InterMat Staff

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In its first conference tri-meet since 1996, the 14th-ranked Gopher wrestling team (2-1) defeated Maryland (0-3) and host Michigan State (1-1) on Saturday afternoon. Minnesota routed the Terrapins with a 48-0 win and defeated the No. 17 Spartans, 28-6, in the finale. Eight of the 10 Gophers finished the day with two victories led by sophomore Patrick McKee. The 17th-ranked 125 pounder began the day with a major decision against Maryland's King Sandoval and then upset No. 2 Rayvon Foley of the Spartans with a 10-6 decision. Top-ranked heavyweight Gable Steveson improved to 32-0 in his career in dual meets with a pin and technical fall. Steveson earned a 13-second fall against Maryland's Connor Bowes to tie for the second-fastest pin in school history, matching Mitch McKee (2017) and Jim Martinez (1981). Another standout on the day was junior Jake Allar. Making just his second and third career starts, Allar began the day with a pin in 1:28 against the Terrapins' Dominic Solis at 174 pounds. He followed that with a 13-1 major decision against No. 15 Drew Hughes of the Spartans. In its 48-0 win in the opener against the Terrapins, Minnesota secured its biggest winning margin against a conference foe since a 51-0 victory against Purdue on Feb. 10, 1979. The Gophers amassed three major decisions and four pins en route to the win. Following McKee's major decision at 125, senior Boo Dryden earned the fall in 5:33 at 133 pounds. Redshirt freshman Marcos Polanco followed with his first career dual meet win by a 6-0 decision against Danny Bertoni at 141 pounds. No. 6 Brayton Lee increased the Gopher lead to 25-0 with a pin of Lucas Cordio at 157 as time expired in the second period. True freshman Andrew Sparks followed up his upset at Nebraska a week ago with a 14-3 major decision against Jonathan Spadafora at 165 pounds. Before Steveson's 13-second fall at heavyweight, No. 20 Owen Webster and Garrett Joles closed out the dual with a major decision and decision, respectively. The Gophers kept the momentum going in the nightcap against the Spartans with seven straight wins to open the dual. After earning a win by medical forfeit against Maryland, No. 17 Michael Blockhus, a transfer from Northern Iowa, dominated Peyton Onamia in a 16-4 major decision at 149 pounds. Sparks improved to 3-0 in his rookie season with a come-from-behind 8-7 win against No. 19 Jake Tucker at 165 pounds. He trailed 6-1 in the second period before the rally. The Golden Gophers will now return home to renew one of the great rivalries in college wrestling. Minnesota will host No. 1 Iowa at Maturi Pavilion on Friday night. The match is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will air live on Big Ten Network. #14 Minnesota 48, Maryland 0 125: #17 Patrick McKee (UM) maj. dec. King Sandoval (MD), 19-6 133: #18 Boo Dryden (UM) pinned Jackson Cockrell (MD), 5:53 141: Marcos Polanco (UM) dec. Danny Bertoni (MD), 6-0 149: #17 Michael Blockhus (UM) over Michael North (MD), injury default 157: #6 Brayton Lee (UM) pinned Lucas Cordio (MD), 5:00 165: #16 Andrew Sparks (UM) maj. dec. Jonathan Spadafora (MD), 14-3 174: Jake Allar (UM) pinned Dominic Solis (MD), 1:28 184: #20 Owen Webster (UM) maj. dec. Kyle Cochran (MD), 11-2 197: Garrett Joles (UM) dec. Jaron Smith (MD), 9-6 HWT: #1 Gable Steveson (UM) pinned Connor Bowes (MD), 0:13 #14 Minnesota 28, #17 Michigan State 6 125: #17 Patrick McKee (UM) dec. #2 Rayvon Foley (MSU), 10-6 133: #18 Boo Dryden (UM) dec. Tristan Lujan (MSU), 6-1 141: Marcos Polanco (UM) dec. Jake Spiess (MSU), 7-1 149: #17 Michael Blockhus (UM) maj. dec. Peyton Omania (MSU), 16-4 157: #6 Brayton Lee (UM) dec. Chase Saldate (MSU), 5-4 165: #16 Andrew Sparks (UM) dec. #19 Jake Tucker (MSU), 8-7 174: Jake Allar (UM) maj. dec. #15 Drew Hughes (MSU), 13-1 184: #14 Layne Malczewski (MSU) dec. #20 Owen Webster (UM), 9-6 197: #6 Cameron Caffey (MSU) dec Garrett Joles (UM), 12-5 HWT: #1 Gable Steveson (UM) Brad Wilton (MSU), 23-8, 3:09 Extra Matches: 133: Jake Gliva (UM) maj. dec. Nathan Porter (MSU), 14-5 133: Jake Gliva (UM) maj. dec. Andrew Chambal (MSU), 13-3 141: Brent Jones (UM) dec. Jaden Enriquez (MSU), 4-0 149: Jake Bergeland (UM) dec. Hunter Baxter (MD), 7-2 149: Jake Bergeland (UM) maj. dec. Eddie Homrock (MSU), 12-4 157: Cael Carlson (UM) dec. Nathan Atienza (MSU), 10-3 165: Caleb Fish (MSU) dec. Bailee O'Reilly (UM), 3-1 165: Miles Hoey (MSU) dec. Baylor Fernandes (UM), 13-8 165: Baylor Fernandes (UM) dec. Caleb Fish (MSU), 9-7 184: Isaiah Salazar (UM) maj. dec. Wyatt Cool (MSU), 15-2 197: Rowan Morgan (UM) dec. Austen Malcewski (MSU), 5-4 197: Dylan Anderson (UM) dec. Kevin Makosy (MD), 7-2 197: Dylan Anderson (UM) dec. Austen Malcewski (MSU), 11-6 HWT: Keaton Kluever (UM) dec. Nick Cooper (MSU), 5-2 *Extra Matches: Due to only wrestling within the conference, the Big Ten will permit schools to hold extra matches on competition dates. Though they will not count towards dual scoring, they will count towards an individual's varsity record for purposes of seeding for the conference and national tournament.

CLARION, PA - The Rider University wrestling team won 8-of-10 matches Saturday to dominate Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe Clarion, 30-9, Saturday afternoon at Tippin Gym. With the win, the Broncs even their record at 1-1 (1-0 MAC), while the Golden Eagles are now 0-2 (0-1 MAC). The Broncs jumped out to a 7-0 lead with a major decision from freshman Tyler Klinsky (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) in his dual debut at 125 and a decision from Richie Koehler (Middletown, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) at 133. The Golden Eagles got three points back at 141, before the Broncs rattled off five-straight victories to establish a 26-3 cushion. Jesse Dellavecchia (Great River, NY/East Islip [Binghamton]) won by fall at 157, Wyatt McCarthy (Newton, NJ/Newton) took a major decision at 149 and Jake Silverstein (Hauppauge, NY/Smithtown), Angel Garcia (Philadelphia, PA/Mariana Bracetti Academy) and George Walton each earned decisions at 165, 174 and 184, respectively. After Clarion's nationally-ranked No. 7 Greg Bulsak won by fall at 197, Ethan Laird (Waterford, PA/General McLane) closed out the win with a major decision at 285. Quotes & Notes "The kids wrestled much better today. They wrestled the whole seven minutes and scored consistently in all three positions. There is still a lot to work on, but it was the right response coming out of last weekend for them as individuals and the team as a whole." - Rider Head Coach John Hangey - A year after posting a 30-2 record with just one win by fall, Dellavecchia now has a pair of falls in his first two matches of the year. - Dellavecchia, Garcia and Laird each moved to 2-0 on the season with their wins. - Klinsky and Bryan Miraglia (Delran, NJ/Delran) wrestled in a dual for the Broncs for the first time. - The Broncs lead the all-time series with Clarion, 17-4, including wins in each of the last three. The home team had won each of the last six duals in the series, prior to Rider's road victory today. - The Broncs return to action next Sunday, when they play host to MAC foe George Mason at noon. Results: 125: Tyler Klinsky (RID) MD Cameron Butler (CLA), 11-3; Rider leads, 4-0 133: Richie Koehler (RID) DEC Dylan Burnoski (CLA), 8-2; Rider leads, 7-0 141: Kyle Schickel (CLA) DEC Bryan Miraglia (RID), 8-2; Rider leads, 7-3 149: Wyatt McCarthy (RID) MD Jalin Hankerson (CLA), 11-2; Rider leads, 11-3 157: Jesse Dellavecchia (RID) WBF Trevor Elfvin (CLA), at 2:29; Rider leads, 17-3 165: Jake Silverstein (RID) DEC Kolby Ho (CLA), 8-4; Rider leads, 20-3 174: Angel Garcia (RID) DEC Mikey Vernagallo (CLA), 11-6; Rider leads, 23-3 184: George Walton (RID) DEC Max Wohlabaugh (CLA), 6-4; Rider leads, 26-3 197: Greg Bulsak (RID) WBF Matt Correnti (RID), at 2:53; Rider leads, 26-9 285: Ethan Laird (RID) MD Tyler Bagoly (CLA), 12-4; Rider wins 30-9 Additional Matches: 125 Extra: Jonathon Tropea (Rider) over Blake Jackson (Clarion) (Fall 6:14) 125 Extra: Jonathon Tropea (Rider) over Cameron Butler (Clarion) (MD 18-10) 125 Extra: Tyler Klinsky (Rider) over Blake Jackson (Clarion) (Fall 2:51) 133 Extra: Richie Koehler (Rider) over TJ England (Clarion) (MD 14-0) 141 Extra: Seth Koleno (Clarion) over Bryan Miraglia (Rider) (SV-1 11-4) 149 Extra: Cole McComas (Rider) over Lavinsky Collins (Clarion) (SV-1 8-6) 149 Extra: Seth Koleno (Clarion) over Cole McComas (Rider) (MD 13-2) 149 Extra: Travis Layton (Rider) over Lavinsky Collins (Clarion) (Dec 9-4) 149 Extra: Cole McComas (Rider) over Jalin Hankerson (Clarion) (SV-1 6-4) 149 Extra: Wyatt McCarthy (Rider) over Lavinsky Collins (Clarion) (Dec 13-7) 157 Extra: Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) over Ethan Wiant (Clarion) (TF 22-7 3:58) 157 Extra: Ethan Wiant (Clarion) over Quentin Milliken (Rider) (TF 15-0 5:51) 157 Extra: Trevor Elfvin (Clarion) over Quentin Milliken (Rider) (TF 25-9 6:25) 165 Extra: Michael Wilson (Rider) over Eli Brinsky (Clarion) (Dec 6-2) 165 Extra: Michael Wilson (Rider) over John Worthing (Clarion) (Fall 6:36) 165 Extra: Kolby Ho (Clarion) over Michael Wilson (Rider) (Dec 11-4) 165 Extra: Jake Silverstein (Rider) over Eli Brinsky (Clarion) (Dec 12-7) 174 Extra: Shane Reitsma (Rider) over Caleb Hetrick (Clarion) (Dec 7-5) 174 Extra: John Worthing (Clarion) over Corey Connolly (Rider) (Dec 3-1) 174 Extra: George Worthy (Rider) over Caleb Hetrick (Clarion) (Dec 7-5) 174 Extra: George Worthy (Rider) over Mike Vernagallo (Clarion) (Dec 10-4) 174 Extra: Corey Connolly (Rider) over Mike Vernagallo (Clarion) (MD 13-5) 174 Extra: Angel Garcia (Rider) over Caleb Hetrick (Clarion) (Dec 9-5) 184 Extra: Evan Vazquez (Rider) over Ryan Weinzen (Clarion) (Dec 3-1) 184 Extra: Max Wohlabaugh (Clarion) over Evan Vazquez (Rider) (Dec 4-1) 197 Extra: Azeem Bell (Rider) over Brett Wittmann (Clarion) (Dec 6-2) 197 Extra: Greg Bulsak (Clarion) over Azeem Bell (Rider) (Fall 1:50) 285 Extra: Ethan Laird (Rider) over Austin Chapman (Clarion) (MD 13-4)

