InterMat Staff

Jack Denholm, a two-time NCAA Division III All-American wrestler at Wartburg College, has been named the athletic director at Buena Vista University, the school located in Storm Lake, Iowa announced Monday. Denholm earned All-American honors for the Knights by placing fourth in the 177-pound bracket at both the 1988 and 1989 NCAAs. He graduated from the Waverly, Iowa school in 1990. He later earned his Master of Arts degree in Sports Administration from Mankato State University (Minnesota) in 1992. Jack DenholmDenholm brings over 20 years of experience as a collegiate administrator to BVU. Since 2010, he has been serving as the Director of Athletics at Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota, where he oversees 14 sports. The Vikings have won conference championships and landed spots in national tournaments in multiple sports during his tenure. He's also been instrumental in building stronger fundraising and community relations opportunities, and collaborated with the administrative team to garner over $1 million in donations and budget allocations to install new field turf at its football field. He's also been heavily involved with strategic planning, game management, campus-committees and compliance. Prior to Valley City State, Denholm had served as Director of Athletics and Dean of Students at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa from 1999-2010. He was also the head wrestling coach until 2006 and led the team to six top-10 finishes at the national tournament. He helped spearhead a $7.5 million building project that included an indoor track, multi-purpose gym, weight room, fitness room, coffee shop, student lounge and classroom space. Denholm launched his professional career at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota where he served as both Director of Athletics and head wrestling coach from 1992-99, while also teaching a variety of classes in physical education. A total of 24 wrestlers during his tenure there earned All-American status, including one national champion. "Jack is an experienced athletics director, student affairs professional and coach," said BVU Vice-President of Enrollment Mike Frantz. "His career has been spent supporting the student-athlete through academic excellence, athletic competitiveness, community engagement, and personal and professional development. I very much look forward to working with Jack and raising the quality of Beaver athletics even higher." "We are delighted to welcome Jack Denholm as our new athletic director," echoed BVU President, Fred Moore. "His demonstrated track record in building teams whose student-athletes are successful in the classroom and on the playing surface, combined with his deep knowledge of the Iowa market place, make him extremely well suited to lead our sports programs." The new Buena Vista AD shares in the positive feelings of his superiors. "I am very excited to join the Buena Vista University team and look forward to embarking on a new venture in Storm Lake," said Denholm. "It's always been my goal to be at this level, and it's great to come home to Iowa! I am ready to start working with the coaching and athletics staff, student-athletes, faculty, administration and community." "The Iowa Conference is one of the best conferences in Division III and it will be very rewarding to set competitive goals and see how we can improve," he says. "BVU has such a rich tradition and it will be exciting to bring my ideas and experience to the table." Buena Vista University has approximately 1,000 students at its campus in Storm Lake, in the northwest portion of Iowa. The school's athletic programs -- including wrestling -- compete in NCAA Division III.

"Best NCAA finals ever!" That phrase -- or words to that effect -- were used by wrestling writers, commentators and fans after the conclusion of the finals of the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City Saturday night. The attendance for the 2016 NCAA finals at Madison Square Garden in NYC was 19,270 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)In terms of action and outcomes, it's hard to argue that the 2016 NCAA finals were right up there. After too many years of NCAA finals where wrestlers were extremely cautious -- seemingly focused on not losing, rather than going out and putting points on the board -- just about every match at The Garden Saturday night had plenty of scoring and scoring attempts, concluding with the highly anticipated marquee match-up between defending heavyweight champ Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State and eventual winner Kyle Snyder of Ohio State, whose come-from-behind scoring knotted up the bout in the closing seconds of regulation, then wrapped up the title in sudden victory. (Even the big Buckeye -- named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler -- said afterwards, "I think it will go down as one of the most exciting heavyweight matches in NCAA history.") Whether you think the just-completed finals rank as the "best" (or "among the best"), overall, the 2016 NCAAs will be one of the history books, as the first national college wrestling championships to be ever held in the nearly century-and-a-half history of Madison Square Garden (a venue most folks think of for pro rasslin', not amateur wrestling) ... and one of the best-attended in the 86-year history of the NCAA wrestling championships. With an eye towards history, this writer thought it might be fun to mention some other examples of NCAA final rounds that might not necessarily rank as "most exciting" or "best" ... but are truly significant for various reasons, and are definitely worth remembering. (Sadly, there is no film or video for most of these events ... so we can't necessarily judge the quality of the wrestling. Unless of course you were there.) 1928 NCAAs Most of us have strong memories about our first kiss ... first car... first job. Very few of us were at the very first NCAA Wrestling Championships, held at the Iowa State Armory in Ames in March 1928 ... but that inaugural event has significance beyond its "first-ever" aspect. By today's standards, the 1928 NCAAs was tiny: just 15 schools sent a total of 40 wrestlers, competing in only seven weight classes. (For the past decade or so, the NCAA championships have welcomed 330 wrestlers in ten weight classes.) Oklahoma State was the dominant program back then ... with Cowboy wrestlers claiming titles in four of the seven classes at the 1928 NCAAs. One champ who would have been fun to see in action in Ames nearly 90 years ago was Earl McCready, Oklahoma State heavyweight. Affectionately nicknamed "Moose", the 5'11", 218-pound McCready claimed the first championship in the "unlimited" weight class (back then, there was no top weight limit) by pinning his finals rival, Ralph Freese of the University of Kansas, in just nineteen seconds -- still one of the fastest pins in an NCAA finals bout. (This was back when a wrestler had to hold his opponent's shoulders to the mat for a full three seconds, not one second as today.) McCready was first ... in a number of ways. The first undefeated wrestler (25-0) to win three NCAA titles. The first foreign-born NCAA champ (born and raised in Canada). The first three-time NCAA champ in any weight class. And the first to win all three title matches by pin ... a distinction shared with only one other three-time NCAA champ in the long history of the championships: Dan Hodge of the University of Oklahoma, 177-pound champ, 1955-57. 1947 NCAAs Hosted by the University of Illinois in Champaign, the 1947 NCAAs were notable for the success of tiny Cornell College. Located in Mt. Vernon, Iowa -- equidistant from Iowa City and Cedar Rapids -- the private Methodist college with fewer than 1,000 students became the smallest school to ever win an NCAA wrestling team title. (Realize this was back before today's Division II and Division III championships for colleges with lower enrollments). Composed of a mix of World War II veterans and three "fab" freshmen from Waterloo West High School (Dan Gable's alma mater) -- and coached by Paul Scott -- the Cornell "Dream Team" traveled the country during the regular season, easily handling teams from much larger schools such as Illinois and Lehigh. By the end of the season at the NCAAs, Cornell could claim two individual champs -- freshman Dick Hauser at 121 pounds, and fellow first-year student Lowell Lange at 136 -- a total of three finalists, and six All-Americans. (You can read more about the '47 Cornell wrestling team in a 2007 InterMat feature; for a more detailed account, check out Arno Niemand's excellent book, "Dream Team of '47". 1957 NCAAs The University of Pittsburgh welcomed the 1957 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which featured 213 wrestlers from 63 schools. The NCAA finals proved to be exciting -- and historically significant -- because of at least three title matches. In the 123-pound finals, Pitt's Ed Peery must have felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. If the two-time defending champ were to win the title, he would join his father Rex Peery and older brother Hugh who already had three national titles (Rex, for Oklahoma State in the 1930s; Hugh Peery, at Pitt, 1952-54). If that weren't enough pressure, Ed was being coached by his dad ... in his home gym. Ed Peery fell behind Oklahoma State's Harmon Leslie, 7-4, in the third period ... but managed to tie it up in regulation. The match went into overtime, with each wrestler scoring two points. It came down to the officials, who declared Ed Peery the winner. The three Peerys still own the distinction of being the only family to have won every one of their title matches (back when freshmen were not eligible to wrestle varsity). In the championship match at 147, Simon Roberts of the University of Iowa wrestled familiar foe Ron Gray of Iowa State to a 2-2 tie in regulation. Roberts rode Gray out in the first overtime period, then scored an escape in the second to win 2-0 to win the title ... becoming the first African-American to win an NCAA wrestling championship. (Four years earlier, Roberts made history as the first black champ at the Iowa state championships ... defeating Ron Gray in the finals then, too.) Interestingly, most newspaper stories about the '57 NCAAs did not mention Roberts or his skin color ... but one African-American who made note of it was a young wrestler named Bobby Douglas about an hour away from Pittsburgh in eastern Ohio, who became the first two-time high school champ of color in the Buckeye State (1959, 1961). At 177, Dan Hodge was competing in his last college match. The University of Oklahoma wrestler known as "Dangerous Dan" and "Homicide Hodge" was undefeated in collegiate action, having pinned 80% of his opponents. Ron Flemming of Franklin & Marshall joined that group of fall guys, having his shoulders put to the mat by Hodge in the third period. Hodge was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for the second straight year ... then, a couple weeks later, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the only time an amateur wrestler has been featured on the cover of the iconic sports weekly as a wrestler in its more than 60-year history. (And, yes, this is the same Dan Hodge whose name graces the Hodge Trophy given each year to the nation's most dominant college wrestler.) 1970 NCAAs Held at McGaw Hall (now Welsh-Ryan Arena) on the campus of Northwestern University outside Chicago, the 1970 NCAAs held the record for the most wrestlers participating -- a whopping 394 ... 64 more than today's top limit. However, after three days of sorting through all those participants on the way to the championship round on Saturday, all attention came down on just two of those wrestlers -- Dan Gable of Iowa State, and Larry Owings of the University of Washington -- in the 142-pound finals. Gable, a senior, had been undefeated at Waterloo West High and as a Cyclone. Prior to the NCAAs, he had been presented with a number of awards ... and, just hours before the finals, was asked to record a TV commercial for ABC-TV's "Wide World of Sports" (which would show an edited version of the finals a couple weeks later) where he was to say, "Hi, I'm Dan Gable. Come watch me finish my career 182-0" -- a line he had trouble delivering. Meanwhile, Owings was an audacious sophomore with a set purpose at the 1970 NCAAs: Beat Dan Gable. He dropped down two weight classes, and let the media know who was in his line of sights. Gable saw one of those newspaper stories with Owings' statements ... and, in a 1999 interview, admitted the UW Husky's comments rattled him. The match itself was action-packed, a seesaw scoring battle that went the distance -- a rare situation for Gable, who was accustomed to ending a high percentage of his bouts with a pin. With just three seconds left, Gable realized he needed a takedown to tie up the score. That didn't happen. Larry Owings was crowned the champ at 142, and Gable left the arena with a 181-1 overall prep-college record. (For details on the match itself, check out a 2010 InterMat account of the match ... as well as video online.) More than 45 years later, this single match remains one of the most talked-about within the U.S. amateur wrestling community. It was named the "Best Match" by wrestling historians and fans in online balloting for the 75th anniversary of NCAA wrestling in 2005. Other contenders Last year, the NCAA asked wrestling fans to weigh in with their vote for "most epic" college finals of all time from eight candidates selected by the collegiate sports organization. The 2003 NCAA 197-pound finals (where Minnesota's Damion Hahn scored a takedown on Lehigh's Jon Trenge in the final three seconds in a thrilling come-from-behind win) earned the most votes over other modern-day classics such as Kyle Dake vs. David Taylor at the 2013 NCAAs, Darrion Caldwell upsetting Brent Metcalf at the 2009 NCAAs, and the 2007 NCAA finals match featuring Iowa's Mark Perry vs. Oklahoma State's Johny Hendricks among the choices. You probably have additional finals matches in mind that you'd rank as "all-time greatest." Your list may include incredible upsets ... or action-packed bouts where the score went back-and-forth between the two finalists ... or matches with poignant, emotional back stories (one last chance at a title; competing for a dying relative or friend). It's easy to imagine that the finals at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will withstand the test of time and still be thought of as "best ever" and "epic" a decade or more from now.

