InterMat Staff

Redshirt freshman Cole Mendenhall highlighted another big night for the University of Wyoming wrestling team Saturday as the Cowboys defeated Utah Valley, 32-6. The 141-pound Poke outworked UVU's Avery Garner at 141 pounds in an 8-4 decision. Garner was rated 33rd in the latest NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings, released Feb. 13. Mendenhall, along with seven other Cowboys, claimed victory to push UW (5-6 overall, 3-1 Western Wrestling Conference) to its fourth-straight win to stay alive in the race for the WWC dual title. The contest wrapped up the home dual slate for Wyoming. "Overall it was a dominating team score, but I really felt like we had several guys who were too conservative," UW head coach Mark Branch said. "We had a couple matches where we won but we went scoreless in the first period, so those are not great things to see right now. But Cole Mendenhall was an example of just the opposite. He didn't stand around and wait for the kid to make a mistake or take him down. He went out there and got the shot." UW had decision wins from juniors Shane Woods (197), Brandon Richardson (149), Andy McCulley (157) and redshirt freshman Benjamin Stroh at 184. The Pokes got bonus points thanks to a pin from sophomore heavyweight Tanner Harms, a forfeit win for junior Tyler Cox (125), and a technical fall from junior Dakota Friesth at 165. "Tanner looked good. We've been emphasizing blowing through our shots and he did that," Branch said. "I liked what I out of Dakota Friesth, too. He showed a little attitude at the end." UW began the night by honoring the lone senior on its roster, 141-pound Kyle Komata. He was recognized before the first match for his contributions to the program over the past four seasons. The Cowboys will wrestle their final dual contest of the regular season Friday on the road versus North Dakota State. Matches will begin at 6 p.m. MT from the Bison Sports Arena. Results: 197 pounds: #NR/NR/24 Shane Woods dec. Derek Thomas (UVU), 4-1 / Wyoming 3, Utah Valley 0 285: Tanner Harms fall (1:04) Richard Larsen (UVU) / Wyoming 9, Utah Valley 0 125: #8/8/10 Tyler Cox wins by forfeit / Wyoming 15, Utah Valley 0 133: Chasen Tolbert (UVU) dec. Gunnar Woodburn, 7-1 / Wyoming 15, Utah Valley 3 141: Cole Mendenhall dec. Avery Garner (UVU), 8-4 / Wyoming 18, Utah Valley 3 149: Brandon Richardson dec. Trevor Willson (UVU), 2-0 / Wyoming 21, Utah Valley 3 157: #NR/19/24 Andy McCulley dec. Chase Cuthbertson (UVU), 2-0 / Wyoming 24, Utah Valley 3 165: #NR/NR/18 Dakota Friesth tech. fall (6:51) Logan Addis (UVU), 19-3 / Wyoming 29, Utah Valley 3 174: Monte Schmalhaus (UVU) dec. Brent Havlik, 4-0 / Wyoming 29, Utah Valley 6 184: #18/14/17 Benjamin Stroh dec. Ethan Smith (UVU), 4-0 / Wyoming 32, Utah Valley 6

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team won six individual matches, including each of the first five, to knock off No. 6 Pittsburgh, 18-13, in its season dual-meet finale on Saturday evening (Feb. 15) at the Panthers' Fitzgerald Field House. Freshman heavyweight Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich./Fowlerville HS) sealed the Wolverine win with a decision in the final match. The Wolverines closed out their dual schedule with an 11-4 record. They earned seven wins against nationally-ranked opponents, including three top-10 teams. With Michigan carrying just a narrow two-point advantage in the final bout at heavyweight, Coon, ranked second in the latest InterMat poll, overcame a first-period scare to edge 19th-ranked P.J. Tasser, 9-6, and seal the U-M win for the third win this season. The wrestlers locked up early in the opening frame and Tasser threw Coon to his back, but the Wolverine freshman scrambled to quickly reverse the position, putting Tasser on his back to even the score at four apiece. He rode for more than a minute before Tasser escaped late in the frame. Both wrestlers earned their escapes in the second and third, but Coon maintained his riding-time advantage and picked up a point for stalling before countering a late Tasser shot attempt to ice the match and the dual. The Wolverines benefited from a big early lead at the midpoint of the dual, earning five straight decision victories to build a 15-0 advantage. Sophomore/freshman Conor Youtsey (Parma, Mich./Mason HS) and sophomore Rossi Bruno (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) initiated the Michigan momentum with back-to-back wins in swing matches at 125 and 133 pounds. Youtsey, ranked 15th, scored the only offensive points in a 5-3 sudden-victory win over 19th-ranked Anthony Zanetta in the opening match, striking first on a second-period single leg and, after a third-period penalty point forced overtime, finishing on an outside sweep single to end the bout. Bruno, ranked 19th, cruised past 20th-ranked Shelton Mack, 6-1, at 133 pounds behind single-leg takedowns in the second and third periods, riding out the remainder of both frames to accumulate 1:52 in time advantage. Senior/junior Steve Dutton (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point HS) rolled to a similar 6-1 decision over 17th-ranked Edgar Bright at 141 pounds -- his second straight win over a ranked opponent. Dutton, himself ranked eighth, scored on a single leg in the first period and three back points on a leg turk in the third. Fifth-year senior Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS), ranked eighth, took advantage of a big second period to secure an 8-5 decision over Mikey Racciato at 149 pounds, scoring on a single-leg takedown and two-point tilt. Racciato narrowed the score with a takedown on his own on the edge early in the third before Grajales iced it with a late high crotch. Freshman Brian Murphy (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North HS), ranked 14th, earned a decisive 6-0 shutout win over Cole Sheptock at 157 pounds with two takedowns and 2:44 in riding-time advantage. The Wolverine freshman countered a deep single-leg shot in the first period, defending it for a solid 30 seconds before scrambling for a takedown of his own and riding out the period. He added a single leg early in the third and again rode out the remainder of the frame. Pittsburgh earned an upset win at 165 pounds, where Geno Morelli used a late takedown to defeat sixth-ranked fifth-year senior Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS), 3-1, and kick off a stretch of four straight Panther wins and pull the team score within two. Freshman Domenic Abounader (Gates Mills, Ohio/St. Edward HS) narrowly fell to sixth-ranked Max Thomusseit, 2-0, at 184 pounds. Abounader, ranked 16th, fought off a deep shot in the second period but was ridden out in the third and Thomusseit collected 1:53 in time advantage. Michigan will take three weeks to prepare for the 2014 Big Ten Championships, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9, in Madison, Wis. Hosted by the University of Wisconsin, the first session is slated for 10 a.m. CST on Saturday morning at the Kohl Center. Results: 125 -- #15 Conor Youtsey (U-M) dec. #19 Anthony Zanetta, 5-3 SV U-M, 3-0 133 -- #19 Rossi Bruno (U-M) dec. #20 Shelton Mack, 6-1 U-M, 6-0 141 -- #8 Steve Dutton (U-M) dec. #17 Edgar Bright, 6-1 U-M, 9-0 149 -- #8 Eric Grajales (U-M) dec. Mikey Racciato, 8-5 U-M, 12-0 157 -- #14 Brian Murphy (U-M) dec. Cole Sheptock, 6-0 U-M, 15-0 165 -- Geno Morelli (Pitt) dec. #6 Dan Yates, 3-1 U-M, 15-3 174 -- #7 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) major dec. Collin Zeerip, 19-8 U-M, 15-7 184 -- #6 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. #16 Domenic Abounader, 2-0 U-M, 15-10 197 -- #18 Nick Bonaccorsi (Pitt) dec. Chris Heald, 8-2 U-M, 15-13 Hwt -- #2 Adam Coon (U-M) dec. #19 R.J. Tasser, 9-6 U-M, 18-13

CLARION, Pa. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team began its weekend overwhelming the Clarion Eagles with a 45-0 shutout in Waldo S. Tippin Gymansium. The dual was highlighted by seven bonus-point wins. The Cowboys earned three pins, two technical falls and two major decisions on the day. The dual started with a 13-5 major decision at 125 pounds, where No. 19 Eddie Klimara took on Hunter Jones of Clarion and earned his 15th win of the season. Fourth-ranked Jon Morrison picked up an 18-3 technical fall in seven minutes over Sam Sherlock. The senior secured his 10th bonus-point win of the season with four takedowns and three sets of back points. "It was good to come out and take care of business like we're supposed to, when it can be easy to look ahead to the dual with Penn State" Morrison said. "Now, I'm excited to be able to focus on the big matchup tomorrow." Clarion threatened to put their first team points on the board at 141 pounds, where Cowboy and No. 19 Anthony Collica battled Tyler Bedelyon in the highest-scoring bout of the day. Bedelyon put a takedown and a two-point nearfall on the board before Collica was able to score a point of his own. The two went back and forth for the full seven minutes, but it was Collica who was victorious, taking it 12-10. Josh Kindig, ranked No. 9 at 149 pounds, gave the Cowboys their next bonus-point victory. Kindig handled Justin Arthur from the beginning, scoring four takedowns in the first period. He went on to score a couple more takedowns to earn the 14-5 major decision. No. 3 Alex Dieringer took on Austin Matthews at 157 pounds. The Port Washington, Wisc., native was only held to an escape in the second period, but still pulled out a commanding 11-4 win over the Eagle. Tyler Caldwell, the fifth-ranked 165 pounder in the nation, gave the orange and black its first pin of the day, sticking Michael Pavasko in 4:34. He was followed by fellow senior and second-ranked Chris Perry, who pinned Ryan Darch in 4:05. Nolan Boyd made the start for the Pokes at 184 pounds, where he faced Dustin Conti. Boyd was awarded three takedowns with three sets of back points, and his riding time point gave him a 17-2 win by technical fall. Kyle Crutchmer made his fourth dual start and third as a 197 pounder. Crutchmer ended his bout quickly with a pin over Daniel Sutherland in 1:33, giving him his first career dual win. "It was nice to get the win," Crutchmer said. "This is definitely something I needed. I'm excited to be a Cowboy and ready to compete again." Ethan Driver stepped up for the Cowboys at heavyweight, closing it out with a 5-3 win over Evan Daley. It was Driver's first start of his career. "It was a good win for us," coach John Smith said. "Now, I'm ready for tomorrow." OSU travels to State College, Pa., to take on No. 2 Penn State on Sunday, in their first meeting since 2010. Results: 125: No. 13 Eddie Klimara (OSU) MD Hunter Jones (CU), 13-5 133: No. 4 Jon Morrison (OSU) TF5 Sam Sherlock (CU), 18-3 141: No. 19 Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. Tyler Bedelyon (CU), 12-10 149: No. 9 Josh Kindig (OSU) MD Justin Arthur (CU), 14-5 157: No. 3 Alex Dieringer (OSU) dec. Austin Matthews (CU), 11-4 165: No. 5 Tyler Caldwell (OSU) fall Michael Pavasko (CU), 4:34 174: No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU) fall Ryan Darch (CU), 4:05 184: Nolan Boyd (OSU) TF5 Dustin Conti (CU), 17-2 197: Kyle Crutchmer (OSU) fall Daniel Sutherland (CU), 1:33 285: Ethan Driver (OSU) dec. Evan Daley (CU), 5-3

