InterMat Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Oregon State heavyweight Ty Watterson earned a major decision in the final match of the night to edge the Beavers past 18th-ranked Hofstra 18-17 in non-conference wrestling Thursday night at Hofstra Arena. It was the first dual meet of the season for OSU, which now competes at the Cornell Tournament on Saturday. Oregon State and Hofstra (0-1-1) won five matches each, but the Beavers got team bonus points from Watterson's major decision and Bobby Pfennigs' technical fall at 133 pounds while the Pride picked up a pair of major decisions. OSU 157-pounder Tony Hook picked up another big win with a 3-2 upset of Hofstra's James Strouse, who was ranked 17th in the country in the National Wrestling Coaches Association/InterMat preseason poll and 15th by Amateur Wrestling News. "We're pleased with the start, and now we go from there," OSU head coach Joe Wells said. "There's no question about it, we made a lot of mistakes but we'll learn to make adjustments and get better. We let a couple matches slip through our fingers; a couple of guys didn't go out and demonstrate what they can do, and they came up short." The overall outcome may be an indication that the Beavers' offseason efforts have begun paying off. "There's no question that the older guys are leading the way and showing the young guys how it's done," Wells said. Watterson didn't leave the team outcome in suspense, rolling to a 13-0 win over Jon Andriac, a two-time junior college All-American. Watterson, a junior, is ranked 15th in the country by NWCA/InterMat and 17th by Amateur Wrestling News. Pfennigs, also a junior, blanked Hofstra's Robbie Deibert by a 15-0 score in 3 minutes, 41 seconds. That started a string of four straight Oregon State wins that put OSU in front 14-3 after 141-pounder Kyle Larson, 149-pounder Orlando Perez and Hook followed with victories. The Pride came back with four straight wins of its own, though, to go in front 17-14 heading into the final match of the night. That string of Hofstra wins included a victory in the meet's only matchup of nationally-ranked wrestlers, as Mike Patrovich, listed at No. 9 by NWCA/IM, earned an 11-3 major decision over OSU's Jeremy Larson, who was ranked 20th by NWCA/IM.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- It was a battle of top ten teams on Thursday night and No. 8 Lehigh came out with its best performance of the season, in a 29-7 win over No. 10 Arizona State in the Sheridan Memorial Dual in front of a spirited crowd of 2,412 at Stabler Arena. The Mountain Hawks bounced back from a loss to Penn State, winning eight of ten bouts on the evening, including several in dramatic fashion as Lehigh improves to 4-1 on the season. The Sun Devils fall to 3-1 with the loss. The match started at 125, where Arizona State raced to a 3-0 lead behind senior Jeremy Mendoza, who used an escape and a stalling point to edge Lehigh freshman Matt Fisk 2-0. At 133, sophomore Jeff Santo made his season debut in a big way, racing to a 13-0 lead before bringing the Stabler crowd to its feet with a second period pin of Adam Hickey. From there, the Mountain Hawks would go on to win the next eight bouts, before Cain Velasquez scored a 14-4 major decision over Tom Curl in the evening's final bout. The night's biggest upset came at 197; where Lehigh's Matt Cassidy scored a late third period takedown and held on to beat No. 10 Ryan Bader 7-6. "Cassidy's win was probably the biggest of the night," said Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel. "Bader is very good, and a big guy, but Cassidy wrestled a very Strong match." Overtime was kind to the Mountain Hawks as well, as Lehigh won a pair of bouts in sudden victory. First Trevor Chinn made his first dual appearance for the Mountain Hawks, and battled through a full seven minutes, plus two minutes of overtime, before taking down Pat Payne in the second sudden victory period for a 4-2 win at 149. David Helfrich also had to work overtime for Lehigh at 184. A second stalling call on ASU's Jason Trulson knotted their bout at four and then Helfirch scored the winning takedown with just two seconds remaining in the sudden victory period. Derek Zinck and Travis Frick also provided bonus wins for the Mountain Hawks with major decisions at 157 and 174 respectively. The Mountain Hawks will return to action on Sunday, November 27 when they welcome Rutgers to Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The match gets underway at 2:00. For tickets, call (610) 7LU-GAME or visit the Lehigh ticket office, located in Grace Hall.

The Week The Bald Eagle Wrestling squad (2-1, 0-0 EWL) begins the home portion of the 2005-06 schedule Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. when Lock Haven University plays host to No. 15/15 University of Wisconsin. Saturday's action will be broadcast on the "Voice of Lock Haven Athletics" ESPN 1050 WLYC out of Williamsport, Pa., with a simulcast on WBPZ out of Lock Haven, Pa. John Lipez will supply the play-by-play. Series History The Bald Eagles have met the Badgers 10 times on the mat, picking up just a pair of victories. Wisconsin took the most recent meeting in 2004 by a 28-15 tally, the Bald Eagles last won in the 1997 season, a 23-12 battle. Scouting Wisconsin Wisconsin enters with a 1-0 record after a 51-0 drubbing of the Unviersity of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The Badgers have five ranked grapplers slotted in their potential starters, led by No. 9/17 Tyler Turner at 149 and No. 10/10 Kelly Flaherty at 174. At 157, sophomore Craig Henning enters with a No. 13/15 ranking, while No. 15/20 Jake Donar at 165 and No. NR/17 Collin Cudd at 125 round out the fivesome. Badger Head Coach Barry Davis Barry Davis begins his 12th season at the helm of the Wisconsin wrestling program this fall. Davis was installed as the 15th head coach in Wisconsin history on March 4, 1994, after serving as the program's interim head coach for the 1993–94 season. In his ten seasons leading the Badgers, Davis has firmly instilled his values of commitment, intensity, loyalty and energy on the UW program. Davis brings a winning attitude as a graduate of the University of Iowa, the college wrestling powerhouse. Last Time Out for Wisconsin The Wisconsin Wrestling team traveled to Iowa on Sunday to participate in the Dubuque Spartan Open, hosted by the University of Dubuque. Five of six Badger wrestlers finished in the top-three of their weight classes, highlighting a strong showing at the Open. "This gave us a great opportunity to come down and face some of the Big Ten opponenets we will see later on in the season," said assistant coach Tony Black. "Now we know where out guys stand and what things we can work on to improve this season." Veteran Tony Turner, was one of four Badgers to notch a second place finish on the day. Turner, a senior from Spring Valley, Wis., finished the Open 4-1 at 141 lbs. Also Placing second was redshirt freshman Josh Crass who competed at 133 lbs. Craig Henning, a sophomore out of Chippewa Falls, Wis., started out 3-0 before falling to Iowa's Joe Johnston, 12-5, in the championship match at 157 lbs. Matt Maciag, a redshirt sophomore, fell in the championship match as well. Maciag, from Sussex, N.J., lost in overtime to Iowa's Paul Bradley, 5-3 at 184 lbs. Justin Peterson who fell to Bradley in the semifinals, placed third at 184 lbs., while Tyler Turner went 2-0 at 149 lbs., before withdrawing due to injury. Last Time Out for LHU The Lock Haven University wrestling squad (2-1) picked up a pair of victories in three bouts today (Nov. 13) to earn third place at the second annual Pennsylvania State Duals Tournament, hosted by Penn State University. Sophomore No. 18 Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) earned three victories on the day's effort to lead the Bald Eagles. In front of over 1,800 fans packing Rec Hall, LHU opened up with a 25-17 win over Division II No. 15 Mercyhurst College before falling to No. 8 Lehigh University 32-3. The Bald Eagles then rebounded with a 28-11 win over Division III No. 19 York College to nab third place. "I was happy with most of our matches today," said LHU head coach Rocky Bonomo. "We still have a lot of work to do to get to where we need to be. That being said, I'm happy with the effort, and we're looking forward to Wisconsin on Saturday." Blanc got the win over the Lakers started with a tech fall victory over John Fleming at 125. Casey Moore (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) was upended by Jason Weslager 9-2 before the Bald Eagles rattled off three wins. Freshman 141-pounder Clint Shirk (Julian, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) got a major win over J.J. Zanetta 9-1, while senior No. 13 Joshua A. Medina (Las Vegas/Pima C.C.) beat No. 7 Don Cummings 11-5. Junior Seth Martin (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) rounded out the trio with a pin of No. 8 Will Tedder. Mercyhurst took three of the next four matches to climb back in it, getting a tech fall win by Zach Schafer over Brock Jardine (Strasburg, Va./Southern Virginia University) at 165, a fall victory by Frank Zatta over Josh Fisk (Wyalusing, Pa./Drexel University) at 184, and an 11-4 decision at 197 from Paul Bergman over freshman Troy Charles (Muncy, Pa./Hughesville). Derrick Morgan (Milan, Pa./Athens) picked up the lone Bald Eagle win of those four bouts with a 10-4 decision over Mike Morgan. With LHU holding a slight 19-17 lead , senior heavyweight Tim Meyers (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) sealed the victory with a major decision over Nick Marcellino. In the semifinal round, LHU started off well with a 6-3 win by Blanc over Patrick Berger, but then the Mountain Hawks ran the table on the rest of the bouts for the 32-3 win. LHU rebounded against York, as once again Blanc got things started with a 9-4 win over Kyle Flickinger. This time, the next six grapplers followed suit. Moore got a hard-fought 5-4 win over Dave Sterner, Shirk beat Tim Bohlman 9-1 and Medina scored a tech fall on 149-pounder Dean Roberts 25-9. Martin followed with a 13-5 win over Garrett Faulkner and Jardine also scored a major over Jase Stas 11-3 before junior Carlos Ponce (Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah Miami Lakes) nabbed a tech fall in his lone bout of the day over Steve Johnston. The Panthers did get the final three victories, in a pair of majors and a regular decision, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. Blanc finished the day at 3-0, while Ponce was the only other Bald Eagle to finish the day unscathed. Shirk, Medina and Martin all managed a pair of victories on the day.

