InterMat Staff

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- In a tight battle between two top-five ranked teams, No. 5-ranked Augsburg College claimed a win in the final bout of the night to rally for an 18-16 win over the No. 4-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in a wrestling dual meet on Thursday at Mitchell Hall. THE BASICS FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 18, Wisconsin-La Crosse 16 LOCATION: Mitchell Hall, La Crosse, Wis. RECORDS: Augsburg 11-4 overall, UW-La Crosse 16-5 overall HOW IT HAPPENED • In a match where the team lead changed hands five times, the final bout proved to be the difference, as Augsburg 174-pounder Tyrell Martin (SR, Eagan, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) scored a 3-1 win over UW-La Crosse's Jarret Hoeppner to secure the match win. Martin claimed a second-period reversal, then rode Hoeppner for the entire third period to secure 1:24 of riding time for the bonus point. Martin is now 14-3 on the year. • Augsburg's Donny Longendyke (SO, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS), who moved into the No. 3 spot in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings at heavyweight on Wednesday, improved to 34-2 on the season with the lone pin of the evening, a 1:54 triumph over Cody Endres. Longendyke, who has now won 26 straight matches, claimed his 16th pin of the season and 25th bonus-point victory (16 pins, two technical falls, eight major decisions). • Top-ranked Augsburg 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (SR, Hibbing, Minn.) improved to 25-1 with a 10-3 win over Ryan Weinmann, using three takedowns, a reversal and 2:03 of riding time to collect the victory. The defending Division III national champion at 125, Fuenffinger has now won 22 matches in a row. • At 133, Augsburg's No. 10-ranked Chad Bartschenfeld (SR, Amery, Wis.) scored a 5-3 upset of No. 8-ranked Dustin Weinmann. Bartschenfeld, who had two takedowns and 1:52 of riding time, only allowed three Weinmann escapes in the bout. Bartschenfeld is now 23-10 on the year. • Gable Frandsen (FY, Ellsworth, Wis.) claimed one of the most important wins of the evening for the Auggies, with a 3-1 win over Derek Weinmann at 157. Frandsen, now 15-10 on the year, scored a second-period takedown and a third-period escape to notch the win. FOR THE FOES • In the other meeting of ranked wrestlers on the evening, UW-La Crosse's Eric Twohey, ranked No. 5 at 197, scored a 5-1 win over Augsburg's No. 7-ranked Matt Hechsel (SR, Apple Valley, Minn.). • UW-La Crosse's three other ranked wrestlers all gained wins, as No. 5-ranked 184-pounder Richard Carlson scored an 8-0, major-decision win over Augsburg's Tommy Teigen (SR, Ham Lake, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian HS), No. 6-ranked 149-pounder Kasey Einerson claimed a 5-3 win over Augsburg's Will Keeter (SR, Twin Falls, Idaho), and No. 5-ranked 165-pounder Tyler Schneider scored an 11-5 win over Augsburg's Eric Hensel (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS). • At 141, Cody See of UW-La Crosse edged Augsburg's Marcus Hamer (SO, Kimball, Minn.) by a 5-3 decision. UP NEXT • Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) competes at the Winona State Open this Saturday (2/14) at 9 a.m. • Augsburg's varsity closes its regular season with a dual meet at Wisconsin-Stevens Point next Friday (2/20) at 7 p.m. • UW-La Crosse competes at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday at Wisconsin-Oshkosh.No. 5 Augsburg (Minn., 11-4) 18, No. 4 Wisconsin-La Crosse (16-5) 16 Thursday, February 12, 2015 – Mitchell Hall, La Crosse, Wis. Action begins at 184 pounds. Attendance: 205. Official: Curt Frost. RESULTS: 184 – No. 5 Richard Carson (UWL, 19-5) maj. dec. Tommy Teigen (AUG, 21-9) 8-0 (UW-La Crosse 4-0) 197 – No. 5 Eric Twohey (UWL, 21-1) dec. No. 7 Matt Hechsel (AUG, 23-9) 5-1 (UW-La Crosse 7-0) HWT – No. 3 Donny Longendyke (AUG, 34-2) pined Cody Endres (UWL, 18-15) 1:54 (UW-La Crosse 7-6) 125 – No. 1 Mike Fuenffinger (AUG, 25-1) dec. Ryan Weinmann (UWL, 11-10) 10-3 (Augsburg 9-7) 133 – No. 10 Chad Bartschenfeld (AUG, 23-10) dec. No. 8 Dustin Weinmann (UWL, 17-6) 5-3 (Augsburg 12-7) 141 – Cody See (UWL, 7-6) dec. Marcus Hamer (AUG, 23-17) 5-3 (Augsburg 12-10). 149 – No. 6 Kasey Einerson (UWL, 19-1) dec. Will Keeter (AUG, 27-11) 5-3 (UW-La Crosse 13-12) 157 – Gable Frandsen (AUG, 15-10) dec. Derek Weinmann (UWL, 12-13) 3-1 (Augsburg 15-13) 165 – No. 5 Tyler Schneider (UWL, 13-5) dec. Eric Hensel (AUG, 15-10) 11-5 (UW-La Crosse 16-15) 174 – Tyrell Martin (AUG, 14-3) dec. Jarret Hoeppner (UWL,3-3) 3-1 (Augsburg 18-16)

The Division I National Duals begin this weekend and in a year in need of drama their arrival could set the stage for a newsworthy weekend of wrestling. Nearly 30,000 fans attended the Iowa vs. Minnesota and Iowa vs. Penn State dual meets over the past two weeks, and those numbers lend to the idea that dual meets can pack the house and make press. So why not embrace the dual meets and the potential of the National Duals to provide more of the same? There is no rational reason to distance wrestling from a dual meet format outside of a reluctance to "risk" the success of the NCAA tournament. But if nearly 30,000 people witnessed a pair of dual meet matches and 20,000 fans visit three 12-hour days of wrestling, aren't we missing an opportunity? Of course we are. Time to hit the lights on the idea that NCAA tournament is the only way to generate interest and income in the sport of wrestling. Back the duals and back progress. To your questions ... Q: Everyone's ideas still have riding time at one minute. In order to create more action, wouldn't we want to shorten the window of riding time rather than keep it at one minute, but still have a way to reward a wrestler who is working towards nearfall points or the fall? Instead of having a riding-time clock, have a clock set for 25 seconds. When a wrestler gets a take down and establishes control, the clock starts. The wrestler has 25 seconds to get nearfall points. If after 25 seconds, no nearfall points are established, wrestlers start back in neutral position and the bottom wrestler does not get a point for an escape. If nearfall points are awarded, a new 25-second clock is started for the top wrestler to acquire more nearfall points. This promotes action from the top wrestler to be working towards a fall. It rewards the bottom wrestler as well for escaping in a 25-second window. It eliminates riding snooze-fest without added nearfall points or pins. The time allowed could be adjusted but I think it would definitely bring up the intensity factor. -- Justin L. Foley: The shot clock in international wrestling has been very successful in creating points and driving action. I don't see why your solution wouldn't generate the same type of action on the mat. Even if wrestlers attempted to stall for 25 seconds, the top man would be incentivized to act as well. The riding time issue should be solved in the next few years, but what should change and what will change are always separated by miles of bureaucracy and the self-interest of those in positions of authority. Q: Over the last five years, the Big Ten has always brought a "Power 3" to the NCAAs: Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota. Based on the InterMat rankings, only Chris Dardanes (Minnesota, 133) and Dylan Ness (Minnesota, 157) are ranked No. 1. Both guys are far from locks. This year could we see a scenario where none of the Big Ten Power 3 crowns an NCAA champion. Naturally, all three schools have a decent chance at crowning a champion at almost any weight class. Still, it's a safe bet that Penn State will have no champions, probably a 50/50 that Iowa does not crown a champ, and not out of the realm of possibility that Minnesota doesn't see a champion either. Is this a commentary on the parity of wrestling? Has a team won the NCAAs without crowning a single champion? -- Chuck R. Iowa freshman Brandon Sorensen defeated Penn State's Zack Beitz to improve to 27-2 this season (Photo/Bill Ennis)Foley: Like you I check the rankings every Tuesday and it never occurred to me that there might not be an NCAA champion from the Power 3. It also never occurred to me to call them the Power 3, but I like that, too. Parity has everything to do with this type of spread in talent. Sure, Penn State is "down" and Iowa is solid across without having a standout leader, but add in Minnesota's lineup and it seems like less of a coincidence. I think that one of these schools will have an NCAA champion, if only because Iowa has a nasty habit of putting believers into the finals and Brandon Sorensen strikes me as a true believer. The opportunity will be available to all three schools and should happen, but your point remains in good standing. Schools like Cornell, Illinois and Northwestern are becoming adept at creating one, two or three NCAA champions in a season. That's not a fluke. That's coaching and institutional support. Drew Pariano has done a phenomenal job collecting and curating talent, so much so that it's possible that Northwestern has two NCAA champions this year (Jason Tsirtsis and Mike McMullan) while Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota are blanked. Parity is the new normal, which oddly also explains why Iowa's resurgence this year is so comforting -- in a sea of change it's inviting to have a favorite team (or heel) for which to base your cheer section. As for the never-have's it was the infamous Minnesota team of 2001 that put no wrestlers in the NCAA finals, but placed all 10 wrestlers to win the NCAA championship. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Jason Bryant interviews Matthew Modine (Louden Swain) on the 30th anniversary of Vision Quest Sometimes I love brutality Post by DJ Reminise. Q: You've probably already addressed or thought about addressing this topic, but I was extremely disappointed with the lack of results provided for some of the big international tournaments recently. I know United World Wrestling has done a lot recently to improve the product on the mat, but I am still amazed that in this day and age, we are unable to get any sort of live/semi-live results for a tournament as big as the Yarygin International. Even in instances where there have been updates to brackets, the interactive brackets provided online have been extremely clunky to navigate. I know this may be a small, nit-picky thing, but it's been extremely aggravating to me, and I'm sure to others as well. If UWW wants the fans to be more engaged, providing better ways to find the results would be a good place to start -- Gabe S. Foley: Full disclosure: I am the media and editorial manager for United World Wrestling. With that out of the way, I know that I can best describe to you the errors you see and how there are things in motion to create some positive change. The old system "Heracles" is being replaced with "Arena." The system can be adapted to produce results in a much-less clunky manner and will do so soon, but as with anything new it will take some time to implement and to teach to 179 national federations. I know it's tough to ask for patience, but do know that everyone has the same goal. In the meantime, the United World Wrestling events on the calendar (World, Continental and Grand Prix championships) will largely have streaming, live results and previews/wraps. Some, like the Asian Junior Championships in Myanmar, will be difficult to guarantee Internet connectivity. While that might frustrate fans for a moment, remember that it's important to grow the sport in new locations. This also goes for this weekend's Granma y Cerro Pelado in Cuba. United World Wrestling adds it to the calendar to ensure that wrestlers will attend, but it doesn't imply that we have a presence at the event. In the meantime be sure to check out the site as often as possible and hopefully you'll see positive change! Comment of the Week By Matt C. Regarding last week's comments with riding time I think this falls more on the poor officiating rather than the concept. Point being, if the wrestler in the advantage position isn't warned for stalling then nothing changes in tight matches, especially with high-level wrestlers and who's to blame them? I'd do the same thing. I haven't been more disappointed than I have been this past year, especially with the new out-of-bounds stalling rule, which could work if called according to the creation of this, and my final thought to you regarding the Mike Evans takedown, I personally loved the call due to the rule. There shouldn't be reaction time for the defensive wrestler in sudden victory. Get it done in regulation. I truly hope our sport takes it to the next level by creating rules that would bring more fans to the sport as I believe it's an exceptional one that teaches life lessons like no other. Your definitive Big Ten undefeated wrestler entry By Russ Ruhf (State College, Pa.) and Larry Ruhf (Herndon, Va.) Ever since the end of last season, when I learned that both Ed Ruth (59-0) and David Taylor (56-0) finished their remarkable wrestling careers without losing to any Big Ten competition, my father Russ and I wondered if any other wrestler had achieved such an amazing feat. One might think if anyone else could make this boast, it would only take a couple of Internet searches to learn the answer. Much to our surprise, it was a lengthy and painstaking endeavor. In our pursuit, we sent several emails and made phone calls, all of which helped us to narrow the list. Then, and thanks to Ray's article, we learned that Tom Milkovich was the first wrestler to finish his Big Ten career undefeated against all other Big Ten competition. Ray goes on to mention that Ed Ruth also equaled this, " ... seemingly unreachable mark." However, since Tom and Ed, there are others. As you probably know, there have been 13 four-time Big Ten champions: Verne Gagne, Minnesota: 1944 (175), 1947 (HWT), 1948 (191),1949 (HWT) Arnold Plaza, Purdue: 1947, 1949-50 (121), 1948 (114 1/2) Joe Scarpello, Iowa: 1947-48-49-50 (175) Tom Milkovich, MSU: 1970-71 (134), 1972-73 (142) Mike DeAnna, Iowa: 1977-78-79-81 (167) Ed Banach, Iowa: 1980-81-82 (177), 1983 (190) Barry Davis, Iowa: 1981-82, (118), 1983-85 (126) Duane Goldman, Iowa: 1983-84 (177), 1985-86 (190) Jim Heffernan, Iowa: 1983-85-86-87 (155) Mark Ironside, Iowa: 1995-96-97-98 (134) Kellen Russell, Michigan: 2008-09-11-12 (141) Ed Ruth, Penn State: 2011-12 (174), 2013-14 (184) David Taylor, Penn State: 2011 (157), 2012-13-14 (165) Here's what we have learned: The following four-time Big Ten champions have lost to Big Ten competition: Iowa: Joe Scarpello, Iowa (47-50) Mike DeAnna ('77-'81) Barry Davis ('81-'85) Duane Goldman ('83-'86) Jim Heffernan ('83-'87) - Russ called Jim, and Jim indicated he tied a Michigan State wrestler and thinks he lost his freshman year to a Big Ten opponent. Mark Ironside ('95-'98) Michigan: Kellen Russell ('08-'12) Minnesota: Verne Gagne ('44-'49) Purdue: Arnold Plaza ('47-'50) The following four-time Big Ten champions never lost to Big Ten competition: Iowa: Ed Banach ('80-'83), although he did have a tie with Steve Fraser from Michigan. T.J. Williams ('99-'01), although he was only a three-time champion. Michigan State: Tom Milkovich ('70-'73) Penn State: Ed Ruth, Penn State ('11-'14) David Taylor, Penn State ('11-'14)