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Competing in its final road dual of the season, the Boston University wrestling team posted a 23-15 victory over Brown on Saturday afternoon to improve to 4-9 overall and 2-8 against EIWA opponents. The Terriers never trailed in the match, picking up wins in five of the first six bouts to take a commanding 19-3 lead. Junior Tyler Scotton (141) and senior Alex Najjar (197) both earned major decisions. Sophomore Dane Harlowe (133), senior Nestor Taffur (157) and junior Mitchell Wightman (165) were all victorious as well and senior Bubba McGinley started off the match with a forfeit win at 125. After the forfeit, Harlowe posted a 10-3 triumph at 133 and Scotton followed with a 14-6 major to give the visitors an early 13-0 lead. Brown (3-9, 2-8 EIWA) got on the board at 149 when senior Nick Tourville fell, 9-6, to Steven Galiardo, but BU responded with back-to-back wins. Taffur defeated Justin Staudenmayer by a score of 10-3 before Wightman blanked Philip Marano, 5-0. The Bears tried to get back into the match, as Ricky McDonald edged BU sophomore Colin Saunders, 4-3, at 174 before freshman Aaron Conrad was pinned at 3:35 of his match against Brown's Ophir Bernstein at 184. BU ended any hopes of a Brown comeback when Najjar came through with a 15-6 triumph over Augustus Marker at 197. In the final bout, senior Kevin Innis fell to Ryder Cavey, 6-2, at heavyweight. The Terriers will return to action on Saturday (Feb. 22) when they welcome Sacred Heart to Case Gym for the final dual of the season. The match will start at 5 p.m. Results: 125: Bubba McGinley (BU) won by forfeit 133: Dane Harlowe (BU) dec. Anthony Finocchiaro (Brown), 10-3 141: Tyler Scotton (BU) major dec. Zachary Tannenbaum (Brown), 14-6 149: Steven Galiardo (Brown) dec. Nick Tourville (BU), 9-6 157: Nestor Taffur (BU) dec. Justin Staudenmayer (Brown), 10-3 165: Mitchell Wightman (BU) dec. Philip Marano (Brown), 5-0 174: Ricky McDonald (Brown) dec. Colin Saunders (BU), 4-3 184: Ophir Bernstein (Brown) pinned Aaron Conrad (BU), 3:35 197: Alex Najjar (BU) major dec. Augustus Marker (Brown), 15-6 285: Ryder Cavey (Brown) dec. Kevin Innis (BU), 6-2

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell wrestling team closed out its home schedule in dominating fashion Saturday afternoon, defeating VMI 36-9 in Davis Gym. The Bison won eight of the nine contested bouts and five of those eight wins were for bonus points. Tyler Lyster and Joe Stolfi ended the match with back-to-back pins, while Paul Petrov, Victor Lopez and Robert Schlitt each posted a tech fall to propel Bucknell to its ninth win of the season. “It was good to bounce back today after last night’s loss to Franklin & Marshall,” said Bison head coach Dan Wirnsberger. “We were watching for how the guys would respond after a performance like that. We put it on them to show their competitive side and they did that.” Saturday’s matchup was the first-ever meeting between Bucknell (9-11) and VMI (3-15). Bison seniors Bob Hauser and Stephen McPeek were honored prior to the match during a Senior Day ceremony, which was followed by a Military Appreciation Day recognition by the Bucknell wrestling program. Petrov, who improved to 27-7 on the year, wasted no time staking the Bison to an early lead as he won by a commanding 23-7 margin at 125 pounds. It was his sixth consecutive win and his team-high third tech fall of the year. On Senior Day, Hauser followed with his fourth win of the year, a 4-1 decision at 133. He scored the first points with an early takedown, posted a second-period escape and earned the riding time point. “Wrestling is a tough sport and Bob and Stephen both stuck it out all four years,” said Wirnsberger. “To have Bob in the right spot this week to fill in after some injuries cropped up, and get the win, it means a lot to him and to our program.” After a forfeit at 141 due to an injury to Connor Lapresi, Bucknell’s lead was trimmed to 8-6. However, Victor Lopez (149) posted a 17-1 tech fall and Ray Schlitt (157) followed with a 9-4 decision to make it 16-6 on the scoreboard. Rustin Barrick then went to overtime for the second consecutive day and after ending with a pin Friday at Franklin & Marshall, came out on the wrong side of a 6-4 decision against Tedd Gottwald. The Bison then won the final four bouts with three for bonus points, including Robert Schlitt’s 15-0 shutout of Jake Koch. Lyster and Stolfi sent the Bison home schedule out on a high note with back-to-back first-period pins. It was Lyster’s fifth fall of the season, while Stolfi recorded his 20th pin of the year to tie Brian Pitzer’s 15-year-old school record. “It’s always nice to have guys like Lyster and Stolfi at the end of your lineup,” remarked Wirnsberger. “We are comfortable and confident with them back there. I am proud of how Tyler bounced back after his loss last night.” Bucknell will wrap up the regular season on the road next Friday, Feb. 21, at Binghamton. Start time for that EIWA match is 7 p.m. in Vestal, N.Y. Results: 125: Paul Petrov (B) tech. fall Dalton Henderson (VMI), 23-7 (7:00) 133: Bob Hauser (B) dec. Mike Flora (VMI), 4-1. 141: Caleb Yost (VMI) wins by forfeit 149: Victor Lopez (B) tech. fall Emmitt Kelly (VMI), 17-1 (7:00) 157: Ray Schlitt (B) dec. Ted Gottwald (VMI), 9-4. 165: Mark Darr (VMI) dec. Rustin Barrick (B), 6-4 (sv1) 174: Robert Schlitt (B) tech. fall Jake Koch (VMI), 15-0 (4:18) 184: Rory Bonner (B) dec. Hardy Hendren (VMI), 4-3. 197: Tyler Lyster (B) pinned Andrew Embree (VMI), 2:35. 285: No. 20 Joe Stolfi (B) pinned Mike LaPrade (VMI), 1:56.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- No. 1 Jimmy Sheptock and Frank Goodwin impressed as the Maryland wrestling team defeated N.C. State, 23-14, in its final match in the ACC Saturday night at Comcast Pavilion. Goodwin swung the match for the Terps (7-8, 3-3 ACC) with a pin of Brian Hamman at 149 pounds. Sheptock punctuated the meet with an easy tech fall over Shayne Brady. "I thought we had a little more fight and a little more pride in the last ACC match," head coach Kerry McCoy said. "I told them before the match that we wanted to go out the right way, and they did." The dual started at 197 pounds with No. 11 Christian Boley and KaRonne Jones. The Maryland senior was able to secure a third period takedown to seal a 3-2 victory. At heavyweight, No. 8 Spencer Myers and No. 6 Nick Gwiazdowski contested a match that held massive national implications. After Gwiazdowski dominated the first two periods, Myers put the N.C. State standout in a pinning predicament in the third period, but was not able to finish. Gwiazdowski escaped and survived a few Myers takedown attempts to seal an 11-8 victory. Billy Rappo got the Terps back on track at 125 pounds. The sophomore was alert in a number of tough scrambles and held on for a 3-2 victory. Shyheim Brown also won a close match, defeating Chris Wilkes, 4-2, to give the Terps a 9-3 lead. Goodwin then stepped up for the Terps at 149. After a number of close calls throughout the match, Goodwin locked up Hamman and pinned him at 6:05 to the roar of the Comcast Pavilion crowd. The Wolfpack followed with a three-match run, No. 18 Thomas Gantt and Nifel Jones took major decision victories over Ben Dorsay and Tyler Manion, respectively, before No. 17 Pete Renda outlasted Ty Snook, 7-2. Sheptock then closed the dual strong at 184 pounds. The senior raced to a 16-0 victory on his birthday and extended his unbeaten mark to 23-0 to give the Terps a 23-14 win. The dual marked the Terps’ final contest as a member of the ACC. Maryland holds the most ACC Championships with 24 and has produced the most individual ACC champions. Maryland returns to action on Sunday against American. Action is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Comcast Pavilion with senior day ceremonies held just before the first match. Results: 197: #10 Christian Boley (MD) dec. KaRonne Jones; 3-2 - 3-0 285: #6 Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) dec. #8 Spencer Myers; 11-8 - 3-3 125: Billy Rappo (MD) dec. Micah Perez; 3-2 - 6-3 133: Tyler Goodwin (MD) dec. Chris Wilkes; 4-2 - 9-3 141: Shyhiem Brown (MD) dec. #26 Sam Speno; 4-3 - 12-3 149: Frank Goodwin (MD) fall #31 Brian Hamann; 6:05 - 18-3 157: #19 Tommy Gantt (NCSU) major dec. Ben Dorsay; 15-5 - 18-7 165: Nijel Jones (NCSU) major dec. Tyler Manion; 14-6 - 18-11 174: #19 Pete Renda (NCSU) dec. Matthew Snook; 7-2 - 18-14 184: #1 Jimmy Sheptock (MD) tech fall Shayne Brady; 16-0 - 23-14

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland State wrestling team defeated Rider 24-23, on Saturday afternoon at Woodling Gymnasium. The Vikings (2-10, 1-4 EWL) had wins from Ray Stone (197), Riley Shaw (285), Daniel King (133), Jared McKinley (141), and Nick Montgomery (149). Stone earned a forfeit win to give CSU their first points of the day. Shaw posted his ninth decision of the year (8-3) over Greg Velasco, making the score 11-9 after four bouts. CSU added another win by King who tallied his sixth decision win of the year over 27th ranked Chuck Zeisloft, lifting him to 20 wins on the season. King's decision put CSU in a comfortable spot only being down, 17-12. Cleveland State then had back-to back pins by McKinley and Montgomery. McKinley's pin gave the Vikings their first lead at 18-17 in the match. Leading behind McKinley, Montgomery came up with a second straight pin over Rider's Curt Delia who came in ranked 31st, to put the match out of reach at 24-17. Rider ended up winning by pin in the final bout, but CSU prevailed 24-23, to pick up their first EWL win of the season. Cleveland State will be back on the mats on Sunday (Feb. 23) as CSU will travel to Athens, Ohio for their final regular season match to wrestle Gardner-Webb (12:00 p.m.) and Ohio (3:00 p.m.). Results: 125: Robert Deutsch (RU) wins by fall (2:18) over John Martin (CSU); TS: 17-9 133: Daniel King (CSU) wins by decision (9-3) over Chuck Zeisloft (RU); TS: 17-12 141: Jared McKinley (CSU) wins by fall (2:08) over Paul Kirchner (RU); TS: 18-17 149: Nick Montgomery (CSU) wins by fall (1:12) over Curt Delia (RU); TS: 24-17 157: Wayne Stinson (RU) wins by fall (5:56) over R.J. LaBeef (CSU); TS: 24-23 165: Ramon Santiago (RU) wins by major decision (10-3) over Matt Donohoe (CSU); TS: 4-0 174: Conor Brennan (RU) wins by decision (3-1) over Nick Corba (CSU); TS: 7-0 184: Clint Morrison (RU) wins by major decision (9-0) over Xavier Dye (CSU); TS: 11-0 197: Ray Stone (CSU) wins by forfeit (6-0) over David Fenton (RU); TS: 11-6 285: Riley Shaw (CSU) wins by decision (8-3) over Greg Velasco (RU); TS: 11-9

