Jacob Klein of Nebraska last season), so an upset loss here certainly isn't out of the question. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Hendricks decision over Nagel 174: Jake Herbert (Northwestern) vs. Jacob Klein (Nebraska) Herbert had a phenomenal freshman campaign for the Wildcats. He reeled off 22-straight victories to begin the season, won a Midlands crown, finished runner-up at the Big Tens, and placed third at the NCAA's. Klein, a 2004 All-American, is moving up weight class for his senior season to test the waters at 174 pounds. Both Herbert and Klein have looked strong in the early part of this season. Herbert won the Michigan State Open in convincing fashion, while Klein dominated Ben Gilliland of Boise State, 17-5, in his 174-pound debut on Friday night. Most matches that Klein wrestles against top opponents are close, and this match should be no exception. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Herbert decision over Klein 184: Paul Bradley (Iowa) vs. Pete Friedl (Illinois) Bradley, a two-time All-American, is a wrestler who relies much more on his strength than his technical skills. Friedl, who is moving up from 174 pounds, is the polar opposite. He's very technically sound and doesn't rely on strength. Friedl has stated that his biggest asset as wrestler is his technical knowledge. If Friedl can get his offense rolling, Bradley won't be able to keep up. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Friedl decision over Bradley 197: Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. Joel Flaggert (Oklahoma) Rosholt will be vying for his third NCAA this season. The Idaho native doesn't receive the fanfare of teammates Esposito or Mocco -- partly due to the fact that he has been known to drop a few matches prior to the NCAA Tournament. But Rosholt is a big-match wrestler. When the spotlight is on, he is at his best. Last season, Flaggert lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but battled all the way back to become an All-American by placing fourth. Rosholt dominated Flaggert in their only meeting last season -- coming away with a 14-4 major decision. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Rosholt major decision over Flaggert Hwt: Steve Mocco (Oklahoma State) vs. Cole Konrad (Minnesota) These two probably know each other's styles better than they know their own styles. Mocco and Konrad met three times last season -- and all three matches were won by Mocco in overtime. The two met again at the World Team Trials last June in Ames, Iowa, where Mocco won another barnburner. There's no question that Konrad is every bit as skilled as Mocco, but he has come up just short in every meeting. In May, Konrad defeated former World champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba to win a Pan American Games gold medal, which should give him added confidence this season. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Konrad decision over Mocco LiveSportsVideo.com will web cast the NWCA 40th Annual All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps. To order the event, click here.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Oklahoma State opened the wrestling season by winning three individual titles at the Kaufman/Brand Open on Saturday night in Omaha, Neb. In the Open Division, Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan both won four matches to claim the tournament title. Scott defeated Minnesota's Andrew Domingues, 4-2, to win at 125, while Nathan Morgan took down Central Oklahoma's Earl Jones, 3-2, in the 133-pound final. Kevin Ward defeated Minnesota's eighth-ranked CP Schlatter, 4-3, to advance to the semifinals at 157 where he met nemesis Joe Johnston of Iowa. Ward dropped an 8-3 decision to Johnston and finished third after defeating Schlatter in the third-place match. Brandon Mason lost early to Iowa State's David Bertolino, but wrestled back through the consolation bracket to defeat Bertolino and Minnesota's 14th-ranked Gabe Dretsch to claim third-place. Clay Kehrer eliminated teammate Rusty Blackmon at 184 and finished fifth. Jack Jensen lost to Virginia Tech's Steve Borja in the third-place match and finished in fourth-place. Jake Rosholt advanced to the championship match and defaulted in the finals to finish in second-place. Jake's brother Jared defeated Virginia Tech's Mike Faust for fifth-place in the heavyweight bracket. Also placing in the tournament for the Cowboys were Daniel Frishkorn and B.J. Jackson who both finished in sixth-place at 141 and 149, respectively. In the 20 & Under Division, Tyler Shinn recorded a fall and a major decision on his way to the title at 125 where he defeated Minnesota's Jayson Ness, 3-2. Mike Bizzle posted a 5-2 record at 133, but fell one victory short of placing. Kevin Wainscott recorded two falls at 165 and finished fourth after losing to Nebraska-Omaha's Ross Taplin in the third-place match. Zack Esposito, Johny Hendricks and Steve Mocco all took the weekend off as they prepare to wrestle the best wrestler in their weight class in the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Unites States Marine Corps on Monday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The first match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the lineups for the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps to be held inside Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla. on Nov. 21. Twenty All-Americans will be wrestling, including five defending national champions. Two weight classes will have a rematch of the 2005 national title match. Host Oklahoma State will be represented by its four returning champions. Oklahoma will send three wrestlers to Stillwater to compete in the event as well. Oklahoma's two-time All-American Sam Hazewinkel will meet Michigan State's Nick Simmons. This is a rematch of the consolation final that Hazewinkel won at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Hazewinkel defeated Simmons, 2-0, in last year's All-Star Classic. In a rematch of last year's national title match at 141, two-time national champion Teyon Ware of Oklahoma will meet Big 12 rival and two-time Big 12 champion Nate Gallick of Iowa State. OSU's defending national champion at 149, Zack Esposito, will square off with Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum. Esposito defeated Tannenbaum in the NCAA semifinals last season. Johny Hendricks is the second Cowboy to take the mat. Hendricks, a two-time All-American and defending national champion at 165, will face Minnesota's Matt Nagel, who is coming off of a sixth-place finish last year. It will be Bedlam at 197 when OSU's two-time national champion Jake Rosholt will meet OU's Joel Flaggert. Rosholt won his second national title last season, while Flaggert went on to earn his first All-America honor with a fourth-place finish. Rosholt won their only meeting last season with a major decision in a dual back in December. Steve Mocco will be the last Oklahoma State wrestler to trot out onto the mat when he faces Minnesota's Cole Konrad in a rematch of last year's national title match. Mocco beat Konrad three times last season, all in overtime. At 133, Minnesota's Mack Reiter will square off against Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly. Reiter finished fourth last season, while Vazquez took the year off due to an illness. Vasquez finished sixth at the 2004 NCAA Championships. Returning national runner-up Joe Johnston of Iowa will meet Illinois' two-time All-American Alex Tirapelle. Johnston defeated Tirapelle, two-time Big Ten champion, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Tirapelle is the only wrestler in the classic who did not place in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Jacob Klein of Nebraska will take the mat at 174 after wrestling at 165 last season. Klein will face Northwestern's Jake Herbert. Herbert is coming off of a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Paul Bradley of Iowa will take the mat against Illinois' Pete Friedl. Bradley finished fifth at the 2005 NCAA Championships, while Friedl is bumping up a weight after he finished fourth at 174. Central Oklahoma's Josh Leadingfox will take on Nebraska-Kearney's Tervel Diagnev in a traditional exhibition match. The honorary coaches for the event are OSU's own John Smith, Northwestern's Tim Czyewski, Dana College's Steve Costanzo and Labette Community College's Joe Renfro.

