InterMat Staff

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- CSU Bakersfield's wrestling team picked up its first win of the 2019-20 season in thrilling fashion. A quick start gave Buffalo an early lead over CSU Bakersfield, but the Roadrunners would tie the score 9-9 just before intermission then win the last two bouts to earn a 16-15 victory in the Icardo Center. Buffalo took the first two bouts at 165 and 174 before Josh Loomer put the `Runners on the scoreboard with a 7-3 decision over the Bulls' Peter Acciardi. The 184-pounder posted his first dual win of the season and handed Acciardi his third loss. Bakersfield's momentum continued to roll with Jarrod Snyder earning a 2-0 decision at heavy-weight as he tied the match 9-9 with five bouts remaining in the contest. Buffalo rallied with wins in the next two bouts, but a strong CSUB finish at 149 and 157 would prove to be too much for the Bulls. In the 149 bout, Russel Rohlfing's 9-1 major decision brought the `Runners within two points heading into the final bout of the match. Wyatt Gerl tallied his first dual win on the year with a decision over Buffalo's Hunter Shaut for the come-from-behind 16-15 victory. CSUB (1-3) returns to the mat for its annual Roadrunner Open on Sunday, Nov. 24. Competition is set to begin at 9 a.m. in the Icardo Center and Old Gym. Results: 165: Troy Keller (Buffalo) over Jacob Thalin (CSUB) (Dec 6-2) 174: Jake Lanning (Buffalo) over Albert Urias (CSUB) (Dec 7-2) 184: Josh Loomer (CSUB) over Peter Acciardi (Buffalo) (Dec 7-3) 197: Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) over Dom Ducharme (CSUB) (Dec 4-3) 285: Jarrod Snyder (CSUB) over Nolan Terrance (Buffalo) (2-0) 125: Alejandro Hernandez-Figueroa (CSUB) over Jordan Reyes (Buffalo) (Dec 4-3) 133: Derek Spann (Buffalo) over Chance Rich (Dec 9-2) 141: John Arceri (Buffalo) over Noah Blakely-Beanes (CSUB) (SV-1 3-1) 149: Russell Rohlfing (CSUB) over Kyle Todrank (Buffalo) (MD 9-1) 157: Wyatt Gerl (CSUB) over Hunter Shaut (Buffalo) (Dec 3-0)

LINCOLN -- No. 3 Nebraska (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) won eight of 10 bouts, including three by bonus points, to defeat Wyoming 28-7 in front of 1,460 fans at the Devaney Center on Friday night. The Cowboys (1-1, 1-0 Big Twelve) got off to a quick start, winning the first two matches of the evening. At 125, Wyoming's Cole Verner defeated Husker redshirt freshmen Alex Thomsen in a three-overtime thriller. Knotted at five at the end of three periods, neither grappler scored in either of the first two overtime periods. Verner earned an escape to open the third overtime period and that proved to be enough, as he recorded a 7-6 victory. No. 7 Montorie Bridges earned a major decision in the subsequent 133-pound bout, defeating Zak Hensley 14-6. Down 7-0, the Huskers then reeled off eight consecutive match victories. No. 7 Chad Red Jr. (141) put forth a workman-like effort to defeat Chase Zollman 5-1. No. 19 Collin Purinton (149) racked up four takedowns to earn an 11-3 major decision over Jaron Jensen, evening the team score at seven apiece. Mark Manning (Photo/GoHuskers.com)Peyton Robb (157) piled up 13 near fall points in a dominant 18-2 technical fall victory over Logan Jensen. At 165, No. 5 Isaiah White did not yield a single takedown and maintained his unbeaten record (5-0), defeating Cole Moody 9-3. The next two bouts featured ranked wrestlers on both sides. No. 3 Mikey Labriola (174) joined Purinton and Robb in scoring bonus points for the Big Red. Labriola defeated No. 20 Hayden Hastings by major decision (10-2) in a match that was decidedly different from their 2018 clash, a 25-point explosion in which Labriola earned a 14-11 decision. At 184, Wyoming's Samuelson scored a takedown late in the third period to take the lead against No. 3 Taylor Venz, but the returning Husker All-American persevered, scoring a reversal and two near-fall points to come out on top 11-8. No. 11 Eric Schultz (197) gave Stephen Buchanan his first loss of the season, defeating the Cowboy freshman 7-6. And in the night's final match, Christian Lance (HWT) avenged last year's loss to No. 14 Brian Andrews. Lance defeated Andrews 3-2 one year after Andrews won by pinfall in Laramie. The Huskers return to action in less than 48 hours when they grapple with the Northern Iowa Panthers on Sunday. Action is set to get underway in the West Gym in Cedar Falls, Iowa, at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Live streaming will be available via FloWrestling (subscription required). Fans can also follow @HuskerWrestling on Twitter for match-by-match results. Results: 125: Cole Verner (WYO) TB-1 Alex Thomsen (NEB) 6-5 (WYO 3, NEB 0) 133: #7 Montorie Bridges (WYO) major dec. Zak Hensley (NEB) 14-6 (WYO 7, NEB 0) 141: #7 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) dec. Chase Zollman (WYO) 5-1 (WYO 7, NEB 3) 149: #19 Collin Purinton (NEB) major dec. Jaron Jensen (WYO) 11-3 (NEB 7, WYO 7) 157: Peyton Robb (NEB) tech. fall Logan Jensen (WYO) 18-2 (NEB 12, WYO 7) 165: #4 Isaiah White (NEB) dec. Cole Moody (WYO) 9-3 (NEB 15, WYO 7) 174: #3 Mikey Labriola (NEB) major dec. #20 Hayden Hastings (WYO) 10-2 (NEB 19, WYO 7) 184: #3 Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. Tate Samuelson (WYO) 11-8 (NEB 22, WYO 7) 197: #11 Eric Schultz (NEB) dec. Stephen Buchanan (WYO) 7-6 (NEB 25, WYO 7) HWT: Christian Lance (NEB) dec. #14 Brian Andrews (WYO) 3-2 (NEB 28, WYO 7)

Redshirt freshman Jacori Teemer, ranked No. 17, celebrates after getting a win at 157 pounds (Photo/Arizona State Athletics) TEMPE, Ariz. -- Penn State's win streak is over. Arizona State, ranked No. 13 in InterMat's dual meet rankings, stunned the top-ranked Nittany Lions, 19-18, on Friday night in Tempe, Arizona, in front of a record-setting of 8,522, snapping their 60-match winning streak dating back to 2015. That loss came to Oklahoma State on Feb. 15, 2015. "Arizona State is back and I think people have belief again," said Arizona State head wrestling coach Zeke Jones. With the victory, Arizona State improves to 5-0, while Penn State falls to 1-1. Results: 125: No. 19 Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) maj. dec. Brody Teske (Penn State), 19-7 133: No. 3 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec. No. 16 Josh Kramer (Arizona State), 7-6 141: No. 3 Nick Lee (Penn State) tech. fall Cory Crooks (Arizona State), 18-3 149: Josh Maruca (Arizona State) dec. Jarod Verkleeren (Penn State), 5-4 157: No. 17 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec. Bo Pipher (Penn State), 9-4 165: No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. No. 5 Josh Shields (Arizona State), 7-4 174: No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 8 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State), 11-3 184: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) by forfeit 197: Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) dec. No. 7 Kyle Conel (Penn State), 10-4 285: No. 1 Anthony Cassar (Penn State) dec. No. 5 Tanner Hall (Arizona State), 9-5

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- North Dakota State won seven of 10 bouts including a pin from 165-pounder Andrew Fogarty and tech fall from 133 Cam Sykora to defeat Indiana University 26-12 in a non-conference dual on Friday Nov. 22 before 1,501 fans in Wilkinson Hall. North Dakota State (2-1, 0-0 Big12) is scheduled to face No. 16-ranked Northwestern (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. Sykora, a redshirt senior from Wheaton, Minn., recorded his third tech fall in the matches this season by the score of 15-0 at 4:45. It was the 36th career tech fall for Sykora, who entered the dual ranked No. 7 nationally. The Bison forfeited at 125 pounds, so Sykora helped to cut the deficit to 6-5. The lead went back and forth.. NDSU 141 Sawyer Degen outlasted Kyle Luigs 13-10 to gain the win, but the Hoosiers answered with Graham Rooks' slim 2-1 decision over Jaden Van Maanen at 149 pounds. North Dakota State recorded back-to-back wins at 157, where Jared Franek edged Fernie Silva 5-4, and at 165, where No. 10-ranked Fogarty recorded the fall at 5:28 put the Bison ahead 17-12. Indiana (0-1) won the next bout, but NDSU closed with three straight wins. Noah Cressell, a native of Wabash, Ind., came away with an 8-6 sudden victory-1 decision at 184 pounds, while Cordell Eaton won 12-5 at 197 and No. 26 Brandon Metz stayed perfect with a 3-1 decision at heavyweight. Results: 125: Liam Cronin (IU), Forfeit 133:Cam Sykora (NDSU) tech fall Jonathan Moran (IU), TF 15-0, 4:45) 141: Sawyer Degen (NDSU) dec Kyle Luigs (IU), 13-10 149: Graham Rooks (IU) dec Jaden Van Maanen (NDSU), 2-1 157: Jared Franek (NDSU) dec Fernie Silva (IU), 5-4 165: Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) fall Davey Tunon (IU), 5:28 174: Jacob Covaciu (IU) dec Jesse Shearer (NDSU), 11-4 184: Noah Cressell (NDSU) sudden victory-1 Jake Hinz (IU), SV-1 8-6 197: Cordell Eaton (NDSU) dec Spencer Irick (IU), 12-5 285: Brandon Metz (NDSU) dec Rudy Streck (IU), 3-1

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team scored a 47-0 win at Davidson to open Southern Conference action tonight. The Mocs improve to 2-3 overall and 1-0 in league action, while the Wildcats drop to 0-3 and 0-2 in conference duals. Tonight was the first shutout for UTC since a 49-0 win over Cumberland on Nov. 14, 2015. It was also the first shutout in a SoCon match since a 46-0 win over Campbell on Jan. 18, 2015. "Our guys came out and they dictated each match individually," said UTC head coach Kyle Ruschell. "They were aggressive and looking to score a lot of points. It was good to see them making adjustments and showing improvements over last week's match." UTC posted bonus points in eight of its 10 wins tonight, including four pins. Junior Fabian Gutierrez got the action started with a first-period fall over Anthony Rautmann at 125. Junior Wade Cummings followed with a 5-3 decision over Kyle Gorant at 133. Two takedowns in the first period gave Cummings a lead that he held on to for the rest of the match. Sophomore Aidan Murphy broke into the win column for the first time this season with a 6-5 decision over David Loniewski at 141. Murphy also built a lead early with a pair of takedowns in the first three minutes. He held off a late charge by Loniewski, who scored a takedown of his own in the third frame, to give the Mocs a 12-0 lead. "Aidan came out and got to the guy's legs right away," said Ruschell. "We knew that he had some upper body throws, but for the most part we stayed away from that. We got up early and made it tough on him." Sophomore Tanner Smith followed with a Tech Fall at 149, while sophomore Tyler Shilson added a major decision at 157. That gave the Mocs a commanding 23-0 lead at the halfway point. Sophomore Andrew Nicholson added a major at 165, followed by back-to-back pins from sophomores Hunter Fortner and Matthew Waddell at 174 and 184, respectively. Senior Rodney Jones posted a major decision at 197, while sophomore Grayson Walthall closed out the dual with a pin at heavyweight. "The team really got behind Grayson in the last match tonight," added Ruschell. "Grayson did a great job pushing the pace and wore his guy out. He caught him on his back and the whole team was really happy for him. Up next for the Mocs is a Sunday showdown against No. 19 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Match time is set for 2:00 p.m. and links to follow along via TrackWrestling and the ACC Network Extra are on the wrestling schedule page on GoMocs.com. Results: 125: Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) over Anthony Rautmann (Davidson) (Fall 1:45) 133: Wade Cummings (UTC) over Kyle Gorant (Davidson) (Dec 5-3) 141: Aidan Murphy (UTC) over David Loniewski (Davidson) (Dec 6-5) 149: Tanner Smith (UTC) over Will Baldwin (Davidson) (TF 18-1 6:45) 157: Tyler Shilson (UTC) over Hunter Costa (Davidson) (MD 15-3) 165: Andrew Nicholson (UTC) over Noah Satterfield (Davidson) (MD 24-10) 174: Hunter Fortner (UTC) over Steven Newell (Davidson) (Fall 3:33) 184: Matthew Waddell (UTC) over Lachlan Rosato (Davidson) (Fall 1:21) 197: Rodney Jones (UTC) over Conor Fenn (Davidson) (MD 11-3) 285: Grayson Walthall (UTC) over Mitchell Trigg (Davidson) (Fall 4:37)