CLEVELAND -- Kody Komara earned fall and a technical fall victories as he, Jake Ferri and Colin McCracken went 2-0 amongst the Kent State starters, highlighting the Cleveland State Round Robin on Saturday. The Golden Flashes and Vikings squared off in a four-round round robin on Saturday, allowing both starters and reserves get quality matches on Saturday. Jake Ferri had a dominate day on the mat earning a major decision over Jake Manley and a quick fall against Cody Moosman. The victories move Ferri to 3-1 on the young season. Tomas Gutierrez split a pair of matches on Saturday, losing in overtime to CSU starter Jake Manley but earning a 11-2 major decision over Cody Moosman. At 133, Pat Gould split his matches, losing in extra time to Justin Patrick and controlling the match against Logan Heil en route to a 12-5 victory. Brendon Fenton went 2-0, leading Justin Patrick in the third round before a Patrick injury stopped the match and a 8-2 win over Logan Heil. Gould is now 1-2 on the season while Fenton improved to 4-0. Avry Mutschler was the lone Kent State wrestler at 141 and split his two matches on Saturday. He dropped his first match of the day 12-3 to Jospeh Caprella and grinding out a 3-2 win over Jacob Gorman. Mutschler now sits at 1-3 on the season. Komara had an impressive showing today at 149 pounds, earning a first period fall over Marcus Robinson and rolling to a 16-1 technical fall victory over Ryan Granger. The two wins moves Komara to 3-1 on the season. Nick Colusardo and Ian Senz took the mat at 157 for the Flashes on Saturday. Senz dropped two tough decisions on Saturday while Colusardo split his two matches. Colusardo earned an impressive fall in the second period over Ryan Granger. Brady Chrisman, Mason Karpinski, and James Limongi all saw action at 165 on Saturday. Karpinski won his lone match of the day, posting an impressive 13-0 major decision shutout over Caleb Cass. James Limongi split his matches falling to Riley Smucker and defeating Caleb Cass. Brady Chrisman found himself on the wrong end of two one-point decisions. At 174, newly minted top-10 wrestler Andrew McNally showed why he's one of the top wrestlers at 174, winning his lone match of the day 9-0 over Anthony Rice. Also at 174, Mike Caniglia dropped a 10-6 decision to Anthony Rice in the second round of wrestling on Saturday. Tyler Bates and Joe Andrassy had identical days at 184 pounds. Both lost tough decisions to DeAndre Nassar and earning victories over Gabe Phillips. Colin McCracken had an exciting day on the mat at 197 pounds. He defeated Ben Smith 4-3, getting his final two points as time expired to flip the script in his favor with the one-point victory. McCracken later earned a fall against Justin Jaeckin, earning the win in 2:52. Ryan Boyle split his two matches, defeating Jaecklin but losing a decision to Smith. At 285, Jacob Cover lost a marathon match to John Kelbly, losing 2-1 in double overtime. Cover rebounded to defeat Daniel Bucknavich by the same 2-1 score, but in regulation. Tanner Clark dropped both of his decisions on Saturday. The Golden Flashes will return to Kent State on Wednesday for its home opener. Kent State welcomes in Gannon and Mercyhurst for a pair of dual meets at the Kent State Fieldhouse. Wrestling is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Round 1: 125: Jake Ferri (KSU) over Jake Manley (CSU) - 11-3 MD 125: Tomas Gutierrez (KSU) over Cody Moosman (CSU) - 11-2 MD 133: Justin Patrick (CSU) over Pat Gould (KSU) - 7-5 SV 133: Brendon Fenton (KSU) over Logan Heil (CSU) - 8-2 dec. 141: Joseph Caprella (CSU) over Avry Mutschler (KSU) - 12-3 MD 149: Cody Kamara (KSU) over Marcus Robinson (CSU) - Fall 2:29 157: Ryan Ford (CSU) over Ian Senz (KSU) - 14-7 dec. 157: Nick Colasurdo (KSU) over Ryan Granger (CSU) - Fall 4:42 165: Riley Smucker (CSU) over James Limongi (KSU) - 8-3 dec. 165: Daniel Patten (CSU) over Brady Chrisman (KSU) - 4-3 dec. 165: Mason Karpinski (KSU) over Caleb Cass (CSU) - 13-0 MD 174: Andrew McNally (KSU) over Anthony Rice (CSU) - 9-0 MD 184: DeAndre Nassar (CSU) over Tyler Bates (KSU) - 3-2 dec. 184: Joe Andrassy (KSU) over Gabe Phillips (CSU) - 5-3 dec. 197: Colin McCracken (KSU) over Ben Smith (CSU) - 4-3 dec. 197: Ryan Boyle (KSU) over Justin Jaeckin (CSU) - 5-3 dec. 285: John Kelbly (CSU) over Jacob Cover (KSU) - 2-1 TB-1 285: Daniel Bucknavich (CSU) over Tanner Clark (KSU) - 8-3 dec. Round 2: 125: Jake Manley (CSU) over Tomas Gutierrez (KSU) - 5-3 SV 125: Jake Ferri (KSU) over Cody Moosman (CSU) - Fall 2:26 133: Brendon Fenton (KSU) over Justin Patrick (CSU) - Inj. 6:10 133: Pat Gould (KSU) over Logan Heil (CSU) - 12-5 dec. 141: Avry Mutschler (KSU) over Jack Gorman (CSU) - 3-2 dec. 149: Cody Kamara (KSU) over Ryan Granger (CSU) - 16-1 TF 157: Marcus Robinson (CSU) over Nick Colasurdo (KSU) - 10-3 dec. 157: Daniel Patten (CSU) over Ian Senz (KSU) - 8-2 dec. 165: Riley Smucker (CSU) over Brady Chrisman (KSU) - 5-2 dec. 165: James Limongi (KSU) over Caleb Cass (CSU) - 8-0 MD 174: Anthony Rice (CSU) over Mike Caniglia (KSU) - 10-6 dec. 184: DeAndre Nassar (CSU) over Joe Andrassy (KSU) - 8-3 dec. 184: Tyler Bates (KSU) over Gabe Phillips (CSU) - 10-0 MD 197: Ben Smith (CSU) over Ryan Boyle (KSU) - 5-2 dec. 197: Colin McCracken (KSU) over Justin Jaeckin (CSU) - Fall 2:50 285: John Kelbly (CSU) over Tanner Clark (KSU) - 16-0 TF 4:27 285: Jacob Cover (KSU) over Daniel Bucknavich (CSU) - 2-1 dec.

PITTSBURGH --The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team earned another decisive home win and opened the 2021 ACC wrestling season with a 31-12 victory over Duke on Saturday at the Fitzgerald Filed House. The Panthers, ranked No. 12 by the NWCA Coaches Poll this week, beat No. 17 Lehigh 24-9 last Saturday at home and once again pulled away, this time beating Duke by a double-digit margin. Pitt (3-0, 1-0 ACC) has now won its first three dual matches for the second time in four seasons under head coach Keith Gavin, who improved to 4-0 against the Blue Devils (0-1, 0-1) in head-to-head action. "I thought we wrestled well today with a lineup that included some new guys," Gavin said. "We know everybody has to be ready to go, especially in a year like this. You have to be ready to wrestle. And I thought, for the most part, that our guys did a nice job today." For the third consecutive weekend, Pitt's upper weights went undefeated to help overturn a deficit. Trailing 12-9 at the intermission, the Panthers won the final five matches to pull away from Duke. Pitt now owns an 8-0 mark all-time against the Blue Devils with a 6-0 record at the Fitzgerald Field House. Unlike the Lehigh dual, when Pitt won eight matches by decision, the Panthers poured on bonus-point victories on Saturday in their ACC opener. Junior Micky Phillippi won by first-period pin, senior Jake Wentzel took a forfeit victory, senior Gregg Harvey and junior Nino Bonaccorsi earned major decisions and sophomore heavyweight Jake Slinger impressed again to wrap up the dual with a technical fall. "Continuing to score in matches has been a huge focus for us," Gavin added. "We've worked a lot on scoring on top, and I thought we did well in that position today. That's something that can set you apart, so we need to continue to focus on improving in that area." Also winning for Pitt, redshirt freshmen Colton Camacho and Jared McGill controlled their matches en route to comfortable individual victories. The Panthers face their biggest challenge yet next Friday when they travel to Raleigh to meet NC State, currently ranked No. 4 by the NWCA Coaches Poll, at 6 p.m. in a matchup televised on the ACC Network. Full results from Saturday's action are available below. Results: 125 | Colton Camacho (Pitt) dec. Logan Agin (Duke), 6-4 (Pitt leads, 3-0) 133 | Micky Phillippi (Pitt) pins Parker Decker (Duke), 2:27 (Pitt leads, 9-0) 141 | Patrick Rowland (Duke) dec. Jake Cherry (Pitt), 4-3 (Pitt leads, 9-3) 149 | Josh Finesilver (Duke) dec. Luke Kemerer (Pitt), 9-5 (Pitt leads, 9-6) 157 | Brandon LaRue (Duke) pins Antonio Petrucelli (Pitt), 3:58 (Duke leads, 12-9) 165 | Jake Wentzel (Pitt) wins by forfeit (Pitt leads, 15-12) 174 | Jared McGill (Pitt) dec. Conor Becker (Duke), 4-0 (Pitt leads, 18-12) 184 | Gregg Harvey (Pitt) maj. dec. Luke Chakonis (Duke), 10-0 (Pitt leads, 22-12) 197 | Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) maj. dec. Kaden Russell (Duke), 9-1 (Pitt leads, 26-12) HWT | Jake Slinger (Pitt) tech. fall Brayden Ray (Duke), 22-3 (4:10) (Pitt wins, 31-12) Additional Matches: 149 | Luke Kemerer (Pitt) maj. dec. Ty Mills (Duke), 8-0 184 | Jack Wimmer (Duke) dec. Nicholas Meglino (Pitt), 3-2 197 | Austin Cooley (Pitt) dec. Vincent Baker (Duke), 9-6 HWT | Cole Rickert (Pitt) maj. dec. Max Fausnaugh (Duke), 14-3 HWT | Jake Slinger (Pitt) dec. Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke), 6-1

Top-ranked Jaydin Eierman made a successful debut for Iowa, beating Chad Red (Photo/Iowa Athletics) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team defeated No. 6 Nebraska, 31-6, on Friday night in the 2021 season opener at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa won eight-of-10 bouts, scored bonus points in four matches and defeated six ranked opponents to win its 14th straight dual overall and extend its Big Ten winning streak to 19. The Hawkeyes held a 28-5 advantage in takedowns and an 89-35 edge in match points. The Hawkeyes got a fall from Spencer Lee, a technical fall from Austin DeSanto, and major decisions from Kaleb Young and Nelson Brands. In just over six minutes of mat time, Iowa built a 11-0 lead in the team score. Lee led 6-0 before recording the fall in one minute, 21 seconds at 125. DeSanto won 21-6, piling up 10 takedowns before terminating his match in four minutes, 57 seconds at 133. Jaydin Eierman made his Hawkeye debut at 141 and registered a top-10 victory over No. 7 Chad Red, 8-4. Max Murin scored a pair of takedowns on his way to a 6-2 win at 149, his first collegiate match at 149, and Young used four takedowns, two reversals and four back points to earn a 17-5 major decision at 157. Alex Marinelli scored takedowns in each period to win 9-3 at 165. Nelson Brands earned a top 10 major decision in his Big Ten dual debut, topping No. 7 Taylor Venz, 13-5, and Tony Cassioppi closed the dual with a 3-0 shutout at 285. Nebraska won matches at 174 and 197. Freshman Patrick Kennedy dropped a 7-4 decision to No. 4 Mikey Labriola at 174, and a third-period takedown was the difference in Jacob Warner's 3-2 loss to No. 2 Eric Shultz at 197. UP NEXT No. 1 Iowa wrestles at No. 14 Minnesota on Friday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. (CT). The dual is televised live on BTN. NOTABLES • The Hawkeyes returned to the mat for the first time since winning the Big Ten Championships on March 8, 2020, in Piscataway, New Jersey (45 weeks). • Iowa has won 14 straight overall, 17 straight at home and 19 consecutive Big Ten duals. • Spencer Lee improved to 19-0 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. In Lee's 19 home wins, he has five pins, eight technical falls and three major decisions. Five of the wins are against top 10 opponents. • Spencer Lee extended his winning streak to 24 matches. • Spencer Lee's pin was the 22nd of his career, 17 have come in the first period. • Austin DeSanto won 21-6, his 22nd career match scoring 20 or more points. • Iowa is 113-12 (.904) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since Tom Brands took over the program prior to 2006-07. • Tom Brands improved to 12-0 all-time against Nebraska. • Nelson Brands made his Big Ten debut. • Jaydin Eierman made his University of Iowa debut. • Patrick Kennedy made his collegiate debut. Results: 125: #1 Spencer Lee (I) pinned #11 Liam Cronin (N), 1:21; 6-0 133:#5 Austin DeSanto (I) tech. fall Alex Thomsen (N), 21-6; 11-0 141: #1 Jaydin Eierman (I) dec. #7 Chad Red Jr. (N), 8-4; 14-0 149: #8 Max Murin (I) dec. #20 Brock Hardy (N), 6-2; 17-0 157: #6 Kaleb Young (I) major dec. Caleb Licking (N), 7-5; 31-0 165: #2 Alex Marinelli (I) dec. #18 Peyton Robb (N), 9-3; 24-0 174: #4 Mikey Labriola (N) dec. Patrick Kennedy(I), 7-4; 24-3 184: #8 Nelson Brands (I) major dec. #7 Taylor Venz (N), 13-5; 28-3 197: #2 Eric Shultz (N) dec. #4 Jacob Warner (I), 3-2; 28-6 285: #2 Tony Cassioppi (I) dec. #16 Christian Lance (N), 4-0; 31-6 Records: Iowa (1-0, 1-0), Nebraska (1-1, 1-1) Attendance: 246 Date: Jan. 15, 2021 Extra Matches 133 Tucker Sjomeling (N) dec. Cullen Schriever (I), 6-2 141 Ridge Lovett (N) dec. Carter Happel (I), 4-2 149 Jevon Parrish (N) dec. Zach Axmear (I), 5-3 184 Myles Wilson (I) major dec. Nathan Haas (N), 15-6 197 Silas Allred (N) major dec. Connor Corbin (I), 12-2 285 Cale Davidson (N) dec. Aaron Costello (I), 3-2