MADISON, Wis. -- The No 15 Wisconsin wrestling team (3-0-0, 1-0-0 Big Ten Conference) upset No. 12 Penn State (3-1-0, 0-1-0 Big Ten) in both teams' Big Ten opener. Penn State jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the Badgers answered, winning five of the last seven bouts to win the match, 19-15. The win marks the first time UW has beaten the Nittany Lions since the 2001-02 season. "I think our young guys really showed a lot of poise today, good things happened for us and we stepped up when we needed to," said head coach Barry Davis. "The team has been really dedicated and focused all season, both in the workout room and in competition, its nice to see it pay off." The bout began at 174 lbs. with Badger tri-captain Kelly Flaherty (Big Lake, Minn.) falling to James Yonushonis, 5-3. No. 10 Flaherty tied the match at 3-3 at the end of the second period, but Yonushonis earned a stalling point followed by an escape in the third, to earn the win. Penn State earned two more victories at the 184 lbs. and 197 lbs. weight classes. UW's Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) fell to Neil Bretz, 11-5 at 184 lbs. Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) almost upset No. 6 Phil Davis, but was unable to hang on in the tiebreaker, losing 8-7 at 197 lbs. The momentum shifted in the heavyweight match up, as Kyle Massey (Champlin, Minn.) pinned Penn State's Joel Edwards at 4:11. At the end of the first, Massey and Edwards were tied at 2-2, both earning points from takedowns. A little over half way into the second, Massey gained control over No. 19 Edwards, pinning him at 4: 11, for Massey's fifth pin of the season. With the win the Badgers were on the board, but still trailed 9-6. Collin Cudd quickly changed that, with his four-point major decision victory over Brad Pataky at 125 lbs. A River Falls, Wis., native Cudd jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first and never looked back, winning the match 13-1. Wisconsin now led 10-9. However, the Nittany Lions roared back, taking the next two matches and regaining the lead. The Badgers' Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) was unable to hang on against Jake Strayer at 133 lbs., losing 7-5. Penn State's No. 16 DeWitt Driscoll then defeated Tony Turner (Spring Green, Wis.) at 141 lbs., 5-0. With the Badgers down 15-10, tri-captain Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) upset No. 14 James Woodall in sudden victory overtime to put the dual within reach. No. 17 Turner trailed 4-1 at the end of the first, but was able to tie the match with a take down in the third, followed by a takedown in overtime to win 8-6. No. 15 Craig Henning, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., followed suit with an exciting win over No. 10 Nathan Galloway at 157 lbs. Henning, a sophomore, upset Galloway, 5-3 in the second tiebreaker round. The bout was tied at one apiece going into overtime, where neither wrestler scored. In the first tiebreaker both men scored reversals, leaving the match tied at 3-3. After another scoreless sudden victory period, Henning notched another reversal in the second tiebreaker. Galloway couldn't answer, giving Henning the 5-3 victory. With the Badger win, UW took the lead 16-15, with one match remaining; No. 20 Jake Donar sealed the win after downing PSU's Phil Bomberger at 165 lbs. Donar and Bomberger were tied at the end of the second, but with two takedowns, a two-point near fall and riding time the Badger prevailed, winning 11-5. The victory secured the Badgers' first Big Ten victory, 19-15. Wisconsin has the week off before heading the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas, Dec. 2-3. Last season four Badgers placed at the tournament while the team finished ninth overall. Check uwbadgers.com for the latest updates.

STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- Cain Velasquez won the heavyweight division and Patrick Pitsch finished second at 165 pounds to pace the No. 10 Arizona State University wrestling team at the 2005 East Stroudsburg Open Saturday in Stroudsburg, Pa. The tournament, which did not record team scores, featured numerous East Coast teams, including competitors from Penn State, Lehigh, Lock Haven and North Carolina. Velasquez marched through the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record on the day and defeated Jake Lininger (Shippensburg) in the finals after Lininger took an injury default. Velasquez won three bouts by major decision and another by fall en route to his first tournament title of the season. Pitsch and Ryan Bader (197) also placed in the tournament with Pitsch reaching the finals of the 165 division before taking a medical forfeit to finish second. Pitsch won his first two bouts by major decision and his next three by decision to reach the finals. Bader opened the tournament with a win by fall and then by decision before injury forfeiting his final three bouts for a sixth-place finish. Also competing for the Sun Devils on the day were Jeremy Mendoza (2-2 at 125), Adam Hickey (2-2 at 133), Pat Payne (1-2 at 149), Kevin Gaughan (2-2 at 157), Jamie Robbins (3-2 at 174), Alex Pavlenko (1-2 at 174) and Jason Trulson (3-2 at 184). After their first two weeks of action took place on the road, the Sun Devils will open their home slate Saturday, Nov. 26, when they play host to No. 5 Iowa for a 6 p.m. dual at Wells Fargo Arena.

OMAHA, NE -- Hawkeye senior Ty Eustice (149) and freshman Ryan Morningstar (157) were Iowa's two individual champions at the 2005 Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, NE. Iowa sent 26 competitors to Saturday's tournament, which featured 650 wrestlers from 42 teams, making it the nation's largest single-day collegiate tournament. It was Eustice's first competition of the season, while Morningstar placed third at last week's Spartan Open in Dubuque. Eustice scored a major decision and four decisions en route to his 149-pound open division title, improving to 5-0 on the season and 88-26 in his career. Morningstar scored two pins, a technical fall and two decisions on his way to the 20-and-under division title at 157. He is now 9-1 on the season. Also placing for Iowa in the open division were sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (141-2nd), senior Joe Johnston (157-2nd), junior Eric Luedke (165-3rd), senior Cole Pape (165-4th) and sophomore Matt Fields (Hwt.-2nd). Placing for the Hawkeyes in the 20-and-under division were freshmen Thomas Magnani (125-5th), Daniel Dennis (133-5th), Jacob Neuzil (174-5th) and Dan Erekson (197-3rd), and redshirt freshman Michael Bucklin (Hwt.-6th). Johnston (157) and senior Paul Bradley (184) are scheduled to face two Illinois opponents at Monday's 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic in Stillwater, OK. The meet, presented by the United States Marine Corps, will start at 7 p.m. (CT) at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK. Johnston is set to face Alex Tirapelle, while Bradley is set to wrestle Pete Friedl. Johnston has a 2-3 career mark against Tirapelle, scoring his most recent win (6-5) in the quarterfinals of the 2005 NCA Championships. It will be the first meeting between Bradley and Friedl. Bradley competed in the 2004 event, losing a 3-2 decision to West Virginia's Greg Jones. The Hawkeyes will open the 2005-06 dual meet season Saturday at Arizona State (3-1). Match time is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT). OPEN DIVISION IOWA PLACEWINNERS 141 - First Place - David Hoffman (Virginia Tech) maj. dec. Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa), 14-3 149 - First Place - Ty Eustice (Iowa) dec. Mike Grimes (N. Illinois), 3-2 157 - First Place - Trent Paulson (Iowa St.) dec. Joe Johnston (Iowa), 4-0 165 - Third Place - Eric Luedke (Iowa) dec. Cole Pape (Iowa), 5-4 Hwt. - First Place - Les Sigman (Neb.-Omaha) dec. Matt Fields (Iowa), 9-2 20-AND-UNDER DIVISON IOWA PLACEWINNERS 125 - Fifth Place - Thomas Magnani (Iowa) dec. Kyle Russell (Wisconsin), 11-8 133 - Fifth Place - Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec. Max Hiatt (N. Illinois), 6-1 157 - First Place - Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Joe Ellenberger (Neb.-Kearney), 4-3 174 - Fifth Place - Jacob Neuzil (Iowa) dec. Josh Zabel (Wis.-LaCrosse), 9-2 197 - Third Place - Dan Erekson (Iowa) pinned Johny Laboranti, 1:49 Hwt. - Fifth Place - Jordan Hein (Wisconsin) dec. Michael Bucklin (Iowa), 8-6