Stanford, Calif. -- Lucas Espericueta, Zack Geisen and Jake Johnson have each signed a National Letter of Intent for Stanford Wrestling and will arrive on The Farm next fall as members of the Class of 2010, head coach Kerry McCoy announced today. "I'm really excited to have Zack, Jake and Lucas joining our program," noted McCoy. "We are building something special here at Stanford and it shows because we have three great student-athletes signing with us." Espericueta is a three-sport athlete out of Shafter High School near Bakersfield, Calif.. A three-time state qualifier and two-time Junior National qualifier, Espericueta finished in eighth-place at the state tournament last year while suffering from pneumonia. Geisen is a three-time state champion from North Valley High School in Grants Pass, Ore. He will join fellow North Valley graduate and 2004 NCAA Champion Matt Gentry as a Stanford Wrestler next fall. Geisen, who owns a 126-7 record heading into his senior season, finished in seventh place at the Junior National Greco Championships last summer and will look for his fourth state title this year. Johnson hails from Prior Lake, Minn., where he posted a 30-4 record as a junior at Prior Lake High School. He tallied a second-place finish at the state tournament last season and was selected to the Guillotine All-Academic All-State First-Team. Johnson has captained his high school squad since his sophomore year and has been twice named the team MVP

Nebraska senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein was selected to participate in the 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic, held at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Monday, Nov. 21. Klein, an All-American in 2004 at 165 pounds, will face Northwestern's Jake Herbert at 174 pounds Monday night. Klein joins a talented field in which all 20 wrestlers have earned All-America honors, including his opponent, Herbert, who finished third last year at 174 pounds. The Big 12 Conference is also well-represented at the All-Star Classic, as Klein becomes the ninth wrestler from the conference to be invited to participate. Klein was selected Wednesday to replace Iowa's Mark Perry, who could not participate in the event.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team will open its season this weekend at the Missouri Open on Nov. 20, in Columbia, Mo. The event marks the first team competition for the Hoosiers and will be against a highly competitive field that includes No. 2/2/2/2 Oklahoma. "This is a good warm up event for our returners and newcomers," head coach Duane Goldman said. "An undefeated season starts for some of these guys, but for the most part it is just a chance to get on the mat against some competitors. There will be a lot of top wrestlers at this event and it will be a good test for some of our new starters." •2005-06 PREVIEW• The Indiana wrestling program is nothing less than a cannon reloaded and ready to fire into the new season. With a national champion, two All-Americans, five NCAA qualifiers and five grapplers finishing in the top six at the Big Ten Championships headlining the roster, the Hoosiers are set to contend for another top-five and top-10 finish at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, respectively. Head coach Duane Goldman also is coming off one of his best seasons in his 14-year tenure, finishing in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships (ninth) and tied for fifth at the Big Ten Championships. The Hoosiers enter the season with a top-10 recruiting class and are highlighted by 125-pound Joe Dubuque (24-3), who is back to defend his national championship from a year ago. The Bloomfield, N.J., native will look to be the fourth Hoosier to garner three All-American nods in his career. The Indiana Hoosiers also will be led this year by sophomores Brandon Becker and Max Dean and senior Brady Richardson, who all return to the starting lineup with valuable collegiate experience. All-American Becker (33-13) collected a pair of fifth-place outings at NCAAs and Big Tens in 2005 and will fill the 157-pound position again for IU this season. Both appearances in the year-end finals were a debut for last year's redshirt freshman. The Michleton, N.J., product again looks to make an appearance on the national stage, while also making a run at a conference championship. Two-time NCAA qualifier Richardson (23-6) also returns to the IU roster with one goal in mind- making the NCAA tournament and garnering All-American status. Rounding out the NCAA qualifiers from a year ago is Dean. Dean claimed fifth at the Big Ten tournament and posted a 1-2 mark at the NCAA competition. •MISSOURI PREVIEW• The Indiana wrestling team travels to the Missouri Open Sunday, Nov. 20 for its first team event of the season. The Hoosiers look to gain collegiate experience at numerous weight classes, while for some IU grapplers the beginning of an undefeated season begins in Columbia, Mo. The open boasts a highly competitive field with four teams ranked in the top-25 of one or more of the four major NCAA collegiate wrestling polls. Leading the pack is No. 2/2/2/2 Oklahoma, followed by No. 6/4/4/4 Illinois, No. 14/14/14/14 Missouri and No. 23/NR/25/NR Edinboro. The above rankings are in order of TWM, AWN, W.I.N. and NWCA-Intermat. •NATIONAL EXPOSURE• The Indiana Wrestling team opens the season ranked in all four preseason polls, with Amateur Wrestling News tabbing the Hoosiers 10th. The Wrestling Mall and W.I.N. Magazine polls both notched IU in the 11th-place spot, while the NWCA-InterMat preseason poll ranked the Hoosiers 16th. The Hoosiers garnered the preseason rankings after finishing ninth last year at the NCAA Championships (58.5). Indiana returns one national champion, two All-Americans and five NCAA Qualifiers overall from last year's top-10 squad. •REPEAT PERFORMANCE• Indiana 125-pound national champion Joe Dubuque returns for his senior season and looks to defend his national championship from a year ago. The Bloomfield, N.J., native became the first Indiana national champion since Brian Dolph grappled to the title in 1991, and looks to be the first Hoosier to achieve back-to-back titles in a career. Charlie McDaniel (1935-38) is the only Hoosier to win two NCAA crowns (1935 and 1938) during his stint at IU, and one of only three Hoosiers to garner All-American status three times (Millard Duffy, 1935-36,38; Brian Dolph, 1987-90). Dubuque looks to join the ranks of some of the best Hoosier grapplers ever to don the Cream and Crimson. •HOOSIERS IN THE RANKINGS• Four Hoosier grapplers enter the 2005-06 season ranked among the nation's elite. Leading all Hoosiers is two-time All-American Joe Dubuque, who ranks first in all four preseason polls (TWM, AWN. W.I.N., NWCA). The senior also looks to defend his national title from a year ago. At 157, sophomore All-American Brandon Becker (3/5/5/5) received top-five nods from all four preseason audiences, with his highest of third coming in TWM preseason poll. The feat marks the first time Becker has received preseason recognition after grappling in his first year of competition as a redshirt freshman in 2004-05. Sophomore NCAA Qualifier Max Dean entered the polls at 15/16/16/14 for his first preseason rankings of his career. The 165-pound Dean looks to make another run at the NCAA Championships in 2006, this time with the goal of All-American status on his mind. Rounding out the preseason accolades is senior Brady Richardson at 197. Richardson makes the move from 174 and garnered a 20th- and 11th-place ranking in the TWM and NWCA polls, respectively. Richardson, who wrestled at 174 in 2004 and 2005 and qualified for the NCAA Championships in both seasons, is looking to make his mark at his new and stronger weight division. •TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER• Head coach Duane Goldman named seniors Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson as the 2005-06 team captains. Both Hoosiers enter the senior campaign with high goals for not only the team, but have individual expectations. Dubuque looks to become the first Hoosier to garner back-to-back NCAA titles, the second Hoosier to garner two national crowns in a career and only the fifth IU grappler to receive All-American honors three-times during their stint at IU. Richardson looks to garner his first All-American accolade after qualifying for the postseason the last two years at 174. Goldman says the Vincennes, Ind., native looks stronger and more comfortable in his new weight class, and has all the potential to achieve his 2006 goals. •RECORDS WILL "FALL"• Senior Joe Dubuque stands just nine falls away from entering the all-time Indiana list for most pins in a career. Dubuque currently stands at 15 falls for his career, nine below the ninth-ranked Hoosier Pat Cassidy (1997-2000) who has 24. Viktor Sveda (1998-2002), one of the program's most decorated wrestlers, owns the record with 47. The Bloomfield, N.J., native looks to be the fourth graduating senior in five years to etch their name in the IU career pins record book. Sveda took the top spot in 2002 (47), current IU volunteer coach Coyte Cooper tabbed third on the list in 2004 (37) and last year's All-American Pat DeGain finished in fourth in 2005 (35). •LOOKING FOR THE "W"• Senior national champion Joe Dubuque currently stands at an 86-17 career record. Dubuque falls just 19 wins outside of the top 10 all-time most wins in a career record book. Should Dubuque garner 19 wins in his senior campaign, the Hoosier will tie current 10th-ranked IU grapplers Mark Galyan (1978-1982) and Scott Holman (1986-1990) on the list at 105. Viktor Sveda (1997-2002) currently holds the all-time record with 149. •A TALL MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB• Indiana wrestling is looking at one of its toughest schedules under Duane Goldman's leadership in the 2005-06 lineup. The Hoosiers, once the Big Ten season starts, open the campaign against currently unranked Ohio State (Jan. 20) and Purdue (Jan. 22). The Hoosiers then take on six straight ranked opponents in No. 6/4/4/4 Illinois (Jan. 27), No. 4/6/3/5 Iowa (Jan. 29), No. 5/5/6/6 Minnesota (Feb. 5), No. 12/13/12/12 Penn State (Feb. 10), No. 13/12/13/11 Northwestern (Feb. 17) and No. 3/3/5/3 Michigan (Feb. 19). •BIG SHOES TO FILL• Indiana's starting lineup has a few key changes from last year's roster, which leaves the young Hoosier grapplers with some big shoes to fill. At 133, 2004 starter Brian Dyer transferred out of the IU program and has now left the spot open for either another redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez or incoming freshman Angel Escobedo. At 141, both seniors Mike Simpson and Cameron Sakon graduated to leave the weight class vacant. Looking to fill the opening will be either junior Ian Campbell or senior Nick Spatola, who is the only one of the two with collegiate experience. At 174, a weight usually filled by current senior Brady Richardson who moved to 197, is now open to a duo of newcomers. Sophomore Marc Bennett and freshman Trevor Perry look to battle for the 2005 starting position. After an early graduation, Andy Rios vacated the 184-pound starting spot, leaving room for either junior Josh Buuck, sophomore Justin Curran or redshirt freshman Heath Vandeventer. The final opening poses the greatest to fill in not only talent, but leadership. Senior Pat DeGain, who filled the heavyweight division and achieved All-American status in his senior season, leaves the weight class open for sophomore Dave Herman. Herman had seven starts in 2004-05 behind DeGain, going 7-1 in his appearances on the mat.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's wrestling team will begin its defense of the NCAA Championship when it travels to Omaha, Neb., for the Kaufman-Brand Open on Saturday. The Cowboys will be sending their entire roster to compete. All returning wrestlers will wrestle in the Open Division, while the newcomers will compete in the 20 & Under Division. Zack Esposito, Johny Hendricks and Steve Mocco will all stay home to rest for the NWCA All-Star Classic, which will take place in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Monday night. Over 650 wrestlers are set to compete on 12 mats at the Sapp Fieldhouse. The Cowboys will be facing wrestlers from Big 12 rivals Iowa State and Nebraska as well as wrestlers from top programs Iowa and Minnesota. Schools from all levels will be competing (Division I, Division II, Division, III and NAIA). Oklahoma State hosts the NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps on Monday night at 7 p.m. OSU opens the dual season at Michigan State before hosting Lehigh on Dec. 2.