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The No. 16 ranked Purdue wrestling team opened the 2021 season in impressive fashion on Friday at Holloway Gymnasium, winning eight of the 10 matches and posting a 28-8 victory over No. 21 Northwestern. Head coach Tony Ersland started four true freshmen in the dual, watching three of them earn their first career win and lead the way. Rookies Cooper Noehre, Macartney Parkinson and Dorian Keys all saw their hands raised Friday, knocking off Northwestern upperclassmen to start their respective careers 1-0. Noehre was fairly dominant in a 10-5 win over Ankhaa Enkhmandakh, wrestling up at 165 pounds, while Parkinson came from behind with an impressive top game to upend No. 22 Jack Jessen at 184 pounds 9-4. Keys finished off the newcomer parade with an 8-1 decision at heavyweight to cap off the win. Parkinson trailed Jessen 4-1 after the first period, but went to work on top in the second, securing a cradle for four swipes and then two more as time expired with another turn. Parkinson then took top position in the final period and extended his ride and tacked on one stalling point and a riding-time point on his way to the win. The four ranked Boilermakers to take the mat Friday all came away victorious, led by dominant technical falls from No. 3 senior Devin Schroder at 125 pounds and No. 18 sophomore Thomas Penola at 197. Schroder got on top early and worked his turns, running up a 10-0 lead after the first and then adding a takedown and turn to seal up the win in the second. Penola put on a takedown clinic, scoring early and often on his way to a 21-6 victory in the third period. No. 5 sophomore Kendall Coleman posted a takedown in the second period on his way to a 4-3 decision over Maxx Mayfield at 157, while No. 25 Emil Soehnlen had a takedown in the third to earn a 3-1 win over Troy Fisher at 174. Purdue's eighth and final win on the ledger was a 6-5 decision for junior Bjorn Schroeder at 141 pounds over Frankie Tal Shahar, Schroeder's first career dual victory. Both sides were without several starters Friday, but Northwestern's ranked starters at 133 and 149 pounds came away with major decisions. The Boilermakers return to action in one week, traveling to Illinois to start a weekend doubleheader. Purdue will also head north to Wisconsin to face the Badgers on Sunday. Results: 125: No. 3 Devin Schroder (PUR) def. Matt Vinci (NU), TF 16-0 (4:13) 133: No. 23 Chris Cannon (NU) def. Nate Cummings (PUR), MD 11-3 141: Bjorn Schroeder (PUR) def. Frankie Tal Shahar (NU), D 6-5 149: No. 21 Yahya Thomas (NU) def. Trey Kruse (PUR), MD 16-4 157: No. 5 Kendall Coleman (PUR) def. Maxx Mayfield (NU), D 4-3 165: Cooper Noehre (PUR) def. Ankhaa Enkhmandakh (NU), D 10-5 174: No. 25 Emil Soehnlen (PUR) def. Troy Fisher (NU), D 3-1 184: Macartney Parkinson (PUR) def. No. 22 Jack Jessen (NU), D 9-4 197: No. 18 Thomas Penola (PUR) def. Jon Halvorsen (NU), TF 21-6 (5:46) 285: Dorian Keys (PUR) def. Brendan Devine (NU), D 8-1 EXTRA MATCHES 141: Michael Leveille (PUR) def. Jack Tolin (NU), D 3-2 141: Isaac Riddle (PUR) def. Jack Tolin (NU), MD 149: Trevor Chumbley (PUR) def. Ethan Smiley (PUR), D 8-3

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. -- The No. 4 NC State Wrestling team opened its ACC slate with a 23-9 win at Virginia Friday night. The Wolfpack (3-0) won seven of the 10 matches, and runs its nation's longest winning streak to 20 straight duals dating back to 2019. The dual started at 125 pounds, and the Pack came away with bonus points as No. 6 Jakob Camacho scored a 16-7 major decision. After a UVA decision at 133 pounds, the Pack won three straight to take a 14-3 lead at the intermission. No. 10 Tariq Wilson scored a reversal with 10 seconds left to win 8-6 at 141 pounds. Fr. Ed Scott had three takedowns and a pair of near falls to claim a 13-1 major decision at 149pounds. No. 2 Hayden Hidlay added a third period takedown for a 6-3 ranked win over No. 16 Justin McCoy. UVA scored its second decision at 165 pounds in a ranked matchup. The Pack's No. 12 Daniel Bullard answered at 174 pounds as his third period takedown led to a 3-1 decision. No. 4 Trent Hidlay made his season debut and scored a 4-0 decision, with 3:09 of ride time, at 184 pounds to clinch the win for the Pack. After a UVA win at 197 pounds, No. 17 Deonte Wilson used a third period ride out to score a 2-0 decision over No. 19 Miller in the final match. Up Next: The Pack will begin a stretch of three straight ranked ACC foes, hosting No. 12 Pitt next Friday night in Reynolds. Results: 125: #6 Jakob Camacho (NCSU) major dec. Patrick McCormick; 16-7 – 4-0 133: #13 Louis Hayes (UVA) dec. Ryan Jack; 11-6 – 4-3 141: #10 Tariq Wilson (NCSU) dec. Brian Courtney; 8-6 – 7-3 149: Ed Scott (NCSU) major dec. Denton Spencer; 13-1 – 11-3 157: #2 Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) dec. #16 Justin McCoy; 6-3 – 14-3 165: #19 Jake Keating (UVA) dec. #10 Thomas Bullard; 4-3 – 14-6 174: #12 Daniel Bullard (NCSU) dec. Vic Marcelli; 3-1 – 17-6 184: #4 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) dec. Michael Battista; 4-0 – 20-6 197: #3 Jay Aiello (NCSU) dec. Nick Reenan; 2-0 – 20-9 285: #17 Deonte Wilson (NCSU) dec. #19 Quinn Miller; 2-0 – 23-9

The Binghamton University wrestling team won eight of 10 bouts, four of which had bonus points, en route to a 32-6 victory over LIU Thursday evening in Vestal. No. 4 Lou DePrez highlighted the team's strong match, picking up his second straight pin to open the season. "We wrestled well today and had some big wins by bonus points," head coach Kyle Borshoff said. "We also had several close matches that we were able to win. The guys have great belief in themselves and believe that they shouldn't be losing to anybody. If we can keep winning the close ones, we are going to have a really good season." Highlights Jacob Nolan kicked things off at 174 pounds, and would not relinquish a point to LIU's James Langan. An early takedown and four back points in the first carried him to a 9-0 major decision. DePrez dominated from the start at 184 pounds, leading 6-0 after just 20 seconds. DePrez was able to turn LIU's T.J. Frandon, putting him away in the final seconds of the period. Sam DePrez notched his first victory of 2021, capitalizing on a few early takedowns to get an 8-1 decision, nearly getting the major decision in the final seconds. At 125 pounds, Micah Roes won his second straight matchup, taking an 8-0 major decision. The freshman matched Nolan's shutout, as he picked up over two minutes of ride time. In the next matchup, LIU's Devin Matthews used a strong second period to tie things up late with Anthony Sobotker. In a tight third period, Sobotker was able to put together an impressive takedown in the final minute and ride out Matthews to get the 6-4 decision. Similarly to Sobotker, Trampe also found himself down in his matchup. Trailing 4-0 in the first, Trampe would go on to shut out the Sharks' Drew Witham the rest of the way, and used ride time to propel him to his second win of the season. At 149 pounds, Michael Zarif got ahead early against Chris Gomez, and held on for a 7-6 win. A late escape in the final seconds of the second period proved to be the difference for Zarif, who is 2-0 this season. Brevin Cassella notched the dual's final victory for the Bearcats via forfeit. In extra matches, Dane Heberlein won in convincing fashion. Leading 4-0, he was able to pin his LIU's Adam Barker just over two minutes in. Nolan added another major decision in the bout's final matchup. Up Next The Bearcats will take on Army West Point on Sunday, January 24. That matchup will begin at 2 p.m. in West Point. Results: 174 | Jacob Nolan (BU) MD James Langan (LIU), 9-0. BU leads 4-0. 184 | Lou DePrez (BU) FALL T.J. Frandon (LIU), 2:56. BU leads 10-0. 197 | Sam DePrez (BU) DEC Dan Shafran, 8-1 (LIU). BU leads 13-0. 285 | Tim Nagosky (LIU) DEC Cory Day (BU), 3-2. BU leads 13-3. 125 | Micah Roes (BU) MD Bryce Cockrell (LIU), 8-0. BU leads 17-3. 133 | Anthony Sobotker (BU) DEC Devin Matthews (LIU), 6-4. BU leads 20-3. 141 | Zack Trampe (BU) DEC Drew Witham (LIU), 5-4. BU leads 23-3. 149 | Michael Zarif (BU) DEC Chris Gomez (LIU), 7-6. BU leads 26-3. 157 | Rhise Royster (LIU) DEC Alex Strashinsky (BU), 8-5. BU leads 26-6. 165 | Brevin Cassella (BU) W via forfeit, BU wins 32-6. Extra Matches: Dane Heberlein (BU) FALL Adam Barker (LIU), 2:08 Jacob Nolan (BU) MD Carson LiCastri (LIU), 13-1

The "Match of the Century" went down Wednesday in Lincoln with world champions David Taylor upending four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs via criteria, 4-4. Though the billing was hyperbolic it did speak honestly to the excitement of the American community in watching its two biggest stars clash in the revival of their once red-hot rivalry. I watched, my parents watched, and there were more than a few text chains about the matchup and who would win. The excitement built as expected and oncer the whistle blew fans were given an exciting on-the-mat performance. Though the anti-criteria crowd chirped and tweeted, there isn't much reason to relitigate the efficacy of having the scoring system since it was enacted several years ago and has been the backbone of the sport's growth in worldwide marketability. Athletes, fans, and television producers alike all know the time limitations and can prepare accordingly, which has meant more intense matchups, watched by more fans, and streamed to more localities than ever before. As for the match itself, Taylor was able to control the distance with numerous head slaps (likely to be called flagrant at an international tournament) and tying up Jordan's hands. Taylor was so effective that in six minutes Burroughs was only able to penetrate once on a shot. While Taylor arguably could have stopped the shot entirely, he wisely allowed himself to be pushed out and thus only gave up one point, as opposed to the potential for two and Burroughs working from top position. Taylor's weight advantage also played a factor in Wednesday night's outcome. While close enough in weight to make it competitive, Taylor's length and weight equaled added leverage that it didn't seem Burroughs could wear down in a six-minute match. To Taylor's credit he was in shape and prepared for the late push, but I'd guess that Burroughs gets through a 74-kilogram wrestler's similar defense, which I'm assuming we will see from Kyle Dake should the two meet at the Olympic Team Trials in April. Overall, it was a fun night with a compelling set of what-if's that were answered on the mat rather than on an online forum. As a side note, it could not have been easy for FloWrestling to put together an additional card in only four days. That's an enormous lift in a short period of time. To your questions … Stanford associate head coach Ray Blake and head coach Jason Borrelli (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I saw something about Stanford University barring Stanford's wrestling program from using their official Stanford wrestling Twitter account. What's that about? -- Mike C. Foley: Last week the Stanford University athletics department informed the wrestling program follow a strict protocol regarding their social media messaging. The school even went so far as to lock out the coaches from using the official Twitter handle. In response, the Stanford wrestling staff began using the "Keep Stanford Wrestling" Twitter account (@KeepStanfordWRE), where they planned to continue discussing their ongoing battle for reinstatement. Q: Penn State was supposed to open its season this weekend against Rutgers, but the dual meet was canceled because of COVID. Now the team is pausing all activities. What are the rules on when they can return to competition? Does it vary by conference? -- Mike C. Foley: While I expected there to be several COVID-related pauses within the 2021 season, I'm nevertheless bummed to see it happen so early in the year and to two of the best programs in the country. From what I saw online and in the results, the first two weeks of the season progressed with little issue, which gave me hope that there was adequate containment everywhere. That was probably foolish, and it's good that our programs are keeping an eye on the problem. How long? That's not clear at the moment, but the typical waiting period for quarantine is 14 days or two negative tests over a few days. I'd suspect it'll land somewhere in that window. For what it's worth to the discussion, I have a friend who runs a successful gym that has stayed in operation during the last several months. Most the athletes and coaches suspected they'd already had CVOID early in the pandemic and hadn't seen ay cases. Last week, in a matter of days, the entire gym came down with COVID. Thankfully, there were no serious cases in the gym but it's unclear the spread that might have taken place in the community. While stopping is frustrating, his gym's battle with COVID was a good reminder that this disease is incredibly contagious and can't be ignored when a positive case is logged. Here's to hoping there aren't too many more and that we can start getting vaccines into the arms of more and more people in the coming months. Q: How many Americans do you expect to win gold at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix across all three styles? -- Mike C. Foley: The Deglane lost a little bit of firepower last week with Cuba and Canada choosing to forgo the tournament after the post-competition camp was canceled due to local concerns of COVID transmission. The Cubans were bringing an incredible lineup capable of taking gold in almost each freestyle weight and the Canadians were bringing the defending Olympic champion, Erica Weibe on the women's side. The tournament will be the first opportunity for several of our top athletes to compete and I'd guess that we will medal in each weight and probably be in each of the finals in freestyle. In women's wrestling you can expect to see a large number of finalists, but the entry lists on the women's side has some heavy hitters including world champion Yuliya Tkach. Can't wait to watch. Remember there is also a Zagreb Open this weekend.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The Oregon State wrestling team earned its third win of the season, 23-17, on Thursday afternoon against Cal Poly inside the Mott Athletics Center. The Beavers opened the day with three straight wins to jump out to an early 10-0 lead on the team scoreboard. A Cal Poly technical fall at 149 brought the Mustangs within five, but No. 19 Hunter Willits earned a 10-2 major decision at 157 over Brawley Lamer to put OSU up 14-5. In a tight 165 matchup, Aaron Olmos earned a takedown with 18 seconds remaining in the third period to send the dual to overtime tied at 4-4. Olmos went on to win 6-4. Following a Cal Poly fall at 174 and a No. 31 Ryan Reyes 4-2 decision at 184, the Beavers held a 20-11 lead. No. 32 J.J. Dixon recorded a takedown in the final minute and a half at 197 to put Oregon State up 23-11 with a narrow 6-5 decision, securing the team win. In three extra matches that did not count towards the dual team score, Jason Shaner (133) remained undefeated on the year with a 6-1 decision over Adam Jacob. Lane Stigall (149) claimed a 5-2 decision and Jackson McKinney (184) earned a 10-3 decision. Oregon State will take a short break before returning home for its first home match of the season on Jan. 30 against Arizona State. Results: 125 - #25 Brandon Kaylor (OSU) decision Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly), 10-6. OSU 3, Cal Poly 0 133 - #17 Devan Turner (OSU) major decision Adam Jacob (Cal Poly), 10-2. OSU 7, Cal Poly 0 141 - #18 Grant Willits (OSU) decision Lawrence Saenz (Cal Poly), 12-5. OSU 10, Cal Poly 0 149 -Legend Lamer (Cal Poly) technical fall Riley Gurr (OSU), 16-0. OSU 10, Cal Poly 5 157 - #19 Hunter Willits (OSU) major decision Brawley Lamer (Cal Poly), 10-2. OSU 14, Cal Poly 5 165 - Aaron Olmos (OSU) decision Adam Kemp (Cal Poly), 6-4 (SV-1). OSU 17, Cal Poly 5 174 - Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) fall Colton Beisley (OSU), 1:05. OSU 17, Cal Poly 11 184 - #31 Ryan Reyes (OSU) decision Dylan Miracle (Cal Poly), 4-2. OSU 20, Cal Poly 11 197 - #32 J.J. Dixon (OSU) decision Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly), 6-5. OSU 23, Cal Poly 11 HWT - Sam Aguilar (Cal Poly) fall Hayden Still (OSU), 2:27. OSU 23, Cal Poly 17 Extra Matches The following matches did not count toward the dual results 133 - Jason Shaner (OSU) decision Adam Jacob (Cal Poly), 6-1 149 - Lane Stigall (OSU) decision Logan Gioffre (Cal Poly), 5-2 184 - Jackson McKinney (OSU) decision William Kloster (Cal Poly), 10-3