One of the more anticipated potential match-ups at this year's Fullerton Open featured two 125-pound sophomore standouts: Chad Mendes of Cal Poly and Tanner Gardner of Stanford. The bout did materialize last night in the finals and didn't disappoint. Gardner, who redshirted last year, had looked impressive while wrestling in open tournaments, while Mendes performed well a weight class up, filling in at 133 once All-American Darrell Vasquez was forced to sit out the season due to illness. But with Vasquez back in the lineup this year and Gardner no longer redshirting, the two crossed paths. Chad Mendes of Cal Poly claimed the title at 125 pounds by defeating Tanner Gardner of Stanford (photo by John Sachs).Mendes struck first with an opening period takedown, followed by a Gardner escape. In the second stanza, Gardner went up 4-2 with a mid-period takedown of his own, only to see Mendes cut the lead to 4-3 with an escape. As the period was winding down, Mendes got in on another shot and scored a tying point when Gardner used an illegal scissors lock to defend. Mendes retook the lead in the third 5-4 with an escape, but and rather than just hold on, Mendes scored a second takedown to increase his advantage to 7-4. Gardner did escape, but the match ended 7-5. Although the match was the first time the two had met in college competition, the two faced each other in the 2002 NHSCA Senior Nationals (also won my Mendes). "He's improved a lot since then." Said Mendes. "I'm happy about the win. I feel great." When asked about dropping to 125 after a season at 133 (where he won two matches at the NCAA Tournament), he said, "It's been a hard cut, but I've been doing it right and that's what makes the difference." Cal Poly head coach, John Azevedo concurred and praised Mendes' discipline with regard to his weight. "He's going a great job and when you do it right, you're not going to feel drained." The finals featured a number of other exciting matches. At 157, Sean Reilly of Cal State Fullerton won the title on his home mat with a pin following a high amplitude throw in the first period. Mat skills proved useful to Cal Poly's Ryan Halsey, who grinded out a hard fought 1-0 win Tyler Bernacchi of UC Davis. Halsey rode Bernacchi the entire second period (the tournament did NOT keep riding time) and then escaped early in the third for the only scoring in the bout. Matt Monteiro of Cal Poly pinned C.B. Dolloway to win the 197-pound title (photo by John Sachs).At 197, Matt Monteiro of Cal Poly scored a first period fall, but not after being initially taken down by C.B. Dolloway of Arizona State (who won this tournament last year at 184). Heavyweight Tyrell Blanche of Menlo College (listed as a 197-pounder on their Web site) found himself undersized against the massive Cody Parker of Fresno State (a transfer from Oregon). However, Blanche used his amazing speed to score three takedowns and win 6-2. A number of finals match did not take place as wrestlers left to catch planes before the (late evening) finals. Additionally, a number of placement matches featured double defaults as wrestlers from the same school elected not to face each other. The 141 pound bracket (the largest in the field with 47 entrants) wrestled only the fifth/sixth place match and had double defaults for first, third and seventh. But that isn't to say that the bracket lacked action. In the quarterfinals, number one seed Steve Esparza of Cal Poly found himself down 6-2 to Fresno State's Garrett Spooner entering the third period. Esparza rallied with two takedowns to tie the match 7-7 and rather than try and ride out to send the match into overtime, he went for a turn and won in regulation 10-7. In the semis, Esparza ran into Cal Davis's Derek Moore (up from 133 last year) who won the bout with exceptional mat wrestling, turning Esparza in the second for three nearfall points and then getting a reversal late in the third. All American Brian Stith of Arizona State (sixth last year at the NCAAs) was the No. 1 seed at 157, won his first two matches, but then injury defaulted in the third round. Aforementioned 133-pound All American Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly (fourth at the 2004 NCAAs) sat the competition out in order to rest for his appearance in Monday night's All Star Classic meet, where he'll meet Mack Reiter of Minnesota (4th at the 2005 NCAAs). About holding Vasquez, Azevedo said "It wasn't a tough decision. We didn't want him to go through the grind of this tournament." With regard to Vasquez's chances in the match, teammate Mendes, who faced Reiter in the quarters of last year's NCAAs (won by Reiter 8-3) said, "I think Darrell has a good shot. I wrestle with him every day and he's amazing." Fullerton Open Final Results: 125 -- Chad Mendes (SLO) dec. Tanner Gardiner (Stan), 7-5 133 -- Tommy Vargas (CSU Bak) dec. Omar Gaitan (UCD), 7-2 141 -- Derek Moore (UCD) and Jeff Bristol (UCD), double default 149 -- Anthony Baza (CSU Bak) dec. Jeff Owens (SLO), 6-3 157 -- Shawn Reilly (CSF) pinned Kyle Bickford (Menlo), 2:26 165 -- Brian Busby (CSU Bak) by default over Frank Richmond (UCD) 174 -- Ryan Budd (Titan WC) by default over Ken Cook (UCD) 184 -- Ryan Hasley (SLO) dec. Tyler Bernacchi (UCD), 1-0 197 -- Matt Montiero (SLO) pinned C B Dolloway (unatt), 0:54 Hwt -- Tyrell Blanche (Menlo) dec. Cody Parker (FSU), 6-2

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota All-Americans Matt Nagel and Cole Konrad claimed titles at the Auggie Open on Saturday on the campus of Augsburg College. The duo, along with Mack Reiter, will next travel to Stillwater, Okla., for the NWCA/Marines All-Star Classic on Monday night. Nagel went 3-0 in the 165 pound bracket and won the title with a 9-5 decision against Augsburg's Ryan Valek. Nagel pinned the Auggies' Brandon Klukow in 3:24 in his first match and then advanced to the finals with a 6-5 decision against Dubuque's Cole Williams. Konrad had little trouble in the heavyweight bracket as he won the title by default against Augsburg's Andrew Neumann. Konrad needed just 45 seconds to pin St. John's Jason Finley in his first match. He then posted a technical fall over Tim Johnson in the semifinals. In Monday's all-star exhibition, Nagel will face defending NCAA Champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State, while Konrad will meet two-time champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State in a rematch of last year's NCAA Finals. The Classic will be aired tape- delay on College Sports Television on Wednesday.