OREM, Utah -- South Dakota State's Zach Carlson and Clay Carlson each recorded pins to lead the Jackrabbit wrestling team to a 24-12 victory over host Utah Valley in the Big 12 Conference dual opener for both teams Friday. The Jackrabbits evened their overall dual record at 1-1, while UVU dropped to 1-2 on the season. SDSU got out of the gates quickly, winning each of the first three matches by decision for a 9-0 advantage. Henry Pohlmeyer scored an 8-4 victory over Landon Knutzen at 149 pounds, followed by a 13-6 victory by Colten Carlson in the 157-pound bout. Garrett Jordan finished the run with a 3-2 win over Koy Wilkinson at 165 pounds. The Wolverines got on the board with a decision by Kimball Bastian in the 174-pound matchup before Zach Carlson gave SDSU some added cushion with a second-period pin of Gary Jantzer. Ranked 19th by Intermat, Carlson upped the Jackrabbit lead to 15-3 at the halfway mark in improving to 6-1 on the season. Utah Valley pulled to within 15-9 with back-to-back victories in the top two weight classes. The Wolverines' Tanner Orndorff pulled off an upset by knocking off fifth-ranked Jackrabbit Tanner Sloan in the 197-pound match, 5-3. Sloan led 2-1 through two periods, although Orndorff began to gain the momentum by riding out the entire second period from the top position. Orndorff escaped early in the third period and came up with a takedown moments later for a 4-2 lead, securing the final point via riding time after Sloan escaped in the closing seconds. The Jackrabbits nearly pulled off an upset of their own in the heavyweight bout as Blake Wolters lost a 6-4 overtime decision to fourth-ranked Tate Orndorff. Wolters forced the extra session with a takedown in the final seconds of regulation, while Orndorff recorded the decisive takedown with less than 10 seconds to go in the first overtime session. With the dual shifting back to the lower weights, senior 125-pounder Kahlen Morris stemmed the tide for SDSU with a 4-2 decision over Josiah Nava. After the Wolverines stayed within striking distance at 18-12 following a Taylor LaMont decision at 133 pounds, Clay Carlson sealed the SDSU win with a first-period pin Cameron Hunsaker in the 141-pound matchup. Carlson entered the dual ranked 32nd by TrackWrestling. NOTES Utah Valley leads the all-time series, 8-7, although the Jackrabbits have won the last six matchups SDSU improved to 25-9 in duals against Big 12 opponents since joining the league as an affiliate member at the start of the 2015-16 season Colten Carlson and Jordan each wrestled in their first duals of the season Pohlmeyer and Clay Carlson each improved to 2-0 in duals this season UP NEXT The Jackrabbits return to action by wrestling in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 6-7. Results: 149: Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU) dec. Landon Knutzen (UVU), 8-4 157: Colten Carlson (SDSU) dec. Jed Loveless (UVU), 13-6 165: Garrett Jordan (SDSU) dec. Koy Wilkinson (UVU), 3-2 174: Kimball Bastian (UVU) dec. Cade King (SDSU), 4-0 184: #19 Zach Carlson (SDSU) def. Gary Jantzer (UVU), by fall 3:55 197: Tanner Orndorff (UVU) dec. #5 Tanner Sloan (SDSU), 5-3 285: #4 Tate Orndorff (UVU) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 6-4 [SV-1] 125: Kahlen Morris (SDSU) dec. Josiah Nava (UVU), 4-2 133: Taylor LaMont (UVU) dec. Zach Price (SDSU), 7-4 141: Clay Carlson (SDSU) def. Cameron Hunsaker (UVU), by fall 2:34

The Grand View women's wrestling team picked up their first win at home on Thursday night DES MOINES, Iowa -- Grand View women's wrestling opened up their inaugural 2019 season at home tonight as they took on the Eagles of Central Methodist. The Vikings made history with the first-ever program dual victory over Central Methodist 29-17. Prior to the match, the Viking community celebrated with a social where t-shirts were sold, friends and family gathered, and snacks were eaten. If you're still wanting to purchase wrestling gear, click here. The night was highlighted with two pins from Kayli Barrett (FR/Norman, OK) over Adrea Montoya of Central Methodist in 1:27 and Kiya Jones (FR/Huntsville, TX) over Madlyne Navarro in 3:15. Results: 101 | Hannah Michael (FR/La Porte City, IA) (Forfeit) 109 | Chloe Krebsbach (FR/Osage, IA) (Forfeit) 116 | Gigi Loza (Central Methodist) over Emma Cochran (FR/Chariton, IA) (CM 6-6) 123 | Cora Johnson-Woessner (Central Methodist) over Shae Muecke (FR/Hinton, IA) (TF 10-0) 130 | Bella Gonzalez over Da 'Viona Bonner (Central Methodist) (TF 10-0) 136 | Kayli Barrett over Andrea Montoya (Central Methodist) (Fall 1:27) 143 | Seattle Bowmen (Central Methodist) (Forfeit) 155 | Kylei Gray (FR/Valparaiso, IN) (Forfeit) 170 | Hunter Robinson (FR/Spring, TX) over Treasure Smith (Central Methodist) (TF 11-0) 191 | Madlyne Navarro (Central Methodist) over Kiya Jones (Fall 3:15) Up Next… Grand View women's wrestling will travel to the NCC Invitational on December 7th in Naperville, Illinois.

Dan Gable (Photo/Iowa Athletics) As the college wrestling season gets underway, the Takedown Report has been providing an analysis of the top college wrestling coaches across all divisions -- NCAA Division I, II and III, along with NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletics Association). Now TDR editor Martin Fleming has analyzed his own analyses of champion collegiate coaches from all these divisions ... and presented it at his Takedown Report blog. Now InterMat is sharing the link to Fleming's cross-divisional analysis released this week of the all-time top college mat coaches, no matter the era or competitive division. "In previous articles we have looked at a listing of the coaches who have led their college teams to national championships," Fleming wrote in his latest all-encompassing analysis for TDR. "They were ranked by most championships within a division. This list looks at the coaches ranked with all of their championships combined. With teams tying for championships and those with two coaches as co-head coaches the total number of championships tops 320 titles." Five wrestling coaches across all college divisions going back more 90 years can claim at least ten national team titles. At the top of the list is Dan Gable, who coached his University of Iowa wrestlers to 15 NCAA Division I team championships between 1978 and 1997. In second place is Central Oklahoma's David James, with a dozen Division II team titles garnered in the span from 1984 to 2007. Going back to a much earlier time in college wrestling history ... Ed Gallagher, the coach who put Oklahoma State wrestling on the map as one of the all-time great mat programs, guided his Cowboys to eleven national team titles, starting with the very first NCAA wrestling championships in 1928, and concluding with the 1940 NCAAs a few months before his death at age 53. Two college coaches can each claim ten team titles at two rival powerhouse programs in NCAA Division III: Jeff Swenson at Augsburg University in Minnesota, claiming championships between 1991 and 2007 ... and Jim Miller at Iowa's Wartburg College, who led his Knights to ten team titles from 1996-2009. That's just the beginning. Takedown Report goes on to list all the other coaches and programs that have claimed at least one national team crown in any one of the college divisions. Anyone involved in college wrestling -- as a fan, an athlete, or a coach -- will find the results of Martin Fleming's research to be fascinating and informative. To see ALL the coaches who can claim at least one national team title in at least one of today's collegiate divisions, take a look at Fleming's multi-divisional analysis at his Takedown Report blog. Questions? Comments? Contact TDR editor Martin Fleming directly at martinkfleming@gmail.com.