WATERLOO, Iowa -- The state of Iowa added to its wrestling legacy in 2016 by adding two more national team championships to its total. The state of Iowa now has a staggering 60 national team titles between five different divisions and eight different colleges. Grand View University in Des Moines (NAIA) and Wartburg College in Waverly (NCAA Division III) won team championships 59 and 60 this season. Nick Mitchell coaches the Vikings and Eric Keller coaches the Knights. Grand View won its fifth consecutive NAIA championship this season, all under Mitchell. Mitchell has the second longest championship winning streak within the state behind former Iowa head wrestling coach Dan Gable, who won nine consecutive Division I NCAA championships in a row from 1978-86. Wartburg won its 12th overall NCAA championship, which is tied for first place among all Division III programs. Iowa is the only state to have eight different colleges win at least one national team wrestling championship. Iowa has 60 national team wrestling championships (NJCAA, NAIA, NCAA Division III, Division II, and Division I) and 30 wrestlers with ties to the state who have won a medal at the World Championships or Olympic Games. The first Iowa team to win a national championship was Cornell College in 1947. On two occasions (2008 and 2009), three Iowa schools have won national championships in the same year. Iowa's first Olympic champion was Marshalltown native Allie Morrison in 1928. Its most recent Olympic champion was Iowa State's Jake Varner in 2012. National team champions from Iowa schools (8 teams): 1. Iowa -- 23 2. Wartburg -- 12 3. Iowa State -- 8 4. Iowa Central -- 7 5. Grand View -- 5 6. Northern Iowa -- 3 7. Cornell College -- 1 8. NIACC -- 1 Total: 60 NCAA Division I titles: 33 (Iowa, Iowa State, UNI, Cornell) NCAA Division II titles: 2 (UNI) NCAA Division III titles: 12 (Wartburg) NAIA titles: 5 (Grand View) NJCAA titles: 8 (Iowa Central, NIACC) Total: 60 Coaches with national team championships (17 coaches): 1. Dan Gable (Iowa) -- 15 2. Jim Miller (Wartburg) -- 10 3. Harold Nichols (Iowa State) -- 6 4. Luke Moffitt (Iowa Central) -- 5 5. Nick Mitchell (Grand View) -- 5 6. Tom Brands (Iowa) -- 3 7. Jim Zalesky (Iowa) -- 3 8. Gary Kurdelmeier (Iowa) -- 2 9. Chuck Patten (Northern Iowa) -- 2 10. Eric Keller (Wartburg) -- 2 11. Denny Friederichs (Iowa Central) -- 1 12. Jim Gibbons (Iowa State) -- 1 13. Dave McCuskey (Northern Iowa) -- 1 14. Mark Ostrander (Iowa Central) -- 1 15. Hugo Otopalik (Iowa State) -- 1 16. Paul Scott (Cornell) -- 1 17. Kaye Young (NIACC) -- 1 Total: 60 Years with multiple team championships from Iowa: (3) 2008 -- Iowa (DI), Wartburg (DIII), and Iowa Central (NJCAA) (3) 2009 -- Iowa (DI), Wartburg (DIII), and Iowa Central (NJCAA) (2) 1973 -- Iowa state (DI) and NIACC (NJCAA) (2) 1975 -- Iowa (DI) and Northern Iowa (DII) (2) 1978 -- Iowa (DI) and Northern Iowa (DII) (2) 1981 -- Iowa (DI) and Iowa Central (NJCAA) (2) 1996 -- Iowa (DI) and Wartburg (DIII) (2) 1999 -- Iowa (DI) and Wartburg (DIII) (2) 2006 -- Wartburg (DIII) and Iowa Central (NJCAA) (2) 2012 -- Wartburg (DIII) and Grand View (NAIA) (2) 2013 -- Wartburg (DIII) and Grand View (NAIA) (2) 2014 -- Wartburg (DIII) and Grand View (NAIA) (2) 2015 -- Iowa Central (NJCAA) and Grand View (NAIA) (2) 2016 -- Wartburg (DIII) and Grand View (NAIA) Iowa -- 23 titles (Division I): 1. 1975 (Gary Kurdelmeier) 2. 1976 (Gary Kurdelmeier) 3. 1978 (Dan Gable) 4. 1979 (Dan Gable) 5. 1980 (Dan Gable) 6. 1981 (Dan Gable) 7. 1982 (Dan Gable) 8. 1983 (Dan Gable) 9. 1984 (Dan Gable) 10. 1985 (Dan Gable) 11. 1986 (Dan Gable) 12. 1991 (Dan Gable) 13. 1992 (Dan Gable) 14. 1993 (Dan Gable) 15. 1995 (Dan Gable) 16. 1996 (Dan Gable) 17. 1997 (Dan Gable) 18. 1998 (Jim Zalesky) 19. 1999 (Jim Zalesky) 20. 2000 (Jim Zalesky) 21. 2008 (Tom Brands) 22. 2009 (Tom Brands) 23. 2010 (Tom Brands) Wartburg -- 12 titles (Division III): 1. 1996 (Jim Miller) 2. 1999 (Jim Miller) 3. 2003 (Jim Miller) 4. 2004 (Jim Miller) 5. 2006 (Jim Miller) 6. 2008 (Jim Miller) 7. 2009 (Jim Miller) 8. 2011 (Jim Miller) 9. 2012 (Jim Miller) 10. 2013 (Jim Miller) 11. 2014 (Eric Keller) 12. 2016 (Eric Keller) Iowa State -- 8 titles (Division I): 1. 1933 (Hugo Otopalik) 2. 1965 (Harold Nichols) 3. 1969 (Harold Nichols) 4. 1970 (Harold Nichols) 5. 1972 (Harold Nichols) 6. 1973 (Harold Nichols) 7. 1977 (Harold Nichols) 8. 1987 (Jim Gibbons) Iowa Central -- 7 titles (NJCAA): 1. 1981 (Denny Friederichs) 2. 2002 (Mark Ostrander) 3. 2006 (Luke Moffitt) 4. 2007 (Luke Moffitt) 5. 2008 (Luke Moffitt) 6. 2009 (Luke Moffitt) 7. 2015 (Luke Moffitt) NOTE: In 2010, Iowa Central placed first in the Division I (scholarship) standings at the NJCAA national championships but placed second in the overall standings to Harper (non-scholarship). The National Junior College Athletic Association Harper as team champion; therefore, Iowa Central is not being recognized as a team champion in 2010 in this listing. Grand View -- five titles (NAIA): 1. 2012 (Nick Mitchell) 2. 2013 (Nick Mitchell) 3. 2014 (Nick Mitchell) 4. 2015 (Nick Mitchell) 5. 2016 (Nick Mitchell) Northern Iowa -- three titles (one Division I, two Division II): 1. 1950 (Division I) (Dave McCuskey) 2. 1975 (Division II) (Chuck Patten) 3. 1978 (Division II) (Chuck Patten) Cornell -- one title (Division I): 1. 1947 (Paul Scott) North Iowa Area Community College (NJCAA): 1. 1973 (Kaye Young) World and Olympic wrestling medalists with ties to Iowa: 1. Royce Alger (Lisbon and Iowa), 2nd in 1990 2. Ed Banach (Iowa), 1st in 1984 3. Lou Banach (Iowa), 1st in 1984 4. Glen Brand (Clarion and Iowa State), 1st 1948 5. Terry Brands (Sheldon and Iowa), 1st in 1993, 1st in 1995, 3rd in 2000 6. Tom Brands (Sheldon and Iowa), 1st in 1993, 1st in 1996 7. Chris Campbell (Iowa), 1st in 1981, 2nd in 1990, 3rd in 1992 8. Nate Carr (Iowa State), 3rd in 1988 9. Joe Corso (West Des Moines), 3rd in 1979 10. Kevin Darkus (Iowa State), 2nd in 1985 11. Barry Davis (Cedar Rapids and Iowa), 2nd in 1984, 3rd in 1986, 2nd in 1987 12. Bobby Douglas (former ISU coach), 2nd in 1966 13. Dan Gable (Waterloo and Iowa State), 1st in 1971, 1st in 1972 14. Kevin Jackson (Iowa State), 1st in 1991, 1st in 1992, 1st in 1995 15. Gerry Leeman (Osage and UNI), 2nd in 1948 16. Randy Lewis (Iowa), 1st in 1984 17. Terry McCann (Iowa), 1st in 1960 18. Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa), 3rd in 1998, 2nd in 1999, 3rd in 2000 19. Allie Morrison (Marshalltown), 1st in 1928 20. Nat Pendleton (Davenport), 2nd in 1920 21. Brad Penrith (Iowa), 2nd in 1991 22. Ben Peterson (Iowa State), 1st in 1972, 3rd in 1973, 2nd in 1976 23. Cael Sanderson (Iowa State), 2nd in 2003, 1st in 2004 24. Bill Smith (Council Bluffs and UNI), 1st in 1952 25. Chris Taylor (Iowa State), 3rd in 1972 26. Tolly Thompson (Janesville), 3rd in 2005 27. Jake Varner (Iowa State), 3rd in 2011, 1st in 2012 28. Joe Williams (Iowa), 3rd in 2001, 3rd in 2005 29. Bill Zadick (Iowa), 1st in 2006 30. Mike Zadick (Iowa), 2nd in 2006 International wrestling statistics: 1. 13 wrestlers with ties to Iowa have won an Olympic gold medal. 2. 16 wrestlers with ties to Iowa have won 21 World/Olympic titles. 3. 30 wrestlers with ties to Iowa have won 47 World/Olympic medals.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association released its Top 30 Division III All-Academic teams and the top 182 All-Academic individuals on Wednesday. King's College led the overall team standings with an average grade-point average of 3.49, followed by Williams College at 3.42, NYU and Johns Hopkins at 3.36 and Norwich at 3.35. Individually, 12-time Division III champion Wartburg placed the most individuals on the team with eight wrestlers. Baldwin Wallace, Luther, Roger Williams, Williams and Wisconsin-La Crosse each had six wrestlers on the individual team. Nominees must have at least a 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for the previous full academic year. Transfers and freshmen are eligible if they've been in residence at their current institution beginning in the fall of 2015. On the competition side, wrestlers much be a national qualifier in 2015-16 and have a minimum win percentage of at least .500. Additionally, wrestlers can also be considered if they placed in the top six at their respective regional tournament, a win percentage of .500 or better and competed in half of the institution's scheduled competition in NCAA championship events. A wrestler can also be considered if they have a win percentage of .670 or better and competed in half of the institution's scheduled NCAA events. "This just continues to show the importance of how athletes in Division III balance their athletic careers and their educational opportunities," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Division III is the largest in number of teams at the NCAA level and we know these athletes are competing without athletic scholarships and their experiences on the mat and in the classroom exemplify what it means to compete in Division III and in the sport of wrestling." Individually, five Division III champions from 2016 were represented with Messiah leading the way with two champions - Lucas Malmberg at 125 and Ben Swarr at 174. Three-time Division III champion Riley Lefever of Wabash was also represented as were Luther's Reed VanAnrooy and Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Logan Hermsen. In all 27 of the 80 Division III All-Americans this past season were All-Academic. Also making the squad was Southern Maine's Daniel Del Gallo, who won the NCAA's prestigious Elite 90 award, which goes to the athlete at the championships with the highest GPA. Rounding out the top 10 teams were Wisconsin-La Crosse (3.33), Washington & Lee (3.30), Wisconsin-Stevens Point (3.29), Wheaton (3.28) and Augsburg (3.27). "It's impressive that over a third of our Division III All-Americans were also All-Academic selections," said Moyer. "This further validates that when we see new programs added at the Division III level, those institutions are bringing in quality student-athletes." Full Individual All-Academic Team Top 30 Division III All-Academic Team Standings Rank School Starters GPA 1 King's 6 3.49 2 Williams College 10 3.42 3 New York University 10 3.36 4 Johns Hopkins 10 3.36 5 Norwich 10 3.35 6 Wisconsin-La Crosse 10 3.33 7 Washington and Lee 5 3.30 8 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 9 3.29 9 Wheaton 6 3.28 10 Augsburg 10 3.27 11 Worcester Polytechnic 10 3.26 12 Concordia Moorhead 10 3.26 13 Olivet 10 3.25 14 Washington and Jefferson 9 3.25 15 Wisconsin-Eau Claire 10 3.24 16 Wilkes 8 3.24 17 Wabash 10 3.20 18 St. Johns 10 3.20 19 Trinity 10 3.19 20 Luther 9 3.18 21 Alma 10 3.16 22 Merchant Marine 10 3.16 23 Stevens Institute Of Technology 10 3.15 24 Wesleyan 10 3.15 25 The College of New Jersey 10 3.15 26 Baldwin Wallace 10 3.14 27 Daniel Webster College 5 3.13 28 Thiel 9 3.13 29 North Central 10 3.13 30 Ithaca 10 3.12

This week on Takedown; Highlights from the Division I National Championships Finals Weigh-Ins Kyle Snyder Interview Isaiah Martinez Interview Alex Dieringer Interview Nico Megaludis Interview Dean Heil Interview Zain Retherford Interview Myles Martin Interview J'den Cox Interview Nahshon Garrett Interview Gabe Dean Interview Cael Sanderson Interview John Smith Interview Tom Ryan Interview