Penn State has sold out 55 straight duals in Rec Hall (Photo/Mark Selders) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State wrestling has paused all team-related activities due to positive COVID-19 results among Tier 1 personnel. Due to the pause, the Nittany Lions' match at Rutgers scheduled for Saturday has been postponed. The institutions will work with the Big Ten Conference to identify rescheduling options. No determination has been made on how the pause may impact scheduled matches beyond January 16. The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the broader community are of the utmost importance. Therefore, as part of the protocols established by the Big Ten Conference and Penn State Athletics medical staff and in consultation with University, local and national officials and guidelines, individuals with a positive test have been put into isolation. In addition to isolation, contact tracing procedures have been implemented, which includes quarantine and testing for those individuals who might have been exposed, even if asymptomatic.

David Taylor gets in on a single leg against Jordan Burroughs in their match Wednesday night (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) LINCOLN, Neb. -- The time and place changed, but the wrestling was just as good as expected. The much-anticipated battle between Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs and world champion David Taylor delivered during the FloWrestling event on Wednesday night. The Burroughs-Taylor bout was delayed four days and moved from Austin, Texas to Lincoln, Nebraska because of issues with COVID. The postponement also meant the addition of other top bouts on the Wednesday card, including a matchup between two-time world champion J'den Cox and top Senior-level wrestler Nate Jackson. Here is my breakdown from the evening's matches: 116 pounds: Anthony Knox dec. Ben Davino, 11-6 The evening's first bout was between Knox, a USA Wrestling Kids' Freestyle Nationals champion, and Davino, a prep freshman who is ranked No. 7 in the country at 106 pounds. Davino struck first with a nice dump for a takedown. Knox came right back, finishing a double-leg shot to tie it 2-2. Knox followed with a stepout and takedown off leg attacks to go up 5-2. Davino responded by hitting a dump and followed with a gut-wrench to lead 6-5 after one period. Knox powered in on a single and followed with a gut-wrench to take a 9-6 lead with 1:15 left. Great action in this match. Knox kept the heat on, adding a takedown to build his lead to 11-6. Knox prevailed 11-6 in an excellent opening bout. 117 pounds: Sage Mortimer dec. Audrey Jimenez, 8-5 The lone women's freestyle bout on the card featured two age-group standouts. Mortimer charged out aggressively off the opening whistle. She scored the first takedown in the match's first minute. Mortimer came back with another takedown to lead 4-0. Mortimer countered a shot late in the first period and spun behind to lead 6-0 at the break. Jimenez came out strong to start the second period, shooting in on a single to score a stepout. She followed with a single and finish to draw within 6-3. Mortimer countered a shot to score a takedown to go up 8-3 in the final minute. Jimenez shot in for a late takedown, but fell 8-5. Another good match with an abundance of action. 145 pounds: Cody Chittum pinned Jordan Williams, 1:52 This bout featured top high school wrestlers ranked 1-2 in the country at 145. Chittum is known for his aggressive style and it showed as he opened with a quick pushout. He followed with a counter and turn to go up 3-0. Chittum hit a slick shot before launching Williams with a spectacular lift to lead 7-0. He added another turn on a counter and followed with a first-period fall. Chittum is an outstanding young prospect and turned in a phenomenal performance by hitting the move of the night. 65 kilograms: Joey McKenna tech. Seth Gross, 10-0 This was another intriguing matchup with Gross bumping up in weight to face McKenna in a Senior-level battle. McKenna barreled in on a double and lifted Gross off the mat with an explosive four-point move. McKenna scored off another attack to lead 6-0 against Gross. McKenna shot in again and finished to build his advantage to 8-0. He added another turn to win 10-0 by technical superiority in the opening period. Impressive showing by McKenna, whose strong finishes never let Gross get into the flow of the match. Co-main event 215 pounds: J'den Cox dec. Nate Jackson, 6-1 Jackson bumped up in weight to take on a tough challenge against Cox, who has won four world-level medals. Cox struck first with a pushout with a minute left in the opening three minutes. Jackson scored a point after Cox was put on the shot clock to tie it 1-1. Cox responded with an attack that led to a pushout and a 2-1 lead with just over a minute to go. He spun behind for a late takedown and added a gut-wrench to lead 6-1. Cox has looked good in recently returning after a long break from competition. Main event 86 kilograms: David Taylor dec. Jordan Burroughs, 4-4 Burroughs bumped up a weight class to renew his rivalry with Taylor in a matchup of great champions. Burroughs was put on the shot clock late in the first period, but did not score and Taylor took a 1-0 lead. DT has a significant size advantage and led 1-0 at the break. Taylor powered in on a single and scored a pushout to lead 2-0 early in the second period. Burroughs slipped on a shot attempt and Taylor capitalized by spinning behind to go up 4-0. Burroughs drove Taylor out of bounds to close within 4-1 with 50 seconds left. He added another stepout to pull within 4-2 with 23 seconds to go. JB added two more pushouts to tie it 4-4, but Taylor wins on criteria. Burroughs wasn't really able to get to his offense until late in the bout. That's a credit to the defense and positioning of Taylor, who continues to progress after missing the 2019 World Championships with a knee injury. Final word This turned out to be an entertaining night of wrestling despite being thrown together at the last minute. Kudos to everyone who made it happen. That was fun to watch. It was awesome that Taylor and Burroughs agreed to battle in this format. High-level matches like this can only help both of those guys as they continue to progress in preparations for the Olympic Games. Let's hope they wrestle again if the opportunity presents itself. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games, written 10 books and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

With the 2021 NCAA wrestling season being a "free" year not counting against wrestlers' eligibility, look for many true freshmen to get opportunities to start. Several true freshmen have already made their mark in the early part of this season. More true freshmen will likely emerge in the coming weeks. Here's a look at a dozen true freshmen succeeding in the early part of the season. Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) Ragusin was a top-30 recruit in the Class of 2020 who has raised his national profile considerably over the past three months. In October, Ragusin made a surprising run to the finals of Senior Nationals in freestyle at 57 kilograms. He notched wins over NCAA champion Darian Cruz and NCAA All-American Sean Russell. Ragusin made his Michigan debut this past weekend and had two dominant victories. He pinned No. 20 Nicolas Aguilar of Rutgers on Friday before picking up a 9-1 major decision over Maryland's King Sandoval on Sunday. The second-ranked Wolverines' lineup looks even stronger now with the emergence of Ragusin. Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State) Mastrogiovanni, a Blair Academy product, finished his high school career as the nation's No. 16 recruit by InterMat. He won two Walsh Jesuit Ironman titles and three National Prep titles. Mastrogiovanni is stepping in the Cowboy lineup at 125 pounds after the graduation of three-time 125-pound All-American Nick Piccininni. He made his collegiate debut last weekend, going 2-0. Mastrogiovanni started his season with a convincing 8-2 win over returning NCAA qualifier Fabian Gutierrez of UTC before claiming a 7-4 victory over Oregon State's Brandon Kaylor. He entered the InterMat rankings at No. 18 this week. Julian Tagg (North Carolina) Tagg, a two-time Ohio state champion and the nation's No. 24 recruit in the Class of 2020, spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs sharpening his freestyle skills before joining his brother Gabriel in Chapel Hill. He made his debut in the UNC lineup this past weekend at 125 pounds and earned a 7-0 shutout over Gardner Webb's Austin Wadlow. Tagg could face his first major test this weekend against Virginia Tech's Sam Latona, who is currently ranked No. 12. Kellyn March defeated Oregon State's Devan Turner (Photo/Zachary Lucy, NDSU Athletics) Kellyn March (North Dakota State) March, a four-time South Dakota state champion, made a statement at 133 pounds in the opening weekend of the season, going 2-0 and outscoring his two opponents 21-9. His most notable victory was a 14-5 major decision over Oregon State's Devan Turner, who was ranked No. 7 at the time. This past weekend, March dropped both of his matches to ranked wrestlers Jack Skudlarczyk of Northern Iowa and Zach Price of South Dakota State. He is currently ranked No. 18 at 133 pounds. Josh Edmond (Missouri) Edmond, a two-time Michigan state champion, might not get the opportunity to start for the Tigers in the postseason unless he can unseat No. 16 Allan Hart (Edmond lost by fall in tiebreaker to Hart in Mizzou's black & gold scrimmage), but he has shined in the early part of this season. The nation's No. 19 recruit in the Class of 2020 has gone 6-0, with five of those wins coming in "extra matches" of dual meets. In his lone start in the Tiger lineup, Edmond cruised to a 14-5 victory over NCAA qualifier Dylan Droegemueller of North Dakota State. Virginia Tech's Sam Hillegas celebrates after getting a pin in his collegiate debut (Photo/Virginia Tech Athletics) Sam Hillegas (Virginia Tech) Hillegas, the nation's No. 31 recruit in the Class of 2020, won two state titles in wrestling-rich Pennsylvania before arriving in Blacksburg. He has made a smooth transition to college wrestling so far, starting the season 4-0 at 141 pounds with two wins in each of the first two weekends. This past weekend, Hillegas shared starting duties with NCAA qualifier Collin Gerardi. Hillegas could be a key contributor to a Virginia Tech team that is expected to contend for a team trophy in March. Missouri's Keegan O'Toole has been dominant in all four of his matches this season (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) O'Toole was one of the nation's top recruits in the Class of 2020. The three-time Wisconsin state champion developed at the Askren Wrestling Academy before becoming a Tiger. He was expected to contend for the starting spot in the Mizzou lineup at 157 pounds with Jarrett Jacques. He and Jacques split starting duties the opening weekend. O'Toole was unchallenged in his first weekend of competition, getting a technical fall and pin. This past weekend, O'Toole moved up to 165 pounds and was once again dominant, picking up a technical fall over Central Michigan's Alex Cramer and a 12-6 win over Wyoming's Cole Moody. O'Toole entered the rankings at No. 13. Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) Sparks, a California state champion, was impressive in his collegiate debut for Minnesota at 165 pounds, defeating Big Ten third-place finisher Peyton Robb of Nebraska, 7-6. He didn't start wrestling until after his eighth-grade year, but developed quickly at Calvary Chapel under head coach Dane Valdez, a two-time All-American at Oklahoma. After failing to place at the state tournament as a junior, Sparks broke out as a senior, winning a state title with a 7-1 win over Cael Valencia, the nation's second-ranked 160 pounder. Peyton Hall (West Virginia) West Virginia's Hall, a four-time state champion and the nation's No. 29 recruit in the Class of 2020, had an impressive start to his college wrestling career at 165 pounds, going 3-0 this past weekend and outscoring his opponents 31-7. Oklahoma State's Dustin Plott started his college wrestling career with two bonus-point victories (Photo/Oklahoma State Athletics) Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) Plott, the nation's No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2020, stayed in his home state of Oklahoma to wrestle for the Cowboys. He could end up competing with Anthony Montalvo for the starting spot at 174 pounds in the Cowboy lineup this season, but for now it's his spot. Plott looked strong in his first two matches in a Cowboy singlet this past weekend, picking up a pair of bonus-point victories. A.J. Ferrari (Oklahoma State) Ferrari was the nation's No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2020 when he signed with Oklahoma State but finished his senior season ranked No. 2 behind Wisconsin signee Braxton Amos. After concluding his high school career with a record of 96-1, Ferrari competed in the UWW Junior Nationals in November, winning the 92-kilogram title in dominant fashion. Last weekend, Ferrari made his collegiate debut for the Cowboys, going 2-0 with two major decisions. A potential match on the horizon for Ferrari is against Iowa State's Yonger Bastida, a silver medalist at the Junior World Championships. The matchup could happen in a dual meet on Jan. 30 when the Cyclones host the Cowboys. Ferrari is one of six ranked 197-pounders in the Big 12. Missouri's Rocky Elman picked up two wins over ranked wrestlers this past weekend (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Rocky Elam (Missouri) Rocky Elam, younger brother of Mizzou heavyweight Zach Elam, is the third Tiger to make this list. He finished his senior season as the nation's No. 1-ranked 195-pound wrestler and No. 13 overall senior after winning a pair of Missouri state titles. This past weekend, Elam made his debut, earning two victories over NCAA qualifiers. He broke into the rankings this week at No. 20 but will still have to hold off NCAA qualifier Wyatt Koelling for the starting spot in the Mizzou lineup.

BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Five different Panthers recorded pinfalls as UNI swept the South Dakota State and North Dakota State 28-13 and 27-11 respectively to open the 2021 wrestling season Sunday at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D. Panthers roll South Dakota State 28-13 The Panthers opened the day with a match against South Dakota State. At 125, Brody Teske appeared to be in trouble early when he fell behind to Daniel Vega 8-2, but Teske battled back to take a 10-9 lead before the end of the period. He held on to win 13-11 to put the Panthers up 3-0. Kyle Biscoglia picked up the biggest upset of the day. Coming in unranked, he faced No. 13 Zach Price. Price led early, but Biscoglia earned a 5-4 lead with a takedown with just over a minute. He quickly turned his advantage into the first pin of the day to give UNI the 9-0 dual lead. Clay Carlson topped Drew Bennett at 141, but the Panthers rebounded with a pin by Triston Lara at 149. Lara trailed his Hunter Marko 6-4 with just over a minute to wrestle, but got him in a headlock and threw him straight onto his back and earned the pinfall. UNI led 15-3 after four bouts. Cayd Lara fell to his opponent at 157, but again the Panthers responded with a pinfall. Patrick Schoenfelder dominated his bout from the opening whistle, but late in the third, he caught his opponent with a single-leg and flipped him to his back for the pin to put UNI up 21-6. Lance Runyon opened his varsity career with a 4-0 shutout at 174 and Keegan Moore won his bout 18-7 to put UNI up 28-6. Tyrell Gordon fell in 14-1 to his opponent at 197 and John McConkey dropped his bout at 285 12-6, but it was not enough for the Jackrabbits to overcome the deficit and UNI won 28-13. NO. 23 UNI 28, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 13 125: Brody Teske (UNI) dec. Danny Vega (SDSU), 13-11 133: Kyle Biscoglia UNI) def. #13 Zach Price (SDSU), by fall 6:22 141: #22 Clay Carlson (SDSU) dec. Drew Bennett (UNI), 8-2 149: Triston Lara (UNI) def. Hunter Marko (SDSU), by fall 5:42 157: Cade DeVos (SDSU) dec. Cayd Lara (UNI), 10-8 165: Pat Schoenfelder (UNI) def. Kenny O'Neil (SDSU), by fall 5:41 174: Lance Runyon (UNI) dec. Cade King (SDSU), 4-0 184: Keegan Moore (UNI) major dec. Nick Casperson (SDSU), 18-7 197: Tanner Sloan (SDSU) major dec. Tyrell Gordon (UNI), 14-1 285: Blake Wolters (SDSU) dec. John McConkey (UNI), 13-6 Panthers Pick Up 27-11 win over NDSU The Panthers earned bookend pins from Brody Teske and Carter Isley to earn the win over NDSU. Teske fell behind early to McGwire Midkiff, but after tying the bout up at 4-4 early in the second period, he turned Midkiff's attack into a cradle and a pinfall at 4:36. The win gave UNI a 6-0 lead. Jack Skudlarczyk got the nod at 133 to start the second bout and earned a 4-0 shutout win over Kellyn March to extend the lead to 9-0. NDSU's Dylan Droegenmueller picked up a major decision over Drew Bennett at 141. Triston Lara responded with his second win of the day, a 4-2 decision over Jaden VanMannen at 149 to extend the lead back to 12-4. No. 15 Jared Frenak topped Cayd Lara 5-1 to cut the Panther lead to 12-7, but again UNI responded. Pat Schoenfelder won 7-2 before Lance Runyon earned his second shutout of the day, 7-0. Keegan Moore won his bout 6-2 to extend the lead to 21-7. Michael Nelson topped Tyrell Gordon 10-1 to cut into the team lead 21-11. The match closed with one of the most anticipated bouts of the day. No. 10 Carter Isley against No. 15 Brandon Metz. It was the lone bout of ranked opponents on the day, but it was not the slugfest many anticipated. Just 30 seconds into the bout, Isley grabbed a single leg. Metz tried to pull up out of it, but Isley put him on his back and grabbed the pin just 41 seconds into the bout. It is the fasted pinfalls in Isley's career and it gave UNI the 27-11 win. NO. 23 NORTHERN IOWA 27, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 11 125: Brody Teske (UNI) def. McGwire Midkiff (NDSU), by fall 4:36 133: #11 Jack Skudlarczyk (UNI) dec. Kellyn March (NDSU), 4-0 141: Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU) major dec. Drew Bennett (UNI), 12-2 149: Triston Lara (UNI) dec. Jaden VanMaanen (NDSU), 4-2 157: #15 Jared Franek (NDSU) dec. Cayd Lara (UNI), 5-1 165: Pat Schoenfelder (UNI) dec. Luke Weber (NDSU), 7-2 174: Lance Runyon (UNI) dec. Riley Habisch (NDSU), 7-0 184: Keegan Moore (UNI) dec. T.J. Pottinger (NDSU), 6-2 197: Michael Nelson (NDSU) major dec. Tyrell Gordon (UNI), 10-1 285: #10 Carter Isley (UNI) def. #15 Brandon Metz (NDSU), by fall 0:41 The Panthers also competed in other bouts on the side. Kyle Gollhoffer went 3-0, including a 7-3 win over SDSU starter Danny Vega. Cael Happel went 2-0 and earned a pinfall against SDSU's Rylee Molitor. Parker Keckeisen went 2-0 with a tech fall and a major decision. Carter Isley, Kyle Biscoglia and John McConkey all wrestled in one dual, but all three picked up an additional bout and earned wins. EXTRA MATCHES - UNI vs. SDSU 125: Kyle Golhoffer (UNI) dec. Tanner Jordan (SDSU), 4-2 125: Kyle Golhoffer (UNI) dec. Danny Vega (SDSU), 7-3 133: Kyle Biscoglia (UNI) dec. Trayton Anderson (SDSU), 5-0 141: Cael Happel (UNI) def. Rylee Molitor (SDSU), by fall 4:38 141: Ethan Basile (UNI) dec. Daniel Kimball (SDSU), 10-3 141: Rylee Molitor (SDSU) dec. Ethan Basile (UNI), 5-2 141: Cael Happel (UNI) dec. Daniel Kimball (SDSU), 7-1 157: Jack Thomsen (SDSU) dec. Derek Holschlag (UNI), 4-3 157: Colin Realbuto (UNI) dec. Jack Thomsen (SDSU), 8-2 157: Cade DeVos (SDSU) dec. Derek Holschlag (UNI), 8-4 165: Austin Yant (UNI) dec. Colten Carlson (SDSU), 3-2 174: Cade King (SDSU) dec. Noah Glaser (UNI), 5-3 [SV-1] 184: Parker Keckeisen (UNI) tech. fall Jacob Schoon (SDSU), 23-8 [7:00] 285: Carter Isley (UNI) dec. Bowen McConville (SDSU), 6-2 285: John McConkey (UNI) dec. Spencer Trenary (SDSU), 11-5 EXTRA MATCHES - UNI vs. NDSU 125: Kyle Golhoffer (UNI) dec. Ryan Henningson (NDSU), 9-3 149: Gable Fox (UNI) dec. Michael Weber (NDSU), 6-1 174: Noah Glaser (UNI) major dec. Noah Cressell (NDSU), 15-6 197: Parker Keckeisen (UNI) major dec. Cole Witzig (NDSU), 13-3 UP NEXT The Panthers next travel to Ames to take on Missouri and Arizona State in duals at Hilton Coliseum. The Panthers are scheduled to take on Arizona State at 2 p.m. before wrestling Missouri at 4 p.m. Mizzou is ranked 10th in the NWCA Poll while Arizona State is ranked 11th.

STILLWATER -- The No. 4 Oklahoma State wrestling team collected two dual wins to open its 2021 season Sunday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys notched a 32-9 victory over Chattanooga before taking down Oregon State 29-8 later in the day. The Pokes collected five bonus-point wins in their match against Chattanooga including major decisions from freshman Dustin Plott and AJ Ferrari. Fellow freshman Trevor Mastrogiovanni also picked up an 8-2 decision to open the dual for the Cowboys. The trio of true freshman in the OSU starting lineup went a combined 6-0 on the day with four bonus-point wins. Mastrogiovanni collected decisions in both matches, while Dustin Plott earned a 10-2 major decision over UTC's Hunter Fortner and a technical fall over Colton Beisley. AJ Ferrari looked the part of the No. 1 recruit in the nation in his dual debut winning both of his matches by major decisions. "It was good to see them step out after all three of them have had long years without a lot of wrestling because of injuries," Oklahoma State head coach John Smith said. "I was pleased with the effort and obviously we're not where we will end up, but it was a good start for all three of them." Boo Lewallen added to the scoring earning two tech falls in his matches with an 18-3 defeat of Oregon State's Lane Stigall coming in the first period. Ranked fourth in the nation, Lewallen attacked his opponents early and often leading to plenty of scoring opportunities. "I have a big commitment to myself of making sure I start my matches the way I want to start them and not standing around with guys," Lewallen said. "I'm making sure this is an opportunity I can separate myself and if I need to do that." After Chattanooga forfeited its match at 141 pounds, Kaid Brock returned to the mat for his first dual since Feb. 24, 2019. No. 8 Brock notched his first ranked win of the season defeating No. 18 Grant Willits of Oregon State 8-4. No. 4 Travis Wittlake was one of seven OSU wrestlers to go 2-0 on the day with a 7-3 decision over Andrew Nicholson (UTC) and a 8-2 decision against Mateo Olmos (Oregon State). Joining Wittlake at 2-0 were Dakota Geer at 184 pounds and Austin Harris at heavyweight. Geer notched a major decision in his first match of the day, defeating No. 14 Matthew Waddell (UTC) 12-3 before collecting an 11-5 decision in the Oregon State dual. Harris closed out both duals in exciting fashion for the Cowboys, including getting a takedown of Oregon State's Brian Barnes in sudden victory. With two wins today, John Smith collected his 440th and 441st dual wins as a head coach passing J Robinson for fourth on the all-time Division 1 coaching wins list. He sits one win behind Gary Taylor for third place. Smith will have a chance to continue moving up the list when Oklahoma State travels to Little Rock next Sunday for duals against SIU-Edwardsville and Little Rock. No. 4 Oklahoma State 32, Chattanooga 9 125: Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OSU) dec. Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) 8-2 133: Colton Landers (UTC) dec. Andrew Nieman (OSU) 9-4 141: No. 8 Kaid Brock (OSU) Forfeit 149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (OSU) TF George Coleman (UTC), 20-4, 4:25 157: Weston Wichman (UTC) Fall Jalin Harper (OSU), 4:44 165: No. 4 Travis Wittlake (OSU) dec. Drew Nicholson (UTC) 7-3 174: Dustin Plott (OSU) MD Hunter Fortner (UTC) 10-2 184: No. 10 Dakota Geer (OSU) MD No. 14 Matthew Waddell (UTC) 12-3 197: AJ Ferrari (OSU) MD Logan Andrew (UTC) 16-5 HWT: Austin Harris (OSU) dec. Grayson Walthall (UTC) 9-6 No. 4 Oklahoma State 29, Oregon State 8 125: Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OKST) dec. Brandon Kaylor (ORST) 7-4 133: Jason Shaner (ORST) dec. Reece Witcraft (OKST) 6-4 141: No. 8 Kaid Brock (OKST) dec. No. 18 Grant Willits (ORST), 8-4 149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (OKST) TF Lane Stigall (ORST), 18-3, 3:00 157: No. 20 Hunter Willits (ORST) TF Daniel Manibog (OKST), 16-0, 3:12 165: No. 4 Travis Wittlake (OKST) dec. Aaron Olmos (ORST) 8-2 174: Dustin Plott (OKST) TF Colton Beisley (ORST), 19-4, 5:55 184: No. 10 Dakota Geer (OKST) dec. Ryan Reyes (ORST) 11-5 197: AJ Ferrari (OKST) MD J.J. Dixon (ORST) 16-3 HWT: Austin Harris (OKST) dec. Brian Barnes (ORST), SV-1 7-5

