InterMat Staff

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Virginia wrestling team (6-2) kicked off the weekend with a strong performance on Friday night (Jan. 17), taking a 29-9 victory over Chattanooga (4-7) at Memorial Gym. It was the first of two duals on the weekend as the Cavaliers will host VMI at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 18). Virginia won 7-of-10 weight classes, including bonus-point victories from redshirt sophomore Brian Courtney (Sayre, Pa.), redshirt freshman Quinn Miller (Lilburn, Ga.), senior Jack Mueller (Dallas, Texas) and redshirt junior Louie Hayes (Orland Park, Ill.) Courtney and Mueller both picked up major decisions, while Miller added a technical fall and Hayes pinned his opponent to close the night. "We've been very blessed to have three amazing leaders in our captains Jack Mueller, Louie Hayes and Jay Aiello – and our leaders led tonight," said Virginia head coach Steve Garland. "When they took off, we took off. With Quinn (Miller) getting a technical fall, and the way our three captains led and scored points, it was phenomenal for us. It was the perfect way to end the dual meet. That's what we want Virginia wrestling to be known for and the way we want all of our guys to compete. It couldn't have ended any better for us." Courtney started the night with the major decision at 141 pounds that helped keep the Cavaliers on top as the squads traded victories through the first six weight classes. Redshirt freshman Justin McCoy (New Paris, Pa.) won by decision at 157 pounds and Victor Marcelli winning by decision at 174 pounds. With Virginia holding to a 10-9 lead after the first six weight classes, the home team went to work and locked things down for the victory. The run started with the 12-3 major decision from eighth-ranked Aiello at 197 pounds before Miller would grab the technical fall by a score of 16-1 at heavyweight. With the Cavaliers holding a 19-9 advantage in the overall dual score, second-ranked Mueller took the mat for the first time since the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and ground out an 11-0 major decision at 125 pounds. Hayes, the No. 19 wrestler at 133 pounds, then capped the evening with his first-period pin. Results: 141: Brian Courtney major dec. Aidan Murphy (UTC), 14-6 – UVA 4, UTC 0 149: Tanner Smith (UTC) dec. Michael Murphy, 7-3 – UVA 4, UTC 3 157: Justin McCoy dec. Tyler Shilson (UTC), 7-3 – UVA 7, UTC 3 165: Andrew Nicholson (UTC) dec. Krystian Kinsey, 4-1 – UVA 7, UTC 6 174: Victor Marcelli dec. Hunter Fortner (UTC), 3-1 (sv-1) – UVA 10, UTC 6 184: Matthew Waddell (UTC) dec. Michael Battista, 7-2 – UVA 10, UTC 9 197: No. 8 Jay Aiello dec. Rodney Jones (UTC), 12-3 – UVA 14, UTC 9 HWT: Quinn Miller tech fall Grayson Walthall (UTC), 16-1 (7:00) – UVA 19, UTC 9 125: No. 2 Jack Mueller major dec. Fabian Gutierrez (UTC), 11-0 – UVA 23, UTC 9 133: No. 19 Louie Hayes pinned Colton Landers (UTC), 2:24 – UVA 29, UTC 9

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- In front of a packed house at the Rutgers Athletic Center, the Cornell wrestling team defeated former EIWA-foe No. 22 Rutgers by a final score of 18-16 on Friday night. Junior Hunter Richard's third period pin at 149 pounds was a catalyst for the Big Red, who led big at the break after winning a number of key swing matches in the middle weights. With a win, Cornell improves its season tally to 6-4 before welcoming No. 3 Virginia Tech to town on Sunday afternoon. Friday night's win marks two straight for the Big Red, who now own a 2-4 record against ranked opponents this season. Rutgers opened the dual with an early lead following Dom LaJoie's 10-5 loss to No. 15 Nicolas Aguilar at 125 pounds, but that was the last lead the Scarlet Knights would see for the remainder of the evening. Chas Tucker got Cornell on the board first at 133 pounds, keeping his undefeated season alive in typical Tucker fashion with a 3-2 decision over No. 11 Sammy Alvarez. Tucker's win over Alvarez is his eighth victory over a ranked opponent this season and marks the first loss to a ranked opponent for Alvarez this season. Noah Baughman extended Cornell's lead to 6-3 following a 6-4 decision over highly-touted freshman JoJo Aragona. Baughman trailed Aragona, 4-2, with just 15 seconds remaining in the bout, but fought for a late takedown and tallied two near-fall points at the buzzer to come out on top. Hunter's Richard fall at 149 pounds proved to be the dual deciding bonus points after his pin of Gerard Angelo gave the Big Red a 12-3 lead. Richard turned Angelo's offense against him late in the match before sticking the Scarlet Knight's shoulders to the mat. On fire as of late, Richard has won three straight bouts with bonus points. Adam Santoro gave Cornell its fourth of five straight victories on Friday night with a 9-4 win over Michael VanBrill at 157 pounds. Jake Brindley capped off the run for the Big Red with a narrow 5-3 decision over Brett Donner. Brindley's takedown with under a minute to go in the third period was the deciding factor in the match as Brindley was then able to ride out the clock to secure his second dual win of the season. Rutgers mounted a comeback effort over the final four bouts of the night, taking three by decision and one by major decision. Joe Grello, Billy Janzer, Jordan Pagano and Alex Esposito all earned wins for the Scarlet Knights, with Pagano the lone bonus win at 197 pounds. Up Next Cornell welcomes No. 3 Virginia Tech (6-0) to Ithaca on Sunday, Jan. 19 for a 1 p.m. ET dual in Newman Arena. Virginia Tech will first battle Binghamton University on Saturday, Jan. 18 prior to arriving on East Hill. The Hokies are 6-0 on the season and boast a lineup that features seven wrestlers ranked by FloWrestling and nine total wrestlers ranked by a major ranking provider. All of Sunday's action in Ithaca can be viewed on ESPN+. Results: 125: #15 Nicolas Aguilar (RUT) dec. Dom LaJoie (COR), 10-5; Rutgers leads, 3-0 133: #5 Chas Tucker (COR) dec. #11 Sammy Alvarez (RUT), 3-2; Tied, 3-3 141: Noah Baughman (COR) dec. JoJo Aragona (RUT), 6-4; Cornell leads, 6-3 149: Hunter Richard (COR) over Gerard Angelo (RUT), Fall (5:54); Cornell leads, 12-3 157: Adam Santoro (COR) dec. Michael VanBrill (RUT), 9-4; Cornell leads, 15-3 165: Jake Brindley (COR) dec. Brett Donner (RUT), 5-3; Cornell leads, 18-3 174: Joe Grello (RUT) dec. Milik Dawkins (COR), 7-2; Cornell leads, 18-6 184: #25 Billy Janzer (RUT) dec. #23 Jonathan Loew (COR), 10-4; Cornell leads, 18-9 197: #18 Jordan Pagano (RUT) major dec. Jonathon Fagen (COR), 12-0; Cornell leads, 18-13 285: Alex Esposito (RUT) dec. Brendan Furman (COR), 6-3; Cornell wins, 18-16

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team claimed nine matches, earning bonus points in four, to earn a dominant 34-3 win over Maryland on Friday night (Jan. 17) in front of 1,163 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. Sophomore heavyweight Mason Parris, ranked second nationally, ended the dual just as he did a week ago, using arm bar and a half to pin the Terrapins' Parker Robinson at the 3:38 mark -- his 11th bonus win of the season and sixth fall. Parris led, 12-3, at the time after heaping on the points in the first period with four single-leg takedowns and four back points -- on a two-point suck back and two-point leg turk. He improved to 18-0 on the season. Senior/junior Tyler Meisinger also earned a pin -- only to have it taken off the board on review -- and settled instead for a 12-9 decision over Kyle Cochran for his first collegiate dual-meet win at 165 pounds. Meisinger, competing up a weight class, struck on an early counter single leg before putting Cochran on his back in a scramble midway through the first period. The official slapped the mat, but after Maryland challenged, ruled that he interfered with action on an attempted Terp roll-through and instead awarded Meisinger two for the takedown and four near fall. The Wolverine senior added another takedown and staved off a late Maryland rally to secure the win. The Wolverines claimed each of the opening five bouts before the intermission break, highlighted by bonus wins from junior/sophomore Jack Medley (125 pounds), freshman Cole Mattin (141) and sophomore/freshman Will Lewan (157). Medley earned his fourth major decision in five dual appearances this season with a 16-2 rout against Brandon Cray at the opening weight. He scored on four takedowns, adding a four-point tilt in the third and 3:34 in riding-time advantage. Mattin also fell just short of the technical fall in a 15-2 major decision against Hunter Baxter, scoring three takedowns -- one in each period -- and a third-period reversal and four-point suck back in the first. He accumulated 3:25 in riding-time advantage but could not finish on a couple shots in the waning seconds in pursuit of the additional bonus point. Lewan, ranked 12th nationally at 157 pounds, did secure a technical fall, rolling to a 19-4 win against Lucas Cordio in 5:47. Like Medley and Mattin, Lewan dominated from neutral and on top to pile on points, scoring five takedowns while adding four back points apiece off a first-period pancake and second-period cradle. Sophomore/freshman Joey Silva and senior/junior Kanen Storr earned decision wins at 133 and 149 pounds, respectively, for the second straight week after making their season dual debuts against MSU last Friday (Jan. 11). Silva, after just missing on a takedown at the second-period buzzer, scored off a front headlock early in the third -- nearly doing it again later in the frame -- to earn a 3-2 decision against King Sandoval. Storr secured a 5-3 decision against Michael Doetsch with a first-period single leg, third-period reversal and 1:38 riding-time advantage. Junior/sophomore Jelani Embree, ranked 17th nationally at 184 pounds, returned from injury for his first match since early December and earned a comfortable 8-3 decision against Kyle Jasenski. He scored three takedowns -- two in the first period -- and rode for 2:49 to stay unbeaten (3-0) in dual competition this season. Fifth-year senior Jackson Striggow rounded out the Wolverines' match winners with a 4-2 comeback win against Jaron Smith at 197 pounds. After giving up a first-period takedown and rideout, Striggow evened the score with high crotch and rideout of his own in the second. Still trailing on riding time, he started neutral in the third and converted on another high crotch, riding off Smith's time advantage -- and the bout -- to complete the comeback. The Wolverines will wrap their weekend homestand Sunday (Jan. 19) when they host No. 11 Minnesota at 2 p.m. in "A Queen Day at Crisler Center," featuring poster, T-shirt and aviator sunglasses giveaways. The dual is the first of two for the Wolverines at Crisler Center. Tickets are still available through the U-M Ticket Office. Results: 125 -- Jack Medley (U-M) major dec. Brandon Cray, 16-2 -- U-M, 4-0 133 -- Joey Silva (U-M) dec. King Sandoval, 3-2 -- U-M, 7-0 141 -- Cole Mattin (U-M) major dec. Hunter Baxter, 15-2 -- U-M, 11-0 149 -- #9 Kanen Storr (U-M) dec. Michael Doetsch, 5-3 -- U-M, 14-0 157 -- #12 Will Lewan (U-M) tech. fall Lucas Cordio, 19-4 (5:47) -- U-M, 19-0 165 -- Tyler Meisinger (U-M) dec. Kyle Cochran, 12-9 -- U-M, 22-0 174 -- Philip Spadafora (UMD) dec. Max Maylor, 5-3 -- U-M, 22-3 184 -- #17 Jelani Embree (U-M) dec. Kyle Jasenski, 8-3 -- U-M, 25-3 197 -- Jackson Striggow (U-M) dec. Jaron Smith, 4-2 -- U-M, 28-3 Hwt -- #2 Mason Parris (U-M) pinned Parker Robinson, 3:38 -- U-M, 34-3