EAST STROUDSBURG -- East Stroudsburg University's Nate Nauroth finished second at the 39th annual ESU Open, Saturday at Koehler Fieldhouse. More than 450 wrestlers participated in the event which featured 11 hours of wrestling on 10 mats. The University of North Carolina's Spencer Nadalski finished third at heavyweight and won the pin award with six falls in 7:12. Matt Kocher, wrestling unattached out of the University of Pittsburgh, was the Outstanding Wrestler after winning at 157. Nauroth, a 133-pounder, pinned Gabe Mastrangelo of Gloucester County Community College in 4:54 then scored a 16-1 technical fall over Jared Brown. He advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-2 victory over Bryan Heller and moved into the semifinals by beating Darren Murray 6-3. Nauroth edged Matthew Delorenzo of Columbia 3-2 in the semifinals but lost top Robbie Preston of Harvard in the finals, 9-7. Dave Sullivan, an ESU freshman wrestling unattached, also placed, finishing 7th at 174. Sullivan beat John Heleniak 7-2 in the opening round then stopped Hake Beitz of Montclair 11-1. He moved into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Harvard's Joe Bechold but lost to Mike Patrovich of Hofstra, 18-8 in the quarters. Patrovich won the weight class and Sullivan took seventh with a 7-2 win over Joe Bechtold of Harvard. No team scores were kept but Hofstra crowned three champs, Chris Vondruska at 165, Patrovich at 174 and Joe Rovelli at 184. Penn State's Tom Haas won 125, Preston of Harvard won 133, Sean Markey of The Citadel won 141, Jordan Leen, unattached, won 149, Kocher won 157, Corey Jacoby of Shippensburg won at 197 and Arizona State's Cain Velasquez was the heavyweight winner.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy wrestling team won six of 10 titles and had 23 placewinners to cruise to its second straight Navy Classic team championship on Saturday afternoon in Annapolis. The Mids outscored second-place West Virginia by 67.5 points, 151-83.5, for their 14th title in the 28 years of the event. Navy won at 125, 133, 149, 174, 197 and heavyweight. Navy also earned four second-place and four third-place finishes. "The good guys won and top to bottom, we performed well in a lot of weight classes," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "Our depth was very good today and we had some upsets, which was also good to see. We are still making some technical mistakes, but the younger guys are getting better and that is the encouraging thing." Navy's first title came from senior Mike Kohler (Annapolis, Md.) at 125 pounds. Kohler went 4-0 on the day in his first competition of the year, defeating Rutgers' Ryan Jablonski in the finals, 5-3. Kohler won two matches by decision, one by major decision and one by fall. Also at 125 pounds, freshman Caleb Levee (Mandeville, La.) finished third, recording a 3-1 record including a 8-6 overtime victory over teammate Alex Usztics (Dauphin, Pa.) in the consolation finals. At 133 pounds, junior Brad Canterbury (Blue Bell, Pa.) won his first Navy Classic title with a pin over Davidson's Jim Avola in 5:23 in the finals. Canterbury won his quarterfinal-round match over Davidson's Patrick Coman, 13-0, then slipped by George Mason's Will Powars, 4-3, in the semifinals. Junior John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) dominated the 149-pound weight class for his second straight title, pinning West Virginia's Larry Hall in the finals in 2:28. Cox won one match by major decision and one by decision, before earning his third pin of the year. Cox improved to 12-2 on the season. At 174 pounds, Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) went 4-0 to run his record to 12-2 on the season, defeating West Virginia's Kurt Brenner in the finals, 5-3, after cruising in his first three matches. He defeated Duquesne's Mark Himes, an NCAA qualifier a year ago, 9-1, in the second round and McDaniel's Andrew Winfield, who is ranked eighth in NCAA Division III, 11-5, to advance to the finals. At 197 pounds, Navy's Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.) was an upset winner. Miranda upset second-seeded Jared Villers of West Virginia in the quarterfinals, 7-6, routed Rutgers' Karim Mahmoud, 15-7, in the semifinals, and defeated Navy freshman Tyler Moyer (Bremerton, Wash.) in the finals, 6-4. Lastly, at heavyweight, ninth-ranked Tanner Garrett (Tulsa, Okla.) pushed his record to 12-0 with four wins on the day and his second straight Navy Classic title. Garrett won his first three matches by major decisions, before defeating teammate Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) in the finals, 8-4. Garrett's career record now stands at 83-28, moving him into 17th place on the school's all-time wins list. "Cox, Stolpinski and Garrett looked very strong today, and Kohler and Miranda scoring upset wins was very encouraging," said Burnett. "We are just really pleased with the outcome. We recognize the mistakes we made today and are going to do what it takes to get better. It was a very good day for this program." Navy's second-place finishes included John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.) at 157 pounds, who lost to top ten-ranked Matt Lebe of West Virginia, 6-3, in the finals. The loss was Jarred's first of the year after opening the 2005-06 campaign winning his first 12 matches. Chris Pogue (Chesapeake, Va.) finished second at 184 pounds, losing to Rutgers' ninth-ranked 184-pounder Rudy Medini, 3-2, in the finals. Also finishing second were Moyer and Prendergast. Navy will be off for two weeks, before heading to Piscataway, N.J., on Dec. 3, for its first EIWA Conference dual meet, against Rutgers. The following day, Navy will compete in the Penn State Open.

ITHACA, N.Y. - The Big Red wrestling team kicked off the season by playing host to the Body Bar Invitational at Newman Arena on Saturday. Cornell took the team championship, outscoring second-place Oregon State by 42.5 points, finishing at 138. Troy Nickerson (125), Mike Mormile (133), Dustin Manotti (157), Luke Hogle (174), Joe Mazzurco (184) and Jerry Rinaldi (197) all took the title in their respective weight brackets. Cornell was the only squad to have multiple first-place finishers. Steve Anceravage had an impressive run through the 165 pound bracket, advancing to the championship bout before falling to Pitt's Justin Nestor. Joey Hooker, the fourth seed in the same bracket, took third place after losing to Nestor in the semi-finals and then defeating Slippery Rock's Jason Cardillo. Josh Arnone also took home a third-place finish in the 184 pound bracket. In all, the Big Red had 11 wrestlers finish in the top five of their brackets. Oregon State finished second in the 11-team field with a final score of 95.5. The Beavers finished with three runners-up and two third-place finishers. Kent State, Purdue and Pitt rounded out the top five. The Big Red will take a short break from competition before heading to Las Vegas, Nev., to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational. At last year's Las Vegas Invite, the Big Red took fifth place with two individual titles.

OMAHA -- Three-time defending national champion Les Sigman's heavyweight title highlighted the Mavericks' performance as the nation's largest single-day collegiate wrestling tournament came to an end Saturday night at the Kaufman-Brand Open at Sapp Fieldhouse on the UNO campus. Over 700 wrestlers from 41 teams competed in open and a 20 and under divisions. Also taking home a championship for UNO was 197-pound freshman Jacob Marrs in the 20 and under division. Top-ranked Sigman defeated Iowa's Matt Field, ranked seventh in the NWCA preseason poll, 9-2 to take home the title. Sigman recorded falls in his first two matches and a technical fall in the semifinal to be named the outstanding wrestler in the open division. Marrs topped Nebraska-Lincoln's Levi Wofford 8-4 to win his title. Oklahoma State's Tyler Shinn was named the outstanding wrestler in the under 20 division with a championship at 125 pounds. Awards for most falls went to Carson-Newman's Chuck Robinson in the 20 and under division and Husker Mike Rowe (133) in the open division. Robinson pinned five wrestlers in 3:46 and Rowe earned three pins in 10:16. UNO freshman Cody Garcia finished fourth in the 125-pound U-20 division with wins over Division I opponents Cory Fish (Boise State) and Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin). Maverick 141-pound freshman Yasiim Bribieseca finished second in the open division and freshman Ross Taplin finished third. The No. 1 Mavericks will next compete in the Northern Iowa Open December 3.

MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 15 Wisconsin wrestling team defeated Lock Haven, 45-3, in the season's second team dual. Five pins highlighted the non-conference match-up Saturday in Lock Haven, Pa. Wisconsin improved to 2-0 while Lock Haven dropped to 2-2. The dual started at the 133 lbs. weight class with redshirt freshman Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) earning a major decision over Casey Moore, 14-2. Senior Tony Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) followed up with another major decision (11-1) over Clint Shirk at 141 lbs. to put the Badgers head 8-0. At 149 lbs., No. 17 Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) battled two periods against the higher ranked No. 13 Joshua Medina before starting down in the third to score an escape and then takedown and win by decision, 3-0. At 157 lbs., No. 15 Craig Henning (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) pinned Seth Martin in 4:13. At 165, No. 20 Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) scored three two-point near falls before time ran out for a major decision over Brock Jardine, 9-0. Wisconsin marked pins in the next four bouts. No. 10 Kelly Flaherty (Big Lake, Minn.) turned a 6-2 deficit around in the second period with two three-point near falls to lead 11-6 after two and finished the job pinning Derrick Morgan in 5:36. At 184 lbs., Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) pinned his man in 3:31. At 197 lbs., redshirt freshman Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) made fast work of Troy Charles pinning him in under a minute (0:56). At heavyweight, Kyle Massey (Champlin, Minn.) just missed the minute mark pinning Tim Meyers in 1:06. Wrapping up the dual, No. 17 Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) narrowly missed a win with a 5-2 loss to No. 18 Obenson Blanc. Wisconsin wrestles again Sunday in its first Big Ten Conference match-up vs. Penn State in University Park, Pa. The first bout is set to begin at noon.

Frank Richmond pinned Risto Marttinen of Cal State Fullerton 1:16 into the 165-pound match for the key victory in UC Davis' 25-9 Pac-10 wrestling victory Friday afternoon in Titan Gym. Davis evened its record at 1-1 overall and is 1-0 in the Pac-10 while Fullerton fell to 0-2 and 0-1. After spotting the Aggies the first four bouts, Fullerton had the momentum after decisions by Morgan Atkinson at 149 and Shawn Reilly at 157. But Richmond racked up a quick 6 team points to the delight of the vocal wrestlers in attendance from his alma mater, Kennedy High of La Palma, who were part of a crowd of about 1,500 on High School Wrestlers Day. In simultaneous bouts, Menlo College defeated Embry-Riddle, 19-16, in an NAIA battle while Santa Ana College easily handled Fresno City College, 34-6 in a south-north battle of community college powers.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team set its 2005-06 starting rotation at the annual Maize and Blue Intrasquad on Friday (Nov. 18) at Cliff Keen Arena. After preliminary matches were held in practice throughout the preceding week, the intrasquad featured the final round of wrestleoffs at eight different weight classes. A pair of new U-M starters emerged from the intrasquad meet as sophomore/freshmen Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) each swept his respective series at 157 and 194 pounds. Luke struck quickly in his final bout against junior/sophomore Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS), scoring a takedown just 20 seconds into the opening frame to take the lead for good. Marsh knotted the score at 2-2 with a pair of escapes, but Luke regained the advantage with an early escape in the third frame, giving him the final 3-2 edge. Todd used a balanced attack against junior/sophomore Omar Maktabi (Iowa City, Iowa/West HS), scoring a takedown early in the first period and adding another with just 10 seconds remaining in the final frame. The Wolverine freshman also registered 2:15 in riding time to gain an extra point and the 6-2 victory. The final round of wrestleoffs left one weight class unresolved as the 197-pound series between fifth-year senior Willie Breyer (Oxford, Mich./Oxford HS), the returning starter, and sophomore/freshman Casey White (Commerce, Mich./Walled Lake Central HS) is locked up at 1-1. White needed extra time to even the series in this evening's final round, holding Breyer without an escape in the second tiebreaker to claim a 3-2 win. The two Wolverines prepared to square again after a 30-minute break, but Breyer was unable to compete due to injury. The starting job will be determined in a final wrestleoff during the next week. The meet opened and closed at the 125-pound weight class as both wrestleoff matches between junior Jim Shutich (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) and freshman Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) were contested. Shutich won both matches by slim margins, using a third-period reversal each time to come from behind and win 4-3 and 4-2. Senior/junior Mark Moos (Lorain, Ohio/St. Edward HS) shut out freshman Justin Chrzanowski (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer West HS) 5-0 at 133 pounds on the strength of an early takedown and second-period reversal. Moos earned 1:11 in riding time after holding the advantage for most of the opening frame. Returning junior/sophomore All-Americans Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Mich./North HS) won handily at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively, to resume their starting roles. Churella scored six takedowns against junior/sophomore Brad Cusumano (Utica, Mich./Utica HS) and added 3:40 in riding time to earn a 14-4 major decision victory. Tannenbaum registered a pair of first-period takedowns and added another in the second en route to an 8-2 decision over freshman Braden L'Amoreaux (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS). Rounding out the evening's matches at 174 pounds, senior/junior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) tallied a 9-5 decision against sophomore/freshman Cody Waters (Adrian, Mich./Adrian HS) behind four takedowns, three of which came in the first period. Michigan will kick off the season next Saturday (Nov. 26) in a Big Ten Conference dual against Penn State in State College, Pa. The meet is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Rec Hall.

LINCOLN -- The 17th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team notched its 11th-straight season-opening victory with a 27-9 win over Boise State Friday night at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers won seven of the ten matches in the dual, including four bonus-point victories. NU head coach Mark Manning was pleased with what he saw from the Huskers. "I like the enthusiasm we showed tonight," Manning said. "I thought our guys were a little excited to get in front of the crowd." After losing the first match of the dual, NU put the contest away with three straight bonus-point wins. The streak started with an impressive varsity debut by 157-pound redshirt freshman wrestler Chris Oliver. Oliver defeated Johnny Nunez by fall with 21 seconds left in the second period. Marc Harwood followed with a 13-4 major decision victory over Boise State's Lex Case. Harwood showed his dominance in the match early by jumping out to a 9-3 lead in the first three minutes of the match. Jacob Klein also notched a major decision victory at 174 pound. The fifth-ranked Klein defeated Ben Gilliland, 17-5. While Harwood got off to a fast start in his match, Klein finished his match strong, outscoring Gilliland 10-2 in the final two minutes of the match. "Klein was focused and ready to go for the season," Manning said. "He had good intensity tonight." With a 14-3 lead, NU suffered its second setback of the night at 184 pounds, but followed with three straight wins. Third-ranked B.J. Padden began his senior season with a 2-1overtime win over Casey Phelps. The match was tied at one after Padden's second period escape was answered by Phelps in the third. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Padden was able to ride Phelps for 30 seconds and then notch an escape 12 seconds into the tiebreaker period. Heavyweight Jon May gave Nebraska its second straight overtime win with a 3-1 triumph over Andy Patrick. May took Patrick down with eight seconds to go in the sudden victory period to clinch the victory and give the Huskers a 20-6 lead. In his varsity debut, redshirt freshman Paul Donahoe clinched the dual for Nebraska with an 18-8 major decision win over Cory Fish. In the final four minutes of the match, Donahoe outscored Fish 12-4. After eighth-ranked Scott Jorgensen won for Boise State at 133 pounds, Dominick Moyer closed the dual for NU with an 8-1 victory over Jordan Brock. Moyer ran off the last seven points of the match. Next up for Nebraska is the Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday at Sapp Fieldhouse in Omaha, Neb., starting at 9 a.m.