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- Virginia Tech wrestling won all three bouts Sunday at a quad meet vs. Ohio, Kent St. and West Virginia to improve to 4-0 on the 2020-21 season. The eighth-ranked Hokies lost just eight of the 30 matches Sunday afternoon and recorded 13 bonus-point victories. MATCH HIGHLIGHTS No. 18 Sam Latona was the only Hokie to go 3-0 Sunday afternoon. After winning his first match via forfeit, Latona won his second match in a 10-2 major decision before taking down No. 12 Killian Cardinale 3-2 in the only ranked matchup of the day. The Hokies recorded three wins by fall in team-scored matches, including Sam Hillegas' second pin of the season after winning his first collegiate match via fall last week vs. Campbell. Bryce Andonian and Collin Gerardi also won by fall. In Tech's 32-9 win over Kent St., the Hokies won seven matches, six of which were bonus-point wins. No. 1 and 2 in the country, Mekhi Lewis and Hunter Bolen, respectively, each secured technical falls in the win over the Golden Flashes. Six Hokies made their dual debuts Sunday in Morgantown: Hunter Catka, Sam Fisher, Jake Hart, Clayton Ulrey, Nathan Warden and Brandon Wittenberg. Ulrey and Connor Brady also got their first career wins at 157 pounds, both earning bonus points. Collin Gerardi wrestled for the first time this season after missing the Campbell dual last week, recording a pin in the dual with Ohio in 5:37. No. 8 Virginia Tech 39, Ohio 6 125: No. 18 Sam Latona wins via forfeit 133: No. 9 Korbin Myers (VT) dec. Mario Guillen (OHIO), 7-2 141: Collin Gerardi (VT) WBF Conor McCrone (OHIO), 5:37 149: No. 13 Bryce Andonian (VT) WBF Alex Mosconi (OHIO), 1:36 157: Clayton Ulrey (VT) TF Kamal Adewumi (OHIO), 18-2 (5:00) 165: No. 1 Mekhi Lewis (VT) MD Colt Yinger (OHIO), 12-2 174: Logan Stanley (OHIO) dec. Sam Fisher (VT), 8-5 184: Carson Brewer (OHIO) dec. Nathan Warden (VT), 4-3 197: Andy Smith (VT) wins via forfeit 285: Hunter Catka (VT) dec. Jordan Earnest (OHIO), 10-4 No. 8 Virginia Tech 32, Kent St. 9 125: No. 18 Sam Latona (VT) MD Jake Ferri (KENT), 10-2 133: Brendon Fenton (KENT) dec. Brandon Wittenberg (VT), 5-2 141: Sam Hillegas (VT) WBF Avry Mutschler (KENT), 1:49 149: Kody Komara (KENT) dec. Jake Hart (VT), 3-2 157: Connor Brady (VT) MD Ian Senz (KENT), 14-1 165: No. 1 Mekhi Lewis (VT) TF James Limongi (KENT), 17-2 (6:47) 174: No. 13 Andrew McNally (KENT) dec. Dakota Howard (VT), 13-8 184: No. 2 Hunter Bolen (VT) TF Tyler Bates (KENT), 17-2 (5:00) 197: Andy Smith (VT) dec. Colin McCracken (KENT), 6-4 (SV-1) 285: No. 16 John Borst (VT) TF Jacob Cover (KENT), 15-0 (7:00) No. 8 Virginia Tech 24, West Virginia 10 125: No. 18 Sam Latona (VT) dec. No. 12 Killian Cardinale (WVU), 3-2 133: No. 9 Korbin Myers (VT) dec. Joey Thomas (WVU), 8-2 141: Sam Hillegas (VT) dec. Jeffrey Boyd (WVU), 7-4 149: No. 13 Bryce Andonian (VT) MD Brayden Roberts (WVU), 11-3 157: Connor Brady (VT) dec. Alex Hornfeck (WVU), 8-2 165: Peyton Hall (WVU) MD Jordan Florence (VT), 13-4 174: Scott Joll (WVU) dec. Dakota Howard (VT), 13-8 184: No. 2 Hunter Bolen (VT) MD Anthony Carman (WVU), 18-6 197: No. 1 Noah Adams (WVU) dec. Andy Smith (VT), 7-3 285: Hunter Catka (VT) MD Michael Wolfgram (WVU), 17-3 Extra Matches 197: Stan Smeltzer (VT) WBF Jace Bradbury (WVU), 4:19 285: John Borst (VT) TF Jacob Padilla (OHIO), 17-0 (3:51) 125: Joey Prata (VT) MD Colton Drousias (WVU), 12-0 141: Collin Gerardi (VT) dec. Ryan Sullivan (WVU), 5-1 157: Clayton Ulrey (VT) dec. Caleb Dowling (WVU), 7-4 125: Joey Prata (VT) dec. Tomas Gutierrez (KENT), 6-1 197: Stan Smeltzer (VT) TF Ryan Boyle (KENT), 19-4 (7:00) UP NEXT The Hokies will stay on the road and pay a visit to Chapel Hill for a ranked matchup with the Tar Heels Friday night. The dual will be shown on ACC Network as part of the network's Friday Night Duals package starting at 6 p.m.

AMES, Iowa -- No. 9 Iowa State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) won a pair of wrestling matches Sunday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum, defeating Loras (40-0) and Nebraska-Kearney (38-4). Loras Recap Iowa State received bonus points in six of its 10 matches in a 40-0 victory over Loras. Alex Mackall (125) had a pin and Ian Parker (141) and David Carr (157) both registered technical falls. Carr's match vs. Daniel Ruiz ended with 2:17 remaining in a 22-4 victory. Major decisions were recorded by Cam Robinson (149), Isaac Judge (165) and Yonger Bastida (197). Bastida had eight takedowns in his 18-8 triumph over Brady Vogel. Nebraska-Kearney Recap Three pins were the highlight of the second match, a 38-4 victory over Nebraska-Kearney. Kysen Terukina, competing in his first dual match at Iowa State, set the tone with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Josh Portillo at 125 pounds. Terukina registered a pair of third-period takedowns with under 1:30 remaining in the match. Zach Redding battled back for a 7-5 sudden victory over Wesley Dawkins at 133 pounds. Down 4-3 late in the third period, Redding scored a key reversal and then recorded a takedown with :20 seconds left in overtime. Ian Parker had 4:19 of riding time in his 14-4 major decision victory over Nick James at 141 pounds and David Carr was up big before securing the pin at the 4:47 mark in the 157-pound bout vs. Daniel Ruiz. Cam Robinson posted his second victory of the day with a 9-7 win over two-time NCAA Qualifier, Sam Turner. Robinson secured a late takedown that pushed the ISU rookie over the UNK senior. Tate Battani (184) closed out the match with a major decision followed by pins from Yonger Bastida (197) and Gannon Gremmel (285). Iowa State 40, Loras 0 125: Alex Mackall (ISU) pinned Aidan Evans (Loras), 4:01 133: Zach Redding (ISU) dec. Zach Licht (Loras), 7-4 141: Ian Parker (ISU) tech fall Jalen Scropp (Loras), 17-1 (6:28) 149: Cam Robinson (ISU) maj. dec. Zeke Smith (Loras), 16-5 157: David Carr (ISU) tech fall Daniel Ruiz (Loras), 22-4 (4:43) 165: Isaac Judge (ISU) maj. dec. Baylor Crigger (Loras), 19-5 174: Julien Broderson (ISU) dec. Jacob Krakow (Loras), 6-2 184: Tate Battani (ISU) dec. Shane Liegel (Loras), 7-6 197: Yonger Bastida (ISU) maj. dec. Brady Vogel (Loras), 18-8 285: Gannon Gremmel (ISU) dec. Slade Sifuentes (Loras), 8-3 Iowa State 38, Nebraska-Kearney 4 125: Kysen Terukina (ISU) dec. Josh Portillo (UNK), 6-5 133: Zach Redding (ISU) dec. Wesley Dawkins (UNK), 7-5 SV1 141: Ian Parker (ISU) maj. dec. Nick James (UNK), 14-4 149: Cam Robinson (ISU) dec. Sam Turner (UNK), 9-7 157: David Carr (ISU) pinned Jacob Wasser (UNK), 4:47 165: Matt Malcom (UNK) maj. dec. Isaac Judge (ISU), 13-4 174: Julien Broderson (ISU) dec. Terrell Garraway (UNK), 9-2 184: Tate Battani (ISU) maj. dec. Hayden Price (UNK), 12-3 197: Yonger Bastida (ISU) pinned Joseph Reimers (UNK), 2:37 285: Gannon Gremmel (ISU) pinned Lee Herrington (UNK), 6:47 Iowa State vs. Loras, Extra Matches 125: Kysen Terukina (ISU) maj. dec. Julian Valtierrez (Loras), 13-3. 133: Ramazan Attasauov (ISU) pinned Zach Thompson (Loras), 2:10. 141: Charlie Klepps (ISU) dec. Mason McMillen (Loras), 5-3. 149: Ben Monroe (ISU) dec. Daniel Meeker (Loras), 8-5. 157: Carter Schmidt (ISU) dec. Zeb Gnida (Loras), 7-3. 165: Grant Stotts (ISU) dec. Matt Connolly (Loras), 11-5. 174: Mac Southard (ISU) dec. Kolton Bartow (Loras), 6-2 184: Caleb Long (ISU) pinned Abe Michel (Loras), 6:53 197: Marcus Coleman (ISU) pinned Colin Murphy (Loras), 4:14 285: Ethan Andersen (ISU) pinned Wyatt Wriedt (Loras), 2:14 Iowa State vs. Nebraska-Kearney, Extra Matches 125: Alex Mackall (ISU) pinned Jackson Nielsen (UNK), 2:41 133: Ramazan Attasauov (ISU) pinned Alec Segarra (UNK), 1:39 141: Todd Small (ISU) dec. Ryan Johnson (UNK), 10-6 149: Ben Monroe (ISU) dec. Teontae Wilson (UNK), 9-4 157: Talon Seitz (UNK) dec. Carter Schmidt (ISU), 6-3 165: Grant Stotts (ISU) dec. Wyatt Hayes (UNK), 10-4 174: Mac Southard (ISU) dec. Kaleb Canoyer (UNK), 11-4 184: Austin Eldredge (UNK) dec. Caleb Long (ISU), 17-8 197: Cody Fisher (ISU) pinned Andrew Demos (UNK), 3:41 285: Francis Duggan (ISU) pinned Connor Fee (UNK), 2:54

No. 14 North Carolina opened its season Sunday with a 45-0 win over Gardner-Webb in Chapel Hill. Freshmen Julian Tagg and Gavin Kane won their first matches at UNC, while No. 1 Austin O'Connor began his season with a win via fall. The Tar Heels (1-0) started fast against the Runnin' Bulldogs (0-3), with Tagg winning in his first time in a Carolina singlet, a decision over Austin Wadlow to put Carolina on the board out of the gate. After the match at 125 pounds, Carolina won the next six matches by either technical fall or via pin. Redshirt sophomore Joe Heilmann and redshirt junior Zach Sherman both scored 21 points at 133 and 141 pounds respectively, setting up No. 1 Austin O'Connor to wrestle in his first match of his redshirt junior season. At 149 pounds, O'Connor wasted no time, pinning Jacson Muldrew in 47 seconds to boost the team score lead to 19-0. Two redshirt seniors – Josh McClure and Kennedy Monday – both began their years with bonus points. McClure wrapped up a 16-0 tech fall over Chase McKinney before Monday pinned Austin Reames at 165 pounds in just 15 seconds. Both UNC wrestlers have been ranked in the top 20 across the country to begin the season. Kane made a statement in his first match in Carolina Blue on Sunday, scoring a 16-0 tech fall win at 174 pounds. Redshirt junior Chasen Blair, redshirt freshman Max Shaw and redshirt senior Andrew Gunning all notched wins to finish up the dual meet, helping Carolina to a 45-0 win to begin the dual meet season. UNC and Gardner-Webb also wrestled extra countable matches on Sunday – the results of these matches can be found below. Results: 125: Julian Tagg (UNC) dec. Austin Wadlow (GW), 7-0 133: Joe Heilmann (UNC) tech fall Todd Carter (GW), 21-6 141: No. 9 Zach Sherman (UNC) tech fall Conrad Schiess (GW), 21-3 149: No. 1 Austin O'Connor (UNC) pinned Jacson Muldrew (GW), 0:47 157: Josh McClure (UNC) tech fall Chase McKinney (GW), 16-0 165: No. 12 Kennedy Monday (UNC) pinned Austin Reames (GW), 0:15 174: Gavin Kane (UNC) tech fall Samuel Mora (GW), 16-0 184: Chasen Blair (UNC) dec. Evan Schenk (GW), 4-1 197: Max Shaw (UNC) maj. dec. Jack Trautman (GW), 16-6 285: Andrew Gunning (UNC) dec. Anthony Perrine (GW), 6-2 Extra Matches: 125: Wil Guida (UNC) pinned Aedyn Concepcion (GW), 5:25 133: Jaime Hernandez (UNC) inj. def. Todd Carter (GW) 141: Zach Sherman (UNC) tech fall Corbin Dion (GW), 21-6 149: Jackson Muldrew (GW) pinned Nick Lirette (UNC), 1:42 157: Josh McClure (UNC) pinned Christian Trimble (GW), 5:33 165: Sawyer Davidson (UNC) dec. Austin Reames (GW), 6-3 285: Brandon Whitman (UNC) pinned Gabriel Pickett (GW), 1:12 125: Wil Guida (UNC) pinned Austin Wadlow (GW), 1:56 157: Nick Lirette (UNC) maj. dec. Chase McKinney (GW), 15-7 285: Aydin Guttridge (UNC) pinned Gabriel Pickett (GW), 2:07 NEXT MATCH Carolina will host No. 8 Virginia Tech in Carmichael Arena on Friday, January 15 at 6:00 p.m. EST on the ACC Network. Further information about the dual meet will be posted this week on GoHeels.com and on Twitter (@uncwrestling).