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- With the Rutgers wrestling team trailing, 16-15, heading into the final bout of its match against Lock Haven Saturday afternoon, redshirt sophomore Anthony Perrotti (Roseland, N.J.) recorded an 8-1 decision to seal a 18-16 victory at the College Ave. Gym. The victory concluded “Greek/Embrace Kids Day,” as the Rutgers wrestling program garnered a contribution for the Embrace Kids Foundation due to the packed crowd, courtesy of a generous RU donor. Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Julie Hermann was on hand for the festivities, as former Rutgers football standouts and current NFL stars Jason and Devin McCourty also made an appearance at the College Ave. Gym. In all, 1,295 fans packed into “The Barn” to lead to the Embrace Kids contribution despite the snowy conditions. After the second bout of the match, head coach Scott Goodale presented a check for $5,000 to executive director of the Embrace Kids Foundation, Glenn Jenkins. The win was the Scarlet Knights’ first since defeating American, 31-6, on Jan. 10 at the College Ave. Gym and improved the team’s record to 10-5 overall. Lock Haven (3-10, 1-4 EWL) took its first lead of the match after earning a decision at 149 pounds. Mac Maldarelli narrowly edged sophomore Ken Theobold (Toms River, N.J.), scoring a takedown 41 seconds into sudden victory to win, 5-3. The win was the Bald Eagles’ third in a row after redshirt freshman 125-pounder Sean McCabe (Connetquot, N.Y.) won by a major decision, 11-1, over Kaleb LeMaire to give RU a 15-6 lead. However, Perrotti won convincingly to seal the win, topping Elias Biddle 8-1 with 2:05 of riding time. No. 19/15/18 redshirt sophomore heavyweight Billy Smith (Wantage, N.J.) won his ninth consecutive match, 10-0, over Lock Haven’s Brad Emerick in his bout, while redshirt junior 165-pounder Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, N.J.) returned to the win column in the opening bout with a hard-fought, 5-4 decision. Sophomore Ethan Orr (Branchville, N.J.) made his Scarlet Knight debut at 184 pounds, but fell, 7-3, to Lock Haven’s Fred Garcia. The Scarlet Knights wrap up the regular season on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. against Drexel at the RAC. Former UFC Champion Frankie Edgar will be on hand to sign autographs for an hour prior to the match, as RU will send off its two seniors – 133-pounder Vinnie Dellefave (Toms River, N.J.) and 184-pounder Dan Seidenberg (Red Bank, N.J.). Results: 165: Nick Visicaro (RU) dec. over Jacob Kemerer (LHU), 5-4; Rutgers leads, 3-0. 174: Phil Bakuckas (RU) major dec. over Travis Moyer (LHU), 13-2; Rutgers leads, 7-0. 184: Fred Garcia (LHU) dec. over Ethan Orr (RU), 10-7; Rutgers leads, 7-3. 197: Phil Sprenkle (LHU) dec. over Hayden Hrymack (RU), 5-2; Rutgers leads, 7-6. HWT: No. 19/15/18 Billy Smith (RU) major dec. over Brad Emerick (LHU), 10-0; Rutgers leads, 11-6. 125: Sean McCabe (RU) major dec. over Kaleb LeMaire (LHU), 11-1; Rutgers leads, 15-6. 133: Cody Wheeler (LHU) dec. over Vinnie Dellefave (RU), 3-2; Rutgers leads, 15-9. 141: Dan Neff (LHU) major dec. over Tyson Dippery (RU), 10-2; Rutgers leads, 15-13. 149: Mac Maldarelli (LHU) dec. over Ken Theobold (RU), 5-3; Lock Haven leads, 16-15. 157: Anthony Perrotti (RU) dec. over Elias Biddle (LHU), 8-1; Rutgers wins, 18-16.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Harvard wrestling team used four sets of bonus points to cruise to a 30-10 victory Saturday afternoon at Brown. Harvard (4-6, 3-6 EIWA) took seven of the 10 bouts to earn the win, its second straight over Brown (3-8, 1-7 EIWA). Nicholas Gajdzik picked up his fifth career fall, and second in as many matches, to close the day out while Todd Preston registered his second technical fall of the year with a 22-5 victory. James Fox also picked up a 12-3 major decision with Max Mejia earning bonus points for the team with a forfeit. Preston's victory was his team-leading 17th of the year, his fourth with bonus points, and gives the sophomore eight wins in his last nine bouts. Fox, meanwhile, earned his sixth straight win and boasts 12 victories on the season. Mejia was awarded the forfeit at 125 lbs. to begin the dual and Jeffrey Ott followed up with a 7-1 decision over Anthony Finocchiaro at 133 lbs. Preston made it three-in-a-row for Harvard with his 22-5 tech-fall over Zachard Tanenbaum at 141 lbs., giving the Crimson a 14-0 edge in the team scores. Brown responded with a major decision at 149 lbs., but a 7-1 victory for Tyler Grimaldi over Justin Staudenmayer at 157 lbs. put Harvard back in the win column. An 8-2 decision by 165-pounder Devon Gobbo pushed the Crimson's lead to 20-4. The Bears edged closer with decisions at 174 lbs. and 184 lbs., setting themselves up for a potential comeback. Fox secured the win for Harvard, however, earning a 12-3 major decision over Augustus Marker at 197 lbs. to move the score to 24-10. Gajdzik finished things off with his pin of Ryder Cavey at the 1:46 mark, his second consecutive fall and fifth of the year. Harvard returns to action Friday, Feb. 21 at Columbia before hosting Lehigh in its final dual meet of the year at Lavietes Pavilion Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. The match will be simulcast live on the Ivy League Digital Network, ESPN3 and the WatchESPN App as part of a partnership between Harvard and ESPN that will see 10 Crimson events this spring simulcast across the three platforms. Results: 125: Max Mejia (Harvard) win by forfeit, 6-0 133: Jeffrey Ott (Harvard) dec. Anthony Finocchiaro (Brown), 7-1, 9-0 141: Todd Preston (Harvard) tech. fall Zachard Tanenbaum (Brown), 22-5, 14-0 149: Steven Galiardo (Brown) major dec. Nicholas Stager (Harvard), 14-5, 14-4 157: Tyler Grimaldi (Harvard) dec. Justin Staudenmayer (Brown), 7-1, 17-4 165: Devon Gobbo (Harvard) dec. Philip Marano (Brown), 8-2, 20-4 174: Ricky McDonald (Brown) dec. Ian Roy (Harvard), 5-1, 20-7 184: Ophir Bernstein (Brown) dec. Cameron Croy (Harvard), 8-1, 20-10 197: James Fox (Harvard) major dec. Augustus Marker (Brown), 12-3, 24-10 285: Nicholas Gajdzik (Harvard) fall Ryder Cavey (Brown), 1:46, 30-10

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- The streak is over. Jordan Burroughs' consecutive win streak was snapped at 69 matches (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Jordan Burroughs, an Olympic champion and two-time World champion at 74 kilos, suffered the first defeat of his international wrestling career on the senior level on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul, Turkey, halting his consecutive win streak at 69. The loss came in the quarterfinals to U.S. wrestler Nick Marable, 4-4. Burroughs earned the first point of the match to go up 1-0 after the first period. Marable battled back, picking up two takedowns to go up 4-1. Burroughs added a pushout point and late takedown to knot the score at 4-4 at the end of regulation, but Marable earned the victory on criteria (most takedowns). Burroughs came back to earn the bronze medal with a 10-2 victory over Batuhan Demircin of Turkey. Marable claimed the gold medal. Earlier this month he won a gold medal at the Grand Prix of Paris. It was Burroughs' first competition since winning a gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in September.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The Arizona State wrestling team used a trio of major decision to top Pac-12 foe Cal Poly, 24-15, on Friday night in the Mott Athletics Center. ASU improves to 8-7 on the year and 3-1 in Pac-12 action while Cal Polly falls to 3-9, 1-4. The Mustangs came out to a 12-6 advantage after the first four weights with Matt Kraus scoring ASU’s first points with a pin over Victor Trujillo at 3:24 at 141. The Sun Devils would only allow one more weight class to Cal Poly as Joel Smith (157), Nick Rex (165), and Blake Stauffer (184) recorded major decisions over each of their opponents. ASU also picked up wins at 174 from Ray Waters, while Chace Eskam picked up his first Pac-12 win of the year with a 4-1 decision over Tyler Hecht. Up next, ASU will round out the Pac-12 slate on the road at CSU Bakersfield on Sunday at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT. Results: 125 -- Britain Longmire (CP) dec. Ares Carpio (ASU) 5-2 133 -- Devon Lotito (CP) pinned Kalin Goodsite (ASU) 1:13 141 -- Matthew Kraus (ASU) pinned Victor Trujillo (CP) 3:24 149 -- Kyle Chene (CP) dec. Preston McCalmon (ASU) 4-2 157 -- Joel Smith (ASU) maj. dec. Xavier Johnson (CP) 15-5 165 -- Nickolas Rex (ASU) maj. dec. Travis Berridge (CP) 12-1 174 -- Raymond Waters (ASU) dec. Stefan Weidemann (CP) 15-9 184 -- Blake Stauffer (ASU) maj. dec. Kent Beecham (CP) 14-2 197 -- Nicolas Johnson (CP) dec. Wesley Moore (ASU) 5-3 285 -- Chace Eskam (ASU) dec. Tyler Hecht (CP) 4-1

USAFA, Colo. -- The Air Force wrestling team celebrated Senior Night in style, winning a pair of duals versus New Mexico Highlands and conference foe Utah Valley. The Falcons rolled to a dominant 41-0 victory over the Cowboys to begin the evening, followed by a 24-13 win over the Wolverines to close the night. Air Force (10-6, 1-3 WWC) got out to a quick start against New Mexico Highlands, with senior Greg Isley (Sr., Toledo, Ohio) scoring a first-period fall at 197 pounds. Classmate Cody Davis (The Woodlands, Texas) added a 5-3 decision in the heavyweight match-up, while fourth-ranked Josh Martinez (So., Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored an 11-1 major decision at 125 pounds. Senior Greg Rinker (Northampton, Pa.) added another fall for the Falcons at 133 pounds, while freshman David Walker (St. Marys, Iowa) scored a decision at 141 pounds. Natrelle Demison (Fr., Bakersfield, Calif.) continued Air Force's winning streak with a 15-4 major decision at 149 pounds, while Daniel Baucke (Sr., Memphis, Tenn.) and Connor Hedash (Fr., Slatington, Pa.) added decisions at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Konner Witt (So., Oak Harbor, Ohio) scored the third fall of the match for Air Force at 174 pounds, while senior captain Devin Hightower (Colorado Springs, Colo.) closed out the dual with a 3-1 decision at 184 pounds. The Falcons also had a hot start in their match against Utah Valley, winning the first five bouts of the dual. Isley won his second match of the day, scoring a close 4-3 decision, while sophomore Marcus Malecek (Hammond, Wis.) added a decision in the heavyweight bout. After picking up a forfeit victory at 125 pounds, Air Force increased its team lead to 18-0 following Rinker's second first-period fall of the evening. Meanwhile, junior Carter McElhany (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored a come-from-behind decision at 141 pounds to push the Falcons' advantage to 21-0. The Wolverines finished strong in the dual, winning four of the last five bouts, beginning with a sudden victory decision at 149 pounds. Utah Valley went on to score a major decision at 157 pounds and a decision at 165 pounds, while Witt escaped with a 4-3 decision at 174 pounds. The evening ended for the Falcons with a tough last-second loss at 184 pounds. The Falcons close out the regular season next Sunday, Feb. 23, when they visit Western Wrestling Conference rival Northern Colorado in a 1:00 p.m. dual. Air Force 41, New Mexico Highlands 0 197 - Greg Isley (AF) fall Luis Terrazas, 1:50 285 - Cody Davis (AF) dec. Cody Marquez, 5-3 125 - No. 4 Josh Martinez (AF) maj. dec. Erick Rangel, 11-1 133 - Greg Rinker (AF) fall Tre Humphrey, 1:47 141 - Carter McElhany (AF) dec. Dan Gaylor, 5-0 149 - Natrelle Demison (AF) maj. dec. Pierce Stowman, 15-3 157 - Daniel Baucke (AF) dec. Jesse Martinez, 9-5 165 - Connor Hedash (AF) dec. Juan Alvarado, 4-1 174 - Konner Witt (AF) fall Jonathan Bechtloff, 1:32 184 - Devin Hightower (AF) dec. Igor Gomzin, 3-1 Air Force 24, Utah Valley 13 197 - Greg Isley (AF) dec. Derek Thomas, 4-3 285 - Marcus Malecek (AF) dec. Richard Larsen, 6-1 125 - No. 4 Josh Martinez (AF) win by forfeit 133 - Greg Rinker (AF) fall Chasen Tolbert, 1:28 141 - Carter McElhany (AF) dec. Avery Garner, 7-5 149 - Trevor Willson (UVU) dec. Natrelle Demison, 5-2 (SV) 157 - Chase Culbertson (UVU) maj. dec. Jerry McGinty, 10-2 165 - Logan Addis (UVU) dec. Connor Hedash, 6-5 174 - Konner Witt (AF) dec. Monte Schmalhaus, 4-3 184 - Ethan Smith (UVU) dec. Devin Hightower, 3-1