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- In its first Grace Hall appearance since late November, No. 12 Lehigh ran its dual win streak to six with a 33-8 victory over American Friday night inside Leeman-Turner Arena. The Mountain Hawks won eight bouts, scoring bonus points in six of the eight victories. Junior Chris Weiler opened the dual by rallying for a win over a ranked foe at 184, a win that was followed by four straight bonus victories as Lehigh built a 22-0 lead at intermission and never looked back. The win improves the Mountain Hawks' record to 7-3 overall and 3-1 against EIWA opponents. The brown and white showed resiliency throughout the evening. Lehigh gave up the first takedown in three of its eight victories, with Weiler and sophomore Josh Humphreys erasing third period deficits to win matches. "Wrestling three periods was very important for us tonight," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "We were finding ways to win, and that's important. We have to step it up a little more tomorrow because Navy is going to bring it. We're going to have to match that high intensity." Weiler took on No. 18 Tanner Harvey in a battle of ranked men at 184. Harvey started fast with two quick takedowns to build a 4-1 lead, but Weiler rallied with two takedowns to lead 7-6 after one period. A Harvey reversal and Weiler escape tied the match at 8-8 through two periods. In the third, Weiler had trouble getting out from bottom, but worked his way to a late reversal to go in front 10-8 and rode out to win 10-9 for his second win over a ranked opponent in eight days. "I didn't even think Chris was wrestling until this morning when he told me he was going," Santoro said. "He wasn't on the mat much all week. He got off to a slow start. He didn't have his feet under him early but he got better as the match went on." Junior Jake Jakobsen followed with Lehigh's lone fall of the night, as he took down Will Jarrell and then locked up a cradle, securing his second fall of the season in just 51 seconds. Heavyweight Jordan Wood made it three straight wins to open the dual, scoring 14 points over the final two periods in a 16-3 major decision. Junior Brandon Paetzell was the second Mountain Hawk to yield the first takedown, but he answered back with one of his own to lead Gage Curry 3-2 after one period at 125. Paetzell took over from there, scoring an escape, takedown and near fall in the second period and adding one more takedown in the third to post a 13-4 major decision. Sophomore Jaret Lane made his first Grace Hall dual appearance at 133 and rolled to a 19-4 technical fall in 5:23 over Daniel Kidd. Lane hit a headlock throw for six points in the first period to lead 8-1 after three minutes and never looked back, as Lehigh led 22-0 at the break. "Going out and scoring points is what we've been doing the last month or so," Santoro said. "We're getting better each week. We just need to stay the course. Try to get better. Try to be dangerous. Keep scoring late." American (2-4, 2-2 EIWA) opened the second half of the dual with its two victories, as Sal Profaci defeated sophomore Dan Moran 6-3 at 141 and eight-ranked Kizhan Clarke won a 20-5 technical fall over sophomore JT Cooley at 149. Humphreys saved his best for the third period against Ethan Karsten at 157. After losing a scramble for two points in the first period and getting ridden out in the second, Humphreys trailed 2-1, but in the third, Karsten chose bottom and Humphreys rode out to erase riding time advantage, while turning the Eagle for four points and turning the 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 decision that clinched the dual for the Mountain Hawks. "Josh made some mistakes but he also showed a lot of grit and toughness," Santoro said. "That's what you have to do at the NCAA Tournament. Matches might not go your way. You might not feel your best or be wrestling your best but you can always fight your best and Josh never stopped wrestling." Freshman Brian Meyer followed with his fourth dual win in five outings and his first non-forfeit bonus win in a dual. Meyer dominated Anthony Wokasch in a 13-3 major decision at 165. Senior Jordan Kutler closed the dual with an impressive 11-2 major decision over Ben Root at 174 as he ran his season record to 12-1. The Mountain Hawks are back at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall to host Navy in the 100th meeting of Lehigh's second most-contested series. It is also the annual Billy Sheridan Memorial Dual and Salute to Service Day with free admission for military and first responders. Tickets can be purchased online at LehighTickets.com or at the Grace Hall ticket window prior to the match. The 2019-20 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. Results: 184 – Chris Weiler (Lehigh) dec. Tanner Harvey (AU) 10-9 197 – Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh) Fall Will Jarrell (AU) 0:51 285 – Jordan Wood (Lehigh) major dec. Niko Camacho (AU) 16-3 125 – Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) major dec. Gage Curry (AU) 13-4 133 – Jaret Lane (Lehigh) tech fall Daniel Kidd (AU) 19-4, 5:23 141 – Sal Profaci (AU) dec. Dan Moran (Lehigh) 6-3 149 – Kizhan Clarke (AU) tech fall JT Cooley (Lehigh) 20-5, 7:00 157 – Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) dec. Ethan Karsten (AU) 5-2 165 – Brian Meyer (Lehigh) major dec. Anthony Wokasch (AU) 13-3 174 – Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) major dec. Ben Root (AU) 11-2 Attendance – 1,303

KENT, Ohio -- For the second year in a row, the Ohio wrestling team (3-5, 1-2 MAC) can claim Grudge Match bragging rights after earning a 26-17 triumph over archrival Kent State (5-8, 1-3 MAC) tonight at the M.A.C. Center. The Bobcats picked up their first Mid-American Conference win of the 2019-20 season courtesy of the victory over the Golden Flashes. The Bobcats set the tone for the night by coming away with wins in six of the first eight weight classes, including in each of the first four bouts. No. 17-ranked redshirt senior Shakur Laney (Canal Winchester, Ohio) opened the evening with a 16-5 major decision win over junior Cory Simpson at 141 pounds. After No. 20-ranked Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) posted a 6-0 win by decision over sophomore Kody Komara at 149, redshirt senior Zac Carson (Akron, Ohio) logged a 10-1 major decision win over redshirt freshman Conan Becker at 157. Redshirt junior Nick Vestal (Wilmington, Ohio) then put Ohio ahead 17-0 when he pinned junior Kade Byland in 4:49 at 165. Junior Andrew McNally got Kent State on the scoreboard with a 6-2 win by decision at 174, but senior Hunter Yeargan (Willard, Mo.) put Ohio back up by 17 points by picking up a 3-1 win by decision over junior Lane Hinkle at 184. The Bobcats and the Golden Flashes then traded pins. Sophomore Colin McCracken won by fall in 2:36 at 197, but redshirt freshman Jordan Earnest (Wadsworth, Ohio) answered for Ohio at 285 by pinning sophomore Spencer Berthold in 3:46. Kent State came away with wins in the final two bouts of the night as junior Tomas Gutierrez won by an 8-1 decision at 125 and No. 18-ranked redshirt senior Tim Rooney won by a 16-1 technical fall in 2:07 at 133, but it wasn't enough to overcome the big lead the Bobcats had built. Ohio will look for its second conference win in as many days as its northeast Ohio road trip continues with a visit to Cleveland State (6-1, 2-1 MAC) on Saturday (Jan. 18) at 1 p.m. ET at Woodling Gymnasium. Results: 141: No. 17 Shakur Laney (Ohio) def. Cory Simpson (Kent State), 16-5 maj. dec. (4-0) 149: No. 20 Alec Hagan (Ohio) def. Kody Komara (Kent State), 6-0 dec. (7-0) 157: Zac Carson (Ohio) def. Conan Becker (Kent State), 10-1 maj. dec. (11-0) 165: Nick Vestal (Ohio) def. Kade Byland (Kent State), fall, 4:49 (17-0) 174: Andrew McNally (Kent State) def. Logan Stanley (Ohio), 6-2 dec. (17-3) 184: Hunter Yeargan (Ohio) def. Lane Hinkle (Kent State), 3-1 dec. (20-3) 197: Colin McCracken (Kent State) def. Jake Walker (Ohio), fall, 2:36 (20-9) 285: Jordan Earnest (Ohio) def. Spencer Berthhold (Kent State), fall, 3:46 (26-9) 125: Tomas Guitierrez (Kent State) def. Giovanni DiSabato (Ohio), 8-1 dec. (26-12) 133: No. 18 Tim Rooney (Kent State) def. Trevor Giallombardo (Ohio), 16-1 tech. fall, 2:07 (26-17)

PHILADELPHIA, PA. -- The fifth ranked NC State wrestling team won nine of the 10 bouts, and came away with a 44-3 road win at Drexel Friday night. The Wolfpack (9-0) got seven bonus point wins, including three pins. The dual started at 174 pounds, and Drexel forfeited which gave No. 18 Daniel Bullard the win and NC State a quick 6-0 lead. Back-to-back bonus points to start the dual, as No. 3 Trent Hidlay registered 11 total takedowns and scored a 25-9 technical fall win. After at Drexel decision at 197 pound, Deonte Wilson notched a third period takedown and claimed a 3-1 win at heavyweight. More bonus points at 125 pounds for NC State, as Jakob Camacho used a six-point move in the second and three takedowns in the third period for the 20-5 technical fall. At the halfway point, NC State held a 19-3 win. Jarrett Trombley got a headlock and turned it into a pin at the 2:38 mark of the first period at 133 pounds for another six team points R-Fr. Jarred Papcsy stepped into the lineup at 141 pounds and scored an 8-5 win after six points in the first period. No. 2 Hayden Hidlay scored the Pack's second pin of the night, as he got a takedown and converted it into a pin at the 2:06 mark of his bout. The Pack closed the dual with another pin, as R-Fr. Tyler Barnes added his first period pin to close the dual. Up Next The Pack will head up to Hempstead, N.Y. tomorrow afternoon and face Hofstra at 4 p.m. The dual will be available on GoHofstra.com. Results: 174: #18 Daniel Bullard (NCSU) forfeit - 6-0 184: #3 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) tech fall Owen Brooks; 25-9 - 11-0 197: Bryan McLaughline (Drex) dec. #11 Nick Reenan; 5-4 - 11-3 285: Deonte Wilson (NCSU) dec. Sean O'Malley; 3-1 - 14-3 125: Jakob Camacho (NCSU) tech fall Antonio Mininno; 20-5 - 19-3 133: Jarrett Trombley (NCSU) fall Chase Shields; 2:38 - 25-3 141: Jarred Papcsy (NCSU) dec. Tyler Williams; 8-5 - 28-3 149: A.J. Leitten (NCSU) major dec. Nick Widmann; 13-3 - 32-3 157: #2 Hayen Hidlay (NCSU) fall Felix Belga; 2:06 - 38-3 165: R-Fr. Tyler Barnes (NCSU) fall Mike Man; 2:14 - 44-3

CLARION, Pa. -- A dramatic last minute takedown by heavyweight Ty Bagoly propelled the Golden Eagle wrestling team to a 17-16 win by tiebreaker criteria over the Buffalo Bulls in Tippin Gymnasium. Both the Golden Eagles and the Bulls notched four decisions and one major decision on the night, but a slight edge in total points scored gave Clarion the dual victory. With the win, Clarion improves to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the MAC, while the Bulls fall to 7-7 overall and 3-3 in the MAC. The Golden Eagles have now won seven straight matches, tying their longest win streak in nearly two decades. The last seven-match win streak came during the 2000-01 season. Clarion will look to extend the streak to eight wins with another MAC match on Sunday, when they go on the road to take on Bloomsburg. Cam Butler started things off at 125 for the Golden Eagles with a victory, cruising his way to a 6-1 decision in a calm but dominant performance. In the second bout, Clarion's Seth Koleno battled hard against his opponent, scoring a third period takedown on #14/13 Derek Spann, but was unable to recover from an early deficit in a decision loss. After a major decision victory by Buffalo's Marcus Robinson over Alex Blake, Brock Zacherl scored a single leg takedown with 40 seconds left in the third period to defeat the sturdy John Arceri via a 4-3 decision. At 157, Clarion's Avery Shay exchanged first period takedowns with Buffalo's Michael Petite, but Shay could not avenge a second period takedown and dropped a narrow 6-4 decision. The win put Buffalo ahead 10-6 on team points halfway through the match. Buffalo further expanded their lead when ranked wrestler Troy Keller shut out Clarion's Mike Bartolo 5-0 in a match. Needing a major decision to pull within three team points of the Bulls, Clarion's Max Wohlabaugh cranked up the pace in the third period of the 174-pound bout, scoring three takedowns in the final period to secure a 12-3 major decision. Wohlabaugh sealed the deal with a powerful double leg takedown in the waning seconds of the third period, securing an extra team point that proved to be pivotal for the Golden Eagles. A late takedown at 184 pushed Buffalo's Pete Acciardi over Luke Funck, extending the Bulls' lead to 16-10. At 197, #16/17 ranked Greg Bulsak fought for a 6-0 decision over Sam Schuyler. Bulsak, who is third in the NCAA in falls, spent much of the first and third period on top searching for a pin, but was unable to turn his opponent. Buffalo led the team score 16-13 heading into the heavyweight bout, and also held a 42-40 advantage in total points over the course of the match, requiring heavyweight Ty Bagoly to win by three or more points to win the dual meet. With 25 seconds left in the third period, while carrying a 1-0 advantage and riding time, Bagoly came up with the goods, executing a single leg takedown to win the match 4-0, bringing the crowd to their feet. Results: 125 - Cameron Butler (Clarion) over Jordan Reyes (Buffalo) (Dec 6-1) 133 - Derek Spann (Buffalo) over Seth Koleno (Clarion) (Dec 8-3) 141 - Marcus Robinson (Buffalo) over Alex Blake (Clarion) (MD 13-4) 149 - Brock Zacherl (Clarion) over John Arceri (Buffalo) (Dec 4-3) 157 - Michael Petite (Buffalo) over Avery Shay (Clarion) (Dec 6-4) 165 - Troy Keller (Buffalo) over Mike Bartolo (Clarion) (Dec 5-0) 174 - Max Wohlabaugh (Clarion) over Bryson Alsteen (Buffalo) (MD 12-3) 184 - Peter Acciardi (Buffalo) over Luke Funck (Clarion) (Dec 3-1) 197 - Greg Bulsak (Clarion) over Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) (Dec 6-0) 285 - Tyler Bagoly (Clarion) over Nolan Terrance (Buffalo) (Dec 4-0) * - Clarion wins on criteria (total match points – Clarion 44, Buffalo 42)