Link: Final Fab 50 Team Rankings Like last year, this 2015-16 season has had twists and turns throughout the national rankings landscape. However, for the fourth time in the last five years (and fourth in the six year existence of the InterMat Fab 50 national team rankings), Blair Academy (N.J.) has been crowned as the national champions. Below is the list of national champion teams in the previous five years for the rankings: 2014-15: St. Paris Graham (Ohio) 2013-14: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2012-13: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2011-12: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2010-11: Apple Valley (Minn.) Though Blair Academy was tabbed as the preseason No. 1 team in the country in mid-November, the Buccaneers did not hold a "wire-to-wire" grip on the No. 1 position. Directly behind them in the preseason Fab 50 rankings were Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), Bergen Catholic (N.J.), and St. Paris Graham (Ohio). Wyoming Seminary ascended to the No. 1 position after winning the Walsh Ironman in mid-December, a tournament in which Blair Academy placed second and St. Paris Graham placed third. The Blue Knights then held the No. 1 position until a 35-20 dual meet loss at Blair Academy on Sunday, January 24; the Buccaneers took home victories in nine of the 14 weight classes that afternoon. In December, Blair Academy won its 16th straight Beast of the East title, and finished 39.5 points ahead of runner-up Bergen Catholic (Photo/Rob Preston)At that point, Blair Academy ascended to the top position in the rankings, despite a 27-24 dual meet loss on Saturday, Jan. 2 at St. Paris Graham, a match in which the teams split the bouts at seven apiece. The Buccaneers held onto the top position in the rankings throughout the rest of the season, confirming their ranking with a dominant performance at the National Prep Championships at the end of February. On that occasion, they won seven weight class titles to beat Wyoming Seminary by 30-plus points. The overall strength of schedule for Blair Academy was rigorous this season. The Buccaneers competed at the nation's top two individual bracket tournaments, the Walsh Ironman (they finished second) and the Beast of the East (an event that they won); won the Geary Invitational, an individual bracket tournament that featured two other Fab 50 teams; went 3-1 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top ten nationally (splitting matches against teams ranked No. 2 and No. 3); and won the National Prep Championships over the No. 2 ranked team. Rounding out the top ten in the national rankings are the following squads: 2. Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) Ironman champions, Powerade champions (third best individual bracket tournament in the country), Eastern States Classic champions, split dual meets against top five teams nationally (beat Bergen Catholic, lost to Blair Academy), National Prep runners-up 3. St. Paris Graham (Ohio) Ironman third place, dual meet wins over teams ranked No. 1 and No. 7 nationally, state dual meet and individual tournament champions 4. Bergen Catholic (N.J.) Beast of the East runners-up, Doc Buchanan champions, went 2-2 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 12 (beat Clovis and Lake Highland Prep, lost to Wyoming Seminary and Bethlehem Catholic), state dual meet champions 5. Buchanan (Calif.) Clash XIV Duals champions, Doc Buchanan runners-up, went 5-0 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 14 (wins over St. Edward, Oak Park River Forest, Clovis, Tuttle, and Apple Valley), state tournament champions 6. Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) King of the Mountain champions, Beast of the East third place, went 3-1 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 12 (beat Bergen Catholic, Belle Vernon Area, and Lake Highland Prep; lost to Blair Academy), state dual meet and individual tournament champions 7. St. Edward (Ohio) Ironman fifth place, Clash XIV Duals runners-up, went 3-2 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 11 (beat Oak Park River Forest, Belle Vernon Area, and Tuttle; lost to St. Paris Graham and Buchanan), four other victories over Fab 50 teams, state dual meet and individual tournament champions 8. Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) Clash XIV Duals third place, went 5-2 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 17 (beat Tuttle, Marmion Academy (twice), Carl Sandburg, and Washington; lost to Buchanan and St. Edward), state dual meet champions 9. Clovis (Calif.) Doc Buchanan third place, went 0-3 in dual meets against top six teams nationally (losses to Blair Academy, Bergen Catholic, and Buchanan), state tournament runners-up with four individual champions (single class state) 10. Belle Vernon Area (Pa.) Ironman sixth place, Powerade runners-up, Escape the Rock champions, went 2-1 in dual meets against Fab 50 opposition (beat Kiski Area and Nazareth, lost to Bethlehem Catholic), state dual meet third place Teams from 19 states were represented in the rankings to start the season, and the same number of states have teams represented in the end of season rankings. Leading the way with seven Fab 50 teams is the Keystone State, Pennsylvania. Next is Illinois with six nationally ranked teams, while five schools from Minnesota and Ohio also find themselves ranked. Three states have a trio of teams ranked: California, Iowa, and Missouri; while six have a pair ranked: New Jersey, Oklahoma, Georgia, Indiana, Colorado, and New York; those with a single team ranked include Florida, Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, and Maryland. From the preseason rankings to the final end of season rankings, there was a turnover of 18 teams, all of whom were ranked 28th through 50th in the pre-season rankings. That includes 12 of 14 teams ranked from No. 37 through No. 50, including all those from 42 through 50. The highest ranked team at the end of the season not to be ranked in the preseason was No. 21 Nazareth (Pa.). Others teams within the top 30 included No. 27 Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.) and No. 28 Camden County (Ga.), while 15 of the 20 teams ranked from 31 through 50 were not in the preseason Fab 50 rankings. Final Fab 50 Team Rankings of 2015-16 1. Blair Academy, New Jersey 2. Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania 3. St. Paris Graham, Ohio 4. Bergen Catholic, New Jersey 5. Buchanan, California 6 Bethlehem Catholic Pennsylvania 7. St. Edward, Ohio 8. Oak Park River, Forest Illinois 9. Clovis, California 10. Belle Vernon Area, Pennsylvania 11. Tuttle, Oklahoma 12. Lake Highland Prep, Florida 13. Poway, California 14. Apple Valley, Minnesota 15. Marmion Academy, Illinois 16. Carl Sandburg, Illinois 17. Washington, Illinois 18. Mt. Carmel, Illinois 19. St. Michael-Albertville, Minnesota 20. Elyria, Ohio 21. Nazareth, Pennsylvania 22. Boyertown, Pennsylvania 23. Malvern Prep, Pennsylvania 24. Delta, Ohio 25. Archer, Georgia 26. Allen, Texas 27. Kasson-Mantorville, Minnesota 28. Camden County, Georgia 29. Warren Central, Indiana 30. Southeast Polk, Iowa 31. West Des Moines Valley, Iowa 32. Fort Dodge, Iowa 33. Brownsburg, Indiana 34. Pomona, Colorado 35. Anoka, Minnesota 36. Park Hill, Missouri 37. Olentangy Liberty, Ohio 38. Pueblo County, Colorado 39. Montini Catholic, Illinois 40. Hilton, New York 41. Platte County, Missouri 42. Long Beach, New York 43. Neosho, Missouri 44. Goddard, Kansas 45. Choctaw, Oklahoma 46. Kiski Area, Pennsylvania 47. Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minnesota 48. Lowell, Michigan 49. Post Falls, Idaho 50. Good Counsel, Maryland

Six weeks after "The Birth of a Nation" -- a film written and directed by Nate Parker -- won major awards and sold for the highest price of any film in the history of the Sundance Film Festival, the former Penn State and Oklahoma wrestler will take on the challenge of writing the movie adaptation of the inspirational wrestling story "Carry On." The story of two disabled wrestlers, Dartanyon Crockett and Leroy Sutton, who attended a struggling Cleveland public high school, was brought to ESPN in 2009 by Lisa Fenn. The sports network producer has told the story of her involvement with the two athletes in her new memoir, "Carry On", which will be published by HarperCollins this August. Crockett, the best wrestler on the team despite being legally blind, would carry Sutton, who had lost both his legs in a train accident when he was 11, to practices and meets. "Fenn formed a connection with the two young men and dedicated the next six years of her life to ensuring their success," the Hollywood entertainment website Variety reported. "Sutton graduated from college and Crockett won a bronze medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games." Here's Amazon.com's description of Fenn's yet-to-be-published memoir "Carry On": "In the spirit of 'The Blind Side' and 'Friday Night Lights' comes a tender and profoundly moving memoir about an ESPN producer's unexpected relationship with two disabled African-American wrestlers from inner city Cleveland, and how these bonds -- blossoming, ultimately, into a most unorthodox family -- would transform their lives." Walden Media will develop, produce and finance the film. Mark Ciardi and Anthony Mastromauro will produce the Parker-written script and Campbell McInnes will act as executive producer. Parker made Hollywood headlines in January when his film "Birth of a Nation" -- the story of Nat Turner, 1850s slave revolt leader -- debuted at Sundance in January and won the audience award and grand jury prize. Then the film Parker wrote, directed and starred in was acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures for $17.5 million, a Sundance record. Nate Parker has performed as an actor in a number of films, including "The Great Debaters." Prior to launching his Hollywood career, Parker was a Virginia state champion wrestler at prep powerhouse Great Bridge High School. He earned a scholarship to wrestle at Penn State, and became a starter. However, he left the school after he and a teammate were accused of having had non-consensual sex with a woman; he was acquitted in 2001. Parker transferred to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned All-American honors by placing fifth in the 141-pound bracket at the 2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Kenyatta Carter had gone out about midnight Monday to buy some dog food… and came home a hero. Kenyatta CarterThe 34-year-old Carter put his skills gained as an Iowa high school state champion wrestler, Army soldier, and fitness instructor to work to help rescue a motorist trapped in a burning car that crashed in Houston early Monday morning. Carter, a 2000 state champ at Waterloo West High School, came upon a car that had burst into flames after smashing into a tree less than a mile from his house. "It was kind of a flashback to (Iraq)," Carter told The Des Moines Registeron Monday. "There were a couple situations that I had that were similar, where somebody's life was in danger." "There was not even a thought (about what to do)," Carter continued. "When somebody's life is in danger and I can be a variable to helping him get out and save his life, there wasn't a second thought. It was an immediate reaction." "When I saw people pulling him out, right away I started to help, assist pulling the guy out," Carter told KPRC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Houston. "I thought, if they are in it, they were courageous enough, then who am I to sit in the comfort of my car while these people go out and try to save this young man's life." "I just did what I felt like I would have wanted someone to do for me in that situation." The 28-year-old driver who was pulled from the burning car was airlifted to a Houston hospital with severe burns on his legs. He is expected to recover. Carter won the Class 3A 160-pound title at the 2000 Iowa state wrestling championships by defeating Pat Wilsbacher, Sioux City Heelan, 5-2, in the finals, according to "Reach for the Stars: The Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament" book by Dan McCool. He later went on to wrestle at Iowa Central, where he was a two-time junior college national finalist, the Register reported. According to his Facebook page, Carter is now a Master Trainer and Fitness Manager at 24 Hour Fitness in Houston . The mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com reports that Carter has had one amateur MMA bout, where he scored a three-round unanimous decision over Clovis Hancock at USACA-Legacy Amateur Series 13 in August 2013. Kenyatta Carter's younger brother Akeem, a two-time Iowa state champ also at Waterloo West, went on to claim two back-to-back NCAA Division III national championships at 197 pounds in 2004 and 2005.

The last two wrestlers on the present top 100 seniors (Class of 2016) list that were uncommitted have made college choices in the last two days. Yesterday evening it was No. 99 Colton Clingenpeel (Council Bluffs Jefferson, Iowa) committing to North Dakota State, while this evening it is No. 60 Tyshawn White (Central Dauphin, Pa.) committing to Lock Haven. Clingenpeel is ranked sixth nationally at 152 pounds, and projects to compete as a 157 pound wrestler in college. He is a four-time state placer, winning state this season after placing third, seventh and sixth in previous seasons. In Fargo this summer he finished eighth in Junior Greco-Roman. He is also a two-time InterMat JJ Classic champion. White is ranked eighth nationally at 126 pounds, and projects to compete as a 133 pound wrestler in college. He is a four-time state placer, finishing runner-up this year after third place finishes the previous two years, preceded by a seventh place finish his freshman year. White also placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge this fall in the 120 pound weight class.

Alex Dieringer deserves to win the Hodge Trophy. Alex Dieringer runs out onto the mat for his NCAA finals match (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Just days ago, Oklahoma State wrestling senior Dieringer captured his third NCAA championship for a 19-1 overall record at the tournament and strung together an equally impressive 82-match win streak. He leaves behind an impressive legacy, becoming the 14th four-time All-American and the seventh four-time conference champion at OSU, in addition to the 16th three-time NCAA champion. He has written his name among nearly all of Oklahoma State's individual records. Once a freshman phenom and now a seasoned senior, Dieringer's rise through the college ranks has caught the attention of many other wrestlers, coaches and fans across the country. As he wraps up his final collegiate season, Dieringer has accomplished nearly all there is to accomplish in college wrestling. There is still a prize he has yet to capture, however. The Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded each year to the nation's most outstanding college wrestler, has often been referred to as the Heisman Trophy of wrestling. It is the one of the only awards Dieringer hasn't won, but that should change this year. There have been 21 winners of the award, and only one Cowboy has ever won it. There are seven specific criteria for which the Hodge Trophy is based on: record, number of pins, dominance, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship, and heart. Dieringer, now a three-time finalist for the award, has already fallen under several of these criteria in the past and most definitely during this season. Dieringer has all the credentials to win this award. He has been outstanding on and off the wrestling mat, and he has been dominant. After redshirting his first year at Oklahoma State, Dieringer, a senior from Port Washington, Wisconsin, quickly established himself as one the nation's best wrestlers during his time in Stillwater. As a freshman, Dieringer compiled a 35-3 record and won his first Big 12 title en route to being named an All-American. Dieringer's sophomore campaign saw him finish with a 32-1 record, going 10-1 against ranked opponents, while winning his second Big 12 title, first NCAA individual title, and earning his second All-American honor. His junior season saw Dieringer improve upon his already dominant career. He compiled a perfect 33-0 record, going 11-0 against ranked opponents. Dieringer led the Cowboys in wins (33), dual wins (15), bonus point wins (28), wins by fall (11), wins by major decision (13), wins by technical fall (4), dual takedowns (64) and dual nearfalls (13). Dieringer won his second-consecutive NCAA individual title and third-straight Big 12 title. This season, he compiled a second-consecutive perfect record, putting together another 33-0 season to bring his career total to 133-4. He is among the nation's leaders and consistently dominated quality competition, going 14-0 against ranked opponents in 2015-16. Of his 33 wins, 27 came with bonus points attached, including 12 pins -- 10 of which came in the first period -- eight major decisions and seven technical falls. His dual stats also provide more impressive numbers as he led the team with 47 takedowns and also tallied 14 nearfalls in his 16 dual wins. What is even more impressive is that Dieringer surrendered only two offensive points the entire season -- a takedown in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships. Dieringer is second all-time in career wins, trailing John Smith, and his unbeaten streak ranks third in Cowboy wrestling history. As far as bonus points go, he has 97 bonus wins as a Cowboy, putting him at fourth in the record books, with 16 technical falls, 36 major decisions and 45 falls. His bonus win percentage sits at 72.9 percent, while his overall win percentage is an astonishing 97.1 percent, the fourth-best in school history. Few have stood in Dieringer's way throughout his outstanding career. This year was no different. Oklahoma State head coach, the legendary John Smith, has frequently predicted Dieringer as one of top-five greatest wrestlers in Oklahoma State history and now Dieringer has rightfully earned his spot among the elite. His name is Alex Dieringer, a three-time NCAA Champion, and he is one that few in the wrestling community should ever forget.

Fan voting for the 2016 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy has begun. The Hodge Trophy, presented annually by ASICS, is the top award in college wrestling and has been presented annually since 1994 to the nation's most dominant collegiate wrestler. The award is named after Dan Hodge, the former three-time (1955-57) NCAA champion from the University of Oklahoma, who did not allow a takedown in his career and pinned 36 of 46 victims. For the fourth straight year, fans are being asked to help select the winner from the four finalists. Vote for Dan Hodge Trophy Winner! The winner will be announced at Monday, March 28, at 12 p.m. CST. The winner of the fan vote will earn two first-place votes among the total ballots from a group of formal voters, which includes each former Hodge Trophy winner, national media, representatives of national wrestling organizations and retired former college coaches from different regions. The deadline for your vote is this Friday, March 25, at noon CST. Criteria for the award include: 1. A wrestler's record; 2. number of pins; 3. dominance on the mat; 4. quality of competition; 5. past credentials; 6. sportsmanship/citizenship; and 7. heart. The first four criteria are the primary criteria. Number of pins is an extremely important criteria. Part of the reason the award was created was to elevate the importance of the pin, and to motivate top collegians to go for the fall. The Hodge Trophy is a single-season award. However, if you have two candidates who are virtually equal, consideration can be given to past credentials, which is criteria No. 5. The last two criteria should be used to help guide voters to select a winner who also is a good representative of the sport. The following is a statistical breakdown, in alphabetical order, of the four finalists. Alex Dieringer, 165 pounds, Oklahoma State, Senior, Port Washington, Wisc. The Cowboy recently wrapped up his college career by becoming the 16th all-time Oklahoma State wrestler to win three NCAA championships with a 6-2 victory over Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan. Dieringer ended his career on an 82-match winning streak. That included a 33-0 mark this year with 12 pins as well as titles at the Southern Scuffle and Big 12 Championships. Dieringer only gave up two offensive points the entire season; that coming in the quarterfinals of the NCAAs to Iowa State's Tanner Weatherman in an 11-5 win. Breakdown of Season Stats Record Pins TF MD Dec. Bonus-Pt Win % 33-0 12 7 8 6 82% Nahshon Garrett, 133 pounds, Cornell U., Senior, Chico, Calif. The four-time All-American Garrett captured his first national championship with a perfect 37-0 record, matching a school record for most wins without a loss in a season. He also ended his career with 149 wins, second on the school's list and became Cornell's 13th national champion. His 20 wins in NCAA tournament competition tied a record previously held by four-time national champion Kyle Dake. Breakdown of Season Stats Record Pins TF MD Forf. Dec. Bonus-Pt Win % 37-0 11 7 7 1 11 70% Zain Retherford, 149 pounds, Penn State, Sophomore, Benton, Pa. One year after redshirting, the two-time All-American captured his first NCAA championship with a 10-1 major decision against Iowa's Brandon Sorensen, the same opponent the Nittany Lion beat in the Big Ten Championships. Retherford also won the Southern Scuffle in January and at one point won 14 consecutive matches by scoring bonus points. Only two opponents scored offensive points on Retherford this season. Michigan's Alec Pantaleo scored a takedown in a late January dual and Edinboro's Pat Lugo got a takedown on the Nittany Lion in the second round of the NCAAs. Retherford went on to pin both opponents. Breakdown of Season Stats Record Pins TF MD Dec. Bonus-Pt Win % 34-0 15 7 7 5 85% Kyle Snyder, Heavyweight, Ohio State, Sophomore, Woodbine, Md. The Buckeye capped off an incredible year-long period that first saw Snyder become the youngest American to ever win a World freestyle championship last September. He then spent much of this winter wrestling overseas before returning to the Ohio State line-up in January. In wrestling just 11 college bouts this season, Snyder scored bonus points in eight of them and recently defeated NC State's two-time defending national champion Nick Gwiazdowski for his first NCAA championship. Breakdown of Season Stats Record Pins TF MD Dec. Bonus-Pt Win % 11-0 1 5 2 3 73%