WAYNESBURG, Pa. -- Trailing by 11 team points heading into the third round of the 2014 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Wrestling Championships, Waynesburg University knew it still controlled its own fate when it came to a second-straight team title. In front of their home crowd at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse, the Yellow Jackets saved their best wrestling for last as they won five out of their seven matches in the third and final round of the event to come back and defeat Thiel and Washington & Jefferson for the program’s fourth PAC title. The Yellow Jackets scored 108 team points, which bested second-place Thiel (93.5 points) and third-place Washington & Jefferson (78.5). The Jackets have now won four of the last five conference team titles. The Tomcats went into round three with a 72-61 edge over the host Jackets, but Thiel failed to win the championship at 125 pounds, which was won by W&J’s Jacob Spearman. That brought up the 133-pound championship match, which pitted Waynesburg freshman Filippo Crivelli against Thiel sophomore Nick Sutton. The two grapplers had split their two previous meetings, but Crivelli won the rubber match by coming back from an early deficit to down Sutton 4-3 and snag his first PAC title, which cut his team’s deficit to just one point. Waynesburg and Thiel met up again in the 141-pound title contest as junior Jake Vitolo of the host team faced off with freshman Robert Ritschard. Ritschard boasted a 4-0 mark against the Jacket junior during the regular season, but once again, fortunes turned in Waynesburg’s favor as Vitolo earned his first conference crown with a 4-2 decision that gave the Jackets the lead back at 81-72. Following a pair of thrilling wins, the Jackets picked up a dominant victory at 149 pounds courtesy of returning All-American Luke Lohr. The senior faced off with W&J sophomore Trevor Meyers and controlled the bout throughout en route to pinning his younger opponent in 5:12. After recording three-straight championships, the host team held a 93-72 advantage in the team standings. The Jackets’ winning streak ended at 157 pounds, but with Waynesburg losing to a W&J wrestler, and the Presidents picking up a win over a Tomcat representative at 165 pounds, the Orange and Black maintained its 19-point lead. Thiel crowned its first individual champion at 174 pounds and pulled to within nine points at 93-82. However, with Waynesburg senior Cameron Fine waiting at 184 pounds, the Jackets had a chance to wrap up the team title. Fine squared off with W&J senior David Dibenedetto for the first time this year and used an early takedown to fuel a 4-1 victory that gave the Orange and Black four more team points that officially clinched the championship for Waynesburg at 97-82. Despite taking the loss, Dibenedetto took home the individual championship on tie-breaker points. Fine, Dibenedetto and Thiel’s Jerrold Roosa all went 1-1 on the night. After the Tomcats picked up their second title at 197 pounds, Waynesburg sophomore heavyweight Greg Kumer wrapped up the Jackets’ team triumph in style by earning an 8-0 major decision over the Presidents’ Nick Kumburis. Kumer’s biggest win of the night came in the opening round when he avenged two regular season losses to Thiel sophomore Blake Heim by scoring a 4-2 overtime victory over the Tomcat big man. Junior Sam Guidi (165), senior Anthony Bonaventura (174) and junior Patrick Jennings (197) also picked up crucial victories on the night to place second in their respective weight classes. Following Kumer’s win at heavyweight, Waynesburg head coach Ron Headlee won his fourth PAC Coach of the Year Award over his six years at the helm of the Jackets. Thiel junior 197-pounder Jake Lowry was named Most Outstanding Wrestler. The Jacket mat men return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 19, when they travel to Division II Alderson Broaddus for a dual match with the Battlers. Start time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

WAVERLY, Iowa -- The No. 1 ranked Wartburg wrestling team (18-0 overall) won its 22nd straight Iowa Conference Championship Friday in its 25-9 win over No. 11 Coe (13-5). The Knights have won 22 consecutive IIAC championships and have 173 straight wins over IIAC opponents. Their 22 consecutive conference titles is the longest streak in Division III wrestling. The longest previous streak was 17 which was held by Augsburg College (1987-2003). Wartburg wins 25-9 125 #1 Gilberto Camacho (WB) wins by 13-1 maj dec vs. Jan Rosenberg (Coe). WB leads 4-0 133 #7 Jimmy Gotto (Coe) wins by fall at 0:06 vs. #2 Kenny Anderson (WB). Coe leads 6-4 141 #7 Connor Campo (WB) wins by 7-1 dec vs. Beau Westpfahl (Coe). WB leads 7-6 149 Mark Pinero (WB) wins by 6-1 dec vs. Josh Donkle (Coe). WB leads 10-6. 157 #9 Brett Yonkovic (WB) wins by 7-5 dec. vs. #2 Dimitri Boyer (Coe). WB leads 13-6. 165 #3 Cole Welter (WB) wins by 1-0 dec vs Farai Sewera (Coe). WB leads 16-6. 174 #1 Landon Williams (WB) wins by 3-0 dec vs. #4 Ethan Ball (Coe). WB leads 19-6. 184 #10 Ryan Sheldon (Coe) wins by 5-2 dec vs. #8 Sam Upah (WB). WB leads 19-9. 197 #6 Punahele Soriano (WB) wins by 3-1 dec vs. #10 Donnie Horner (Coe). WB leads 22-9 285 #2 Ryan Fank (WB) wins by 4-1 dec. vs. Cory Becker (Coe). WB wins 25-9 Official: Kevin Tann Other Notes: -Camacho repeated his win over Rosenberg in the regular-season meeting. -Anderson returned to the varsity dual lineup for the first time since the IIAC Duals on Jan. 15. -Campo tallied his 25th win of the year. -Pinero earned his 24th win of the season. -Pinero repeated as the victor against Donkle from the regular-season meeting. -Yonkovic recorded his 27th win of the season. -Yonkovic avenged his loss against Boyer from the regular-season meeting on Jan. 30 where Boyer won 5-2. -Welter repeated as the winner against Sewera from the regular-season meeting. -Welter earned his 25th win of the season. -Landon Williams has a team-best 34 victories and continues his undefeated streak against Division III opponents. -Williams took sole possession of the eighth spot on the program's list of career win leaders with 128. -Soriano won his 29th victory of the year. -Fank earned his 30th win of the season. -Fank repeated as the victor from the regular-season meeting. -Wartburg has an overall winning streak to 54, which dates back to the 2011-12 season. -Wartburg is 18-0 on the season. -This marked the third 18-0 season in program history as the team finished with that record in 1992-93 and 2010-11.

South Dakota State won eight matches to win its home finale, 27-6 over Northern Illinois on Senior Night. Highlighting the Jacks' dominating performance was Brance Simms' pin at 133 pounds. "It was great to see the effort we had tonight," head coach Chris Bono said. "They got us 26-12 last season, so it's nice to see the improvement these guys are making. It was great to put on a show for the home crowd one last time this season." Following Trey Hable's 8-5 win at 197, SDSU dropped back-to-back decisions at 285 and 125 before Simms turned Derek Elmore and recorded the fall at 4:43 - the first of the season for the sophomore. SDSU would not lose another match as Eric Orozco (141), Alex Kocer (149) and No. 16 Cody Pack (157) all recorded decision wins before 165-pounder Joe Brewster recorded a takedown at the 7:37 mark to defeat Shaun'Que McMurty, 3-1 to give the Jacks a 21-6 lead. John Nething II and Brady Ayers recorded wins at 174 and 184, respectively to close out the dual. The Jacks have a quick turnaround, as they return to the mat on Sunday in Greeley, Colo., to take on Northern Colorado. Results: 197: Trey Hable (SDSU) over Shawn Scott (NIU) - Dec., 8-5 (3-0 SDSU) 285: Jared Torrence (NIU) over J.J. Everard (SDSU) - SV-2, 4-2 (3-3) 125: Nick Harrison (NIU) over Ben Gillette (SDSU) - Dec., 6-4 (6-3 NIU) 133: Brance Simms (SDSU) fall over Derek Elmore (NIU) - 4:43 (9-6 SDSU) 141: Eric Orozco (SDSU) over Kevin Fanta (NIU) - Dec., 7-5 (12-6 SDSU) 149: Alex Kocer (SDSU) over Rob Jillard (NIU) - Dec., 8-4 (15-6 SDSU) 157: No. 16 Cody Pack (SDSU) over Andrew Morse (NIU) - Dec., 7-2 (18-6 SDSU) 165: Joe Brewster (SDSU) over Shaun’Que McMurty (NIU) - OT, 3-1 (21-6 SDSU) 174: John Nething II (SDSU) over Billy Chancey (NIU) - Dec., 5-1 (24-6 SDSU) 184: Brady Ayers (SDSU) over Caleb Busson (NIU) - Dec., 3-2 (27-6 SDSU)

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Binghamton wrestling won six of 10 bouts and rallied from eight points down to defeat host Buffalo 22-18 Friday night from Alumni Arena. The Bearcats (5-11) seized the win when heavyweight standout Tyler Deuel posted a pin in 50 seconds in the final match of the night. With BU trailing 18-16, Deuel took the mat and won his 10th straight match - and 13th straight dual match - giving BU its winning margin. Deuel, ranked No. 24 in the latest NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings (Feb. 10), improved to 25-5 overall record, 14-2 in duals. Senior 197-pound Cody Reed also extended his win streak to 10 in a row with a 5-2 decision. Reed, No. 25 in the NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings, is 23-8 record on the season, 13-3 in duals. Other winners for the Bearcats were junior 125-pound David White, junior 149-pound Joe Bonaldi, sophomore 165-pound Vincent Grella and junior 184-pound Caleb Wallace. Binghamton returns home to host Bucknell at 7 p.m. on Senior Night next Friday. Results: 125: David White (BING) won by decision over Max Soria (BUF), 9-7 133: Justin Farmer (BUF) won by fall over Mike Sardo (BING), 3:30 141: Nick Flannery (BUF) won by major decision over Nick Tighe (BING), 17-2 149: Joe Bonaldi (BING) won by major decision over Ryan Todora (BUF), 17-7 157: Wally Maziarz (BUF) won by decision over Dylan Caruana (BING), 3-1 165: Vincent Grella (BING) won by decision over Jake Campana (BUF), 6-0 174: Rrok Ndokaj (BUF) won by major decision over Ben Price (BING), 14-4 184: Caleb Wallace (BING) won by decision over Tony Lock (BUF), 4-0 197: Cody Reed (BING) won by decision over Angelo Malvestuto (BUF), 5-2 285: Tyler Deuel (BING) won by fall over James Benjamin (BUF), 0:50