BLACKSBURG -- The University of Nebraska Omaha will host the Kaufman-Brand Open at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse Saturday, in the nation's largest single-day collegiate meet in the nation. The first matches will get underway at 9 a.m., in two divisions, an open and one for 20 & under competitors. The meet will proceed with no set times for semifinals or finals until its conclusion. A total of 42 teams are expected to enter approximately 650 wrestlers in the meet, making it easily the country's largest single-day collegiate meet. The U.S. Olympic Training Center will send a squad in addition to many of the top teams in all three NCAA divisions. Teams entered from NCAA Division I: Boise Sate, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota State, South Dakota State. NCAA II: Adams State, Augustana, Central Oklahoma, Chadron State, Colorado Mines, Minnesota State, Mankato, Minnesota State-Moorhead, UNO, Nebraska-Kearney, Northern State, St. Cloud State. NCAA III: Luther, Northwestern, Wartburg, Wisconsin-LaCrosse. NAIA: Briar Cliff, Buena Vista, Dana, Mary, Missouri Baptist, Waldorf. Junior Colleges: Ellsworth, Iowa Central, Labette, Lincoln, Neosho and Ridgewater. For Virginia Tech, the lineup is expected to be the same as last week's at the West Virginia Open. Representing Virginia Tech: Eddie Baughan, 165 pounds Mark Czarny, 165 pounds Mike Faust, 285 pounds David Hoffman, 141 pounds John Laboranti, 197 pounds Sheridan Moran, 133 pounds Christian Smith, 125 pounds Justin Staylor, 125 pounds Tech wrestlers competing "unattached": Steve Borja, 184 pounds Jay Borschel, 174 pounds Dave Kiley, 157 pounds Dan LeClere, 141 pounds T.H. Leet, 165 pounds Mark Logan, 285 pounds Brent Metcalf, 149 pounds Anton Prater, 133 pounds Joe Slaton, 133 pounds Matt Woods, 197 pounds Not expected to compete: Jon Bonilla-Bowman, 157 pounds Tyde Prater, 149 pounds Joe Thompson, 125 pounds Brackets are expected to be updated on UNO's Web site as the day goes along, with the event scheduled to end around midnight, Eastern Time.

Preseason tournaments always prove to be a good barometer for teams to see where they sit at this juncture of the season. Let's take a look at some of the key tournaments on the weekend docket. East Stroudsburg Open (Saturday, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) The ESU Open might be as tough as it has ever been in its 39-year history. Top teams expected to send wrestlers this year include Lehigh, Arizona State, Penn State, and Hofstra. Harvard, Shippensburg, Delaware Valley, Maryland, and the Citadel have some solid individuals who should also figure into the mix. Troy LettersTroy Letters of Lehigh, a three-time All-American and 2004 NCAA champion, is always a treat to watch compete, regardless of who he wrestles. This weekend should be no exception, as Letters faces a field that will be overmatched and outclassed. The 197-pound weight class should be intriguing … as Division II national champion Corey Jacoby of Shippensburg, freshman sensation Hudson Taylor of Maryland, former ESU Open champion Paul Weibel of Lehigh, and High School Nationals champion Mike Purcillo of Hofstra, are all expected to compete there. At 157 pounds, two-time All-American Jon Masa of Hofstra should see a formidable opponent in NCAA qualifier Travis Piccard of the Citadel. Two talented true freshmen to keep a close eye on this weekend at the ESU Open are David Erwin of Penn State at 165 pounds and Louis Caputo of Harvard at 184 pounds. Erwin, a two-time state champion from Ohio, has been very impressive since stepping foot on the Happy Valley campus. Caputo was a Junior Nationals double champion this past summer in Fargo. The most interesting storyline, however, is the fact that two of the nation's best high school wrestlers have pre-registered for this event at 125 pounds: Mike Grey of New Jersey and Pat McCaffrey of Pennsylvania. Auggie-Brute-Adidas Open (Saturday, Minneapolis, Minnesota) The Auggie Open, which is hosted by Augsburg and held at Si Melbi Hall in Minneapolis, attracts midlevel Division III teams such as Saint John's, Central College, Loras, St. Olaf, and Dubuque. A few top JUCO teams such as Ridgewater, Ellsworth, and Lincoln are expected to be in Minneapolis this year as well. Each weight class is separated into three divisions (based on skill or experience and determined by the coaches): Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Although team points are not kept, host Augsburg dominates this event every year. Last year, the Auggies had nine individual champions in the Gold Division. If you're going to the event this year hoping to see Augsburg three-time undefeated NCAA champion Marcus LeVesseur, you'll come home disappointed. Augsburg coach Jeff Swenson released this statement to RevWrestling.com this week: "Marcus will not be wrestling this season because of academic and personal reasons. We hope to have him back next year." The good news for fans traveling to this event is that you'll get the opportunity to see three Division I All-Americans in action (all from the University of Minnesota): Mack Reiter at 133 pounds, Matt Nagel at 165 pounds, and Cole Konrad at heavyweight. Reiter, Nagel, and Konrad will all compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday night. You can bet that a few of the newcomers to Division III and JUCO will get an unpleasant initiation into college wrestling. Ryan Kaufman-Glen Brand Open (Saturday, Omaha, Nebraska) The Kaufman-Brand in Omaha has become the premier collegiate open tournament in the country. A total of 42 teams across all divisions are expected to enter approximately 650 wrestlers in the tournament this year -- making it the country's largest single-day collegiate tournament. Last year, 700 wres­tlers competed in over 1,000 match­es dur­ing that lasted from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The U.S. Olympic Training Center is expected to send a team, which should help stiffen the competition even more. Teams entered from Division I: Boise Sate, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Division II: Adams State, Augustana, Central Oklahoma, Chadron State, Colorado Mines, Minnesota State, Mankato, Minnesota State-Moorhead, UNO, Nebraska-Kearney, Northern State, St. Cloud State. Division III: Luther, Northwestern, Wartburg and Wisconsin-La Crosse. NAIA: Briar Cliff, Buena Vista, Dana, Mary, Missouri Baptist, Waldorf. Junior Colleges: Ellsworth, Iowa Central, Labette, Lincoln, Neosho, and Ridgewater. While it's nearly impossible to forecast match-ups prior to the event because most teams don't publicly announce their tournament rosters before Saturday, there is no question that you'll see great match-ups at the Kaufman-Brand. All-Americans will battle All-Americans. Last year, amazingly, six wrestlers who reached the NCAA finals (five of those being NCAA champions) won titles in Omaha. This year, Zack Esposito, Johny Hendricks and Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State will all stay home to rest for the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday night. Nathan MorganThe Kaufman-Brand is the first event of the season that truly shakes up the rankings and helps wrestlers gauge where they rank on the national level. It also allows true freshmen to showcase their abilities against highly-ranked Division I wrestlers. Last year, two true freshmen won titles at the Kaufman-Brand: Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State and Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa. Morgan defeated eventual NCAA fourth-place finisher Mack Reiter of Minnesota in the 133-pound finals, while Tsirtsis upended C.J. Ettelson of Northern Iowa in the 141-pound finals. Six years ago, true freshman Damion Hahn of Minnesota gave Cael Sanderson of Iowa State his closest match of his collegiate career (4-3) in Omaha. Body Bar Invitational (Saturday, Ithaca, New York) Last year, two of the eventual top-five teams in the country competed at the Body Bar: Michigan and host Cornell. But with the Wolverines not attending this year, and the Big Red not as strong as they were a year ago, this tournament will take a step back in terms of overall talent. The teams expected to be in Ithaca this year include Army, Drexel, Cornell, Maryland, Sacred Heart, Ithaca, Kent State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Oregon State, and Slippery Rock. One interesting storyline at the Body Bar this year is the much anticipated debut of Troy Nickerson of Cornell at 125 pounds. Remember, four years ago, Cornell had a freshman 125-pounder finish runner-up at the Body Bar named Travis Lee. Lee, who would eventually go on to win two NCAA titles, lost in the finals to a wrestler from Cleveland State. So, if Nickerson does happen to lose to a midlevel Division I wrestler this weekend, let's hold off on scrutinizing an 18-year-old freshman. Other collegiate wrestling tournaments this weekend: Saturday: Navy Classic (Annapolis, Maryland), Concordia Open (Mequon, Wisconsin), Fullerton Open (Fullerton, California), Northern Colorado Open (Greeley, Colorado), and Coe Turkey Invitational (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Sunday: Missouri Open (Columbia, Missouri), Keystone Classic (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Oneonta State Invitational (Oneonta, New York).