NORMAN, Okla. -- This weekend the Sooners travel to Columbia, Mo., to compete in the teams sixth Missouri Open on Sunday Nov. 20 "This is an outstanding tournament for our wrestlers to be competing in because of the level of talent that will be at the event," said head coach Jack Spates. The event is scheduled to take place in the Hearnes Center on the campus of the University of Missouri. This will be the Sooners second open tournament of the season after taking the team title last weekend at the SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. "Wes Roberts will be making his season debut which is very exciting for Wes and the entire team," Continued Spates. Jarrod King and Shane Vernon are also becoming better every week so this gives them a chance to improve as well." Also Competing this weekend will be Eastern Illinois, Edinboro, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Old Dominion. Results will be updated once an hour on Missouri's athletic website www.mutigers.com. Last year the Sooners placed nine wrestlers along with five individual champions in the Missouri Open. Sam Hazewinkel (125), Teyon Ware (141), Matt Storniolo (149), Austin David (197) and Jake Hager (HWT) won individual championships in their respective weight classes. The Sooners will be returning home next week to host the 35th annual Oklahoma Open on Thanksgiving weekend.

MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 16 Wisconsin wrestling team heads to Pennsylvania for two dual meets this weekend. The Badgers will face Lock Haven on Saturday, Nov. 19, followed by the first Big Ten Conference match of the season against No. 8 Penn State on Sunday, Nov. 20. Wrestling is set for noon on both days. UW is 8-2 all-time against Lock Haven and last defeated the Eagles in 2003, 28-15. Last season LHU finished 6-8 overall and were 3-3 in conference action. Against Penn State, the Badgers are 4-10 all-time. Last facing the Nittany Lions during the 2003-04 season, UW fell, 24-15 at the UW Field House. PSU placed 23rd at the 2005 NCAA Championships and finished 10-10 overall, 3-5 in Big Ten action. On Sunday, Nov. 13 both Lock Haven and Penn State competed at the Pennsylvania State Duals Tournament, hosted by PSU. The Nittany Lions won the tournament in exciting fashion, upsetting then-No. 8 Lehigh University, 18-17. Lock Haven placed third, going 2-1 on the day. Wisconsin will bring 13 wrestlers to Pennsylvania, two of which are undefeated this season. Redshirt freshman Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) is 4-0 at 133 lbs., while Kyle Massey, from Champlin, Minn. is 5-0 at heavyweight. Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) hopes to improve on their 4-1 records this season. Cudd will compete at 125 lbs. At 141 lbs. Wisconsin will bring Ed Gutnik and Tony Turner, both seniors on the squad. Gutnik, out of Iselin, N.J., is 3-2 this year, placing fourth at the Pointer Open. A native of Spring Valley Wis., Turner finished second at the Dubuque Open going 4-1 on the day. Joining his brother is junior captain Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.), who will wrestle at 149 lbs. Sophomore Craig Henning, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., will wrestle at 157 lbs. Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) and Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) are traveling as well, competing at 164 lbs., and 197 lbs., respectively. Fellow captain, Kelly Flaherty will compete at 174 lbs. Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) will also make the trip wrestling at 184 lbs. Penn State boasts ranked wrestlers at eight of the 10 weights: At 133 lbs. Jake Strayer is ranked 16th; DeWitt Driscoll at is 16th at 141 lbs.; James Woodall is No. 8 at 149 lbs.; Nathan Galloway is No. 10 at 157 lbs.; James Yonushonis is 17th at 174 lbs.; Eric Bradley holds the top spot at 184 lbs.; Phil Davis is fifth at 197 lbs. and Joel Edwards is 11th at heavyweight. Lock Haven also has wrestlers named in the most recent individual rankings. At 125 lbs., Obe Blanc is ranked 17th in the polls, while Joshua A. Medina is No. 16 at 149 lbs. and Seth Martin is No. 20 in the 157 lbs. weight class. Results from both Lock Haven and Penn State can be found on uwbadgers.com. Live stats for Lock Haven and Penn State can be accessed by clicking the names.

Columbia, Mo. -- The No. 14 Missouri wrestling team will host the sixth-annual Missouri Open Sunday, Nov. 20, in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse, with the first matches beginning at 9 am (CST). In only its sixth year, the Missouri Open has become one of the largest and most competitive wrestling tournaments in the country. Attracting nearly 600 wrestlers from 20 teams, the all-day event brings in athletes from across the Midwest, including several of the top-ranked wrestlers in the nation. Beginning in 2000, the University of Missouri took on the responsibilities of hosting the event, drawing several hundred wrestlers. Over the past three years, the Missouri Open has taken on a life of its own, gaining national attention and increasing in size. "We really enjoy hosting the Missouri Open," Tiger Head Coach Brian Smith said. "The tournament gives us the opportunity to compete with some of the top wrestlers in the nation right here in our home facility." Held in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse, nearly 1,700 fans attended the 2004 Missouri Open, with more expected to attend in 2005. "Every year the Open seems to run smoother," Smith said. "It's really gotten the community involved with our program, which is important, and also one of the main reasons for hosting a tournament; to have another home event, but also get people hands on with the Mizzou program." Including the Tigers, five top-20 teams will attend the Open. No. 2 Oklahoma returns for their sixth-straight appearance, while No. 4 Illinois and No. 11 Indiana will make the trip to Columbia, Mo., from the Big Ten Conference. Rounding out the field is No. 20 Edinboro, which features Shawn Bunch, the No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 133 pounds. As many as 17 teams plan to attend the all-day event. Last season, Missouri captured 11 top-six finishes at the Missouri Open and hopes to have even more wrestlers finish in the top-six this year. Several Tigers that placed in the 2004 Open are back to wrestle this year, including senior Austin DeVoe and sophomore Tim Kephart at 125 pounds, who finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Two returning grapplers also appear at 133 pounds, where sophomore Tyler McCormick and junior Amond Prater look to defend their first and third-place finishes, respectively. At 141 pounds senior Chris McCormick is back after taking second a year ago, and fellow senior Jeff Foust was a third-place finisher at 197 pounds. The only other returning placewinner is junior Matt Pell, who took at 184 pounds last season but will compete at 165 pounds this year. Tyler McCormick is the only member of the 2005-06 squad to earn a Missouri Open title in his career. With three Missouri home sporting events taking place Sunday, parking will be limited. Wrestling fans should park in parking lot M on the east side of the Hearnes Center. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. In addition, the price of admission is $2 for all members of Columbia club teams and any 2005 summer campers eighth grade and under.