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- No. 23 Mizzou Wrestling extended its MAC winning streak to 18 consecutive duals with a Friday night win over Central Michigan, 25-13. The biggest win of the night came at 157 pounds as sophomore Jarrett Jacques won a top-15 bout over Logan Parks, 5-4, to tie the dual heading into intermission. Mizzou won seven of the 10 bouts with four major decisions. Mizzou won six straight bouts from 149 through 197. The Tigers improve to 7-5 on the season and 4-0 in MAC competition. The Tigers will be back in action Sunday at Kent State for an 11 a.m. (CT) dual. After Central Michigan earned a pin at 125 pounds from its 12th-ranked Drew Hilderbrandt, Mizzou got on the board thanks to a huge major decision win by Allan Hart over Drew Marten. He had more than four minutes of riding time and earned a 10-1 win to improve to 11-6. More importantly he moved Mizzou within two points of the dual lead. At 141, it was a battle of top-20 wrestlers as No. 19 Grant Leeth faced off against CMU's No. 13 Dresden Smith. Leeth fell behind early, 4-0, and never recovered as Simon earned a 12-3 major decision as CMU extended its lead to 10-4. Reigning All-American and fifth-ranked Brock Mauller got Mizzou back in the dual with a 10-4 decision, narrowly missing a major, over Corbyn Munson. That pulled Mizzou within three points and then Jacques pulled off the biggest win in the dual in what was a huge swing match. Facing 12th-ranked Parks, No. 14 Jacques earned a huge takedown at the end of the second period to take a 2-1 lead into the third. After an escape and another takedown, he was up 5-1 before a late Parks escape and takedown cut the lead to 5-4, as the bout was never quite as close as the final score. That tied the dual at 10-10 moving into the final five weights. Peyton Mocco made it three straight bout wins for the Tigers with a dominant, 8-0 major decision over Tracy Hubbard. That gave Mizzou its first dual lead of the night at 14-10 moving to 174 pounds. Jeremiah Kent made easy work of Jake Lowell for a 14-3 major decision, Mizzou's third bonus-point win of the dual, second straight major and fourth straight win in the dual, extending the lead to 18-10. At 184 pounds, Dylan Wisman made it five straight bout wins and three straight majors with a 12-4 win over Ben Cushman. That extended Mizzou's lead to 22-10. Wyatt Koelling made is six straight bout wins with a 3-2 win over Landon Phelam, extending the lead to 25-10. Jake Bohlken had a spirited effort against No. 4 Matt Stencel at heavyweight, but fell 8-2. Results: 125: Drew Hildebrandt (C) pinned Dack Punke, 4:40 133: Allan Hart (M) major dec. Drew Marten, 10-1 141: Dresden Simon (C) major dec. Grant Leeth, 12-3 149: Brock Mauller (M) dec. Corbyn Munson, 10-4 157: Jarrett Jacques (M) dec. Logan Parks, 5-4 165: Peyton Mocco (M) major dec. Tracy Hubbard, 8-0 174: Jeremiah Kent (M) major dec. Jake Lowell, 14-3 184: Dylan Wisman (M) major dec. Ben Cushman, 12-4 197: Wyatt Koelling (M) dec. Landon Pelham, 4-2 285: Matt Stencel (C) dec. Jacob Bohlken, 8-2

NORFOLK, Va. -- In its first home match of the season, the Old Dominion wrestling team (4-7, 2-1 MAC) earned a 28-7 victory over Lock Haven (5-4, 1-2 MAC) in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division showdown. "Lock Haven finished in the top-15 in the country last year, so it's always going to be a strong opponent," head coach Steve Martin said after the win. "I've been saying all along if we can get all 10 of our wrestlers going, we can be dangerous, and this is probably the first night that I've seen all 10 get going." The Bald Eagles started the night with a 6-0 advantage after No. 14 Luke Werner earned a 4-2 win by decision over No. 16 Killian Cardinale of ODU at 125 pounds, followed by a win by decision from No. 29 DJ Fehlman over Shannon Hanna II, 5-4 in a tie-breaker round in the 133-pound bout. The momentum shifted in the Monarchs' favor in the very next match however, as No. 18 Sa'Derian Perry and No. 15 Kyle Shoop faced off against each other in a battle of All-Americans. Perry earned the first points of the bout with a takedown in the first period, and never relinquished the lead. He earned another takedown in the second period, added another point on a penalty and came away with a 5-4 win by decision to put ODU on the board. In the next bout, Kenan Carter gave his team the lead with a pin over Austin Wilson after four minutes and four seconds of action. The pin, Carter's fourth of the season, gave his team six points to jump over Lock Haven on the scoreboard, 9-6. The third of three total ranked matchups came in the 157-pound battle between No. 12 Larry Early and No. 15 Alex Klucker. The two combatants went into the second period scoreless, but that changed quickly, as Early earned a reversal over the NCAA qualifier from a year ago to take a 2-0 lead. Klucker escaped to earn a point, but that was all he'd get in the match. Early took him down for an additional two points in the third period to earn the 4-1 win by decision and to give ODU the six-point advantage. After intermission, the Monarchs would win four of the remaining five bouts in the match. At 165 pounds, Shane Jones looked overmatched against Austin Bell after Bell accumulated 2:00 minutes of riding time in the second period. Jones managed to catch a second wind in the third period however, as he started the frame on top and never let Bell escape. He earned two four-point nearfalls in the period to earn bonus points with an 8-0 win by major decision. At 174 pounds, No. 31 Jared Siegrist managed to stop ODU's four-bout win streak with a 6-0 win by decision over freshman Alex Cramer, but that would be the last Bald Eagle victory of the evening. Senior Antonio Agee earned a 7-2 win by decision over Ray Benot in the 184-pound bout to give ODU a 10-point advantage at 19-9. Tim Young's 197-pound bout proved to everyone in the home crowd that every second matters in wrestling, as the Monarch senior was facing a 1-0 loss against Lock Haven's Parker McClellan before a late reversal changed the outcome. McClellan chose the top position to start the third period, and managed to ride Young for one minute and 57 seconds before Young pulled off his reversal with three seconds on the clock to earn the 2-1 win by decision. With the score 22-8 in favor of the Monarchs, the Bald Eagles didn't send a heavyweight combatant out to face ODU's Will Hilliard. Instead, Lock Haven forfeited the bout, to bring the final score to 28-7 in favor of ODU, after the Bald Eagles lost a point for controlling the mat, their second controlling the mat penalty of the evening. "We've got to be ready on Sunday because we've got Rider, who is a better team than Lock Haven, and Lock Haven was pretty tough," Martin said. "We're satisfied with the win, but we continue to look forward." Up Next The Monarchs are right back on the mats this upcoming Sunday, January 19, when they welcome No. 25 Rider to Chartway Arena. Like Lock Haven, Rider is a MAC East Division opponent so this match will go a long way into determining the final regular season standings. Results: 125: No. 14 Luke Werner (LHU) dec. over No. 16 Killian Cardinale (ODU) 4-2 133: No. 29 DJ Fehlman (Lock Haven) dec. over Shannon Hanna (ODU) 5-4 (TB-1) 141: No. 18 Sa`Derian Perry (ODU) dec. over #15 Kyle Shoop (LHU) 5-4 149: Kenan Carter (ODU) fall over Austin Wilson (LHU) 4:04 157: #12 Larry Early (ODU) dec. over #15 Alexander Klucker (LHU) 4-1 165: Shane Jones (ODU) MD over Austin Bell (LHU) 8-0 174: #31Jared Siegrist (LHU) dec. over #31 Alex Cramer (ODU) 6-0 184: Antonio Agee (ODU) dec. over Raymond Bernot (LHU) 7-2 197: Timothy Young (ODU) dec. over Parker McClellan (LHU) 2-1 285: William Hilliard (ODU) over Unknown (LHU) (For.)

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- The nationally-ranked No. 25 Rider University wrestling team defeated MAC foe Edinboro, 20-12, Friday night at Alumni Gym. With the win, the Broncs improve to 7-2 (3-1 MAC), while the Fighting Scots are now 9-5 (3-2 MAC). Edinboro earned the first points of the match, taking a decision at 125, but Rider would answer back with wins at 133, 141, 149, 157, and 165 to take a 17-3 lead. Anthony Cefolo (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park Regional [South Dakota St.]) started the string of five-straight Rider victories, earning a 3-2 decision over Tye Vamdell. In his home Rider debut, Peter Lipari (Byram Township, NJ/Bergen Catholic [Rutgers]) earned a tech fall at 141 over Edinboro's Richie Gomez at 3:46. Gino Fluri (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren Regional) built on the Rider momentum by winning a 3-2 decision over Tyler Vath at 149, while nationally-ranked No. 5 Jesse Dellavecchia (Great River, NY/East Islip [Binghamton]) got past Peter Pappas, 1-0. Following the intermission, Joe Casey (Bridgewater, NJ/Bound Brook) wrapped up the fifth straight Rider victory with a 7-1 decision over Derek Ciavarro, 7-1. Edinboro would win three of the final four bouts, but it wasn't enough, as Rider closed out the 20-12 victory. Ethan Laird (Waterford, PA/General McLane) defeated Dylan Reynolds, 3-2, at 197 to account for the final Rider victory of the night. Quotes & Notes "A win is a win. I feel like we let them slow us down a bit, but at the end of the day we still found a way to win. Pete brings energy, I love the way he wrestles. He goes from one to the next. I want most of my lineup to be like that. He is after it, he is excited, and he wants to see things happen. When you create good wrestling like that, good things happen. The more you practice, the more it becomes habit in the matches." – Rider Head Coach John Hangey - With today's win, Rider has now won three straight duals over Edinboro cut the Fighting Scots' lead in the all-time series to 8-4. - Lipari made his Alumni Gym debut. - Rider returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 19, when it travels to Norfolk, VA, for a MAC dual against Old Dominion University slated to begin at 1 p.m. Results: 125: Lucas Rodriguez (EU) dec. #20 Jonathan Tropea (RID), 6-5; Edinboro leads, 3-0 133: Anthony Cefolo (RID) dec. Tye Vamdell (EU), 3-2; Match tied, 3-3 141: Peter Lipari (RID) TF Richie Gomez (EU) at 3:46; Rider leads, 8-3 149: Gino Fluri (RID) dec. Tyler Vath (EU), 3-2; Rider leads, 11-3 157: #5 Jesse Dellavecchia (RID) dec. Peter Pappas (EU), 1-0; Rider leads, 14-3 165: Joe Casey (RID) dec. Derek Ciavarro (EU), 7-1; Rider leads, 17-3 174: Jacob Oliver (EU) dec. #17 Dean Sherry (RID), 13-11; Rider leads, 17-6 184: Cody Mulligan (EU) dec. George Walton (RID), 4-3; Rider leads, 17-9 197: #8 Ethan Laird (RID) dec. Dylan Reynolds (EU), 3-2; Rider leads, 20-9 285: Jon Spaulding (EU) dec. Ryan Cloud (RID), 5-1; Rider wins, 20-12.