The college wrestling season is in full swing, with several of the nation's top programs taking dual meets over the next few weeks before the holiday break. The fall can be challenging for the NCAA's toughest premier athletes. Many are coming to the reality that the hedonism of the summer has been cooled by morning lifts, two-and-a-half hour practices, and a slate filled with classes. Most are also coming to grips with a season of weight management, to which Thanksgiving's cranberry sauces and green bean casseroles are ill-aligned. The resulting caloric restriction and dinnertime sulking -- filled with gaunt faces and cries for time spent away from the food -- is all but an official scene in the tableau of a wrestler's life. Same is said for the dusky post-dinner jog around the neighborhood -- an immediate counterattack against whichever pie found its way past security. These scenes in mind, be a little kinder this year to those young men and women at the table with big dreams and small stomachs. Don't bring up politics, stick to sports, and always be sure to pass the gravy. Happy Thanksgiving. To your questions … Seth Gross defends a shot from Nick Suriano at the Bill Farrell Memorial International Open (Photo/Larry Slater) Q: Can Seth Gross win internationally with a predominantly shot-defense offense? Or will the Eastern Europeans finish clean when they need to? -- Tony R. Foley: The latter more than the former, but Gross' style does seem to frustrate a heck of a lot of guys including Nick Suriano who looked to have his early round match at the Farrell locked up before Gross pulled out some magic. The cut to 57 kilograms had to be awful for Gross and it makes me wonder what he'll be like in a few months after having to pop down for big tournaments. Still, in regard to his style I tend to agree that the Russian wrestlers don't tend to find difficulty in finishing cleanly when they absolutely must in order to get their takedowns. On the occasion that they do engage in prolonged scrambles a number of the European wrestlers actually fair pretty well. Oddly, I think that its Kumar Ravi of India who could really get under Gross' skin, as he does a lot of the same stuff and has an absolutely indomitable gas tank. Will be interesting to see where Gross competes again this year in freestyle. But to my earlier point, he may avoid at least some of the injury from bouncing down to weight now that he is qualified for the Olympic Team Trials and can forgo the U.S. Open. Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the Bill Farrell Memorial International Open? -- Mike C. Foley: The number of entries. The Olympic year prompted USA Wrestling to incentivize wrestlers to compete in as many tournaments as possible and for the Farrell the carrot was a pass to the Olympic Team Trials. That is HUGE for any athlete who wants to avoid the grind of the U.S. Open and focus entirely on peaking for the Trials. Kyle Snyder gets his hand raised after winning the Bill Farrell Memorial International Open (Photo/Larry Slater) I was also impressed with Kyle Snyder's offense during the weekend. I think that he's often less cautious against American opponents, but it was nice to see him setting up more attacks and taking some more chances on the mat. I also thought he looked a little more fluid in his motion on his feet, but I also admit that seeing him wrestle is a Rorschach Test on how influential one thinks Cael can be on the style of a wrestler. Jordan Oliver also looked pretty dope. Good for him to keep grinding and I think that Tony Ramos and Coleman Scott are having a positive impact on Oliver and his late career development. Q: There was an ESPN "30 for 30" called The Prince of Pennsylvania on the Schultz brothers' relationship with John du Pont. If ESPN produced another 30 for 30 on wrestling, what subject do you think would appeal to the masses? -- Mike C. Foley: First, I think that the best documentary on the topic was John Greenhalgh's "Team Foxcatcher" which you can watch on Netflix right now. Gutting in every way, but also captures a moment in time that we forget wrestling had to trudge past. Not just the killing of Dave Schultz, but the mentality of subordinating our values to those who promise to find overseas competitions. The 30 for 30 series tends to focus on moments that alter the national conscience and speak to some larger issue, but that happen to involve sports. The Rulon Gardner beating Aleksander Karelin story has layers (it'll be a documentary on Olympic Channel this spring) but it only vaguely touches on larger geopolitical tensions. I think Helen Maroulis beating Saori Yoshida is a big moment, but it's probably not the larger story that would attract a 30 for 30. The Kaori Icho four-time champions and Me Too inspired actions could maybe qualify, but again not quite to the level of a 30 for 30. The best might be Zhan Beleniuk. Zhan is the only son of a Rwandan-refugee father who died when he returned to his home country to fight in its Civil War. He grew up in a hard scrabble set of circumstances but eventually found his way through wrestling, winning Olympic silver and earlier this year was elected a member of Parliament at only 28 years old -- and the first person of color to ever do so in Ukraine. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Ravi Kumar How good is Gadzhimurad Rashidov? Freestyle highlights from the World Championships MMA World Championships … hmmm Q: What do you make of the Bo Nickal vs. Gordon Ryan match with modified grappling rules? Does Bo have a chance to win? Or is it just a way for him to get his name out there? -- Mike C. Foley: Well, I'm happy for Team USA and Bo Nickal's Olympic hopes that these rules forbid leg locks, because Gordon Ryan would absolutely grip it and rip it should he get within spitting distance of Bo Nickal's ankle. Gordon isn't a nice person. He won't take it easy. I don't know that I completely understand the scoring for these hybrid event, but I do know that the match will end with a submission. That makes this somewhat anticlimactic as I'm 100 percent certain Bo is either going to get choked from the back, arm locked, or guillotined within the first ten minutes. Look, I get it. This is a promotion and Nickal is raising his name ID by getting in front of another MMA-adjacent crowd. Kudos. But he should definitely be ready to defend himself for 15 straight minutes and be ready to tap. There is no pride in not being able to use your arm for three months or going to sleep for everyone to see. Again, I get it … but as a professional athlete I wouldn't put myself in harm's way for the sake of some free promotion. I've trained jiu-jitsu for 8-9 years, can wrestle well enough, and am just about the same size as Ryan and Nickal and there is almost no chance I am beating Ryan in a submission grappling match. Nickal hasn't trained jiu-jitsu. This isn't sport, it's theater of the absurd. I really, really hope Nickal doesn't get injured and we can just move past this moment. Q: How about Rider? Upset Minnesota last week. What are they looking like as a program? -- Donald B. Foley: Outrageous result! Matches like these are exactly why the National Duals, or a dual team national championship is so viable, because any two jamokes can talk about lesser-known school upsetting the larger one. It draws fans in, makes them pay attention to their next matches more closely, and provides 2-3 days of extra stories in the paper. Individual tournaments are great, but they just can't generate the same type of press coverage. Here's another one for you … what about a Premier League like standings where you earn points throughout the year, meaning every match counts toward your end-of-year viability. Instead of coaches making the schedule the NCAA does and then takes a top eight into the national dual meet championships. Could be a winning idea, especially once the NCAA collapses in on itself and explodes, like a dying star. As for the match, I only saw the results, which I've added here as a box score. Really impressive win and great job by all the athletes and Coach Hangey. Rider 21, Minnesota 17 125: Jonathan Tropea (Rider) dec. Patrick McKee (Minnesota), 10-3 133: Chris Wright (Rider) dec. Brent Jones (Minnesota), 6-5 141: Mitch McKee (Minnesota) pinned Herb Edwards (Rider), 0:40 149: Brayton Lee (Minnesota) dec. Gino Fluri (Rider), 11-7 157: Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) dec. Carson Brolsma (Minnesota), 3-2 165: Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota) maj. dec. Georgio Poullas (Rider), 17-9 174: Dean Sherry (Rider) pinned Devin Skatzka (Minnesota), 2:54 184: Owen Webster (Minnesota) maj. dec. George Walton (Rider) 11-3 197: Ethan Laird (Rider) dec. Dylan Anderson (Minnesota) 11-4 285: Ryan Cloud (Rider) dec. Boddy Stevenson (Minnesota), 1-0 Gable Steveson warms up before a dual meet against Purdue (Photo/David Peterson, Minnesota/USA Wrestling) Q: Do you think Gable Steveson will return to the Gopher lineup this season? -- Mike C. Foley: Impossible to tell. The length of the investigation and the fact it's now crested past the 90-day window that was previously announced could mean that they are days away from filing charges, or that they are waiting on some key piece of evidence to come back. I doubt that if things were concluded there would be much reason to pause before announcement, especially if they were doing so at the risk of not hitting their self-imposed 90-day timeline. The matter within the university seems straightforward at the moment: as long as Steveson is under investigation he is suspended from the team. Should the county not file charges and removes him from investigation the school would have a pathway to reinstatement, but that doesn't mean he'd be welcomed back right away. There could be a school disciplinary actions taken that could either remove him from the team, and possibly the university. Given the pace of the case thus far I'd find it difficult to believe that he'll be returning this semester. He can compete at the international level right now because he is under investigation and Safe Sport would only intercede if he were charged.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Mizzou Wrestling improved to 2-2 on the year after sweeping an in-state doubleheader against Central Missouri and Missouri Valley Thursday night (Nov. 21) at the Hearnes Center. Mizzou downed UCM, 39-3, in the evening's first dual before defeating Missouri Valley, 45-0, just half an hour later. In the first dual, Mizzou made short work of the in-state Mules of UCM. Six of the weight classes were won with bonus points while the Mules also forfeited at 197. Picking up a fall was 133-pounder Cameron Valdiviez, his fifth of the season. In fact, at the time his last five bout wins well all via pin. He won his Missouri Valley bout at 125, 7-0. Jeremiah Kent posted a technical fall as well, winning 18-1. Cevion Severado (125), Alex Butler (141), Phyllip Deloach (157) and Luke Fortuna (165) all tallied major decision in the dual. Against Missouri Valley, Mizzou had bonus point wins are seven of the 10 bouts, including falls at 165 from Peyton Mocco and 174 from Kent. Mizzou also picked up technical falls from Brock Mauller and Deloach Below are the stats for each dual: vs. Central Missouri 125 Pounds – Cevion Severado (1-0) vs. Dakari Rivers (1-3) – W, 14-5 Major Decision (3:50 RT) | 4-0 133 Pounds – Cameron Valdiviez (5-1) vs. John Feeney (1-3) – W, Fall (3:51) | 10-0 141 Pounds – Alex Butler (3-3) vs. Conner Dalton (3-4) – W, 15-5 Major Decision (1:37 RT) | 14-0 149 Pounds – Sam Ritchie (3-5) vs. Emmett Kuntz (2-2) – L, 7-5 (SV-1) | 14-3 157 Pounds – Phyllip Deloach (4-1) vs. Austin Morgan (0-3) – W, 10- (2:40 RT) Major Decision | 18-3 165 Pounds – Luke Fortuna (4-2) vs. Zion Vazquez (0-3) – W, 21-7 (3:24 RT) Major Decision | 22-3 174 Pounds – Jeremiah Kent (2-2) vs. Jack Goin (2-3) - 18-1 (2:37 RT) Technical Fall | 27-3 184 Pounds – Cordel Duhart (9-1) vs. Dominique Hampton (4-2) – W, 4-0 (1:34 RT) | 30-3 197 Pounds – Jack Flynn (3-2) vs. TBD – W, Forfeit | 36-3 Heavyweight – Jake Bohlken (1-0) vs. Chase Miller (0-1) – W, 6-1 (1:49) | 39-3 vs. Missouri Valley 125 Pounds – Cameron Valdiviez (6-1) vs. Jacob Garrison – W, 7-0 (2:54 RT) | 3-0 133 Pounds – Dack Punke (3-4) vs. Dequarius Millett – W, 3-1 | 6-0 141 Pounds – Alex Butler (4-3) vs. Alex Juarez - W, 13-3 (3:32 RT) Major Decision | 10-0 149 Pounds – Brock Mauller (6-0) vs. Richard Pocock – W, 21-6 (3:11 RT) Technical Fall | 15-0 157 Pounds – Phyllip Deloach (5-1) vs. Seth Johnson – W, 20-4 (2:34 RT) Technical Fall | 20-0 165 Pounds – Peyton Mocco (3-4) vs. Elias Vaoifi – W, Fall (3:21) | 26-0 174 Pounds – Jeremiah Kent (3-2) vs. William Seibert – W, Fall (1:02) | 32-0 184 Pounds – Canten Marriott (3-3) vs. Tyler Crow – W, 10-1 (2:34 RT) Major Decision | 36-0 197 Pounds – Jack Flynn (3-2) vs. Dayton Brown – W, Fall (3:11) | 42-0 Heavyweight – Rodrigo Diaz (3-3) vs. Joshua Isaac – W, 4-1 (1:12 RT) Mizzou will send its full team to Saturday's Lindenwood open, which is an all-day event. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on social media (@MizzouWrestling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for updates as well.

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Oregon State took on George Mason in its second dual of the season on Thursday night as the Beavers defeated the Patriots in comeback fashion by a final score of 26-16. The Beavers were down by five points late in the match and would then use five straight victories to close out the dual and earn the hard-fought victory. Redshirt junior Devan Turner moved to 5-0 on the season as he capped off the night with a quick 5-0 decision. Oregon State started things off on a positive note with Grant Willits at 141 pounds cruising to a 16-0 technical fall to put five quick points on the board for the Beavers. At 149 pounds, Conner Noonan used a third period takedown to earn his first decision of the year, 4-3, which improved the team score to 8-0 in favor of Oregon State. The Beavers would then suffer their first defeat of the night at 157 pounds as Logan Meek dropped his bout by technical fall, 22-7. Things would get interesting in the next bout as the Patriots surged ahead with another victory as Aaron Olmos was pinned by George Mason's Neil Schuster (2:15) to lead 11-8. Colton Beisley would then drop a 17-1 technical fall as Oregon State faced an 18-6 deficit with only five bouts remaining. Colt Doyle gave the Beavers positive momentum at 184 pounds as the redshirt junior cruised to a 6-1 decision to inch closer to the lead. J.J. Dixon would keep things rolling for the Beavers as a 13-3 major decision brought the Beavers within one. Dixon used a two-point nearfall in the first period as well as four total takedowns to earn the victory. Next, the heavyweight bout featured Jamarcus Grant earning two takedowns in the third period to help earn a big 7-4 decision which moved the team score in favor of the Beavers, 18-16. Brandon Kaylor notched an impressive seven takedowns in the next bout as the 125-pounder cruised to a 24-5 technical fall and improved to 4-2 on the season. The sophomore collected a late takedown and four-point nearfall for the victory. In the final bout of the night, Devan Turner picked up a quick 5-0 decision which included nearly minutes four minutes of riding time. The win brought Turner to 5-0 on the season and provided the final score of 26-16. Next Up: The Beavers are back on the mats on Saturday as they travel to Annapolis, Md. For the 2019 Navy Classic. The match will begin at 6 a.m. PT and can be followed on FloArena. Results: 141 Grant Willits over Lukasz Walendzak (George Mason) (TF 16-0 6:20) 149 Conner Noonan over Colston DiBlasi (George Mason) (Dec 4-3) 157 Kolby Ho (George Mason) over Logan Meek (TF 22-7 4:48) 165 Neil Schuster (George Mason) over Aaron Olmos (Fall 2:15) 174 Anthony Lombardo (George Mason) over Colton Beisley (TF 17-1 6:08) 184 Colt Doyle over Paul Pierce (George Mason) (Dec 6-1) 197 J.J. Dixon over Jeremy Seymour (George Mason) (MD 13-3) 285 Jamarcus Grant (Oregon State) over Jake Slinger (George Mason) (Dec 7-4) 125 Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) over Talha Farooq (George Mason) (TF 24-5 5:20) 133 Devan Turner (Oregon State) over Josh Jones (George Mason) (Dec 5-0)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Junior Garrett Lambert and sophomore Zachary Knighton-Ward recorded Pride wins by fall to lead Hofstra to a 24-12 victory over the Falcons of Air Force in the Pride's dual match home opener at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Thursday night. Air Force (0-2) jumped out to a 6-0 lead on wins by Tyler Wiederholt at 174 and Jacob Thompson at 184. Pride sophomore Trey Rogers put Hofstra on the board with a 3-0 win over Casey Jumps at 197 before Knighton-Ward posted a dramatic pin of 22nd-ranked Kayne Hutchison with just three seconds remaining in their 285-pound match for a 9-3 lead. Air Force sophomore Sidney Flores tied the match at 9-9 with a 6-0 victory over Matt Templeton at 125. Lambert (2-2) gave Hofstra the lead for good with a pin of sophomore Jared Van Vleet at the 4:01 mark of their 133-pound match. Air Force senior Garrett O'Shea brought the Falcons to within three at 15-12 with a 9-5 win over Hofstra's Vinny Vespa at 141. But that would be the last win for the Falcons on the night as Pride freshman Reece Heller edged fellow rookie Dylan Martinez, 7-6 at 149, older brother sophomore Holden Heller clouted Trey Brisker, 7-1 at 157, and junior Ricky Stamm closed out the match with a 3-1 sudden victory decision on a takedown over 29th-ranked Randy Meneweather. Hofstra (1-0) returns to action on Friday and Saturday, December 6-7 when the Pride compete in the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational. Results: 174: Tyler Wiederholt (AIFO) over Sage Heller (HOFS) (Dec 7-6) 184: Jacob Thompson (AIFO) over Charles Small (HOFS) (Dec 6-3) 197: Trey Rogers (HOFS) over Casey Jumps (AIFO) (Dec 3-0) 285: Zachary Knighton-Ward (HOFS) over Kayne Hutchison (AIFO) (Fall 6:57) 125: Sidney Flores (AIFO) over Matt Templeton (HOFS) (Dec 6-0) 133: Garrett Lambert (HOFS) over Jared Van Vleet (AIFO) (Fall 4:01) 141: Garrett O`Shea (AIFO) over Vinny Vespa (HOFS) (Dec 9-5) 149: Reece Heller (HOFS) over Dylan Martinez (AIFO) (Dec 7-6) 157: Holden Heller (HOFS) over Trey Brisker (AIFO) (Dec 7-1) 165: Ricky Stamm (HOFS) over Randy Meneweather II (AIFO) (SV-1 3-1)