To use a timeline familiar to wrestlers and fans, the action in completing the Perry Wrestling Monument Park is entering the third period, with significant milestones already achieved, all towards a successful completion in mid-May 2016. The official groundbreaking of the Perry Wrestling Monument Park took place on Feb. 24The park, to be located in downtown Perry in north-central Oklahoma, will honor the great athletes and coaches who have come from nearly a century of wrestling at Perry High School, including two Olympic medalists, Dan Hodge (silver medal, 1956) and Jack VanBebber (gold medal, 1932). Among the major accomplishments scored in recent weeks: the official groundbreaking on Feb. 24 ... raising $100,000 of the total goal of $150,000 ... receiving a fundraising challenge to match incoming gifts ... and the announcement of the date for the official public unveiling of the park in May. Late last month ground was broken on the Perry Wrestling Monument Park. Among those who participated in the event: Dan Hodge himself. "It's exciting to see this project progress and I assure you there is no other program in the country will have anything like the Perry Wrestling Monument Park," said Chance Leonard, chair of the fundraising effort for the park, and former Perry High wrestler. Earlier this month, the Perry Wrestling Monument Park reached the $100,000 milestone of its fundraising goal. Perhaps just as significant is how that dollar amount has been achieved. "On behalf of the Perry Wrestling Foundation, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has sacrificially given to this great cause," said Leonard. "It is amazing to see the generosity of our community and the commitment to this program." "This is very much a grassroots effort of the Perry community," Leonard told InterMat. "Our individual donations have been much greater than anticipated. That's a testament to the people of Perry." Leonard also cited a gift from a local Perry couple designed to encouraging gifts from others within the community. "I am very excited to announce that Kay and Ben Passow have committed $7,500 for our project," Leonard continued. "But there is a catch. This is a matching donation which means we need to raise an additional $7,500 to receive it. No matter the amount of your gift, whether $1, $100, or $1000, now is the time to give." Finally, Leonard revealed that the completed Perry Wrestling Memorial Park will be unveiled to the public on Saturday, May 14. "People will see this thing go from an idea to a truly unique physical project that is, to our knowledge, unique within high school and college wrestling," according to Leonard. Perry High School can claim one of the most accomplished prep wrestling programs in the entire country. Although the town of Perry, Okla. has only about 5,000 residents, its wrestling program has produced greatness in its more than 90-year history. Among the achievements of the mat Maroons: Two Olympic medalists, forty state championships as well as 162 individual state champs, sixteen dual state titles, and eighteen individuals who have earned a total of 28 All-American honors at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Beyond the mat, Leonard cites former Perry High wrestlers who achieved great success after graduating, including a wrestler who served as an ambassador to three nations, two CEOs of major Oklahoma banks, a director of a major on-shore drilling contractor, and a former President of the University of Tulsa.

Meldonium, the drug that tennis star Maria Sherapova tested positive for at the Australian Open last month, has been found in the systems of four international wrestlers -- two from Russia, one from Georgia, the other from Germany -- according to separate news reports. The Russian news agency TASS reported Monday that two Russian Wrestling Federation Greco-Roman competitors -- Evgeny Saleyev and Sergey Semyonov -- tested positive for the banned substance. Davit Modzmanashvili, who won the men's 120-kilogram silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2012 Olympics for Georgia, tested positive last month ... while, late last week, an attorney for several members of a German wrestling club says one of them has tested positive for meldonium. Saleyev, who wrestles at 82 kilos, is a silver medal winner at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent and a winner of the European Games in Baku. Semyonov, a wrestler at 130 kg, claimed a silver medal at the 2015 World Cup. "The press office of the Russian Wrestling Federation has said that if the fact of violations is confirmed, the relevant information will be posted on the organization's website and sent out upon the completion of the official probe," according to TASS. Davit Modzmanashvili (Photo/Andrew Hipps)Davit Modzmanashvili has admitted to using meldonium, Associated Press reported. Another five members of the Georgian team tested positive for the drug but their names have not been released because they deny the charge. Georgian wrestling officials say that none of the six were confirmed to compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, but that qualification was still possible. In addition to the wrestler for the German team champion Nendingen club who admitted to using meldonium, another wrestler is suspected of exceeding infusion volumes allowed by the German anti-doping law, but has not failed a drug test, according to Associated Press. Prosecutors in Freiburg, Germany have broadened their investigation to include other members of the Nendingen club. Also known as mildronate, meldonium has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since the beginning of this year. Late last week, WADA revealed that 99 athletes had tested positive for the drug which increases blood flow, thus, improves exercise capacity for athletes by carrying more oxygen to muscle tissue. While many who have tested positive have not yet been publicly identified, among those who have been named, include Olympic gold medalist in short-track speedskating Semion Elistratov of Russia, Olympic figure skating champion Ekaterina Bobrova, and world champion runner Abeba Aregawi of Sweden. Meldonium, which is manufactured in Latvia, is only distributed in Russia and Baltic countries. While it is used to treat ischaemia -- a lack of blood flow to parts of the body, particularly in cases of angina or heart failure -- it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States and is not authorized in the rest of Europe. The decision to add meldonium to the banned list was approved by WADA in September 2015; it officially joined the banned list on January 1, 2016. According to The Guardian, WADA had spent the previous year monitoring the drug before adding it to the banned list. The British newspaper also reported that a 2015 study claimed 17% of Russian athletes (724 of 4,316) tested were found to have meldonium in their system. A global study found 2.2% of athletes had it in their system.

Nahshon Garrett runs out onto the mat for his NCAA finals match (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)One of the big keys for team success at the NCAA tournament is having a talented roster that can then perform at peak levels during the event. A tool available to assess the raw talent of the wrestlers is to see where they were ranked as high school prospects. Here is a look at where the 2016 NCAA Division I All-Americans were ranked during their senior year in the season-end graduating class rankings. Note: WC = weight class but not graduating class, NR = ranked in neither . It is also of interest to note that of the five NCAA finalists for Penn State, all were "can't miss" recruits out of high school. Nolf was the lowest ranked at No. 7 in his class. 125: 1. Nico Megaludis (Penn State) -- 5/2011 2. Thomas Gilman (Iowa) -- 10/2012 3. Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) -- 15/2013 4. David Terao (American) -- NR/2011 5. Conor Youtsey (Michigan) -- 60/2011 6. Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) -- 65/2012 7. Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) -- 38/2014 8. Connor Schram (Stanford) -- 24/2013 133: 1. Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) -- 49/2011 2. Corey Clark (Iowa) -- 15/2012 3. Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) -- 42/2011 4. Zane Richards (Illinois) -- 21/2012 5. Eric Montoya (Nebraska) -- NR/2012 6. Jordan Conaway (Penn State) -- WC/2011 7. Earl Hall (Iowa State) -- 84/2011 8. Jade Rauser (Utah Valley) -- 32/2011 141: 1. Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) -- 17/2013 2. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) -- NR/2014 3. Joey McKenna (Stanford) -- 8/2014 4. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) -- 7/2013 5. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) -- 75/2011 6. Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech) -- 11/2014 7. Joey Ward (North Carolina) -- 33/2012 8. Randy Cruz (Lehigh) -- 37/2012 149: 1. Zain Retherford (Penn State) -- 3/2013 2. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) -- 62/2013 3. Lavion Mayes (Missouri) -- NR/2012 4. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) -- 20/2013 5. Mike DePalma (Kent State) -- NR/2011 6. Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) -- NR/2014 7. Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) -- 99/2014 8. Geo Martinez (Boise State) -- NR/2013 157: 1. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) -- 5/2013 2. Jason Nolf (Penn State) -- 7/2014 3. Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) -- 37/2011 4. Dylan Palacio (Cornell) -- 64/2012 5. Chad Walsh (Rider) -- 91/2014 6. Ian Miller (Kent State) -- 45/2011 7. Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) -- 16/2015 8. Tommy Gantt (North Carolina State) -- NR/2011 165: 1. Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) -- 15/2011 2. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) -- 19/2012 3. Bo Jordan (Ohio State) -- 1/2013 4. Daniel Lewis (Missouri) -- 34/2014 5. Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) -- 90/2011 6. David McFadden (Virginia Tech) -- 12/2015 7. Austin Wilson (Nebraska) -- WC/2011 8. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers) -- WC/2011 174: 1. Myles Martin (Ohio State) -- 4/2015 2. Bo Nickal (Penn State) -- 5/2014 3. Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) -- 26/2013 4. Casey Kent (Penn) -- NR/2012 5. Nathan Jackson (Indiana) -- NR/2012 6. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) -- NR/2012 7. Cody Walters (Ohio) -- NR/2011 8. Alex Meyer (Iowa) -- 49/2012 184: 1. Gabe Dean (Cornell) -- WC/2012 2. T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) -- 17/2012 3. Pete Renda (North Carolina State) -- 54/2013 4. Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) -- 100/2012 5. Matthew Miller (Navy) -- NR/2011 6. Willie Miklus (Missouri) -- 27/2012 7. Nate Brown (Lehigh) -- 52/2011 8. Sammy Brooks (Iowa) -- 14/2012 197: 1. J'den Cox (Missouri) -- 6/2013 2. Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) -- 1/2011 3. Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) -- NR/2012 4. Nathan Burak (Iowa) -- NR/2011 5. Patrick Downey (Iowa State) -- NR/2011 (not considered due to lack of senior high school season) 6. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) -- 68/2013 7. Conner Hartmann (Duke) -- NR/2011 8. Brett Harner (Princeton) -- 45/2013 285: 1. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) -- 1/2014 2. Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) -- 12/2011 3. Adam Coon (Michigan) -- 2/2013 4. Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) -- WC/2012 5. Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) -- NR/2013 (not considered because from Canada) 6. Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State) -- 22/2011 7. Michael Kroells (Minnesota) -- 41/2012 8. Max Wessell (Lehigh) -- NR/2010 All-Americans by graduation year from high school: 2010 = 1 2011 = 26 (9 in semis) 2012 = 22 (11 in semis) 2013 = 18 (12 in semis) 2014 = 10 (7 in semis) 2015 = 3 (1 in semis) All-Americans by state (or country) of high school attendance: 12 = PA 10 = OH 6 = IL, MI 5 = IA, NJ 4 = CA, MD 3 = MO, CO, NY 2 = NE, MN, OK 1 = HI, WY, WI, TX, SC, Canada, GA, FL, NM, MT, WV, WA, VA