DAVIDSON -- Four pins powered the Davidson wrestling team to a 27-18 win over The Citadel on Senior Night Friday evening in Belk Arena. The Wildcats clinched their first Southern Conference victory of the season with back-to-back pins in the 174- and 184-pound matches. With the match tied 15-all, Davidson 174-pounder Steven Newell pinned Jacob Cooper in 1:04. Then Gavin Henry followed with a 45-second pin over Jared Zenie at 184, giving the Wildcats the 27-15 edge with one match remaining. At 125, Davidson's Cian Fischer pinned Jordie White in 3:45, and Wildcat Kyle Gorant followed at 133 with a pin of Nathan Orosco in 1:46. The Wildcats' other win came at 157, as Hunter Costa earned a 3-2 decision over Doug Gudenburr. Prior to the match, Davidson recognized the three members of the 2020 class: Costa, Noah Satterfield and Conor Fenn. Results: 125: Cian Fischer (DAV) fall over Jordie White (CIT), 3:45 133: Kyle Gorant (DAV) fall over Nathan Orosco (CIT), 1:46 141: Jacob Dado (CIT) dec. David Loniewski (DAV), 10-5 149: Selwyn Porter (CIT) dec. Will Baldwin (DAV), 9-3 157: Hunter Costa (DAV) dec. Doug Gudenburr (CIT), 3-2 165: Dazjon Casto (CIT) tech. fall over Noah Satterfield (DAV), 18-2 174: Steven Newell (DAV) fall over Jacob Cooper (CIT), 1:04 184: Gavin Henry (DAV) fall over Jared Zenie (CIT), :45 197: Cooper Youngblood (CIT) dec. Lachlan Rosato (DAV), 4-1 285: Michael McAleavey (CIT) maj. dec. Finlay Holston (DAV), 16-3 Up Next Davidson visits Presbyterian in SoCon action Sunday at 2 p.m.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Army West Point wrestling team won seven of its ten dual matches Friday night at Gillis Field House, on the way to defeating Penn 27-9 in an EIWA affair. "I thought certainly some bright spots for our team -- some guys with some big performances," said head coach Kevin Ward. "We did what we were supposed to do tonight." With the action starting at 141 pounds, the scoreboard went Penn's (1-4, 0-1 EIWA) way to begin the night. No. 17 (FloWrestling) Doug Zapf scored a 7-5 decision over Corey Shie to give the Quakers an early 3-0 lead. The tide would quickly shift towards Army (7-2, 2-0 EIWA), as the Black Knights reeled off five straight wins. P.J. Ogunsanya looked sharp, taking down Lucas Revano in an 8-1 decision. Senior captain Lucas Weiland returned to the 157 pound spot, and won a dominant 16-1 tech. fall over Jeremy Ridge. No. 24 ranked Cael McCormick started strong, and scored in all three periods -- winning a 7-2 decison over Jake Lizak. At 174 pounds, No. 24 Ben Harvey earned a bonus point victory with a 16-2 major over Neil Antrassian. Sahm Abdulrazzaq got the nod at 184 pounds, and took full advantage, winning a 7-5 decision in a battle to the end to take the team score to 18-3. Cole Urbas would win Penn's second match of the night at 197 pounds -- a 6-2 decision over J.T. Brown. Perhaps the match of the match of the night came in the heavyweight decision. Tied 1-1 deep into the third period, Bobby Heald was able to score a takedown against Ben Goldin to earn a 3-2 decision. After a forfeit at 125 pounds by Penn, Carmen Ferrente would score late in the third period to win a 3-1 decision and make it a 27-9 final team score. Results: 125: #21 Trey Chalifoux - W, Forfeit 133: Carmen Ferrente (Penn) 3-1 DEC over Lane Peters (Army) 141: #17 Doug Zapf (Penn) 7-5 DEC over Corey Shie (Penn) 149: P.J. Ogunsanya (Army) 8-1 DEC over Lucas Revano (Penn) 157: Lucas Weiland 16-1 TF over Jeremy Ridge 165: #24 Cael McCormick 7-2 DEC over Jake Lizak 174: #24 Ben Harvey 16-2 MD over Neil Antrassian 184: Sahm Abdulrazzaq 7-5 DEC over Jake Hendricks 197: Cole Urbas (Penn) 6-2 DEC over J.T. Brown (Army) 285: Bobby Heald (Army) 3-2 DEC over. Ben Goldin (Penn) UP NEXT Army hits the road next Saturday, Jan. 25 for a dual match versus Lock Haven at 7 p.m.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Minnesota wrestling program defeated Michigan State 25-10 behind the efforts of seven individual victories. Three Gophers made their career Big Ten dual debuts on the night, headlined by Ryan Thomas and Jake Bergeland who both won after never previously starting any dual. Thomas began the night with his dual debut while Bergeland finished the night with his dual debut. Chase O'Connor made his Big Ten dual debut at heavyweight but ultimately fell by 6-2 decision to Christian Rebottaro. Richmond, Michigan, native Devin Skatzka earned his 100th career victory with his 10-5 victory over Layne Malczewski. Surrounded by friends and family after the match Skatzka did a post-dual interview with BTN and soaked in the scene. "It feels great, I'm blessed," said Skatzka. "Not too many people get to accomplish that. It's great it worked out this way being in Michigan with a bunch of family and friends here." After earning 48 wins in Indiana, Skatzka has added 52 more since becoming a Golden Gopher. Hunter Ritter blew the dual score open with a first period pin against Nick May right before intermission. After putting May to his back early on in the match Ritter calmly settled into pin his opponent's shoulder blades to the Spartans' mat. Results: 157: Ryan Thomas dec. (5-2) over No.21 Jake Tucker (Minnesota leads 3-0) 165: Bailee O'Reilly dec. (5-2) Drew Hughes (Minnesota leads 6-0) 174: No.7 Devin Skatzka dec. (10-5) over Layne Malczewski (Minnesota leads 9-0) 184: No.20 Cam Caffey dec. (9-4) over No.18 Owen Webster (Minnesota leads 9-3) 197: Hunter Ritter fall (2:27) over Nick May (Minnesota leads 15-3) 285: Christian Rebottaro dec. (6-2) over Chase O'Connor (Minnesota leads 15-6) 125: No.14 Pat McKee major dec. (10-2) over Logan Griffin (Minnesota leads 19-6) 133: Garrett Pepple major dec. (11-0) over Brent Jones (Minnesota leads 19-10) 141: No.5 Mitch McKee dec. (12-8) over Matt Santos (Minnesota leads 22-10) 149: Jake Bergeland dec. (9-2) over Alex Hrisopoulos (Minnesota wins 25-10)

Pete Veldman, Minnesota high school state wrestling champ who went on to take to the mat for the Minnesota Golden Gophers -- then later served as a high school athletic director and wrestling official for decades -- died Tuesday at age 86. Pete VeldmanA native of Hollandale, Minn., Peter Veldman was a multi-sport star at Albert Lea High School, winning the heavyweight title at the Minnesota state wrestling championships as a senior in 1951. He also participated in football and track. Graduating from ALHS in 1951, Veldman then headed north to the University of Minnesota, where he continued to be an all-around athlete. In his first two years, he wrestled and played on the Gopher football team before leaving school to serve in the U.S. military for 16 months during the Korean War… then, returned to Minnesota. Overall as a Golden Gopher, Veldman was a three-time NCAA championships qualifier and twice placed at the Big Ten championships (third at 177 pounds at the 1953 Big Tens; fourth as heavyweight at the 1959 conference championships). After graduating from University of Minnesota in 1959, Veldman launched his professional career as a physical education teacher and coach of football and wrestling in the South St. Paul school district. In 1964 Veldman became the athletic director of South St. Paul Schools. If that weren't enough, Veldman also served as the co-coordinator of the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Tournament for 25 years. Veldman stayed actively involved with wrestling as a referee and official of high school and collegiate wrestling tournaments for more than four decades. "Recognized as one of the best officials in the country, Veldman was repeatedly selected to officiate hundreds of high school wrestling meets, Minnesota State Wrestling Tournaments, and NCAA Division I, Division II, and NCAA Big 10 Wrestling Tournaments," according to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. For his service to athletics -- particularly wrestling -- Pete Veldman received numerous honors over the course of his career. He was inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. In addition, Veldman was also welcomed into the Minnesota State High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame and the Albert Lea High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He received the Minnesota High School Athletic Directors Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009. There he was honored as "one of the greatest contributors to athletics and education in Minnesota." What's more, South St. Paul High School honored Veldman's extensive service to the district and community by establishing the Pete Veldman Wrestling Room and creating the annual Veldman Invitational Wrestling Tournament. Peter Veldman is survived by his four sons and many grandchildren. Last summer, he was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Arlene. Visitation for Pete Veldman is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26 at the First Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul, with the funeral service to follow at the church.

Tyrell Fortune gets his hand raised after getting a win at Bellator 225 (Photo/Bellator) Next month's Bellator 239 will now feature two former college wrestling champs, as national junior college titlewinner and NCAA Division II champ Tyrell Fortune has been added to the card this week, joining former NCAA Division I titlist Ed Ruth at the mixed martial arts event at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackervile, Oklahoma on Friday, February 21. Fortune will again be matched up to face former UFC fighter Tim Johnson, according to Cageside Press. "Tyrell Fortune vs. Tim Johnson is back on, this time at Bellator 239. The heavyweight pair were previously booked at Bellator 233, only to have the bout fall through. On Wednesday, however, a Bellator official confirmed to Cageside Press that the fight was on again." The 30-year-old Fortune is now 8-0 in his pro MMA career which he launched with Bellator in November 2016. His opponent, Timothy Johnson, 34, brings a 12-9 pro MMA record in a career going back nearly a decade. Fortune brings impressive heavyweight wrestling credentials to his just-announced bout at Bellator 239. signed with Bellator four years ago this month, the promotion had to be impressed with his heavyweight amateur wrestling credentials. Fortune was a two-time Oregon high school state wrestling champ who also won six national freestyle and Greco-Roman titles. Fortune then launched his collegiate career at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, where he won two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight titles. He then headed south to Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where he was crowned heavyweight titlist at the 2013 NCAA Division II championships, and was also named Division II Wrestler of the Year. (Note: Grand Canyon eliminated its varsity wrestling program in March 2016.) Fortune will appear on the same card as Ed Ruth. As InterMat reported in early December, Ruth will be at the top of the card for the first time in a welterweight (170-pound) match vs. Yaroslav Amosov. Ruth, who is 8-1 in his pro MMA career, was a three-time NCAA mat champ for Penn State.