OMAHA, Neb. -- The seventh-ranked Iowa State wrestlers will be competing at the annual Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday at 9 a.m. in Sapp Field House on the University of Nebraska-Omaha campus. ISU is coming off a strong showing at the Harold Nichols Open where Nate Gallick (141), Jason Knipp (149), Trent Paulson (157) and Travis Paulson (165) captured titles. True freshmen Nick Fanthorpe (125) and Mitch Mueller (141) placed third while Ben Hanisch (125) and David Bertolino (174) finished fourth. "We're excited to compete in this tournament," head coach Bobby Douglas said. "The competition is tougher every year and this year is no exception. We'll have to work very hard to place at each weight." Bertolino, who is 5-1 this season and picked up a technical fall against Utah Valley State in his 2005-06 debut, is the only returning placewinner after finishing third at 174 pounds at the 2004 Open. Bertolino topped Hostra's nationally ranked Paul Siemon in a 3-1 sudden victory battle in the third-place bout and went 6-1 in the tournament. Two-time All-American Nate Gallick (141) and 2004 All-American Kurt Backes (184) will not compete. The Kaufman-Brand Open is a final tuneup before the Cyclones host Iowa in Hilton Coliseum Dec. 2

OREM, Utah -- This weekend the Wolverines head to Greeley, Colorado for the Old Chicago Northern Colorado Open. 13 wrestlers will compete as Wolverines while the rest of the squad will wrestle unattached and find their way to Greeley on their own. The open is a good opportunity for the Utah Valley State wrestlers to get some early season matches under their belt. "More than anything I need to get guys experience," said head coach Cody Sanderson. "And opens like this are a great opportunity to wrestle more than one time in a day and gain that experience." Teams expected to compete at the UNC Open include Adams State, Air Force, Wyoming and Northern Colorado among several other schools. The Wolverines also expect to compete at several weights including 133 lbs. with senior Erkin Tadzhimetov. Tadzhimetov won his opening match at Iowa State last Friday night and then swept through the competition for a first place finish at the Cyclone Open the following day. Talon Vickers finished 2nd at the Cylcone Open at 125 lbs., while Justin Rawle won four matches at the tournament and fell just short of placing. While the Wolverines were wrestling in Iowa, a few wrestlers including Rodney Sager, headed to Laramie, Wyoming for the Cowboy Open. Sager is redshirting this year for Utah Valley and wrestled unattached at the open, winning the 20 & Under division at 133 lbs. Sanderson Inks Two... Sanderson has signed Pleasant Grove wrestler Gehrhart Vuksinick and Preston, Idaho native Dustin Olsen to letters of intent during the early signing period. Vuksinick was 46-6 as a junior at Pleasant Grove, picking up a region championship and a 2nd place finish at state. His finish at state helped the Vikings to a 2nd place finish at state as a team. He also excels in the classroom, posting a 3.84 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society and a three-time member of the Academic All-Region Team. Olsen is a two time state champion at Preston High School and is the favorite this winter for a third. In addition to the two state titles, he is also a two-time district champion. He won his first district and state titles in 2004 at 152 lbs. in the 3A division. Then, at 160 lbs. in 2005, repeated the same feat at the 4A level. His varsity record during his two state championship seasons is 87-11. Coming Up... The Wolverines will have Thanksgiving weekend off before heading to Las Vegas on December 2-3 for the Las Vegas Invitational. The following weekend will be the first home match against Western State. That will take place December 10th at 7:00pm in the Activity Center.

EASTON, Pa. -- David Craig (171) of Brandon (Fla.) High and Chip Reed (215) of Kernersville (N.C.) Robert B. Glenn High repeated as champions in the High School Division in the 8th annual National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) National Open Pre-Season Wrestling Championships November 12-13 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. The scholastic-style event was contested for wrestlers in four divisions: the High School Division (grades 9-12), the Middle School Division (grades 7-9), the Elementary Division (grades 4-6), and the College Division. The top six placewinners qualify for the 2006 NHSCA National Open Wrestling Championships, to be held in Virginia Beach, Va. next June. "The National Open Pre-Season Wrestling Championships has become the best tournament of its kind in the nation," NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. "This Pre-Season event is a unique experience that involves athletes from so many different parts of the country and allows for elementary through college/open competition under one roof. A lot of great wrestlers have come through this event and gotten the confidence boost they needed for an outstanding season. In just eight years, this event has developed an outstanding tradition." Craig, the nation's top collegiate prospect who has committed to Lehigh University, needed just 1 minute, 10 seconds to pin his first three opponents, then won the title with a 15-1 major decision. Eric Grajales, a freshman and Craig's teammate at Brandon, also was dominant in winning the 103-pound title. Jeremie Cook of Venice High became Florida's third champion by winning the title at 189. Reed's second title capped an outstanding performance by the host state, which led all states by crowning five individual champions. Making the most noise was sophomore Jacob Earp (130) of Boone Watauga High. Earp, who didn't place in the Class 4A state tournament last year, stunned two-time New Jersey placewinner Will Livingston of Newton Kittatinny High 2-1 in the semifinals, then scored an 11-2 major decision over Tennessee state champion Nic Bundy of Hendersonville High for the title. Junior Travis Coffey, Earp's teammate at Watauga, won the 112-pound title, along with junior Thomas Ferguson (140) of Cary High and senior Zach Martin (145) of Southern Pines Pinecrest High.