No. 3-ranked Wartburg College opens its 2005-06 dual season with four contests at the Olivet (Michigan) Comet Duals Saturday, Nov. 19. The Knights, seeking a fifth consecutive 20-win season, take on Wabash (Indiana) at 9 a.m., Mt. St. Joseph (Ohio) at 10:30 a.m., Lycoming (Pennsylvania) at 12 p.m., and Ohio Northern at 1:30 p.m. All action takes place at Olivet High School. Wartburg is also sending groups to the Augsburg College Auggie Brute-Adidas, Coe College Kohawk and Kauffman-Brand Opens Saturday. Action begins at 9 a.m. in Si-Melby Hall on Augsburg's campus in Minneapolis, Minn., Eby Fieldhouse on the campus of Coe in Cedar Rapids and Sapp Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's head wrestling coach Tim Cysewski has announced the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Keith Sulzer and Kyle Bertin--both of St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio--will join the team for the 2006-07 season. Both Sulzer and Bertin bring impressive résumés to Evanston. The duo has led St. Edward, which is currently ranked the No. 2 high school program in the country according to Amateur Wrestling News, to three-consecutive state championships. Sulzer is widely considered one of the nation's top high school prospects. He is ranked the country's sixth-best high school wrestler at 130 lbs. by intermatwrestle.com and 11th best according to Amateur Wrestling News. Sulzer is a 2005 National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Junior Nationals champion, and was runner up at the Fila Cadet Freestyle meet, where he garnered All-America accolades. Sulzer, who chose Northwestern over Cornell, Michigan State and Old Dominion, is projected to wrestle at 133 lbs. for the Wildcats next year. Bertin had a successful run at the NHSCA Junior Nationals as well, winning three matches including a win over three-time Ohio state placewinner Matt Lerer. Bertin twice has earned a spot on the Ohio Cadet National team, and has been a four-year varsity starter for the Eagles. His freshman year, Bertin won titles at Marion Harding, Troy, Licking Heights and New Lexington tournaments. While Bertin was hampered due to injury throughout his sophomore season, he rebounded during his junior campaign, posting a 17-5 record. Bertin chose Northwestern over Stanford. With the two signings, the St. Edwards High School-Northwestern pipeline continues. Sophomore Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) was a 2003 graduate, as was All-American and 1999 Northwestern graduate Sam Neider.

Hello everyone, my name is Andrew Dorn. I am a freshman wrestling for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at 157 pounds. Starting college and joining the wrestling team has been a pretty intense experience for me so far. If you find yourself asking, 'What is the biggest difference between high school and college wrestling?' For me, the answer is a team. There wasn't much of a team at my high school. Having wrestled for many years prior to high school, I had a decent background in wrestling. But high school was a struggle for me, not having much of a wrestling room. It seemed as if I had to work twice as hard to be on an even playing field with my opponents. Stricken with many illnesses and injuries, I did not have the successful high school career that I had hoped to have. My senior year started out great. I was coming into the regional meet with only one loss and I felt good about where I stood. To my disappointment, I placed second at regionals and third at sectionals. I made it to state, but I knew I could have done better to place myself in a favorable position on the chart. My first round at state could not have gone any worse. Losing my first match and being knocked out of the state tournament was devastating for me. As Ross Needham stated in the last Rev Blog, "Anyone who has ever stepped foot on a wrestling mat knows about broken dreams". The moment I lost at the state tournament, I was broken. I did not know what was left for me in terms of wrestling. Then to my surprise, Coach Billy Huebner came to talk to me after my disappointing state match. He said I had untapped talent, and that I was, "a diamond in the rough." He stated that I had not yet reached my potential and that he would enjoy it if I would attempt to reach that potential at UW-La Crosse. I was astonished with this offer. I went from not knowing if I would ever wrestle competitively again to being recruited by one of the best wrestling schools in Division III. I had previously thought of what it would be like to be in a room where I could grow from a high school wrestler into a college athlete. So this essentially made a dream come true. As summer began to fade and with the school year creeping around the corner, I was both excited and scared to lace up the shoes again. I knew that being in such a competitive college wrestling room was going to be a whole lot different from my high school experiences. I wondered how it would be to wrestle in a room with actual college wrestlers, not to mention some of the best in the nation. I was pumped! As practice came along, I felt right at home. I quickly adapted to the room and was happy for once in my life, in terms of the way the wrestling room was run. After a few weeks of practice everyone could feel that wrestle-offs were coming up. I was excited to be able to finally show what I could do. I won both of my matches, one of which was a close overtime match. This meant that I would be starting in the first dual meet of the season against Iowa State. The spot was open due to the fact that our returner at 157 pounds, Ross Needham, was out recovering from recent knee surgery. Coming to La Crosse, one of my goals was to crack the lineup and wrestle against teams such as Iowa State. I didn't anticipate that it would come so quickly. I like wrestling tough matches -- it lets me know where I am as a wrestler and lets me know how hard I need to push myself to get better. As it is every year, I had first-match jitters. Still, as nervous as I was, I was excited beyond all belief to be put into the starting lineup, especially as a true freshman. I knew it would be a tough match, but I thought I was up for the challenge. The van ride to Fayette took us three hours, but it felt like days. Warming up for the match was nerve-racking, but I was pumped up to wrestle. The match didn't go the way I had planned, but it was a very good experience for me. I was up against one of the Paulson brothers (Trent) and he introduced me to college wrestling, beating me by major decision. Andrew Dorn wrestled Iowa State All-American Trent Paulson two times in the same week.This past weekend we wrestled in the Harold Nichols Open at Iowa Central in Fort Dodge. I was excited to wrestle in my first college tournament. I started out wrestling tough in my first match, but I gradually started getting sloppy. The match actually ended up well with me coming out on top with a pin. I quickly found out that in my next match I would be wrestling Trent Paulson from Iowa State again. I didn't wrestle the way I would like to. I was cautious, and maybe a bit intimidated. My next match was close. And in a crazy third period scramble, I won the match with another pin. I lost my next match, 9-5, in what was a very hard fought match. This loss knocked me out of the tourney. As disappointed as I was to be knocked out, I was happy with the way I wrestled overall. All in all, I am overwhelmed with the wrestling team here at UW La Crosse. I couldn't ask for better teammates. They are so supportive on and off the mat. There have been times in my life where I thought about quitting wrestling, but I pressed on with it. I went from being a state qualifier with little hope of going to a good wrestling school to being in the starting lineup for the second ranked team in the country and wrestling a Division I All American. It's safe to say that I am glad where I am right now. My friends and family have been very important to me along the way in keeping me focused and motivated to work through the hard times that wrestling can sometimes bring your way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my parents for the support they have given me throughout the years, through all the time they have invested in my wrestling and always being there to watch me compete whenever it was possible. The team here in La Crosse has given me a gift. I only hope that I can return the favor. John Andrew Dorn Past UW-La Crosse Entries: Entry 3 (11/3/05) Entry 2 (10/19/05) Entry 1 (10/10/05)