Aberdeen, S.D. -- The Northern State University wrestling team recorded its second dual win of the season, 30-18 over Dakota Wesleyan. Six Wolves took home victories in the contest. The Wolves left 125 and 133 open, however were able to come back with four wins and two falls. Tyler Frost (141) and Joe Gomez (197) took home three points apiece for the Wolves by virtue of the DWU forfeit. Grant Steen defeated Eutimio Mendivil by a 3-0 decision in the 149 match. Blake Perryman was up next for the Wolves. After a hard fought two periods, Perryman came out and defeated Wesleyan's Nick Woslum by fall at 5:33, grabbing nine points for Northern. Anthony Navarro defeated Alex Osborne by an 11-5 decision in the 174 pound match. Heavyweight Dustin Caspers capped off the night for the Wolves winning by fall at 2:01, over Trevor Peter, and sealing the 30-18 victory. The Wolves will be on the road tomorrow at Minnesota State, beginning at 7 p.m. in Mankato.

GOLDEN, Colo. -- The Chadron State College wrestling team won seven matches while ending its season on a winning note with a 23-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual victory over Colorado School of Mines Wednesday in Golden, Colorado. The Eagles end their dual season with a record o 9-8 overall and a 3-3 mark in the RMAC. CSC will be back in action at the Super Region 4 Tournament hosted by Colorado State University-Pueblo Feb. 27-28. Chadron State wrestled well in tight matches Wednesday. Four of the Eagles' seven wins were by three or less points and Robert Ozuna started the dual off with a 5-3 victory at 125 pounds in sudden victory. Taylor Summers followed with a 12-4 major decision at 133 and Jacob Anderson claimed an 11-9 win at 149. Also for CSC, Chance Helmick cruised to a 12-5 decision at 165, Caleb Copeland had a 12-3 major decision at 174 and Dylan Fors followed with a 5-1 decision at 184. Jake Weber closed out the dual in fine fashion with an 8-5 victory at heavyweight. Results: 125 – Robert Ozuna, CSC, dec. Zachary Garcia, 5-3 in sudden victory 133 – Taylor Summers, CSC, major dec. Caleb Micho, 12-4 141 – Jacob Gerken, CSM, dec. Zack Denney, 7-5 in sudden victory 149 – Jacob Anderson, CSC, dec. Skyler Lykins, 11-9 157 – John Crowley, CSM, tech fall Reed Burgener, 21-6 165 – Chance Helmick, CSC, dec. Ethan Ruby, 12-5 174 – Caleb Copeland, CSC, major dec. Ethan Ruby, 12-3 184 – Dylan Fors, CSC, dec. Ian Cheatum, 5-1 197 – Paul Wilson, CSM, dec. Devan Fors, 7-5 285 – Jake Weber, CSC, dec. Nick DeBruyn, 8-5

ERIE, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst University wrestling extended its winning streak to 12 and clinched at least a share of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Division II Regular Season Dual Championship with a 23-9 victory over crosstown-rival Gannon University on Wednesday night at the Hammermill Center. The Lakers improved to 17-1 overall and 6-0 in the PSAC standings while the Golden Knights dropped to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in conference action. Mercyhurst improved to 9-6 against Gannon in the all-time series and has won the last four meetings between the two schools. The most anticipated match of the night came right off the bat when redshirt sophomore Willie Bohince, ranked second in the Super Region I rankings, squared off against Gannon's Matt Turek, ranked first in the region, at 125 pounds. Turek earned an early takedown to grab a 2-0 lead before Bohince cut the lead to 2-1 with an escape to end the first period. Bohince scored the only point of the second period with an escape, tying the match at 2-2 heading to the third period. The third period was high scoring with Turek grabbing an early takedown before Bohince countered with a reversal. However, Turek reversed back, earned three nearfall points, and then held off a late rally to give Bohince his first loss in dual action this season. Trailing for the first time this season after the opening match, it seemed to light a fire under the rest of the team and the Lakers responded with seven straight victories to take an insurmountable 23-3 advantage with two bouts remaining. Redshirt senior Ryan Bohince evened the match at 3-3 with a 6-3 decision over Aaron Smith at 133 pounds. The elder Bohince jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the opening period and never looked back to improve to 11-8 overall and 10-6 in dual competition. Redshirt junior Kody Young gave the Lakers their first lead of the night with a 3-1 overtime win over Adam Weinell at 141 pounds. Both wrestlers exchanged escapes through the first three periods and then Young got the win with a takedown in the first sudden victory period. The Brookville, Pennsylvania, native improved to 13-9 overall and 8-8 in duals. Redshirt junior Jeremy Landowski took the mat at 149 pounds with the Lakers leading 6-3 and used a big third period to outlast Gannon's John Marotto, 9-2. Landowski jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first period and the score remained that way until the Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, native scored seven points in the final period for the win. Landowski improved to 24-4 overall and 15-2 in duals this season. The nation's leader in technical falls, redshirt sophomore Francis Mizia, was pitted against Garret Smith at 157 in what proved to be a high-scoring match. Mizia fell behind by a 4-2 margin after the first period before getting an escape and a takedown in the second for a 5-4 lead. Mizia then outscored Smith, 11-5, in the third period for a 16-9 victory and his 24th victory of the season against only three defeats. He also improved to 14-1 in duals this season. Redshirt junior Angelo Bortoluzzi went to work against Nathaniel Ross at 165 and needed a riding time point to escape with a 10-9 decision. He improved to 24-6 overall and 16-2 in duals this season. Redshirt junior August Mizia made quick work of Gannon's Casey Pace at 174, earning a 16-0 technical fall victory - the only match of the night that resulted in bonus points. Mizia scored eleven of his sixteen points in the second period to improve to 25-4 overall and 16-2 in duals. Sophomore Dakota DesLauriers earned the Lakers' final victory of the night at 184, posting a 6-1 decision over Adam Greenman to improve to 19-9 overall and 12-3 in duals. The Golden Knights earned back-to-back decisions at 197 and 285 for the final margin. Mercyhurst will go for sole possession of the PSAC Championship on Saturday night at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center when it entertains longtime-rival Pitt-Johnstown. The Lakers, who have won the first two PSAC regular season titles, can only be caught by the Mountain Cats in the conference standings. Wrestling is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will also serve as Senior Night for the Lakers, who will honor four seniors prior to the opening match - Ryan Bohince, Grant Chase, Nick Hannan, and Ryan Martini. Results: 125 - Matt Turek (GU) decision over Willie Bohinice (MER), 10-7 133 - Ryan Bohince (MER) decision over Aaron Smith (GU), 6-3 141 - Kody Young (MER) sudden victory 1 over Adam Weinell (GU), 3-1 149 - Jeremy Landowski (MER) decision over John Marotto (GU), 9-2 157 - Francis Mizia (MER) decision over Garret Smith (GU), 16-9 165 - Angelo Bortoluzzi (MER) decision over Nathaniel Ross (GU), 10-9 174 - August Mizia (MER) technical fall over Casey Pace (GU), 16-0 (5:31) 184 - Dakota DesLauriers (MER) decision over Adam Greenman (GU), 6-1 197 - Nigel Toussaint (GU) decision over Grant Chase (MER), 9-3 285 - Nick Budd (GU) decision over Andrew Welton (MER), 3-2

