InterMat Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships opened on Thursday morning at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla., with 330 wrestlers from 72 schools participating. The first session saw three top-five seeds lose matches and two All-Americans lose pigtail matches. No. 2 Nick Dardanes was upset by The Citadel's Matt Frisch (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)The biggest upset came at 149 pounds, where Minnesota All-American Nick Dardanes, seeded No. 2, lost 8-5 to Matt Frisch (The Citadel). Iowa had a disappointing opening session, losing three matches. The biggest disappointments for the Hawkeyes came at 165 pounds and 184 pounds as two of their No. 5 seeds, Ethen Lofthouse and No. 5 Nick Moore, lost first-round matches. Below is a look at some of the notable results from Session I. 125: Jared Germaine (Eastern Michigan) pinned No. 7 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) just 46 seconds into the match. With the win, the unseeded Germaine improved to 22-2 this season. Earl Hall (Iowa State) picked up a mild upset over Pac-12 champion Evan Silver (Stanford), seeded 13th, 7-3. 133: Not too many surprises in this weight class. The No. 15 and No. 16 seeds dropped first-round matches. Rossi Bruno (Michigan) sent No. 15 Mark Grey (Cornell) to the consolation bracket after an 8-5 victory. Matt Manley (Missouri) edged No. 16 Mack McGuire (Kent State) in sudden victory, 7-5. Three-time national champion Penn State suffered its first loss when Jimmy Gulibon was blanked by No. 4 Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State), 4-0, in a rematch from the Southern Scuffle finals in early January. 141: Nick Lester (Oklahoma), a 2012 All-American, fell 5-4 to Gabe Moreno (Iowa State) at 141 in the pigtail match. One of the most anticipated matchups of the round pitted No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State) against All-American Undrakhbayar (The Citadel). Retherford scored an early takedown and added a late takedown to cruise to a 5-0 victory. Ugi wasn't the only returning All-American to lose at 141 pounds. Cornell's Mike Nevinger, a two-time All-American, lost in sudden victory to No. 7 Zach Horan (Central Michigan), 9-7. No. 6 Chris Dardanes was pushed to sudden victory, but prevailed 5-3 over Danny Sabatello (Purdue). No. 10 Todd Preston (Harvard), an EIWA champion, was also pushed, but came away with a win in tiebreaker over Dan Neff (Lock Haven), 7-4. Laike Gardner (Lehigh) took out No. 16 Joe Spisak (Virginia), 9-8. Iowa's Josh Dziewa dropped a 4-1 match to No. 13 Steve Dutton (Michigan). It was the third time the two Big Ten wrestlers had met this season, with Dutton owning all three victories. 149: Matt Frisch (The Citadel) silenced the Gopher faithful with an 8-5 victory over No. 2 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota). NCAA champion Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), seeded fourth, was pushed by Tywan Claxton (Ohio), the only wrestler to defeat top-seeded Drake Houdashelt (Missouri). Maple held a 1-0 lead in the third period before picking up a takedown off a leg attack in the final 40 seconds to win 3-1. James English (Penn State), who earned the starting spot in the Nittany Lions' lineup late in the season, topped No. 12 Dylan Cottrell (Appalachian State), 5-4, in tiebreaker. 157: This weight class saw virtually no surprises in the opening session. No. 15 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) was the lone seeded wrestler to lose. He dropped a 5-3 decision to Aaron Walker (The Citadel). No. 13 Dylan Alton (Penn State) won a hard-fought match over Brian Murphy (Michigan), 5-1. Alton scored late takedown to secure the victory in a match that was close the entire way. It was the rubber match between the two wrestlers this season. 165: Iowa suffered a big blow when No. 5 Nick Moore was handled by Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg), 15-7. Moore trailed 10-7 in the third period, but gave up a late takedown with nearfall points. Another Big Ten seeded wrestler, Jackson Morse (Illinois), seeded 12th, lost to Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) in a Big Ten battle. It was the first meeting between the two wrestlers this season. 174: The biggest upset in this weight class came when Cody Caldwell (Northern Iowa), who entered the tournament with a 16-13 record, defeated returning All-American Cody Walters (Ohio), 9-6, in tiebreaker. Three other seeded wrestlers in this weight class dropped matches in the first round, No. 13 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State), No. 14 Mark Martin (Ohio State), and No. 15 Matt Miller (Navy). Zillmer lost Mike Dessino (Bloomsburg) in sudden victory, 8-6. Martin fell to Conor Brennan (Rider), 7-2. Miller dropped a 12-8 decision to Tony Dallago (Illinois). 184: Iowa lost its second top-five seed when Vic Avery (Edinboro), who entered the NCAAs ranked No. 12 by InterMat, defeated No. 5 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa), 5-3. Avery scored a late takedown in the second period, which proved to be the difference in the match. Ninth-seeded Domenic Abounader (Michigan), who finished third at the Big Tens, was upset by Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 4-1. Other seeded wrestlers who failed to advance to the second round included No. 15 Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) and No. 16 Nick Vetterlein (Virginia Tech). Loder, a returning All-American who has battled injuries this season, lost to freshman Nikko Reyes (Illinois) in sudden victory, 6-4. Vetterlein's loss came to Harrison Hightower (Air Force), 5-1. 197: Returning All-American Blake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) lost in the pigtail round to Mario Gonzalez (Illinois), 10-3. No. 9 Christian Boley (Maryland) had a disappointing start to his NCAA tournament, losing to Cody Reed (Binghamton), 3-1. Boley struggled at the ACC tournament less than two weeks ago, finishing fourth as the No. 1 seed. EIWA champion Jace Bennett, seeded No. 10, was edged by Connor Hartman (Duke), 2-1. No. 13 Daniel Mitchell, a third-place finisher at the EIWA tournament, was upset by Timmy McCall (Wisconsin), 4-2. McCall is the only wrestler this season to defeat top-seeded Nick Heflin (Ohio State). Pac-12 champion and OW Dan Scherer (Stanford) defeated No. 16 Alex Polizzi (Northwestern), 11-9. 285: Adam Fager (Utah Valley), seeded No. 15, was the lone seeded heavyweight to lose in the first round. He fell to Billy Smith (Rutgers), 6-2.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- InterMat is providing extensive coverage throughout the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla. Follow the action Thursday through Saturday. Note: All links in the coverage section open in a new window. Results: Team Scores & Brackets | InterMat Live Blog InterMat Session Recaps: I | II | III | IV | V | VI InterMat Session Previews: II | III | IV | VI InterMat Previews: Betting Guide | Bracket Busters | Best First-Round Matchups | Seeding Blunders | Best Staying Home Predictions/Contest: InterMat Staff Predictions | Big Show Pick 'Em Contest Links: Schedule | ESPN3 Webcast | ESPN3 Schedule | InterMat Rankings Photos: The Guillotine | WrestlersAreWarriors.com | Tech-Fall.com | Larry Slater

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Takedown Media will once again partner with TheMat.com in our radio broadcast of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships live from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. This year's broadcast team includes Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy, Danny Sheehan and Billy Baldwin. Broadcast Schedule: Thursday, March 20 Session I: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Session II: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, March 21 Session III: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Session IV: 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22 Session V: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Session VI: 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. This year's sponsors: Sunflower Wrestling, Asics, Kemin, Brute, Resilite, Cradle Gear, Riddix, The Airliner in Iowa City, Roller Productions, Zebra Mats and Cages, Louie’s Wine Dive and Bars, The University of Iowa, Takedown Sportswear, Titan Mercury Wrestling, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Oklahoma State Wrestling, TW Promotions, J Robinsons Wrestling Camps, Recruit a Wrestler.com, Fight Now TV, The University of Illinois, Suplay.com, Intermatwrestle.com, Takedown Wrestling Weekly Television and USA Wrestling Weekly Television.

InterMat staff writers and executives have broken down the brackets for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., and made their predictions. Andrew Hipps T.R. Foley Josh Lowe Tom Franck Steve Elwood Jim Beezer

To all my fans wondering where I have been the past few months, let's just say that I have been traveling the globe with intermittent trips to Vegas. Rest assured I'm back to re-assert myself as the premier tout for this tournament. Enjoy. 125: Nahshon Garret (Cornell) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Garrett has been hot since his encounter with Delgado (a 6-2 loss on Dec. 21). He has shown he can beat Megaludis and will do so again in the semifinals before avenging his loss to Delgado in the finals. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) I know what the naysayers will wonder: how can you bet against Joe Colon of Northern Iowa or A.J. Schopp of Edinboro after the seasons they've had? My logic is based upon two fundamental theories: I put little stock in the regular season. Guys get hot at the right time, and winning the NCAA tournament becomes a matter of confidence, preparedness, and peaking at the right time. Although Colon and Schopp have beaten my projected finalists, their strength of schedule pales in comparison to their Big 10 counterparts. Head coach Tom Brands will have Ramos ready, and Graff has been wrestling well as of late. Ramos tops Graff in a rematch of the Big Ten finals. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) There is no doubt that Port has had a solid season, but Stieber is in a different class than anyone else at this weight class, if not the entire tournament. Stieber has shown he can compete on the big stage, and will do so again this year to earn his third national title. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Chris Villalonga (Cornell) Anything can happen in this weight class, but I think Maple comes out on top after knocking off Drake Houdeshelt of Missouri in the semifinals and winning the rubber match against Villalonga in the finals. He's found his groove after moving up from 141 pounds where he won a national title last year. Maple wins his second title. 157: James Green (Nebraska) over Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) Green's explosiveness will be hard for anyone to handle. Expect fireworks in the quarterfinals if he happens to meet Dylan Ness of Minnesota again. Derek St. John of Iowa will try to defend the title he won last year at this weight class, but his performance this year has been streaky. Dieringer has been hot since losing to St. John in early January. I expect him to make the finals before falling to Green. My dark horse pick in this weight class is Isaac Jordan, the freshman from Wisconsin. He handed Green his only defeat of the season a month ago and given the chance in the semifinals on Friday night may have a chance to repeat that effort. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) Perhaps the biggest sweepstakes in the tournament this year will be who the runner-up is at 165 pounds. David Taylor's numbers have been gaudy all year. There's nothing creative or otherwise insightful in predicting him to continue his dominance throughout the tournament. He is as much of a lock as anyone I've seen since Cael Sanderson. The bookmakers will make this weight class unbettable, unless you are Tyler Caldwell's mother and hope he can slow down Taylor enough to steal the victory. I don't see it happening. Taylor wins comfortably for his second title. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) This weight class is perhaps the deepest in the tournament, with a handful of talented wrestlers who have traded wins/losses throughout the year. However, I think Andrew Howe is the top dog. Expect him to complete his long comeback after taking a redshirt last season after transferring from Wisconsin. Perry's road to the finals will most likely go through either Matt Brown of Penn State of Mike Evans of Iowa -- either wrestler could beat Perry in a close match. Perry is the returning NCAA champion at this weight class so he knows how to win on the big stage. But so does Howe as a two-time NCAA finalist and one-time champion. I expect Howe to avenge his loss to Perry in the Big 12 finals and take home his second NCAA title as his swan song. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Ethan Lofthouse (Iowa) Disregarding the fact that somehow Ruth is not the top seed, he is a close runner-up to David Taylor as the biggest lock of the tournament. In simple terms: the guy is absolutely dominant. His lone loss to Gabe Dean of Cornell at the Southern Scuffle is either an anomaly or Ruth stayed out too late celebrating the New Year. Lofthouse has as good a shot as anyone to make the finals, but stands little chance to win -- especially if Ruth feigns any interest in winning his third NCAA title. 197: Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) over Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) Flip a coin when predicting this weight class. I did. See my chart. Any one of the top eight seeds could win the title. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Adam Chalfant (Indiana) Another tossup weight class that could see any one of the top five seeds emerging as the champion. Nelson carries the Minnesota heavyweight pedigree and seems to be peaking at the right time. In any case, there is no doubt that the championship will be decided with no less than seven minutes of hugging and pushing. Can't wait! Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Oklahoma State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma

125: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Ever since watching Nahshon Garrett at the National Duals, I knew I was picking him. His speed and power will propel him past Nico in the semis and get the win in a back-and-forth affair with the returning champ. Cornell keeps the streak alive with another champion. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) The Iowa senior has a tough row and will get tested from the quarters on. It's Tony's turn. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) I can't imagine Stieber on any part of the podium except the top. It doesn't matter who the opponent is. He's that much better. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) I like Maple to quiet the critics. He's the most underrated returning champion. 157: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over James Green (Nebraska) This is the hardest weight class to handicap and it's possible neither of these two will make it. Dieringer takes it in the most exciting finals match of the night. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Nick Sulzer (Virginia) The easiest pick of the 10. Unless there's a weird injury, Taylor rolls through the field. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) In a low-scoring bout, Howe wins the title. It won't be pretty and it won't be that exciting, but he gets it done. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) This is the last of the slam dunks. He won't dominate like his teammate Taylor, but Ruth gets his third title. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Nick Heflin (Ohio State) This is nothing more than a hunch. Cox could just as easily lose in the second round. But I'm going in all the way with Cox. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Mike McMullen (Northwestern) It doesn't matter whether you like his style, the man gets it done. Nelson wins three in a row. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Minnesota 3. Iowa 4. Oklahoma State 5. Cornell

125: Jesse Delgado (Illinois) over Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) Really a three-horse race, with Megaludis in there as well. Delgado's takedowns in his semifinal match against Garrett last year were amongst the finest in the tournament. None of the three are undefeated but all are spectacular. It will really come down to just who is "on." 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) A pretty balanced weight class with the big names coming from a wide range of schools. Ramos hasn't been perfect this season, but has been wrestling well as of late. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Stieber is one of the marquee names competing this weekend and should get title No. 3. After avenging his only loss of the season with a crip win over Retherford, it's tough to bet against him. 149: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) over Chris Villalonga (Cornell) Another balanced weight class, but Houdashelt has a number of dominating wins, including a pin over No. 2 Dardanes at the Southern Scuffle. 157 Derek St. John (Iowa) over Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Possibly the deepest weight class in the tournament. There's a bunch of guys who could win it and much will come down to style matchups. Defending champ St. John has shown he knows how to peak. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) vs. Nick Sulzer (Virginia) A one-horse race as David Taylor has looked unstoppable all season long. One of the most touted recruits in a long time, Taylor has lived up to his billing, will go out as a four-time finalist and should easily get title No. 2. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) They've seen each other a couple times this season, with Perry winning last, but Howe should come out in this battle of former champs. There's an outside chance of either Matt Brown or Mike Evans upsetting Perry before the finals. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) I don't see Ruth losing to Dean again in the semis. Ruth has been amazing throughout his career even if it seems like he's often not working very hard. An interesting weight class all around, the quarters and medal rounds should be especially exciting. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Scott Schiller (Minnesota) Easily the most wide-open weight class in the field, all of the top five guys could win it without raising too many eyebrows. While many of the other highly-touted freshmen may have earned more discussion throughout the season, it may be only Cox who ends up with a title this year. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) After shocking fans with four regular season losses (he only had one last season), two-time champ Nelson has looked back to form recently. Winning a third title this year would put him in an elite group, but it will be a lot of work to get him there. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Minnesota 3. Iowa 4. Cornell 5. Oklahoma State

125: Jesse Delgado (Illinois) over Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) Three-headed monster at the top of 125, with Garrett and Nico Megaludis (Penn State) likely to meet in the semifinal. With that the case, Delgado has the highest probability of winning, so that's the pick. However, very few outside of the Delgado/Illinois camp would be disappointed if he was upset in an early round -- as it would assure a more "open" and fan-friendly finals bout. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) The Achilles heel for Ramos from the last two years, Logan Stieber (Ohio State), is up in the next weight class. I think in this last shot that Ramos can glare out to the audience with a smile from the top of the podium on Saturday night. Let's go against the grain and place Graff into the final, avenging a pair of losses from earlier in the season to Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) in the semifinal round. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Stieber exacted revenge for his early season loss to Zain Retherford (Penn State) in the Big Ten final over a week ago. Now he'll get the chance to do similar for the fact Port upended younger brother Hunter in the national semifinal last year. It'll be a third national title for Stieber in as many seasons, with Port finishing as runner-up for the second straight year. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) Despite not having the best of regular seasons after moving up a weight, Maple finds a way to repeat as national champion, and does so after clearing the much tougher side of the draw. Likely path involves Big Ten champ Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) in the quarter and then No. 1 seed Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) in the semifinal. 157: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) I picked Dieringer to win the title last year, but he suffered defeat on the hands of Derek St. John (Iowa), 3-2, in the tiebreaker in the semis. This year, let's stick with that pick, and see Dieringer avenge that semifinal loss in front of a relatively friendly crowd in OKC. For the top half, the Ohio native in me slots Isaac Jordan as the finalist. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) The Magic Man goes out in majestic fashion with a second national title. Might not be as dominating as the first, but the style and talent shines just as clearly. Four times a high school state champion, four times a Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion, four times a Big Ten champion -- Taylor will cement his place in history with a second title and Hodge Trophy from four NCAA finals appearances. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) For as much talent as these two wrestlers do have, both have shown tendency to not "open up" under pressure -- instead trusting their strength, defense, and guile. I think these are the two clear best wrestlers in the country, and we'll get to see a rubber match on the raised mat on Saturday night. This time Howe comes through with the win. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) Ruth seeks a third national title, which would put him in rarified air within collegiate wrestling circles. Even though he lost to Gabe Dean (Cornell) at the Southern Scuffle, I think that Ruth finds the necessary gear to overcome Dean in the national semifinal. Then, look for another decisive finals victory over a formidable opponent, which is what has happened when he majored Amuchastegui and Hamlin on the raised mat. 197: Scott Schiller (Minnesota) over J'den Cox (Missouri) Use of a random number generator might be more effective than analysis of the bracket, and that's pretty much what I did here. Schiller placed fifth in this weight last year after not being a starter the year before, while Cox was winning his fourth state title in Missouri up at 285 pounds. Just shows you the divergence of paths possible for collegiate success. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) Even though Nelson suffered losses on four consecutive weekends from mid-January into early February, I think the two-time defending national champion has righted the ship. He showed why he is the nation's best heavyweight with his performance in the Big Ten tournament, and a title here will get him a third national title -- which is something that not even Tommy Rowlands, Steve Mocco, nor Cole Konrad could accomplish. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Minnesota 4. Oklahoma State 5. Oklahoma

125: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) My pick at the beginning of the season, Nahshon Garrett, has only improved and impressed in 2014. With more pressure expected to be put on Jesse Delgado to do something that resembles offense, it'll be Garrett who scores on several occasions and takes home his first crown. 133: Joe Colon (UNI) over Tony Ramos (Iowa) Lost in the hub-bub about upsets and standout years was Joe Colon who has been lights out for head coach Doug Schwab. He'll face Ramos in the finals, and like he did at Midlands, waste no time in scoring, and ultimately dispatching the standout Hawkeye. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Though the seeding was a big kerfuffle, it's ignorant to not recognize that Mitchell Port is a talented, tough-nose competitor. He's on the top side of the bracket and won't face as much competition, which gives him a road to the finals. He'll meet Stieber, who proved last week in his win against Zain Retherford (Penn State) that he is the best horse in the race. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Gus Sako (Virginia) Call me a homer, but Gus Sako has all the skills to rip through his side of the bracket. He's a bad matchup for No. 2 Nick Dardanes and is just funky enough to throw off any competitor. Still, Kendric Maple will find his pace at NCAAs and under the direction of Mark Cody bring home a second NCAA title. 157: James Green (Nebraska) over Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) Mean James Green is the best wrestler at the weight class and has been for much of the season. Dieringer will put up a challenge, but Green has hit another level and will show separation in the finals. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Nick Sulzer (Virginia) OK, I'm a bit of a homer. Though I think Sulzer will give Taylor a hell of a match, it's still a slim chance he'll get past Taylor. That said, don't be surprised if it's a closer match than most are expecting. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) The Big 12 finals evened up the score, but it'll be interesting to see how Perry's stall ride is handled by the top officials in the country. Howe is more offensive and should he do to Perry at NCAAs what he did at Big 12s and push the defending champion around the mat, the officials will have to ding Perry. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) Sheptock has a clear road to the finals, facing No. 4 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) in the semifinals -- an opponent he handled in the finals of the ACC. Ed "Baby" Ruth will have to make it past Gabe Dean (Cornell), but assuming that happens he'll be in top form come Saturday night. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) Cox is a monster who sits on the "easy" side of the 197 bracket. Get to the finals and anyone he faces should be worn down from quarterfinal and semifinal competition. That should be Gadson (or at least I hope it is), but I favor Cox in the head-to-head finals. 285: Adam Coon (Michigan) over Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) With heavyweights this season nothing is surprising. So yeah ... why not? Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Oklahoma State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma

125: Nico Megaludis (Penn State) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Nico Megaludis has reached the finals each time he has wrestled in the NCAAs. He's the ultimate competitor who shines in the biggest events. This time I see him getting over the hump and winning his first NCAA title. He has struggled with Nahshon Garrett this season, losing twice, but it's very difficult to beat a wrestler like Megaludis three straight times. I see Megaludis edging Garrett in the semifinals on Friday night, and then beating his nemesis Jesse Delgado in the NCAA finals on Saturday night in this season's rubber match. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) This is a difficult weight class to forecast because there are several wrestlers capable of winning the title. Initially I was totally set on picking A.J. Schopp to win the title because I love the way he's wrestling right now, and Edinboro coach Tim Flynn is a master at peaking his wrestlers at the NCAAs. However, my gut feeling now is that it's going to be Joe Colon and Tony Ramos wrestling for the championship. Both are seniors and extremely hungry. Colon has wrestled like a man on a mission this season after being kicked off the UNI wrestling team last season. Ramos is an emotional wrestler who thrives in the spotlight and feeds off the crowd. He's too good not to win a title. I'm taking Ramos to avenge his loss to Schopp in the NCAA semifinals, and then avenge his other loss to Colon in the NCAA finals. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) The loss Logan Stieber took against Zain Retherford earlier in the season may have been the best thing to happen to him. Not only did it take some pressure off him, but seemed to make him hungrier and more focused. Logan Stieber is likely the next four-time NCAA champion and it's hard to envision anyone stopping him. This is a wrestler who defeated the No. 1 wrestler in the world (at the time), Opan Sat of Russia, less than a year ago. It will be interesting to see if there's a Stieber-Retherford III in the semifinals. Retherford has a very difficult road to get there, though, starting with his first-round match against Ugi. Mitchell Port, an NCAA runner-up last season, has been phenomenal this season. A potential Mitchell Port-Devin Carter semifinal matchup could be interesting. 149: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) over Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) This is one of the more wide-open weight classes. Drake Houdashelt has been the most consistent wrestler in the weight class, but can't be considered anything more than a slight favorite in this weight class. He took a loss to Tywan Claxton of Ohio earlier in the season, and less than two weeks ago needed sudden victory period to defeat ODU's Alexander (Lenny) Richardson in the MAC tournament finals. Jason Tsirtsis may be a freshman, but don't expect the bright lights and big stage to intimidate him. He has competed in major wrestling events his entire life. Tsirtsis has a brutal road to the finals. If the seeds hold, Tsirtsis will have to go through Bryce Busler, Dylan Cottrell, and Kendric Maple just to get to a semifinal match with top-seeded Houdashelt. I'm taking Tsirtsis to run the gauntlet on his side of the bracket, and then defeat Jake Sueflohn in the NCAA finals in a rematch of the Big Ten finals. 157: James Green (Nebraska) over Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) This will be an entertaining weight class to watch because there are so many dynamic wrestlers. The top three seeds, James Green, Derek St. John, and Alex Dieringer, have been the most consistent this season, but there are plenty of potential spoilers in this weight class ... wrestlers like Ian Miller, Isaac Jordan, Dylan Ness, R.J. Pena, and Dylan Alton have proven they can compete with the nation's best wrestlers. Very few will be surprised if any of those wrestlers makes a run to the finals. All five are on the top side of the bracket with Green. Green is just so quick and explosive on his feet, and has improved his gas tank, which makes him a nightmare matchup for just about everyone. I like Green to come through the top side and meet third-seeded Alex Dieringer in the finals. Dieringer, an NCAA third-place finisher last season as a freshman, will likely have to get past DSJ, who edged him earlier in the season. Green over Dieringer in the championship. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) Taylor seems to be having the most fun he's had in college wrestling career. Last season he dealt with the emotional stress that came with his rivalry with Kyle Dake. This season he seems to be enjoying every moment and crushing everyone in the process. I'm not exactly going out on a limb here, but I see Taylor getting bonus points on everyone he faces en route to the finals. The bottom semifinal will likely pit Tyler Caldwell against Nick Sulzer in a rematch of the Southern Scuffle semifinals -- a match won by Caldwell, 2-1. I like Caldwell to edge Sulzer and reach the finals against Taylor. Taylor and Caldwell have wrestled twice this season, with Taylor winning the first match 9-1 and the second match 5-2. Taylor will be looking to put an exclamation point on an incredible collegiate career, while Caldwell will be looking to shock the college wrestling world. Caldwell will be game in the NCAA finals, but Taylor will be too much. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) The top two seeds, both NCAA champions, Chris Perry and Andrew Howe, seem to have separated from the rest of the pack, but not by much. Robert Kokesh, an NCAA third-place finisher last season, has only a single blemish on his record, and that was a one-point loss to Howe at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He's been training with Jordan Burroughs (someone who knows Howe very well) and cannot be counted out. All-Americans Mike Evans, Matt Brown, and Logan Storley will all be looking to play the role of spoiler. I like Perry and Howe to grind out some tough wins en route to the finals to set up the rubber match between the Big 12 rivals. This time it goes Howe's way and he caps off his career as a two-time NCAA champion, three-time NCAA finalist, and four-time All-American. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) It doesn't seem like that long ago when Ruth was the lanky freshman turning heads at the Southern Scuffle by knocking off returning All-Americans Chris Henrich and Mack Lewnes. Now he stands five matches away from closing the book on one of the most dominant collegiate careers of the past 10 years. A third NCAA title seems inevitable, even with Gabe Dean -- the only wrestler to defeat over the past three seasons -- standing in his way. I expect Ruth to get his revenge on Dean in the semifinals. The top half of the bracket is pretty wide open, but I'm taking the two-time All-American Lofthouse to come through as the No. 5 seed and reach the finals against Ruth. He will likely have to get past Jimmy Sheptock, who defeated him at the Midlands. Ruth wins dominantly in the finals against Lofthouse. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) There isn't a clear frontrunner in this weight class -- and it could be argued a number of different ways which wrestler should be considered the favorite. Gadson is currently ranked No. 1 by InterMat, but received the No. 5 seed. Top-seeded Nick Heflin has been on a roll, as has second-seeded J'den Cox. Big Ten wrestlers Morgan McIntosh and Scott Schiller have put together nice seasons and are seeded third and fourth respectively. Richard Perry and Travis Rutt could surprise coming from the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds. In other words, this weight class is a crapshoot and nothing will surprise me. I like Gadson to come out of the top half of the bracket, while I see Cox navigating his way to the finals from the bottom half. Gadson defeated Cox in overtime at the Southern Scuffle, scoring the takedown off an attack from the Missouri freshman. Cox already avenged his loss to Phil Wellington in the MAC finals. I see him avenging his loss to Gadson in the NCAA finals to become a true freshman NCAA champion. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Mike McMullan (Northwestern) Interestingly, two-time NCAA champion Nelson has more losses (four) this season than he had in the two previous seasons combined, yet he is the No. 1 seed at the NCAAs for the first time in his career. Nelson won the Big Ten title, which at heavyweight this season is like winning a mini-NCAA tournament because seven of the top eight heavyweights were in the conference tournament. The Gopher big man seems to be firing on all cylinders in the final month of his collegiate career. The heavyweight class is deep and talented, so Nelson is by no means a surefire finalist or champ. He has a tough road ahead of him, but I like him to prevail and become Minnesota's first three-time NCAA champion, beating Mike McMullan in the NCAA finals for the second straight season. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Oklahoma State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma

Cinderella runs in wrestling are extraordinarily rare. Despite the long odds of an unseeded wrestler, cranking past columns of seeded opponents, every year there is usually one outsider who finds a path and gets it done. I spent a great deal of time last year on the math behind the scarcity of the bracket buster, so I've gone ahead and used that statistical introduction to prep this year's selections. Math is hard. Here we go ... There have been seven unseeded wrestlers in the semifinals since 2010: Two in 2013, one in 2012, one in 2011 and three in 2010: 2013: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) beat No. 11 seed Andrew Alton (Penn State), No. 6 seed Dylan Ness (Minnesota) and unseeded Kevin Tao (American) before losing to Jason Chamberlain (Boise State), 7-3, in the semifinals. Houdashelt would go on to place sixth. Northern Iowa's David Bonin beat Bobby Barnhisel (Navy), Kyle Bradley (Missouri), and No. 12 seed Jedd Moore (Virginia) before losing to Northwestern's Jason Welch, 7-1, in the semifinals. 2012: Hofstra's Justin Accordino (149) beat No. 12 seed Ivan Lopouchanski (Purdue), No. 5 seed Ian Miller (Kent State) and unseeded Nick Lester (Oklahoma) before losing to Frank Molinaro (Penn State), 5-0. Accordino finished in sixth place. 2011: Utah Valley's Ben Kjar (125) beat unseeded Steve Bonanno (Hofstra), No. 4 seed James Nicholson (Old Dominion) and No. 5 seed Zach Sanders (Minnesota) before losing to eventual champion Anthony Robles (Arizona State), 4-2. Kjar took fourth place. 2010: Purdue 125-pounder Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) beat No. 7 seed James Nicholson (Oold Dominion), unseeded Joe Langel (Rutgers), and unseeded Fred Santaite (Boston U) to make the semifinals where he lost to eventual champion Matt McDonough (Iowa), 14-3. Quiroga finished in sixth place. Binghamton's Justin Lister (157) beat No. 11 seed Neil Erisman (Oklahoma State), unseeded Thomas Scotton (North Carolina) and No. 3 seed Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) before losing to runner-up Chase Pami (Cal Poly), 14-3. Lister finished in fourth place. Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell (165) beat No. 12 seed Paul Young (Indiana), No. 5 seed Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) and unseeded Chris Brown (Old Dominion) to make the semifinals and where he lost to Andrew Howe (Wisconsin), 4-1. Caldwell earned fifth place. In the past there were only 12 seeded wrestlers and it was still a statistical improbability that any unseeded wrestler would make the semifinals. Of the 160 available semifinal spots over the past four years only seven went to unseeded wrestlers. That means 840 unseeded wrestlers had an opportunity to make the semifinals, but only seven of those men accomplished the task. Your unseeded wrestler has less than a .83 percent chance of being this season's bracket buster. Over the past three years we've given ourselves 30 picks and have so far been unable to guess the bracket busters, making the likelihood of you choosing the bracket buster as likely as your nephew catching this bear in a spladle. The wrestlers listed below are not necessarily the best unseeded wrestlers, just the ones who might have a path to the semifinals that is both conceivable and assisted by other upsets. If you look above at the last three years you can see that almost all the semifinalists ran into an unseeded wrestler in the quarterfinals or second round. They didn't have to wrestle three consecutive top-12 opponents, because other potential busters were assisting them on their forward march. Also a factor is the pre-existing injuries to seeded opponents in your quarter of the bracket. If just one No. 5 seed comes in with a broken rib and it could signal an upset that could lead to the type of runs we read about above. But again, let's play this honest, there is less than a one percent chance of any unseeded wrestler making it to the semifinals, much less the ones you or I select and justify. Know too that almost every Big Ten wrestler earned a seed leaving mostly ACC and EWL wrestlers from which to choose. I recommend you just make your own picks and leave your choices in the comments section! Nathan Kraisser nearly upset Jesse Delgado at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)125: Nathan Kraisser (UNC) First Round: Injured Josh Martinez (Air Force) earned the No. 4 seed, but was losing 10-2 to Wyoming's Tyler Cox when the match was called. Kraisser is funky and creative enough to manage this first-round upset. Second Round: Earl Hall (Iowa State) has the talent to make it past No. 13 Evan Silver (Stanford), but both wrestlers are good matchups for Kraisser. Quarterfinals: No. 5 Dylan Peters (UNI) is 31-4 on the season. He should win, but Kraisser has a 30 percent chance of pulling this upset. 133: Dennis Gustafson (Virginia Tech) First Round: No. 7 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) shouldn't be much of a problem for the ACC champion. His defense is better than most anyone in the nation and should win by 3+ points. Second Round: No. 10 Nick Soto (Chattanooga) is a solid matchup and someone Gustafson has seen in the past. Quarterfinals: Getting to wrestle No. 2 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) would be impressive enough and though he's long odds, I was so impressed with him at ACCs that nothing would surprise me. 141: Undrakhbayar (The Citadel) First Round: The returning All-American failed to get seeded after a season with questionable losses. However, Ugi wasn't training full-time due to an NCAA oversight on his redshirt. Once he is in the the mix, he's as good as anyone. Look for him to get ridden, but it might not matter, as he's a terrible matchup for No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State). Second Round: No. 14 Edgar Bright shouldn't be a tough match for Ugi to win, and would likely be considered the odds-on favorite. Quarterfinals: No. 11 Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa) makes it past No. 6 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), but won't be able to deal with Ugi's attacks. 149: James English (Penn State) First Round: Swept up in the week of attention, unseeded James English (Penn State) will be on a mission to prove his team worthiness. No. 12 Dylan Cottrell of Appalachian State is 26-1, but English should find a way to beat him and steal the seed. Second Round: No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) is a long shot for English, but if he wants to make a run, it'll be because Bryce Busler had already beaten Tsirtsis. Quarterfinals: No. 4 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) would be a tall order for English, but his style stands a shot at pulling the upset. Also watch out for Tywan Claxton (Ohio) in the first round to possibly give Maple a scare. 157: Joey Napoli (Lehigh) First Round: His upset run will be decided in the first round. If he can make is past No. 2 seed Derek St. John (Iowa), he'll pull off the biggest upset of the round and give himself the opportunity to march forward. Second Round: No. 15 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) Quarterfinals: No. 10 Blaise Butler (UVA) is a 50/50 matchup, and the last wrestler in Napoli's run 165: Zach Toal (Missouri) First Round: All Toal's losses are to top-seeded wrestlers with the notable exception of Shaun'Qae McMurtry (Northern Illinois). It's a test for him to get past No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern), but it's possible. Second Round: He'd need to avenge an early season loss to No. 10 Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa) Quarterfinals: Who better to pull the upset of No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) than a kid coached by Sammie Henson, who was a big part of Caldwell's development at Oklahoma. 174: Bryce Hammond (CSU Bakersfield) First Round: Not a lot of good selections, but I chose Hammond last season and think that with the right game plan he could challenge No. 4 Mike Evans (Iowa) in his sophomore season. Second Round: He's my favorite to beat No. 13 Hayden Zilmer (North Dakota State) in a tight match. Quarterfinals: Ten percent chance he gets past No. 5 Matt Brown (Penn State), but given the opportunity, the young California star might achieve something great. 184: Vic Avery (Edinboro) First Round: Fighting Scots always perform at NCAAs and Avery should have been seeded. He'll pull the upset of No. 5 Ethan Lofthouse (Iowa) in the first round and get help later. Second Round: Though he lost 9-3 earlier in the season to Ophir Bernstein (Brown), the Edinboro conditioning program gets him the win this time. Quarterfinals: The helping hand will come from overlooked No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) who will give No. 4 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) all he can handle and push past him. Avery had previously wrestled Thomusseit to a 4-1 loss. 197: Zach Nye (Virginia) First Round: There are no easy calls at 197 pounds and though Nye is raw, he's coming off a career win against two-time ACC champion Cristian Boley of Maryland. To beat No. 4 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) will take guts and luck, both of which favor Nye. Second Round: He'll keep the part going against No. 13 Danny Mitchell (American) Quarterfinals: Perhaps No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) will be taken aback by Nye's style. Slim chance he makes it past, but after a day of upsets anything would be possible. 285: Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) Pigtail: He looked solid at ACCs will cruise past Nick Tavanello (Ohio State). First Round: It won't look like an upset when he sticks with and finally pushes past No. 8 J.T. Felix (Boise State). Second Round: No. 9 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Quarterfinals: The upset of the tournament will come from unseeded Joe Stolfi (Bucknell), who beats Tony Nelson in double OT snore-ride, only to fall to Walz by a takedown.

Last spring the NCAA's wrestling committee voted to up the number of seeded wrestlers from 12 to 16 at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which went into effect this year. However, despite that fact, there are still several highly accomplished wrestlers who failed to earn a top-16 seed and have been matched up with seeded wrestlers in the opening round. At 141 pounds alone, two returning All-Americans, K. Undrakhbayar (The Citadel) and Mike Nevinger (Cornell), enter this year's NCAA tournament unseeded and face highly seeded wrestlers right out of the gate. So before you leave your seat to go to the bathroom or buy your Dippin' Dots in Thursday's opening session, glance at the bout numbers on the brackets and make sure you don't miss any of the 10 first-round matchups below. Ryan Taylor is coming off a third-place finish at the Big Tens (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)125: No. 7 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) vs. Jared Germaine (Eastern Michigan) This is a battle of two wrestlers coming off strong performances at their respective conference tournaments. Taylor, a redshirt freshman, finished third at the Big Tens, losing only to Penn State's Nico Megaludis by one point in the semifinals, and avenging a loss to Cory Clark of Iowa in the third-place match. Germaine has flown under the radar this season at Eastern Michigan. He turned in a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships, losing to UNI's Dylan Peters, 4-3. Germaine has a 20-2 record this season, and picked up a 9-3 win earlier this season against North Carolina's Nathan Kraisser. Ugi enters the NCAAs with a 22-3 record and unseeded at 141 (Photo/The Citadel Sports Information)141: No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. K. Undrakhbayar (The Citadel) It seems unfathomable -- and unfair -- for these two wrestlers to meet in the opening round of the NCAAs. Penn State's Retherford has put together a tremendous true freshman, beating two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State, and losing only once (to Stieber) heading into the NCAAs. Ugi, an NCAA fourth-place finisher last season, was granted another semester to compete by the NCAA midseason. He comes in with a nice record of 22-3, but lacks notable wins this season and took losses to No. 12 Richard Durso of Franklin & Marshall, No. 16 Joe Spisak of Virginia, and unseeded Gabe Moreno of Iowa State. 141: No. 7 Zach Horan (Central Michigan) vs. Mike Nevinger (Cornell) Horan was upset in the MAC semifinals by Northern Iowa's Joey Lazor, who caught fire in his conference tournament. Horan, a four-time Pennsylvania state finalist, reached the round of 12 two seasons ago as a true freshman and redshirted last season. Nevinger is a two-time All-American who has battled injuries this season. At the EIWAs, Nevinger fell to Hofstra's Luke Vaith, 3-0, in the semifinals, defaulted against Richard Durso, and then won his fifth-place match to earn an automatic bid in the NCAAs. Horan will be looking for his first All-American finish, but a first-round loss to Nevinger would send the Central Michigan sophomore down a long road to reach the All-American podium. 141: No. 13 Steve Dutton (Michigan) vs. Josh Dziewa (Iowa) These two Big Ten wrestlers are familiar with each other having already met twice this season. Dutton came out victorious in each of the first two meetings, 3-2 on Feb. 9, and 7-0 at the Big Tens less than two weeks ago. Dutton, a New York native, has been in the NCAA tournament twice -- both times with Lehigh. He comes in to the NCAAs with a record of 8-4, with all four of his losses coming to wrestlers seeded in the top five. Dziewa has notched some big wins this season. His most notable victory came over sixth-seeded Chris Dardanes. However, it's the inconsistency that has plagued Dziewa this season and caused him to enter the NCAAs unseeded. If the Hawkeyes want to stay in the NCAA team race, they need to pull some upsets, and this could be one. 149: No. 4 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) vs. Tywan Claxton (Ohio) When it was announced that Kendric Maple was moving up a weight class this season to 149 pounds, many expected him to do what he did last season at 141 pounds, when he finished as an undefeated NCAA champion. However, that has simply not happened this season. The Sooner senior has already taken four losses (five if you count the NWCA All-Star Classic loss to Logan Stieber of Ohio State) and enters the NCAAs as the No. 4 seed. Maple's first-round opponent is Ohio's Tywan Claxton, who is best known for putting the only blemish on top-seeded Drake Houdashelt's resume this season. Claxton was a Division II All-American at King University prior to transferring to Ohio. He came into the MAC tournament as the top seed (over Houdashelt), but finished a disappointing fifth, losing his true fourth-place match and needing an at-large bid to even get in the NCAA tournament. Jason Tsirtsis defeated Jake Sueflohn to claim the Big Ten title (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)149: No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. Bryce Busler (Bloomsburg) The Big Ten champion Tsirtsis should have been seeded ahead of Minnesota's Nick Dardanes, as I pointed out in a seeding blunders story, and now has a very difficult road to the NCAA finals. His first NCAA tournament starts with a match against unseeded Bryce Busler of Bloomsburg. Tsirtsis and Busler met earlier this season, with Tsirtsis winning that match 2-0 at the Keystone Classic in November. It was the first blemish on Busler's record this season after he started the season 7-0 with wins over Maple and Mitch Minotti of Lehigh. Busler has not been able to return to his early season form, but is still a very capable wrestler and a tough first-round opponent for Tsirtsis. 157: No. 2 Derek St. John (Iowa) vs. Joey Napoli (Lehigh) Interestingly, St. John and Napoli were the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds respectively at last year's NCAAs in Des Moines. St. John went on to win the NCAA title, while Napoli went 0-2 and bowed out of the competition on the opening day. DSJ comes in as the No. 2 seed again this year after finishing runner-up at the Big Tens to Nebraska's James Green. Napoli, like the aforementioned Ugi, has a nice record (12-3), but lacks quality wins, which hurts him in the seeding process. The two wrestlers have not met this season despite Iowa and Lehigh wrestling in a dual meet and both teams being at the Midlands. Last season, however, St. John topped Napoli, 6-0, in a dual meet in early December. 157: No. 13 Dylan Alton (Penn State) vs. Brian Murphy (Michigan) Alton was an All-American (third place) as a redshirt freshman two seasons ago, but failed to reach the All-American podium last season and has struggled with injuries and consistency this season. He is coming off a disappointing eighth-place finish at the Big Tens, where he lost three times. One of those losses came to Michigan's Brian Murphy, who he could see in the first round. The two wrestlers have split this season, with Alton winning the first meeting in sudden victory on Super Bowl Sunday. Murphy, though, has to first get past Oklahoma's Justin DeAngelis in his pigtail match. Murphy, a three-time state finalist at Glenbard North (Ill.), is putting together a solid true freshman campaign. He took top-seeded James Green of Nebraska into sudden victory at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational before losing 7-5. He also notched a win over two-time All-American Dylan Ness of Minnesota. 165: No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern) vs. Zach Toal (Missouri) Based strictly on seeds, it's reasonable to think that Harger should be considered a strong favorite in his first-round match. However, seeds can be deceiving and that's certainly the case in this instance. Harger and Toal, both Ohio natives, are very evenly matched. This is tossup any way you slice it. The two wrestlers have not met this season, but did battle each other last season at the NCAAs, with Toal winning 4-2. What hurt Toal in the seeding process this year was the upset loss he took at the MAC Championship to Northern Illinois' Shaun'Qae McMurtry, which he avenged in the third-place match. The winner of the Harger-Toal match will likely face Northern's Iowa's Cooper Moore, a wrestler who has beaten both Harger and Toal this season. Ethen Lofthouse defeated Kevin Steinhaus to reach the Big Ten finals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)184: No. 5 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) vs. Vic Avery (Edinboro) Lofthouse has always performed well at the NCAAs and has two All-American finishes on his resume to prove it. Last year he entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 12 seed and finished fifth. This season he has battled injuries and split time in the lineup with teammate Sammy Brooks. His only losses, though, have come to the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers, Maryland's Jimmy Sheptock and Penn State's Ed Ruth. Avery, a Massachusetts native, won the EWL title and comes in with a record of 23-5. The fact that he is not seeded is surprising. He is currently ranked 12th by InterMat. He was an NCAA qualifier two seasons ago as a true freshman, and won nearly 30 matches last season while redshirting. Edinboro coach Tim Flynn always seems to have his Fighting Scots peaking when it matters most, and Avery is a wrestler who could do some damage in Oklahoma City. Iowa and Edinboro met in a dual meet early in the season, but Avery was held out. Expect to see a very competitive match between Lofthouse and Avery.

Every fan knows that college wrestling is a sport like no other. Small differences can often separate winners from losers and greats from also-rans. Tight matches are often determined by borderline takedowns, riding time, back points and, increasingly, referees' interpretations. Betting on college wrestling requires a formula that predicts small actions. For example, a late and meaningless stall point against Kyle Dake, combined with missed back points against Logan Stieber can mean the difference between enjoying a lucrative NCAA finals and taking the early flight back home to Chicago. I was on the wrong side of those small differences last year, but luckily Steve Bosak's win in 2012 is still paying for my morning bagel. With that in mind, it's once again the time of year when we find out who has all the angles, and who has the stones to play 'em! As the NCAA wrestling tournament gains more coverage and fans each year, the lines offered by online sportsbooks also tightened. This year will be no different, and there aren't likely to be major flubs. However, the 2014 wrestling season was one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. That, along with terrible seeding, could mean some big bets are available. And remember, I'm in no way responsible for what you bet, or if you bet. Think twice before laying your mortgage on the field at 165 pounds. This is for giggles so if you can't afford to lose it, don't bet it. For the newcomers, here's how it usually works: Each weight class is broken down with a money line on the top two or three individuals (usually by seed). Then the remaining wrestlers, or the field, are given a collective money line to win. For clarity purposes each line uses a base amount of $100. So if the line is +150, that means you risk $100 to profit $150. Likewise, if the line is -150, you risk $150 to profit $100. A few numbers for thought before we break down the weight classes (all data is since the 2003 NCAA tournament): 1. The No. 1 seed at the NCAA wrestling tournament has won almost exactly 50% of the time. 2. A wrestler seeded third or lower has won approximately 30%. 3. A wrestler seeded fourth or lower has won approximately 20%. 4. The field comes in on average twice a year. 5. All NCAA champions in 2013 came from either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. That hadn't happened previously since a few years before David Taylor was born. The "powers to be" shied away from offering too many field bets last year. Steve Bosak's Cinderella run in 2012 most likely played a part in that. We're hoping to see the range of lines back to normal for this year's tournament. On to the breakdown of this year's weight classes and my personal (pre-official lines): 125: Jesse Delgado of Illinois is your returning NCAA champion and top seed. His newfound defensive style has come under scrutiny as of late, but he did sneak away with his second Big Ten title, despite the noise. We will see if he finds his offense again for the big dance. Nahshon Garrett of Cornell and Nico Megaludis of Penn State are likely facing off for the third time this season in the lower half of the bracket for a ticket to the finals. Iowa's Cory Clark comes in the No. 8 seed, but is probably Delgado's biggest threat in the top half of the bracket. The Lines: Delgado even, Garrett +150, Megaludis +220, Field +600 The Play: Megaludis is a two-time NCAAA finalist so a big line would be tempting. However, Garrett has shown the ability to separate in their first two matchups and this weekend should be no different. Even if Megaludis solves that riddle he still needs to find a way to beat his nemesis in the final. Delgado found a different cylinder at NCAAs last year. He may not need to perform at quite as high of a level this time around since it looks like he's the only wrestler in the nation to figure out Garrett, his probable finals opponent. Stay away from the field as this is a three-horse race. I like Delgado to silence the critics and repeat for even money. 133: Joe Colon of Northern Iowa and A.J. Schopp of Edinboro come in as the two longshot top seeds here by virtue of their respective wins over third-seeded Tony Ramos of Iowa. Three-time All-American Tyler Graff of Wisconsin and fourth-seeded Jon Morrison of Oklahoma State headline the field. The Lines: Ramos +120, Colon +155, Field +350 The Play: Most expected Tony Ramos to walk through this weight class in the beginning of the season. I certainly did. However, losses to Colon and Schopp have pumped the breaks on that line of thought. Ramos is still the slight favorite and Colon has a tough road, but never underestimate the deadly combo of sporting a serious mustache with Doug Schwab in your corner. I like Colon if he comes in +150 or better and/or the field +350. 141: Two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State falls to the No. 2 seed after a rare loss to super frosh Zain Retherford, which he avenged at the Big Tens. Devin Carter of Virginia Tech has seemingly willed his way back to health and a third ACC title six months ahead of schedule after an early season injury. He joins the other undefeated wrestler in the bracket, Edinboro's Mitchell Port, on the top half. The Lines: Stieber -230, Port +135, Carter +300, Field +550 The Play: Carter is a great story and the big wild card here. I think he poses problems for Port in that semifinal matchup but has never figured out Stieber in their previous meetings. I expect Retherford to fight through a brutal early road back to Stieber and make it very interesting in their third installment. The Buckeye is still too much though and we should be looking at the third of four titles. Lay the odds. 149: Drake Houdashelt of Missouri earns the top seed here, but it comes with few rewards as he's handed NCAA champion Kendric Maple of Oklahoma and Big Ten champion Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern on his side of the bracket. Nick Dardanes of Minnesota and Chris Villalonga of Cornell round out the top-five seeds. The Lines: Houdashelt +140, Maple +180, Tsirtsis +250, Field +400 The Play: This bracket is top heavy in a big way, and I like whoever emerges from that half. Houdashelt has taken a loss this year and there are few wrestlers talented enough to keep him from the top of the podium. Many thought Maple would be JO 2.0 with his jump up in weight this year, but the transition hasn't been nearly as smooth. I do still like him to finish with his second title with it all on the line. Take him +180 or better. The field is hungry and talented, but one level below. 157: We arrive at the most fun and anticipated weight class of the tournament. James Green of Nebraska enjoyed a dominant Big Ten with yet another win over returning champ DSJ of Iowa as well as the always-dangerous Dylan "Honey Badger" Ness of Minnesota. The talented Cowboy Alex Dieringer is sitting with one loss on the year and grabs the No. 3 seed. Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin, Ian Miller of Kent State, Dylan Alton of Penn State are some big names in a scrappy field. The Lines: Green +120, DSJ +160, Dieringer +200, Field +350 The Play: "Mean" James Green is my pick (again) here and not just because he's a Burroughs-esque New Jersey native. However, this field is too deep and too talented to ignore. Isaac Jordan has wins over both Green and DSJ. Dylan Ness and Ian Miller can pin anyone in the weight class, while Penn State might just need Alton to come to wrestle to gain a fourth straight title. I think you get the idea. Let's take our first chance on the field. 165: In news that shocks nobody, David Taylor of Penn State is your overwhelming top seed. Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma State and Nick Sulzer of Virginia come in at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. The Lines: DT -600, Caldwell +350, Field +1350 The Play: In a year that saw Ed Ruth and Logan Stieber take losses anything can happen, right? Nah. The only thing to contemplate here is how many falls we see. Sulzer, Caldwell and Monk may be able to keep it close but this is the lock of the tournament. That being said, laying money on DT would be too expensive with little payoff. Stay away and enjoy the ending to a magical career. I’ll take over 2.5 falls. 174: Chris Perry of Oklahoma State is your returning NCAA champion and avenged his only loss with a controversial win over Andrew Howe of Oklahoma a week ago. The next tier down includes a gritty and deep field of wrestlers who will try to play spoiler to a trilogy meeting between the two top dogs. The Lines: Howe even, Perry +160, Kokesh +300, Field +450 The Play: This weight class wants to be 157 pounds, but in reality I think Howe and Perry have shown separation from the pack. Howe will be hungry and it's tough to imagine anyone in the bottom bracket contesting his place on the elevated mat. Perry's road will be much more interesting, but in the end I think we find another meeting between the two former champs. Howe will find redemption and a second title via more collar tie snaps than we knew existed. I'd take him for even money or better. 184: Jimmy Sheptock of Maryland is your top seed here. Take a moment. Jimmy Sheptock is seeded above two-time NCAA champion ... untouchable for two-and-a-half years ... never lost in the Big Ten ... best cradle in the "biz" ... Ed "The Truth" Ruth. He earns that distinction following an undefeated season, while Ruth took the season's most surprising loss to giant killer Gabe Dean of Cornell. Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota is worth mentioning in the field. The Lines: Ruth -300, Dean +225, Sheptock +210, Field +750 The Play: Let's all bow our heads collectively and hope that the actual lines are based on the seeds here. Gabe Dean is Jimmy Sheptock's new best friend for the time being as he hopes he can duplicate his "miracle on the mat" from the Southern Scuffle. Ruth does have the toughest road as he will have to go through Steinhaus, Dean and Sheptock potentially. No doubt that Dean is an animal and I don't think his win in January was any sort of fluke. I also don't think it will be repeated. Lay the odds on Ruuuuuuuth if they are within reason and enjoy the winning chants of his name one last time. 197: Strange seeding here as Kyven Gadson of Iowa State falls to the No. 5 seed after arguably the season's most impressive body of work. He comes in behind top seed and Big Ten champion Nick Heflin of Ohio State. J'den Cox of Missouri and Morgan McIntosh of Penn State will battle it out below as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Scott Schiller of Minnesota is the No. 4 seed and spent a healthy amount of time ranked No. 1 this season before some recent losses. The Lines: Heflin +170, Cox +175, Gadson +200, Field +400 The Play: Nobody could fault you for taking the field if the odds are right. No wrestler here has been able to hold the top spot for long and it has changed hands a few times. McIntosh was my preseason pick, but I've jumped ship to J'den Cox. I like his chances even more with Gadson on the opposite side and as a freshman you should be able to get some good value betting on him. There will be room for a few more stars in the sport with Taylor and Ruth gone. Cox is ready to fill the void. 285: Have we seen a heavyweight bracket this exciting and wide open? Not since Bloodsport. Minnesota's Tony Nelson is the No. 1 seed and two-time returning NCAA champion. He also has losses to four of the five wrestlers seeded directly below him. The Lines: Nelson +165, Gwiz +220, Chalfant +230, Field +265 The Play: This weight class is as wide open as we can hope for. Nelson rebounded nicely at the Big Tens and has two previous titles, so he's still your frontrunner. But this is as unpredictable as they come. Field. All the way. Official lines should be available at your online sportsbook midweek (Wednesday) and individual lines are posted before the finals in case you would like to hedge your bets or double up on Saturday. Good luck and enjoy the winnings!

PITTSBURGH -- Based on the slate of matchups, it was expected that the seniors from Oklahoma would come through with a victory over those from the WPIAL during the preliminary dual meet of the 40th annual Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. Eight straight victories between 138 and 220 assured the Sooner State seniors of the dual meet triumph. It was a reverse outcome of the last time these teams met in the Dapper Dan preliminary, back in 1979, when the WPIAL squad earned victories in seven of twelve bouts to earn a 28-24 victory. The dual meet started out well enough for the home-standing WPIAL squad, as Pitt signee Brendan Price (Canon-McMillan) earned an 11-5 victory at 113 pounds. Price, a 2013 state qualifier, scored five takedowns to the one for returning state placer Braden Bennett (Locust Grove). Countering with a victory at 120 for Oklahoma was two-time state runner-up Jacob Findley (Collinsville). He countered an initial takedown for state placer Brendan Hasson (Belle Vernon) with a reversal and two-point near fall for a 4-2 lead after the first period. A scoreless second period, as matches in the preliminary dual meet had two periods of 2:30 each, would make that the final score in favor of Findley. The preliminary dual meet’s most anticipated match was next, as No. 20 at 132 Cub Yeager (Locust Grove) would face No. 11 Dom Forys (North Allegheny) at 126 pounds. Yeager, a three-time state champion and two-time All-American in Junior Greco-Roman, would upend the two-time state placer and Super 32 Challenge runner-up Forys 8-7. Yeager opened the match’s scoring with a takedown off a headlock toss, and then earned two more points on a cradle. Forys countered that cradle for a reversal of his own, before Yeager earned an escape to end the initial period with a lead. Forys would earn a pair of takedowns, which was sandwiched by a Yeager takedown on a counter to a pancake attempt, but it was not enough. "You never know what positions will end up happening on your feet," said Yeager about how his Greco-Roman experience helps in scholastic wrestling. "Whatever is there is there, and you just take it. All the styles (freestyle, Greco-Roman, etc.) are helpful, and it all works out in the end." Bouncing back from that match, it was three-time state placer Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional) -- who is ranked No. 11 nationally -- coming through with a 12-4 major decision over state placer Justin Fletcher (Bixby) to give the WPIAL a 7-6 dual meet lead, their last of the evening. Smith scored five takedowns in the second period to augment his initial takedown in the first period, and earn Outstanding Wrestler honors for the WPIAL squad. The eight match Oklahoma winning streak started at 138 pounds, as four-time state champion Will Steltzen (Collinsville) used takedowns in each period to outlast state placer Tyler Buckiso (Peters Township) for a 4-1 victory. As a result, Oklahoma took a 9-7 lead in the dual meet, which would stand through the rest of the matches. The Sooner State streak continued in the next bout, as four-time state finalist -- and state champion each of the last two years -- Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill) scored a second period takedown in his 2-1 victory over state placer Grant Fetchet (South Fayette). With the dual meet score 12-7, things started to get really out of reach after No. 19 Dakota Head (Tuttle) came up with a pin at the 2:56 mark against state champion Steven Edwards (Burrell). Head had scored a four-point move in the first period off a toss to take a 4-1 lead after that stanza, and then got the pin off a similar move early in the second period. "I was looking to get off to a strong start and score big," said Head, who earned Outstanding Wrestler honors for the Oklahoma squad. "It feels pretty good (to get a pin over the Pennsylvania state champion, which was something he did not even know about Edwards)." Extending the lead was state champion and Oklahoma State signee Jacobe Smith (Muskogee), who scored a 10-3 victory over state placer Jonathan Avon (North Hills). Smith had three takedowns in the first period and two in the second period, as the dual meet score lead extended to two touchdowns at 21-7. Joining older brother Jordan Rogers, who scored a fall for Team USA in the 2012 Dapper Dan, it was Chandler Rogers (Stillwater) doing the same. This time it came in the preliminary bout, as the No. 6 ranked 170 pound wrestler pinned state runner-up Kyle Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) at the 1:16 mark. A trio of Edmond North wrestlers came through with victories in the next three bouts to push the dual meet score out to 37-7 with one last match remaining. No. 11 at 220 Lance Dixon upended two-time state placer Terrell Fields (Valley) 5-4 at 182 pounds; No. 5 Derek White put on an absurd stretch of dominance in the last 2:45 of the bout, as he scored eight takedowns in that stretch for a 16-6 major decision victory over state placer Cole Macek (Montour) at 195; and No. 12 at 285 Andrew Dixon scored an escape in the ultimate tiebreaker for a 1-0 victory over state champion Jake Temple (Avella) at 220. The evening’s final bout was a merciful triumph for the WPIAL squad, as three-time state placer Shane Kuhn (Kiski Area) ended his wrestling experience with a 6-2 victory over state qualifier Trey Loveall (Locust Grove). Kuhn scored five points off a throw in the first period, one in which he almost secured a fall, and closed the string to get the win. Kuhn will be attending Youngstown State in the fall, a FCS school in football, where he will start out as a tight end and long snapper. "It’s definitely helped me out," said Kuhn about his wrestling experience in terms of football. "Competing as a heavyweight has helped me learn how to move bigger bodies easier, as well improved my hand-fighting. All the wrestling skills translate on the football field." Oklahoma 37, WPIAL 10 113: Brendan Price (Canon-McMillan) dec. Braden Bennett (Locust Grove, Okla.), 11-5 120: Jacob Findley (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Brendan Hasson (Belle Vernon), 4-2 126: No. 20 at 132 Cub Yeager (Locust Grove, Okla.) dec. No. 11 Dom Forys (North Allegheny), 8-7 132: No. 11 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional) maj. dec. Justin Fletcher (Bixby, Okla.), 12-4 138: Will Steltzen (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Tyler Buckiso (Peters Township), 4-1 145: Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill, Okla.) dec. Grant Fetchet (South Fayette), 2-1 152: No. 19 Dakota Head (Tuttle, Okla.) pin Steven Edwards (Burrell), 2:56 160: Jacobe Smith (Muskogee, Okla.) dec. Jonathan Avon (North Hills), 10-3 170: No. 6 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.) pinned Kyle Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), 1:16 182: No. 11 at 220 Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) dec. Terrell Fields (Valley), 5-4 195: No. 5 Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.) major dec. Cole Macek (Montour), 16-6 220: No. 12 at 285 Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) dec. Jake Temple (Avella), 1-0 TB 285: Shane Kuhn (Kiski Area) dec. Trey Loveall (Locust Grove, Okla.), 6-2

Related: Day 1 Recap | Videos LOS ANGELES -- Still stinging from a 5-3 loss to Iran the night before, Team USA's freestyle wrestling team rebounded with an 8-0 shutout of Turkey during the final round of pool action at the World Cup in Los Angeles. The win earned them a runner-up finish in their pool and put them in contention for the bronze medal. In the evening session, Team USA was impressive again, going 7-1 against Ukraine and taking a strong third. Against Turkey, Angel Escobedo opened the meet with a first-period pin at 57 kilos, which was followed by three consecutive technical falls from Jimmy Kennedy at 61 kilos, Brent Metcalf at 65 kilos and Nick Marable at 70 kilos. Jordan Burroughs continued the dominance by earning his third pin of the weekend over Murat Erturk at 2:17 in the first period. Clayton Foster continued his undefeated run on the weekend by beating Faith Erdin, 16-9, and J.D. Bergman followed with an 8-4 win over Ali B-onceoglu. The final match of the meet was not contested as Tervel Dlagnev won by forfeit. USA's final opponent was not determined until the following round when Ukraine defeated Mongolia, 5-3, in a back-and-forth dual meet. Ukraine looked strong in the victory and had rallied after a poor performance in their opening bout against Russia. In the subsequent matches in yesterday's action they defeated Japan 7-1 and Georgia 5-3. Team USA would electrify the packed crowd at the Forum throughout the evening with an aggressive tempo. It is worth noting that the audience contained an exceptionally large contingent of Iranian fans -- to an extent that the members of the Iranian team themselves were surprised by the support. However, during the bronze-medal match, the Iranian section was exceptionally loud in screaming "USA." Angel Escobedo began his match slowly, looking for the right opportunities to strike and held a small lead going into the second period. He then smelled blood and broke the match open, scoring a tech fall just prior to the end of the bout. Jimmy Kennedy was impressive holding a 3-1 lead after the first period against World and Olympic medalist Vasyl Fedoryshyn. He then added a takedown in the second period to win 5-1. Clayton Foster finished unbeaten and won a World Cup gold (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The highlight of Team USA's performance was at 86 kilos, where Clayton Foster continued his undefeated run on the weekend by beating standing World champ Ibragim Aldatov, 7-2. Despite the dominance, Team USA was not completely pleased with their performance. Down from 74 kilos a month ago, Nick Marable believes he has a ways to go. "I'm still not wrestling as good as I think I can," said Marable. "I knew cutting down to 70 kilos was going to be a process. Today, I felt like my legs were under me more than they were yesterday. "Technically, I think I'm at about seventy-five percent. Sammie (Henson) got to come overseas with me. So he got see what I'm doing right and what I'm not doing right. My goal is to get to one-hundred percent by the World Championships." Even with two dominating performances on Sunday, Escobedo wished he had done more against standing World champion Hassan Rahimi of Iran the night before. "He shot six times, I shot none. I think I may have overthought that. When I'm scoring points, it's tough to beat me." And while Jordan Burroughs did feel like he was on his game, he too, wanted more. "This is the third year in a row I've won this," said Burroughs. "It's the third year we've finished third. It's the third year in a row we've lost to Iran. It's becoming a little bit too much of a trend for me. I want us at the top of the podium." USA 7, Ukraine 1 57 kilos: Angel Escobedo (USA) tech. fall over Sergiy Ratushny (Ukraine), 11-1 61 kilos: Jimmy Kennedy (USA) dec. Vasyl Fedoryshyn (Ukraine), 5-1 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (USA) tech. fall over Ivan Petriv (Ukraine), 12-2 70 kilos: Nick Marable (USA) dec. Andriy Kvyatkovskyy (Ukraine), 3-2 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) tech. fall over Giya Chykladze (Ukraine), 15-4 86 kilos: Clayton Foster (USA) dec. Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine), 7-2 97 kilos: Pavlo Oliinyk (Ukraine) dec. J.D. Bergman (USA), 4-1 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) won by forfeit USA 8, Turkey 0 57 kilos: Angel Escobedo (USA) pinned Nebi Uzun (Turkey), 2:50 61 kilos: Jimmy Kennedy (USA) tech. fall over Recep Topal (Turkey), 10-0 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (USA) tech. fall over Selahattin Kilisalayan (Turkey), 10-0 70 kilos: Nick Marable (USA) tech. fall over Mustafa Kaya (Turkey), 13-0 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) pinned Murat Erturk (Turkey), 2:17 86 kilos: Clayton Foster (USA) dec. Fatih Erdin (Turkey), 16-9 97 kilos: J.D. Bergman (USA) dec. Ali B-onceoglu (Turkey), 8-4 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) won by forfeit

PITTSBURGH -- This 40th edition of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic went the way that so many in the recent past have gone. For a third straight year, fourth in five, and 12th in fourteen -- it was Team USA emerging with the win over a very game Pennsylvania squad. For even the state with the best wrestling talent in the country, which Pennsylvania clearly does have, to defeat the true best from the United States is an onerous task. Stevan Micic with Bill Hawkins after being named Outstanding Wrestler at the Dapper Dan Wrestling ClassicTeam USA wrestlers set the tone early and often in Sunday night's dual meet at Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. After a scoreless first period in the 126 pound match, which was the opening bout as the weight class order was scrambled, No. 1 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.) opened up a barrage of scoring on No. 3 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic) in a 13-4 major decision victory. The performance was worthy of Micic earning Oustanding Wrestler honors for the USA squad. Two takedowns in the second period made it 4-2 after that stanza, and then a pair of four-point moves off of leg attack finishes was the scoring for Micic in the third period. "I felt confident on my feet, and knew that if I was persistent, the scoring would come," he commented after the match. Next up for team USA was fellow Northwestern signee Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.), who is the nation's No. 1 wrestler at 152 pounds, and will possibly be Micic's roommate next year in Evanston. With a takedown in each the first and second period, Brill upended No. 3 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.), who is an Old Dominion signee. After two bouts, the USA squad held a 7-0 lead that would never be relinquished. However, it was not for the lack of battle and effort from a very game Pennsylvania squad. In the next match at 113 pounds, it was a pair of nationally ranked 120 pound wrestlers who took to the mat. No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Parkland) would upend No. 10 Brent Fleetwood (Smryna, Del.) 2-1 on a reversal midway through the third period to get the Keystone State on the board. This result avenged a 3-1 Fleetwood win from 14 months ago in the 2013 Escape the Rock Tournament championship bout. After that bout, it was three consecutive decision victories for the USA squad to push the advantage out to 16-3 after six bouts. This stretch started with a 3-2 decision for No. 3 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.) against Ian Brown (Hanover). Alber had to fend off a very deep leg attack and scramble during the second period, but was able to score the go-ahead takedown midway through the third period, and then hang on for the victory. This augmented an undefeated in-season high school career for the Northern Iowa signee. The first of three Penn State signees to wrestle on the evening was next in the 170 pound bout, as No. 2 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) surged with five takedowns between the second and third period to score a 14-9 victory over No. 12 Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic), who was wrestling down one weight class from where he won state last weekend. Nickal did give up the opening takedown, but surged back with reversals in the first and third period, along with the previously mentioned barrage of takedowns. Finally in this streak of matches, it was the nation's top Class of 2014 prospect Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md./USOTC) coming through with a 10-3 victory over No. 5 Michael Boykin (Coatesville). Boykin had a very deep leg attack midway through the first period that Snyder fended off. In the very next sequence, right before the end of the first period, Snyder scored a takedown off a very crisp shot and finish. From there, it was more of the same, as Snyder scored a takedown in the second period, and two more in the third period to cement the match victory. "I've gotten a lot better over the last year," said Snyder about his experience training with senior level wrestlers at the USOTC. "The experience has been very helpful, and I'm ready to make an immediate impact next year (at Ohio State, in the 197 pound weight class)." Bouncing back from that three-match losing streak, the seniors from Pennsylvania came through with a pair of consecutive victories to cut the deficit to 16-9. First up was No. 3 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe), who earned a 3-1 overtime victory over No. 9 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) "I didn't think about (the 16-3 deficit)," Zavatsky said. "I went out there and did what was needed, happened to be in dramatic fashion with a late takedown in overtime to win it. Ultimately, it was great to get the crowd back into the match." Next in line was another national No. 3 in Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin). The University of Virginia signee upended No. 1 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.) by a 4-3 score with a takedown inside the last 20 seconds of the third period. "It was all about composure, just having to keep after it," said Peppelman about his go-ahead takedown. "Going into a ‘short time' situation, it's about looking for the right shot. Fake, fake, fake then find the opportunistic attack, and hope (to God) that you can finish it." A key match in the dual meet came next as No. 4 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.), a Super 32 Challenge champion earlier this season, was able to rally back from giving up the bout's initial takedown to earn a 12-8 victory over No. 20 Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs). The match was a true barn-burner, as Ness rallied to lead 6-4 after one period, scored a late reversal to lead 10-8 after two, and then got a reversal midway through the third for the final margin. The Keystone State bounced back with what was the most dominant performance for any wrestler on the evening, as No. 6 at 126 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan) totally dominated No. 2 Nathan Boston (Woodford County, Ky.) in the 120 pound match. Ranked as the No. 52 overall Class of 2014 prospect, Macri earned a 9-0 major decision over Boston, who came in at No. 45. Macri scored takedowns in the first and second periods, before getting a reversal and near fall in the third. That performance earned the Cornell signee the Outstanding Wrestler award for the Pennsylvania squad. One last turning point came in the evening's most anticipated match, a battle of the top two 285 pound wrestlers in the country. In addition, there was peripheral narrative with the college recruitment of each, as No. 1 Nick Nevills (Clovis Calif.) committed to Penn State, while No. 2 Thomas Haines (Solanco) will be at Ohio State. This pair of highly talented wrestlers will see each other often over the next four-to-five years, and in this initial meeting, it was Nevills who came out on top. He scored takedowns in the first and second periods, and more or less had control of the bout during a 5-3 victory. "It was fun and exciting to actually be pushed for the full six minutes," said Nevills, who went undefeated during his senior season with every match being a bonus point victory, many of them first period pins. "I was glad to show the Pennsylvania audience that I can perform at a high level." With the lead extended to 22-13, and just two matches left, No. 1 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.) put the final clinching dagger for the dual meet. Keyed by a first period takedown, he upended No. 3 at 145 Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan) by 3-1 decision in the 138 pound match. The final match of the evening, was a matter of revenge for No. 2 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.), who upended No. 6 at 152 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.) by a deceivingly close 8-5 score at 145 pounds. Nolf scored a pair of takedowns in the opening period to take a 4-1 lead that would sustain throughout the match. A reversal in the second period and takedown midway through the third made it 8-3. However, Berger had a very late reversal - almost to the back -- to reduce the final margin of defeat. Just over eleven months ago, Nolf lost a 2-0 decision to Berger in the final of the FloNationals. "I watched that match," he commented after Sunday's victory, "and realized that I had to open up and take more shots." The improvement was beyond a shadow of a doubt to all present. The Nolf victory made it three-for-three for the future Penn State wrestlers. "It got to meet Bo (Nickal) and Nick (Nevills) for the first time," said Nolf, "and I'm glad they'll be (at Penn State) with me." Team USA 25, Pennsylvania 16 126: No. 1 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.) maj. dec. No. 3 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic), 13-4 152: No. 1 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) dec. No. 3 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley), 5-1 113: No. 6 at 120 Ethan Lizak (Parkland) dec. No. 10 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.), 2-1 132: No. 3 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.) dec. Ian Brown (Hanover), 3-2 170: No. 2 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) dec. No. 12 at 182 Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic), 14-9 220: Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md./USOTC) dec. No. 5 Michael Boykin (Coatesville), 10-3 182: No. 3 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe) dec. No. 9 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), 3-1 SV 160: No. 3 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin) dec. No. 1 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), 4-3 195: No. 4 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.) dec. No. 20 Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs), 12-8 120: No. 6 at 126 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan) maj. dec. No. 2 Nathan Boston (Woodford County, Ky.), 9-0 285: No. 1 Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) dec. No. 2 Thomas Haines (Solanco), 5-3 138: No. 1 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 3 at 145 Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan), 3-1 145: No. 2 Jason Nolf (Kittanning) dec. No. 6 at 152 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.), 8-5

ALLEN, Texas -- The finals matches as a whole proved to be a formidable foe for Grand Canyon. But the Antelopes' blistering start to the NCWA Championships the first two days were enough that Saturday's 4-3 record in the finals did little to take the luster off of a dominating 83-point margin of victory. Grand Canyon had already whipped most of the field in rolling to a 55-point lead after two days, and with seven finalists, the team title was all but secured. So snagging as many individual titles as they could was the focus of GCU coach R.C. LaHaye. "That was the plan all along, win early and grab as many bonus points as we could," LaHaye said. "Once we got the big lead, it was up to the guys to try and win as many titles as we could. We all figured winning the individual brackets would be harder than taking the team title." The tournament opened with the 141-pound final, holding off the 133 title match between two undefeated wrestlers until the end. At 141, GCU's Zach Zehner cruised to a 9-0 win over Grand Valley State's Kyle Horr. Mike Hamel followed with another win, 7-1 over Luke Bilyeu of West Chester. But that's where the Antelopes' streak stopped, as defending NCWA champion Santiago Martinez edged GCU's Bryant Wood 4-3 to score back-to-back championships. Other wrestlers took the cue as well, and at 174 the U.S. Military Academy's Parker Maytrott won over GCU's Martin Fabbian, 5-3. And at 184, Shorter's Terrence Smith gritted out a 5-4 win over Austin Gaun. All-Americans 125: 1st: AJ Salazar, Grand Canyon, def. Ben Smith, Shorter, 2-0 3rd: Drew Romero, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Buddy Poyner, Mott CC, 14-10 5th: Sean Badua, U.S. Military Prep, def. Jacob Wasserman, Florida, 7-4 7th: Michael Dauterive, Texas-Arlington, def. Anthony Patnode, Middle Tennessee, 6-5 133: 1st: Ryan Diehl, Liberty, def. Sam Shames, MIT, 15-10 3rd: John Lino Estrado, Grand Canyon, def. Eric Feuerbacher, Middle Tennessee, 7-4 5th: Nick Anthony, Central Florida, def. Bryan Mongiello, Alfred State, by fall 1:52 7th: Jimmy Hughes, Penn State-Mont Alto, def. Zachary Vatalare, Michigan, 4-0 141: 1st: Zach Zehner, Grand Canyon, def. Kyle Horr, Grand Valley State, 9-0 3rd: Collin Lewis, Liberty, def. Austin Souders, Texas A&M, 3-2 5th: Chad Baumann, North Florida, def. Antonio Martinez, Texas, 5-2 7th: Joshua Gaspard, Georgia Southern, def. Tyler Aldinger, Alfred State, injury default 149: 1st: Mike Hamel, Grand Canyon, def. Luke Bilyeu, West Chester, 7-1 3rd: Robert Walker, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Nick Cegelski, USC, 4-3 5th: Gabriel Stepanovich, Grand Valley State, def. Peter Tatanish, Liberty, by fall 2:59 7th: DeAndre Beck, Marion Military Inst., def. Greg Artalona, Auburn, 5-2 TB-1 157: 1st: Santiago Martinez, Central Florida, def. Bryant Wood, Grand Canyon, 4-3 3rd: Chase Boontjer, Liberty, def. Nick Bendon, Central Washington, 4-3 5th: James Peterson, Montana Western, def. Samuel Kreimier, U.S. Air Force Prep, by fall 5:55 7th: Austen Brower, William and Mary, def. Codie Nichols, Alfred State, 4-1 165: 1st: Drew Daniels, US Naval Prep, def. Wally Figaro, Shorter, 3-2 3rd: Juan Carlos Maynes, Grand Canyon, def. Conner Burns, RPI, by fall 1:54 5th: Michael Billingsley, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Brett Johnson, Washington State, 5-4 7th: Frankie McKeown, Alabama, def. Danny Apgar, NW Missouri State, 10-6 174: 1st: Parker Maytrott, US Military Prep, def. Martin Fabbian, Grand Canyon, 5-3 3rd: KeyShaun Ward, Liberty, def. Dalton Lane, Shorter, by fall 6:53 5th: Giovanni Jiovenetta, Florida Gulf Coast, def. Robert Manier, U.S. Naval Prep, 3-2 TB-1 7th: Eric Dietz, Grand Valley State, def. Jon Williams, Wayne State, 6-2 184: 1st: Terrence Smith, Shorter, def. Austin Gaun, Grand Canyon, 5-4 3rd: Royal Brettrager, Liberty, def. Jadaen Bernstein, U.S. Naval Prep, by fall 2:46 5th: Steban Cervantes, U.S. Naval Prep, def. Jack Wedholm, U.S. Military Prep, by fall 6:40 7th: Matt Reynolds, Liberty, def. Jonathan Roberts, Middle Tennessee, by fall 1:38 197: 1st: Paul Ardila, Georgia, def. Tyrell Walker, Central Florida, 3-2 3rd: Marcus Haughian, Grand Canyon, def. Aaron Thompson, Liberty, 3-2 TB-1 5th: Carl Brown, Auburn, def. Scott Schretzenmaier, Pittsburgh, 12-3 7th: Jacob Laux (M.I.T.), def. Wayne Sanders, Saginaw Valley State, by fall 2:52 235: 1st: Andrew Ewers, Shorter, def. Stuart Maddox, North Florida, 8-3 3rd: Josh Woods, Central Florida, def. Parm Dhesi, Douglas College, 9-6 5th: Jim Eavenson, Montana Western, def. Dave Stratton, Washington State, 4-3 7th: Victor Irwin, Eastern Maine CC, def. Ryan Kreppel, West Chester, 4-2 285: 1st: Peter Angel Anguiano, Grand Canyon, def. Rashied Rayford, Middle Tennessee, by fall 3:26 3rd: Donald Shovestull, U.S. Naval Prep, def. Ian Jones, Apprentice, 2-1 5th: Dean Lusk, Penn State - New Kensington, def. Marlen Morgan, Shorter, 6-2 7th: Greydon Pavlik, Bowling Green, def. John Long, Marion Military Inst., by fall 6:12 Most Outstanding Wrestler: Ryan Diehl, Liberty, 133 pounds Coach of the Year: Michael Letts, U.S. Naval Academy Prep FINAL STANDINGS DIVISION I: 1. Grand Canyon 254.5 2. Liberty 171.5 3. Shorter 162.5 4. Central Florida 122 5. Grand Valley State 90.5 6. U.S. Naval Academy Prep 85.5 7. Middle Tennessee 84.5 8. Apprentice 75 9. U.S. Air Force Academy Prep 70 10. U.S. Military Academy Prep 65 11. North Florida 60 12. Alfred State 55 13. Mott Comm. Coll. 48 14. West Chester 41.5 15. Marion Military Inst. 41 16. Penn State-Mont Alto 35.5 17. Mercer 34.5 18. Md.-Baltimore County 27 19t. Douglas College 21.5 19t. Georgia Southern 21.5 21. Penn State-DuBois 21 22. East Tennessee State 20.5 23. Wichita State 19 24. Penn College 17.5 25. New Hampshire 17 26t. Penn State-New Kensington 16 26t. Southern Virginia 16 28. Tennessee Temple 14.5 DIVISION II: 1. Florida Gulf Coast 67.5 2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology 60.5 3. Montana Western 58 4. South Florida 42.5 5. Central Washington 41 6. Washington State 39 7. Texas 37.5 8t. Auburn 35 8t. RPI 35 10. Georgia 34.5 11. Wayne State 23.5 12t. USC 21.5 12t. Toledo 21.5 14. Florida 19.5 15t. Glendale Comm. Coll. (Ariz.) 18.5 15t. Texas-Arlington 18.5 17. Dixie State 18 18. NW Missouri State 17.5 19. Michigan 16.5 20t. Pittsburgh 14.5 20t. Saginaw Valley State 14.5 20t. Texas A&M 14.5 23t. Eastern Maine Comm. Coll. 13.5 23t. William and Mary 13.5 25. Stony Brook 13 26. Colorado State 12.5 27. Maine 12 28. Bowling Green 11.5 29. Tennessee 11 30. BYU 10.5 31t. Henry Ford Comm. Coll. (Mich.) 10 31t. Slippery Rock 10 33. Virginia Military 9.5 34t. Massachusetts 9 34t. Washtenaw Comm. Coll. (Mich.) 9 36. Alabama 8.5 37. Connecticut 8 38t. Memphis 7.5 38t. Western Washington 7.5 40. East Carolina 7 41. Yale 6.5 42. Lafayette 5 43. Montclair State 4.5 44t. Illinois State 4 44t. James Madison 4 46t. Bridgewater 3 46t. Evergreen State 3 48t. Albany 2.5 48t. Texas State 2.5 48t. Texas-Pan American 2.5 51. South Puget Sound CC (Wash.) 1 52t. Eastern Washington 0 52t. Florida A&M 0 52t. Rutgers 0 52t. UC Santa Barbara 0 52t. SUNY Westchester 0 WOMENS FINAL STANDINGS: 1. Southwestern Oregon CC 84 2t. West Chester 31 2t. South Florida 31 4. Middle Tennessee 30 5t. North Florida 14 5t. Texas State 14 7. Stony Brook 11 8. Massachusetts 10 9t. Md.-Baltimore County 7 9t. Winona State 7 All-Americans 105: 1st: Mikayla Pico, SW Oregon CC, def. Victoria Stottlemyer, Middle Tennesse, by fall 0:55. No third-place. 112: 1st: Gabby Long, South Florida, def. Franchesa Ybarra, SW Oregon CC, 5-3. No third place. 121: (round robin) 1. Yolanda Lawes (3-0), SW Oregon CC; 2. Kelsey Larkin, West Chester (2-1); 3. Rylie Klinski (1-2), Winona State; 4. Victoria Ontiberos (0-3), Texas State. 130: (round robin) 1. Katy Dawson (3-0), SW Oregon CC; 2. Jasmine Cothran (2-1), Middle Tennessee; 3. Stefanie Choh (1-2), Md.-Baltimore County; 4. Amena Asar (0-3), Stony Brook. 139: (round robin) 1. Serena Castro (2-0), SW Oregon CC; 2. Karina Aguilar (1-1), Texas State; 3. Abigael Lopez-Gay (0-2), Stony Brook. 148: (round robin) 1. Shannon Reeves (3-0), North Florida; 2. Cassie Corey (2-1), Massachusetts; 3. Johanna Diaz (1-2), West Chester; 4. Vivian Bazan (0-3), SW Oregon CC. 159: 1. Aysha Schwinden, SW Oregon CC, def. Jasmine Grant, South Florida, by fall 6:24. No third-place. 176: 1. Kimberly Spiegel, West Chester, def. Clarissa Ceffalo, Middle Tennessee, by fall 0:20. No third-place. Most Outstanding Wrestler: Yolanda Lawes, SW Oregon CC, 121 lbs. Coach of the Year: Scott Sherman, North Florida

Senior Roughneck Ben Sergent won a national championship for The University of Findlay wrestling program in the 125-pound weight class on Saturday, March 15 in Cleveland, Ohio. Sergent, who finished the event with a perfect 4-0 record, advanced the championship round of the NCAA Division II Tournament by defeating Gannon's Matthew Turek. That victory then set up his championship match against Augustana's T.J. North, who came into the event as the third-ranked grappler in the 125-pound weight class. Sergent took a 5-0 lead in the championship against North and ended up winning by a score of 7-4 to win the title. The win gives him 109 for his career, which is tied for sixth all-time at Findlay. He also ends his career as a two-time All-American. Senior Adam Walters also reached the championship round of the tournament after defeating Western State's Elliot Copeland in the semifinals. His win set up a match against the top-ranked wrestler in the nation, Joey Davis of Notre Dame (Ohio). Walters and Davis battled to a draw for the majority of the match, but Davis scored late to claim a 4-1 win. Davis is now 72-0 during his career with two national titles. Walters, who earned All-American honors for the third time and runner-up honors for the second time, finished his career with 103 wins. As a team, the Roughnecks took 13th place at the event with a total of 35.5 points.

Cleveland, Ohio -- UCM wrestling finished with two All-Americans, and one national champion at the NCAA-II Championships. No. 1 Frank Cagnina (149) wins UCM's first national championship since Plamen Pasklev in 2005-2006, and is only the sixth Mule to capture a national title. Cagnina beat Terrel Wilbourn in overtime to advance to the finals, where faced Edwin Cooper (Upper Iowa) in the championship match. Trailing 2-1, Cagnina had a reversal and three-point near fall in the third period, before riding out Cooper to win the national title by 6-2 decision. He finishes the season at 40-2, winning 29 straight matches. He has the third best single-season win percentage, at .952. He also holds the record for most major decision wins in a single season, adding one more at the national meet to bring his total to 13. Ty Loethen (165) fell in two straight matches this morning to place eighth in the tournament, losing by decision in both matches. He was beat by No. 4 Nick Haferkamp (McKendree) before losing his final match of the season to Gabe Fogarty (St. Cloud State). Loethen finishes the season at 23-10, with a 43-19 career record at UCM.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - After the final buzzer sounded and Ryan Prater realized he had just won a NCAA Division III national championship at 149 pounds, he turned towards his parents in the stands and made a motion of closing a book with his hands. For Prater, it was the perfect ending to his wrestling career. "I was signaling that this was the end of this part of my life," he said. "It's been a great journey and and I couldn't be happier to close my career as a national champion." Prater, seeded second at the NCAA Championships, marched to the semifinals on Friday with a 14-0 major decision over Cornell's Trevor Engle followed by a 3-0 win over Delaware Valley's Vincent Fava. In the semifinal match on Saturday morning, Prater pinned third seeded Mark Hartenstine of Wilks to reach the finals. Facing, top-seeded and top-ranked Bobby Dierna of SUNY-Cortland in the championship match, it was Prater's defense that helped him early in the match. Dierna nearly had him in a prone position, but Prater countered and was able to draw a stalemate whistle. "Dierna really frustrated me in the first period, but I felt that I would able to roll around with him on the mat," he said. Ryan Prater records a near fall in the championship match. Prater showed his strength in the second period, starting from the top position and turning Dierna's shoulder to the mat for two points on a near fall. He rode Dierna for the entire period to build up two minutes of riding time and put Dierna in a virtual 3-0 hole. "There's a certain sense of pride on being able to ride a guy out for the entire period," Prater said. "Putting him behind by three points really gave me the confidence that I could finish off the match and win." Prater earned a quick escape in the third period and held Dierna at bay until the closing seconds to secure a 4-2 victory and become the third Bluejay in the last two years to win a national title. "I couldn't be more proud of the work that Ryan put in this season," said Elmhurst head coach Steve Marianetti. "He easily integrated with this team and despite his background, he never tried to stand out except when it was time to perform on the mat." At 25 years old, Prater followed in the footsteps of former All-American Elmhurst wrestlers Dalton Bullard and Mike Benefiel. Both Bullard and Benefiel were both former Division I wrestlers at major programs and transfered to Elmhurst after a few years away from the sport. Bullard won a pair of All-America honors in 2012 and 2013 while Benefiel won a national title at 197 pounds last year. "Coming out of high school as a state champion, I think every wrestler dreams of going to college and winning a national championship," said Prater. "I was a little bitter with the way things ended for me at [University of] Illinois, so I ended up stepping away for about three and a half seasons, but I was able to view the sport from a different angle as a coach while also maturing as well. Watching the success that Dalton and Mike had at Elmhurst made me realize that I still had the desire to get back on the mat and compete. I'm grateful for Coach Marianetti and the entire Elmhurst coaching staff for helping me fulfill my dream of winning a national championship." Prater also had to overcome an injury along the way to the national championship. He blazed through his first 10 matches of the season without a blemish before a knee injury put him on the sidelines for almost six weeks. He returned from the injury and promptly won a CCIW title, an NCAA regional title, and now, an NCAA national title while finishing the season with a perfect 20-0 record. He joins Jake Oster as Elmhurst's only undefeated national champion and became the fourth Bluejay to win a national title on the mat. Ryan Prater celebrates with Elmhurst coach Steve Marianetti. "To be able to call myself a national champion is amazing," said Prater. "But my body is ready for a rest, so I'm happy I could end my career on top." Prater's win helped Elmhurst finish tied for 17th place with 22.5 points in the team standings. Marianetti, who improved to 4-2 as a coach in national championship matches, was quick to point out that every wrestler has their own unique journey throughout their career. "A wrestler's journey doesn't always happen in a straight line," said Marianetti. "I'm happy that we've been able to help Ryan and several others write a happy ending to their wrestling careers."

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Augsburg College's Mike Fuenffinger (JR, Hibbing, Minn.) won his first NCAA Division III national championship at 125 pounds, claiming his third major-decision victory of the tournament with a 12-4 triumph over Lucas Malmberg of Messiah (Pa.) at the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday evening at the U.S. Cellular Center. Fuenffinger claimed five takedowns and collected 3:00 of riding time in a dominating performance in the title match. Leading 6-0 after two periods, Fuenffinger surrendered a two-point near-fall by Malmberg, but responded by converting and escape and two more takedowns, including one at the end of the match to give him his third major decision win of the tournament. "The strategy was to keep my hands on him the whole time, stay on him and keep going forward," Fuenffinger said. "Never let off on top, just be relentless, and never let the guy breathe. I think I accomplished that pretty well and executed the plan." A two-time All-American after finishing seventh nationally at 125 last year, Fuenffinger finished his junior season at 34-3, including 16 bonus-point decisions (eight major decisions, seven pins, one technical fall). Fuenffinger is 76-20 in his Augsburg career. "It's amazing. I feel great. It's what I've been working for this whole year," Fuenffinger said. "I just wanted to go out there and wrestle to my hardest. I didn't know what to expect, but I know giving it my all, that's the best outcome." As a team, Augsburg finished in fifth place with 43.0 points, marking the 27th straight year (every year since 1988) that Augsburg has finished in the top 10 in NCAA Division III wrestling national competition. Earlier in the day, Fuenffinger scored a 10-0, major-decision win over Matthias Ellis II of Brockport State (N.Y.) in the semfinals. He claimed a takedown midway through the first period, another late in the second period, and a reversal and three-point near-fall in the third period, building 2:31 of riding time en route to the win. Fuenffinger is Augsburg's 48th wrestling national champion in school history, including a national-record 44 titles in NCAA Division III competition. His national title is the fifth for an Augsburg wrestler at 125 pounds since 2001, joining Darin Bertram (2001), Matt Shankey (2004 and 2005) and Seth Flodeen (2008) in that category. "Mike earned it. He earned that championship. He had his highs and lows throughout the year, but that's what a wrestling season is all about," said Augsburg Head Coach Mark Matzek, a two-time national champion (133 pounds) during his Augsburg career. "For him to go through the trials that he did … and to come back out on top, that's real life and I'm proud of this kid." Fuenffinger was one of two Auggies to earn All-America honors, bringing Augsburg's wrestling All-American total to 222 in program history (186 NCAA, 36 NAIA). Augsburg has had at least one All-American in national competition every year since 1977, and has had two or more All-Americans every year since 1988, a 27-year streak. Earlier in the day, heavyweight Chad Johnson (SR, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS) finished in third place, becoming the sixth Augsburg wrestler to earn four or more All-American honors. He was upset 7-5 by No. 4-seed -- and eventual national champion -- James Buss of Loras (Iowa) in the semifinals -- the first loss for Johnson against a Division III opponent since his first season at Augsburg. Johnson recovered from the loss with a 3-0 win over Mackenzie Green of Trine (Ind.), and a 7-3 win over Zachery Roseberry of Delaware Valley (Pa.) in the third-place match, Johnson's second win over Roseberry during the championships. Johnson finished his senior season at 35-2 and 140-15 in his Augsburg career. Over his final three seasons, Johnson was 108-4. Final Top 10 Team Scores: 1. Wartburg (Iowa) 103.5, 2. Wisconsin-Whitewater 67.0; 3. Messiah (Pa.) 64.0; 4. Coe (Iowa) 54.0; 5. Augsburg (Minn.) 43.0; 6t. Delaware Valley (Pa.) 39.5; 6t. Cortland State (N.Y.) 39.5; 8. Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 37.0; 9. Wabash (Ind.) 36.0; 10. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 34.5. Other Minnesota schools: 12t. Concordia-Moorhead 28.5; 51t. St. Olaf 1.5; 59t. Saint John's 0.0.

UW-Oshkosh's Nazar Kulchytskyy became a three-time champion while teammate Dan Schiferl earned his first All-America award at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship held Friday and Saturday (March 14-15) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kulchytskyy won all five of his 157-pound contests, including a pin in 4:20 of Coe College's (Iowa) Dimitri Boyer in the championship match. Kulchytskyy advanced to the final with a 3-2 victory over Reece Lefever of Wabash College (Ind.). A champion at 157 pounds in 2012 and 165 in 2013, Kulchytskyy started this year's journey with an 18-4 win over Kristopher Krawchuk of Wilkes University (Pa.). He followed that triumph with victories of 10-5 over Josh Etzel of Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.) and 5-3 over Brett Yonkovic of Wartburg College (Iowa). Kulchytskyy, who was named the championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler, finished the season with a 41-2 record (21 pins). The only NCAA champion in UW-Oshkosh history concluded his career with a 142-5 record (67 pins). After finishing ninth in both 2012 and 2013, Schiferl broke through to place fourth and collect an All-America citation in the 174-pound weight class of this year's championship. Schiferl went 3-2 in his five contests, including a 4-2 loss to Coe College's Ethan Bell in the third-place match. Schiferl started strong, posting wins of 6-2 over Nicholas Allen of Olivet College (Mich.) and 6-3 over Conner Lefever of Wabash College. Following a 4-3 loss to Anthony Bonaventura of Waynesburg College (Pa.), Schiferl defeated Zach Zotollo of The College of New Jersey, 8-6. Schiferl ended the season with a 32-6 record (seven pins) and his career with a 94-41 mark (32 pins). In addition to Kulchytskyy, other individual winners were Mike Fuenffinger of Augsburg College at 125 pounds, Kenny Anderson of Wartburg College at 133, Kaleb Loht of Messiah College at 141, Ryan Prater of Elmhurst College (Ill.) at 149, Cole Welter of Wartburg College at 165, Landon Williams of Wartburg College at 174, Riley Lefever of Wabash College at 184, Alex Coolidge of Cornell College (Iowa) at 197 and James Buss of Loras College (Iowa) at 285. UW-Oshkosh scored 34.5 points to finish 10th in the team competition. The ranking was the Titans' highest since they placed sixth in 1982. Last year, UW-Oshkosh finished 17th with 20 points. Wartburg College took first place in this year's championship with 103.5 points. It was the Knights' fourth straight title and 11th overall. UW-Whitewater finished second in the 65-team meet with 67 points, while Messiah College (Pa.) placed third with 64, Coe College fourth with 54 and Augsburg College (Minn.) fifth with 43.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The UW-Whitewater wrestling team finished second, the best finish in program history, in the NCAA Division III Championships held in Cedar Rapids Saturday. Shane Siefert (Mundelein, IL/Carmel) and Matt Adcock (Bloomingdale, IL/Lake Park) led the way with individual national runner-up finishes at 197 and 141 pounds respectively. The Warhawks bettered their previous best, third place from last season, to write the 2013-14 season in the school history book. Adcock met the top seed, Messiah's Kaleb Loht, unbeaten against Division III competition this season at 37-0, in the championship bout. Loht started the offense with a shot and single leg but Adcock defended well and did not allow a takedown. With just five seconds remaining in the first period, Loht was successful on a shot and takedown to head into the second period with a 2-0 lead. Loht extended his lead in the second period on an escape and takedown off a single leg and trip combo. Adcock faced a 5-0 deficit to open the final period of regulation. Choosing the bottom position, Adcock slid up and out quickly for the escape. He continued to be aggressive, pressing on offense to register a takedown. Forced to release Loht in effort to make up the margin, Adcock gave up the point and had an opportunity with a single leg but was short on time to fall by 6-3 decision. Adcock's national runner-up finish is the best in UW-W history at 141 pounds. He is the tenth Warhawk to earn All-America honors by finishing in the top eight in the weight class. Adcock finishes the season 26-9 after going 3-1 in the championship. The 197 pound weight class came down to the #1 and #2 seeds, with UW-W's Siefert taking on Cornell's Alex Coolidge. Siefert opened the scoring just 12 seconds into the bout with a takedown after turning a single leg into a double and pushing forward for two points. Coolidge registered the reversal just seven seconds later but Siefert was able to escape to take a 3-2 lead after one period. Coolidge chose the bottom position and slid forward and up for the fast escape for the only score of the second period. The bout was tied 3-3 heading into the final period of wrestling. Siefert chose the down position and was able to capitalize with a reversal. Coolidge escaped from Siefert's grasp to pull within one with less than one minute left. Coolidge shot with less than 30 seconds left, Siefert stymied the opportunity but Coolidge went up and over, forcing the two to roll with Coolidge getting position for a two-point takedown. Siefert tried to get up and out quickly but Coolidge held on for the win by 6-5 decision. Siefert earns All-America honors for the second season in a row after finishing fourth last year. He is just the second Warhawk to garner All-America honors in the 197 pound weight class and holds the best finish ever for a UW-W wrestler at the weight. He finishes the season with a 36-5 record and adds the Most Technical Falls Award from the Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association with 11 this season. Wartburg College won the team title with 103.5 points followed by Whitewater with 67 and Messiah College with 64. Four Warhawks joined Adcock and Siefert on the mats this weekend with Jimmy Nehls (Downers Grove, IL/North) (133), Elroy Perkin (Greenfield/Whitnall) (149) and Cedric Gibson (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) (165) each finishing fifth in their respective weight classes. Anthony Edgren (New Lisbon/New Lisbon) participated in the 285 pound weight class but two overtime bouts Friday.

The second-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team scored 64.5 points to finish second at the NCAA Championships Saturday night in Cleveland. This is UNK's 13th straight top 10 finish and fourth national runner up trophy, following second place showings in 2003, 2006 and 2007. After a rough first day, top-ranked Notre Dame College (Ohio) had a super second day win its first national title as a D2 member. The Falcons, who have several NAIA national titles to their credit, scored 99.5 points thanks to national champs at 157, 165, 174 and 184 lbs. Overall, the Central Region dominated the team standings, placing five in the top seven. Behind NDC and UNK were Maryville, Mo. (58.5), Ouachita Baptist, Ark. (56), Central Oklahoma (54.5), St. Cloud State (51) and Lindenwood (48.5). Top-ranked sophomore Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.), after placing second at 197 lbs. last year, won the national title in scintillating fashion, 8-7. Facing 3rd-ranked Julian Smith of D2 newcomer McKendree (Ill.), Cotton was down 5-1 heading into the third period. Smith built his lead with an early takedown in the first period and another one with 14 seconds left in the second. Starting down in the third, Cotton quickly escaped to cut the deficit to three. He then recorded three takedowns in the final 1:18 to win. After the first two, he gave Smith two free points, allowing him to start in the neutral position each time. The final takedown came with just 11 seconds left on the clock and allows the All-MIAA running back to finish 23-3. He reached the finals by slipping past Fort Hays State's Tanner Kriss, 3-1, in the first sudden victory period. Top-ranked sophomore Daniel DeShazer (Wichita, Kans.) wasn't as fortunate as he came in second at 133 lbs. Trying to defend his national title, DeShazer lost to nemisis Casy Rowell of Central Oklahoma, 3-2, in the second tie breaking period. The 4th-ranked Rowell escaped to earn the winning point and then rode DeShazer (17-2) for 30 seconds to secure the victory. He is now 3-1 all-time vs. DeShazer and is the only D2 wrestler to beat the Loper running back on the mats. DeShazer lived on the right side of the edge for most of the tourney, winning both his quarterfinal and semifinal matches in OT. UNK had three other All-Americans in seniors Patrick Martinez (3rd/174 lbs.), Mark Fiala (7th/184 lbs.) and Brock Smith (6th/165 lbs.) Martinez (25-2), ranked fourth, gave now two-time national champ Joey Davis of NDC (69-0 in college) everything he wanted before falling 5-2 in the semifinals. The California native bounced back to record two wins, including an impressive 5-3 decision over 3rd-ranked Elliott Copeland of Western State. Smith (Gering), during the regular season, handed UCO's Chris Watson his only two losses. However, Watson (43-4), the eventual runner up, beat Smith in the semifinals this afternoon, his second victory against him this postseason. Smith dropped his next two matches but ends up 22-9 and with his first All-American honor. Finally, Fiala (Seward) joins Cotton, DeShazer and Martinez as a two-time All-American. Going 35-17 this season, he got some pay back in the seventh place match by defeating 4th-ranked Bryson Hall of Ashland, 6-3. Hall beat Fiala, 3-2, in the first round. NCAA AWARDS Most Dominant – Joey Davis, Notre Dame (Ohio) Most Falls – Zachary Bennett, Pittsburgh-Johnstown Most Tech Falls – Austin Gillihan, Lake Erie College (Ohio) NCAA DIVISION II COACHES ASSOCIATION AWARDS Coach of the Year – Kevin Ward, Ouachita Baptist U., Ark. Outstanding Wrestler – Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma Gorrarian Award (Most Falls at Nationals in least time) - Darick Lapaglia, Maryville (Mo.) Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award – Lars Jensen, San Francisco State