State College, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. The sophomore 197-pounder shares the honor with Northwestern 141-pounder Ryan Lang. Davis, a returning All-American, was a perfect 3-0 last Sunday, recording falls in each of his matches to help lead Penn State to the title at the 2005 Pennsylvania State Dual Championships. His pin of Lehigh's Paul Weibel in 3:30 to spark a Penn State rally and help the Lions to an 18-17 win over the No. 8 Mountain Hawks. The Harrisburg native was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler and won the Most Pins in the Fastest Time Award, getting three in 13:35. Davis is now 3-0 on the year as are the No. 12 Nittany Lions. Head coach Troy Sunderland and the Nittany Lions will host No. 15 Wisconsin on Sunday, Nov. 20., at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. Free schedule magnets will be given to the first 2,500 fans showing up for the 1 p.m. match with the Badgers, courtesy of the Penn State Wrestling Booster Club. Also, Penn State Wrestling T-Shirts will be given to the first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Penn State Athletics. 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. Tickets will also be available at the door beginning one hour prior to match time.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Sophomore Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/Lakewood St. Edward) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday. Lang earned the honor, the first of his career, after winning the 141-pound title at the Michigan State Open last weekend. Lang, an NCAA Tournament qualifier last season, started his season on the right note, pinning Eastern Michigan's Bill Amundsen in 3:54. After recording a fall in his second-round match as well, Lang faced Findlay's Von Graham in the semifinal match. Lang took the match easily, recording a technical fall when he took a 20-5 lead. Lang's most impressive win of the weekend came in a tight title bout. Lang topped Michigan State's fifth-ranked Andy Simmons, 6-5, to claim the 141-pound crown. For his accomplishments on the weekend, Lang was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

FARGO, N.D. -- Evan Hacker of Canby (Minn.) High School has signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle and continue his education at North Dakota State University. That announcement was made today by NDSU head coach Bucky Maughan. The 260-pound high school senior is the first wrestler to sign with NDSU during the early signing period, which runs through Wednesday, Nov. 16. Hacker, who went 40-3 last season, is the defending Class A Minnesota state heavyweight champion. Hacker was also selected to the all-state academic wrestling team and was an all-conference academic offensive lineman for Canby's football team. Hacker also competed as a member of the Minnesota Junior National Wrestling Team. "Evan is an extremely strong wrestler who bench presses over 400 pounds and squats over 600 pounds," said Maughan. "He comes from a wrestling family as his father, Loren was a standout at Minnesota-Morris. He's ranked No. 1 in his high school class and is a great addition to Bison wrestling." Evan is the son of Loren and Karen Hacker. The Bison wrestling program is completing its third year of reclassification to Division I and will be eligible for the NCAA tournament next year.

Golden Gopher Matt Nagel will join fellow All-Americans Mack Reiter and Cole Konrad at the 40th annual Marines All-Star Classic on Monday, Nov. 21, in Stillwater, Okla. Nagel will face top-ranked Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State after Michigan's Ryan Churella withdrew from the event. The event attempts to pit the top two ranked wrestlers at each weight class in a dual meet format. College Sports Television will air the event tape- delayed on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Nagel is ranked fourth in the nation entering his senior season and got off to a strong start with a title at the Bison Open last Saturday. Nagel pinned his first three opponents in a total of 3:04 and then defeated former Golden Gopher Nate Baker of Minnesota State- Moorhead in the finals. The defending NCAA Champion, Hendricks narrowly defeated Nagel, 5-3, in overtime in the teams' dual meet a year ago. Reiter was originally scheduled to face Wisconsin's Tom Clum, but will now face Cal Poly's Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly. Konrad will meet two-time NCAA Champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State.

ATHENS, Ohio -- Three high school state champions have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Ohio wrestling program during its early signing period. The Bobcats inked Anthony Ciraky (Westerville, Ohio), Shane Friery (North Royalton, Ohio) and Ben Llanes (Lucky, Ohio), announced head coach Joel Greenlee on Wednesday. "This gives us a great start to our recruiting," said Greenlee. "With last year's class in addition to this year's, I think in another year that gives us a team full of studs. We need to bring in a couple of upper-weight guys but other than that, I can definitely say this is the best we've ever done in early recruiting." Ciraky won the 152-pound state Division I title for Westerville South High School last February after finishing as the 140-pound runner-up in 2004. As a 160-pounder this season, he is ranked fifth in the nation by InterMat.com and 10th in the country by Wrestling USA magazine. "This guy is tough," Greenlee said about Ciraky. "We think he is going to be a super talent at 165 pounds. His best wrestling is still ahead of him." Friery claimed the 130-pound Division II state crown following a 37-6 junior campaign. He also placed fourth at 125 pounds as a sophomore, capping a 35-7 season at Padua Franciscan High School. This year, he is ranked 10th in the nation at 135 pounds by Wrestling USA magazine. "Friery is a just hammer, a lot like Jake Percival in that he takes you down, gets on top and just grinds on you," said Greenlee. "He's good on his feet but he likes to just wear people out and grind on them on top. We're hoping he builds up into a 149-pounder for us because he's got a lot of potential." Llanes helped his Eastwood High School team to a state Division II runner-up finish by winning the 112-pound championship in February. He completed his junior season with a 52-2 record following a 50-4 sophomore campaign that ended with a third-place finish. He is currently the eighth-ranked 119-pounder in the country, according to Wrestling USA magazine. "Llanes will be a super-tough 125-pounder for us," Greenlee said. "He doesn't wrestle a lot in the summer and offseason but he beat the Junior Nationals runner-up twice last year. He will come in and redshirt behind Caleb Metcalf and then have the opportunity to take the spot over after that."

BLOOMSBURG -- Mike Spaid (Perkiomenville/Boyertown) got a 2-0 win at heavyweight in the final bout of the night to lift the Huskies to a 17-16 victory over 20th-ranked University of Pittsburgh. The win gives the Huskies a 1-0 record on the year, including a 1-0 mark in the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL). "It's great for our guys; they believe they can beat anybody and I preach that to them everyday," said head coach John Stutzman after the win. "I honestly believe they're in the best condition in the country. I believed in them the whole time." Stutzman knew the team matched up well in certain spots against Pittsburgh, but had no idea how tight the match would end up. "I thought they had a big-time advantage at a couple of weights, but we had some guys come up big for us," he said. "I knew we were right there with them, but I didn't know how close it was going to be." The Huskies were without 2005 NCAA qualifier Jim Bertulis (Aston/Garnett Valley) who was sidelined with an injury. "Without Jim, Jason Crawford went in there and wrestled gutsy, not giving up a pin or a tech fall and Ricky Donald didn't give up any bonus points," Stutzman said. "Nate Shirk and George Hickman got us two big overtime wins and wrestled really gutsy at those spots." 125- Mike Sees (Northumberland/Shikellamy) got the Huskies off to an early 5-0 lead with a 18-2 technical fall win over Pittsburgh's Brad Gentzle. After a Gentzle takedown, Sees rattled off an escape, a takedown and six backpoints to take a 9-2 lead after the first period. In the second, Sees got a quick escape after selecting the defensive position. Sees scored a takedown, five backpoints and earned a point on riding time to get the technical fall at the end of the second period. 133- Mike Ciotti put Pittsburgh on the board with a 7-2 decision over the Huskies' Ricky Donald (Milton/Bloomsburg). Donald got the early lead on a takedown in the first period, but Ciotti jumped back on top with four backpoints in the second period after Donald selected the defensive position. In the third, Ciotti, choosing to remain on offense, scored on two backpoints and also earned a point for riding time to cut the Huskies' lead to 5-3. 141- Despite a late escape with less than 20 seconds remaining in the bout, Brad Forbes (Downingtown/Downingtown) fell to the Panthers' Ron Tarquinio in a 2-1 decision. After a scoreless first period, Tarquinio got a quick escape in the second after choosing the down position. Tarquinio won the match after tallying 1:33 of riding time in the third period. 149- In the night's most exciting match, George Hickman (Wilmington, NC/Riverside) won in a 7-5 decision in overtime. With four seconds remaining in the overtime period, Hickman got a takedown against Pittsburgh's Joey Ecklof. Going into the third period, Hickman built a 5-4 lead on a takedown, a reversal and an escape. After choosing the defensive position, Ecklof got an escape to tie the bout and send it into overtime. 157- Aric Fuhrman (Spring Grove/Delone Catholic) got a tight 3-2 win over the Panthers' Sean Richmond to give the Huskies an 11-6 lead. In the first period, Fuhrman got a takedown, owning a 2-1 lead after the first. Richmond evened the score at 2-2 in the second on an escape, tying the score going into the final period. Fuhrman, after selecting the defensive position, scored on an escape to win the match for the Huskies in the final period. 165- 16th-ranked Justin Nestor cut the Huskies' lead to 11-10 with a 10-2 major decision win over Bloomsburg's Jason Crawford (New Albany/Wyalusing Valley). Nestor took a 3-2 lead going into the second period where he scored two points from the offensive position. In the third, Nestor scored four points on an escape from the defensive position and a takedown. His final point came on riding time. 174- Francis Iorfido used a first-period takedown to get a 2-1 win over Bloomsburg's Frank Beasley (Oden, IL/Centralia). Beasley chose the offensive position in the third period, but was unable to score, earning his lone point on riding time. 184- Nate Shirk (Middleburg/Middleburg) got another exiting overtime win for the Huskies, defeating Kyle Deliere, 4-2 in overtime. All the scoring came in the second period. Deliere scored first on an escape from the defensive position. Shirk came back with a takedown, which Deliere responded to with another escape. In the third, Shirk and Deliere wrestled even after Shirk selected the neutral position. In overtime, Shirk got a takedown 18 seconds into the overtime period to give the Huskies a 14-13 lead in the match. 197- A takedown with 11 seconds remaining gave Lou Thomas a 5-2 win over Bloomsburg's Jesse Hasseman (Franklin, IN/Franklin). Thomas took a 3-0 lead going into the third period, where Hasseman got two points on an escape and a point against Thomas for stalling. HWT- Spaid gave the Huskies the win with a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh's Mike Heist. Spaid got an escape in the second period to take a 1-0 lead and was awarded one point on Heist's unnecessary roughness penalty. The Huskies will travel to New York this weekend for the Buffalo Duals. Matches are slated to being at 4:00 p.m.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern University is set to host the 2005 Midlands Wrestling Championships, Dec. 29-30. This year marks the 43rd installment of one of the most prestigious events in collegiate wrestling. The annual tournament attracts hundreds of the most talented wrestlers from around the country in a two-day, four-session double-elimination tournament. Founded by Northwestern's Ken Kraft, the Midlands Championships are held every December in Welsh-Ryan Arena. The tournament has historically brought together the very best in amateur wrestling, and has provided the springboard for 81 Olympic wrestlers. In the Midlands team race, Illinois enters as the two-time defending champion. In the 42-year history of Midlands, only two teams--Iowa and Iowa State--have garnered three-straight team titles. "We look forward to going to Midlands every year because it's one of the premier college tournaments of the season. We're proud to have won it the past two years," Illinois head wrestling coach Mark Johnson said. Based on W.I.N. Magazine's latest team rankings, this year's Midlands team race could be one of the closest in recent history. No. 3 Iowa, No. 4 Illinois, No. 7 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana, No. 13 Northwestern, No. 15 Central Michigan, No. 17 Michigan State and No. 20 Penn all have a legitimate shot at winning the team race. This year's event features a plethora of talented wrestlers who could compete for national titles at the end of the season. The 125-pound weight class could be the tournament's deepest weight, with 10 of the nation's top-20 ranked wrestlers expected to compete--including Indiana's Joe Dubuque, the early favorite to win the national title. Also competing is Michigan State's Nick Simmons, ranked No. 5 nationally, who won his first Midlands individual title in 2004. The 157-pound class should also be strong, with the four of the nation's top five wrestlers expected to compete. Illinois' Alex Tirapelle returns to Midlands after winning the 157-pound title in 2004. Iowa's third-ranked Mark Perry also returns for a shot to win his second Midlands title, only this year he eyes up the 174-pound title. Last year, Perry won five-straight matches to win the 165-pound weight class as the No. 3 seed. Perry has his work cut out for him, as he will have to deal with Northwestern's second-ranked Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny). Herbert, a sophomore, took home the 174-pound crown in 2004. The nation's second- through fifth-ranked wrestlers at 184 lbs. are expected to compete in 2005 as well, setting the stage for exciting competition from the bottom to the top weight classes. "Midlands is one of the best events in college wrestling," Northwestern head wrestling coach Tim Cysewski said. "A Midlands championship, a Big Ten championship and an NCAA championship, that's the triple crown of college wrestling."