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Redshirt Seniors Spencer Hill (Clovis, Calif., Fresno City College) and Sean Pollock (Oceanside, Calif., Rancho Buena Vista HS) got CSU Bakersfield off to a fast start in the final regular season wrestling dual Wednesday night as the Roadrunners defeated Cal Baptist 28-6. “We can take a lot of things from this dual meet to get ready for the conference meet,” said CSUB head coach Mike Mendoza. The dual started at 157 pounds where Hill posted a 9-4 decision over Nolan Kistler. Two matches later, Pollock charted a hard fought 2-1 victory over Harlan Kistler. Hill and Pollock’s victories sandwiched wins from Adam Fierro (R-Jr., 165, Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) and Jesus Ambriz (R-Jr., 174, Vista, Calif., Rancho Buena Vista HS). “It’s good that they (Hill and Pollock) won,” Mendoza said. “You always want to finish your last match in this gym with a win as a senior and they did that, so I am happy for them. “ With CSUB up 12-0, Roadrunner 197-pounder Matt Williams (R-Fr., Apple Valley, Calif., Sultana HS) recorded the first bonus points of the dual when he picked up a major decision, 12-4, against Paul Head. The Lancers (13-5), who are ranked No. 18 in the current Division II poll, got on the board when David Hill defeated Steven Wood 6-3 at heavyweight. Sergio Mendez (So., Arleta, Calif., San Fernando HS) rallied from an early 3-0 deficit and used a third period take down to earn an 8-7 win against Christian Betancourt in the 125-pound bout. Ian Nickell (R-Jr., 133, Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) pinned Zach McKenna with 31 seconds remaining in the second period to give the ‘Runners six points and a 25-3 lead. Timmy Box (R-Jr., 141, Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) tallied the final CSUB victory of the night when he defeated Division II’s No. 8-ranked wrestler, Peter Cunningham 8-1. Cal Baptist’s Matt Hickman edged AJ Fierro (R-Fr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) 3-2 at 149 to conclude the meet. CSUB is off until Mar. 1 when the Roadrunners enter the Pac-12 Championships. The tournament will be hosted by Oregon State. The finals of the tournament will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks. CSUB will enter the Pac-12 Tournament without the services of two-time defending 174-pound league champion Bryce Hammond (R-Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS). Hammond underwent surgery on Monday to repair a torn pectoral muscle which occurred during the Jan. 31 California Collegiate Open. Hammond is expected to return to the starting lineup in time for the 2015-16 season. “We have to focus on the individual who will be wrestling at the Pac-12’s,” Mendoza said. “We will have to fine tune and get focused on the guys who are competing.”

The Division I National Duals take place over the next two weekends. Seven of the eight regionals take place this Sunday, while the other regional takes place on Saturday. Each of the eight regional champions this weekend will advance to the finals in Iowa City on Feb. 21-22. The National Duals field includes the top five teams in InterMat's dual meet rankings, and 10 of the top 25 teams. The regionals will be filled with individual matchups that will affect conference tournament seeding and NCAA tournament seeding. Below is a look at 10 individual matchups to watch this weekend at the National Duals regionals. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Unquestionably the most hyped individual matchup of the weekend, both Stieber and Port are undefeated on the season. The No. 1 vs. No. 2 wrestlers respectively, the pair was supposed to meet at the NWCA All-Star Classic in November, but Stieber was a late scratch due to an undisclosed medical condition. Port will have to show an extra gear if he's to make it past Stieber, something that isn't beyond his reach and among the field at 141 pounds he may present the only challenge to Steiber's quest for a fourth NCAA title. For Port to win he will have to limit the scoring and control Stieber on the mat. That will mean more than a few hard-fought scrambles, which Stieber is unaccustomed to losing. 157: No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Ian Miller (Kent State) An exciting big-move matchup, Martinez and Miller are both aggressive and focused on finding points in bunches. Martinez is an undefeated freshman having the type of year that makes you wonder if he can challenge some of the sport's best ever. Miller is a returning All-American who is super talented, but is also coming off a head-scratching loss to an unranked UNI wrestler. For the fan who signs up to watch dual meets for individual matchups, this pairing is one where you should expect fireworks. 174: No. 3 Mike Evans (Iowa) vs. No. 6 Blaise Butler (Virginia) There is very little separating the top four wrestlers at 174 pounds, and as all are in the Big Ten (Robert Kokesh, Matt Brown, Mike Evans, Logan Storley) they tend to see a lot of each other. Butler, an ACC wrestler, doesn't get as much exposure, but with a win over Storley and solid top ten wins all season, a victory over Evans could help the Wahoo secure a top four seed at the NCAA tournament. 133: No. 4 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) vs. No. 13 Nick Soto (Chattanooga) Two-time All-American Cody Brewer returned from injury recently only to get decked by ISU's Earl Hall in his first match back. He has rebounded nicely and will get a solid test against Nick Soto, a wrestler with plenty of big wins in his career but with a little less consistency than many he's been able to beat. For Soto this match is the opportunity to steal a top-12 seed at the NCAA tournament, which could help him avoid a bad first-round pairing. 133: No. 6 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. No. 14 George DiCamillo (Virginia) Wrestling is a tough sport and Iowa a tough place to compete. Given those platitudes, it's no wonder that Clark has had difficulty wining big matches. Though he'll be the favorite against DiCamillo, the young wrestlers are evenly matched, with DiCamillo only now feeling better after a string of injuries. Though a team upset is unlikely for Virginia, DiCamillo could launch himself up the rankings with a marquee win and set himself up for a postseason run. A definitive win by Clark would show that he is able to beat the opponents that Brands and co. expect from their starting lineup. 125: No. 2 Alan Waters (Missouri) vs. No. 17 David Terao (American) David Terao is a first-round nightmare for any wrestler, even one as accomplished as Alan Waters. Funky from start to finish, the Teague Moore-coached Terao is a non-stop barrel of action, with marquee wins dotting his career. Waters will need to control the funk and limit scrambles to ensure that he can secure a win for himself and set the pace for the Tigers to continue their winning season. 141: No. 6 Josh Dziewa (Iowa) vs. No. 14 Joe Spisak (Virginia) Dziewa has had a solid year, but has dropped some suspect matches to wrestlers he's later beaten. With Spisak the danger will be getting into a wrestling match in which Dziewa feels uncomfortable. Spisak lives and dies by the funk and is an expert at sneaking out back points from curly-q positions. I suspect that will be difficult at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but with Spisak any number of points could get posted early. Dziewa will just need to keep hammering away to ensure he breaks through that funk and can find a win. 184: No. 9 Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) vs. No. 13 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) These two have already met twice this season, with Zillmer earning razor-thin decisions in both matches. Zillmer has notched a win over No. 1 Gabe Dean of Cornell, and only suffered a handful of setbacks, both by skilled and highly-ranked opponents. He will be facing a similar styled wrestler in Brett Pfarr who has received the same coaching lineage as Zillmer. This will be a battle of equally matched big men thirsty of another win to help push them higher in the rankings. 184: No. 10 Kenny Courts (Ohio State) vs. No. 11 Vic Avery (Edinboro) Another matchup of equally talented upperweights. Courts has enjoyed a balanced season, one that was certainly a surprise to many Buckeye fans, but it's Avery who went 2-2 last year at the NCAA tournament, who needs a midseason boost. The Fighting Scot has faced some tough opponents this season, but fallen short in most of those encounters. A win over Courts would help him in the NCAA seeding. 133: No. 15 Mark Grey (Cornell) vs. No. 16 Kevin Devoy (Drexel) Though Drexel has no chance of besting Cornell in the dual meet, Devoy is having a respectable season and will enjoy as even a matchup as Coach Azevedo and the Dragons could hope for in the first round. Grey, whose potential is high, started the season at 141 pounds but has since moved back to 133 pounds. Notching his first ranked win at 133 pounds this season might help get him into a postseason swing that will carry him, along with several teammates, to the podium in St. Louis. Devoy is a team leader with wins over Nick Soto (Chattanooga) and Robert Deutsch (Rider), but a win over Grey would help him secure a top sixteen bid and build momentum into the postseason.