Three was the magic number for at least two of the ten wrestlers who won individual titles at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City Saturday night. After three finals appearances, seemingly perpetual bridesmaid Nico Megaludis of Penn State became the champ at 125 pounds, while Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer won his third consecutive title at 157 pounds. However, two-time heavyweight champ Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State lost out on his bid for title number three. Megaludis: Three finals, now a title Nico Megaludis started off the action on Saturday night -- and capped off his collegiate career -- with a 6-3 win over Iowa's Thomas Gilman in the 125 finals, nabbing what had been an elusive title. Prior to the 2016 NCAAs, the Murryville, Pa. native was already a three-time NCAA All-American, having made it to the finals twice before. In 2012, Megaludis lost to Iowa's Matt McDonough; the following year, he fell to Illinois' Jesse Delgado. (At the 2014 NCAAs, Megaludis placed third at 125.) Nico Megaludis celebrates after winning the NCAA title on Saturday night (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)After winning that elusive national title, Megaludis jumped into the arms of assistant coach Cody Sanderson ... then ran into the crowd to celebrate with his family. In the post-match interview, the Nittany Lion senior admitted he was more relieved than elated. "I don't know, it's not even celebration, it's just relief," said Megaludis. "I don't know, I'm just relieved. I knew I was going to be the champion. It was a done deal a year ago when I signed everywhere -- my room at Penn State, my room at home, my bathroom at home, my wrestling room at home, my car steering wheel: 'I am 2016 national champion.'" (Sunday afternoon, he posted a photo of that hand-lettered sign taped to his steering wheel on Twitter.) Had Megaludis lost in this year's finals, he would have joined a trio of three-time finalists who never won an NCAA title: Michigan's Bob Fehrs (1965-67), Iowa's Chad Zaputil (1991-93), and Fresno State's Gerry Abas (1993-95). Megaludis wasn't the only Penn State wrestler to leave Madison Square Garden with a title. At 149 pounds, top-seeded sophomore Zain Retherford earned a 10-1 major decision over No. 2 seed Brandon Sorensen of Iowa. What's more, the entire Nittany Lion program left New York with the team title, its fifth in six years. Dieringer gets third crown in three years Alex Dieringer completed his Oklahoma State wrestling career on the highest of high notes. In a battle of undefeated wrestlers, the Cowboy senior got a 6-2 win over Isaac Jordan of the University of Wisconsin in the 165-pound championship bout. Alex Dieringer talks with ESPN after winning his third straight NCAA title (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)For Dieringer, it was his second straight flawless season, concluding his Cowboy career with an 82-match winning streak. "It's a pretty amazing feat what I just did, so I'm just going to try to enjoy the moment," said Dieringer, a product of Port Washington, Wis. "There's a lot of emotions there," Dieringer added. "I was kind of a little conservative, but in the situation I was in it was hard to get overaggressive. But I know I was very pleased, 18 matches in a row with a third national title in the most historic arena in the world. So it's a pretty amazing feeling." Dieringer is definitely one 2016 NCAA champ who is accepting the invitation to all who won national collegiate titles in the Garden to wrestle at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials at the University of Iowa in April. "I'll be a wrestler for life," said Dieringer, who, with an overall record of 133-4, is second only to coach John Smith on Oklahoma State's all-time wins list. "I'm going to give back to the sport that gave me so much. I'll be wrestling until my body can't take it anymore. I'm going to get into coaching, help wrestlers out and help them reach their goals. "I'll be taking two or three days. Not much more than that. Two weeks, I'll still be in good shape. But two weeks to train freestyle, that's my favorite style. I have a little over two weeks to figure everything out, get ready for (Jordan) Burroughs and the rest of the guys in the field." Oklahoma State wrestlers were two-for-two in the 2016 NCAA finals. Before Dieringer took to the mat Saturday night, teammate Dean Heil -- a sophomore -- became the Stillwater school's 140th NCAA champ with a 3-2 victory over Bryce Meredith of the University of Wyoming in the 141-pound title match. The Oklahoma State Cowboys placed second in the team standings at the 2016 NCAAs. Third title denied for Gwiazdowski Nick Gwiazdowski had hoped to join the ultra-exclusive club of three-time NCAA heavyweight champs ... but Ohio State's Kyle Snyder had other plans. In the marquee match-up of the evening -- and arguably the most thrilling final -- the two-time defending champ at 285 fell to the Buckeye, 7-5 SV1. Gwiaz won back-to-back NCAA titles for the Wolfpack, defeating defending champ Tony Nelson of Minnesota in the 2014 NCAA finals ... then claiming his second crown by beating Michigan's Adam Coon in the finals last year. Had Gwiazdowski won his this third title, he would have been only the fifth heavyweight titlewinner to have three championship crowns, joining Earl McCready (1928-30), Dick Hutton (1947-48, 1950) and Jimmy Jackson (1976-78), all from Oklahoma State ... and Carlton Haselrig of University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, who won a trio of NCAA Division II titles, then added three Division I crowns in 1987-89. (Back then, Division II and III champs qualified to compete at the Division I championships that same year.) Instead, Gwiazdowski joins nineteen other two-time NCAA heavyweight champs ... six who lost in their third attempt, including Stephen Neal, Tommy Rowlands, Steve Mocco and, yes, Tony Nelson, of the modern era. Gwiazdowski had that third title in sight. The native of upstate New York had a 3-0 lead in the second period ... but Snyder scored escapes to bring it to 3-2. The Wolfpack champ seemed to put it away with a third-period takedown to push the lead out to 5-3 towards the end of regulation. With 11 seconds on the clock, Snyder grabbed a takedown to extend the action beyond regulation ... then wrapped things up with another takedown in the sudden victory period to take the title, snap Gwiazdowski's 88-match win streak, and claim the event's Outstanding Wrestler honors. It's been an incredible year for Snyder. Six months ago, the Maryland native won a World freestyle championship - at age 19, the youngest American to do so. Snyder had planned to take a redshirt for the entire 2015-16 season in his quest to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic team ... but reversed course and returned to Ohio State mid-season, where he moved up from 197 to the 285 weight class, with a perfect 11-0 record. In talking about the heavyweight title bout, Snyder told ESPN, "It was a fun match. I think it will go down as one of the most exciting heavyweight matches in NCAA history. And obviously, I'm happy that the end result was to get my hand raised.'' Snyder wasn't the only champ for the Buckeyes. True freshman Myles Martin (the No. 11 seed) upset top-seeded Bo Nickal of Penn State in the 174-pound finals to help propel Ohio State -- the defending NCAA team title winner -- into third place in this year's team standings.

There were nine athletes added this past weekend for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, which will be held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, April 9-10. The NCAA Div. I Championships were held in Madison Square Garden in New York City, March 17-19. This was an Olympic Trials qualifier in freestyle and Greco-Roman . The champions in each weight class qualified for the Olympic Trials in both styles. If a NCAA Div. I champion had already qualified for the Olympic Trials, that spot would go unfilled. Only one of the 2016 NCAA champions had already qualified, Kyle Snyder of Ohio State at 285 pounds, so there were nine champions who did qualify for Iowa City. An athlete can choose to wrestle either style or both, and do not need to declare at this time. A majority are expected to compete in men's freestyle. The athletes added to the Olympic Trials field in both styles were Men's Freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Nico Megaludis, Murraysville, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC) Men's Freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Nahshon Garrett, Chico, Calif. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC) Men's Freestyle 65 kg/143 lbs. - Dean Heil, Brunswick, Ohio (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC) Men's Freestyle 65 kg/143 lbs. - Zane Retherford, Benton, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC) Men's Freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. - Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore, Calif. (Illinois/Titan Mercury WC) Men's Freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. - Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, Wis. (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC) Men's Freestyle 86 kg/189 lbs. - Myles Martin, Penns Grove, N.J. (Ohio State/Titan Mercury WC) Men's Freestyle 86 kg/189 lbs. - Gabe Dean, Lowell, Mich. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC) Men's Freestyle 97 kg/213 lbs. -J'Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri/Missouri Wrestling Foundation) Note: These are freestyle weights, but they could also compete in Greco-Roman. At this time, the total number of qualifiers through the #Road2IowaCity qualifying process is 214 wrestlers. This includes 72 men's freestyle wrestlers, 65 Greco-Roman wrestlers and 77 women's freestyle wrestlers. Click here for U.S. Olympic Team Trials Qualifiers, through March 21, 2016 The next #Road2IowaCity Trials Qualifier is the University Women's Nationals, set for Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Okla. on March 26. The top two athletes in each weight class qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. There are as many as 16 qualification spots in the Olympic Trials available in Oklahoma City. Note: Women freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers who win a medal on an international tour event within the year also may qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All-session tickets to the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials are available for purchase. All-session options include adult ($75), and youth (18 and younger, $50). VIP tickets are sold out. Fans can purchase tickets at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, over the phone at 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at iowacitytorio.com. Remaining #Road2IowaCity Trials Qualifiers March 26 - Women's University Nationals, Oklahoma City, Okla. (W)** April 2-3 - Last Chance Trials Qualifier, Cedar Falls, Iowa (FS/GR/W)** ** - #Road2IowaCity events currently scheduled for Flowrestling broadcasts For specific information on the Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2016 Olympic Games, visit the links below: Athlete Selection Procedures - Women's Freestyle http://content.themat.com/forms/2016-critieria-WFS.pdf Athlete Selection Procedures - Men's Freestyle http://content.themat.com/forms/2016-critieria-MFS.pdf Athlete Selection Procedures - Greco-Roman http://content.themat.com/forms/2016-critieria-GR.pdf

NEW YORK -- Finishing as American University's first top-four placewinner since 2011, senior captain David Terao captured fourth place at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held at Madison Square Garden. American coach Teague Moore with All-American David Terao (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Terao, who entered the tournament seeded 15th at 125 pounds, is the ninth All-American in program history, as the Eagles have now garnered a total of 17 All-America honors. Terao began the day with a bout versus Northern Iowa's ninth-seeded Dylan Peters in the consolation semifinals. He got out to a strong start, scoring a takedown less than a minute into the match. Peters scored an escape, but not before Terao was able to rack up more than a minute of riding time. Terao, starting the second period on top, was able to extend his advantage time, but Peters recorded an escape to tie the bout at 2-2. Terao regained the lead with an escape early in the third period and increased the margin to 4-2 with an escape after an injury timeout by Peters. Peters tied the score with a takedown late in the match, but gave up a quick escape by Terao, who added another point for riding time in the 6-4 victory. "I think the first takedown was really big, because it put David in the driver's seat," said American head coach Teague Moore. "You could see him immediately relax. I felt like we were going to be able to do what we do. He managed the match very well." Terao's third-place match against top-seed Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State proved to be one of the most exciting bouts of the day. Despite plenty of action in the opening period, neither wrestler was able to score a point. Tomasello was first to get on the scoreboard, getting an escape 35 seconds into the second period before scoring a takedown. Returning to the center of the mat after going out of the bounds, Terao used a quick flip to earn an escape. While Moore issued a coach's challenge, looking for a reversal and back points, the original call was upheld. Trailing 3-1 heading into the final period, Terao scored another point with the optional start by Tomasello. Tomasello increased his lead to 5-2 with another takedown, while Terao came up with a quick escape. However, Terao was unable to score a takedown of his own, despite continuing to attack until the final whistle, warranting a standing ovation from the crowd at Madison Square Garden. "Even though I lost (the third-place match), I don't feel bad about my performance," said Terao. "I gave it everything I had. I put everything on the line against the returning national champ, and I was razor close to coming up with it." "I don't think there are words to describe (the crowd's reaction)," said Moore. "How does a fourth-place finisher get the arena to give him a standing ovation? David wrestles with passion. He was able to show his passion through his third-place match, and this arena saw it. This arena felt it." "I'm on cloud nine right now. If at the beginning of the tournament you had told me I would be on cloud nine with a fourth-place finisher, I wouldn't have believed you. But after what I witnessed today, I'm the happiest coach on the planet." Terao, who closes out the season with a 29-7 overall record, ends his career as the winningest wrestler in program history with 130 victories. "I couldn't have asked for a better place and venue and crowd to have this kind of performance in front of," said Terao. "It's definitely been the performance of my life. There's almost nothing that compares to this."

NEW YORK -- The Hokies finished in fourth place at the 2016 NCAA Championship, earning a spot on the team trophy platform for the first time in program history on Sunday. Additionally, the six All-Americans in this year's squad is the new program record for most in a single season. Redshirt senior Nick Brascetta became the second three-time All-American in Virginia Tech history and finished third in his final trip to Nationals. Of the eight Tech grapplers that made the trip to Madison Square Garden this week, seven will return with five of the All-Americans staying on next year's roster. The Hokies fourth place finish at this year's championship is the best finish of an ACC team in the conference's history, topping a fifth place finished by UNC in 1982. The Hokies wrap up a season that saw the team win back-to-back ACC dual meet titles, achieve an undefeated 5-0 mark in league compeittion, Ty Walz win the first Cliff Keen Las Vegas championship, a victory over Michigan in the newly revamped National Duals Championship series and a final mark of 16-2.

125: 1st: Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 6-3 3rd: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. David Terao (American), 5-3 5th: Conor Youtsey (Michigan) by medical forfeit over Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) 7th: Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) dec. Connor Schram (Stanford), 1-0 133: 1st: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. Cory Clark (Iowa), 7-6 3rd: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) dec. Zane Richards (Illinois), 9-4 5th: Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 7-4 7th: Earl Hall (Iowa State) tech. fall Jade Rauser (Utah Valley), 17-1 141: 1st: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 3-2 3rd: Joey McKenna (Stanford) dec. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers), 7-6 5th: Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) dec. Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech), 5-3 7th: Joey Ward (North Carolina) dec. Randy Cruz (Lehigh), 3-1 SV 149: 1st: Zain Retherford (Penn State) maj. dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 10-1 3rd: Lavion Mayes (Missouri) dec. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 3-2 5th: Mike DePalma (Kent State) pinned Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 3:30 7th: Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) dec. Geo Martinez (Boise State), 5-1 157: 1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. Jason Nolf (Penn State), 6-5 3rd: Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) dec. Dylan Palacio (Cornell), 4-1 5th: Chad Walsh (Rider) by medical forfeit over Ian Miller (Kent State) 7th: Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) dec. Tommy Gantt (NC State), 6-3 165: 1st: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 6-2 3rd: Bo Jordan (Ohio State) dec. Daniel Lewis (Missouri), 9-7 5th: Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) dec. David McFadden (Virginia Tech), 8-5 7th: Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers), 4-2 174: 1st: No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. Bo Nickal (Penn State), 11-9 3rd: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. Casey Kent (Pennsylvania), 8-4 5th: Nathan Jackson (Indiana) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 5-2 7th: Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. Alex Meyer (Iowa), 4-3 184: 1st: Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 5-3 3rd: Pete Renda (NC State) tech. fall Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State), 18-3 5th: Mathew Miller (Navy) dec. Willie Miklus (Missouri), 4-2 7th: Nate Brown (Lehigh) dec. Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 9-3 197: 1st: J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), 4-2 3rd: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 2-1 5th: Pat Downey (Iowa State) pinned Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), 3:48 7th: Conner Hartmann (Duke) maj. dec. Brett Harner (Princeton), 11-2 285: 1st: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State), 7-5 SV 3rd: Adam Coon (Michigan) pinned Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), 7:57 5th: Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) pinned Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State), 1:29 7th: Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. Max Wessell (Lehigh), 5-2