Freshman Sean Clair led three Eastern Michigan placers in the Michigan State Open in East Lansing Saturday and Sunday, November 12-13. Clair took 5th in the 125 pound weight class with a 5-2 comeback victory over Jim Shutich of Michigan. The true freshman from Plum, Pennsylvania won his first two matches with technical falls of 15-0 and 17-1. He lost in the semifinals for the second straight week to freshman Franklin Gomez of Michigan State before battling back to the 5th place finish over Shutich. Charlie WalkerSenior Captain Charlie Walker started his season with a 6th place finish at 285 pounds. Wearing a mask as a result of a nose injury in practice, Walker had wins over Ohio State's Steve Dumas and Michigan State's Alan O'Donnell. Sophomore Tony Lyssiotis also had a good outing at the Open and placed 7th at 197 pounds. He was 3-2 on the day with two of his wins coming by falls. After losing a controversial 5-3 overtime match against Corey Morrison of Ohio State, Lyssiotis pinned Justin Tazzi of Findlay in 2:54 to claim 7th place. Although some starters did not go to the tournament, several other Eagles competed. Although they did not place, coaches singled out junior Ahmad Joumma (3-2 at 141) and freshman Chris Jenkins (2-2 at 133) for good performances.

ALAMOSA, Colo. -- After becoming a 4-time Colorado High School State Champion last winter, Adams State College freshman wrestler Torben Walters was named as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Preseason Freshman of the Year on Tuesday. The Olney Springs, Colo. native and Crowley County High School graduate posted a 163-3 record during his prep career and became just the 13th Colorado prep wrestler to win four state titles. He was also named as the 2005 High School Wrestler of the Year by the Colorado Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The Grizzly team also received some preseason praise as coach Jason Ramstetter's squad was picked second in the conference's annual preseason poll that was also announced by RMAC officials on Tuesday. ASC received two first place votes in the balloting of the league's eight coaches and finished second behind 4-time defending RMAC Champion Nebraska-Kearney in the poll with 15 points. The Lopers received five first place votes and had nine points. The preseason predictions are nothing new for the Grizzlies. ASC was also picked to finish second in both 2003 and 2004 and finished in that spot at last year's RMAC/NCAA West Regional Championships. Fort Hays State finished third in the poll with 19 points while Western State picked up the last first place vote and finished fourth overall with 25 points. RMAC affiliate member San Francisco State, led by RMAC Preseason Wrestler of the Year Pacifico Garcia, the defending national champion at 149 pounds, finished fifth with 27 points. Chadron State (39 points), Colorado Mines (41 points) and New Mexico Highlands (49 points), which will restart its program in 2005-06, rounded out the poll. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or wrestlers. The Grizzlies return eight of their 10 NCAA Division II National Championship qualifiers to the 2005-06 squad. They also return two other former national championship qualifiers and five total All-Americans. ASC had been picked ninth, one spot behind Nebraska-Kearney, in the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Poll that was released earlier this month. Fort Hays State and San Francisco State were picked 10th and 18th, respectively, in that poll while Colorado Mines and Western State each received votes. ASC's three returning 2005 All-Americans were also ranked individually in that poll. Senior Rob McCabe (Nucla, Colo.) and sophomore Evan Copeland (Las Cruces, N.M.) were picked second at 125 and 165 pounds, respectively, while sophomore Raymond Dunning (Nashville, Tenn.) was picked fifth at 133 pounds. All three wrestlers and the Grizzlies as a team fared well at Sunday's season-opening Wyoming Cowboy Open in Laramie, Wyo. The Grizzlies had nine wrestlers place in the top four of their respective brackets and crowned four champions, more than any of the other 20-plus schools at the tournament. ASC was the only one of five RMAC schools at the competition to come home with an individual championship. McCabe and Copeland were amongst the group of victors. Ramstetter will split his squad between open tournaments at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and the University of Northern Colorado this Saturday.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Senior Patrick Simpson secured a technical fall in the final bout of the night as Army's wrestling team began its 86th season of intercollegiate competition by coming from eight points behind to tie No. 16 Hofstra 19-19 Tuesday evening at West Point's Christl Arena. The Black Knights (0-0-1) rallied from a 16-8 deficit after seven bouts to obtain the tie. With Army trailing 19-14 going into the final bout, Simpson came out strong in the 149-pound skirmish. The Nashville, Tenn., native tried furiously to pin Michael Martini, but the Hofstra freshman would not submit and Simpson came away with a technical fall in 6 minutes, 52 seconds. "I approached the match just like any other match," remarked Simpson. "I just wanted to go out there and score points. I was hoping I'd catch him on his back and stick him. In the third period I knew I had to rack up points to secure the technical fall, but during the last 30 seconds I really wanted the pin." Junior 133-pounder Frank Baughan made Simpson's match relevant when he pinned Robbie Deibert in just 44 seconds. Baughan's win by fall, which trimmed Hofstra's lead to two points (16-14) put Army in position to steal the match, despite the fact Hofstra's John Manarte defeated Tony Severo, 8-3, at 141 pounds. Army head coach Chuck Barbee was pleased with the way his team wrestled throughout the evening. "It was a good effort to tie a good team like Hofstra," commented Barbee. "As a coach, you're never completely satisfied with a tie, though, because the victory was right there." Hofstra (0-0-1) grabbed a 3-0 lead after the first bout as James Strouse picked up a 4-1 decision against Army sophomore Brandon Benson at 157 pounds. Strouse scored a takedown early in the first period and he made it stand up. In the next bout, Black Knight senior Jon Anderson put Army on top, 4-3, with a 19-7 major decision against the Pride's Chris Vondruska in the 165-pound match. Anderson garnered his first of six takedowns late in the first period to seize a 3-2 lead that he never relinquished. The seesaw contest began to tilt in favor of the visitors as Hofstra wrestlers took the next three bouts as the Pride grabbed a 13-4 lead after five bouts. Mike Patrovich, who is ranked sixth in the nation at 174 pounds, began Hofstra's run when he scored a 10-1 major decision versus Army's Scott Ferguson. In a matchup of nationally-ranked grapplers, No. 14 Joe Rovelli kept the Pride's momentum going with a hard-fought 6-1 decision over No. 15 Luke Calvert at 184 pounds. Hofstra's Chris Weidman continued the run as he used an 8-3 decision to defeat Connor Sanders at 197 pounds. The match was tied, 2-2, entering the third and final period, but Weidman earned the winning point on an escape to open the final stanza and added a pair of takedowns to close the scoring. Army freshman Michael Sprigg halted Hofstra's run and put the Black Knights squarely back into contention with a rousing 11-1 decision over Jon Andriac in the heavyweight contest. The match, which featured four takedowns for Sprigg, had the Army partisans whipped up into a frenzy. Any momentum that Army might have generated from Sprigg's triumph was stolen right back by Hofstra's Dave Tomasette as the 17th-ranked lightweight in the nation captured a 10-7 decision versus Black Knight freshman William Simpson in a heated match at 125 pounds. The Hofstra victory gave the Pride a 16-8 advantage with only three bouts remaining and set the stage for Patrick Simpson's dramatics. The tie, which was Army's first since a 16-16 stalemate versus Navy on Feb. 19, 2000, snaps a five-match winless streak versus Hofstra. The Pride now lead the all-time series 8-5-1. "I was encouraged by the way we wrestled," added Barbee. "We continue to get better every week. Patrick Simpson put us in position to tie the match versus a good team, and hopefully the next time out we'll be in a position to win. "This is a great starting point for us. The guys have been training hard during the preseason. We have a ton of tough matches coming up this season so there isn't any time to sit around and rest on a good match. I'm pleased with tonight and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season." The Black Knights will look to build on tonight's performance when they return to the tournament circuit this Saturday (Nov. 19) at the Body Bar Systems Invitational in Ithaca, N.Y.