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University wrestling team opened the 2021 campaign with a doubleheader victory over Bellarmine and SIUE at First Community Arena Sunday. "They guys found a way to secure both dual meet victories today, so it was a nice way to start," said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig. "We are looking to compete at our best, however, and in those terms, we have some work to do. There are some critical situations we will get back to the room and work on as we prepare for our next opponent." The Huskies (2-0, 1-0) handled Bellarmine, 46-0, in the first dual of the day before rallying for an 18-16 win over conference foe SIUE. After trailing 13-3 through the first half of the match with the Cougars, Izzak Olejnik scored a 5-2 victory over Chase Diehl at 165 and sparked a four-match winning streak for the Huskies. Mason Kauffman, who moved up to 174 this season, earned a 3-2 decision over Kevin Gschwendtner to pull NIU to within four points. Brit Wilson delivered the big blow in the match, pinning Ryan Yarnell at 184 in the third to put NIU up by two with two bouts remaining. Gage Braun extended the Huskie advantage to five with his win at 197. Max Ihry suffered a 2-1 setback in overtime at 285, but helped the Huskies take home the win. Freshman Lucian Brink got off to a strong start in his Huskie debut. The Coshocton, Ohio native scored a 21-10 maj. dec. victory in the first bout of the day and opened the match with the Cougars with a 10-5 victory. NIU returns to action Sunday, Jan. 17 when they travel to Mt. Pleasant, Mich. to face Central Michigan. The match is set to begin at 2 p.m. CT and will be shown on ESPN3. NIU 46, Bellarmine 0 125: Lucian Brink (NIU) maj. dec. Brandon Lucas (BU), 21-10 133: Bryce West (NIU) dec. Max Dansereau (BU), 7-2 141: Caleb Brooks (NIU) fall Zach Schultz (BU), 2:05 149: Jaivon Jones (NIU) dec. Mitch Collica (BU), 2-0 157: Anthony Gibson (NIU) tech fall Alex Rhine (BU), 15-0, 4:41 165: Izzak Olejnik (NIU) fall Eric Beck (BU), 3:42 174: Mason Kauffman (NIU) dec. Devan Hendricks (BU), 3-2 184: Brit Wilson (NIU) fall Sam Schroeder (BU), 5:50 197: Gage Braun (NIU) tech fall Easton Tobia (BU), 17-2, 4:31 285: Max Ihry (NIU) tech fall Charlie Cadell (BU), 17-1, 5:54 NIU 18, SIUE 16 125: Lucian Brink (NIU) dec. Austin Macias (SIUE), 10-5 133: Aaron Schulist (SIUE) dec. Bryce West (NIU), 9-7 141: Saul Ervin (SIUE) dec. Caleb Brooks (NIU), 6-5 149: Cardeionte Wilson (SIUE) dec. Jaivon Jones (NIU), 7-4 157: Justin Ruffin (SIUE) maj. dec. Anthony Gibson (NIU), 13-0 165: Izzak Olejnik (NIU) dec. Chase Diehl (SIUE), 5-2 174: Mason Kauffman (NIU) dec. Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE), 3-2 184: Brit Wilson (NIU) fall Ryan Yarnell (SIUE), 6:22 197: Gage Braun (NIU) dec. Austin Andreas (SIUE), 7-3 285: Colton McKieman (SIUE) dec. Max Ihry (NIU), 2-1, TB-1

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team wrapped up its opening weekend in dominant fashion, taking nine of 10 matches to cruise to a 38-3 win at Maryland on Sunday (Jan. 10) at the Terrapins' Xfinity Center. The Wolverines earned bonus points in six matches, including falls from senior/junior Drew Mattin and junior Mason Parris at 141 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Mattin rallied from an initial deficit to earn a second-period fall against Danny Bertoni and secure his first win of the season -- and first dual win up at 141 pounds after previously qualifying twice for the NCAA Championships at 125 pounds. Down 2-1 to start the second period, Mattin started on top and did not let up, turning and pinning Bertoni with an arm bar at the 4:15 mark. Parris, ranked second nationally at heavyweight, also used an arm bar to secure his fall at 1:39 against Bryan Bowes in the final bout of the dual meet. Parris led, 10-2, at the time of the pin after racking up three takedowns early in the first period, including a feet-to-back cow catcher for six points just moments before the fall. Freshman Dylan Ragusin, who scored a fall for the Wolverines in the opener at Rutgers, earned his second bonus win in as many collegiate bouts with a 9-1 major decision over King Sandoval to open the dual against the Terrapins. Ragusin broke it open in the third period with a reversal and a four-point tilt before riding out the match to accumulate 4:20 in time advantage. Senior/junior Jack Medley again bumped up to 133 pounds and earned a convincing win -- after giving up the first takedown -- with a reversal, four takedowns and 2:31 in riding time to defeat Jackson Cockrell, 12-5. Medley also wrestled an extra match at 125 pounds after the dual and scored 14 takedowns en route to a 25-10 technical fall against Dainon Kappes. With the extra result, Medley now owns a team-best 3-0 record on the early season. Fifth-year senior Kanen Storr, ranked sixth nationally, used three takedowns to earn an 8-4 decision against Michael North at 149 pounds before the Wolverines strung together three straight bonus wins to clinch the dual victory -- the most lopsided being junior/sophomore Will Lewan's 22-6 technical fall against Lucas Cordio at 157 pounds. Lewan, ranked ninth, scored three takedowns and a four-point turn apiece in the first and second periods to end the bout at the 4:31 mark. Sophomore/freshman Cameron Amine and sixth-year senior Logan Massa earned major decisions at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. Seventeenth-ranked Amine defeated Jonathan Spadafora, 13-5, with five takedowns, a reversal and 2:05 in riding-time advantage, while Massa, ranked second, beat Phillip Spadafora, 18-10, with five takedowns of his own -- three in the third period -- and a four-point leg turk in the third period. It was Massa's second major decision of the season. Maryland spoiled the shutout attempt with a close 3-2 decision at 184 pounds before the Wolverines closed with back-to-back wins at 197 pounds and heavyweight. Senior/junior Andrew Davison, who has overcome two season-ending injuries over his collegiate career, earned his first dual-meet win with an 11-8 decision against Jaron Smith in the former. Davison rallied from an initial deficit with a big second period, scoring on a go-behind takedown and four-point tilt before trading takedowns in the third and holding on for the win. Parris' pin was the 25th of his collegiate career; he led the Wolverines in falls each of the last two seasons with 13 as a freshman and 11 last year. The Wolverines (2-0) will kick off the home portion of its 2020-21 slate next Sunday (Jan. 17), hosting Indiana at Cliff Keen Arena. The start time will be announced this week. No. 3 Michigan 38, Maryland 3 Individual rankings by InterMat 125 -- Dylan Ragusin (U-M) major dec. King Sandoval, 9-1 -- U-M, 4-0 133 -- Jack Medley (U-M) dec. Jackson Cockrell, 12-5 -- U-M, 7-0 141 -- Drew Mattin (U-M) pinned Danny Bertoni, 4:15 -- U-M, 13-0 149 -- #6 Kanen Storr (U-M) dec. Michael North, 8-4 -- U-M, 16-0 157 -- #9 Will Lewan (U-M) tech. fall Lucas Cordio, 22-6 (4:31) -- U-M, 21-0 165 -- #17 Cameron Amine (U-M) major dec. Jonathan Spadafora, 13-5 -- U-M, 25-0 174 -- #2 Logan Massa (U-M) major dec. Phillip Spadafora, 18-10 -- U-M, 29-0 184 -- Kyle Cochran (UMD) dec. Joseph Walker, 3-2-- U-M, 29-3 197 -- Andrew Davison (U-M) dec. Jaron Smith, 11-8 -- U-M, 32-3 Hwt -- #2 Mason Parris (U-M) pinned Bryan Bowes, 1:39 -- U-M, 38-3 Extra Matches The 2020-21 dual season will feature several "extra matches" with every scheduled dual meet. These matches will not factor into dual scoring but are official, countable matches that will be considered for conference allocation and postseason seeding purposes. 125 -- Jack Medley (U-M) tech. fall Dainon Kappes, 25-10 149 -- Cole Mattin (U-M) dec. Hunter Baxter, 7-1 157 -- Fidel Mayora (U-M) pinned Garrett Fisk, 4:34 174 -- Phillip Spadafora (UMD) pinned Jaden Bullock, 4:44 197 -- J.T. Correll (U-M) dec. Kevin Makosy, 7-2

J'den Cox topped Hayden Zillmer (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The original main event of this past weekend's FloWrestling card got postponed, but the event still delivered a main event between two world champions. Richard Mann (@richardamann) and Clay Sauertieg (@ByCSauertieg) are back on the Matside to break down all the matches. 0:00 - Open 1:16 - Mitch McKee vs. Tristan Moran 4:12 - Ronna Heaton vs. Desiree Zavala 7:46 - Nate Jackson vs. Wynn Michalak 10:40 - Seth Gross vs. Zane Richards 14:12 - Ethan Lizak vs. Matt McDonough 17:34 - Joey McKenna vs. Nahshon Garrett 21:17 - Erin Golston vs. Emily Shilson 24:21 - James Green vs. Pat Lugo 28:07 - J'den Cox vs. Hayden Zillmer 32:47 - Tamyra Mensah-Stock vs. Adeline Gray 39:45 - Jordan Burroughs vs. David Taylor Preview 41:46 - Headgear Stickers/College Wrestler Shoutouts 43:44 - Closing and Plugs

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Illinois was extremely impressive all afternoon, racking up points and dominating Indiana, 39-3. The convincing win over the Hoosiers was the Illini's largest ever margin of victory in Bloomington. In their first Big Ten dual of the season, the Fighting Illini racked up two falls, a technical fall, and four major decisions as they won bouts in nine of their ten matches with the Hoosiers. The afternoon begun with the heavyweights as sophomore Luke Luffman defeated Jacob Bullock by major decision after several takedowns to begin the dual. A huge takedown late in the third period gave the sophomore heavyweight an 11-3 advantage and putting the Illini on top, 4-0 to start the afternoon against the Hoosiers. Brock Hudkins earned an escape late in the second period to go up 1-0 on Justin Cardani at 125-pounds, but Cardani would start the third period on bottom and get an escape midway through the period to knot the score at 1. Late in the third period, Cardani finished a takedown with seconds left on the clock to go up 3-1 and win by decision, giving Illinois an early 7-0 lead. Lucas Byrd secured a major decision win over Caden Rooks in the 133-pound matchup after an impressive debut in the Illini starting lineup. Byrd notched several takedowns and pulled away from Rooks, winning 14-5. At 141-pounds, senior Dylan Duncan impressed in his first match of the 2021 season. The senior won by fall (6:18) over Paul Konrath, putting the Illini up 17-0. Senior Mike Carr gave the Illini another major decision victory, defeating Luke Baughman in the 149-pound weight class, 16-5. The senior who missed last season due to injury secured several takedowns en route to his first victory of the 2021 season. At 157-pounds, first-year starter Johnny Mologousis got off to a great start with a takedown and four-point near fall late in the first period to take a 6-0 lead into the second period. He would finish the match with a 10-0 major decision victory, giving the Illini a 25-0 lead. Danny Braunagel came out strong against Nick South at 165-pounds, ultimately pulling off the technical fall (6:48) and giving the Illini another five team points to go up 30-0 over the Hoosiers. Donnell Washington earned a quick four points with a takedown and near fall, going up 4-0 early over first-year starter Trey Sizemore in the 174-pound bout. Sizemore would gain control, but a reversal from Washington late in the second period would give him another two points. The Hoosiers would get on the board with three points, trailing Illinois, 30-3. Zac Braunagel recorded two early takedowns, jumping out to a 4-1 lead in the 184-pound matchup halfway through the first period. After a pair of takedowns in the second period, Braunagel secured the second fall of the day for the Illini (6:02), increasing the lead to 36-3 over Indiana. With the final match of the afternoon at 197-pounds, Wroblewski capped off an incredible performance from the Illini with another win, defeating Nick Willhan by decision. The win would extend the Illini lead to 39-3, giving Illinois their largest margin of victory in Bloomington. Results: HWT: Luke Huffman (ILL) def. Jacob Bullock (IU) 11-3 major decision (IU 0, ILL 4) 125: #22 Justin Cardani (ILL) def. #8 Brock Hudkins (IU) 3-1 decision (IU 0, ILL 7) 133: Lucas Byrd (ILL) def. Cayden Rooks (IU) 14-5 major decision (IU 0, ILL 11) 141: #13 Dylan Duncan (ILL) fall Paul Konrath (IU) 6:18 (IU 0, ILL 17) 149: #7 Mike Carr (ILL) def. Luke Baughman (IU) major decision 16-5 (IU, ILL 21) 157: Johnny Mologousis (ILL) def. Jonathan Kervin (IU) major decision 10-0 (IU 0, ILL 25) 165: #11 Danny Braunagel (ILL) def. #24 Nick South (IU) technical fall 19-4, 6:48 (IU 0, ILL 30) 174: #25 Donnell Washington (IU) def. Trey Sizemore (ILL) 6-3 decision (IU 3, ILL 30) 184: #10 Zac Braunagel (ILL) fall Drayton Harris (IU) 6:02 (IU 3, ILL 36) 197: Matt Wroblewski (ILL) def. Nick Willham (IU) 5-4 decision (IU 3, ILL 39)