Ohio State's Kyle Snyder counters NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)NEW YORK -- On Saturday night, one of the world's best wrestlers delivered a spectacular grand finale at the world's most famous arena. In front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, 2015 World champion Kyle Snyder of Ohio State snapped the 88-match winning streak of two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State to win the NCAA title at heavyweight in the final match of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. "I've got pretty big goals," said the 20-year-old Snyder, who was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. "If you want to achieve them you have to do it right now. You can't wait. You've got to improve as fast as you can, try to learn more about the sport and hopefully while you're doing that pick up a couple wins." Snyder had to rally to win. Gwiazdowski jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a takedown in the first period and an early escape in the second period. Snyder cut the deficit to 3-2 with escapes in the second and third period. But Gwiazdowski answered with another takedown and led 5-3 late. With 11 seconds on the clock, Snyder fired off a shot and converted a takedown to send the match to sudden victory. Snyder then won the match early in sudden victory with another takedown. "I kind of know where guys are going to float out when I do that setup," Snyder said of the takedown in sudden victory. "I knew where his foot was going to be. I kind of hit it as his foot was hitting the mat, so it was really no funky business, I could go on and knew I would be scoring the points." Snyder, an NCAA runner-up last season as a true freshman at 197 pounds, started the season taking an Olympic redshirt season. However, midway through the season, on January 1, Snyder announced that he would be competing for the Buckeyes at heavyweight. "You always learn more when you compete," said Snyder. "You can go into practice and you can wrestle, but it's just a little bit different than when you're going out there and actually competing. You can challenge yourself more to open up and actually wrestle the way you want to wrestle, and not be all tight when you're out there competing, especially in these big matches." Snyder was one of two NCAA champions for the Buckeyes on Saturday night. True freshman Myles Martin was Ohio State's other NCAA champion, coming through to win a title at 174 pounds as the No. 11 seed. He becomes Ohio State's first-ever true freshman NCAA champion. Martin's title came over No. 1 Bo Nickal of Penn State, a wrestler who had beaten him in three previous meetings this season, including by pin two weeks ago at the Big Ten Championships. Martin trailed 4-3 in the second period before getting a takedown and four nearfall points to go up 9-4. Nickal was able to mount a rally, but Martin held on for the 11-9 victory. "Those other three [losses to Nickal] were a learning experience," said Martin. "If I didn't wrestle those other three I wouldn't have been able to compete like I did today." The two NCAA titles -- along with two third-place finishes -- helped Ohio State finish third in the team standings. Martin's finals win pushed Iowa out of the top four. It's the first time since 2007 that Iowa did not claim a team trophy at the NCAAs. "I didn't really think much of it," said Martin. "I was more focused on my match and just doing what I need to do to do my part in the whole team race. So was Kyle. So we just competed hard and I won and the points came and we beat Iowa." The Penn State Nittany Lions won their fifth NCAA title in six seasons (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)On Saturday night, Penn State put the finishing touches on their national championship -- a fifth title in six seasons -- which was clinched in Saturday's first session. Five Penn State wrestlers competed in the NCAA finals, with two winning NCAA titles, Nico Megaludis (125) and Zain Retherford (149). The Nittany Lions finished with 123 points, which was 25.5 more points than runner-up Oklahoma State scored. "We're happy, but we leave here ready to improve and build and get some freshmen to the next level," said Penn State coach Cael Sanderson. "We're happy we won, but we're excited for the future also." Megaludis, a three-time NCAA finalist, claimed his first NCAA title in his senior season. He came out and scored the first takedown in the first 40 seconds and led 2-1 after the opening period. He added another takedown with a minute remaining in the second period and took a 4-2 lead to the third period. In the third period Megaludis picked up an escape before giving up a stalling point. He then fended off Gilman's attacks and held on for the victory. He became Penn State's ninth four-time All-American and 31st NCAA champion. "It's not even celebration, it's just relief," said Megaludis. "I don't know … I'm just relieved. I knew I was going to be the champion. It was a done deal a year ago when I had signs everywhere, my room at Penn State, my room at home, my bathroom at home, my wrestling room at home, my car steering wheel … I am the 2016 national champion." Retherford capped a dominant tournament -- and undefeated sophomore season -- with a 10-1 major decision victory over Iowa's Brandon Sorensen in a rematch from the Big Ten finals. He scored two takedowns in the first period, and added takedowns in each of the final two periods while accumulating over three minutes of riding time. "Zain is just Zain," said Cael Sanderson. "He's only a sophomore but the pressure he puts on his opponents and his ability to score points ... We're glad he's only a sophomore. We wish he was a freshman or just coming into school, I guess. Great leader for us. We hope everyone can follow his lead. He made a huge jump from his freshman year." Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer concluded his college career as a three-time NCAA champion by topping Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan 6-2 at 165 pounds in a battle of undefeated wrestlers. Dieringer secured takedowns in each of the first two periods. It's the second straight undefeated season for the Cowboy, and he finishes on an 82-match winning streak. "It's a pretty amazing feat what I just did, so I'm just going to try to enjoy the moment," said Dieringer. Dieringer will now focus on freestyle and compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City on April 9-10. "I'll still be in good shape," said Dieringer of competing in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. "So two weeks to train freestyle. That's my favorite style. That's my best style. It's all on your feet pretty much, and that's what I'm good at. That's my best thing." Also winning a title for Oklahoma State was top-seeded Dean Heil, who lived up to his No. 1 seed, winning the NCAA title with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over surprise finalist Bryce Meredith of Wyoming in an action-packed match filled with scrambling. Heil scored the only takedown in the match -- in the final 10 seconds of the first period -- which proved to be the difference in the match. Heil edged Meredith earlier in the season and had a feeling he would see him again in the NCAA championship match. "I had a feeling he was going to make it through," said Heil. "Next thing you know he does. Tough match. One takedown was enough to seal the deal." Three wrestlers claimed their second NCAA titles, with two of those wrestlers being repeat champions from 2015. Isaiah Martinez repeated as NCAA champion at 157 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Isaiah Martinez of Illinois repeated as NCAA champion at 157 pounds with a thrilling 6-5 victory over Big Ten rival Jason Nolf of Penn State. It was the rubber match between the two, with Martinez winning in the Big Ten finals and NCAA finals after losing the first meeting in a January dual meet. The two traded first-period takedowns and the first period ended 3-3. Nolf cut Martinez loose to start the second period, giving the Illini wrestler the lead. Nolf escaped in the third period to knot the score at 4-4. Then with 12 Martinez secured a takedown and held on for the 6-5 victory. "I'm extremely pleased just with the win," said Martinez. "Wrestling a competitor like that, he's definitely special. He gave me a hell of a fight. I just knew if it came down to the end that I was going to get it done." Martinez, though pleased with winning a title, knows there is a lot of room for improvement. "I don't want to win by one or two points," said Martinez. "I'm happy I won. It's just now we've got to think of ways to widen the gap. I know he's going to be great at whatever weight he goes, but I'm always trying to look to get better." Gabe Dean of Cornell became a repeat champion at 184 pounds, and was one of two NCAA champions for Cornell. Top-seeded Nahshon Garrett at 133 pounds was Cornell's other NCAA champion. Dean's second NCAA title came over seventh-seeded T.J. Dudley of Nebraska, who entered as the No. 7 seed. Dean was the aggressor from the start, but was unable to score in the first period, which ended scoreless. Dudley escaped in the second period to go up 1-0 before Dean scored a takedown to take a 2-1 lead. Dudley would even the score with an escape. In the third period Dean was able to get an escape and another takedown to win 5-3. Dean leaped into the arms of his assistant coach Damion Hahn after the victory. "I can't say enough about the man," Dean said of Hahn. "I don't even have words to describe our relationship. I just love him to death. I would give my own life for that guy." Garrett capped off an undefeated (37-0) season with an NCAA title at 133 pounds. His victory in the finals came over Iowa's Cory Clark, who finished as an NCAA runner-up for the second straight season. Garrett struck first, picking up a takedown in the first minute. Garrett would add another takedown in the second period and take a 4-3 lead to the third period. In the third period Garrett escaped to make it 5-3. Clark inched closer to 5-4 after Garrett was called for a second stalling call. Garrett then scored a takedown off a double leg to go up 7-4. Clark would make it interesting late, picking up another stalling point and escape before running out of time. "Those [Iowa] guys are always really good at grinding people out, and that's how they win most of their matches," said Garrett. "I think I needed to do what I needed to do in order to be where I am now." Missouri's J'den Cox captured his second NCAA title in three years at 197 pounds. His first title came when he was a true freshman in 2014. His finals victory on Saturday night came over No. 1 and previously unbeaten Morgan McIntosh of Penn State 4-2. After a scoreless first period, the two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods. Then with 10 seconds left Cox took a shot and scored a takedown. McIntosh quickly escaped, but Cox held on for the victory, gaining an additional point for riding time. "I believe I had a great outing here at the NCAAs this year, definitely improved from the last two years," said Cox. Virginia Tech coach Kevin Dresser was named NWCA Coach of the Year after guiding the Hokies to a fourth-place finish and team trophy at the NCAAs. Virginia Tech had six All-Americans but no NCAA finalists. The Hokies' fourth-place finish is the highest NCAA finish ever for an ACC wrestling program. The total attendance of this year's event over six sessions at Madison Square Garden was 110,194. Results: 125: No. 3. Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Thomas Gillman (Iowa), 6-3 133: No. 1 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa), 7-6 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 14 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 3-2 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 10-1 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. No. 3 Jason Nolf (Penn State), 6-5 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 2 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 6-2 174: No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State), 11-9 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. No. 7 Timothy Dudley (Nebraska), 5-3 197: No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), 4-2 285: No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State), 7-5 SV1 All-Americans 125: 1st: Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 6-3 3rd: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. David Terao (American), 5-3 5th: Conor Youtsey (Michigan) by medical forfeit over Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) 7th: Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) dec. Connor Schram (Stanford), 1-0 133: 1st: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. Cory Clark (Iowa), 7-6 3rd: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) dec. Zane Richards (Illinois), 9-4 5th: Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 7-4 7th: Earl Hall (Iowa State) tech. fall Jade Rauser (Utah Valley), 17-1 141: 1st: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 3-2 3rd: Joey McKenna (Stanford) dec. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers), 7-6 5th: Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) dec. Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech), 5-3 Joey Ward (North Carolina) dec. Randy Cruz (Lehigh), 3-1 SV 149: 1st: Zain Retherford (Penn State) maj. dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 10-1 3rd: Lavion Mayes (Missouri) dec. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 3-2 5th: Mike DePalma (Kent State) pinned Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 3:30 7th: Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) dec. Geo Martinez (Boise State), 5-1 157: 1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. Jason Nolf (Penn State), 6-5 3rd: Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) dec. Dylan Palacio (Cornell), 4-1 5th: Chad Walsh (Rider) by medical forfeit over Ian Miller (Kent State) 7th: Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) dec. Tommy Gantt (NC State), 6-3 165: 1st: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 6-2 3rd: Bo Jordan (Ohio State) dec. Daniel Lewis (Missouri), 9-7 5th: Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) dec. David McFadden (Virginia Tech), 8-5 7th: Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers), 4-2 174: 1st: No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. Bo Nickal (Penn State), 11-9 3rd: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. Casey Kent (Pennsylvania), 8-4 5th: Nathan Jackson (Indiana) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 5-2 7th: Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. Alex Meyer (Iowa), 4-3 184: 1st: Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 5-3 3rd: Pete Renda (NC State) tech. fall Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State), 18-3 5th: Mathew Miller (Navy) dec. Willie Miklus (Missouri), 4-2 7th: Nate Brown (Lehigh) dec. Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 9-3 197: 1st: J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), 4-2 3rd: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 2-1 5th: Pat Downey (Iowa State) pinned Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), 3:48 7th: Conner Hartmann (Duke) maj. dec. Brett Harner (Princeton), 11-2 285: 1st: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State), 7-5 SV 3rd: Adam Coon (Michigan) pinned Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), 7:57 5th: Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) pinned Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State), 1:29 7th: Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. Max Wessell (Lehigh), 5-2 Team Standings 1. Penn State 123 2. Oklahoma St. 97.5 3. Ohio St. 86 4. Virginia Tech 82 5. Iowa 81 6. Missouri 74.5 7. Cornell 67 8. Nebraska 58 9. Illinois 50.5 9. Michigan 50.5 11. NC State 49 12. Iowa St. 35 13. Oklahoma 33.5 14. Lehigh 31 15. Rutgers 30 16. Kent St. 28.5 17. Minnesota 26 18. Wyoming 24.5 19. Stanford 24 20. Pennsylvania 23.5 21. Oregon St. 22 22. Navy 21 23. Wisconsin 20 24. Rider 19 25. Northern Iowa 17.5 25. Old Dominion 17.5

NEW YORK -- World champion Kyle Snyder of Ohio State snapped the 88-match winning streak of two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State in the final match of the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Madison Square Garden. Snyder was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Isaiah Martinez of Illinois claimed his second straight NCAA title, beating Penn State's Jason Nolf for the championship at 157 pounds, becoming one of three wrestlers to repeat as NCAA champion from last season. Penn State ran away with the team title, but went 2-3 in the finals. A full recap to come. Please check back … All-Americans 125: 1st: Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 6-3 3rd: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. David Terao (American), 5-3 5th: Conor Youtsey (Michigan) by medical forfeit over Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) 7th: Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) dec. Connor Schram (Stanford), 1-0 133: 1st: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. Cory Clark (Iowa), 7-6 3rd: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) dec. Zane Richards (Illinois), 9-4 5th: Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 7-4 7th: Earl Hall (Iowa State) tech. fall Jade Rauser (Utah Valley), 17-1 141: 1st: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 3-2 3rd: Joey McKenna (Stanford) dec. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers), 7-6 5th: Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) dec. Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech), 5-3 Joey Ward (North Carolina) dec. Randy Cruz (Lehigh), 3-1 SV 149: 1st: Zain Retherford (Penn State) maj. dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 10-1 3rd: Lavion Mayes (Missouri) dec. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 3-2 5th: Mike DePalma (Kent State) pinned Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 3:30 7th: Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) dec. Geo Martinez (Boise State), 5-1 157: 1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. Jason Nolf (Penn State), 6-5 3rd: Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) dec. Dylan Palacio (Cornell), 4-1 5th: Chad Walsh (Rider) by medical forfeit over Ian Miller (Kent State) 7th: Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) dec. Tommy Gantt (NC State), 6-3 165: 1st: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 6-2 3rd: Bo Jordan (Ohio State) dec. Daniel Lewis (Missouri), 9-7 5th: Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) dec. David McFadden (Virginia Tech), 8-5 7th: Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers), 4-2 174: 1st: No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. Bo Nickal (Penn State), 11-9 3rd: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. Casey Kent (Pennsylvania), 8-4 5th: Nathan Jackson (Indiana) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 5-2 7th: Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. Alex Meyer (Iowa), 4-3 184: 1st: Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 5-3 3rd: Pete Renda (NC State) tech. fall Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State), 18-3 5th: Mathew Miller (Navy) dec. Willie Miklus (Missouri), 4-2 7th: Nate Brown (Lehigh) dec. Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 9-3 197: 1st: J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), 4-2 3rd: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 2-1 5th: Pat Downey (Iowa State) pinned Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), 3:48 7th: Conner Hartmann (Duke) maj. dec. Brett Harner (Princeton), 11-2 285: 1st: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State), 7-5 SV 3rd: Adam Coon (Michigan) pinned Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), 7:57 5th: Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) pinned Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State), 1:29 7th: Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. Max Wessell (Lehigh), 5-2 Team Standings 1. Penn State 123 2. Oklahoma St. 97.5 3. Ohio St. 86 4. Virginia Tech 82 5. Iowa 81 6. Missouri 74.5 7. Cornell 67 8. Nebraska 58 9. Illinois 50.5 9. Michigan 50.5 11. NC State 49 12. Iowa St. 35 13. Oklahoma 33.5 14. Lehigh 31 15. Rutgers 30 16. Kent St. 28.5 17. Minnesota 26 18. Wyoming 24.5 19. Stanford 24 20. Pennsylvania 23.5 21. Oregon St. 22 22. Navy 21 23. Wisconsin 20 24. Rider 19 25. Northern Iowa 17.5 25. Old Dominion 17.5