Ryan Crookham is seeded No. 1 at 126 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Entering its 14th edition this weekend, the Escape the Rock wrestling tournament hosted by Council Rock South in the general Philadelphia area has grown to be a regionally prestigious tournament with a national-level field. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, 50-plus teams from seven different states will convene for competition. The schedule for competition is as follows: Saturday 10 a.m. ET: Championship wrestling through the quarterfinals (which are projected for around 5 p.m.), consolation wrestling to take the field down to 12 wrestlers per weight class Sunday 9 a.m.: Consolation round to place, semifinals and consolation quarters (about 10:45 a.m.), consolation semifinals and seventh place bouts; 2 p.m. third and fifth place bouts; 4 p.m. championship bouts The field features six Fab 50 teams with No. 8 Malvern Prep (Pa.) entering as the clear favorites, while it seems wide open for second place and the other top five positions with No. 29 Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle, No. 32 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.), No. 36 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.), No. 37 Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.), No. 40 Southern Columbia (Pa.), and Chambersburg (Pa.). Preliminary seeds have been released and are available here. Below are the top four seeds per weight class, with nationally ranked wrestlers noted. 106: 1. Sean Logue (Father Judge, Pa.) 2. Zach Jaracuso (Delaware Valley, Pa.) 3. Logan Attisano (Legacy Christian, Ohio) 4. Thomas Link (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 113: 1. Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) -- No. 7 national ranking 2. Kelly Dunnigan (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) -- No. 16 national ranking 3. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.) -- No. 18 national ranking 4. Jacob Craig (The Hill School, Pa.) 120: 1. Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) -- No. 13 national ranking 2. Kyle Hauserman (Council Rock North, Pa.) 3. Brandon Chlestos (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) 4. Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) -- No. 7 national ranking 126: 1. Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) -- No. 2 national ranking 2. Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.) -- No. 5 national ranking 3. Cole Skinner (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 4. Cameron Lacure (Legacy Christian, Ohio) 132: 1. Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.) -- No. 10 nationally 2. Joey Olivieri (Hanover Park, N.J.) 3. Brock McMillen (Glendale, Pa.) 4. Casey Wiles (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 138: 1. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) -- No. 9 nationally 2. Jacob Perez-Eli (Paulsboro, N.J.) 3. Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio) -- No. 18 nationally 4. Alex Poore (Caravel Academy, Del.) 145: 1. Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) -- No. 19 nationally 2. Jager Condomiti (Northampton, Pa.) -- No. 10 nationally 3. Anthony Petrucelli (Owen J. Roberts, Pa.) 4. Darnai Heard (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 152: 1. Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.) -- No. 8 nationally 2. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.) -- No. 15 nationally 3. Dylan Weaver (Lyndhurst, N.J.) 4. A.J. Tamburrino (Hatboro Horsham, Pa.) 160: 1. Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) -- No. 5 nationally 2. Luke Nichter (Chambersburg, Pa.) -- No. 19 nationally 3. Andrew Clark (Collingswood, N.J.) 4. Dillon Sheehy (Council Rock North, Pa.) 170: 1. Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti Academy, Pa.) -- No. 19 nationally 2. Brandon Green (Paulsboro, N.J.) -- No. 15 nationally 3. Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) -- No. 5 nationally 4. Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.) 182: 1. Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.) -- No. 15 nationally 2. Joey Milano (Spring Ford, Pa.) 3. Maximus Hale (Downington West, Pa.) 4. Dillon Walker (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 195: 1. Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia, Pa.) -- No. 2 nationally 2. Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) -- No. 8 nationally 3. Chase Mielnik (Dowington West, Pa.) 4. Jason Henderson (Delaware Valley, Pa.) 220: 1. Kyonte Hamilton (Georgetown Prep, Md.) -- No. 3 nationally 2. Cory Johnston (Glendale, Pa.) 3. Michael Toranzo (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) 4. Adam Young (Shikellamy, Pa.) 285: 1. Cole Deery (Malvern Prep, Pa.) -- No. 13 nationally 2. Lear Quinton (Southern Columbia, Pa.) 3. Jim Mullen (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) 4. Blake Lambert (Northampton, Pa.)

The 2020 NCAA heavyweight season heats up this weekend. No. 1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota and No. 2 Mason Parris of Michigan could meet during Sunday's Minnesota vs. Michigan dual meet in Ann Arbor. The recent announcement the defending NCAA champion Anthony Cassar would be out for the season, and the return of Steveson off suspension, shook the top of the rankings. Now, with only eight weeks before Big Tens the two top-ranked heavyweights will get their first opportunity to measure their offseason gains. Big men attract attention and it's good for college wrestling to have someone as outspoken (and Brock-aligned) as Steveson facing off against an athletic freak like Parris. Thought they somehow missed each other in 2019, the two are sure to create fireworks for the rest of the season and for two more years. That future and the type o must-watch rivalry match this might become makes me excited for the future of the weight class. Let's also not forget that this rivalry and the additional training being put in by Steveson and Parris will also pay off for the 2020 Olympic team. While Nick Gwiazdowski is the top guy he is certain to be pushed by Steveson and Parris and create the type of competition that makes all three better and helps improve the chances for Team USA to earn a medal at 125 kilograms in Tokyo. To your questions … Sarah Hildebrandt after winning gold at the Pan American Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What do you think of Sarah Hildebrandt dropping to 50 kilograms for the Olympic year? Do you view her as the favorite to make the U.S. team? How do you see her stacking up against the world? -- Mike C. Foley: I think that a runner-up finish at 53 kilograms makes her a definitive favorite to make the United States team at 50 kilograms. There is a lot of talent at the lower weights with Vicky Anthony and Whitney Condor, but so far they haven't created a lot of success on the international level. I got to watch Hildebrandt wrestle several times last year and it was somewhat obvious that she was outmuscled by India, Japan, North Korea and China. She had successes, but she's thinner than most of those 53-kilogram women and was unlikely to flip those results in 2020. Also, if she knew that Jacarra Winchester was coming down to 53 kilograms she may have made the decision (wise IMO) to get out her way. As for medaling … sure? I don't know that she can beat Maria Stadnyk (Azerbaijan) and I'm 98% certain nobody is beating Yui Susaki (Japan). I think Yanan Sun (China) is a guaranteed medalist too. Overall it may just depend on where she lands in the bracket because I do think Hildebrandt can beat Alina Vuc (Romania) and Valentina Islamova (Kazakhstan). Oh, but first, someone has to qualify for the Olympic Games and then earn their spot on the team. The wrestle-off for the Pan Am Qualification spot is Feb. 8 featuring Hildebrandt vs. Condor. Q: What do you think of the head coaching endowment at Drexel? How many wrestling programs have this? -- Mike C. Foley: I'm not sure how many programs have a full endowment, but I do know that Cornell, Columbia, Penn, Harvard, Penn State and Princeton all have endowments. I think that Bucknell's program is endowed, though I don't think it's just the head coaching position. There are certainly a bunch more that I'm missing, but those are the ones that I can recall quickly. (Big Ten and Big 12 schools must have a few.) For Drexel, a program that could be seen as an at-risk program under normal conditions, this is a huge relief. This all but guarantees existence. There could be future funding cuts at the school level, but to get the endowment working on your behalf and supplementing the investment by the school and annual fundraising is a huge help for Drexel, and any other program. A subtle effect is that more programs will be prompted to look for these types of generous donations. They are extremely effective and in a year when JP Morgan made $36.4 billion dollars, I'm sure there are some alumni who have the means to support extra giving. Q: Who do you think will win the women's spots at the wrestle-offs for the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier? 50 kilograms: Whitney Conder vs. Sarah Hildebrandt (best of three) 53kg: Katherine Shai vs. Haley Augello (prelim match), Shai/Augello winner vs. Jacarra Winchester (best of three) 57 kilograms: Helen Maroulis vs. Alli Ragan (prelim match), Maroulis/Ragan winner vs. Jenna Burkert (best of three) Foley: Sarah Hildebrandt looks in good shape to take the best of three at 50 kilograms, but let's see how she performs today at the Matteo Pellicone. Jacarra should take 53 kilograms and Helen at 57 kilograms (if she's healthy!). Q: How will the freestyle team that competes at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier be chosen? -- Mike C. Foley: The men are whoever was on the 2019 World Team. David Taylor has the first optionality at 86 kilograms since he was the defending world champion when he was injured. That should exclude Pat Downey, but it really just depends on David Taylor and how he's feeling. Other than that I think the lineup is unchanged from what we saw in Nur-Sultan. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Hildebrandt discusses the drop to 50 kilograms Kamal Bey Q: On riding time, since everyone is chiming in, why not just do a hybrid of freestyle and folkstyle? Keep the riding time point, but simply put wrestlers back on their feet after 30 seconds. Some people will argue that the bottom wrestler might be close to getting a reversal/escape or the top person about to turn, but they had their shot in 30 seconds and now go back on their feet regardless of where they are. This would at least push some more action on their feet. Thoughts? -- Andy S. Foley: The main issue is that the bottom man would be heavily incentivize to not "open up" and would instead do everything to simply clam up. Remember that in folkstyle wrestling there is both an incentive to escape (1 point) and a disincentive to clam up (stall warning). The effect is to keep the action moving from once they hit the mat. I don't think we can split the difference, but a shot clock of sorts is probably one thought closer to the solution. If the riding time point doesn't exist there is WAY less riding in college wrestling which would create more standing wrestling and thus more action. Add in a point for the step out and action will increase dramatically and somewhat eliminate these long boring matches where I have to watch some kid try to ride another kid like it's the rodeo. (That is NOT wrestling as it was envisioned in its purest form.) 1. Kill riding time 2. Add step out 3. Enjoy action Q: How would you rank the No. 1-ranked wrestlers from most likely NCAA champ to least likely NCAA champ? -- Mike C. Foley: 184: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 174: Mark Hall (Penn State) 149: Pat Lugo (Iowa) 133: Seth Gross (Wisconsin) 157: Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 197: Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 141: Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)

BOONE, N.C. -- As the lead continued to increase, so did the noise inside Varsity Gym. Takedowns on the mat repeatedly brought fans to their feet. App State posted its most impressive showing of the season and extended its winning streak to five matches with a 29-10 dual victory Thursday against Lock Haven, which is unofficially No. 31 in the NWCA Coaches Poll as the sixth-place team in the others receiving votes category. A year after suffering a lopsided loss to the Bald Eagles, the Mountaineers (5-2) rolled to a decisive win thanks to victories by Codi Russell (133 pounds), Jonathan Millner (149), Matt Zovistoski (157), Will Formato (165), Thomas Flitz (174), Julian Gorring (184) and Cary Miller (285). In addition to Millner's pin and Zovistoski's tech fall, dramatic two-point wins for Russell and Flitz sent the App State fans into a frenzy. "I was really pumped," App State head coach JohnMark Bentley said. "I thought our guys wrestled really well. We looked motivated and hungry, which is something I wanted to see. We had an opportunity to wrestle a team that beat us pretty convincingly last year at their place, and getting a chance to wrestle them on our home mat was really good. Just a lot of great efforts tonight." Russell trailed 3-2 after two periods and used a tiebreaking takedown with 53 seconds left to earn a 5-3 decision against DJ Fehlman, who had beaten Russell last year in the dual at Lock Haven and in the NCAA Championships. With Lock Haven (5-3) ahead 7-3 after three matches, Millner took a 2-0 lead into the second period against Brock Port before using an escape and takedown to set up a pin midway through the period, and Zovistoski turned a 5-0 lead entering the third period against Collin Glorioso into a 21-6 tech fall thanks to a whopping seven takedowns in the final 90 seconds. In rapid succession, Zovistoski repeatedly took down his exhausted opponent, cut him loose and succeeded in going for two more points. Leading 14-7 going into the halfway-point intermission, App State fed off the bonus-point surge and crowd excitement to win the next three matches, starting with Will Formato's 4-0 decision against Austin Bell. Formato rode out the second period in a scoreless match and took control with a reversal early in the third. Flitz then used a takedown with 12 seconds left in the Tiebreaker-2 period to win a 4-2 decision against Jared Siegrist, who had defeated Flitz in the 2019 dual at Lock Haven. Tied 2-2 after three periods, they went through a scoreless Sudden Victory period to enter a pair of 30-second tiebreakers that gave each wrestler a chance to escape from the down position. Flitz executed an escape in the first one, and Siegrist did the same in the next one, but Flitz responded with a takedown 10 seconds later and road out his opponent. The Mountaineers increased their lead to 23-7 when true freshman Julian Gorring claimed a 6-1 decision against Ray Bernot while competing against a team from his home state of Pennsylvania. With App State ahead 23-10 going into the final match, Lock Haven opted to not send its heavyweight out to face Miller, who added six points with a win by forfeit. The Bald Eagles picked up wins at 125 from 25th-ranked Luke Werner, at 141 from Kyle Shoop, a 2019 All-American, and at 197 from Parker McClellan. Even in defeat against ranked opponents, App State limited the damage as Lock Haven finished one point shy of a major decision at 125 and one point shy of a tech fall at 141. With Lock Haven strong at the lower weights, App State held a 9-7 lead after Millner's pin in the fourth match instead of being tied, in part, because of the way the two losses ended. That set the stage for Zovistoski's big win. The 2019-20 wrestling season for App State is presented by Hungry Howies, and the Mountaineers return to action next Thursday, Jan. 23, against Duke. Results: 125: #25 Luke Werner (LH) def. Sean Carter (APP), 7-0 dec. 133: Codi Russell (APP) def. DJ Fehlman (LH), 5-3 dec. 141: #20 Kyle Shoop (LH) def. Bradley Irwin (APP), 14-0 maj. dec. 149: #20 Jonathan Millner (APP) def. Brock Port (LH), fall, 4:10 157: #19 Matt Zovistoski (APP) def. Collin Glorioso (LH), 21-6 tech. fall 165: Will Formato (APP) def. Austin Bell (LH), 4-0 dec. 174: Thomas Flitz (APP) def. Jared Siegrist (LH), 4-2 dec. (TB-2) 184: Julian Gorring (APP) def. Ray Bernot (LH), 6-1 dec. 197: Parker McClellan (LH) def. Paul Carson (APP), 4-0 dec. 285: #25 Cary Miller (APP) def. Trey Hartsock (LH), forfeit