The Princeton wrestling team trailed Columbia by nine points with three matches remaining Friday night. The total may have seemed daunting a week ago, but following Princeton's comeback from a 20-3 deficit at Boston University last Saturday, nothing felt impossible. This time, a trio of underclassmen capped another improbable finish for a gutsy young squad, which moved to 9-2 on the season with an 18-16 home win over the Lions. Princeton (9-2, 3-1 Ivy) rallied to defeat Columbia (6-5, 0-2) for only the second time in the last 13 meetings. The win assures Princeton only its second winning record in the Ivy League since 1987, and it guarantees the Tigers no worse than a share of second place in the league. The Tigers can clinch second place (behind No. 6 Cornell) outright next Saturday with a home win over Penn. The Tigers have shown impressive resilience during its current four-match win streak. They have trailed in three of the four matches, and they entered the final match trailing twice. The latter of those two came against the Lions, who opened a 9-0 lead with three straight decisions. Junior Adam Krop got Princeton on the board with a 13-4 major decision at 149, and sophomore Kevin Moylan picked up one of the most important wins of the night at 157. Going against Columbia's win leader in Markus Scheidel, Moylan found himself trailing 2-0 after an early takedown. Moylan used a late takedown in the second period to get within one point (3-2), and his escape in the third period evened the score. Moylan had the energy at the end to fight for a final takedown and a 5-3 win. "Moylan was awesome tonight," said head coach Chris Ayres. "He broke his opponent by the end of the match. That was the one we really needed. He got the job done tonight." Columbia battled back for a decision at 165 and a major at 174 to open a 16-7 lead, but Princeton still had a formidable trio remaining. Freshman Brett Harner started the run with an 11-2 major decision at 184, which ended with a takedown in the final seconds to clinch a major decision. It was Harner's 23rd win of the season, second only to Krop, and it moved Princeton to within five points. Sophomore Abram Ayala, whose pin at heavyweight completed the comeback win at Boston University, picked up his 20th win of the season with a 14-5 major decision over Troy Hembury. That set the stage for freshman Ray O'Donnell, who moved into the starting lineup last month and has become a force at heavyweight. He has a scoreless first period against Matt Idelson, but he turned Idelson midway through the second period for a 2-0 lead. He scored an escape and a takedown in the third to take control of an eventual 8-2 win. "I told him that this was the new Ray," Ayres said. "It's not always a steady incline, but sometimes guys make big jumps. He really believes he belongs now. You don't know when they'll get there. It started this season with Abram, and tonight, it was Moylan and O'Donnell." Princeton will look for its 10th win of the season Sunday at noon when it travels to Sacred Heart. The Pioneers are led by second-year head coach Any Lausier, who served as the Princeton assistant coach for four seasons. That stretch included the 2010 season, when Princeton earned its first winning Ivy League season since 1987. Results: 125 -- Penn Gottfried (C) d. Ryan Cash 9-5 133 -- Angelo Amenta (C) d. Garrett Frey 5-4 141 -- Matt Bystol (C) d. Jordan Laster 2-0 149 -- Adam Krop (P) md. Ryan Ponte 13-4 157 -- Kevin Moylan (P) d. Markus Scheidel 5-3 165 -- Josh Houldsworth (C) d. Judd Ziegler 8-5 174 -- Shane Hughes (C) md. Ryan Callahan 10-1 184 -- Brett Harner (P) md. Zack Hernandez 11-2 197 -- Abram Ayala (P) md. Troy Hembury 14-5 285 -- Ray O’Donnell (P) d. Matt Idelson 8-2

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Edinboro heavyweight Ernest James has been in big matches throughout his career, and the senior came through once again on Friday night. His 3-0 decision over P.J. Tasser helped the 14th-ranked Fighting Scots upset sixth-ranked Pittsburgh, marking one of the biggest wins in head coach Tim Flynn’s 17-year tenure. Edinboro won on criteria 17-16 after the two former EWL rivals battled to a 16-16 tie. They tied 5-5 in the first criteria, and 0-0 in the second. Edinboro finally gained the edge on the third criteria thanks to total match points, with the Fighting Scots prevailing 50-49. Edinboro won for the ninth time in the last ten matches to improve to 9-3, while Pittsburgh fell for just the second time, as the Panthers are now 12-2. The other loss came to Penn State. The Fighting Scots snapped a four-match losing streak to Pitt. Edinboro jumped out to a 13-3 lead with wins in four of the first five matches. Back came the Panthers with four straight wins as they grabbed a 16-13 leading heading into the heavyweight match. That left James, ranked 17th, needing a win over 19th-ranked P.J. Tasser. James would prevail 3-0, with his riding time point providing the winning match point, as well. James improved to 22-5 with his 93rd career win. The match started with Anthony Zanetta (19-6) edging Kory Mines at 125 lbs. in one of five matches that featured a pair of ranked wrestlers. Zanetta, ranked 19th, jumped out to a 9-5 lead but Mines would rally with an escape and takedown late in the second period to close to 9-8. He would knot the match at 9-9 late in the third period, but Zanetta had riding time to post the winning point in a 10-9 decision. Mines, ranked 18th, fell to 19-7. A.J. Schopp, ranked second at 133 lbs., renewed his rivalry with Shelton Mack (21-8). Schopp would improve to 26-1 for the season and 98-12 for his career with a 1-0 decision over Mack, who was ranked 20th. It marked the fifth win in six meetings over Mack, but none have been decided by more than three points. Top-ranked Mitchell Port remained undefeated at 141 lbs. boosting his record to 22-0 with an 8-2 decision over 17th-ranked Edgar Bright (15-7). Dave Habat followed with a 10-2 major decision over Mikey Racciato (20-10) at 149 lbs. for Edinboro’s lone bonus points of the night. Ranked 15th, Habat is now 22-4. Johnny Greisheimer built Edinboro’s lead to 13-3 with an 8-1 decision over Cole Sheptock at 157 lbs. The senior picked up his 90th career win and is now 21-7 on the season. Pitt started its comeback at 165 lbs., as Geno Morelli used a late takedown to edge Kasey Burnett-Davis 4-3, dropping Burnett-Davis to 15-9. Seventh-ranked Tyler Wilps (24-5) followed with an 18-5 major decision over Patrick Jennings (9-10) at 174 lbs. At 184 lbs., sixth-ranked Max Thomusseit improved to 14-1 with a 4-1 decision over 15th-ranked Vic Avery. Thomusseit picked up the lone takedown early in the match to drop Avery to 18-4. Pitt would regain the lead at 16-13 thanks to Nick Bonaccorsi’s 8-2 decision over Vince Pickett at 197 lbs. Bonaccorsi is ranked 18th and improved to 18-9, while Pickett fell to 17-10. Pickett led early 2-0 but Bonaccorsi scored the final eight points. Results: 125 lbs. -- #19 Anthony Zanetta (UP) dec. #18 Kory Mines (EU), 10-9 0-3 133 lbs. -- #2 A.J. Schopp (EU) dec. #20 Shelton Mack (UP), 1-0 3-3 141 lbs. -- #1 Mitchell Port (EU) dec. #17 Edgar Bright (UP), 8-2 6-3 149 lbs. -- #15 David Habat (EU) maj. dec. Mikey Racciato (UP), 10-2 10-3 157 lbs. -- #16 Johnny Greisheimer (EU) dec. Cole Sheptock (UP), 8-1 13-3 165 lbs. -- Geno Morelli (UP) dec. Kasey Burnett-Davis (EU), 4-3 13-6 174 lbs. -- #7 Tyler Wilps (UP) maj. dec. Patrick Jennings (EU), 18-5 13-10 184 lbs. -- #6 Max Thomusseit (UP) dec. #15 Vic Avery (EU), 4-1 13-13 197 lbs. -- #18 Nick Bonaccorsi (UP) dec. Vince Pickett (EU), 8-2 13-16 Hwt. -- #17 Ernest James (EU) dec. No. 19 P.J. Tasser (UP), 3-0 16-16

LANCASTER, Pa. -- A mixture of clutch performances throughout the lineup and savvy coaching strategy from the Franklin & Marshall staff, propelled the Diplomats to a thrilling 23-21 victory over Bucknell on Friday evening at the Mayser Center. The win snapped a four-match losing streak in the all-time series and evened F&M's record at 6-6, 2-3 EIWA on the season, while the Bison fell to 8-11, 4-4 EIWA. Bucknell took an early 6-0 lead with a Diplomat forfeit at 125, before Robert Ruiz answered in commanding fashion, downing the Bison's Bob Hauser with an 11-1 major that included three takedowns. From there, F&M decided to slide Jason Bing into the 141 spot of the lineup to accept the forfeit victory, leaving Richard Durso available to wrestle at 149. The strategy paid dividends as No. 11 Durso overpowered Victor Lopez, who came in a winner of seven straight, with a match-changing 13-6 major. Durso entered the third with an 8-4 advantage before capping off the bout with a takedown and three nearfall points to close out the win and make the score 14-6 F&M. Andrew Murano followed at 157 by holding off his opponent for a 5-4 decision to extend the Diplomats advantage to 17-6. Murano entered the third with a slight 4-3 lead off takedowns in the first and second period and closed out the bout with a key escape in the third to earn the win. Rob King gave Rustin Barrick all he could handle at 165, but the Bison's grappler managed a pin with just seconds remaining in sudden victory to deal a much-needed six points to Bucknell, making the score 17-12. The Diplomats extended the lead further with a timely 5-2 decision from Colin Gironda at 174, before the Bison's responded with a decision of their own at 184 as F&M nursed a 20-15 lead. Chuckie Kerkesner stepped to the mat at 197 and delieverd the match-clinching 8-6 decision to seal the contest for the Diplomats. The bout featured a back-and-fourth, high-scoring first period that saw Kerkesner enter the second with an 8-5 lead. The pace slowed down from there on out as F&M's sophomore grappler held on for the win. The Diplomats return to the mat on Friday when F&M hosts Millersville for its final dual of the regular season. The competition is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start. Results: 125: Paul Petrov, BUCK, forf. 133: Robert Ruiz, F&M, maj. dec. Bob Hauser, BUCK, 11-1. 141: Jason Bing, F&M, forf. 149: Richard Durso, F&M, maj. dec. Victor Lopez, BUCK, 13-5. 157: Andrew Murano, F&M, dec. Ray Schlitt, BUCK, 5-4. 165: Rustin Barrick, BUCK, pinned Theodore King, F&M,7:58. 174: Colin Gironda, F&M, dec. Robert Schlitt, BUCK, 5-2. 184: Rory Bonner, BUCK, dec. Paul III Alessandrini, F&M, 2-1. 197: Charles Kerkesner, F&M, dec. Tyler Lyster, BUCK, 8-6. 285: Joe Stolfi, BUCK, pinned Alexander Henry, F&M, 4:15.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The West Virginia University wrestling team concluded its home schedule with a 28-7 victory over Clarion at the Beauty and the Beast tonight. “We started the match extremely well,” says coach Craig Turnbull. “We are happy to win all of the matches we did, but I want to see us wrestle with more intensity and be more aggressive on the mat. Again, though, it is good to come out of tonight with a good team win.” At 125 pounds, freshman Cory Stainbrook broke into the program's top 10 for single season wins by a freshman, defeating Hunter Jones, 9-5. Jones took Stainbrook down midway through the first period to take a 2-0 lead, but Stainbrook knotted the match with a reversal. Stainbrook started on top in the second period and turned Jones to his back for a two-point nearfall. Leading 4-2, he wrestled Jones to his back once again late in the period, this time for a three-point nearfall. No. 15 senior Colin Johnston (141) won his team-high 15th dual match of the season, and sixth straight, beating Tyler Bedelyon, 10-2. Johnston took an early 5-0 lead over Bedelyon, bringing him to the mat and to his back in the first few seconds. He extended his lead with his team-best 38th takedown of the season. Ahead 7-1 at the start of the second period, Johnston took Bedelyon to the mat for a third time on the way to the major decision. At 149 pounds, junior Mike Morales extended his win streak to four with an 11-4 decision over Justin Arthur. Morales struck first with an early takedown. With a 2-1 edge in the second period, Morales reversed Arthur and put him on his back for a two-point nearfall. Morales scored a second and third takedown in the third period. With the Mountaineers leading the Golden Eagles, 16-4, sophomore Ross Renzi (165) defeated Michael Pavasko, 3-2. Renzi connected on a shot in the first period to take an early 2-0 lead. A pair of escape points from Pavasko knotted the match at two. In the third period, Renzi started on the bottom, allowing him to break the tie with an escape of his own. Sophomore Bubba Scheffel (174) recorded his team-best 27th victory of the season, downing Ryan Darch, 6-4. Scheffel wrestled Darch to the mat in the first period, taking a 2-1 advantage into the second. He rode Darch out during the entire period, and scored an escape in the third. Scheffel tallied a second takedown late in the third to seal the decision. At 184 pounds, senior Mac Mancuso (184) brought Dusin Conti to the mat in sudden victory and turned him for a three-point nearfall to win, 6-1. After a scoreless first period, Conti tallied an escape point to start the second period. Trailing 1-0 heading into the third, Mancuso earned an escape to knot the bout. Freshman Leo Trindade (197) scored an early takedown in the first to give himself a 2-1 lead to start the second. He extended the lead with a reversal midway in the period before giving up an escape point to Daniel Sutherland. Trindade held on to win the decision, 4-3. West Virginia is back in action on Sunday, Feb. 16, in Athens, Ohio, against the Ohio Bobcats at 2 p.m. Results: 125: Cory Stainbrook (WVU) wins by decision over Hunter Jones (Clarion), 9-5 133: Nathan Pennesi (WVU) wins by forfeit 141: No. 17 Colin Johnston (WVU) wins by major decision over Tyler Bedelyon (Clarion), 10-2 149: Mike Morales (WVU) wins by decision over Justin Arthur (Clarion), 11-4 157: Austin Matthews (Clarion) wins by major decision over Tim Wheeling (WVU), 11-2 165: Ross Renzi (WVU) wins by decision over Michael Pavasko (Clarion), 3-2 174: Bubba Scheffel (WVU) wins by decision over Ryan Darch (Clarion), 6-4 184: Mac Mancuso (WVU) wins by decision over Dustin Conti (Clarion), 6-1 (Sudden Victory) 197: Leo Trindade (WVU) wins by decision over Daniel Sutherland (Clarion), 4-3 HWT: Evan Daley (Clarion) wins by decision over A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU), 3-1