Postseason activity, whether it is in the dual meet or individual format, is beginning in earnest across most of the country. Notable results from last week, as well as the schedule of competition for the upcoming week, is listed below for the Fab 50 teams. No. 1 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- won regional title at Leyden to qualify for the Class 3A dual meet state tournament at the end of the month; compete in sectional tournament (state qualifier) at Glenbard North on Friday and Saturday No. 2 St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- compete in state dual meet tournament on the campus of The Ohio State University this Saturday No. 3 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- beat Delbarton, N.J. 40-16 this past Saturday; compete at the St. Alban's Wrestling Tournament in Washington, D.C. on Friday and Saturday No. 5 Clovis, Calif. -- champions of the Mission San Jose (Calif.) Invitational; compete in TRAC League Tournament on Saturday at Central, Calif. No. 6 Buchanan, Calif. -- compete in TRAC League Tournament on Saturday at Central, Calif. No. 7 Franklin Regional, Pa. -- won state dual meet title with semifinal and final victories over Bethlehem Catholic (30-26) and Cumberland Valley (36-33). No. 8 Southeast Polk, Iowa -- host regional (state qualification) dual meets tonight (2/11); travel to Ankeny Centennial, Iowa for district tournament (state qualifier) on Saturday No. 9 Archer, Ga. -- compete at state tournament tomorrow (2/12) through Saturday in Gwinnett No. 10 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- finish third in state dual meet tournament, lost 30-26 to Franklin Regional in semifinal, with 52-9 win over North Allegheny in consolation final; dual meet at East Stroudsburg, Pa. tonight (2/11), dual meet at Emmaus, Pa. on Saturday No. 11 Bergen Catholic, N.J. -- host No. 25 Don Bosco Prep, N.J. tonight (2/11) in Non-Public Group A-North semifinal; group final is Friday, state final is Sunday No. 12 Poway, Calif. -- host CIF San Diego Sectional dual meet semifinal and final tomorrow (2/12) No. 13 Broken Arrow, Okla. -- compete in Class 6A state dual meet tournament on Saturday at Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Okla. No. 14 Stillwater, Okla. -- compete in Class 6A state dual meet tournament on Saturday at Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Okla. No. 15 St. Edward, Ohio -- beat Dayton Christian 32-29 in dual meet this past Saturday; compete in state dual meet tournament on the campus of The Ohio State University this Saturday. No. 16 Montini Catholic, Ill. - won regional title at Fenton to qualify for the Class 2A dual meet state tournament at the end of the month; compete in sectional tournament (state qualifier) at Antioch on Friday and Saturday No. 17 Apple Valley, Minn. -- compete in team sectional (state duals qualifier) on Friday at Eastview, Minn. No. 18 Neosho, Mo. -- compete in district tournament (state qualifier) at Branson, Mo. on Friday and Saturday No. 19 Massillon Perry, Ohio -- compete in state dual meet tournament on the campus of The Ohio State University on Saturday No. 20 Carl Sandburg, Ill. - won regional title at Stagg to qualify for the Class 3A dual meet state tournament at the end of the month; compete in sectional tournament (state qualifier) at Downers Grove North on Friday and Saturday No. 21 Bettendorf, Iowa - host regional (state qualification) dual meets tonight (2/11); travel to Clinton, Iowa for district tournament (state qualifier) on Saturday No. 22 Glenbard Noth, Ill. -- won regional title at West Chicago to qualify for the Class 3A dual meet state tournament at the end of the month; host sectional tournament (state qualifier) on Friday and Saturday No. 23 St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. -- compete in team sectional (state duals qualifier) on Friday at Andover, Minn. No. 24 Tuttle, Okla. -- compete in Class 4A state dual meet tournament on Saturday at Cushing, Okla. No. 25 Don Bosco Prep, N.J. -- dual meet at No. 11 Bergen Catholic, N.J. tonight (2/11) in Non-Public Group A-North semifinal; group final is Friday, state final is Sunday No. 26 Lowell, Mich. -- compete in team district tournament tonight (2/11); host individual district tournament (first layer of state series) on Saturday No. 27 Evansville Mater Dei, Ind. -- compete in semi-state tournament (state qualifier) on Saturday at the Ford Center in Evansville No. 28 Crook County, Ore. -- compete in special district tournament (state qualifier) on Friday and Saturday at Tillamook, Ore. No. 29 Mesa Mountain View, Ariz. -- compete at state tournament tomorrow (2/12) through Saturday in Prescott Valley No. 30 Delta, Ohio -- compete in state dual meet tournament on the campus of The Ohio State University on Saturday No. 31 Cumberland Valley, Pa. -- state dual meet runners-up this past weekend to Franklin Regional (loss 36-33), earned victories over North Allegheny (30-20) and Belle Vernon (35-33) in preliminary rounds; compete in sectional tournament (first layer of state series) on Saturday at Mechanicsburg, Pa. No. 32 Dayton Christian, Ohio -- lost dual meet to St. Edward, Ohio 32-29 this past Saturday; compete in state dual meet tournament on the campus of The Ohio State University on Saturday No. 34 Belle Vernon, Pa. -- failed to place in state dual meet tournament, lost to Cumberland Valley (35-33) in semifinal and North Allegheny (30-27) in consolation semifinal No. 35 DePaul Catholic, N.J. -- beat St. Peter's Prep, N.J. one week ago 37-21; host Non-Public Group B-North semifinal tonight (2/11); group final is Friday, state final is Sunday No. 36 St. Peter's Prep, N.J. -- lost to DePaul Catholic, N.J. 37-21 one week ago; host No. 46 Delbarton in Non-Public Group A-North semifinal tonight (2/11); group final is Friday, state final is Sunday No. 37 Minisink Valley, N.Y. -- compete in Section IX tournament (part of state series) on Friday and Saturday at Monroe Woodbury, N.Y. No. 38 Greater Latrobe, Pa. -- host Bedford, Pa. in dual meet tonight (2/11) No. 39 Phillipsburg, N.J. -- host North-2 Group 4 semifinal tonight (2/11); group final is Friday, state final four in Sunday No. 40 Bound Brook, N.J. -- host North-2 Group 1 semifinal tonight (2/11); group final is Friday, state final four in Sunday No. 41 Brecksville, Ohio -- compete in state dual meet tournament on the campus of The Ohio State University on Saturday No. 42 Elyria, Ohio -- scored record number of points in winning Northeast Ohio Conference (NOC) Tournament this past weekend; compete in state dual meet tournament on the campus of The Ohio State University on Saturday No. 43 Kaukauna, Wis. -- compete in regional tournament (first layer of state series) on Saturday at Manitowoc Lincoln, Wis. No. 44 Marmion Academy, Ill. -- won regional title at Batavia to qualify for the Class 3A dual meet state tournament at the end of the month; compete in sectional tournament (state qualifier) at Shepherd on Friday and Saturday No. 45 Brighton, Mich. -- compete in team district tournament tonight (2/11) at Howell, Mich.; compete in individual district tournament (first layer of state series) on Saturday at Portage Northern, Mich. No. 46 Delbarton, N.J. -- lost dual meet 40-16 against Wyoming Seminary, Pa. this past Saturday; dual meet at No. 36 St. Peter's Prep, N.J. tonight (2/11) in Non-Public Group A-North semifinal; group final is Friday, state final is Sunday No. 47 St. Johns, Mich. -- compete in team district tournament tonight (2/11) at Owosso, Mich.; compete in individual district tournament (first layer of state series) on Saturday at Mason, Mich. No. 48 Colonial Forge, Va. -- compete in regional tournament (state qualifier) on Friday and Saturday at Oscar Smith, Va. No. 49 North Allegheny, Pa. -- finished fourth in state dual meet tournament, losses were in opening round to Cumberland Valley (30-20) and consolation final to Bethlehem Catholic (52-9), with a 30-27 win over Belle Vernon in consolation semifinal No. 50 Brandon, Fla. -- host Ippolito Memorial Invitational on Friday and Saturday No competitions during the coming week: No. 4 Blair Academy (N.J.), No. 7 Franklin Regional (Pa.), No. 33 South Dade (Fla.), No. 34 Belle Vernon (Pa.), No. 49 North Allegheny (Pa.) State Tournaments this coming weekend: Individual -- Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Montana, Nevada, Tennessee, and Utah Dual Meet -- Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. -- Ethan Ramos and Scott Marmoll picked up major decisions to lead No. 25 North Carolina to a 16-15 win over rival Duke Wednesday night at Card Gymnasium. The two teams split the 10 bouts but the bonus points from Ramos and Marmoll were enough to hold off a late charge from the Blue Devils. The score was even at 3 after matching decisions at 133 and 141, with Troy Heilmann winning for Carolina (10-4, 2-2 ACC) over Mitch Finesilver at 141. No. 12 Joey Ward gave the Tar Heels their first lead of the night with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Evan Botwin at 141. It was just 1-0 after two periods with a Ward escape the only point before the redshirt sophomore scored a pair of back points early in the third. Botwin escaped but Ward was able to hold him off to secure the decision. Duke (10-5, 1-3 ACC) won the next two bouts to take a 9-5 lead. Marcus Cain bested Christian Barber 6-4 at 159 before Immanuel Kerr-Brown edged Chris Mears in overtime at 157. Kerr-Brown and Mears were tied at 1 after regulation and neither man scored in the sudden victory period. Mears escaped quickly in the first tiebreaker period but was hit with his second stall warning to even the score at 2. Kerr-Brown then escaped in the second tiebreaker period to win it. The Carolina bench protested the stalling call and was penalized with a team point deduction after the bout. Carolina then ran off three consecutive victories to take control of the dual. At 165, Ramos dominated throughout in an 18-7 major decision over Brian Dorsey. No. 19 John Michael Staudenmayer put the Tar Heels in front to stay with a 5-1 win over Trey Adamson at 174. After a scoreless first, Staudenmayer escaped and took down Adamson for a 3-1 lead. Adamson was unable to mount an attack and Staudenmayer rode out the bout for the win. Marmoll's major decision at 184 proved to be the deciding bout of the dual. The redshirt sophomore trailed 2-1 late in the first before a pivotal takedown late in the period. Marmoll then rode out the second and got a 2-point near fall in process to lead 5-2 after two. He opened the third with a reversal and had the riding time point locked up, but a 3-point near fall at the buzzer made it 11-2 to give Carolina a vital bonus point. Duke took care of business in the final two bouts but Chip Ness and Frank Abbondanza were able to limit their opponents to decisions to give Carolina the victory. Ness fell to No. 7 Conner Hartmann 6-0 at 197 before Abbondanza lost 5-0 to Brendan Walsh. UNC has now won eight of its last nine duals heading into a home showdown with Virginia Tech next Friday, Feb. 20, in Chapel Hill. Results: 125: Thayer Atkins (D) dec. Cody Karns (NC), 7-2 - Duke leads 3-0 133: Troy Heilmann (NC) dec. Mitch Finesilver (D), 4-2 - Tied 3-3 141: #12 Joey Ward (NC) dec. Evan Botwin (D), 3-1 - UNC leads 6-3 149: Marcus Cain (D) dec. Christian Barber (NC), 6-4 - Tied 6-6 157: Immanuel Kerr-Brown (D) dec. Chris Mears (NC), 3-2 (TB-1) - Duke leads 9-5* 165: #10 Ethan Ramos (NC) maj. dec. Brian Dorsey (D), 18-7 - Tied 9-9 174: #19 John Michael Staudenmayer (NC) dec. Trey Adamson (D), 5-1 - UNC leads 12-9 184: Scott Marmoll (NC) maj. dec. Jacob Kasper (D), 11-2 - UNC leads 16-9 197: Conner Hartmann (D) dec. Chip Ness (NC), 6-0 - UNC leads 16-12 285: Brendan Walsh (D) dec. Frank Abbondanza (NC), 5-0 - UNC wins 16-15 *Team point deducted from UNC

Related: Team Rankings | Individual Rankings EDMOND, Okla. -- St. Cloud State (Minn.) took over as the new No. 1 team in the NCAA Division II wrestling rankings, according to the poll released Wednesday by the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association. Steve Costanzo and the SCSU Huskies take over No. 1 (Photo/Tom Nelson, SCSU Sports Information)The Huskies received three first-place votes and finished with 154 points to edge previous No. 1 Maryville (Mo.) by two points in balloting of head coaches from around the country. The Saints, who have been top-ranked in four of this season’s six polls, had four first-place votes and 152 points Defending national champion Notre Dame (Ohio) earned the remaining first-place nod and is third with 143 points, four ahead of Ouachita Baptist (Ark.). Rounding out the top 10 is Mercyhurst (Pa.), Colorado Mesa, Western State (Colo.), McKendree (Ill.), Nebraska-Kearney and Upper Iowa. NDC and UNK each have two top-ranked individuals -- 174-pounder Joey Davis and 184-pounder Garrett Lineberger for the Falcons, 133-pounder Daniel DeShazer and 197-pounder Romero Cotton for the Lopers. Maryville will host the 2015 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, set for March 13-14 in St. Louis, Mo.

Dave Mitchell and Tom Ryan to go "On the Mat" is this Wednesday, Feb. 11. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments. Mitchell is the current head wrestling coach at Luther College. He is also the president of the Division III NCAA National Wrestling Coaches Association. Ryan is the current head wrestling coach at Ohio State. He was a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa.

Kerry Volkmann probably had a feeling something would happen in his honor during the final home dual meet of his 28-year coaching career. He had coached too long and impacted too many lives for him not to expect some form of tribute. Still, the sound of bagpipes and the sight of over 200 graduates who could be counted as former wrestlers, coaches, teammates, friends and fans of the program -- and the man -- had to be overwhelming. So, too, was the effort of his team, charged up from the dramatic beginning of the night. The Blue Streaks used four forfeits, three pins and a major decision to power their way to a 46-0 victory over visiting Muskingum. The night began with a celebration of the six-member senior class. As soon that recognition ended, another one started with a steady parade of alumnus who came back home to John Carroll to show their support for their coach for the next journey in his life. They descended the stairs of the DeCarlo Varsity Center donning cowboy hats, and at the end of the ceremony, gave "Coach V" one last tip of the hat. Even with all of this celebration, there was still a match to be wrestled as the Blue Streaks hosted the Muskingum Fighting Muskies. John Carroll led 6-0 after a double forfeit at 125 and a forfeit accepted by Sal Corrao at 133. John Connick used a series of takedowns in the second period to power his way to a 13-3 victory at 141. That was the only match of the night to go the distance. Seniors Dan Mirman, Jake Vincent and Terner Gott accepted forfeits at 149, 157 and 165 to put JCU ahead, 28-0. That set up three consecutive bouts with the remaining three members of the senior class to conclude the night. Matt Tusick started off the 174-pound bout with a quick takedown then proceeded to accumulate ten back points to take a commanding 12-0 lead after the first period. He then dialed up a second period pin to increase the Blue Streaks lead to 34-0. Danny McNamara followed with a pin in 42 seconds at 184. JCU intentionally used a double forfeit at 197 so senior Todd Gaydosh could get one last match at home. Even though he wrestled up a weight class, Gaydosh was the dominant wrestler in the bout. He notched two takedowns in the first period to take a 4-1 lead going into the second period. Gaydosh got another takedown on Miller and added another three back points. Then Gaydosh went in to finish it, pinning Miller with 55.8 seconds left to go in the second period. The shutout was John Carroll's first since a 41-0 win over Wilmington on December 3, 2002. The Blue Streaks are now 6-8 overall and 1-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Results: 125: Double Forfeit 133: Sal Corrao (JCU) over (MUSK), Forfeit 141: John Connick (JCU) over Ben Barnhart-Sullivan (MUSK), MD 13-3 149: Dan Mirman (JCU) over (MUSK), Forfeit 157: Jake Vincent (JCU) over (MUSK), Forfeit 165: Terner Gott (JCU) over (MUSK), Forfeit 174: Matt Tusick (JCU) over Caleb Cox (MUSK), Fall 3:40 184: Danny McNamara (JCU) over (MUSK), Fall 0:42 197: Double Forfeit 285: Todd Gaydosh (JCU) over Grayson Miller (MUSK), Fall 4:05

OLIVET, Mich. -- The Olivet College won the first nine bouts, scoring bonus points in seven, to dominate Trine (Ind.) University, 42-3, in its final dual match of the season tonight inside The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. The match started at 141 pounds, and sophomore Curtis Blackwell quickly put Olivet ahead 6-0 when he rolled through a cradle to pin Jeffrey Helm in one minute and 14 seconds. Senior Kyle Witgen used a takedown in the second period to pull away for a 7-3 win at 149 pounds. At 157 pounds, senior Jacob Gould pinned Kevin Groves with six seconds left in the bout to make the score 15-0. After a scoreless first period in the 165-pound bout, senior Dan Fleet scored 12 unanswered points over the final two periods for the major decision win. Sophomore Kevin Papak earned a forfeit win at 174 pounds, and the Comets led 25-0 at the intermission. Senior Nick Allen moved to 184 pounds and posted an 8-0 major decision. Junior Thomas Hall used a big first period with a takedown and a pair of three-point near-falls to win 9-2 win at 197 pounds, and Olivet surged ahead 32-0. At 285 pounds, senior Ryan Steverson was leading 8-1 in the third period when he took Tyler Prater to his back for a pin with 32 seconds remaining in the bout. Sophomore Michael Schmidt recorded an 11-0 major decision at 125 pounds to make the score 42-0. Brandon Preston scored a 7-2 decision at 133 pounds for the Thunder's only win. Olivet returns to the mats Saturday when it hosts the 2015 Mid-States Conference Tournament. Action gets under way at 9 a.m. Results: 125- Michael Schmidt (OLIVET) over David Moore, MD 11-0 133- Brandon Preston (TRINE) over Matt Darling, Dec. 6-3 141- Curtis Blackwell (OLIVET) over Jeffrey Helm, Fall 1:13 149- Kyle Witgen (OLIVET) over Tylor Willms, Dec. 7-3 157- Jacob Gould (OLIVET) over Cody Konieczki, Fall 6:54 165- Daniel Fleet (OLIVET) over Kevin Groves, MD 12-0 174- Kevin Papak (OLIVET) won by forfeit 184- Nicholas Allen (OLIVET) over Nick Fruits, MD 8-0 197- Thomas Hall (OLIVET) over Michael Conner, Dec. 9-2 285- Ryan Steverson (OLIVET) over Tyler Prater, Fall 6:33

In front of an exuberant home crowd, the North Central College wrestling team rolled to a 33-9 win over Elmhurst College on Tuesday evening, winning seven of ten matches in the final home dual of the season on Senior Night. The Cardinals (7-5) jumped out to an early 13-0 lead over the visiting Bluejays (4-6) as Brandon Malone led off with a 5-1 decision over Anthony Munoz at 125 pounds. At 133 pounds, Casey McWhirter trailed 5-7 midway through the third period, but quickly turned the tables and stuck Carter Beebe at the 5:19 mark. Layten Binion followed with a 16-6 major decision victory over Matt Quigley at 141. After the Bluejays snuck out a 2-1 decision at 149 pounds, Blake Olson responded with a pin over Nick DiNardo at 157 pounds in a time of 2:31 in the opening period. At 165 pounds, Eric Kirkman ran away with a 15-0 technical fall over Sergio Lopez to put North Central ahead 24-3. The two teams traded the final four matches as Javier Ishola-Marquez sealed the match for the Cardinals with a 13-6 decision over Bobby Schillinger, while Dylan Mahler closed out the evening with a last second pin over Zack Urbanski at the 6:47 mark at 285 pounds. North Central is back on the mat on Saturday, Feb. 14, traveling to the University of Dubuque for the Jim Fox Invite with matches slated to begin at 9 a.m. Results: 125 - Brandon Malone (NCC) dec. Anthony Munoz, 5-1 133 - Casey McWhirter (NCC) fall Carter Beebe, 5:19 141 - Layten Binion (NCC) maj. dec. Matt Quigley, 16-6 149 - Blake Santi (EC) dec. Nathan Segal, 2-1 157 - Blake Olson (NCC) fall Nick DiNardo, 2:31 165 - Eric Kirkman (NCC) tech. fall Sergio Lopez, 15-0 174 - Mitch Morris (EC) dec. Matt Marcotte, 6-4 184 - Javier Ishola-Marquez dec. Bobby Schillinger, 13-6 197 - Colton Kelly (EC) dec. Filiberto Diaz-Duran, 10-6 285 - Dylan Mahler (NCC) fall Zack Urbanski, 6:47

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- The No. 7 ranked Mount Union wrestling team beat Heidelberg 29-7 to clinch at least a share of the Ohio Athletic Conference title Tuesday at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex. The Purple Raiders are 13-3 overall and at 4-0 in the OAC grab their 14th conference title in school history. Mount Union scored a pair of impressive technical falls from senior Jon Garrison (Copley/Copley) at 157 pounds and freshman Nick Mancini (Boardman/Boardman) at 125 pounds. The match started at 197 pounds and sophomore Brian Olson (Covington/Covington) scored a 6-0 win for the Raiders. Heidelberg (10-11, 2-2 OAC) tied the match when No. 3 ranked Nino Majoy scored a win at 285. Mancini, ranked No. 8 in the nation, then scored his tech fall in the third period at 125 before junior Jeremy Border, ranked No. 1 in the nation at 133, scored an 11-0 major decision win which gave Mount Union a 12-3 lead. Senior Bryant Roby (Westchester, Ill./St. Joseph) scored an overtime win at 141 and fellow senior Ben Kazimir (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) had a decision win at 149 that pushed the lead to 18-3. Garrison, ranked eighth at 157, then got his tech fall in the third period followed by wins from senior Nick Hendershot (Willoughby/Willoughby South) at 165 and sophomore Nick Miller (Mansfield/Ontario) at 174 gave the Raiders a commanding 29-3 lead. Mount Union closes out the regular season next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. against John Carroll in an OAC dual at the MAAC in Alliance. Results: 125 -- #8 Nick Mancini (MTU) tech fall Ty Price (BERG), 19-2 5:23 133 –- #1 Jeremy Border (MTU) maj. dec. Joe Brodman (BERG), 11-0 141 -- Bryant Roby (MTU) dec. Justin Kihn (BERG), 3-1 SV 149 -- Ben Kazimir (MTU) dec. Damon Cheek (BERG), 6-2 157 -- #5 Jon Garrison (MTU) tech fall Tyler Fahrer (BERG), 21-6 5:54 165 – Nick Hendershot (MTU) dec. Myles Wright (BERG), 4-2 174 -- Nick Miller (MTU) dec. Brennan Kelly (BERG), 5-3 184 -- Richard Dowdley (BERG) maj dec. Brent Kirk (MTU), 14-5 197 -- Brian Olson (MTU) dec Matt Shurina (BERG), 6-0 * 285 -- #3 Nino Majoy (BERG) dec. Jacob Alarie (MTU), 3-0

ADA, Ohio -- The 13th-ranked (January 28, 2015 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll) Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Ohio Northern University, 18-12, in the ONU Sports Center. The victory increased BW's single-season school-record victory total to 16. BW (16-5 overall, 3-1 in the OAC) grabbed a 3-0 lead when junior 125-pound All-American Jesse Gunter (Coventry) won 3-0 to improve to 21-2 this season and 88-9 in his career. A 6-5 loss by freshman 133-pounder Markus Cruz (Lorain/ Clearview) tied the match at 3-3. Cruz dropped to 24-16 this season. . The Yellow Jackets regained the lead when sophomore 141-pounder Josh Decatur (Akron/ CVCA) earned a 10-3 win and improved to a 30-8 this season and 46-28 for his career. The lead grew to 9-3 when junior Joey Schmidt (Hinckley/ Brunswick won 6-1 to improve to 29-20 this season and 66-45 overall. The Polar Bears ended the first half of the match with a 5-1 win at 157 pounds, and BW sophomore Graham Montague (Independence) fell to 18-12 this season and 40-31 overall. ONU tied the match at 9-9 with a 6-4 decision at 165 pounds, and BW junior David Shapiro (Beachwood) dropped to 29-6 this season and 96-33 overall. BW junior 174-pounder Garrett Chase (Erie, Pa./ Cathedral Prep), this week's OAC Wrestler of the Week for the second time this season won 2-0 to give the Jackets a 12-9 lead. Chase improved to a team-best 33-6 this season and 92-28 for his career. Junior 184-pounder Ben LeBrun (Strongsville) extended the lead to 15-9 with a 6-3 victory. He improved to 28-10 this season and 70-41 in his career. Freshman 197-pounder Tyler Maclellan (Medina/ CVCA) cliched the victory for the Yellow Jackets with a 6-2 triumph as he improved to 16-6 overall, including 4-0 against OAC foes. An ONU win at 285 pounds by its senior and No.1-ranked wrestler in Di. III closed out the scoring. With his loss, BW junior 285-pounder Joe Belford dropped to 17-12 this season and 50-38 for his career. The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Tuesday, February 17 when they travel to Tiffin, Ohio to face Ohio Athletic Conference rival Heidelberg University in the Seiberling Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. This is the final regular season event for BW. The 2015 NCAA Division III Regional Tournament is on March 1 at Messiah (Pa.) College.

NEWBERRY -- The Newberry Wolves and UNC Pembroke Braves were tied in Tuesday's dual with only two bouts remaining, but Newberry's Huston Evans sent the Eleazer Arena crowd into a frenzy with a pin in the first period to clinch an 18-15 win for the Wolves. Newberry moves to 10-3 on the season with only one dual left on the schedule, as the Wolves host Anderson on Senior Night at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17. UNC Pembroke falls to 12-4 on the year and has a five-match winning streak snapped. The dual was projected to be a tight one, as the Braves came into the match as the top ranked team in the Super Region Two Coaches' Poll, with the Wolves ranked second. Remarkably, nine of the 10 bouts were decisions, including the first eight in a row. The scene was set for tense moments as a win by criteria was on the cards. Evans simply put those thoughts far out of everyone's minds. With two big throws of Stuart Nadeau - including the second one straight to the Brave's back - Evans roared to a pin in just 52 seconds. He is now 7-0 on the season, with his last two wins by fall. Newberry opened the dual with a 10-5 decision by Trung Duong (Lynchburg, Va.) at 125 lbs. and a 5-0 decision at 133 lbs. by Jordan Simpson (Oxford, Ala.). UNCP's No. 2 Daniel Ownbey held a big lead going into the third period at 141 lbs., but Nick Lankford (Braselton, Ga.) was able to get nearfall points and limit the match to a 13-10 decision, putting the Wolves' team lead at 6-3 after three bouts. Senior Seiji Borja (North Charleston, S.C.) picked up his 100th career victory at 149 lbs. with a 7-4 decision over Hayden Fry, making Newberry's lead 9-3. From there, Pembroke rattled off three wins in a row, taking the lead at 12-9 after 174 lbs. Jared Holliday (Burlington, N.J.) earned an 8-3 win by decision at 184 lbs., tying the dual with two bouts to go. Evans' pin put Newberry up by six and heavyweight Cody Brundage (Chapin, S.C.) battled nationally-ranked Chris Giddens into overtime before dropping a decision, but sealing the Wolves win. Newberry is now 9-2 all-time against UNC Pembroke and avenges last year's upset defeat to the Braves. Results: 125: Trung Duong (NC) dec. Josh Brown (UNCP) D 10-5 133: Jordan Simpson (NC) dec. Cole Murray (UNCP) D 5-0 141: No. 2 Daniel Ownbey (UNCP) dec. Nick Lankford (NC) D 13-9 149: Seiji Borja (NC) dec. Hayden Fry (UNCP) D 7-4 157: Reggie Allen (UNCP) dec. Dennis Flores (NC) D 3-2 165: Juan Stimpson (UNCP) dec. Lukas Gilmore (NC) D 8-1 174: No. 4 Terrence Zaleski (UNCP) dec. Joe Pittman (NC) D 2-0 184: Jared Holliday (NC) dec. Mikey Thomas (UNCP) D 8-3 197: No. 7 Huston Evans (NC) pinned Stuart Nadeau (UNCP) F 0:52 285: No. 7 Chris Giddens (UNCP) dec. Cody Brundage (NC) OT-3 2-1

The 19th-ranked Mountain Cats wrestlers took advantage of three falls, including one from Evan Link to open the match, on their way to dealing Shippensburg a 33-12 PSAC loss on Tuesday's Senior Night in the Sports Center. Pitt-Johnstown extended its winning streak to 11 straight matches and improved to 12-1 overall and 5-1 in the conference... (Full Results) As usual, the Mountain Cats started fast with four consecutive wins. Evan Link pinned Dante Steffenino with just 15 seconds remaining in the 125-lb. match to get Pitt-Johnstown rolling. Corey Bush, ranked first in Super Region I at 133 lbs., needed overtime, but got an early take down in the extra period to hold off Karl Lightner, 4-2, before sixth-rank Sam Hanau built a 5-0 first period lead and went on to defeat Cody Blankenship, 6-2. After a Cole Landowski won by forfeit at 149 lbs. to make it 18-0 in favor of the Mountain Cats, Shippensburg cut it to 18-6 when Pitt-Johnstown's Kevin Synan was forced to injury default one minute into the 157-lb. bout. Pitt-Johnstown answered right back with a 6-1 decision by seventh-ranked Tyler Reinhart at 165 lbs., before John Blankenship sealed the Mountain Cat victory by pinning Colton Rebert at 4:42 to push the lead out to 27-3 with three bouts remaining. The Red Raiders got a 2-0 win by Kyle Taylor over Nick Penatzer at 184 lbs. and a 7-4 win from 2014 National Qualifier Jalal Paige at 197 lbs. to make it 27-12, but it was too late. Pitt-Johnstown finished the match just like it started…with a fall. This time D.J. Sims closed things out by pinning Derek Earnest at 2:54 to set the final at 33-12. With the loss, Shippensburg dropped to 6-12 overall and 1-5 in the PSAC. Prior to the match, the Mountain Cat wrestling program recognized Zac Bennett (197/285 lbs.), this year's lone senior. Bennett transferred to Pitt-Johnstown after wrestling two years at NCAA Division I University of North Carolina. After sitting out the first semester in 2013-14, Bennett took over the starting spot at 197 lbs. on his way to winning a Super Region I title and becoming an All-American with a seventh-place finish at the National Tournament. Bennett, who was 21-5 overall and 10-2 in dual meets, placed third at the Franklin & Marshall Open. His team-best 16 victories by pin broke Jared Kuleck's 197-lb. single-season record (14 falls) set in 1992-93. Bennett's 14 pins in 28:09 led the country and his 4.3478 points made him the country's second most dominating wrestler. In 2014-15, Bennett also sat out the fall semester and moved from 197 lbs. to 285 lbs. He posted a 5-0 record on his way to winning a championship at the Franklin & Marshall Open on January 3. Prior to an injury, Bennett was 8-1 overall and 3-1 in dual meets. Five of his eight victories came by way of fall. Pitt-Johnstown closes out the 2014-15 regular season at Mercyhurst on Saturday. The Mountain Cats will then travel to West Liberty, W.Va. for the Super Region I tournament on February 27-28 and to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in St. Louis, MO on March 13-14. Results: 125 lbs. Evan Link (UPJ) Fall Dante Steffenino (SU) 6:45 6-0 UPJ 133 lbs. Corey Bush (UPJ) Decision Karl Lightner (SU) 4-2 SV1 9-0 UPJ 141 lbs. #6 Sam Hanau (UPJ) Decision Cody Blankenship (SU) 6-2 12-0 UPJ 149 lbs. Cole Landowski (UPJ) Won By forfeit 18-0 UPJ 157 lbs. Mike Springer (SU) Injury Default Kevin Synan (UPJ) 18-6 UPJ 165 lbs. #7 Tyler Reinhart (UPJ) Decision Arthur Watkins (SU) 6-1 21-6 UPJ 174 lbs. John Blankenship (UPJ) Fall Colton Rebert (SU) 4:42 27-6 UPJ 184 lbs. Kyle Taylor (SU) Decision Nick Penatzer (UPJ) 3-0 27-9 UPJ 197 lbs. Jalal Paige (SU) Decision Forest Tuttle (UPJ) 7-4 27-12 UPJ 285 lbs. D.J. Sims (UPJ) Fall Derek Earnest (SU) 2:54 33-12 UPJ

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois wrestling team, the fourth-ranked team in W.I.N. Magazine's Tournament Power Index, overcame an early surge from Wisconsin, the 12th-ranked squad in the rankings, to earn its fourth consecutive win. The Illini trailed, 12-6, after the first five matches before winning four of the final five en route to a 20-15 win over the Badgers. "I thought our guys fought hard today," said head coach Jim Heffernan. "Wisconsin is a good team and we knew that coming in. We scored some points where we had to and found a way to get it done." In the dual's opening bout, it looked like Illinois going to take an early lead, but things did not fall into place. After he scored third-period reversal to send the match to sudden victory, No. 20 Nikko Reyes got in on a good shot against Ricky Robertson, but Robertson was able to free himself from Reyes' grasp and score a takedown of his own. In the 197-pound matchup, a late takedown was again the difference in the outcome, but this one favored the Illini. Trailing No. 9 Timmy McCall, 3-1, entering the final period, Jeff Koepke used an escape and a takedown with less than a minute remaining to pull off the 4-3 upset, tying the team score at 3-3. "I knew going into the match I had to stay in my positions and wear him down," stated Koepke. "I have wrestled him before so I knew he gets tired at the end. I knew if I wore him down I could get to my shots late." Sandwiched between Illini losses by major decision and technical fall at heavyweight and 133 pounds, No. 1 Jesse Delgado defeated Johnny Jimenez, 4-0, at 125 pounds for his third win in as many matches since returning from injury. With the Illini trailing 12-6, No. 12 Steven Rodrigues got a 3-2 win over Jesse Thielke at 141 pounds to start a string of three straight matches won by Illinois. Kyle Langenderfer also snuck away with a one-point victory, besting Rylan Lubeck, 6-5, at 149 pounds to tie the dual at 12-12. No. 3 Isaiah Martinez put the Illini up for good with a dominating 23-6 technical fall over Jarod Donar at 157 pounds. The win by technical fall was the ninth this season by Martinez, the most in NCAA Division I. At 165 pounds, Wisconsin's No. 3 Isaac Jordan earned a 5-1 decision over No. 9 Jackson Morse to give the visiting Badgers a chance at the win in the final matchup, but No. 9 Zac Brunson sealed the victory for Illinois with a 4-0 win over Frank Cousins at 174 pounds. The Illini, who improve to 12-4 (6-3 Big Ten), will welcome Kent State to Huff Hall next Sunday for the regional round of the NWCA National Duals. Action begins at 1 p.m. CT. "We are glad to be hosting the first round of the NWCA National Duals after a tough month of January in terms of traveling," concluded Heffernan. "Kent State is a really solid team that we wrestled them last year. Most of their team is back so we are pretty familiar with them." 184: Ricky Robertson (WISC) over #20 Nikko Reyes (ILL) (SV1, 4-2) 197: Jeff Koepke (ILL) over #9 Timmy McCall (WISC) (Dec 4-3) 285: #3 Connor Medbery (WISC) over Brooks Black (ILL) (MD 13-0) 125: #1 Jesse Delgado (ILL) over Johnny Jimenez (WISC) (Dec 4-0) 133: #9 Ryan Taylor (WISC) over #6 Zane Richards (ILL) (TF 23-5, 7:00) 141: #12 Steven Rodrigues (ILL) over Jesse Thielke (WISC) (Dec 3-2) 149: Kyle Langenderfer (ILL) over Rylan Lubeck (WISC) (Dec 6-5) 157: #3 Isaiah Martinez (ILL) over Jarod Donar (WISC) (TF 23-6, 5:25) 165: #3 Isaac Jordan (WISC) over #9 Jackson Morse (ILL) (Dec 5-1) 174: #9 Zac Brunson (ILL) over Frank Cousins (WISC) (Dec 4-0)

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 7 Oklahoma State wrestling team defeated Oklahoma, 25-9, Sunday at McCasland Field House and pushed its all-time series advantage over the Sooners to 135-27-10. The Cowboys (8-3, 3-0 Big 12) won eight bouts on the day, highlighted by a major decision from top-ranked Alex Dieringer at 165 pounds and a pair of overtime wins from Anthony Collica at 157 pounds and Kyle Crutchmer at 174 pounds. "We saw some battle matches and in the end it was takedowns that won them," coach John Smith said. "Overall, it was a better effort than what we had on Friday, from the standpoint of punching through comfort zones. That really makes a difference whether you are going to be good, great or poor." Dieringer jumped out to a 6-2 lead in his bout with three takedowns in the opening period and added three more on the way to a 15-5 major decision. That win marks his seventh major decision of the year and seventh consecutive bonus-point win. Of his perfect 22-0 record on the year, 18 wins have come with bonus points attached. Collica and Crutchmer both went through two overtime periods before battling out tough wins. After trading scores with OU’s No. 15 Justin DeAngelis, Collica finally outlasted him for a 10-9 decision, with the final point earned from building 16 seconds of riding time through the second set of tiebreakers. "I'm in a lot better shape than I was," Collica said. "I got to my shots more." Crutchmer’s overtime win featured less scoring with the match tied at 2-2 entering the second overtime, but saw him earn an escape and late takedown in the final tiebreaker as he won 5-2 over OU’s No. 17 Matt Reed. Josh Kindig, who returned from injury today, wrestled his first bout in three weeks as he earned a 5-2 decision over Shayne Tucker at 149 pounds. "I did the most of what I could do off the mat -- swimming, Stairmaster, lifting hard and eventually running hard," Kindig said. "A lot of it is mental, it's not all on the mat. Just thinking about wrestling all the time keeps you focused and into it. I felt great out there, I just need to get the feel of the mat back and going live." The dual started at heavyweight as Austin Marsden knocked off OU’s 11th-ranked Ross Larson with an 8-3 decision to get the Cowboys rolling. Eddie Klimara followed that with a 9-3 decision at 125 pounds over Ryan Millhof. The Sooners earned a fall at 133 pounds, but the Cowboys responded with six-straight wins, with Dean Heil earning an 8-3 decision at 141 pounds and Nolan Boyd winning, 6-5, at 184 pounds to join the previously mentioned Cowboy winners. Oklahoma State returns to action next weekend as the Cowboys host Clarion Friday and Penn State Sunday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Results: 285: No. 5 Austin Marsden (OSU) dec. No. 11 Ross Larson (OU), 8-3 125: No. 9 Eddie Klimara (OSU) dec. Ryan Millhof (OU), 9-3 133: No. 5 Cody Brewer (OU) fall Gary Wayne Harding (OSU), 2:21 141: No. 16 Dean Heil (OSU) dec. Trae Blackwell (OU), 8-3 149: No. 4 Josh Kindig (OSU) dec. Shayne Tucker (OU), 5-2 157: Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. No. 15 Justin DeAngelis (OU), 10-9, TB2 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) maj. dec. Clark Glass (OU), 15-5 174: No. 10 Kyle Crutchmer (OSU) dec. No. 17 Matt Reed (OU), 5-2, TB2 184: No. 16 Nolan Boyd (OSU) dec. Brooks Climmons (OU), 6-5 197: Andrew Dixon (OU) dec. Luke Bean (OSU), 11-9

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- After taking back-to-back MAC Championship postseason tournament crowns the past two seasons, Mizzou wrestling earned their first ever regular season MAC Championship title Sunday afternoon after defeating Eastern Michigan, 31-7. The win pushed the No. 2 Tigers to 20-0 this season, and finished their MAC dual schedule with an 8-0 record. Dating back to the 2013-14 campaign, Mizzou has accumulated 24 consecutive dual victories. On Sunday afternoon against Eastern Michigan, the Tigers won 8-of-10 matchups and took home bonus points in three of those wins. Redshirt seniors Drake Houdashelt and Johnny Eblen earned the biggest wins of the days, as they each defeated their opponents by pins. Freshman Chase Brennan recorded his first career dual win after defeating Blake Caudill by 9-3 decision at 125 pounds. Redshirt sophomores Zach Synon and Lavion Mayes followed that up with a pair of decision victories themselves. After the team's first loss of the afternoon at 157 pounds, redshirt senior Ty Prazma got Mizzou back on track with an 8-3 decision triumph at 165 pounds. Sophomore J'den Cox and redshirt senior Devin Mellon rounded out the Tigers dual victory with wins at 197 pounds and 285 pounds, respectively. Mizzou competes next in the 2015 NWCA National Duals Regionals, and it marks the team's final home match of the 2014-15 season. The Tigers and American University are set to compete on Sunday, Feb. 15 with a 12 p.m. (CT) start time. The 2015 National Duals Finals will be held from Feb. 21-22 at the University of Iowa. Check-in to MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou wrestling. You can also find the Tigers on social media, by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter (@MizzouWrestling). Results: 125: Chase Brennan (M) over Blake Caudill (EM) by 9-3 decision 133: Zach Synon (M) over Vincent Pizzuto (EM) by 2-1 decision (TB1) 141: No. 5 Lavion Mayes (M) over Michael Shaw (EM) by 9-4 decision 149: No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (M) over Nicholas Barber (EM) by fall (4:34) 157: Brandon Zeerip (EM) over Trevor Wiest (M) by 4-1 decision 165: Ty Prazma (M) over Austin Geerlings (EM) by 8-3 decision 174: No. 4 Johnny Eblen (M) over Kayne MacCallum by fall (0:51) 184: Mike Curby (EM) over Jon Goerke (M) by 12-0 major decision 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (M) over Anthony Abro (EM) by 5-1 decision HWT: No. 11 Devin Mellon (M) over Gage Hutchison (EM) by 14-4 major decision