RevWrestling.com is dedicated to covering and promoting amateur wrestling on all levels. However, on occasion, RevWrestling.com will look at mixed martial arts as it relates to amateur wrestling. Having three wrestling sons, I have become an avid fan of amateur wrestling with bleacher butt. More than a decade ago, I was also exposed to a MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) tournament called the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). That "tournament" format no longer exists. It was just too brutal to expect a surviving warrior to last three battles in a single night! Today the UFC is an eight-fight card, fought four or five times a year with the best MMA fighters in the world participating. Weight classes divide the competition, and today's fighter is a well-trained athlete, verse in cross-training and all martial arts disciplines. One dimensional fighters don't last long in the UFC, but wrestlers have certainly made their mark. Prior to becoming a UFC champion, Randy Couture was a four-time national champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. He was also the Pan Am Games champion and placed ninth in the 1997 World Championship in Poland.The evolution and popularity of this primitive, basic fighting competition has been fascinating to follow. Betting odds are now posted in Las Vegas sports books. I have personally attended about a dozen of these events. The world of amateur wrestling can hold its head high, as some of the best MMA fighters today have their roots in the sport of wrestling. Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, Matt Lindland, Rich Franklin, Nick Thompson, Tito Ortiz, Kevin Jackson, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Mark Kerr, and many others have shown that the ability to control an opponent's body gives you a substantial advantage in beating an opponent. Good wrestlers are able take their opponent's games away! Here's a look at my predictions for the UFC 56 fight card: MATT HUGHES (38-4) over Joe "Diesel" Riggs (26-6) by submission Hughes, a two NCAA All-American wrestler for Northern Illinois, has lost only once in the past four years (to BJ Penn). Matt is a physical freak, strong and thick, who has won 12 fights by (T)KO and 17 by submission. He can beat you either way, and fights a heavy handed opponent in Riggs who has only a "puncher's chance" to take Matt out. But, that is not likely to happen, as Matt usually gets his way with his opponent and has a remarkable lift and takedown that draws crowd approval. Once there on his back, the weight-class drop (Riggs) will eat numerous elbows from Hughes, as his punching power diminishes to worthless. This is as sure a bet as there is on the card, unless Hughes has grown bored with winning. I see Hughes choking out his opponent in the second round. Riggs was a late substitute for the injured Karo Parisyan. RICH FRANKLIN (20-1-1) over Nate Quarry 14-1 by submission Franklin emerged on the scene a few years ago after teaching high school in Cincinnati. His passion for the sport has driven him to become a UFC champion and coach of an Ultimate Fighter team on Spike TV (Matt Hughes is the other). The Ultimate Fighter show can be seen on Monday nights on Spike TV. Quarry is a by-product of last year's show, and has lead pipe fists that may surprise Franklin. But, Franklin's experience and calm demeanor give him the patience necessary to expose his opponent's weaknesses. Franklin should retain his belt with a second round arm bar submission. GEORGES ST. PIERRE (10-1) over Sean Sherk (28-1-1) by TKO I have enjoyed watching the young Canadian, St. Pierre, develop. He just gets better with every fight. This is one hungry and focused fighter, well-trained with workout partner Yves Edwards, and getting stronger and quicker with each battle. Sherk has been out of action most of the past year, fighting only once while taking time off to get away from the sport! St. Pierre is the opposite. He is hungry for the title. Both have lost only to Hughes. It's "deer-in-the headlights" time. I see St. Pierre over-powering Sherk in the first round, leading to a fight stopping TKO. Georges dishes out elbows until the ref stops the action. JEREMY HORN (85-14-6) over Trevor Prangley (11-2) by submission Nobody has more MMA experience than Horn, yet he is three years younger than the South African, Prangley. Trevor's a wrestler with a big heart, but with a limited arsenal of MMA weapons to use. While Horn's a submission artist who can take a sledge-hammer punch from Chuck Liddell and get up from the canvass. There's no quit in either of these dogs. The action will surely be on the ground. These guys aren't punchers. Horn schools Prangley with a third round submission on an ankle lock. KEVIN JORDAN (7-3) over Gabriel Gonzaga (4-1) by KO Two heavyweights, Jordan a pure puncher, while Gonzaga's four wins all coming by submission, rare for a heavyweight. Jordan was recently put to sleep by Paul Buentello's submission, and has a KO on his resume suffered at the hands on one "Cabbage," Wesley Correira. Buentello went on to get KO'd by champion Andrei Arlovski in a matter of seconds in UFC 55. Not a good sign for Jordan. But maybe he learned from this episode and will avoid going to the mat with a jiu-jitsu fighter. I'm playing a hunch that he has, and that this underdog lands a fight-stopping blow to the head of Gonzaga in the second round. Rabid UFC crowds love knock-outs. SAM HOGER (6-1) over Jeff Newton (4-1) by submission Newton is a 38-year old fitness freak who specializes in surf-boarding and rock climbing. He boasts of confidence drawn from years of kickboxing and karate competition. But his limited MMA experience will make him fodder for a younger, more motivated opponent. Hoger, 25, felt insulted by Newton's pre-fight words questioning his athleticism. Motivated opponents usually do well against arrogant ones. I see Hogar submitting Newton in the first round with a rear-naked choke. Newton's UFC career may be a short one. NICK THOMPSON (22-8) over Keith Wisniewski (19-5) by KO Prior to getting into MMA, Nick Thompson was a wrestler for the University of Wisconsin.Thompson, a former wrestler for the University of Wisconsin, is a slight underdog in this match. But nobody has been more active fighting -- as this battle will be Nick's 15th fight of the year! Included on his resume is an impressive TKO over former U.S. Marines Greco-Roman standout Joey Clark. Nick's style is unorthodox and he is able to win by KO or submission. In Wisniewski he fights a fighter who prides himself on controlling the ring and his ability to escape. Both fighters are 24 years old. I'll give it to Thompson on a surprise second round KO. ANSAR CHALANGOV (7-0) over Thiago Alves (13-3) by KO The Russian, Chalangov, is out of the mold of Oleg Taktarov, an early UFC pioneer, who could get beat up all fight, only to win at the end with some well-planned submission hold. Chalangov studies Taktarov's fights. He also looks up to Fedor Emelianenko, the Russian Pride Fighting heavyweight champion. Fedor has hands of stone. The name of Dennis Hallman is also on the resume of Chalangov victims. Yet Hallman beat Matt Hughes twice with submission holds! Yet he fell prey to this Russian. That's a scary thought. Alves is a Brazilian fighter known for his good striking abilities. He is a product of the Ultimate fighter show, who lost his last fight to Spencer Fisher by triangle choke. I think that makes him want to fight this fight on his feet. Big mistake. Chalangov ends it in the second round with a series of elbows to the head in a ground-and-pound clinic, Oleg Taktorov style. The Russian Bear is alive and well. So, that's it for now. Eight MMA fights with eight predictions to match. Hope you enjoy the show. More later. The UFC Monster

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy wrestling team opens its season on Saturday, hosting the eight-team Navy Classic in Halsey Field House, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Mids are coming off an impressive 3-0 dual-meet sweep last weekend in California, defeating Cal State-Fullerton, Cal State-Bakersfield and UC-Davis. This year's Navy Classic field includes wrestlers from Campbell, Davidson, Duquesne, George Mason, McDaniel, Rutgers and West Virginia. "It's always good to get back home, especially when it's for the first time," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We are going to enter a lot of people and see what they can do. I haven't had a chance to see a lot of the younger kids in competition, so this will be a good opportunity for us to see how they perform." Navy returns two champions from last year's Navy Classic, which the Mids won for the first time since 1996. Junior 149-pounder John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) and senior heavyweight Tanner Garrett (Tulsa, Okla.) both are looking to defend their titles. Cox sports a 9-2 record so far this year, and swept all three of his California foes last weekend, after a slow start at the Eastern Michigan Open. Included in the trio of victories was a 6-4 decision over 12th-ranked Anthony Baza of Cal State-Bakersfield, his first career win over a ranked foe. Garrett, meanwhile, keeps rolling along, owning an 8-0 record and a No. 9 national ranking. He has moved into 19th place on the school's all-time victories list (79) and has won 47 of his last 48 matches in the regular season against NCAA competition, including 24 straight duals. Of his eight wins this season, three have come by extra margin, and he hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than five points in a match in his last 45 outings. The Mids also return several top-three finishers from a year ago is 133-pounder Brad Canterbury (3rd at 125), Matt Gulosh (3rd at 149), Matt Stolpinski (3rd at 174), Chris Pogue (3rd at 184) and Andrew Adams (2nd at 197). Missing from this week's lineup are regular starters Craig Dziewiatkowski at 165 pounds and Adam Brochetti at 157 pounds. Both are sitting out this weekend nursing injuries. Despite the loss of personnel at those two weights, Burnett still likes what he sees at those weights. "When someone is not in the lineup, it gives another wrestler a chance to step up," said Burnett. "This will be another good test for us. It is all practice leading up to the postseason, so it will good to see what everyone can do."