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The University of Iowa wrestling team finished with six consecutive wins to roll past No. 21 Lehigh, 31-6, on Friday night inside Stabler Arena. The Hawkeyes won eight of 10 matches, including three by technical fall and one by major decision. Iowa and Lehigh split the first four bouts before Derek St. John Iowa's roll with bonus points at 157 pounds. St. John turned what would have been a four-point win into a five-point route by finishing the final minute with two takedowns, two nearfall, and one point for stalling. He added 3:24 of riding time to earn his third tech. fall of the year. "St. John hustled," said UI head coach Tom Brands. "That was a 12-2 major decision and he turned it into a tech. fall just because of hustle. Those are the types of things you like to see. " Nick Moore opened the second half with more of the same. He scored two takedowns in the first and one in both the second and third periods to top Ben Hass, 11-2, for his fourth major decision of the year. Two matches later Sammy Brooks nearly terminated his opponent in the opening period at 184. Brooks scored a takedown in the opening minute and used three turns to build a 13-0 lead after one period. He escaped to start the second and added a final takedown to terminate the match in 3:59. Nathan Burak followed at 197 with Iowa's third tech. fall of the night. Burak scored a takedown as time expired in the first, and added two nearfall to build a 9-1 lead at the end of two, and finished the match with two three-point turns in the third. The Hawkeyes won two of three matches against ranked opponents. No. 3 Tony Ramos scored a takedown to defeat No. 6 Mason Beckman, 3-1, at 133, and Mike Evans used an escape and a point for stalling to defeat No. 12 Elliot Riddick, 2-0, at 174. Thomas Gilman opened the dual with a 6-2 win at 125, and Bobby Telford closed the dual with a 6-0 decision at 285. Lehigh (8-6) won its two matches at 141 and 149. Iowa returns to the mat Sunday, Feb. 23 in Madison, Wis. The Hawkeyes and No. 15 Wisconsin meet at 1 p.m. (CT) in the UW Field House. Notes: Attendance was 2,786... Iowa (14-2, 6-1) improved to 25-0 all-time against Lehigh... Iowa is 8-2 against ranked dual opponents, 6-0 on the road. Results: 125 - #5 Thomas Gilman (IA) dec. Darian Cruz (LU), 6-2; 3-0 133 - #3 Tony Ramos (IA) dec. #6 Mason Beckman (LU), 3-1; 6-0 141 - Laike Gardner (LU) dec. #9 Josh Dziewa (IA), 5-2; 6-3 149 - #13 Mitch Minotti (LU) dec. Michael Kelly (IA), 4-1; 6-6 157 - #2 Derek St. John (IA) tech. fall Michael Stephien (LU), 21-6; 11-6 165 - #4 Nick Moore (IA) major dec. Ben Hass (LU), 11-2; 15-6 174 - #5 Mike Evans (IA) dec. #20 Elliot Riddick (LU), 2-0; 18-6 184 - Sammy Brooks (IA) tech. fall Zach Diekel (LU), 16-0; 23-6 197 - #14 Nathan Burak (IA) tech. fall Austin Meys (LU), 18-1; 28-6 285 - #3 Bobby Telford (IA) dec. Doug Vollaro (LU), 6-0; 31-6

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan State wrestling team shut out Olivet College, 40-0, Friday afternoon on Senior Day at Jenison Field House. Four Spartan seniors - Nick Kaczanowski, Brenan Lyon, Mike McClure and Bobby Nash -- were recognized in a ceremony before the dual and all claimed victories in their final appearance at Jenison Field House. "It's very important that we have this momentum," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel, as the Spartans won their second match in a row. "We're in a very important stretch. We need to use what we learn and be better. Our mission all year long was to be better this week then we were the last week. I think we were today. We wrestled aggressively and kept really good position. We'll have a good test at Central Michigan in a week but our goal is to just keep getting better, stay optimistic, stay on task and stay together as team." Olivet College, ranked fourth in Division III, fell to 15-6 with the loss. Lyon started the dual with a convincing 15-5 major decision over Henry McKeown at 125 pounds. Lyon recorded four takedowns in the first period, added another takedown in the second and gained a point due to stalling on McKeown, and scored on a reversal and takedown in the third. He accumulated 2:22 of riding time to finish with the 10-point victory. Red-shirt freshman Garth Yenter tallied MSU's second straight major decision, as he defeated Michael Gancer in the133-pound match, 13-3. Yenter controlled the entire bout, collecting four takedowns, two near-fall points, and 4:52 of riding time, all without giving up a takedown. Wrestling in his first dual of the season, sophomore Terry Turner delivered a 6-3 decision over Justin Holm, who is ranked third in Division III at 141 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Turner reversed Holm early in the second and rode him the rest of the period. Turner got Holm on his back briefly and added near-fall points with 20 seconds left to go up, 4-0. Holm trimmed the lead to 4-3 with an escape and a takedown in the third, but Turner escaped with 30 seconds remaining and was awarded an extra point for riding time (2:01) to record the 6-3 victory. At 149 pounds, Nick Trimble came away with a 4-2 sudden victory over seventh-ranked Gage Pederson after notching a takedown 30 seconds into the bonus period. Roger Wildmo followed with a 10-2 major decision in the 157-pound match over Kyle Witgen to put MSU on top, 18-0. Nash made his last match on the platform at Jenison Field House count, as he took care of Dan Fleet at 165 pounds with a 6-1 decision. Nash led the entire way, building a 5-0 lead after two periods courtesy of two takedowns and an escape. Although Fleet escaped in the third to get on the board, Nash compiled 2:34 of riding time to get the 6-1 win. Kaczanowski continued the theme for the seniors by pinning No. 20 Nick Allen in the first period. It marked Kaczanowski's first fall of the season. "I really tried to put it all in for that last match and it was nice to get a pin out there," said Kaczanowski. "It's always nice to have your parents there (for Senior Day) because wrestling is such a close-knit sport. My dad had to drive me all over the country to train and it's nice to be able for them to come up and be recognized. "I think we're peaking at the right time. We've been getting better every week. We've had a tough schedule and it doesn't get any easier with the Big Ten's coming up and then the NCAA's, but I'm excited for it." John Rizqallah edged No. 7 Jeff Holm at 184 pounds, 1-0, while Nick McDiarmid got the major decision over Thomas Hall at 197, 9-0. In the final match of the dual, McClure put an exclamation point on Senior Day with a pin at heavyweight. Within the first 10 seconds, McClure took down Ryan Steverson, and he quickly recorded the fall 27 seconds into the match. McClure, ranked seventh in the nation, improved his record to 22-5 overall and was 5-1 at home this season. The fall was McClure's team-leading seventh of the year. "That's the note that I wanted to finish up here (at home)," McClure said. "It's kind of emotional, but it hasn't set in yet that this is the last time wrestling in Jenison Field House. I've loved this experience ever since I came here. I'm sure I'm going to miss it." "It never fails to catch me by surprise," said Minkel regarding Senior Day. "I'm announcing these guys for their last home dual of their college career and I can remember recruiting them and having them on campus and showing them around. They were young and optimistic and had no idea of what wrestling in the Big Ten is really like. It just feels like all that was just a few days ago. "It's sad to see that come to an end, but at the same time you know that you've played a part in their development as young men, in their college experience, and in their lives. You hope this will help them become better adults and be able to cope with the challenges life throws at them after college. It's enormously rewarding." The Spartans (7-10) will travel to Central Michigan next Saturday, Feb. 22 to take on the Chippewas at 2 p.m. in the final dual of the regular season. Results: 125: Brenan Lyon (MSU) major dec. Henry McKeown (OC), 15-5. (MSU, 4-0) 133: Garth Yenter (MSU) major dec. Michael Gancer (OC), 13-3. (MSU, 8-0) 141: Terry Turner (MSU) dec. No. 3 Justin Holm (OC), 6-3. (MSU, 11-0) 149: Nick Trimble (MSU) dec. No. 7 Gage Pederson (OC), 4-2 (SV1). (MSU, 14-0) 157: Roger Wildmo (MSU) major dec. Kyle Witgen (OC), 10-2. (MSU, 18-0) 165: Bobby Nash (MSU) dec. Dan Fleet (OC), 6-1. (MSU, 21-0) 174: Nick Kaczanowski (MSU) pinned No. 20 Nick Allen OC), 2:07. (MSU, 27-0) 184: John Rizqallah (MSU) dec. No. 7 Jeff Holm (OC), 1-0. (MSU, 30-0) 197: Nick McDiarmid (MSU) major dec. Thomas Hall (OC), 9-0. (MSU, 34-0) HWT: No. 7 Mike McClure (MSU) pinned Ryan Steverson (OC), 0:27. (MSU, 40-0)

An InterMat PSA: Today is Valentine's Day. This week the wrestling community has been circulating a column by Des Moines Register's Andy Hamilton in which he explains the poisonous nature of college wrestling's recent dearth of scoring. He makes several fantastic points, but none are more true than his assertion that dropping to a knee, or going into a deep squat, has hampered action. But that's not the only reason. Though almost no weight class is now without this type of wrestler, it was four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake that made the drop-butt style most popular. Haunches low, hands down in front and disengaged from his opponent, Dake used the tactic to limit his opponent's opportunity for offensive maneuvers. Once he established this primary tactical advantage he could move into a position that better suited his wants, primarily one or both underhooks. Now we see a new generation of wrestler who have worked hard to adapt this style, including guys like Oklahoma State's Tyler Caldwell who used it effectively to slow down UVa's Nick Sulzer's offense in the semifinals of the Southern Scuffle. Jordan Leen (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The idea of stopping your opponent's action by not engaging and by taking a knee or deep squat is meant to stall the action, but the reason we've seen it more in 2013-14 is because for the first time in NCAA wrestling the advantage is now to the defensive wrestler. Take for example Jordan Leen (Cornell), who won an NCAA title by doing exactly what Dake did, except he often looked for low-leg attacks and doubles. He was aggressive with his attacks. Jordan Burroughs hits his blast double while transitioning from single leg attacks that organically bring him closer to the mat. He doesn't lie in wait for minutes of even multiple seconds. He either attacks or comes back to his feet. The low-level attacks of guys like Burroughs and Leen have been replaced by a whole lotta nada, because the new flash takedown rule penalizes offensive mistakes by rewarding cheap defensive maneuvers. As much as we thought the new rules hurt scramblers, it's actually just gumming up the gears of offensive wrestlers who don't want to work hard to get through a drop-butt stance only to give up a cheap takedown. And then? Then one guy gets on top and we can go ahead and call it a match. There was once a very big problem with riding parallel on top. I know, because I tried my best in college to earn riding time, and that often meant a few seconds of saddling my opponent, rather than finding a way to score. The current methodology of top wrestling is to game the rules by having the referee perceive your action as aggressive, while simultaneously playing it safe. Technically this is seen with outside leg rides, claw rides and body scissors with a shallow half. Penn State's Zain Retherford is probably the primary example of this technique, but he's certainly not alone. Andy's right. Wrestling has gotten stale at the NCAA level, even as it has become arguably the most exciting it's ever been at the international level. I recently covered both of FILA's Golden Grand Prix's and came back with a renewed respect for the excitement of freestyle wrestling. The Yariguin in Krasnoyarsk was just silly with action and excitement, but much of that could be chalked up to Russians being Russian. The second was the Golden Grand Prix of Paris, where there were no Russians, and yet the action on the mat was absolutely spectacular. Scoring was promoted by making the edge a dangerous place to be and through assessing one point in the first period against the less-aggressive wrestler. For the first time ever FILA's rules seem to work better than the NCAA's at creating scoring and excitement. Tougher out of bounds rules and passivity points aren't the technical solution for NCAA wrestling, but they should serve as inspiration. The international rules are somehow now more exciting than the NCAA's and to improve the collegiate version of the sport the decision-makers in Indianapolis need to understand that defensive tactics and risk-averse riding are slowly killing the sport. To your questions ... Q: I'm sure many other are wondering this as well. Why has Andrew Howe been wrestling up at 184 for the past few dual meets? Why did he not wrestle Chris Perry at Bedlam II? Prediction: He wants to take on Ruth?!? Serious prediction: Mark Cody wanted to take advantage of getting bonus or extra team points by having him wrestle up a weight class for a few important dual meets where the outcome of the meet could be changed by Howe up at 184. -- Curtis H. Wouldn't that be a wonderful side note for the end of the year: Howe vs. Ruth! If that happens, I'm pitching major news outlets and creating an Infographic of their comparable stats. The real situation is a little more commonplace in NCAA wrestling. Daniel Chaid, the normal Sooner 184-pounder has been out of the lineup with an injury. He's also expected to be out for the National Duals, which start this weekend. Oklahoma has an excellent tournament squad, but they are a little thin to make it far in the dual team format. Wait a few seasons and they'll be a perennial top three program. Mark Cody and his staff are excellent recruiters and in my opinion the best mat coaches in Division I wrestling. Q: Like the picture below, how about some barnstorming for USA Wrestling? Without TV, sports stars used to barnstorm all the time to play games all over the country that didn't have a team of their own. Basically, USA Wrestling doesn't have TV (no major deal in place of any kind). Events in Times Square and Los Angeles are great for media, but let's get some events in the flyover states to get our athletes in front of crowds. I like the idea whether it's USA vs. other nations, or our clubs against each other. The new rules make this idea even better presenting a better product with freestyle ... and even Greco. (I'm taking your word on that one.) -- Tom B. Foley: In the late 19th century wrestlers from across the Northeast would meet at county fairs to challenge reigning champions and give locals a show. It was a big deal. Until the mid-20's wrestling was the most popular sport in the country, largely because it was a regionalized sport. In the 20's soldiers who returned safely from World War I picked up baseball, found that sport compelling through the depression and the rest was baseball's appeal to ideals of Americana. In modern terms, barnstorming events are already taking place around the country in a variety of forms. USA Wrestling's mega-watt events are two examples, but there are others in the works that will be equal to or greater than that event. Love 'em or hate 'em, Agon is actually doing the best job of hosting regional events in the vein of traditional barnstorming. We've discussed the organization's shortcomings in the past, but one thing they've done really well is keep their events focused on regional stars. Local wrestlers help sell tickets, build press and keep costs down. Agon understands the local appeal and their first events have done well by staying honest to the tenets of regionalism. You do make an excellent point about clubs. Their recent growth could end up being a boon to the popularity of freestyle in America. Titan Mercury vs. NYAC? Or Ohio RTC vs. Sunkist? Sold. I'd love to see the wrestlers compete, but I also want to give the backers -- who pour millions into the sport -- a have a chance to compete head-to-head. Barth vs. Novo is a great back-story and gives them some measuring stick to how far their teams have progressed. It also creates a free agency atmosphere for wrestlers coming out of college. Variations of the club system work in Iran, India, Russia, Mongolia and many other countries. Competition creates better wrestlers and teams, and club dual meets are an excellent way to fire up our wrestlers and create interest in the sport. Excellent idea. Q: I have now read several of your readers who are hell bent on wrestling changing uniforms. Other than guys who are in the business of selling uniforms I see no benefit to change what is current being used. Teams such as Iowa, Penn State and other powers have consistently used the same style and color scheme for years. Others have spent tons of money trying to look different every couple of years and changing uniforms styles and design has done little to improve their wrestling skills. MMA shorts in very high-level scrambles could prove to be nuisance and maybe even embarrassing in some cases. -- Ismael M. Foley: The guys selling spandex today will be the same dudes selling NEW uniforms to every single one of America's 400k+ wrestlers. That is an enormous market, and the first company to make that product and market it successfully, will also have the inside track on the worldwide market, where millions more units could be sold. The variety of looks you mentioned haven't done much to improve sales of spandex to 40-year-old men because no matter how glittery or slick your single piece of tight-fitting lycra looks, it will never stop looking like glittery, tight-fitting lycra. I agree that better graphics won't help you win, but I disagree that wrestling with shorts on creates additional risks to the wrestlers, or causes an opportunity for embarrassment. Wrestlers roll in shorts and a tee shirt every day in practice and they are totally fine. There's a storm coming, Ismael. Will you be ready? Q: During the Nick Dardanes-Zack Beitz match at Minnesota, the referee awarded a point to Dardanes for the technical violation "fleeing the mat" on Beitz. It has since been determined to be an incorrect call. A warning should have been issued first, as this violation was moved for the 2011-2012 season to the equivalent of stalling. I understand it was missed, and we can't go back, but why doesn't the Big Ten offer a statement about the call, similar to football when an error is made? There are other examples of errors that aren't owned-up. -- Allen S. Foley: Simple. The Big Ten doesn't care about officiating in a wrestling match UNLESS one of the coaches comments about the refereeing. The way they see it ... Why risk the energy of your communications staff over something as trivial as a regular season dual result? They should care, and especially when the call cost a wrestler the win and a team their chance at a perfect season. Q: Any news on David Taylor? He looked extremely sluggish in his major decision over Danny Zilverberg the other day. Sick, dog die, relationship problems, injury? I mean he was still dominant, just not the Real Slim Taylor. -- Justin H. Foley: The Real Slim Taylor! Ha! One thing that I learned as a coach is that college wrestlers are still just kids. Not kids in the sense that they throw temper tantrums in Whole Foods, but that they have days in which they can't muster consistency because of what adults would find to be trivial distractions. Wrestling is a high-intensity sport, but since they aren't being paid, they don't have to be professional, or avoid distraction. They are naturally predisposed to worry about exams, girlfriends, video games, and Twitter. Did that catch up to Slim Taylor? Maybe. But it seems much more likely that he was stymied by his opponent's style. There was some chatter that Danny Z. was stalling. I think there were moments where it was obvious he was slowing down the pace of the match, but he kept it away from too many distinctive stall calls. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Toghul Asgarov Highlights World Cup Promo What happens in the wrestling room stays in the wrestling room ... University of Minnesota: Penn State Highlights Q: This is not belly-aching, Minnesota out-hustled PSU in most bouts Sunday and deserved the win. But was it the correct call to hit Beitz with a tech violation for fleeing the mat? Why not stalling? (Which would have also resulting in a point since I believe he already had a warning.) Just want to make sure I understand the rule. -- Brad B. Foley: Discussed above. Wrong call that cost PSU the match. Q: I have been an advocate of changing the high school/college takedown rule to benefit the aggressor. The wrestler who shoots should be awarded two points if he gets it and the wrestler who defends and gets the takedown gets one point. To me, you liven up the action if you are not penalized for attacking and getting defended. You have the potential to escape and even the score up. I see so many finals matches where guys wait until the end and milk one takedown to a win. The wrestler behind waits until about 20 seconds left before he takes a serious attempt because if he misses, he is down by three. I know it is a shift in thinking, but freestyle and Greco already have different points for different takedowns. What do you think? -- John K Foley: FILA recently changed the rule to make all takedowns two points. The reason was that referees were making stupid calls on who and what constituted offensive and defensive maneuvers. Also, a wrestler who was winning by two points with 20 seconds remaining could take a bad shot, hold a leg and then finally fall to his belly and give up a one-point takedown. The rule just didn't work, and since returning to the two-point takedown there has been an explosion of scoring in freestyle and the referees are not asked to make as many judgment calls. COMMENT OF THE WEEK By Jordan L. College wrestlers are getting VERY good at wrestling. It is increasingly difficult to break a Division I wrestler's position and then score (whether they are ranked No. 1 or not ranked), particularly in the first period. This is part of the reason that this year's results have been so tumultuous. I believe this furthers my case for differentiating our athletes. Developing judo ties and throws is one way to differentiate yourself as a college wrestler. There was recently an interesting article in the Washington Post about a high school wrestler who differentiates his athletic abilities through the sport of diving. A wrestling aficionado would be correct in assuming that the time the diver spends doing multiple flips off the diving board helps him keep a clear head after a scramble on the mat, not to mention the body awareness and athleticism the sport of diving must teach. Ultimately, I believe that developing our young wrestlers into more diverse athletes will in turn make them more exciting to watch on the mat. I know that Jake Herbert is doing some work in that arena, and I think others should follow his lead by learning new coaching strategies taken from a whole host of sports, and preparing fun and new practice methods for our youth wrestlers. Getting coaches to learn new tricks is a whole other issue, though.

Fourteen Division I college wrestling programs, including eight ranked in the top 20, will compete in the 2014 EAS/NWCA Division I National Duals, which take place Sunday and Monday at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Minnesota climbed to No. 1 in the dual meet rankings this past week after a victory over Penn State on Sunday. The Gophers, winners of the past two National Duals titles, enter this year's event as the top seed. Minnesota and second-seeded Cornell will receive byes in the opening round. InterMat will be providing a live blog throughout the two-day event for fans to follow the action and interact. The semifinals and finals will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, with those rounds starting at 1 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET respectively on Monday. Below is look at the round-by-round matchups, along with predictions for each round. Preliminary Round: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET No. 17 North Dakota State vs. Chattanooga Third-year head coach Roger Kish has made NDSU a nationally relevant program in a short period of time. The Bison defeated Oregon State on Jan. 19 and had a close loss to Wisconsin two weeks ago. Chattanooga comes in with a 15-5 dual meet record and riding an eight-match winning streak. Heath Eslingler's Mocs could match NDSU from 125 pounds to 157 pounds, but the Bison are too strong in the back half of their lineup. The marquee match will take place at 165 pounds between No. 3 Steven Monk of NDSU and No. 9 Corey Mock of Chattanooga. Bottom Line: NDSU's strength in the upperweights will be the difference. Dual Meet Prediction: North Dakota State 24, Chattanooga 9 No. 16 Iowa State vs. Kent State This dual meet has the potential to be very competitive. Both teams are coming off road dual meet losses at No. 4 Northern Iowa. Iowa State fell 24-13 to UNI last Saturday, while Kent State lost on criteria, 19-18, to the Panthers on Sunday. Kent State will be without 13th-ranked 184-pounder Sam Wheeler, who was suspended from the team indefinitely. However, fourth-ranked Ian Miller (157) is expected to be back in the lineup for the Golden Flashes, which will be a big boost to Jim Andrassy's squad. Bottom Line: I see a 5-5 split in this dual meet, with the Cyclones getting one more bonus point than the Golden Flashes to win the dual meet. Dual Meet Prediction: Iowa State 17, Kent State 16 No. 13 Ohio State vs. Hofstra The storyline in this dual meet is Ohio State coach Tom Ryan coaching against the team he coached for 11 seasons prior to arriving in Columbus, Hofstra. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent, even with four of their better wrestlers redshirting. Hofstra has four ranked wrestlers, including No. 9 Luke Vaith (141). Unfortunately for the Pride, getting a win from Vaith seems very unlikely as he will face two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State. Bottom Line: The Buckeyes have too much firepower for the Pride. I'll give Hofstra wins at 125 pounds (tossup match) and 165 pounds, but that's it. Dual Meet Prediction: Ohio State 26, Hofstra 6 Preliminary Round: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET No. 11 Oklahoma vs. Bloomsburg Oklahoma has a tough and balanced lineup, but has battled injuries of late. Starters Jarrod Patterson (125), Justin DeAngelis (157), and Danny Chaid (184) have been out of the Sooner lineup, which has led to two dual meet losses since Jan. 30. The Sooners were thumped by Oklahoma State on Sunday after defeating the Cowboys earlier in the season. Patterson and Chaid are not expected to compete at the National Duals, but indications are that DeAngelis will be back in Mark Cody's lineup on Sunday. Bloomsburg, under the guidance of first-year head coach Jason Mester, comes in with a record of 8-6. The Huskies, winners of three straight, have four ranked wrestlers, with Richard Perry (197) being their highest ranked wrestler at No. 6. Perry will have key match against No. 5 Travis Rutt. Perry's only loss this season came to Rutt, 8-2, at the Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational. Another interesting match will take place at 149 pounds between Bloomsburg's Bryce Busler (149) and Oklahoma's Kendric Maple. Busler defeated Maple in sudden victory at the Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational. Bottom Line: I have Oklahoma winning seven matches, including four straight from 133 pounds through 157 pounds. Bloomsburg should stay competitive, and if they can pull a couple upsets, they could make it interesting. Dual Meet Prediction: Oklahoma 19, Bloomsburg 12 No. 19 Illinois vs. Central Michigan Illinois has battled inconsistency in dual meets this season, but injuries have contributed to it. Two-time NCAA qualifier Mario Gonzalez (197) has wrestled in only one dual meet since the Midlands, and suffered an injury in his return on Feb. 1. The Illini have a nice mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen. Jesse Delgado is ranked third, Gonzalez is seventh, and four others are ranked 13th. Tom Borrelli's Central Michigan squad is .500 this season (8-8), but is going through a tough stretch, having dropped three of their last four dual meets. The Chippewas fell to Eastern Michigan on Thursday night. CMU had won the previous 22 meeting against EMU. The Chippewas have four ranked wrestlers, but none ranked in the top eight. Bottom Line: I'll take Illinois to win six matches, but don't see many bonus point opportunities for either team. Dual Meet Prediction: Illinois 18, Central Michigan 12 No. 18 Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State Virginia Tech suffered a major blow earlier this season when All-American Devin Carter (141) was lost for the season due to injury. But you would never know it looking at their 15-3 dual meet record. The Hokies lack the firepower without Carter to be a strong NCAA tournament team in March, but Kevin Dresser has a balanced lineup that is capable of competing with top dual meet teams. Expectations were high for Oregon State coming into this season, but the Beavers have not been able to hit their stride. All three of Oregon State's All-Americans -- Scott Sakaguchi (149), R.J. Pena (157), and Taylor Meeks (197) -- have struggled with consistency this season. The Beavers are coming off a surprise dual meet loss to Arizona State. Bottom Line: It's difficult to predict what will happen in this dual meet. I have each team winning five matches, but Oregon State winning the bonus point battle. Dual Meet Prediction: Oregon State 19, Virginia Tech 17 Quarterfinals: Sunday, 7 p.m. ET No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 17 North Dakota State This dual meet between schools from neighboring states has plenty of storylines. NDSU's head coach Roger Kish and assistant coach Manny Rivera were All-Americans for Minnesota. Current Gopher All-American Scott Schiller (197) is expected to battle high school (West Fargo, N.D.) teammate Tyler Lehmann, who originally committed to Minnesota. However, despite some interesting storylines, Minnesota should roll to a relatively easy victory. Don't be surprised if the Gophers wrestle a reserve or two in this dual meet. Bottom Line: NDSU should get a win from Steven Monk (165) -- and might be able to steal another win somewhere -- but the Gophers have too much firepower for the upstart Bison. Dual Meet Prediction: Minnesota 30, North Dakota State 6 No. 13 Ohio State vs. No. 16 Iowa State The match at 125 between Ohio State's Nick Roberts and Iowa State's Earl Hall is a key match in the dual meet. It's not only a tossup match on paper, but could set the tone for the dual meet. Roberts edged Hall, 4-3, at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The premier match of the dual meet will take place at 197, where top-ranked Kyven Gadson of Iowa State will wrestle No. 8 Nick Heflin of Ohio State in a battle of All-Americans. Bottom Line: The Buckeyes should get bonus points at 133 pounds and 141 pounds, which could make it tough for the Cyclones to pull out the victory. ISU will need to win the tossup matches and pull an upset to have a chance. Dual Meet Prediction: Ohio State 22, Iowa State 12 No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 19 Illinois This will be a battle of top teams that have battled injuries. The Sooners have a stronger NCAA tournament team, but the Illini might have a slightly more balanced lineup at this point in the season. There are several key matches in the dual meet. Both teams will look to their NCAA champions for bonus points (Delgado for Illinois, Maple and Howe for Oklahoma). Mario Gonzalez could be the X factor. If he's unable to wrestle, the Sooners could get bonus points at 197 pounds. Bottom Line: This dual meet is virtually a tossup on paper. Dual Meet Prediction: Oklahoma 19, Illinois 18 No. 5 Cornell vs. Oregon State Cornell will be prohibitive favorites at 125, 133, and 141. The matches at 149 and 157 could be considered tossups as both teams have ranked wrestlers in those two weight classes. Cornell should get wins at 165 and 184 from their freshmen Dylan Palacio and Gabe Dean. Oregon State has ranked wrestlers at 197 and 285. Bottom Line: Cornell is certainly favored based on matchups, but Oregon State could make it a competitive dual meet if they wrestle well. Dual Meet Prediction: Cornell 25, Oregon State 9 Semifinals: Monday, 1 p.m. ET No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Ohio State Interestingly, if these two Big Ten wrestling powers meet in the semifinals on Monday, it will be their first and only meeting of the season. Both teams are loaded with ranked wrestlers. Minnesota has eight wrestlers ranked in the top eight. Ohio State has six ranked wrestlers, with two ranked in the top eight. Six of the 10 matches will pit two ranked wrestlers against each other. The Gophers will be favored in every match from 149 through 285. The Buckeyes will need to win all the matches from 125 to 141, find bonus points, and then steal two matches from 149 through 285. Bottom Line: The Buckeyes need virtually everything go right in order to be in a position to upset the Gophers. Minnesota's upperweights should seal the dual meet victory. Dual Meet Prediction: Minnesota 24, Ohio State 10 No. 5 Cornell vs. No. 11 Oklahoma This dual meet is about as even on paper as you can get. Cornell will be favored at 125, 141, 157, 165, and 184. Oklahoma will be favored in the other five weight classes. If everything goes according to projections, it will come down to bonus points. Both teams have potential for bonus points, especially with their No. 1-ranked wrestlers. Bottom Line: An upset will likely swing this dual meet. If there are none -- or it's even -- then it comes down to bonus points, in which case I would give the Big Red the edge. Dual Meet Prediction: Cornell 19, Oklahoma 17 Third-Place: Monday, 4 p.m. ET No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Ohio State Like with the Minnesota meet, Ohio State will likely need to win all the matches from 125 through 141, and get some bonus points, to have a chance. The match at 133 is an intriguing one, pitting No. 7 Cody Brewer of Oklahoma against No. 9 Johnni DiJulius of Ohio State. DiJulius pinned Brewer in 45 seconds at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. DiJulius, though, has taken a couple losses since then, which has caused him to slide a bit in the rankings. Another key match will be at 197 between All-Americans Travis Rutt of Oklahoma and Nick Heflin of Ohio State. Bottom Line: Oklahoma should take the dual meet if things play out as expected. Dual Meet Prediction: Oklahoma 23, Ohio State 12 Championship: Monday, 4 p.m. ET No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Cornell It could be argued that there are six matches in this dual meet that could go either way. Nahshon Garrett (125) will look to give the Big Red bonus points against one of Minnesota's two unranked wrestlers. Minnesota is slightly favored (based on rankings) in the four matches following 125. If Cornell can get a split in those four matches, Rob Koll's squad would be in a position to potentially knock off the Gophers. Minnesota is favored in the three of the last five matches. Bottom Line: This has the potential to be a barnburner. On paper, you have to favor Minnesota, but don't count out Cornell. Dual Meet Prediction: Minnesota 18, Cornell 13

WHITEWATER, Wis. -- The Warhawk wrestling team, ranked second in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, topped Division II UW-Parkside 44-9 Thursday evening to wrap up the regular season. In the long tradition of the Sake Bottle between the two teams, the win brings the trophy back to Whitewater for the sixth time in 26 years. Opening the dual in the 285 pound weight class, Anthony Edgren (New Lisbon/New Lisbon) won by forfeit. Zac Denny (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) followed suit in the 125 pound weight class with another win by forfeit to give the Warhawks a 12-0 without any action on the mat. Joseph Her got the Rangers going with a pin in the 133 pound weight class to make the score 12-6 in favor of the Warhawks. In the 141 pound weight class, Maxx Hubbard (Sterling/Newman Central Catholic) pulled out a 3-2 decision over Parkside's Adam Yde to improve his record to 8-13 this season. Elroy Perkin (Greenfield/Whitnall), ranked ninth at 149 pounds, recorded his fifth pin of the season stopping the clock in 4:50 against Brandt Welcher to improve to 20-8 and give UW-W a 21-6 advantage in the match. Zach Noel provided the final points for the Rangers with a 10-6 decision at 157 pounds. Two consecutive forfeits sealed the dual for the Warhawks with Cedric Gibson (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) picking up the win at 165 pounds and Andrew Pettit (Hoffman Estates, IL/Hoffman Estates) at 174 pounds. Ryan Aprahamian (Mukwonago/Mukwonago) put the finishing touches on the dual meet for UW-Whitewater. Aprahamian provided a lot of action recording four nearfalls, a reversal and a takedown on his way to a 16-0 technical fall that ended the bout at the 5:37 mark. In the final weight class, Parkside was forced to forfeit once again handing Shane Siefert (Mundelein, IL/Carmel) win number 31 for the season. The Sake Bottle tradition was started by the head coaches of UW-Whitewater and UW-Parkside, Willie Myers and Jim Koch, as a reminder of an international wrestling experience the two shared. In 1975, the NAIA All-State Team which Myers and Koch were a part of toured Japan and Korea. The Sake Bottle was given to the two coaches by Mr. Hatta, the former president of Japanese Wrestling, and made into a trophy that is given to the winning team of the annual dual. The Warhawks will head to La Crosse to compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Saturday. Whitewater, the number one seed in the bracketed team tournament, will receive a first round bye. The Warhawks will face the winner of a dual between UW-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point in a semifinal. Results: 125: Zac Denny, WIWH, forf. . 133: joseph her, WIPA, pinned Anthony Reyes, WIWH, 3:42. 141: Maxx Hubbard, WIWH, dec. adam yde, WIPA, 3-2. 149: Elroy Perkin, WIWH, pinned Brandt Welcher, WIPA, 4:50. 157: Zach Noel, WIPA, dec. Cam Loomis, WIWH, 10-6. 165: Cedric Gibson, WIWH, forf. . 174: Andrew Pettit, WIWH, forf. . 184: Ryan Aprahamian, WIWH, tech. fall Josh Anthony, WIPA, 5:37 16-0. 197: Shane Siefert, WIWH, forf. . 285: Anthony Edgren, WIWH, forf. .