John Hughes with Pat Santoro (Photo/Lehigh Athletics) BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- John Hughes announced his resignation Wednesday as an associate head coach of the Lehigh wrestling program. Hughes was in the midst of his 12th season on the Mountain Hawks' staff, all of which has been spent working alongside Head Coach Pat Santoro and Associate Head Coach Brad Dillon. "I announced my resignation to the team and explained my decision was due to personal reasons," Hughes said. "I have been honored to be part of Lehigh University's legendary wrestling team and family. I thank Head Coach Pat Santoro for his continuous mentorship, guidance and support for more than a decade. I also thank Lehigh's administrators, staff, student-athletes, families and fans. All have had such a positive impact on my family and I. I also appreciate the continued support of my wife, Melissa and children, Riley and Morgan." "John is a loyal and longtime friend and we've been through a lot together," Santoro said. "He is a tremendous coach, and a big part of the turnaround in Lehigh wrestling in our time here. He has touched many lives and will continue to do so. I understand his decision to take time away from a demanding job to focus on himself and his family. I wish him the best and will miss seeing him on a daily basis." Hughes joined the Lehigh coaching staff in the summer of 2008 and was in his eighth season with the title of Associate Head Coach. A three-time All-American and former NCAA Champion at Penn State, Hughes helped guide the Mountain Hawks to 145 dual wins in 11-plus seasons in Bethlehem, plus back-to-back EIWA team titles in 2018 and 2019 and top ten NCAA finishes in 2011 and 2012. He worked with wrestlers up and down the lineup at Lehigh, but specialized in the middleweights. During his 11-plus year run, Hughes helped mold Brandon Hatchett into a two-time All-American and NCAA finalist at 165 and mentored Mitch Minotti to back-to-back All-America honors at 149 and 157 in 2014 and 2015. In recent years, Hughes has worked with two-time All-American Jordan Kutler and for the last season-plus helped Josh Humphreys win an EIWA title as a true freshman at 157. Hughes' impact was also felt on the recruiting trail where he played a major role Lehigh regularly bringing in recruiting classes that were highly-ranked on a national level. A native of Stillwater, Pennsylvania, Hughes is regarded as one of the toughest wrestlers in Penn State history. He won an NCAA Championship at 142 in 1995 and added All-American honors with a seventh place finish in 1994 and a runner-up finish in 1996. Hughes amassed with 121 career victories for the Nittany Lions. In addition to his national title, Hughes was the 1995 Big Ten Champion and also won a gold medal at the 1994 Pan-Am Games and a University National Freestyle Championship. In five seasons on the coaching staff at Penn State, Hughes made a profound and immediate impact in the training room. Working predominantly with the Nittany Lion middleweights, Hughes helped guide Bubba Jenkins and Dan Vallimont to All-American honors in 2008, while as a team, Penn State crowned four All-Americans and finished third in the team standings, the program's best finish since 1994. Hughes won four PIAA state championships wrestling for Benton High School. He earned his bachelor's degree in landscape contracting from Penn State in 2002.

Iowa's Spencer Lee earned a 13-4 major decision over ISU's Alex Mackall in last year's dual meet in Iowa City (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) On Sunday the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes will travel to Ames to take on the No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones. The Cy-Hawk match remains one of the highlights of the college wrestling season even though Iowa has dominated the series recently. Iowa State will bring one of their best lineups from the last few seasons into this match and are probably hoping the home advantage pushes them over the top. The following is a weight-by-weight preview of the dual. 125: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Alex Mackall (Iowa State) Lee's debut match last weekend against Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) started off as a vintage performance. He scored an early takedown and went to work from the top position. Later in the match he seemed to slow, and Gutierrez put a few points on the board. The final result was a major decision, but the two-time NCAA champion is held to a very high standard. Many Iowa fans were expecting a more dominant performance. Last year Mackall qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time and finished up in the round of 16. This year he has gotten off to a 4-0 start that includes a first-place finish at the Cyclone Open and a 10-3 dual decision win over Brandon Seidman (Bucknell). The Iowa State situation at 125 pounds was very hectic for an extended period of time, but Mackall has more than settled things down. In the Cy-Hawk dual last year, Lee's performance against Mackall was the first sign that he was not simply going to tech and pin his way through the season. He still won via a dominant 13-4 major decision, but Mackall did a solid job of keeping more bonus points off the board in what turned out to be a very close team match. Look for Lee to turn up the pace early and put on a similarly strong performance. If Mackall can keep this to a regular decision, the Cyclones might consider that a victory. Prediction: Lee (Iowa) major decision over Mackall (Iowa State) 133: Paul Glynn/No. 2 Gavin Teasdale/Austin DeSanto (Iowa) vs. Todd Small (Iowa State) In their first dual of the season, Iowa sent Glynn out to face Wade Cummings of UTC. Glynn fell behind early, but he managed to turn up the volume and walked away with an 11-7 victory. Teasdale's season got started on Saturday at the Luther Open. The former Penn State wrestler finished third with a 6-3 decision loss against No. 4 (DIII) Kristian Rumph (Wartburg). Small redshirted last season and finished 18-5 during the exhibition campaign. He has been starting in place of returning near All-American No. 5 Austin Gomez, who is reportedly coming down in weight. The former NJCAA champion won the Cyclone Open with three straight victories but dropped a 3-1 match against Darren Miller in the dual against Bucknell. Following the UTC match, Brands said that DeSanto "weighed in as basically a 33-pounder," so perhaps he is on the way down to 133. In his debut, he wrestled up a weight at 141 pounds. If he goes here, Iowa could be looking for bonus points. If Glynn or Teasdale goes, it should be a win for Small. The Cyclone owns a 7-3 victory over Glynn from last season, and Teasdale did not look particularly sharp last weekend. Prediction: Small (Iowa State) decision over Glynn (Iowa) 141: Austin DeSanto/No. 8 Max Murin (Iowa) vs. No. 12 Ian Parker/Austin Gomez (Iowa State) As previously stated DeSanto bumped up to 141 pounds for the Hawkeye's season opening dual. He took a 23-4 technical fall over Aiden Murphy (UTC). Murin, last year's starter at this weight, made his debut at the Luther Open. He won his opening bout over Lee Stevie (Loras) and then defaulted out of the tournament. Parker won the wrestle-off against Gomez and got the start for the season opening dual against Bucknell. In that match, he took home a 6-2 decision. Gomez is likely on the way back down to 133 pounds, so this will probably be Parker's weight for the rest of the year. He will be looking to make it onto the podium after qualifying for the first time last year. Once again the result at this weight will depend heavily on who gets the nod. DeSanto would likely be the favorite over Parker, but Murin might struggle to score against the Cyclone. Look for Iowa to stick with a lineup similar to their opening night squad, which means DeSanto coming forward with his aggressive style. Prediction: DeSanto (Iowa) decision over Parker (Iowa State) 149: No. 5 Patricio Lugo (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) In his first season as a starter for the Hawkeyes, Lugo put together a 23-10 record and finished eighth at the NCAA tournament to become an All-American for the first time. He made his debut this year in the dual against Chattanooga and picked up a 9-4 victory. Degen also broke through and become an All-American for the first time last year. He finished the season with a 29-8 record. So far this season, he is 4-1 with his only loss coming against No. 3 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa). Going into the Cy-Hawk match last year, many favored Lugo in this bout. However, Degen broke through with an overtime victory. They met again in the seventh-place match at the NCAA tournament, and Degen picked up his second victory over the Hawkeye. He might simply have Lugo's number at this point. Prediction: Degen (Iowa State) decision over Lugo (Iowa) 157: No. 2 Kaleb Young (Iowa) vs. No. 11 David Carr (Iowa State) Young was a revelation for the Hawkeyes last year. After wrestling up at 165 pounds and even 174 pounds, he moved down to 157 pounds. At the new weight he went 24-7 and finished fifth at the NCAA tournament. That performance as well as some graduations pushed him into the No. 2 spot in the country. Last weekend he scored a major decision victory over former Penn State wrestler George Carpenter (UTC). The 2019 Junior world gold medalist redshirted last season at Iowa State. He went 23-1 with his only defeat coming against Peyton Mocco (Missouri). In his only action this season, Carr scored an 18-3 technical fall over Jordan Fisher (Bucknell). The former blue chip recruit is expected to be a player in the 157-pound division this season. This might be the biggest match of the weekend. Carr could announce his presence in the weight with a victory over the No. 2-ranked wrestler. Young has shocked more heralded wrestlers in the past, but this will be a tough task. Carr's best wins have come in freestyle, but he has all the talent to pull this one out. Prediction: Carr (Iowa State) decision over Young (Iowa) 165: No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) vs. Chase Straw (Iowa State) Marinelli had a stellar regular season and conference tournament last year. He entered the NCAA tournament as the undefeated No. 1 seed. Things did not really go his way in the bracket, and he ended up finishing seventh. Despite that he is once again one of the top contenders in the weight this year. He currently holds the No. 2 ranking, and he has wins over everyone ranked in the top five. Straw is moving up to 165 pounds after spending the last two seasons at 157 pounds. Last year he was an NCAA qualifier and finished with a 22-12 record. Straw started this year with a first place finish at the Cyclone Open but dropped a decision last weekend against Zach Hartman (Bucknell). Marinelli is the clear favorite in this match. Straw is 1-7 for his career against Iowa wrestlers, and his only victory came over current teammate Skyler St. John. The only real question here is if Marinelli can put up bonus points. Last year he significantly increased his bonus rate, but he was unable last weekend to hit bonus over Drew Nicholson (UTC). Prediction: Marinelli (Iowa) decision over Straw (Iowa State) 174: No. 4 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs. Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) After missing an entire season due to injury, the 174-pound experiment for Kemerer finally got started last weekend against UTC. The competition was not particularly strong, but he dominated en route to a shutout technical fall victory. He appeared to be filled out at the new weight, but it remains to be seen if the former 157-pound wrestler will struggle against larger competition. After a very strong redshirt season for his first year in Ames, Coleman joined the starting lineup last year at 174 pounds. He finished with a 28-14 record and qualified for the NCAA tournament. He dropped a decision against No. 6 Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) at the Cyclone Open, but he bounced back last weekend with a fall over Frankie Guida (Bucknell). On paper Kemerer is the much more accomplished wrestler, and he should be able to take the bout. However, Coleman is really his first real test at 174 pounds. If the weight is going to be an issue for the Iowa wrestler this year, it will certainly show here. Prediction: Kemerer (Iowa) decision over Coleman (Iowa State) 184: No. 9 Cash Wilcke/Nelson Brands (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Samuel Colbray (Iowa State) Brands surprisingly got the start for Iowa against UTC last weekend. After spending last season at 165 pounds, he bumped up to 184 pounds and knocked off Matthew Waddell via 8-4 decision. Last year's starter at 184 pounds and three-time NCAA qualifier, Wilcke went instead to the Luther Open where he took the tournament title with two technical falls and two falls over DII/DIII competition. Following the match against UTC, the Iowa coaching staff indicated that Wilcke was sent to the open "for a reason." In his third year wrestling for the Cyclones, Colbray finally broke through and qualified for the NCAA tournament last year. He came up short of becoming an All-American as he fell in the round of 12. For his senior year, Colbray is looking to make it on the podium and is currently ranked in the top 10. Colbray won a close match over Wilcke last year, and that is likely going to happen again. Wilcke is a hard hand fighter, but he has struggled to score takedowns when he needs them. If Colbray is able to handle the pace, he should be able to salt away this victory with a late takedown. If Iowa send out Brands, it is hard to see Colbray's size not being too much for the former 165-pounder. Prediction: Colbray (Iowa State) decision over Wilcke (Iowa) 197: No. 3 Jacob Warner (Iowa) vs. Joel Shapiro (Iowa State) Warner went 22-6 during his first season in the starting lineup for the Hawkeyes. He became an All-American for the first time with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA tournament. Warner's two losses at the tournament came on a combined three points with one loss coming in overtime. In his season debut last season, he scored a 5-4 decision over Rodney Jones (UTC). Shapiro joined the starting lineup this year for the Cyclones after redshirting last year. He has gone 3-2 to start the year. His losses have come against Drew Phipps (Bucknell) and former NJCAA champion Tyree Sutton (Grand View). Throughout his collegiate career, Warner has knocked off many strong opponents. However, he has often played it close and put himself into seemingly unnecessary trouble. Warner should be able to put points on the board against Shapiro, but this one might be closer than expected. Prediction: Warner (Iowa) decision over Shapiro (Iowa State) 285: No. 12 Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) vs. No. 16 Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) Cassioppi went 20-2 last year during his redshirt campaign. Of those 20 wins 14 came via fall. Not surprisingly, he started his first season as a starter with yet another fall. He needed less than two minutes to stop Grayson Walthall (UTC) in his only match this year. Gremmel was an NCAA qualifier last year, but he went 1-2 in the tournament and failed to place. His season this year got off to an interesting start as he was disqualified for multiple unsportsmanlike penalties. Despite the DQ he should be allowed back in the lineup for Sunday's match. In the Cy-Hawk match last year, Sam Stoll came off the bench to score a much-needed victory over Gremmel to secure the team victory. If it comes down to heavyweight this year, Iowa will once again have the advantage. While Cassioppi was redshirting, he also picked up a second-period fall over Gremmel. Prediction: Cassioppi (Iowa) fall over Gremmel (Iowa State) Dual Meet Predicted Score: Iowa 22, Iowa State 12

Members of the 2019 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championship team from The Pennsylvania State University, as well as many of the 2019 NCAA Div. I individual wrestling champions will be honored guests at the White House on Friday, November 22 in Washington, D.C. The wrestlers and coaches were invited as part of an NCAA Champions Day, which will also include athletes from other sports. The athletes will visit The White House during the morning of Friday, Nov. 22 and are expected to meet President Donald J. Trump as part of their tour. Invited to the White House were Penn State's 2019 NCAA championship team, as well as all 10 of the 2019 NCAA Division I individual champions, which also includes athletes from Arizona State University, Cornell University, Northern Iowa University, Rutgers University, the University of Iowa, and Virginia Tech University. While college wrestlers have been previously recognized by President Trump and other administrations, this is reportedly the first time all of the NCAA Div. I individual champions have been invited. Expected to attend are the following wrestlers, coaches, and university leaders: Penn State University Jason Nolf, 2019 NCAA champion at 157 pounds Bo Nickal, 2019 NCAA champion at 197 pounds Mason Manville, Varsity wrestling student-athlete Nick Nevills, Varsity wrestling student-athlete Rick Kaluza, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Finance and Business Operations Rutgers University Nick Suriano, 2019 NCAA champion at 133 pounds Anthony Ashnault, 2019 NCAA champion at 149 pounds Scott Goodale, Head Coach Donny Pritzlaff, Associate Head Coach Cornell University Yianni Diakomihalis, 2019 NCAA champion at 141 pounds Rob Koll, The David Dunlop '59 Head Coach of Wrestling Virginia Tech University Mekhi Lewis, 2019 NCAA champion at 165 pounds Tony Robie, Head Coach University of Northern Iowa Drew Foster, 2019 NCAA champion at 184 pounds Randy Pugh, Assistant Coach With the 2019-2020 NCAA wrestling season underway, some of those invited were not able to attend because the White House visit conflicted with scheduled competition. For instance, Penn State is competing at Arizona State on Friday, November 22. The University of Iowa will compete against Iowa State on Sunday, November 24. This affected invited athletes who are currently competing for their college wrestling team. There has been a tradition of college national champion teams visiting The White House in years past.

WAVERLY -- The No. 3-ranked Wartburg wrestling team is set for its home-opening meet this Wednesday, Nov. 20, hosting an American Rivers Conference dual versus Simpson College at 7 p.m. inside Levick Arena. During the meet intermission, Wartburg will honor former great Kenny Anderson '14, who tragically passed away this October at the age of 29. A three-time NCAA Champion, Anderson held a 76-3 career record as a lightweight and led the Knights to national championships in 2012, 2013, and 2014. A native of Billerica, Mass., Anderson is a member of the State Wrestling Hall of Fame in Massachusetts, where he was inducted in 2011. WARTBURG COLLEGE (1-0, 1-0 A-R-C) VS. SIMPSON COLLEGE (0-2, 0-0 A-R-C) Date: Nov. 20, 2019 Time: 7 p.m. Site: Waverly, Iowa // Levick Arena Series: Wartburg leads 29-9 Radio: KWAY Country AM 1470 FM 96.3 // Greg Hovden, Al Hoeper LAST TIME OUT The Knights competed at the Luther Open in Decorah on Saturday, with four individuals receiving bracket titles in their respective weight classes. Wartburg recorded three elite bracket titles; Martine Sandoval at 157, Max Forsyth and 165, and Kyle Briggs at 174. Joe Pins took first in the 133 silver bracket. Additionally, Brady Kyner (Elite 125) and Kris Rumph (Elite 133) earned runner-up finishes. KNIGHTS RANKED THIRD IN NWCA The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released its second team and individual rankings earlier this week, with Wartburg remaining ranked No. 3 and six Knights ranked their respective weight classes. Six Wartburg student-athletes were ranked throughout different weight classes: 125 - Brady Kyner, 5th 133 - Kris Rumph, 4th 141 - Brock Rathbun, 4th 149 - Brady Fritz, 6th 174 - Kyle Briggs, 2nd 197 - Kobe Woods, 6th THE SERIES Saturday's match will mark the 53rd meeting between Wartburg and Simpson, with the Knights holding a 47-5 series advantage. Wartburg has won 30-straight over the Storm, including a 46-6 win last season in Indianola. LAST FIVE MEETINGS Date Home/Away Result 11/14/18 A W, 46-6 11/15/17 H W, 38-10 11/16/16 ​​​​​A ​​​​​​​ W, 41-4 11/18/15 H ​​​​​​​W, 49-6 11/19/14 A ​​​​​​​ W, 52-0

ADA, Ohio -- The No. 9 Nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team improved to 1-0 after the 28-6 Ohio Athletic Conference victory over Ohio Northern University, inside the ONU Sports Center. Freshman 125-pounder Jack Stanley (Brecksville / Brecksville-Broadview Heights) got the night started with a pin in 6:35. Senior All-American and Academic All-OAC 141-pounder Charlie Nash (Norwalk) extended the BW lead to 9-3, after a 2-0 decision. Junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 149-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./Tamaqua) gave BW a 12-3 advantage after a 3-2 decision. Extending the lead to 15-3, was junior two-time All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 157-pounder Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic) who seized an 11-5 decision. Senior All-OAC 165-pounder Benjamin Hooff (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) gave the Yellow Jackets an 18-3 lead after an 8-3 decision. Freshman 184-pounder Luke Salmon (Sandusky/Perkins) gave BW a 22-6 advantage with a 16-4 major decision. Senior All-American and two-time All-OAC 197-pounder Zeckary Lehman (Akron/Revere) won his bout with a 3-1 decision and gave BW a 25-6 lead. Sophomore heavyweight Jarod Miller (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) claimed the final bout with a 6-3 decision, sealing the 28-6 victory. The Yellow Jackets are back in action this Saturday November 23 for the BW Invitational. Matches begin at 10 a.m. Results: 125: Jack Stanley (BW) pinned Jacob Hamad, 6:35 133: Seth Transue (ONU) dec. Chad Craft, 8-4 141: #7 Charlie Nash (BW) dec. Jeff Andrews, 2-0 149: Tanner McHugh (BW) dec. Chase Sumner, 3-2 157: #6 Stanley Bleich (BW) dec. Adam Lenhoff, 11-5 165: Benjamin Hooff (BW) dec. Shaun Wagner, 8-3 174: Connor Kwiat (ONU) dec. Quinton Kelley, 11-4 184: Lucas Salmon (BW) maj. dec. Sam Medlen, 16-4 197: #4 Zeckary Lehman (BW) dec. Cash Thompson, 3-1 285: Jared Miller (BW) dec. Logan Painter, 6-2

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- No. 4 ranked Mount Union defeated Muskingum 54-0 in an Ohio Athletic Conference wrestling dual Tuesday at Timken Gymnasium. It was the conference opener for both teams and the Purple Raiders won all nine contested matches. Mount Union has now won seven straight conference duals. Seven of the Raiders wins were pins and two of those came in less than 20 seconds. Mount Union opened the match with a 4-2 win at 197 pounds from sophomore Landon Talbert (Salem / Crestview). Senior Grant Martin (Hartville / Lake) made quick work with a pin in 18 seconds at 285 pounds while sophomore Errik Gerback (Alliance / Marlington) kept things rolling with a pin 1:25 into the 125-pound match. Sophomore David Massey (Cuyahoga Falls / Woodridge), the No. 10 ranked wrestler in the nation at 133 pounds, won his ninth match of the year with a forfeit. Junior Jordin James (Bedford) got a pin at 141 pounds. James is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the weight class. Sophomore Nolan Wochna (Brecksville / Brecksville-Broadview Hts.) rallied for a 6-2 win at 149 pounds. Junior Antwon Pugh is ranked No. 1 at 157 got the quickest pin of the night in 14 seconds. The Raiders closed out the match with pins at 165 from sophomore Dylan Miller (Salem / West Branch), 174 from freshman David Reinhart (Canfield) and at 184 from junior George Lassnick (Painesville / Lake Catholic). Mount Union next takes on No. 9 ranked Baldwin Wallace in an OAC dual Tuesday, December 3 at 7 p.m. in Berea. Results: 197 – Landon Talbert (MTU) dec. Garrett Mitchel (MUSK) 4-2 285 – Grant Martin (MTU) pin Noah DeHainaut (MUSK), :18 125 – Errik Gerback (MTU) pin Hunter Heck (MUSK), 1:25 133 - #10 David Massey (MTU) win by forfeit 141 - #1 Jordin James pin Sammy Southers (MUSK), 4:34 149 – Nolan Wochna dec. Tanner Donathan (MUSK), 6-2 157 - #1 Antwon Pugh (MTU) pin Corey Loera (MUSK), :14 165 – Dylan Miller (MTU) pin Michael Kashuna (MUSK), 1:43 174 – David Reinhart (MTU) pin Carter Layton (MUSK), 2:28 184 – George Lassnick (MTU) pin Isaac Sell (MUSK), 1:21 Records: Mount Union (1-0, 1-0 OAC), Muskingum (0-1, 0-1 OAC)