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- No. 11 Lehigh returned from a two-week layoff with a pair of convincing victories over EIWA opponents Sunday afternoon inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The Mountain Hawks opened the day with a 36-3 win over Harvard before finishing with a 33-6 victory over Brown. Lehigh won 16 of 17 contested bouts on the day and also picked up two victories by forfeit. The Mountain Hawks also posted seven bonus point wins, with junior Mason Beckman recording two wins by technical fall and senior Marshall Peppelman adding two of Lehigh's five wins by major decision. With the two victories, Lehigh improves to 12-4 on the dual season and 8-1 against EIWA foes. "Overall we did a nice job," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "I think there were some opportunities where we could have scored more points. There were some times we were kind of lulled to sleep, which can't happen at this time of year. We did a good job, but we still have a lot of work to do." The day began with Harvard forfeiting to Lehigh freshman Scott Parker at 125 before Beckman dominated Ryan Osleeb 15-0 in 3:42 at 133. Beckman led 11-0 after one period behind a takedown and three three-point near falls before closing out the match with a takedown and two point near fall early in the second. Lehigh's only non-forfeit loss of the day came against Harvard at 141 as returning EIWA champion Todd Preston edged sophomore Randy Cruz 2-0. Preston escaped in the second period and then rode out Cruz in the third to add a point for riding time. Following the loss by Cruz, Lehigh won the remaining seven bouts against the Crimson including three consecutive major decisions by freshman Drew Longo (149), sophomore Mitch Minotti (157) and Peppelman (165). The bonus win streak stopped at 174 but senior Santiago Martinez still posted a victory using a pair of bear hug takedowns to defeat Josef Johnson 6-2. Junior Nathaniel Brown put the Mountain Hawks back in the bonus column, locking up a cradle for a late five point move to go up seven point and with riding time defeated Josh Popple 12-4 at 184. The other bout featuring ranked wrestlers came at 197 as Lehigh sophomore Elliot Riddick met Harvard's James Fox. A takedown on the edge late in the second period gave Fox a 3-1 lead after two. Fox went over a minute riding time in the third but Riddick found Fox's leg on a shot and took him down to his back for a takedown and three point near fall that also erased riding time and gave Riddick a 7-3 win. "Elliot coming from behind and getting that takedown at 197; that was big," Santoro said. "Those are the kind of matches you have to win at the NCAA Tournament and the conference tournament so to pull that out at the end was important." Sophomore heavyweight Doug Vollaro won the final bout against Harvard 2-1 against David Ng in the tiebreakers after riding out the first half end escaping in the second half. The Mountain Hawks spotted Brown six points after forfeiting 125 but controlled the dual from there winning the eight remaining contested bouts and earning a win by forfeit at 184. Beckman had another dominant performance with an early takedown and then four different near falls in the first to lead Zeke Salvo 13-0 after one period. In the second, Beckman recorded a quick escape and another takedown to win by technical fall, 16-0, in just 3:19. "He was very aggressive, which was good to see," Santoro said of Beckman. "He was excited to compete. That's the important thing. When he does that he's a lot of fun to watch." Cruz bounced back from his earlier loss with a 4-0 decision over Anthony Finocchiaro, which gave the Mountain Hawks an 8-6 lead. Cruz scored a first period takedown and added a second period escape plus riding time. Longo then followed with his second win of the day, using a strong performance on top in the second period to defeat William McDonald 3-2 with 1:21 of riding time. The only bout matching ranked wrestlers in the Brown dual was at 157 where Minotti faced Justin Staudenmayer. Minotti secured the only takedown late in the first period and added a second period escape to win 3-1 and give Lehigh a 14-6 lead at intermission. Peppelman kicked off the second half of the dual with an 8-0 major decision over Galloway Thurston at 165, scoring takedowns in each period and adding a third period escape, plus riding time. Martinez rode a first period takedown to his second win of the day, a 3-2 decision over Ricky McDonald. Following the forfeit at 184, Lehigh sent out junior John Bolich at 197. Bolich won a 6-1 decision over Austin Pfarr, scoring a first period takedown and second period reversal plus a penalty point and riding time. With the win, Bolich is now a perfect 6-0 in duals this season. Vollaro closed out a successful day for the Mountain Hawks with a 6-2 decision over Gus Marker. "Everybody fought," Santoro said. "Any time you have a conference team come in, it counts double. Our guys rose to the occasion, which was nice to see." The Mountain Hawks will host George Mason Saturday February 14 at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall in the first round of the NWCA National Duals. Tickets can be purchased online at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during normal business hours. No. 11 Lehigh 36, Harvard 3 125 – Scott Parker (Lehigh) won by forfeit 133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) tech fall Ryan Osleeb (Harvard) 15-0, 3:42 141 – Todd Preston (Harvard) dec. Randy Cruz (Lehigh) 2-0 149 – Drew Longo (Lehigh) major dec. Patrick Hogan (Harvard) 17-4 157 – Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) major dec. Colby Knight (Harvard) 11-2 165 – Marshall Peppelman (Lehigh) major dec. Kanan Dean (Harvard) 14-2 174 – Santiago Martinez (Lehigh) dec. Josef Johnson (Harvard) 6-2 184 – Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) major dec. Josh Popple (Harvard) 12-4 197 – Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) dec. James Fox (Harvard) 7-3 285 – Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) dec. David Ng (Harvard) 2-1, tb No. 11 Lehigh 33, Brown 6 125 – Billy Watterson (Brown) won by forfeit 133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) tech fall Zeke Salvo (Brown) 16-0, 3:19 141 – Randy Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Anthony Finocchiaro (Brown) 4-0 149 – Drew Longo (Lehigh) dec. William McDonald (Brown) 3-2 157 – Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) dec. Justin Staudenmayer (Brown) 3-1 165 – Marshall Peppelman (Lehigh) major dec. Galloway Thurston (Brown) 8-0 174 – Santiago Martinez (Lehigh) dec. Ricky McDonald (Brown) 3-2 184 – Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) won by forfeit 197 – John Bolich (Lehigh) dec. Austin Pfarr (Brown) 6-1 285 – Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) dec. Gus Marker (Brown) 6-2

BLACKSBURG - The ninth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team steamrolled NC State Sunday afternoon in an ACC dual match, winning the first six bouts and eight of 10 total en route to a dominating 29-9 win at the Moss Arts Center to improve to 3-0 in the conference. Kevin Norstrem got things off to a good start with an 8-2 decision over Bryce Meredith at 133 pounds and then All-American Devin Carter brought the crowd to its feet with a first-period pin of No. 18 Sam Speno at 141 pounds. Speno was in on Carter’s leg, but Carter turned that into his offense and put Speno on his back, pinning him at the 2:40 mark. Sal Mastriani had to use a reversal late at 149 pounds to escape with a 7-6 win over Sam Melikian. Melikian was awarded a reversal at the buzzer which would have won the bout, but it was overturned by the referee after review, giving Mastriani the win. NC State was then deducted a team point after an unsportsmanlike conduct by Melikian. Nick Brascetta took care of business at 157 pounds, rolling to a 14-5 major decision over Chad Pyke to keep the Hokies rolling. Chad Strube, unranked at 165 pounds, turned No. 19 Max Rohskopf three times and rolled to a 14-4 major decision. After the break, 12th-ranked Zach Epperly took care of business, picking up an 8-4 win at 174 pounds. NC State (14-5, 1-2 ACC) finally got on the board at 184 pounds as Nicky Hall earned a 10-2 major decision over Brooks Morrison. Jared Haught then won his second match of the weekend in impressive fashion, beating Michael Boykin 8-3 at 197 pounds. Defending national champion Nick Gwiazdowski, ranked first in the country at heavyweight, caught Tech’s Ty Walz in the third period, taking him down flat to his back after a scramble for the pin at the 5:24 mark. The final bout saw fourth-ranked Joey Dance fall behind early, but rally with four takedowns to beat Joe DeAngelo 11-5 at 125 pounds to wrap up the dual. Tech (12-2, 3-0 ACC) will be back in action on Saturday night, hosting Duke (9-4, 1-2 ACC) on Senior Night. The match will start at 7 p.m. and seniors Devin Carter and Chris Moon will be honored before the match. With a win, the Hokies would clinch the ACC championship for the dual meet portion of the schedule. The Hokies have also won the past two ACC Championships in the tournament format. Results: 133: #17 Kevin Norstrem (VT) dec. Bryce Meredith, 8-2 141: #3 Devin Carter (VT) fall #18 Sam Speno, 2:40 149: #10 Sal Mastriani (VT) dec. Sam Melikian, 7-6 * 157: #5 Nick Brascetta (VT) maj. dec. Chad Pyke, 14-5 165: Chad Strube (VT) maj. dec. #19 Max Rohskopf, 14-4 174: #12 Zach Epperly (VT) dec. Pete Renda, 8-4 184: Nicky Hall (NCSU) maj. dec. Brooks Morrison, 10-2 197: Jared Haught (VT) dec. Michael Boykin, 8-3 285: #1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) fall #8 Ty Walz, 5:24 125: #4 Joey Dance (VT) dec. Joe DeAngelo, 11-5 * NCSU deducted team point for unsportsmanlike conduct at 149 pounds NCSU given two bench warnings (149, 125)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan team bounced back in a big way, earning a decisive 26-9 win against No. 22 Purdue on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 8) at the Boilermakers' Holloway Gymnasium. The Wolverines claimed seven individual wins, earning bonus points in three, including both marquee matches against ranked opponents. Junior/sophomore Conor Youtsey opened the dual with a bonus win, cruising to a 10-2 major decision over Luke Welch at 125 pounds. Youtsey scored on four takedowns, including one in the waning seconds to secure the bonus point, and accumulated 3:35 in riding-time advantage. He improved to 6-2 in Big Ten duals this season. The Boilermakers claimed back-to-back decisions at 133 and 141 pounds -- but by the narrowest of margins. Fifth-year senior Zebulon Hilyard scored first against 11th-ranked Danny Sabatello and rode out the second period to build up significant time advantage but gave up a third-period reversal to fall, 7-5. Sophomore/freshman George Fisher led late against Nick Lawrence at 141 pounds but similarly gave up a reversal midway through the third to even the score before sacrificing a point on his third caution in the final closing seconds to lose 8-7. Freshman Alec Pantaleo, ranked 13th in the latest InterMat poll, cruised to an 8-5 decision over Brandon Nelsen at 149 pounds, scoring on three takedowns -- one in each period -- and adding a reversal early in the third period. He allowed Nelsen only escapes. Pantaleo improved to 7-1 in Big Ten duals. Sophomore Brian Murphy, ranked 11th, scored big points in the dual's first marquee match at 157 pounds, building up an eight-point lead against 10th-ranked Doug Welch before cradling up the Boilermaker for his first collegiate pin at the 4:56 mark. After a scoreless first period, Murphy reversed Welch to his back for four points early in the second and again -- for five points -- off a single-leg scramble midway through the period. Firmly in control on top, Murphy locked up the cradle and worked to get him flat, securing the call just before the second-period buzzer. Purdue added another one-point decision at 165 pounds before the Wolverines rolled to four straight wins at the upperweights to close out the dual. Fifth-year senior Jake Salazar cruised to a controlling 6-2 decision over Chad Welch at 174 pounds, scoring on three takedowns, including a pair of first-period double legs. After just missing on a single-leg shot late in the third, he exploded through another double leg on the subsequent restart in the final 10 seconds. Sophomore Domenic Abounader, ranked 10th, earned a stingy 4-0 decision over Tanner Lynde at 184 pounds, scoring on a second-period single leg and accumulating 2:59 in riding-time advantage. Abounader spent much of the second and third periods looking for a turn but could not get it, settling instead for the decision victory. Fifth-year senior Max Huntley, ranked eighth, dominated the second marquee match at 197 pounds, cruising to an 8-0 major decision against 11th-ranked Braden Atwood. Huntley finished on an immediate single-leg attack and rode out the first period, drawing an early stall warning on bottom. He added another single leg in the second and two stall points in the third before finishing the bout with 4:08 in time advantage. With the dual win secured, fifth-year senior Chris Heald bumped up to step in at heavyweight and claimed a 7-3 decision over Tyler Kral in the final bout. Heald scored on three takedowns -- one in each period -- and accumulating 2:37 riding-time advantage. It was his first dual win of the season -- in his heavyweight debut. The Wolverines will hit the road again next Friday (Feb. 13), heading to Iowa City, Iowa, to face top-ranked Iowa at 7 p.m. CST at Carver Hawkeye Arena. The dual will be streamed live on BTN Plus. Results: 125 -- Conor Youtsey (U-M) major dec. Luke Welch, 10-2 U-M, 4-0 133 -- #11 Danny Sabatello (PU) dec. Zebulon Hilyard, 7-5 U-M, 4-3 141 -- Nick Lawrence (PU) dec. George Fisher, 8-7 PU, 6-4 149 -- #13 Alec Pantaleo (U-M) dec. Brandon Nelsen, 8-5 U-M, 7-6 157 -- #11 Brian Murphy (U-M) pinned #10 Doug Welch, 4:56 U-M, 13-6 165 -- Pat Robinson (PU) dec. Garrett Sutton, 3-2 U-M, 13-9 174 -- Jake Salazar (U-M) dec. Chad Welch, 6-2 U-M, 16-9 184 -- #10 Domenic Abounader (U-M) dec. Tanner Lynde, 4-0 U-M, 19-9 197 -- #8 Max Huntley (U-M) major dec. #11 Braden Atwood, 8-0 U-M, 23-9 Hwt -- Chris Heald (U-M) dec. Tyler Kral, 7-3 U-M, 26-9