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Edinboro wrestling team improved to 9-4 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-American Conference on Thursday night, edging Bloomsburg, 19-16, at Nelson Field House. The Fighting Scots rallied for the win thanks to decisions by Dylan Reynolds and Jon Spaulding at 197 lbs. and heavyweight, respectively. The Fighting Scots would find themselves trailing 13-6 midway through the match, as Bloomsburg picked up bonus points at 133 lbs. and 157 lbs. The match began with Lucas Rodriguez improving to 13-7 with a 9-7 decision over Christian Gannone at 125 lbs. Rodriguez, a redshirt sophomore, jumped out to an 8-2 lead after one period on the strength of a takedown, four nearfall points, and a reversal. Josh Mason (11-5) gave the Huskies a 6-3 lead as he won by fall over freshman Tye Varndell at 133 lbs., with the pin coming at 1:52. Varndell is now 13-7. Edinboro's Nate Hagan would claim a 9-4 decision at 141 lbs. over Marlon Argueta-Diaz. Hagan registered four takedowns while improving to 10-7. Bloomsburg boosted its advantage to 13-6 with back-to-back wins at 149 and 157 lbs. Aaron Coleman (7-5) handed Tyler Vath (9-10) a 4-1 defeat at 149 lbs., and Alex Carida (10-7) followed with a 12-4 major decision over Peter Pappas (14-8) at 157 lbs. Derek Ciavarro would upset Nate Newberry, who came in ranked sixth in the MAC rankings at 165 lbs., via a 7-4 decision. Ciavarro trailed 3-2 after one period, but would record a takedown in both the second and third periods. He is now 10-8 while Newberry dropped to 10-7. Jacob Oliver pulled the Fighting Scots even at 13-13 as the redshirt sophomore recorded Edinboro's lone bonus point win. He prevailed 9-1 with a big third period. While dominating the first two periods, he led just 2-0. He would add on a reversal, two nearfall points, and a takedown in the final two minutes. Oliver is now 16-4 while winning his sixth straight match. Redshirt freshman Cody Mulligan (13-8) fell just shy of upsetting 15th-ranked Trevor Allard (15-1) at 184 lbs. Allard used a first period takedown and one late in the third period for a 5-2 decision, giving the Huskies a 16-13 advantage. Dylan Reynolds (14-7) pulled the Fighting Scots even at 16-16 with a 3-2 decision over Kyle Murphy at 197 lbs., giving Reynolds 70 career wins. The redshirt senior broke a 1-1 tie with a takedown at the 1:25 mark of the third period. That left it up to Spaulding and Bloomsburg's Jarrett Walters to decide the outcome. Spaulding would leave little doubt while winning for the sixth time in his last seven matches. The junior opened up a 4-1 lead after one period with a pair of takedowns, then expanded the lead to 10-4 after two periods with three more takedowns. He would end with six takedowns while posting a 14-7 decision to improve to 16-5. Walters Is now 10-8.4 Edinboro completes its two-match eastern swing on Friday night at Rider. Results: 125 lbs. - Lucas Rodriguez (EU) dec. Christian Gannone (BU), 9-7 (EU leads 3-0) 133 lbs. - Josh Mason (BU) fall over Tye Varndell (EU), 1:52 (BU leads 6-3) 141 lbs. - Nate Hagan (EU) dec. Marlon Argueta-Diaz (BU), 9-4 (Tied at 6-6) 149 lbs. - Aaron Coleman (BU) dec. Tyler Vath (EU), 4-1 (BU leads 9-6) 157 lbs. - Alex Carida (BU) maj. dec. Peter Pappas (EU), 12-4 (BU leads 13-6) 165 lbs. - Derek Ciavarro (EU) dec. Nate Newberry (BU), 7-4 (BU leads 13-9) 174 lbs. - Jacob Oliver (EU) maj. dec. Anthony Vetrano (BU), 9-1 (Tied at 13-13) 184 lbs. - #15 Trevor Allard (BU) dec. Cody Mulligan (EU), 5-2 (BU leads 16-13) 197 lbs. - Dylan Reynolds (EU) dec. Kyle Murphy (BU), 3-2 (Tied at 16-16) Hwt. - Jon Spaulding (EU) dec. Jarrett Walters (BU), 14-7 (EU leads 19-16) RECORDS: Edinboro 9-4, 3-2 MAC; Bloomsburg 2-4, 0-3 MAC

Jahi Jones (Photo/Maryland Athletics) ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference office announced today that it publicly reprimands Maryland wrestler Jahi Jones for violating the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy following the 157-pound match vs. Rider University at the Virginia Duals on Jan. 11. Jones was disqualified for the remainder of the event after he struck an opposing wrestler as the two came to center circle to shake hands at the conclusion of the match. The conference also supports Maryland's suspension of Jones for his actions. He will serve his suspension through the conclusion of Maryland's next two scheduled duals on Friday, Jan. 17 at Michigan and Sunday, Jan. 19 at Michigan State. Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01 states in part that "The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials." The Big Ten Conference considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.

Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep) gets his hand raised after winning a Doc B title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Beat the Streets Chicago has organized for a second straight year the Beat the Streets Brawl, which will be held this Saturday at Oak Park River Forest (Ill.). Like last year, the field is again loaded with top end teams from across the country and has some other events tied to it. The event also serves as a key fundraiser for the sponsoring organization, which is helping to provide wrestling and related programming to boys and girls in the city of Chicago. Saturday's event has a youth clinic being conducted by Kyven Gadson from 9 a.m. to noon CT in addition to the four rounds of dual meet competition. The dual meet competition results, brackets, and streaming will be available on TrackWrestling.com The eight teams are split into two pools as follows: Pool 1: No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.), No. 24 Broken Arrow (Okla.), No. 25 Liberty (Mo.), and Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) Pool 2: No. 6 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 7 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), No. 14 Tuttle (Okla.), and No. 43 Fort Dodge (Okla.) Below is the schedule of matches: 10 a.m. CT: Oak Park River Forest vs. Montini Catholic, Broken Arrow vs. Liberty; Lake Highland Prep vs. Fort Dodge, Tuttle vs Bergen Catholic Noon: Montini Catholic vs. Liberty, Broken Arrow vs. Oak Park River Forest; Lake Highland Prep vs. Tuttle, Bergen Catholic vs. Fort Dodge 2 p.m.: Montini Catholic vs. Broken Arrow, Oak Park River Forest vs. Liberty; Tuttle vs. Fort Dodge, Lake Highland Prep vs Bergen Catholic 4 p.m.: Crossover matches based on finish in preliminary pool The following are projected lineups for each of the competing teams: No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.) 106: Joseph Fernau, 16U Nationals double All-American 113: Nick Gonalez, state runner-up 120: Nain Vazquez, two-time state 4th place 126: No. 8 Dylan Ragusin 132: Ethan Stiles, 16U Nationals freestyle All-American 138: Braden Stauffenberg 145: No. 15 Fidel Mayora 152: Joe Roberts, two-time state placer 160: Brayden Thompson, 16U Nationals freestyle All-American 170: Cooper Wettig 182: Trevor Swier, three-time state qualifier (2019 state 3rd place) 195: Josh LaBarbera, two-time state qualifier 220: Nathan Wenstrom 285: Colin Baker No. 6 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) 106: Eligh Rivera, 6th place Walsh Ironman 113: David McClelland 120: Danny Nini, two-time state placer (2018 state champion) 126: Jake Wohltman, three-time state placer 132: No. 15 Chris Rivera 138: No. 7 Justin Rivera 145: TBD 152: No. 12 Noah Castillo 160: Dominic Isola, two-time state placer 170: Bailey Flanagan, 2018 state placer 182: Hunter Brinkman, state 5th place 195: Easton Tobia 220: Matthew Kaplan, state champ 285: Francisco Tobar No. 7 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) 106: Aiden Wallace 113: No. 14 Joseph Cangro 120: Nick Kayal, three-time state placer 126: No. 3 Robert Howard or Riley Halal 132: No. 17 Dylan Cedeno 138: *Will Grater (two-time state 8th place) or Eric Broadie 145: No. 16 Joseph Zargo 152: Alex Strashinsky, state 6th place 160: Nate Camiscioli, 6th place Doc Buchanan (at 152) 170: Justin Onello 182: Jack Patti 195: John Fiore 220: Nate Lewis or Nicholas Fuccilli 285: *Remy Brancotta (state qualifier) or Rafi Bailey *transfer in from other school, may or may not be eligible this week due to "sit-out" rule No. 14 Tuttle (Okla.) 106: Braden Potts 113: Ashton Grounds, two-time state 3rd place 120: *Garrett Steidley (two-time state champ) or Braden Hughart 126: Reese Davis, state runner-up 132: Dalton Burdick 138: Ryder Ramsey, two-time state champ 145: Bryce Dauphin, state runner-up 152: Brady DeArmond, state champ 160: Gage Shetley 170: **Luke Surber (two-time state champ/three-time state finalist) or Sam Schmidt 182: **Dustin Plott (two-time state champ/three-time state finalist) or Parrish Terry 195: Harley Andrews, state runner-up 220: Colin Naney, 2018 state runner-up 285: Korben Graham *has been out for recent events due to injury **has been out season-to-date due to injury, Oklahoma State signee was a Junior National freestyle All-American this past summer No. 24 Broken Arrow (Okla.) 106: Christian Forbes, 16U Nationals double All-American 113: Parker Witcraft 120: Bryce Cockrell, state 3rd place 126: Jackson Cockrell, state runner-up 132: Blazik Perez, two-time state qualifier 138: Jared Hill, two-time state placer 145: Chris Moores 152: William Martin 160: Tye Rozell, state qualifier 170: Bryce Mattioda, three-time state placer/two-time state runner-up 182: Zeno Marcheselli 195: Emmanuel Skillings, state champ 220: Mitchell Banning 285: Marlon Welty No. 25 Liberty (Mo.) 106: Mason Younghans 113: Easton Hilton, state champ 120: No. 5 Jeremiah Reno 126: Ayden Dolt, state qualifier (also Preseason Nationals FR/SO champ) 132: Kyle Dutton, state 4th place 138: Kage Lenger, two-time state qualifier (2018 state placer) 145: Logan Rathjen, state qualifier 152: Jacob Lynn, 2018 state 6th place 160: Drake Smith, state 3rd place 170: Wentric Williams III, state 6th place 182: No. 4 Greyden Penner 195: Jack Horn 220: Callum Trester 285: Nick Biesemeyer No. 43 Fort Dodge (Iowa) 106: Max Bishop 113: Lane Cowell, state 4th place 120: No. 2 Drake Ayala 126: Carson Taylor, state champ/2x state placer 132: Brooks Cowell, state 5th place 138: Dreyzon Phillips, state qualifier 145: Brandon Mills 152: Kody Cook, state qualifier 160: Savion Wheat, state qualifier 170: Dylan Zimmerman 182: Austin Lee, 2018 state qualifier 195: Levi Egli, 2018 state 5th place 220: Sawyer Springer 285: Colton Munter Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) 106: Zavien Stewart 113: Jalen Dunson 120: Connor Nagela 126: No. 9 Jacob Rundell 132: Nico Bolivar, state 5th place/3x state qualifier 138: TBD 145: Joshua Ogunsanya, state 4th place 152: Joe Chapman, two-time state placer 160: Stephon Carr 170: Adrian Palmares 182: Danny Lingen, state qualifier 195: No. 15 Daemyen Middlebrooks 220: Malcolm Gray 285: Fabian Gonzalez

Gable Steveson defeated Wisconsin's Trent Hillger, 10-5, last Friday in Minneapolis (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) This weekend was set to feature a match between the top two dual meet teams. However, No. 8 Nebraska suffered an upset against No. 7 Wisconsin last weekend and tumbled down the rankings. Their match against No. 1 Iowa still features some very interesting individual matches, and the rest of the weekend is packed with ranked wrestlers taking on tough opponents. The highlight of the weekend has to be at heavyweight. No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) decided against a freestyle trip overseas, and he is scheduled to face off against No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan). The following is a preview of the top dual matches going down this weekend. 125: No. 5 Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) vs. No. 19 Logan Treaster (Navy) Paetzell has somewhat quietly had a very nice season so far and worked his way up the rankings. He is currently 10-2 on the season with his only two losses coming against No. 4 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) and No. 3 Pat Glory (Princeton). He went all the way to overtime with Glory before ultimately falling in sudden victory. Since that bout, he has won seven straight matches and defeated Brandon Meredith (Penn State), No. 15 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) and Dack Punke (Missouri) among others. After two seasons in a reserve role, Treaster has found his way into the starting lineup for Navy this year. He has gone 14-5 so far this year. At the Southern Scuffle, he picked up a signature win over No. 16 Nicolas Aguilar (Rutgers), which greatly contributed to his debut in the rankings. Last weekend he scored a 2-0 decision over Brandon Seidman (Bucknell). Paetzell has the veteran savvy to control the pace and take a close match at this level. It should be an interesting match, and it might be a good preview of an early round EIWA match. Look for Treaster to be a game opponent but ultimately come up short. Prediction: Paetzell (Lehigh) decision over Treaster (Navy) 133: No. 4 Chas Tucker (Cornell) vs. No. 9 Sammy Alvarez (Rutgers) In 2018, Tucker seemingly came out of nowhere to upset No. 2 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) at the EIWA Championships. However, he has not really lived up to that potential with two straight qualifying appearances and zero trips to the podium. However, Tucker has been outstanding so far this season. After getting a late start to the season due to a trip to the U23 World Championships, he has already built a 19-0 record on the season. Tucker has scored signature victories over No. 8 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) and No. 15 Todd Small (Iowa State). There has certainly been some speed bumps along the way for Alvarez, but he appears to be rounding into form. He won the Southern Scuffle and has since picked up back-to-back dual victories over No. 16 Jordan Decatur (Ohio State) and Garrett Pepple (Michigan State). After some early season losses, it looked like it would be a long season for the true freshman. Now, it looks like he may be able to make a run at All-America honors. The knock on Tucker has been that can be too conservative and defensive. While he has not lit the world on fire with offense this year, he has been able to score in spurts to pull away from opponents. He will likely need to play that card to escape with a win over Alvarez here. Prediction: Tucker (Cornell) decision over Alvarez (Rutgers) 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) vs. No. 7 Tristan Moran (Wisconsin) Not only has Pletcher cemented himself as the top wrestler at 141 pounds this season, but he has also been scoring at a higher rate than ever before. In his last five matches, he has scored bonus points in all but one of his matches. The only wrestler to escape giving up bonus points during the stretch was No. 3 Mitch McKee (Minnesota). This will be another tough test for Pletcher as the season inches closer to an ultimate showdown against No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State). Moran had himself quite a weekend. On Friday he scored a one-point upset over McKee before returning on Sunday and taking out No. 9 Chad Red (Nebraska) on Sunday. He fell behind early against Red, but he was able to turn his opponent twice with a cradle to win 9-4. Moran is now 15-2 on the season and climbing up the rankings. Pletcher's ability to control and push the pace should make him the favorite in this match. However, Moran has always introduced a level of danger with his ability to scramble. Even with Pletcher favored to take the match, it could easily turn into a bout with fireworks. Prediction: Pletcher (Ohio State) major decision over Moran (Wisconsin) 149: No. 5 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) vs. No. 9 Kanen Storr (Michigan) In his first season in the lineup Lee has shot up the rankings with a 12-2 record. The redshirt freshman had his best performance of the season to date at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. On the way to the championship, he won all five of his matches including wins over Josh Maruca (Arizona State), No. 10 Brock Zacherl (Clarion), No. 12 Max Thomsen (UNI) and No. 6 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State). The original plan was for Storr to take a redshirt this year, but he has since returned to the lineup. He had mixed results at the Midlands where he defeated Nate Limmex (Purdue) and No. 15 Cole Martin (Wisconsin) but dropped matches against Vince Turk (Iowa) and No. 8 Kizhan Clarke (American). Including matches he wrestled while under redshirt, his record for the season stands at 11-3. Lee has been a hammer this season, and he could end up sneaking his way into the title picture at the end of the year. Storr has always been a tough out, but he struggles when he is not able to get out to an early lead in matches. Look for Lee to control this one from start to finish. Prediction: Lee (Minnesota) decision over Storr (Michigan) 157: No. 7 Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) vs. No. 14 Larry Early (Old Dominion) In his senior season Dellavecchia has led the Broncs to a strong start. They started the year with an upset victory over Minnesota, and this past weekend they knocked off Duke, Maryland and Virginia to win the Virginia Duals. Dellavecchia himself has gone 20-2 with victories over No. 15 Markus Hartman (Army) and No. 5 Quincy Monday (Princeton). Many expected a step forward from Early after he became an All-American for the first time last year. He had a tough stretch early in the season as he lost three straight matches against No. 2 Hayden Hidlay (NC State), Justin Ruffin (SIU Edwardsville) and No. 13 Jarrett Jacques (Missouri). However, since that string of losses, Early has gotten back on track with seven straight wins including victories over Justin McCoy (Virginia) and No. 16 Anthony Artalona (Penn). This should be an interesting test for both wrestlers. Dellavecchia has been able to open up with his offense at times this year and picked up some wins that surprised people. However, Early really only struggles when people are able to match him in the control tie positions. In this bout, he should be able to get his hands on his opponent and move him around the mat. It would be an impressive win for either wrestler. Prediction: Early (Old Dominion) decision over Dellavecchia (Rider) 165: No. 5 Isaiah White (Nebraska) vs. No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) This was slated to be a top-three match until White ran into rival No. 4 Evan Wick (Wisconsin) last weekend. White came in as the higher ranked wrestler but lost to Wick yet again. That was the lone loss of White's season so far as he came into that bout with a perfect 12-0 record, which included victories over No. 13 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) and No. 6 Josh Shields (Arizona State). For the third year in a row, Marinelli has started his season with an extensive winning streak. This year, he has also stepped up his bonus production. He has won all 12 of his matches and scored seven falls. Marinelli has already picked up signature victories over Wick, No. 16 Phillip Conigliaro (Harvard), No. 18 Zach Hartman (Bucknell) and No. 3 David McFadden (Virginia Tech). These two met last year, and Marinelli was able to make a difference with his riding ability. He failed to surrender a single point and took a 3-0 decision. In theory, White could make some noise in this contest if he is able to maintain range and shoot from the outside. However, Marinelli make it a point to close that distance and then control. Look for a similar result in the rematch. Prediction: Marinelli (Iowa) decision over White (Nebraska) 174: No. 6 Michael Labriola (Nebraska) vs. No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) Labriola brings a 13-3 record into this match with all three of his losses coming against wrestlers currently ranked in the top five. Since finishing third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, he has picked up back-to-back dual victories. On the season, Labriola has defeated the likes of No. 13 Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley), No. 7 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota), and No. 9 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State). The story of Kemerer prior to last weekend was that he clearly had the talent to be a contender at this weight, but he was largely untested after moving up two weight classes. He came into his bout against No. 4 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) with only five matches under his belt, but he got it done anyway. After a scoreless first period, Kemerer took off in the latter periods and finished with an 8-4 decision victory. Last weekend Kemerer showed that a lot of his game from 157 pounds translates against the highest levels of 174 pounds. With that being said, Labriola is much more offensive than Lydy. In this match Kemerer's defense will be put to the test. He remains the favorite, but there are plenty of interesting tests in the Big Ten before he matches up against No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State). Prediction: Kemerer (Iowa) decision over Labriola (Nebraska) 184: No. 2 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 6 Louie DePrez (Binghamton) The ACC as a whole is having a strong season, and wrestlers like Bolen are a big part of that success. He has gone 16-1 on the season with his only defeat coming in the form of a two-match split against No. 4 Taylor Lujan (UNI). They wrestled twice at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Bolen took one match 9-7, while Lujan took the other 10-8. After winning the Southern Scuffle and getting revenge against No. 3 Trent Hidlay (NC State), it looked like DePrez might be on the way to cementing himself as the second best wrestler at this weight behind only No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State). However, last weekend he ran into No. 20 Chris Weiler (Lehigh), who pulled the upset. DePrez could easily regain his status with a strong win over Bolen here. These two met earlier this season, and Bolen took an 8-3 decision win. He should be able to duplicate that performance here, but both of these wrestlers end up in a fair amount of wild matches. Prediction: Bolen (Virginia Tech) decision over DePrez (Binghamton) 197: No. 10 Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Noah Adams (West Virginia) Geer began the year as one of the top returning place winners at this weight. He finished sixth at the NCAA tournament last year to become an All-American for the first time. Geer has had some bumps along the road this year, but he has built a 13-3 record. After dropping a pair of matches at the Southern Scuffle, he got back on track with a second-period technical fall over Sethan Bogulski (Northern Colorado) last weekend. Adams has pushed his way all the way up to the No. 2 spot at this weight with an undefeated 22-0 record. Along the way he picked up the tournament title at the Southern Scuffle where he defeated Ethan Laird (Rider), Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado) and Nathan Traxler (Stanford). Adams was an NCAA qualifier last year, but he did not show this kind of promise and finished with 15 losses. 197 pounds has been mostly wide open this year, and he could easily take advantage. By the time this match happens it will be 364 days since their last encounter. In that bout Geer took home a 10-6 decision in what was mostly a one sided match. At the start of this year, many would expect a repeat performance. However, Adams' momentum in nothing to be ignored. With that being said, Geer has rebounded well from tough matches this season and should break through with a win here. Prediction: Geer (Oklahoma State) decision over Adams (West Virginia) 285: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) Steveson had been scheduled to head to Rome as part of the Team USA contingent at the Matteo Pellicone International. Instead, he will stick around and battle the second ranked heavyweight in the country. Since returning to the lineup this year, the three-time world champion has won six straight matches including a pair of falls and three major decisions. Last weekend he knocked off his highest ranked opponent as he bested No. 5 Trent Hilger (Wisconsin), 10-5. After making some noise in his true freshman season, Parris finished the year in the round of 12. This year he has gotten off to a hot start and won his first 17 matches. The Michigan wrestler has picked up victories over the likes of No. 4 Matt Stencel (Central Michigan), No. 8 Demetrius Thomas (Pittsburgh), No. 6 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) and No. 11 Carter Isley (Northern Iowa). With Anthony Cassar's season ending due to injury, Steveson has become the prohibitive favorite at heavyweight. However, he will still need to get through a few tough young wrestlers. Parris is one of the most physically gifted heavyweights in recent memory, but he is still clearly learning on the job. At this point, Steveson is the much more polished commodity. Look for him to take care of business and pass this test. Prediction: Steveson (Minnesota) decision over Parris (Michigan)