Luke Pletcher recently defeated Stanford's Real Woods (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Eight pounds have made a world of difference for Ohio State's Luke Pletcher. He's not only bigger and stronger. But he's also setting a faster pace. That was evident in his most recent match. The top-ranked Pletcher used a relentless attack to score six takedowns in earning a 13-4 major decision over No. 18 Mitch Moore of Virginia Tech. "It's really nice not having to worry about your weight as much -- it makes wrestling much more fun," said Pletcher, now 8-0 this season. "I can come into practice now and focus on getting better and improving instead of thinking about how much weight I need to lose. I feel so much better. My energy level is great in my matches. It feels good to wrestle a full seven minutes at a high pace." Pletcher moves to 141 pounds for his senior season after placing fourth at the last two NCAA tournaments at 133 pounds. He reached the NCAA round of 16 as a true freshman at 141. Luke Pletcher reached the NCAA semifinals last season before losing to Oklahoma State's Daton Fix (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A strong, physical wrestler at 133, Pletcher will still be one of the most powerful athletes at 141 even though he's bumped up a division. He's scored bonus points in six of eight victories this season. "Luke's energy level is so much better -- he looks great at 141," Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. "His attack rate is extremely high and he looks really powerful. He almost made the NCAA finals the last two years, so he's been in the thick of things. We thought he could win it the last three years and we feel that way again. He's a great leader for us and we're glad he's a Buckeye." Pletcher climbed to the top of the national rankings after he knocked off previously No. 1 Dom Demas of Oklahoma 2-1 in overtime earlier this season. "I'm excited about this season," Pletcher said. "Obviously, I would rather finish strong than start strong. But the season is off to a good start and I'm loving being at 141." Pletcher works closely with Buckeye assistant coach J Jaggers, who won two NCAA titles for Ohio State at 141. "Jaggers helps me a lot," Pletcher said. "He knows what I need to work on and he understands what I'm going through. He's good at looking at video and breaking everything down. He's been great for me. He obviously knows what it takes to win a national title." Once his college career is completed, Pletcher will jump into freestyle wrestling full-time. He placed second at the U23 World Team Trials earlier this year. "I really like freestyle," he said. "There are a lot of ways to score points and there is a lot of action. It's a more exciting style of wrestling. It's more suited to my style because I'm most comfortable wrestling on my feet." Pletcher is part of a Buckeye team with a number of proven veterans along with some new faces in the starting lineup. "We have a lot of young guys on our team, but they will continue to grow as the season goes along," he said. "You learn a lot every time you go out there to wrestle. We have a good team. I'm looking forward to see how everyone improves and progresses." Luke Pletcher gets his hand raised after getting a win against Virginia Tech (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Pletcher's senior season coincides with the opening of Ohio State's sparkling new wrestling arena. "I wish they would've had it three years ago," Pletcher said with a laugh. "It's a great venue. It gets really loud in there and it's pretty cool to wrestle in that atmosphere. It's a new environment and it's really fun for us to be in there." Pletcher is one of two senior standouts for the Buckeyes. Returning NCAA runner-up Kollin Moore is ranked No. 1 nationally at 197 pounds. "I love having Kollin on the team," Pletcher said. "We bounce ideas off each other. He's a good leader and he models the way. He has a great arsenal of moves and he's a great wrestler. We're both seniors who are trying to accomplish the same goal. We feed off each other and we're hungry to reach the top." The formula for Pletcher to succeed at his final NCAA tournament is straightforward. "I just need to stay aggressive and keep scoring more points," he said. "It's always a tough tournament and there will be some close matches. I just need to stay confident and keep working. And I need to keep improving. You can always get better." Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Ben Askren before his match against Jordan Burroughs at Beat the Streets (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Ben Askren, two-time NCAA wrestling champ for University of Missouri and U.S. freestyle wrestler at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, announced his plans to retire Monday after a decade in MMA ... and less than one year in UFC. "I'm retiring from the sport of MMA," Askren said on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on ESPN Monday. "Frankly, I'm retiring from everything." "I've been having hip problems, and I finally had the discussion with my doctor ... and I need a [left] hip replacement," Askren said. "So, man, that's it for me. I've been thinking about this for a week and what I was going to say, and I'm filled with gratitude for how great of a career I've been able to have, even though obviously in the end it did not turn out to go my way." The 35-year-old Askren added that he had been dealing with hip issues for the past "3-5 years-ish." "I got really emotional the other day because I started thinking about all the great experiences I've had, and how lucky I've been to have the amount of success I've had," Askren added. The UFC acquired Askren as part of an unprecedented trade with ONE Championship in October 2018, essentially swapping former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson to Asia's ONE promotion in exchange for Askren. As ESPN described last fall's transaction in its Monday story about Askren's retirement announcement, "It wasn't a traditional trade like what would be common in team sports. The UFC agreed to release Johnson, who came to his own new deal with ONE. ONE did the same with Askren, who signed with the UFC." "Prior to the trade, Askren had retired from ONE after a 57-second TKO win over Shinya Aoki on Nov. 24, 2017." Askren launched his MMA career in 2009 with the Headhunter Productions promotion in Missouri. After going 3-0 in regional competition, Askren signed with Bellator to compete in that organization's second-ever welterweight tournament. Askren won the tournament, and Bellator welterweight title, after defeating Lyman Good at Bellator 33 in 2010. Askren defended his title four times in Bellator before signing for ONE FC in 2014, having signed with that organization after initially being rejected by UFC. Prior to entering MMA, Askren had made a name for himself in amateur wrestling. In high school, he was a two-time Wisconsin state champion. He then headed south to the University of Missouri, where he was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American between 2004 and 2007, earning back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007. Askren was also a three-time Big 12 conference champion, and a two-time recipient of the Dan Hodge Trophy from WIN Magazine as college wrestler of the year, as well as InterMat Wrestler of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Upon concluding his collegiate mat career, Askren earned a place on the U.S. men's freestyle wrestling team at the 2008 Olympics. While he did not medal at the Beijing Games, Askren did earn a gold medals at the 2005 Pan American Championships, as well as at the 2008 U.S. Open. Ben Askren concludes his pro MMA career with a 19-2 record, with 1 No Contest.