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Army West Point wrestling team took the mat Saturday night against LIU, eager to redeem themselves after having their opportunity at an NCAA Tournament appearance cut short in 2020. Saturday's match was the first time that the Black Knights have taken the floor against an opponent since the EIWA conference tournament last March. Army and LIU competed in a tournament style matchup, including 12 individual bouts, resulting in no cumulative team score. The competition included both intersquad and dual matchups with LIU. The Black Knights and the Sharks went head-to-head in five different weight classes and seven total bouts including 149lbs, 157lbs, 174lbs, 184lbs and 285lbs. Army came away with wins in all seven appearances in addition to notching five pins and two technical fall victories. Taylor Brown set the pace for Army in the opening match at 184lbs, defeating LIU's TJ Franden in a 20-3 tech fall. Junior heavyweight Ben Sullivan followed suit with the first pin of the night in the second bout, overpowering Tim Nagosky with :21 seconds left in the first period. Army stole the show for the remainder of the faceoffs, tallying pins from four seasoned veterans in P.J. Ogunsanya at 149lbs, Markus Hartman at 157lbs and Bobby Heald at 285lbs in addition to an 18-1 technical fall victory from Sahm Abdulrazzaq at 184lbs. The full breakdown of Saturday's matches are as follows: 141lbs: Lane Peters def. Cole Wyman, 7-4 decision 149lbs: P.J. Ogunsanya def. Kyle Matthews (LIU), pin at 1:09 (3rd period) 149lbs: Corey Shie def. Tanner Craig, 8-3 decision 157lbs: Markus Hartman def. Ken Cooper (LIU), pin at 0:16 (2nd period) 157lbs: Christian Hunt def. Dillon Sheehy, 3-2 decision 165lbs: Beau Guffey def. Owen Brown, 4-0 decision 165lbs: Beau Guffey def. Will Lucie, 3-1 decision 174lbs: Brad Laughlin def. James Langan (LIU), pin at 1:11 (2nd period) 184lbs: Taylor Brown def. TJ Franden (LIU), 20-3 tech fall 184lbs: Sahm Abdulrazzaq def. TJ Franden (LIU), 18-1 tech fall 285lbs: Ben Sullivan def. Tim Nagosky (LIU), pin 0:21 (1st period) 285lbs: Bobby Heald def. Tim Nagosky (LIU), pin 1:13 (1st period) The Black Knights will host their second competition of the season next Saturday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. against Hofstra University. Coach Ward's thoughts: "My initial reaction and first thoughts were I am really happy for the guys, that's what I just told them. Their discipline, their hard work and being able to make this day happen was great - they've had some opportunities taken away from them, so more than anything I am just grateful and happy for them that they got to compete. They scored some points, it looked like they were excited and it's something we can build and grow off of so I am really happy for the guys."

Tamyra Mensah-Stock defeated Adeline Gray in the main event (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) AUSTIN, Texas -- It's an exciting time in the sport of wrestling with the high school and college seasons underway, and the Olympic Games less than 200 days away. A number of American standouts with their sights set on Olympic gold were on display during a Flo Wrestling event Saturday night in Austin, Texas. That star-studded list included five-time world champion Adeline Gray, two-time world champion J'den Cox, world champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock and two-time world medalist James Green. The card was altered after the scheduled feature bout between Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs and world champion David Taylor was postponed. The 10-match card Saturday still featured its share of top-notch competition. Kudos to Flo for putting it together. Here is my breakdown from the evening's matches: 155 pounds: Mitch McKee tech. Tristan Moran, 11-1 McKee, an excellent freestyle wrestler, struck first and built an early 3-1 advantage. He followed with a leg attack for a takedown and transitioned to a pair of gut-wrenches to lead 9-1. McKee added with another takedown to finish a quick 11-1 win by technical superiority. 61 kilograms: Ronna Heaton dec. Desiree Zavala, 10-8 This promised to be an excellent women's freestyle battle between two top young wrestlers. Heaton, an age-group world champion, bolted to an early 3-0 lead in the first minute. Zavala finished effectively on a single leg to even the bout 3-3 late in the opening period. Heaton used an effective counter to score a takedown and lead 5-3 early in the second period. The wrestlers battled back and forth with Heaton scoring on another strong counter to go up 10-6. Zavala scored on a leg attack to draw within 10-8 with 45 seconds to go. Heaton fought off a shot attempt in the final seconds to win 10-8 in an action-packed bout. 215 pounds: Nate Jackson tech. Wynn Michalak, 12-1 Jackson opened the scoring with a throw-by maneuver to lead 2-0. Jackson added with a double-leg takedown and leg lace to build a 6-0 cushion. The explosive Jackson finished strong again with another leg attack to lead 8-0. Michalak came back with a shot and a pushout. Jackson scored another takedown off a single-leg shot to lead 9-1 at the break. Jackson scored on a re-attack to prevail 12-1. 61 kilograms: Seth Gross dec. Zane Richards, 11-3 Richards won a wild early scramble to score the opening takedown again Gross, who was coming off a win over world silver medalist Thomas Gilman. Richards added a pushout to lead 3-0. Gross came back with a counter for a takedown and turned Richards to his back to lead 4-3. Gross followed with a pushout off his leg attack for a 5-3 edge at the break. Gross is a master in these scrambles and scored a takedown to lead 7-3 midway through the second period. Gross added another TD to lead 9-3 with a minute to go. He countered another shot to lead 11-3 late. Gross wins after scoring the final 11 points of the match. Impressive performance by a guy who is a legitimate threat to make the Olympic Team. 143 pounds: Ethan Lizak tech. Matt McDonough, 10-0 This was an interesting matchup with McDonough, a two-time NCAA champion, returning to competition against a past NCAA finalist. Lizak took charge early with a takedown and a series of turns to win by a quick 10-0 technical superiority. Lizak has always been very strong in the top position and it showed in this match. Joey McKenna turns Nahshon Garrett with a gut wrench (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 65 kilograms: Joey McKenna tech. Nahshon Garrett, 12-2 This also promised to be an entertaining bout featuring two excellent freestyle competitors. McKenna opened with a slick leg attack, collecting four early points. Garrett came back to expose McKenna for two points. McKenna extended his lead to 6-2 with a leg attack and takedown early in the second period. McKenna followed with a textbook single-leg shot and turn to lead 10-2. McKenna added another TD to earn a surprising 12-2 win over a very tough opponent. 51 kilograms: Erin Golston dec. Emily Shilson, 8-5 Golston powered in on a leg attack for an early takedown before transitioning right into a pair of leg laces to lead 6-1. She followed with a double-leg takedown and was up 8-1 at the break. Shilson added a pair of late takedowns on two superb shots, but Golston held her off 8-5. 152 pounds: James Green dec. Pat Lugo, 3-2 This looked to be another intriguing matchup involving a proven veteran and a guy trying to make his mark on the Senior level. Green struck first with a double-leg takedown a minute into the match. He added a pushout early in the second period to lead 3-0. Lugo drew within 3-1 in the final minute before Green was put on the shot clock. Lugo scored a pushout with 30 seconds left, but Green held him off to prevail 3-2. J'den Cox defeated Hayden Zillmer in his return to competition (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 97 kilograms: J'den Cox dec. Hayden Zillmer, 6-2 Cox made his much-anticipated return while bumping up to 97 kilos. Zillmer struck first, scoring a point on the shot clock. Cox trailed 1-0 after the opening period before picking up the pace in the final period. Cox fired in on a single and finished for a takedown to lead 2-1 early in the second period. He followed with a gut-wrench to lead 4-1 with just over two minutes left. Cox exploded in on a late shot for a slick takedown near the edge to lead 6-1. Zillmer added a late pushout, but Cox prevailed 6-2 with a solid performance in his first bout in 10 months. Main event Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray embrace after their match (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 76 kilograms: Tamyra Mensah-Stock dec. Adeline Gray, 4-0 Mensah scored a takedown and exposure with an aggressive attack to take a surprising 4-0 lead in the first period. Trailing 4-0 at the break, Gray came out strong with a number of shots but Mensah continued to fight her off. Lethal in the top position, Gray was never able to have that opportunity in this match. Impressive showing by Mensah with a 4-0 victory. Her defense and her positioning were excellent. The good news for Team USA is both of these wrestlers likely will be wrestling in the Olympic Games this year. Final word This was, as expected, another excellent night of wrestling. It was unfortunate we missed out on Burroughs vs. Taylor, but that match hopefully will be happening in a few days. Seth Gross looked really impressive again. It was great to see J'den Cox back wrestling again and it was awesome to have two outstanding women battling in the main event. Mensah looked really good -- she continues to improve and progress. It was fun to watch. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games, written 10 books and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team earned a Top-25 victory over Lehigh on Saturday evening, winning 24-9 in the first home match of the season at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers, ranked No. 13 by the NWCA Coaches Poll this week, took down No. 17-ranked Lehigh decisively in the dual, winning eight out of the 10 matches. In the 65th meeting in Pitt-Lehigh wrestling series history, the 24-9 margin marked Pitt's largest home victory over Lehigh ever. Pitt defeated Lehigh for the second straight season, and head coach Keith Gavin was pleased with his team's success but also pointed out that several individual matches were very close in a dual that the final team score suggested was more one-sided. "We won a lot of close matches tonight, and I thought we got too conservative at times," Gavin said. "We can certainly do a better job of scoring when we have a lead. Our goal is to build a mentality of always trying to stay on the attack. It was a solid team win over a Lehigh program that we respect a ton, but I'd like to see us finish matches better and not play it so safe." Gavin also expressed his gratitude at being able to watch Pitt's student-athletes compete right now. "We're extremely grateful that so many people worked so hard to make this possible," he added. "It was different with no fans, for sure. Pitt-Lehigh usually gets a lot of fans. But we accept that, and we're just happy to compete. Now we have to stay focused on doing what we need to do to keep going. We need to build off these nonconference wins and perform well in the five ACC duals. We want to have our best performance of the season each time we get on the mat to compete." After a double-digit dual rally last Sunday at Navy, the Panthers (2-0) once again had to come from behind. The Mountain Hawks (0-1) scored a pin at 125 pounds to go up 6-0 right away. Lehigh also held a 9-6 lead following the bout at 149 pounds. But Pitt's upper weights proved unbeatable for the second straight outing, winning the final six contests to help the Panthers earn their first team victory over Lehigh at home since 1997 and finally end a 10-match home losing streak for Pitt against the program from Bethlehem, Pa. All of the Panthers ranked in the Top 25 by FloWrestling this week emerged with victories as Micky Phillippi, Cole Matthews, Jake Wentzel, Gregg Harvey and Nino Bonaccorsi earned decisions. Newcomers Tyler Badgett and Jake Slinger also won in their debut matches at the Fitzgerald Field House, while Jared McGill continued his impressive start to the season at 174 pounds with a victory. The Panthers will begin ACC dual meet action next Saturday with a 10 a.m. matchup against Duke at the Fitzgerald Field House. Matches will again be streamed on ACC Network Extra via the WatchESPN app. Full results from Saturday's action are available below. Results: 125 | Jaret Lane (Lehigh) pins Colton Camacho (Pitt), 1:58 (Lehigh leads, 6-0) 133 | Micky Phillippi (Pitt) dec. Malyke Hines (Lehigh), 10-5 (Lehigh leads, 6-3) 141 | Cole Matthews (Pitt) dec. Connor McGonagle (Lehigh), 4-3 (Tied, 6-6) 149 | Jimmy Hoffman (Lehigh) dec. Luke Kemerer (Pitt), 4-0 (Lehigh leads, 9-6) 157 | Tyler Badgett (Pitt) dec. JT Cooley (Lehigh), 6-1 (Tied, 9-9) 165 | Jake Wentzel (Pitt) dec. Thayne Lawrence (Lehigh), 3-0 (Pitt leads, 12-9) 174 | Jared McGill (Pitt) dec. Jake Logan (Lehigh), 4-2 (Pitt leads, 15-9) 184 | Gregg Harvey (Pitt) dec. JT Davis (Lehigh), 4-1 (Pitt leads, 18-9) 197 | Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) dec. Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh), 7-2 (Pitt leads, 21-9) HWT | Jake Slinger (Pitt) dec. Victor Lacombe (Lehigh), 9-3 (SV1) (Pitt wins, 24-9) Additional Matches: 125 | Colton Camacho (Pitt) dec. Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh), 7-4 (TB1) 133 | Louis Newell (Pitt) dec. Satoshi Abe (Lehigh), 5-1 141 | Joe Lobeck (Lehigh) dec. Ryan Michaels (Pitt), 9-3 149 | Mick Burnett (Pitt) dec. Paul Watkins (Lehigh), 8-6 157 | Antonio Petrucelli (Pitt) dec. Tyler Sung (Lehigh), 6-3 165 | Connor Herceg (Lehigh) dec. Tye Weathersby (Pitt), 6-5 174 | Tommy O'Brien (Pitt) pins Trey Cornish (Lehigh), 6:49 184 | Caden Wright (Lehigh) dec. Nicholas Meglino (Pitt), 4-0 197 | James Lledo (Pitt) maj. dec. Andrew Shedleski (Lehigh), 15-2 HWT | Eli Jones (Lehigh) dec. Cole Rickert (Pitt), 2-0