A look inside U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, site of the 2020 NCAAs (Photo/Trex Commercial Products) Who will be the winners at the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships? Months before the first wrestler steps onto the mat, the individuals who will come out on top are thousands of additional fans who will be able to see the Nationals in person for the first time, thanks to the fact the next NCAAs will be held at an indoor football stadium for the first time. U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis -- home to the NFL Minnesota Vikings -- will be the venue for the 2020 NCAAs from March 19 through March 21. This totally enclosed venue -- which resembles a huge, glassy Viking ship -- has a seating capacity of 66,860 for football, and 72,711 for the 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball Final Four. These seating capacities are more than three times that of typical basketball/hockey arenas that have hosted NCAA Division I championships for the past few decades. And that means significantly more amateur wrestling fans will have the opportunity to witness in THE major event of the college wrestling season in person. Indoor football stadium already looks like a winner Back in December, a number of newspapers and wrestling websites reported that the NCAA was already celebrating impressive sales figures for the 2020 NCAA Division I mat championships. (Tickets for the event first went on sale during the 2019 NCAAs.) Here's what Jim Carlson of PennLive.com had to say about the situation last month: "NCAA officials already have learned -- at more than three months out -- that if they hold the sport's most colossal function in a professional football stadium, people will come. How many remains to be seen, but it's more than a safe assumption to think that the six-session record of 113,743 set in Cleveland in 2018 will fall during the Friday morning quarterfinal round, and the single-session mark of 19,776 will tumble before the opening pigtail bouts." To put those numbers in perspective ... college wrestling programs have already sold approximately 18,000 tickets to the general public for the 2020 NCAAs. Given the size of recent NCAA wrestling venues -- with 18,000-19,000 seats -- that usually means only about 1,000-1,500 tickets have been available to individual buyers not affiliated with a college. So ... how many tickets does the NCAA expect to sell for the 2020 Division I Nationals? Anthony Holman, NCAA Managing Director of Championships and Alliance, said a total figure of tickets sold could number 43,000 to 44,000 -- approximately two-and-a-half times what has been sold in recent years. "To get to that 43/44,000 number, they're taking the 18,000 -- roughly -- that we sold to the general public, and then the 20-plus thousand that are being held for institution allotments and then another 2,300 or so that are part of suites (144 of them) that are also already sold out," Holman said. "That number is accurate with the assumption and understanding that the institutions who have historically requested 300 times the number of tickets we've had available, is the assumption that they take all of the tickets that are made available to them. Yeah, we'll be at that 43 number for sure." "We were coming off of six consecutive years of sellouts and venues that were between 15,000 to 18,000, and the demand for tickets continued to grow," according to Holman. "We were historically cutting the number of tickets that were requested by our institutions by 40 and 50%. So, we thought that capacity was certainly something that was important to provide an opportunity to give folks an opportunity to celebrate this wonderful championship." More seats = more opportunities to attract new fans The NCAA's decision to use an indoor football stadium for its 2020 Division I wrestling championships opens the door to not only welcoming more fans, but also draw new fans who have never had the opportunity to witness the event in person. "Our demographic certainly skews to older men. And we typically have somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 to 90% repeat attendees, and in recent years has been as much as 93%," according to the NCAA's Holman. "It's been a focused and concentrated effort in places where we've gone to New York, for example, where we had 22% first-time attendees there. We're hoping to see that number increase even greater in Minnesota, and that's intentional." "We certainly love and appreciate our avid fans, but we want to introduce the sport and this tremendous championship to the next generation of fans as well and being in Minnesota will give us that opportunity to do that." Bigger venue = more space for participants, too There's yet another benefit to having the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in an indoor football stadium that even the most experienced fan (or wrestling media member) may not have ever considered. "While the arenas that we've been in have been really nice, we're always tight for floor space and competition space, as well as back-of-the-house space for student athletes to gather, to lounge in between competitions so those were just a couple of the key factors that went into the idea and thought process around moving to the stadium," according to Holman. "We want to provide the best experience we can for our student-athletes. That's where we start and finish. Part of doing that is, and they tell us in their surveys, is being able to participate in front of large numbers of fans and folks that enjoy the sport is important," Holman said. The path to the supersized 2020 NCAAs: 80-plus years in the making In the nearly 90-year history of NCAA wrestling championships, the size -- and seating capacities -- of host venues has grown over the years. Up until about 20-25 years ago, the national college mat championships took place in facilities that averaged 4,000-8,000 seats. The very first NCAAs -- in 1928 -- were held at the Iowa State Armory on the Iowa State campus, a 7,500-seat facility that hosted indoor Cyclone sports such as basketball and wrestling until Hilton Coliseum opened in the early 1970s. Nearly three decades later, the 1957 NCAAs (where Iowa's Simon Roberts became the first African-American to win a national mat title) were held at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse at the University of Pittsburgh with 4,100 seats ... while, the following year, the University of Wyoming hosted the 1958 NCAAs at their 9,500-seat War Memorial Fieldhouse. A dozen years later, the 1970 NCAAs were at Northwestern's McGaw Hall (now Welsh-Ryan Arena), where nearly 8,000 fans saw University of Washington's Larry Owings hand Dan Gable his first loss ever in his combined high school and collegiate mat career. Note that all the facilities mentioned above were located on the campus of the host school. A couple decades ago, the NCAAs started to move away from on-campus venues, opting to switch to larger arenas with 15,000-19,000 seats in major cities. (The last on-campus NCAAs were held at iconic Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2001.) The decision to hold the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at an indoor football stadium continues the long-running tradition of "bigger and better" venues. What does the future hold? What's next after the last match is wrestled at the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in March? You might be surprised to learn that the next two Nationals will NOT be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis -- nor at another supersized indoor football stadium -- but at more traditional-sized basketball/hockey arenas with 15,000-19,000 seats, thanks to a bid process conducted by the NCAA a few years ago which selected sites for the mat championships for 2019-2022. As announced in April 2017, the NCAA championships will return to St. Louis in 2021 (held at a familiar venue you may remember as Scottrade Center, now with a new name, Enterprise Center) ... then, the following year, to the new Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit in 2022. What's next? No venues have chosen beyond 2022. However, the bidding process is already underway to determine host sites in 2023 through 2026 ... with the selections to be announced later this year. If the 2020 NCAAs prove to be the success that many anticipate, does that mean more football stadiums will host the NCAAs in the future? Back in December, the NCAA's Anthony Holman said, "I think, again, no promises, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are other opportunities around stadiums going forward should this be successful. I anticipate that we certainly will receive some bids from other stadiums. Folks will be tracking on the success of this for sure." "We want more people," said Holman. "We want a celebration of wrestling. We want as many people to take part in that celebration as possible." This story also appears in the Jan. 17 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Carlos Jacquez is tied for the most technical falls in Division II (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. For falls and tech falls to be counted for the awards they must come against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. The top two positions for most falls in Division I remains the same from last week with Cornell 197-pounder Ben Darmstadt in first with 11, followed by 2019 champion Matt Stencel of Central Michigan in second with 10. Clarion 197-pounder Greg Bulsak and George Mason 149-pounder Colston DiBlasi each have nine. Tiffin 174-pounder Hayden Bronne has pulled ahead in Division II with a pair of falls last week to reach 11 this season. He sits two falls ahead of the duo of Jacob Robb (Mercyhurst) and Nicholas Mason (Tiffin) with nine falls. Joe Salerno of Washington & Lee and Kaidon Winters of RIT lead all NCAA divisions with 14 falls each. Salerno holds the tiebreaker with an aggregate time of 17:50, 15 minutes faster than Winters. Four more wrestlers have accumulated 13 falls in Division III with Dominic Skawiniak of Saint John's (Minnesota) holding the tiebreaker in that group with his falls coming in just 22:12. George Mason redshirt senior Alex Madrigal already holds a commanding lead in the race for the most tech falls in Division I with 10, three more than second place Pat Glory of Princeton. Division II features a two-way tie with five tech falls between McKendree 197-pounder Ryan Vasbinder and Lindenwood (Missouri) national champion Carlos Jacquez who won at 125 pounds in 2019. Vasbinder holds the time tiebreaker by eight minutes over Jacquez. The race for third is tight with seven wrestlers holding four tech falls. Division III features another tie atop the standings with two wrestlers reaching 10 tech falls. Roger Williams' 149-pounder Tyler Gazaway has accumulated his 10 in 40:20, 13 minutes less than York (Pennsylvania) 125-pounder Jared Kuhns. Thomas Poklikuha (Stevens) and Ahken Chu (SUNY Oneonta) are one behind with nine tech falls. The initial Most Dominant Wrestler standings will be released later this season to allow wrestlers to achieve the minimum number of matches required to be eligible for the standings.

Brody Teske is leaving the Nittany Lions to become a UNI Panther. The 125-pound redshirt freshman who had been on the wrestling roster at Penn State is returning to his home state ... where he will wrestle at the University of Northern Iowa. Brody TeskeTeske posted this succinct announcement on his Instagram account Tuesday: I will be returning to my roots and the state that will always be home to me! I appreciate the support! As InterMat reported, PSU head coach Cael Sanderson announced Teske, a four-time Iowa high school state champ, had entered the transfer portal ... with speculation centering on the Fort Dodge, Iowa native enrolling at the University of Iowa. That speculation centered on the right state, but wrong state school, as revealed in Teske's in-depth interview with The Messenger, the daily newspaper in his hometown, published Wednesday. "UNI is just that hard-nosed grit -- the way I was raised," Teske told the Fort Dodge newspaper. "That blue-collar attitude. They don't have all the glitz and glamour, and they don't need it. It's not a big business there. That's what I love -- the family atmosphere, which is what we embraced under Coach (Bobby) Thompson as Dodgers. I have great respect for Coach (Doug) Schwab and his staff, and the way they treat their wrestlers. They're very welcoming, and I feel like I can be me. "I just have a much better understanding of what I'm looking for than I did when I was in high school," Teske continued. "This isn't going to be easy. I'm walking away from a tremendous opportunity and a scholarship at Penn State with no real guarantees (at UNI). That's not the conventional way to do it. But I'm excited because I feel like I've found my true self and sense of purpose again." Teske shared his thinking behind his decision to switch from Penn State to Northern Iowa: "I was out all of December (with the injury), and when I came home for Christmas break, I really took a step back and had some difficult conversations with myself and my family," said Teske. "Last Tuesday, I went to Coach Cael's office and we talked through everything. I told him I just wasn't physically or mentally satisfied with myself, which had been building for a long time, in all honesty." "Look, I'm not going to speak negatively about Penn State. That's an experience I will carry with me the rest of my life. I learned things from Coach Cael that I'll take with me forever, and definitely miss. I'm not questioning what they do or the way they train. That would be foolish based on their track record. It works for some -- it just didn't work for me." "Those closest to me know the truth. I know the truth," Teske said. "Sometimes, deciding who you are and what you aren't is as important as anything. I feel like I'm much closer to that today. I was an 18-year-old kid being recruited by every school in the country (in 2017). When (PSU head coach and Iowa State legend) Cael Sanderson offers you a scholarship…I was convinced I needed that. How do you say no? I needed the big name. I needed Coach Cael. Penn State was the top of the mountain. "I began to realize, though, that I was I chasing something that wasn't me. On and off the mat, so much added up and made me understand what is truly important. And I feel like UNI aligns more with my values. Who I am not just as a wrestler, but as a person." Teske will be eligible to compete for Northern Iowa next season. In transferring to the Cedar Falls-based university, Teske will join former Fort Dodge teammates Triston Lara, Drew Bennett and Cayd Lara, who are all current members of the UNI Panther wrestling program. Brody Teske is one of the most accomplished prep wrestlers within the state of Iowa in recent memory. During his four years at Fort Dodge High, Teske went 177-1 overall -- the best record in the long history of the school's mat program -- winning four Iowa state championships from 2015-18, making him one of 27 four-timers in state history. As a senior in 2018, Teske also led the Dodgers to a traditional state team championship, their first since 1985. While still in high school, Teske was named the Class 3A Dan Gable Wrestler of the Year and was also named one of the Des Moines Register's Wrestler of the Year winners.