Frank Jasper played Brian Shute (bottom position) in the movie "Vision Quest" You may not immediately recognize the name Frank Jasper ... but, if you're a wrestling fan, you know Brian Shute, the muscular, undefeated state wrestling champ Jasper portrayed in the classic 1980s movie "Vision Quest." Now you can meet Frank Jasper, the man who brought Shute to life - as the guy carrying the log on his shoulders climbing the stadium stairs, or facing off against Matthew Modine's Louden Swain in the climatic match -- live and in person ... at one of three upcoming wrestling events: Costa Mesa Classic Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 Costa Mesa High School 2650 Fairview Road Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626 West Coast Clash Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019 Francis Parker Upper School 6501 Linda Vista Rd. San Diego, Calif. 92111 Veterans Memorial Invitational Friday-Saturday, Dec. 20-21, 2019 BeeHoldzil Fighting Scouts Events Center Window Rock High School Fort Defiance, Ariz. 86504 Want a memento of meeting Frank Jasper/Brian Shute at one of these events? No problem ... "I sell 9 x 12" photos that I autograph at these events," Jasper told InterMat. "I also sign anything and everything from shoes to biceps for free! And take photos with everyone that wants that, no charge." "I am totally stoked about interacting with wrestlers -- male and female -- at these events," Jasper added. In case you're wondering ... yeah, Frank Jasper actually wrestled in high school and college. As a third-year student at Eastern Washington University, Jasper was a pre-med student who was enrolled in the school's athletic training program ... and, in his spare time, was also a bodybuilder. So how did Frank Jasper become Brian Shute? A friend told Jasper that a movie being filmed in nearby Spokane, Wash. was seeking a six-foot, muscular guy who could wrestle. "After quite a bit of hounding on my friend's part, I decided to check it out," Jasper said on his website. "I arrived at the hotel that day thinking I was trying out to be an extra -- a guy who would just be in the background. It was not until I was given sides (lines to read) and introduced to Harold Becker, the director, that I realized I was auditioning for a major role." "After several more meetings, one of which included wrestling for coach Cash Stone, the consultant for the film, they had narrowed their search down to two guys, an actor from Hollywood and me, an unknown college student. The two of us then wrestled for the director, producers and crew. When the match was over, I was offered the part of Brian Shute," said Jasper. In recent years, Frank Jasper has been making appearances at major wrestling tournaments and other events, connecting in person with wrestlers and "Vision Quest" fans of all ages. When he isn't on the road meeting members of the wrestling community in person - or busy helping patients improve the quality of their lives at his Osani Holistic Health Care in Pacific Palisades, Calif. -- Frank Jasper also runs ShuteShirts.com which offers collectible wearables incorporating images of his iconic Brian Shute character from "Vision Quest." Want to know more about Frank Jasper, his involvement in the filming of "Vision Quest", and his life beyond the movie? Check out this 2016 InterMat feature.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 1 nationally by InterMat, dominated action at the 2019 Army West Point Invite on Sunday in West Point, N.Y. Fifteen Penn Staters competed at nine weights and the Nittany Lions came away with four champions with 11 total place-winners. The Nittany Lions four champions were Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.) at 133, Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.) at 141, Jarod Verkleeren (Greensburg, Pa.) at 149 and Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) at 174. Luke Gardner (Pottsville, Pa.) was runner-up at 149 as well, dropping a tough bout in an all-Penn State final at that weight. Bravo-Young, ranked No. 3 at 133, won the first of Penn State's individual titles at the event. Bravo-Young had a first-round bye and met Bloomsburg's Shaun Orey in the quarterfinals. Bravo-Young dominated the bout on his way to a 22-9 major decision. The Lion sophomore took on Gregg Wert of Army West Point in the semifinals and battled his way to a 9-4 win, advancing to the finals. Bravo-Young took on Michigan's Austin Assad in Penn State's first finals bout of the day. The Lion sophomore dominated all 7:00 of the bout, picking up three takedowns in each of the first two periods, on his way to posting a 17-9 major decision. Bravo-Young went 3-0 with two majors to win the Black Knight Invite title at 133. Lee, ranked No. 3 at 141, picked up the crown at his weight. Lee opened up the tournament making short work of Maryland's Quinn Devaney. Lee opened up a 12-1 lead in the first period before pinning Devaney at the 2:42 mark. The Nittany Lion junior notched his second first-period fall, pinning Bloomsburg's Marco Macrino at the 1:29 mark to move to the semifinals. Lee continued his dominant wrestling in the semis, rolling up a number of takedowns and back points on his way to an 18-0 technical fall over Central Michigan's Drew Martin. Lee's tech came at the 3:32 mark in the second period. In the finals, Lee took on Central Michigan's Dresden Simon and rolled to an 11-5 win to claim the title. Lee went 4-0 with two pins and a major at the tournament. Verkleeren won the all-Penn State final at 149. Verkleeren opened up a big lead in the opening period of his first-round bout against Michigan's Nick Lombard before rolling up an 11-point lead in the third. Verkleeren picked up the fall at the 6:34 mark to move into the quarterfinals. He nearly pinned Maryland's Michael Doetsch in the opening period but settled for a 6-1 win. Verkleeren controlled Hofstra's Reece Heller in his semifinal bout, posting a strong 6-2 win to advance to the finals. Verkleeren met teammate Gardner in the 149-pound title bout. He used a third period takedown to post a hard fought 3-2 win and take the crown. Verkleeren went 4-0 with a pin on the day. Hall, ranked No. 1 at 174, rolled to the title at 174. After a first-round bye, Hall made short work of Bloomsburg's Justin Hayward, taking the Huskie grappler down quickly, turning him a couple times and then getting the first period pin at the 1:44 mark. Hall picked up his second pin of the tournament in the semifinals, getting a second period fall over Maryland's Phillip Spadafora at the 4:12 mark to advance to the finals. Hall took on Big Ten foe Jacob Covaciu of Indiana in the title bout at 174 and dominated the action. Hall recorded the bout's only takedowns and posted a 14-2 major with over 3:00 in riding time to take the title. The Lion senior went 3-0 with two pins on the day. Gardner lost a hard-fought all-Penn State final at 149. Gardner had a first-round bye and took on Central Michigan's Luke Raczkowski in the quarterfinals. Gardner dominated the action and rolled to a 12-4 major decision over Raczkowski to move to the semifinals. In the semis, Gardner battled Army West Point's P.J. Ogunsanya through a rugged seven minutes, coming out on top with a strong 3-0 win. The victory advanced him to the finals where he met teammate Jarod Verkleeren. He dropped a 3-2 decision in the final and ended his day with a 2-1 mark, including a major and a runner-up finish. Freshman Brody Teske (Duncombe, Iowa) rolled to a third-place finish at 125, with his lone loss to a nationally ranked foe. Teske won his first match over Army West Point's Ryan Chauvin, bolting out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, led by nine after two and ended the bout with a fall at the 6:10 mark. He then took care of Maryland's Brandon Cray, rolling to an 8-3 decision to advance to the semifinals. Teske battled No. 11 Drew Hildebrand of Central Michigan in the semifinals and dropped a 6-0 match. The Lion freshman then rolled up 20 points on Chauvin in a second meeting, posting a 20-10 major to advance to the conso final/third place bout. Teske took on Michigan's Jack Medley in a Big Ten battle for third place and came away with a 5-4 win after 7:00 hard-fought minutes. Teske took third with a 4-1 day, including a pin and a major. Freshman Konner Kraeszig (Louisville, Ky.) had an outstanding weekend, taking third at 165. Kraeszig had a first-round bye. He met Indiana's Davey Tunon in the quarterfinals and dominated the Hoosier to the tune of a 15-4 major decision (with over 3:00 in riding time). Kraeszig then met No. 12 Cael McCormick of Army West Point in the semifinals. Kraeszig battled the ranked Knight tough for seven minutes before falling 7-3. He then met Tracy Hubbard of Central Michigan in the consolation semifinals and rolled to a 15-5 major with over 3:00 in riding time. Kraeszig's major moved him into the third-place bout where he met Michigan's Layne Van Anrooy. Kraeszig battled the Wolverine for 7:00-plus minutes before using a scrambling takedown in extra time to post a 3-1 (sv) win. Kraeszig took third place with a 4-1 day that included two majors. His lone loss was to a nationally ranked grappler. Freshman Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) was impressive at 125 and placed fifth at the event . Meredith had a first-round bye. He then battled No. 11 Drew Hildebrand of Central Michigan in the quarterfinals and lost an 8-0 major. In consolation action, Meredith posted a 12-4 major over Bloomsburg's Christian Gannone. He then took on teammate Devin Schnupp in the next round of consolation action and used a third period takedown to post a 4-2 victory. Meredith faced off against Michigan's Jack Medley in the conso semis and lost a 7-2 decision. He took on Army's Ryan Chauvin for fifth and rolled to a 22-7 tech fall at the 6:23 mark. Meredith took fifth after a 3-2 day, including a major and a tech fall. Junior Bo Pipher (Paonia, Colo.) picked up a couple falls at 157 and took fifth at the event. Pipher took on Army's Luke Weiland in the first round. The Lion lost a tough 6-1 decision to Weiland and moved into consolation action. After trailing Indiana's Fernando Silva early, Pipher battled back to even the action before ending the bout with a quick move and a pin, getting the fall at the 6:03 mark. Pipher then locked up Army's Markus Hartman quickly in his next match, getting the fast fall at the 0:49 mark to advance to the consolation semifinals. Pipher suffered a 7-3 loss to Central Michigan's Logan Parks in the conso semis and then picked up a medical forfeit victory in the fifth-place bout. Pipher went 3-2 with two pins on the day to take fifth place. Freshman Creighton Edsell (Wyalusing, Pa.) was solid at 184 as well, placing fifth. Edsell met No. 17 Jelani Embree off Michigan in the opening round. The Lion freshman met the ranked Wolverine step for step over the 7:00 match before dropping a hard-fought 3-1 decision. Edsell received a bye in his first consolation bout and then took on Indiana's Jakob Hinz. Edsell dominated Hinz, posting an 8-4 win to move into the consolation semifinals. Edsell dropped a tough 6-3 decision to Maryland's Kyle Jasenski in the conso semis and then rebounded to post a dominant 11-4 win over Central Michigan's Ben Cushman in the fifth-place match. Edsell went 2-2 on the day. Sophomore Austin Hoopes (Afton, Wyo.) took sixth place at 197. Hoopes battled Maryland's Niko Capello tough in the opening round before dropping a 3-2 decision. In his first consolation bout, Hoopes received the medical forfeit win over Conel. He took on Bloomsburg's Kyle Murphy in the next consolation round and needed 10 minutes to pick up the victory. Hoopes rode Murphy out in the second tie-breaker to post a 3-2 (tb2) victory and continue on in the tournament. He bowed out of the tournament after a 10-4 loss to Central Michigan's Landon Pelham. He then lost a hard-fought 3-2 decision to CMU's Aaron Bolo in the fifth-place match, going 2-3 on the day for sixth. Graduate Kyle Conel (Ashtabula, Ohio), ranked No. 3 at 197, bowed out of the tournament early after a medical forfeit. Conel posted a hard-fought 2-1 (tb) win over Maryland's Jaron Smith in the opening round, escaping in his tie-breaker period after riding Smith out. Conel took on Aaron Bolo of Central Michigan in the quarterfinals. After taking an early lead with the bout's lone takedown, Conel was injured on an escape in the third period, continued but could not break free of Bolo's ride and was reversed. He dropped a 5-3 decision and then medically forfeited (not a second loss) out of the tournament. Junior Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) grabbed one win at 125. Schnupp dropped a tough 3-1 decision to Army West Point's Trey Chalifoux in the first round, nearly tying the bout with a late scramble before dropping into consolations with the loss. Schnupp was tied with Maryland's Brandon Cray late in the third period before Cray was injured, giving Schnupp the injury default victory. Schnupp then dropped a tough 4-2 decision to teammate Brandon Meredith to bow out of the tournament with a 1-2 mark. Freshman Paul Feite (Dillsburg, Pa.) picked up a win at 157. Feite opened up the tournament against Indiana's Fernando Silva. Feite's late takedown was not enough in an 8-3 loss and the Lion moved into consolation action. The Lion freshman picked up a victory in his first consolation bout, posting a 3-2 decision over Bloomsburg's Nate Newberry. Feite bowed out of the tournament after a 12-3 loss to Maryland's Jahi Jones, posting a 1-2 mark on the day. Senior Dominic Giannangeli (Murrysville, Pa.) competed at 141.Giannangeli dropped a hard-fought 4-0 decision to Hunter Baxter of Maryland in the opening round. He then took on Army's Logan Brown in his first consolation bout. Brown got the fall at the 2:31 mark and Giannangeli bowed out of the tournament. Four top-ranked Nittany Lions either did not wrestle at the event: No. 5 Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) .) and No. 1 Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) did not compete at 157, 184 and 285 respectively; No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.) competed this weekend at the Bill Farrell Open in New York City, advancing to the semifinals. Penn State will take its 1-0 dual meet record to Tempe, Ariz., next weekend to battle No. 6 Arizona State. The Nittany Lions and Sun Devils will tangle on Friday, Nov. 22, at 9 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. local. The dual airs on the Pac 12 networks with the Penn State Radio Network's Jeff Byers' broadcast live for free via LionVision at GoPSUsports.com.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A fall from Nathan Traxler and technical falls by Jackson DiSario and Real Woods propelled Stanford to a 29-10 win at San Francisco State, Sunday, in Main Gym at Don Nasser Plaza. Stanford improved to 2-1 on the year after winning seven of the 10 bouts over the Gators (1-2). Traxler, who is ranked No. 9 in the nation at 197 pounds, registered the pin over John Chetwynd in just 56 seconds. It is the first fall of the season for Traxler and the eighth of his career. The dual started at 125 pounds where DiSario, a true freshman, posted a 19-2 technical fall in the third period over Tony Margiotta. Ranked 13th nationally, Woods was also dominate in his match, besting Alex Felix 16-1 in 5:00 at 141 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Dalton Young earned his first dual win of the year and moved to 4-2 overall with a 5-3 decision over Nathan Cervantez at 133 pounds. Tied 2-2 going into the final period, Young opened the third with an escape and sealed the win with another takedown. Redshirt freshman Gabe Dinette collected his first collegiate dual win with a 6-2 decision over Kurtis Clem at 165 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Foster Karmon also recorded his first dual win of the season with a 14-4 major decision over Tyee Ducharme at 174 pounds. Redshirt senior Trevor Rasmussen capped off the scoring for the Cardinal with a 1-0 decision against Justin Ramos at heavyweight. Stanford is back in action on Saturday against Columbia. The Cardinal and Lions will face off in an outdoor dual in Fan Fest at 11 a.m. prior to the Stanford football game against Cal. The Cardinal will also host women's wrestling exhibition matches during halftime of the dual. Results: 125 Jackson DiSario (STAN) tech. fall Tony Margiotta (SFSU) 19-2 (5:31) 133 Dalton Young (STAN) dec. Nathan Cervantez (SFSU) 5-3 141 #13 Real Woods (STAN) tech. fall Alex Felix (SFSU) 16-1 (5:00) 149 Mason Boutain (SFSU) maj. dec. Tony Williams (STAN) 10-0 157 Maxamillian Schneider (SFSU) dec. Tyler Eischens (STAN) 10-7 165 Gabe Dinette dec. Kurtis Clem (SFSU) 6-2 174 Foster Karmon (STAN) maj. dec. Tyee Ducharme (SFSU) 14-4 184 Justin Pichedwatana (SFSU) dec. Jared Hill (STAN) 4-2 197 #9 Nathan Traxler (STAN) fall John Chetwynd (SFSU) F0:56 285 Trevor Rasmussen (STAN) dec. Justin Ramos (SFSU) 1-0

EVANSTON, Ill -- No. 21 Northwestern returned to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday with an emphatic 24-20 win over No. 14 Northern Iowa in its home opener. With the win, the 'Cats improve to 1-1 on the season. NU was able to come out on top today thanks in large part to the fact that four of their five individual wins Sunday were of the bonus point variety. "Saw some really great individual performances tonight. Super proud of the effort put out by Mike DeAugustino, Shayne Oster and the other guys that got their hand raised," Head Coach Matt Storniolo said following his team's victory. Sebastian Rivera (133), No. 3 Ryan Deakin (157), Shayne Oster (165) and Lucas Davison (197) all earned bonus-point decisions today, contributing 21of the 24 total team points. Also, important, Northwestern got off to a 7-0 start after the first two bouts. Redshirt first-year Michael DeAugustino got the Wildcats off on the right foot with a dominant 5-1 win over No. 9 Jay Schwarm. "Coach always talks about being a spark, starting off the match it's important to me to get the team going right. " DeAugustino said. "We always talk about going up and having fun, and usually if you're having fun you're winning." From there, Rivera earned his second consecutive major decision with a 13-4 win over Northern Iowa's Jack Skudlarczyk. No. 3 Ryan Deakin earned a fall over Keaton Geerts at the 3:48 mark to send Northwestern into intermission leading 13-7. Following the intermission, Oster added a strong 15-0 technical fall, completed with a myriad of back points to the score sheet. "I got to my offense so I could be on top," Oster said on his dominant performance. "That's where I wanted to be, that's where I was going to score the most points." At 197 pounds, Lucas Davison added six more points to lock up the match due to injury default as Northern Iowa's Noah Glaser went down in the first but could not continue. Northwestern is next back in action on November 24 at Welsh-Ryan Arena with a showdown vs. North Dakota State at 2 p.m. CT. Results: 125: Michael DeAugustino (NU). dec. Jay Schwarm (UNI), 5-1| NU 3, UNI 0 133: #3 (125) Sebastian Rivera (NU) maj. dec. Jack Skudlarczyk (UNI), 13-4 | NU 7, UNI 0 141: Michael Blockhus (UNI) maj.dec. Jack Tolin (NU), 13-3 | NU 7, UNI 4 149: #3 Max Thomsen (UNI) dec. Yahya Thomas (NU), 4-3 | NU 7, UNI 7 157: #3 Ryan Deakin (NU) fall. Keaton Geerts (UNI), 3:48 | NU 13, UNI 7 165: Shayne Oster (NU) technical fall. Pat Schoenfelder (UNI), 15-0 | NU 18, UNI 7 174: #7 Bryce Steiert (UNI) maj. dec. Tyler Moreland (NU), 13-1 | NU 18, UNI 11 184: #7 Taylor Lujan (UNI) fall. Jack Jessen (NU), 2:33 | NU 18, UNI 17 197: Lucas Davison (NU) injury default. Noah Glaser (UNI), DNF | NU 24, UNI 17 285: Carter Isley (UNI) dec. Jack Heyob (NU), 6-0 | NU 24, UNI 20 *All team ranking information is via NWCA Coaches Poll rankings as of Nov. 12. *All individual ranking information is via InterMat rankings as of Nov. 12.

The Tavakolians present a check to Brandon Nunez, a Become Your Own Dream Fund Scholarship recipient (Photo/Justin Hoch, jhoch.com) They are corporate executives by day. And superheroes by night. For Hooman and Lorelei Tavakolian, that is the life they lead. They start their days before sunrise in suburban New York City, work 12-hour days in midtown Manhattan and then commute home together to raise their three young children. They leave and return home when it's dark. Their schedule is wild, crazy and hectic, but they wouldn't have it any other way. The Tavakolians, both 43 years old, are C level employees for New York City-based hedge funds in one of the world's financial meccas in Manhattan. "We are very dedicated to our careers and we make a significant time commitment to what we do," Lorelei said. "We work long hours keeping our firms in line with compliance requirements. It can be stressful and hectic times, but we are partners in everything we do and it works well for us." The Tavakolians come from vastly different backgrounds. Hooman Tavakolian grew up in Iran, a country with a rich and storied history in the sport of wrestling. He and his wife have become known globally for their immense contributions to the sport. Hooman and Lorelei manage and operate Hoomanities, the nonprofit they founded to provide assistance to underprivileged youths around the world through wrestling. "There is a lot of poverty and neglect around the world," Lorelei said. "It's sad to see families who are struggling to make it and that's why it's so important for us to help people who are less fortunate. I am totally supportive of Hooman's vision and what we're doing to help young people. It's so gratifying to see a smile on a kid's face after we are able to help them -- it makes it all worth it. It's amazing to be able to give back." Hooman Tavakolian came to the U.S. at age 9 after his family left Iran in 1986. He went through some hardships as he and his family adjusted to a new culture when first coming to America. "We lived in poverty when I was growing up," he said. "I never lived in an air-conditioned room until I was 22. I grew up poor and that's definitely one of the reasons why I am so committed to helping the people who are less fortunate. I can relate to what they are going through. "Wrestling helped me become successful in life and I want it to provide the same opportunities for young people who are less fortunate. My goal is to give young people a way out of poverty by chasing their dreams in wrestling." Hooman excelled as a high school wrestler before going on to compete at the NCAA Division I level for Hofstra University. He went on to become successful in the business and financial world in New York City. In 2017, he was inducted into the New York chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Hooman is heavily involved in wrestling with the New York Athletic Club. He also has worked as a liaison between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Senior and Junior World Championships for wrestling. He has handled sports diplomacy between Iran, the U.S. and other countries from around the world. He also was in attendance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hooman became more heavily involved with wrestling during 2013 when the International Olympic Committee Executive Board recommended wrestling be removed from the Olympic Games program. Hooman has traveled frequently to Iran, including numerous times as a team leader when U.S. teams have competed there. He made two trips to Iran in 2019. When a tragedy struck in an Afghanistan wrestling room in 2018, and more than 20 people were killed by a suicide bomber, the Tavakolians led the charge to rebuild the facility. They helped raise funds to provide wrestling mats, equipment and gear for the club. They also raised the spirits of the surviving wrestlers by giving them an even greater gift. Hope. "After the bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, we wanted to provide assistance, and we jumped on it quickly," he said. "We fixed the whole wrestling gym. We rebuilt it, and made it even better and safer. And then we refurbished two additional gyms in Kabul. We helped a few hundred young wrestlers and got some kids off the streets. It was the Americans that helped them rebuild. We put politics and everything aside to provide help for the people in Afghanistan. A majority of the money came from people involved with wrestling in the U.S. We raised $25,000 to fix the three gyms. We are really appreciative that so many people jumped in to help and contribute to this." Hooman, widely known by his nickname of "Mo" in wrestling circles, travels frequently around the world while his wife manages everything from home in New York. "We are extremely busy with everything we do," Lorelei said. "But we make sure it doesn't interfere with our day jobs. It takes razor sharp time management to successfully be able to do everything. All of the charitable work we do is in the evenings and on the weekends." Hooman and Lorelei Tavakolian Hooman offers high praise for everything his wife has done to make their partnership thrive and excel. "Lorelei has done really well in her career and I'm very proud of her -- she is amazing," Hooman said. "She is a corporate executive who raises three kids and runs our household. Quite frankly, I don't know how she does it all. And on top of all that, she helps manage our charitable endeavors. "My wife is a saint. When I'm traveling around the world, she is home with the kids. I usually only get about three or four hours of sleep at night, and I'm so tired sometimes she has to tell me what socks to wear and make sure I don't forget anything." Their lengthy work commute, more than an hour each way, is what Hooman calls "quality time" with his wife. "It's basically the only time we have during the day where we are alone together," he said with a laugh. "We talk about a lot of the projects and ideas we have for helping people. I'm always bouncing ideas off her to see what she thinks. I greatly value her opinion and her input. It's a crazy life, but we love it. My wife is my best friend and she keeps all of us organized." No matter how busy they are, nothing is more important to the Tavakolians than raising their young family. They have two sons -- Navid, 9, and Nima 6 -- and one daughter -- Nikki, 4. All three children have taken an interest in wrestling. The boys also play baseball and basketball while their daughter is involved in ballet. The children excel in school and have other interests like music and the arts. They also enjoy playing video games. "We've been blessed to have amazing and happy kids," Hooman said. "They are active and involved and have a lot of energy. They mean everything to us. We cherish whatever time we have with them. Our family is very close." Earlier this year, Hooman took his older son Navid with him on a trip to Iran. "I think Navid thought we were going to a beach resort at first, but he quickly realized we weren't," Hooman said. "It was an eye-opening experience for him. He saw kids in Iran who were much less fortunate than he was who were selling socks on the street. They were wearing old clothes and ripped up shoes. We were in Tehran and we went back there for a family wedding. I wanted to show my son where I lived when I was his age. It was a tremendous experience for him. He has a better understanding now of Iran and his heritage." Hooman met Lorelei in 2000. "She was my boss -- I used to work for her," he said with a laugh. "She hired me for a financial position. And the rest is history. I am so fortunate and blessed she came into my life. She's the best." Lorelei grew up in the New York City borough of Queens before living about an hour drive north of the city when she was in high school. She attended Fordham University. Hooman said his wife has many of the qualities a successful athlete possesses. "Lorelei is tenacious -- she never gives up," he said. "She sets her goals and goes after them, no matter how long it takes. And she's very intelligent. She is great at time management. She is my life planner. She is a very motivated, driven and determined person who makes everyone around her better." The Tavakolians also co-founded a scholarship fund. They award a student-athlete in New York City $2,500 annually. "I do a lot of the work behind the scenes," Lorelei said. "I manage everything and I keep Hooman organized. I book his travel and help him with his schedule. And we are always talking and brainstorming when we're in the car going to and from work. We are very reliant on each other. All of the charitable work we do is a huge time commitment for us, and we somehow fit it in during the time when we're not working. But it's all worth it." Hooman said he is fortunate that the company he works for in New York City is "very supportive" of the humanitarian work that he does with his wife. "Our purpose in life is to help people," he said. "The world is portrayed as dark and evil in a lot of respects, and that's very sad to see. I see the good in people and I want to help them. We are all born with kindness -- we just need some sort of stimuli to get it out. I love putting a smile on a young person's face. And making their lives better. It's gratifying to be able to help them. We are all humans and we should all be here to help each other. "We hope our children continue our legacy long after we are gone and, through acts of kindness, continue to instill hope in humanity." Hooman Tavakolian with Henry Cejudo As you can imagine, Hooman and Lorelei have other projects they are planning to pursue. "We're always trying to raise money to help people -- that's what we do," he said. "I'm hosting some tournaments to raise money. We've talked about helping kids in Cambodia and Vietnam. I've been to Qatar to help there. We've helped kids in Brazil and Cuba and many other places. Companies such as Nike, Asics, Cliff Keen and Adidas have been extremely generous -- they have helped out by contributing shoes, gear and equipment to help kids who can't afford it. We've provided shoes for kids all over the world." For the Tavakolians, they aren't looking to make a profit. Instead, they're making a difference in the lives of countless young people. "A lot of the money I use to travel is out of my own pocket," he said. "It's something we want to do to give back to the sport of wrestling. We are able to help out, and we will continue to donate shoes and gear in 2020 to wrestlers. My mission is to give back and help these people." Hooman is preparing for another trip back to his native land. He's been back to Iran every year since 2007 and now goes back there twice a year. Many of the trips are for wrestling events and to help people in that country. "I'm doing a charity tournament in Iran in December," he said. "We are bringing in kids from low-income areas from Iran to compete. They will receive wrestling shoes and gear to compete. We want to show them wrestling can help them with the path of their life. Some of these kids have a dream to make a national team in wrestling so they can fly on a plane and travel outside the country. We want to show them that it is possible with wrestling." Their busy lives constantly keep Hooman and Lorelei on the go. And that's precisely how they like it. "We are kind of like Batman and Robin with all of the different roles we play. We focus on our corporate positions during the 12-hour days we work. And then we try to save the world through wrestling at night while raising our kids at the same time," Hooman said. "We are a great team. There is no possible way I could do this without my wife's amazing support. It can be stressful and exhausting at times, but it's all worth it. It's a great life and I found the perfect person to take this journey with." Lorelei said she is "100 percent on board" with what the couple is doing to make a difference. "Hooman wants to save everybody," she said. "He's an amazing, caring man with a huge heart. He's inspired me to want to help people who need it. So many people reach out to him for help and I'm very proud of what he's done. He can't possibly save everyone in the world, but he's trying to. One shoe at a time."