Brute-Adidas/National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Rankings Team Rankings: Team Record Last 1. Augsburg 1 2. Wis.-La Crosse 2 3. Wartburg 3 4. Brockport State 4 5. Luther 5 6. College of New Jersey 1-0 6 7. Loras 8 8. Springfield (Mass.) 9 9. York (Pa.) 2-2 18 10. Wis.-Stevens Point 11 11. John Carroll 13 12. Lycoming 14 13. Cortland State 16 14. Oswego State 1-0 28 15. Thiel 3-0 22 16. Cornell College 1-0 NR 17. Norwich 19 18. Ithaca 7 19. Wilkes 0-1 NR 20. St. John's (Minn.) 17 21. Coe 20 22. McDaniel 3-2 25 23. Elmhurst 21 24. Augustana (Ill.) 23 25. Delaware Valley 0-1 10 26. SIMPSON 0-1 12 27. Buena Vista 26 28. Dubuque NR 29. Ohio Northern 24 30. North Central 30 Individual Rankings 125 lbs. 1. Terry Morgan Sr. Loras 2. Brian Dempsey Jr. College of New Jersey 3. Ty Klofta Sr. Ohio Northern 4. Brandon McDonough So. Johnson & Wales 5. Nate Hansen Jr. Luther 6. Kyle Kemmerer Jr. Ithaca 7. Chris Heilman Sr. Cornell College 8. David Bowers So. Wilmington 133 lbs. 1. Tony D'Ambra Sr. Brockport State 2. Mike Lopez Sr. Luther 3. Justin Hulegaard So. Buena Vista 4. Matt Smith Fr. Johnson&Wales 5. Joe Jewett Fr. Oswego State 6. Sean Cullen Jr. Lycoming 7. Derek Goduto Sr. Montclair State 8. Jordan Kolinsky So. Wis.-La Crosse 141 lbs. 1. Dustin Hinschberger Sr. Wartburg 2. Mike Gaeta Jr. Springfield 3. David Silva Sr. Elmhurst 4. Mike Rohewetz So. Wis.-La Crosse 5. Joel Burdick Sr. Wis.-Stevens Point 6. Dan Hall Jr. Delaware Valley 7. Mike Conklin Sr. Norwich 8. Paul LeBlanc Fr. Cortland State 149 lbs. 1. Matt Pyle Jr. Luther 2. Jason Rousch Jr. Mount St. Joseph 3. Jacob Naig So. Wartburg 4. Jared Evans Jr. Augsburg 5. Mike Kemble Sr. Thiel 6. Dan Song Sr. USMMA 7. Kyle Forness Fr. Buena Vista 8. Mark DeCiccio Jr. Springfield (Mass.) 157 lbs. 1. Joe Gallante Jr. College of N.J. 2. Shaheim Bradshaw So. Brockport State 3. Carl Amerine Sr. Wilmington 4. Ross Needham Jr. Wis.-La Crosse 5. Jake Tyler So. Springfield 6. Tyler Ludwig Sr. Elmhurst 7. Mike Kerr Jr. Augustana (Ill.) 8. Brad Bishop Sr. Loras 165 lbs. 1. Ryan Valek Sr. Augsburg 2. Derek Sikora Jr. Wis.-Eau Claire 3. Tony Howard Sr. McDaniel 4. John Dolan Jr. Williams 5. Corey Murphy Jr. Thiel 6. Steve Martell So. Johnson&Wales 7. Cole Williams Sr. Dubuque 8. Dustin Blevin Sr. Wartburg 174 lbs. 1. Stephon Sair Jr. Cortland State 2. Josh Chelf So. Wis.-La Crosse 3. Matthias Keib Sr. Ithaca 4. Ryan Hagerty Sr. Loras 5. Jeff Harrington So. College of N.J. 6. Jake Beitz Sr. Montclair State 7. Cody Downing Sr. Simpson 8. Andrew Winfield Fr. McDaniel 184 lbs. 1. Duane Bastress Sr. York (Pa.) 2. Ryan Summers Jr. John Carroll 3. Brad Tupa Sr. Augsburg 4. Jason Lulloff Sr. Wis.-La Crosse 5. Akeem Carter Sr. Wartburg 6. Mike Troutman Sr. Ursinus 7. Mitch Hager Sr. Loras 8. Ben Dictus Sr. Lawrence 197 lbs. 1. Willie Weiss Sr. Brockport State 2. Matt Loesch Jr. Muhlenberg 3. Justin Sorrenson Sr. Augsburg 4. Devin Carmen Sr. Baldwin Wallace 5. Dan Fiecke Sr. St. John's (Minn.) 6. Nick Calandrino Jr. Ithaca 7. Ryan Phillips Jr. Wartburg 8. Jason Reilly Jr. Kings College 285 lbs. 1. Ryan Allen Sr. Wis.-La Crosse 2. Blake Gillis Jr. Wartburg 3. Mike Blair Sr. Trinity (Conn.) 4. Mike Hayes Sr. Wis.-Stevens Point 5. Brett Christensen Sr. Simpson College 6. Tommy Snyder Sr. Lycoming College 7. Pat Bennett Sr. Brockport State 8. Derek Ankney Sr. John Carroll

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- November 14, 2005 - The No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will feature two fan give-aways at its home dual match vs. No. 15 Wisconsin on Sunday, Nov. 20. Free schedule magnets will be given to the first 2,500 fans showing up for the 1 p.m. match with the Badgers, courtesy of the Penn State Wrestling Booster Club. Also, Penn State Wrestling T-Shirts will be given to the first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Penn State Athletics. The Nittany Lions enter their first Big Ten dual of the season with a 3-0 mark after Sunday's thrilling 18-17 win over No. 8 Lehigh in the title match of the 2005 Pennsylvania State Dual Championships. Wisconsin, who visit Lock Haven on Saturday before battling Penn State, is 1-0. 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. Tickets will also be available at the door beginning one hour prior to match time.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State University wrestling team (3-0, 1-0 Pac-10) returns to the road this week for a Top 10 dual battle as the Sun Devils are set to face No. 8 Lehigh (3-1, 0-0 EIWA) Thursday evening in Bethlehem, Pa., at 7 p.m. Following their meeting with the Mountain Hawks, the Sun Devils will travel to the East Stroudsburg Open which is set for Saturday morning. Several members of the team not making the trip to Pennsylvania will travel to Fullerton, Calif., on Saturday morning for the Fullerton Open. STRONG START - PART I Arizona State opened its 2005-06 season last weekend at the Portland State Duals where its took on three opponents in dual action and won all three in convincing fashion. The Sun Devils opened the day with a 38-6 defeat of Pacific (Ore.) before taking down Southern Oregon, 28-9. In the final dual of the day, the Sun Devils won their Pac-10 opener as it handed the host Vikings a 43-6 setback. STRONG START - PART II Not only did the team start strong, but also its individual wrestlers. In all, 11 different Sun Devils took to the mat on Saturday with seven going undefeated on the day, six of which went 3-0. Those triple winners included Jeremy Mendoza (125), Jason Robbins (141), Pat Payne (149), Patrick Pitsch (165), Ryan Bader (197) and Cain Velasquez (285) while Kevin Gaughan (157) went undefeated in his two appearances. In all, ASU wrestlers combined to go 25-5 on the on day with a 9-0 mark against Pac-10 foes (ASU forfeited at 157). DYNAMIC DEBUTS Five wrestlers made their debut for the Sun Devils over the weekend, combining to go 9-1 on the day. True freshman Jason Robbins (141) posted a 3-0 record, including a win by major decision while redshirt freshman Alex Pavlenko (174) went 1-1 in a pair of bouts decided by decision. Pat Payne (149), who is in his third year with ASU, wrestled his first matches as a Sun Devil following a redshirt season and an injury season last year to go 3-0 with one major decision and one technical fall. A pair of transfers also made their way into the lineups with Kevin Gaughan (157), a transfer from James Madison, going 2-0 while Chris Remsen (174), who came to Tempe from NC State, was forced to retire from his match after sustaining an injury in the second period. THE FALL GUY Last year, Patrick Pitsch went 24-15 in his first season of action for the Sun Devils. In those 39 bouts, Pitsch did not pin an opponent while also not allowing an opponent to pin him. In his first match of the 2005-06 season, Pitsch collected his first collegiate pin as he defeated Marshall Cook with the fall at 5:42. His pin was one of five recorded by ASU wrestlers on the weekend. START OF THE END Three of the Sun Devils' five seniors saw mat action over the weekend with all three posting 3-0 records to open their final seasons of competition for the maroon and gold. Jeremy Mendoza (125), Ryan Bader (197) and Cain Velasquez (285) each swept their opponents and combined to record three major decisions, one technical fall and four pins. RAISING CAIN The Sun Devils' big man, Cain Velasquez, has been very dominating since coming to Tempe as he has won 29 of his 63 career matches by either major decision, technical fall or fall, including all three of his bouts this season. For his career, the 2005 All-American (fifth place) has won 16 bouts by major decision, seven by technical fall and six by fall. He currently stands 53-10 in his career and is the defending Pac-10 champion at heavyweight. LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD Of the 30 bouts contested over the weekend, 17 victories recorded by ASU wrestlers earned bonus points in the team race. Combined, the Sun Devils won five bouts by fall (six points), three by technical fall (five points), seven by major decision (four points) and two by injury default or forfeit (six points). TOUGH TIME After easily defeating three teams at the Portland State Duals, the Sun Devils will have a much tougher task on their hands this week as the face the No. 8 team in the nation, Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks are the first nationally ranked team ASU will face this year, but it certainly will not be the last as duals with No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 5 Iowa, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Iowa State and No. 21 Cal Poly are all on the slate. The next dual ASU enters also will be its next "tough" dual as it plays host to the No. 5 Hawkeyes at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. TOURNAMENT ACTION The Sun Devils are set to send wrestlers to two different tournaments this weekend with a majority of the team staying in Pennsylvania this weekend for the East Stroudsburg Open while two Sun Devils, Brian Stith and Quinton Pruett, will compete in the Fullerton Open on Saturday morning. At the ESU Open, ASU will face opponents from schools like Bloomsburg, Columbia, Harvard, Hofstra, Army, James Madison and Lock Haven. SCOUTING - LEHIGH The Mountain Hawks, who have won 33 EIWA Championships in their history, are 3-1 overall on the year following a 2-1 record at the recent Pennsylvania State Dual Championship tournament in which they placed second. So far in 2005, Lehigh has defeated Rider, Williamson and Lock Haven and lost to No. 12 Penn State. Individually, five Mountain Hawks hold Top 20 national rankings, including No. 2 Troy Letters (165), No. 3 Cory Cooperman (141), No. 7 Travis Frick (174), No. 12 Derek Zinck (157) and No. 20 Matt Ciasulli (149). Head Coach Greg Strobel is in his 11th season at Lehigh and holds a record of 153-56. IN THE SERIES: ASU vs. LU The Sun Devils and Mountain Hawks have met three previous times with ASU holding a 2-1-0 lead. In the last meeting, the Sun Devils and Mountain Hawks tied, 21-21, at the 2002 NWCA National Duals in Columbus, Ohio, with ASU taking the win on criteria. ASU also won the other neutral site meeting in a 22-15 decision in 1998. LU won in Tempe, 26-9, during the 1999 season for the only meeting at one of the schools' home facilities. PROBABLES: ASU vs. LU Here are the probable starters for the ASU at Lehigh dual Thursday night (ASU then LU): 125 • #9 Jeremy Mendoza (3-0) vs. Mike Fisk (1-0) 133 • Adam Hickey (2-1) vs. John Stout (1-2) 141 • Jason Robbins (3-0) vs. #3 Cory Cooperman (3-0) 149 • Pat Payne (3-0) vs. #20 Matt Ciasulli (2-1) 157 • Kevin Gaughan (2-0) vs. #12 Derek Zinck (3-0) 165 • #11 Patrick Pitsch (3-0) vs. #2 Troy Letters (5-0) 174 • Alex Pavlenko (1-1) or Jamie Robbins (0-0) vs. #7 Travis Frick (2-1) 184 • Jason Trulson (2-1) vs. David Helfrich (3-0) 197 • #10 Ryan Bader (3-0) vs. Matt Cassidy (4-2) or Paul Weibel (1-1) 285 • #4 Cain Velasquez (3-0) vs. Tom Curl (0-1) or Dan Murrer (1-1) HIGHLY TOUTED Several wrestling publications recently released their preseason rankings with the Sun Devils earning placement in the Top 20 as both a team and individually. In the team rankings, Arizona State will open the season as the No. 10 team in the nation according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and USA Today. In their individual rankings, six Sun Devils have earned rankings with Cain Velasquez (285) leading the way at No. 4. Also receiving rankings were No. 6 Brian Stith (157), No. 9 Jeremy Mendoza (125), No. 10 C.B. Dollaway (184), No. 10 Ryan Bader (197) and No. 11 Patrick Pitsch (165). DEFENDING CHAMPS Arizona State won the 2005 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships to not only capture its second crown in three years, but also the 15th in the history of the program. Brian Stith (157) upset Matt Gentry of Stanford, the defending Pac-10 and NCAA champion, to win his weight class and earn Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships. Cain Velasquez (heavyweight) also secured a title, the first of his career, before being named as the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year. C.B. Dollaway (184) and Ryan Bader (197) each advanced to the finals of their respective weight classes before placing second. At the conference level, seven Sun Devils are ranked in the Top 5 according to the preseason poll released by Stanford, the host of the 2006 event. Jeremy Mendoza (125), Stith, Bader and Velasquez are each ranked No. 1 while Patrick Pitsch (165) and Dollaway are both No. 2. John Espinoza (133) also is ranked, coming in at No. 4. RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS Arizona State has three All-Americans returning to its lineup this season, including a pair of first-time honorees from a year ago. Last year, Brian Stith earned his first national accolade by placing sixth at 157 pounds while Cain Velasquez took fifth in the heavyweight division to earn his first honor. Ryan Bader is the Sun Devils' third All-American returning after earning the acclaim in his sophomore campaign of 2003-04. AND THE AWARD GOES TO: Three members of the Sun Devils earned post-season awards from the Pac-10 last year, including two wrestlers and one coach. At the conference tournament, Brian Stith was voted by the league coaches as the Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships following his title at 157 pounds. After the completion of the NCAA Championships, another vote was taken by the conference coaches with Cain Velasquez (285) receiving Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year while Head Coach Thom Ortiz was chosen as the Pac-10 Coach of the Year for the second time in his four years at the helm of the ASU program. AT THE HELM Thom Ortiz returns for his fifth season as the head coach of the Sun Devils and has compiled a 46-26-1 overall record at Arizona State and stands 26-2-0 in Pac-10 duals. The 2003 and 2005 Pac-10 Coach of the Year will be assisted by Aaron Simpson and Eric Larkin. Simpson is starting his eighth season while Larkin is set to begin his second. All three members of the staff also wrestled for the Sun Devils at one time with Ortiz competing on the 1988 NCAA Championship team and Larkin winning the 2003 NCAA 149 championship. Combined, the trio accounted for nine All-America honors and nine Pac-10 individual crowns. WELLS FARGO ARENA Wells Fargo Arena, which opened in 1974, is a 14,198-seat facility that plays host to Sun Devil wrestling and other ASU varsity teams, including men's and women's basketball, gymnastics and volleyball. In the time the wrestling program has called WFA home, the team has captured one national title, two runner-up finishes and 16 conference crowns, including 15 as members of the Pac-10. Individually, five Sun Devils earned national titles while 55 different athletes captured 103 conference crowns and 66 individuals combined to secure 94 All-America honors. LAST TIME OUT The Sun Devils opened the 2005-06 season in dominating fashion over the weekend as they swept a trio of opponents at the Portland State Duals. Arizona State opened the day with nine wrestlers winning their bouts to pace the team to a 38-6 defeat of Pacific (Ore.). In the next dual, ASU downed Southern Oregon, 28-9, as the Sun Devils were victorious in seven of the 10 contested bouts. The finale was the Pac-10 opener for both ASU and Portland State as the Sun Devils again dominated with a nine-win performance to take a 43-6 decision from the host Vikings. In all, seven Sun Devils went undefeated on the day to pace the team. NEXT TIME OUT Another tough foe awaits the Sun Devils as ASU will open its home schedule Saturday, Nov. 26, with a 6 p.m. dual against national powerhouse and fifth-ranked Iowa.