NEW YORK -- Penn State has clinched its fifth NCAA team title in six seasons. The Nittany Lions, despite having only one wrestler competing in Session V on Saturday, mathematically locked up the title with 114 points heading into the final session. Oklahoma State sits in second place with 89.5 points, but cannot catch Penn State. The Nittany Lions have five wrestlers competing for NCAA titles tonight, while Oklahoma has two. "We're happy," said Penn State coach Cael Sanderson. "I'm proud of them. We've still got some work to do." Jordan Conaway was the only Penn State wrestler competing in Session V. He finished sixth. Oklahoma State posted a 3-4 record in the session. Anthony Collica (149) and Nolan Boyd (184) both finished in fourth place. Austin Marsden (285) claimed sixth, while Joe Smith (157) claimed seventh place. Two returning NCAA champions who were pinned last night in the semifinals, Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State (125) and Cody Brewer of Oklahoma (133), came back to finish in third place. Tomasello -- the lone No. 1 seed to fall before the finals -- edged American's David Terao of 5-3 in the third-place match. The Buckeye sophomore won the takedown battle 2-0, which proved to be the difference. "I knew he was having a great tournament, so I just had to stay solid with my finishes, solid with my defense," said Tomasello. "He's just really good. He's an All-American for a reason. He's one of the best guys in the weight." Terao, a Hawaii native, became a fan favorite in New York because of his wide open style and the fact that he was a long shot as a No. 15 seed entering the tournament. He was given a standing ovation after his match. "I definitely imagined being here and wrestling the match and preparing myself mentally for it, but it's almost impossible to prepare for this sort of reception," said Terao Oklahoma's Cody Brewer, an NCAA champion in 2015, battled back to take third after getting pinned in the semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Brewer claimed a 9-4 victory over No. 3 seed Zane Richards in the third-place match. "It's one of those things you go through ups and downs throughout the tournament. I just happened to get caught yesterday and pinned by a good wrestler. More than anything I just wanted to keep it moving forward. Things happen." He finishes his career as a four-time All-American. "I'm in an elite club of our Oklahoma wrestlers that did it ... Sam Hazewinkel, Andrew Howe, Mike Lightner," said Brewer. "All those guys are four-time All-Americans for OU. Just to be in that category is pretty awesome. There's not much to say. I'm lucky … blessed." Tonight's final session begins at 8 p.m. ET. Team Standings 1. Penn State 114 2. Oklahoma State 89.5 3. Virginia Tech 82 4. Iowa 81 5. Ohio State 78 6. Missouri 70.5 7. Cornell 59 8. Nebraska 58 9. Michigan 50.5 10. NC State 49 11. Illinois 46.5 12. Iowa State 35 13. Oklahoma 33.5 14. Lehigh 31 15. Rutgers 30 16. Kent State 28.5 17. Minnesota 26 18. Wyoming 24.5 19. Stanford 24 20. Pennsylvania 23.5 21. Oregon State 22 22. Navy 21 23. Wisconsin 20 24. Rider 19 25. Northern Iowa 17.5 25. Old Dominion 17.5 All-Americans 125: 1st: NIco Megaludis (Penn State) vs. Thomas Gilman (Iowa) 3rd: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. David Terao (American), 5-3 5th: Conor Youtsey (Michigan) by medical forfeit over Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) 7th: Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) dec. Connor Schram (Stanford), 1-0 133: 1st: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) vs. Cory Clark (Iowa) 3rd: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) dec. Zane Richards (Illinois), 9-4 5th: Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 7-4 7th: Earl Hall (Iowa State) tech. fall Jade Rauser (Utah Valley), 17-1 141: 1st: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) vs. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) 3rd: Joey McKenna (Stanford) dec. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers), 7-6 5th: Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) dec. Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech), 5-3 7th: Joey Ward (North Carolina) dec. Randy Cruz (Lehigh), 3-1 SV 149: 1st: Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) 3rd: Lavion Mayes (Missouri) dec. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 3-2 5th: Mike DePalma (Kent State) pinned Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 3:30 7th: Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) dec. Geo Martinez (Boise State), 5-1 157: 1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. Jason Nolf (Penn State) 3rd: Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) dec. Dylan Palacio (Cornell), 4-1 5th: Chad Walsh (Rider) by medical forfeit over Ian Miller (Kent State) 7th: Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) dec. Tommy Gantt (NC State), 6-3 165: 1st: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) 3rd: Bo Jordan (Ohio State) dec. Daniel Lewis (Missouri), 9-7 5th: Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) dec. David McFadden (Virginia Tech), 8-5 7th: Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers), 4-2 174: 1st: Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) 3rd: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. Casey Kent (Pennsylvania), 8-4 5th: Nathan Jackson (Indiana) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 5-2 7th: Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. Alex Meyer (Iowa), 4-3 184: 1st: Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) 3rd: Pete Renda (NC State) tech. fall Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State), 18-3 5th: Mathew Miller (Navy) dec. Willie Miklus (Missouri), 4-2 7th: Nate Brown (Lehigh) dec. Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 9-3 197: 1st: Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) vs. J'den Cox (Missouri) 3rd: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 2-1 5th: Pat Downey (Iowa State) pinned Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), 3:48 7th: Conner Hartmann (Duke) maj. dec. Brett Harner (Princeton), 11-2 285: 1st: Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) 3rd: Adam Coon (Michigan) pinned Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), 7:57 5th: Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) pinned Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State), 1:29 7th: Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. Max Wessell (Lehigh), 5-2

NEW YORK -- Five-for-five. That's what top-ranked Penn State accomplished in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Friday night Madison Square Garden in New York. Exactly half of the Nittany Lions' starting lineup this season won in the NCAA semifinals and will wrestle for an NCAA championship on Saturday night. Penn State racked up 114 points and takes a commanding 34.5-point lead into the final day of competition. Oklahoma State sits in second, followed by Iowa. "We're happy," said Penn State coach Cael Sanderson. "We wrestled pretty well. A lot of tough matches, obviously." Jason Nolf gets his hand raised after winning in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Penn State's run of semifinal winners started immediately at 125 pounds with Nico Megaldudis. Zain Retherford was next at 149 pounds, followed by Jason Nolf at 157 pounds, Bo Nickal at 174 pounds and finishing with Morgan McIntosh at 197 pounds. One other Nittany Lion wrestler, Jordan Conaway, secured All-American honors in the consolation bracket at 133 pounds. "Five guys have a chance to win a national title," said Sanderson. "Conaway has a chance to come back and take third. This is a pretty good team." Penn State is doing with a mix of youth and experience. Nolf and Nickal are freshmen, Retherford is a sophomore, while Megaludis, McIntosh and Conaway are seniors. Sanderson says the wrestlers feed off each other. "They love to compete," said Sanderson. "You see them … They're smiling and joking around. They're light before they go out and compete. They go out and get right after it." The top four teams in the standings, Penn State, Oklahoma State, Iowa and Virginia Tech all have six All-Americans. Iowa has the second most finalists with three. Oklahoma State has two finalists. "It was a day of mostly good, a few bad," said Oklahoma State coach John Smith of his team's performance on Friday. "I think this morning's round and this afternoon's round put us in a little better position." Alex Dieringer defeated Missouri's Daniel Lewis to advance to the finals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Four past NCAA champions -- three of them returning from 2015 -- will be wrestling for titles on Saturday night. Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer (165) and North Carolina State's Nick Gwiazdowski (285) will be looking to become three-time NCAA champions. Dieringer has an 81-match winning streak, while Gwiazdowski's winning streak sits at 88. Dieringer will face Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan in a battle of undefeated wrestlers. "He's a good wrestler," Dieringer said of Jordan. "I'm just going to go out there and do what I do." Gwiazdowski, a New York native, will meet World champion Kyle Snyder of Ohio State in the final match of the NCAAs. "I want to wrestle the best guy," said Gwiazdowski. "So if you want to be the NCAA champ you've got to be the best … We're the two best guys at this point. Tomorrow night we'll find out. Either way I think it's good for the media attention and also both of us." Kyle Snyder hits an ankle pick on Ty Walz of Virginia Tech in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Snyder, an NCAA runner-up last season at 197 pounds, has trained with Gwiazdowski but never competed against him. He's looking forward to the opportunity. "I know that he's going to have a game plan for me," said Snyder. "I just want to make it a wrestling match. I want to get into wrestling positions. I feel like if I can get to lots of wrestling positions I'll come out on top in the majority of them." Isaiah Martinez of Illinois (165) and Gabe Dean of Cornell (184) will be looking to repeat as NCAA champions. Martinez, an undefeated freshman NCAA champion last season, won a tough match in sudden victory over Kent State's Ian Miller to advance to the finals. He will now battle Penn State's Nolf for the third time this season. Nolf pinned Martinez in their first meeting in January, but Martinez evened the score by beating Nolf in the Big Ten finals. "I had a feeling it was going to come down to me and him," said Martinez. "I just don't think anyone knows the right way to wrestle him, and I've kind of figured it out. If it's the way I want it to be tomorrow, it will be entertaining and it will be a brawl." Also wrestling for a second NCAA title is Missouri's J'den Cox, an NCAA champion in 2014. His finals opponent is top-seeded and undefeated McIntosh. Two returning NCAA champions were pinned in the semifinals, Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State (125) and Cody Brewer of Oklahoma (133). Tomasello -- the only No. 1 seed to lose prior to the finals -- was pinned in sudden victory by Iowa's Thomas Gilman. Brewer was pinned in 21 seconds by No. 1 Nahshon Garrett of Cornell. Wyoming Bryce Meredith was the lowest-seeded wrestler to reach the finals, coming through as the No. 14 seed at 141 pounds. He will face No. 1 Dean Heil of Oklahoma State for the championship. He becomes the first Wyoming wrestler to reach the NCAA finals since Reese Andy at 177 pounds in 1996. "I knew I could beat anybody at any given moment," said Meredith. "Now I'm in the finals, and it feels good. It feels everything that you'd ever expect. It gives you goose bumps. I would advise all the little kids to work real hard so they can feel this feeling." Tomorrow's medals rounds are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday. Team Standings 1. Penn State 114 2. Oklahoma St. 79.5 3. Iowa 77.5 4. Virginia Tech 69.5 5. Ohio St. 68 6. Missouri 58.5 7. Nebraska 56 8. Cornell 53.5 9. NC State 43 10. Illinois 42 11. Michigan 39 12. Lehigh 30 13. Iowa St. 29.5 14. Oklahoma 28 15. Kent St. 25.5 15. Rutgers 25.5 17. Wyoming 24.5 18. Navy 20 18. Pennsylvania 20 18. Wisconsin 20 21. Minnesota 19.5 21. Stanford 19.5 23. Oregon St. 19 24. Northern Iowa 17.5 25. Old Dominion 16.5 Finals Matchups 125: No. 3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) vs. No. 4 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) 133: No. 1 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) vs. No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 14 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 3 Jason Nolf (Penn State) 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) 174: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 7 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) 197: No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) vs. No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) Below is a weight-by-weight look at the semifinal match results. 125: No. 4 Thomas Gilman of Iowa advanced to the finals by pinning No. 1 Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State in sudden victory. The two Big Ten wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods, sending the match to sudden victory tied at 1-1. Gilman was able to score a takedown off an attack and put the Buckeye sophomore to his back and secure the pin. Penn State's Nico Megaludis will be making his third NCAA finals appearance after topping American's David Terao 8-2. Megaludis picked up takedowns in each of the three periods and added an escape and riding time point for the six-point victory. 133: Top-seeded Nahshon Garrett of Cornell made quick work of returning NCAA champion Cody Brewer, pinning him in just 21 seconds. Iowa's Cory Clark became Iowa's second NCAA finalist by edging Zane Richards of Illinois 4-3 in a rubber match between the two. Richards jumped out to an early lead after a first-period takedown. The two traded escapes and Richards held a 3-2 lead in the third period. Clark stayed aggressive and in the closing seconds was able to secure a takedown for the lead and the one-point victory. 141: No. 1 Dean Heil Oklahoma State had little trouble with No. 4 Anthony Ashnault of Rugers, winning 8-3 on the strength of takedowns in each of the three periods. No. 14 Bryce Meredith of Wyoming continued his Cinderella run to the finals, stunning No. 2 Joey McKenna of Stanford 5-3. McKenna was able to get on the scoreboard, picking up a first-period takedown and led 2-1 after the opening period. Meredith started the second period in the top position and rode out McKenna the entire period. In the third period Meredith earned an escape to knot the score at 2-2 on the scoreboard. Then in the final 30 seconds Meredith picked up a takedown to lead 4-2. McKenna was able to escape, but Meredith was able to fend off the Stanford freshman's attacks and add a riding time point for a two-point victory. 149: Top-seeded Zain Retherford of Penn State was unchallenged in his semifinal match, pinning Michigan's Alec Pantaleo in the second period. Retherford raced out to a 12-0 lead before putting Pantaleo to his back and sticking him. Brandon Sorensen made it 3-for-3 for Iowa in the semifinals by topping No. 11 Anthony Collica of Oklahoma State 4-2. After a slow start, Sorensen picked up a second-period takedown to go up 2-1 in the second period. Collica picked up a late second-period escape to knot the score at 2-2. In the third period Sorenen escaped to go up 3-2 and was able to fend of Pantaleo's attacks and hold on for a 4-2 victory after an additional point for riding time. 157: The much-anticipated third meeting between Isaiah Martinez of Illinois and Jason Nolf will happen on Saturday night. Both punched their tickets to the finals with impressive victories on Friday night. Martinez advanced to the finals with a thrilling 7-5 victory over Kent State's Ian Miller in a match that saw a lot of action and explosive moves. Miller scored the match's first takedown, but Martinez responded with a takedown of his own in the final minute of the first period to take a 3-2 lead after one period. In the second period Martinez escaped to take a 4-2 lead, which is all the scoring that would take place in the period. Miller turned it up in the third period, escaping and then picking up a takedown to take a 5-4 lead. Martinez escaped to knot the score at 5-5 and ultimately send the match to sudden victory. Martinez then scored a quick takedown in sudden victory to claim the victory. The freshman Nolf scored early and often and rolled to a 19-4 technical fall victory in the third period over No. 15 Chad Walsh of Rider. 165: The top two seeds, Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State and Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin, both undefeated, advanced to the finals. Dieringer cruised to a 14-4 major decision victory over Missouri's Daniel Lewis. Isaac beat cousin Bo of Ohio State for the fourth time in four meetings. Isaac scored a first-period takedown and took a 2-1 lead into the third period. Isaac escaped in the third period to go up 3-1. Bo responded with a takedown to knot the score at 3-3 ... but Isaac earned a reversal to go up 5-3. Bo would add an escape, but Isaac held on for the victory. 174: No. 1 Bo Nickal of Penn State won a thriller over No. 12 Nate Jackson of Indiana, avenging a loss from earlier this season. Jackson jumped out early with a takedown in the first period. Nickal battled back with a takedown of his own in the second period to tie the match at 3-3. In the third period Nickal escaped to grab a 4-3 lead and held on for the victory. On the bottom side of the bracket, true freshman Myles Martin of Ohio State came through to the finals from the No. 11 seed, beating unseeded Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State 8-2 in the semifinals. Martin scored three takedowns -- one in each period -- and added an escape and riding time point for the six-point win. 184: Defending NCAA champion Gabe Dean of Cornell is back in the NCAA finals after a convincing 9-4 decision over North Carolina State's Pete Renda, who entered the tournament as the No. 13 seed. Dean's finals opponent: No. 7 T.J. Dudley of Nebraska. Dudley rolled to a 12-4 major decision over Missouri's Willie Miklus in the semifinals. Miklus had beaten Dudley in the previous meeting at the NWCA National Duals. 197: As expected, the top two seeds, Morgan McIntosh of Penn State and J'den Cox of Missouri advanced to the finals at 197 pounds. McIntosh grinded out a 3-2 victory over Iowa's Nathan Burak, picking up the match's only takedown in the first period. Cox pinned Minnesota's Brett Pfarr in the third period after building a 6-2 lead. 285: The top two seeds, North Carolina State's Nick Gwiazdowski and Ohio State's Kyle Snyder, earned semifinal victories to reach the finals. Gwiazdowski edged Michigan's Adam Coon 3-2. Gwiazdowski scored the match's only takedown in the first period. Snyder was pushed in the semifinals by Virginia Tech's Ty Walz, but came out on top 10-6.

125: No. 4 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) pinned No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State), 7:37 No. 3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. No. 15 David Terao (American), 8-2 133: No. 1 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) pinned No. 4 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma), 0:21 No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Zane Richards (Illinois), 4-3 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 4 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers), 8-3 No. 14 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) dec. No. 2 Joey McKenna (Stanford), 5-3 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) pinned No. 5 Alex Pantaleo (Michigan), 4:49 No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. No. 11 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 4-2 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. No. 4 Ian Miller (Kent State), 7-5 SV No. 3 Jason Nolf (Penn State) tech. fall No. 15 Chad Walsh (Rider), 19-4 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. No. 4 Daniel Lewis (Missouri), 14-4 No. 2 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State), 5-4 174: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) dec. No. 12 Nate Jackson (Indiana), 4-3 No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 8-2 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. No. 13 Pete Renda (NC State), 9-4 No. 7 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) maj. dec. No. 14 Willie Miklus (Missouri), 12-4 197: No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa), 4-2 No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) pinned No. 3 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota), 6:29 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) dec. No. 5 Adam Coon (Michigan), 3-2 No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), 10-6

NEW YORK -- The top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions went five-for-six in Friday's quarterfinal round -- with four of the wins coming with bonus points -- to extend their lead at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York. No. 1 seed Morgan McIntosh advanced to the semifinals by pinning Nebraska's Aaron Studebaker in the quarterfinals at 197 pounds (Photo/Juan Garcia)Penn State has 68.5 points and sits 14.5 points ahead of defending NCAA champion Ohio State in the team standings after Session III. Iowa (48.5), Oklahoma State (46) and Missouri (42.5) round out the top five teams. Nico Megaludis (125), Zain Retherford (149), Jason Nolf (157), Bo Nickal (174) and Morgan McIntosh (197) punched their tickets to the semifinals for the Nittany Lions. "We're doing great," said McIntosh, who entered the tournament undefeated and seeded No. 1. "It's fun to see all those guys doing well and achieving their goals. We're all excited. Guys are wrestling well. We have some good momentum going into the semis. Tonight is going to be exciting. Our team is just having a lot of fun." Ohio State and Iowa both posted 4-1 records in the quarterfinals. Oklahoma State had the most quarterfinalists with seven, but went 3-4 in the round. The Cowboys did pick up a key upset at 149 pounds with No. 11 Anthony Collica knocking off No. 3 Lavion Mayes of Missouri. "That dude is pretty solid, strong," said Collica. "I just had to keep wrestling hard, stay in good position and I came out on top." Nebraska had a tough quarterfinal round, going 1-4. The Cornhuskers currently sit in sixth place with 35.5 points. Top-ranked heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State dominated Lehigh's Max Wessel in the quarterfinals (Photo/Juan Garcia)Two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State and World champion Kyle Snyder of Ohio State appear to be on a collision course to meet on Saturday night. Both were dominant in quarterfinal victories on Friday. "I feel confident that I have the best coaches, best training partners in the world at Ohio State. I feel like I'm constantly improving with Tervel Dlagnev and the whole coaching staff. I feel good about tonight. I'm excited to wrestle and excited to challenge myself and see if I can score more points." Nine wrestlers seeded outside the top 10 advanced to tonight's semifinals, including unseeded Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State at 174 pounds. He becomes ISU's first unseeded All-American since John Thorn in 1983. In addition, two No. 15 seeds and two No. 14 seeds advanced to the semifinals. Tonight's session is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET. Below is a weight-by-weight synopsis of what transpired in the quarterfinals. 125: Defending NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State cruised to the semifinals with a 10-4 decision over No. 9 Dylan Peters of Northern Iowa. He'll meet Iowa's Thomas Gilman in the semifinals. Gilman of Iowa handled Oklahoma's Ryan Millhof 16-5 in the semifinals. On the bottom side of the bracket, Nico Megaludis blanked Michigan's Conor Youtsey 4-0. Tonight he will face surprise semifinalist, No. 15 seed David Terao, who advanced to the semifinals by pinning Stanford's Connor Schram. With the match tied at 2-2 in the third period, Terao used a headlock to throw Schram and secure the pin. 133: The top two seeds, Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) and Cory Clark (Iowa), both earned shutout victories to advance to the semifinals. Garrett blanked No. 8 Earl Hall of Iowa State 5-0, while Clark topped Nebraska's Eric Montoyo 4-0. Tonight Garrett will meet defending NCAA champion Cody Brewer of Oklahoma, who earned an 8-4 victory over Penn State's Jordan Conaway. Clark will face Zane Richards of Illinois in a rematch of the Big Ten finals. 141: No. 1 Dean Heil avenged his only loss of the season, beating North Carolina's Joey Ward 8-3. Heil broke open a 1-1 match in the third period with a takedown and four nearfall points to go up 7-1. Ward would add a late reversal, but it was too little too late. Heil will battle local favorite Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers, a four-time undefeated New Jersey state champion, who advanced with a 5-4 victory over Old Dominion's Chris Mecate. Second-seeded Joey McKenna controlled Solomon Chishko of Virginia Tech from start to finish, winning 6-1. His semifinal opponent will be No. 14 seed Bryce Meredith of Wyoming, who won 5-2 over No. 6 Micah Jordan of Ohio State. 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford of Penn State continued his domination, pinning No. 9 Justin Oliver in the first period to advance to the semifinals. He will now face Michigan's Alex Pantaleo, who also advanced to the semifinals with a pin. Pantaleo's pin came in the second period over fourth-seeded Matt Cimato of Drexel. Retherford has pinned Pantaleo twice this season in two meetings. On the bottom side of the bracket, No. 2 Brandon Sorensen of Iowa needed a second sudden victory period to defeat Nebraska's Jake Sueflohn 4-2. He will now meet Oklahoma State's Anthony Collica, who edged Missouri's Lavion Mayes 3-2. 157: Two of the nation's top wrestlers, Isaiah Martinez of Illinois and Jason Nolf of Penn State, moved one step closer to a potential third meeting on Saturday night with victories on Friday. Martinez picked up a 6-3 victory over two-time All-American Nick Brascetta of Virginia Tech. Nolf pulled away late against Oklahoma State's Joe Smith to win 11-3. The match was tied 2-2 late in the second period before Nolf scored a takedown to go up 4-2 after two periods. The PSU freshman poured it on in the third period to pick up a major decision. The surprise of the bracket was No. 15 Chad Walsh reaching the semifinals with an 11-10 victory over No. 7 Cody Pack of South Dakota State. Kent State's Ian Miller punched his ticket to the semifinals with a 6-3 win over All-American Brian Murphy of Michigan State. 165: The top four seeds at 165 pounds advanced to the semifinals. Two-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer rolled to an 11-5 victory over Iowa State's Tanner Weatherman in a rematch of the Big 12 finals. With the victory, Dieringer becomes Oklahoma State's 14th four-time All-American. He will now face Missouri's Daniel Lewis, who blanked Rider's Connor Brennan 4-0 in the quarterfinals. Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin and Bo Jordan of Ohio State were winners on the bottom side of the bracket. Isaac used a first-period takedown to pace him to a 3-1 victory over Nebraska's Austin Wilson. Bo was much more dominant in the quarterfinals, earning a 10-2 major decision over Rider's Connor Brennan. The Jordan cousins will meet for the fourth time in their college careers tonight, with Isaac holding a 3-0 advantage in the series. 174: No. 1 Bo Nickal of Penn State broke open his quarterfinal match early against Oklahoma State's Jordan Rogers, picking up a takedown and four-point nearfall points to go up 6-0. Rogers earned an escape in the second period to make it 6-1. Nickal then pulled away in the third period to earn a 12-4 major decision. Nickal's semifinal opponent will be Indiana's Nate Jackson, the only wrestler to defeat him this season. Jackson won 6-4 in the quarterfinals over unseeded Jadaen Bernstein of Navy. Winners on the bottom half of the bracket, which was turned upside down early, were true freshman Myles Martin of Ohio State, seeded No. 11, and unseeded Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State. Martin's quarterfinal victory came over Oklahoma's Matt Reed, 2-0. Weatherspoon knocked off No. 7 Cody Walters of Ohio 5-3. 184: Returning NCAA champion Gabe Dean of Cornell avenged his only loss of the season, beating Oklahoma State's Nolan Boyd 10-4. Dean had two first-period takedowns and added a takedown in each of the final two periods. He will face NC State's Pete Renda, who advanced by edging No. 5 Zack Zavatsky of Virginia Tech 4-3. Nebraska's T.J. Dudley won the rubber match against Big Ten champion Sammy Brooks of Iowa 9-6. Dudley's semifinal opponent will be surprise semifinalist Willie Miklus of Missouri, who came through as the No. 14 seed. 197: The top four seeds advanced to tonight's semifinals. The top two seeds, Morgan McIntosh of Penn State and J'den Cox of Missouri, were especially dominant in the quarterfinals, winning by scores of 16-4 and 6-0 respectively. Iowa's Nathan Burak used a takedown in each of the final two periods to beat Duke's Connor Hartmann 5-2. Minnesota's Brett Pfarr dominated Iowa State's Pat Downey 12-3 to reach the semifinals. 285: Two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State continues to roll as he picked up a 9-1 major decision over Lehigh's Max Wessel. He will now meet Michigan's Adam Coon in the semifinals in a rematch of last year's NCAA finals match at heavyweight. Coon won narrowly, 3-2, over Oklahoma State's Austin Marsden. On the bottom side of the bracket, No. 2 Kyle Snyder dominated No. 7 Amarveer Dhesi of Oregon State 16-5 in a battle of past Junior World champions. Tonight Snyder will meet third-seeded Ty Walz of Virginia Tech. Walz advanced by beating Brooks Black of Illinois 4-1. Team Standings 1. Penn State 68.5 2. Ohio St. 54 3. Iowa 48.5 4. Oklahoma St. 46 5. Missouri 42.5 6. Nebraska 35.5 7. NC State 32.5 8. Michigan 32 9. Virginia Tech 30.5 10. Cornell 28.5 11. Illinois 28 12. Oklahoma 24.5 13. Rutgers 22 14. Lehigh 19.5 15. Iowa St. 19 16. Kent St. 18.5 17. Wyoming 17.5 18. Minnesota 16 18. Rider 16 18. Stanford 16 21. Wisconsin 13 22. American 12.5 23. Indiana 12 23. Oregon St. 12 25. Bucknell 10 25. Edinboro 10 Semifinal Matchups 125: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) No. 3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) vs. No. 15 David Terao (American) 133: No. 1 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) vs. No. 4 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. No. 3 Zane Richards (Illinois) 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 4 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) No. 2 Joey McKenna (Stanford) vs. No. 14 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. No. 5 Alex Pantaleo (Michigan) No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) vs. No. 11 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Ian Miller (Kent State) No. 3 Jason Nolf (Penn State) vs. No. 15 Chad Walsh (Rider) 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 4 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) No. 2 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) vs. No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 174: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 12 Nate Jackson (Indiana) No. 11 Myles Martin (Ohio State) vs. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 13 Pete Renda (NC State) No. 7 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) vs. No. 14 Willie Miklus (Missouri) 197: No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) vs. No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. No. 3 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. No. 5 Adam Coon (Michigan) No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech)