InterMat Staff

It's the first full weekend of the 2013-14 high school wrestling season, and we've got ourselves some major showdowns already. In fact, there will be five dual meets placing Fab 50 teams against one another. Friends of Sem Wrestling Duals No. 4 Wyoming Seminary, Pa., will host seven other teams in a dual meet tournament on Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. There will be two pools of four, with each squad wrestling three dual meets in preliminary competition. The host Blue Knights has dual meets against Malvern Prep, Pa., St. Benedict's, N.J., and The Hill School, Pa. While the other pool is anchored by No. 10 Franklin Regional, Pa. The Panthers will compete in dual meets against Wyoming Valley West, Pa., Johnson City, N.Y., and St. Anthony's, N.Y. Should things go to plan, the top ten showdown between Wyoming Seminary and Franklin Regional will happen at 3:30 p.m. The following are the projected matchups: 106: John Busiello (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Andrew Marshall (Franklin Regional) Busiello placed third in New York State last year at 99 pounds as a freshman. 113: No. 14 Trent Olson (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) Olson was state champion in Wyoming last year at 106 pounds, and an NHSCA Freshman Nationals runner-up at 113 pounds. Lee is a two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist, winning the title this year, and the nation's number one wrestler in the Class of 2017. 120: Will Verallis (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional) Verallis placed fourth in National Preps last year as a freshman at Northfield Mt. Hermon, while Solomon is a ninth grader but has already made it to the final 16 in the Super 32 Challenge and Flo Nationals. 126: Danny Boychuck (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Kyle Berk (Franklin Regional) Boychuck has placed twice at National Preps, and was a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman world team member in 2012. The junior Berk was a sectional champion and WPIAL placer last year. 132: Will Crisco (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 4 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional) Crisco placed third at National Preps last year, after winning a New England regional title as a sophomore in 2012; while Kemerer is a two-time state runner-up, a three-time Super 32 Challenge finalist, and a Junior freestyle All-American. 138: C.J. Moyer (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 13 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional) This is a battle of seniors. Smith was a state champion last year, and earned All-American honors in Junior freestyle over the summer. 145: Tyler Ponte (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional) Ponte was runner-up at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in the spring, while Maruca has already placed twice in the state tournament and is only a junior. 152: No. 13 Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 12 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional) This is the premier matchup of the dual meet. The sophomore Reenan was a state champion in Texas last year, and won a Cadet Triple Crown during this past off-season; while the junior Shields has already placed twice in the state tournament, and finished third at the FloNationals. 160: No. 17 (at 170) Chris Weiler (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Brandon Yant (Franklin Regional) Weiler placed fifth at National Preps as a freshman and was a Junior National freestyle All-American this past summer, while the senior Yant went 3-2 in the WPIAL meet. 170: Ryan McMullan (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Nate Painter (Franklin Regional) This is a matchup placing seniors against one another. McMullan missed last year due to injury, while Painter went 2-2 in the WPIAL meet. 182: Greg Kleinsmith (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Jacob Pickup (Franklin Regional) Kleinsmith qualified for state as a freshman in New York in 2012, but was unable to compete during the state series last year due to injury; while Pickup qualified for the WPIAL meet last year as a freshman. 195: Mike Rogers (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Justin Rose (Franklin Regional) Rogers qualified for the Pennsylvania state tournament, and placed fourth at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals last year. 220: Matthew Doggett (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Brett Zanotto (Franklin Regional) The senior Doggett is a two-time National Preps placer. 285: Jake Scanlan (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Charlie Mazon (Franklin Regional) The senior Scanlan placed fourth at the Iowa state tournament each of the last two years, and is a two-time Junior National freestyle All-American. Based on the projected lineup, look for Wyoming Seminary to win the dual meet due to their superior balance, especially in the back half of the lineup. One item to note here is that Devin Brown, a state champion last year and No. 5 at 106 pounds, is out of the lineup for Franklin Regional. He was ruled ineligible by the WPIAL last month; however, the ruling is under appeal to the PIAA, whose decision should be made in the first half of this month. Oak Park River Forest, Marist to battle in Washington As part of a quad meet hosted by Washington, Ill., that will start at 10 a.m. CT, No. 2 Oak Park River Forest, Ill., and No. 17 Marist, Ill., are slated to compete in a dual meet. Among other teams in the event include Minooka, Ill., St. Rita, Ill., and host Washington, Ill. Webcast information for the event is available here - http://www.illinoismatmen.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51351. Link to webcast, http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/channels/illinois-matmen. The following represents projected matchups for the Huskies against the Red Hawks: 106: No. 12 Jason Renteria (OPRF) vs. Nick Lukanich (Marist) The freshman sensation Renteria battles two-time Fargo freestyle All-American Lukanich. 113: Roberto Campos (OPRF) vs. Jimmy McAuliffe (Marist) Campos qualified for state last year as a freshman, while the freshman McAuliffe comes in as a multi-time IKWF placer. 120: Gabe Townsell (OPRF) vs. Mike Mullaney (Marist) Townsell qualified for state last year as a freshman, and was a Cadet Nationals double finalist in Fargo this summer, while the senior Mullaney was a backup to Duda last year. 126: Jamie Hernandez (OPRF) vs. Mark Duda (Marist) The freshman Hernandez enters high school as a two-time IKWF champion, while the senior Duda has finished as state runner-up the last two seasons. 132: Savonne Bennette (OPRF) vs. David Kasper (Marist) This is a battle of juniors, with Kasper having placed sixth and fourth at state in his two years of high school to date. 138: No. 5 Isaiah White (OPRF) vs. Mario Leveille (Marist) White placed third at state as a freshman and was a Cadet freestyle champion this past summer, while the senior Leveille has qualified for state each of the last two years. 145: No. 11 Larry Early (OPRF) vs. Nick Gasbarro (Marist) Early has finished third and second at state in his first two years of high school, and earned All-American honors in both FILA Cadet and Cadet National freestyle this past off-season; while fellow junior Gasbarro qualified for state last year. 152: Matt Rundell (OPRF) vs. Jakada Hull (Marist) This is another battle between juniors. Rundell finished second at 106 as a freshman, and qualified for state last year at 120, while Hull qualified for state last season. 160: Kamal Bey (OPRF) vs. No. 14 Peter Andreotti (Marist) This is a battle between returning state fifth place finishers. The sophomore Bey also was a Cadet Nationals freestyle runner-up this past summer, while the senior Andreotti is now a two-time state placer. 170: No. 8 Davonte Mahomes (OPRF) vs. Louie DePasquale (Marist) The senior Mahomes has placed third at state each of the last two seasons, and was a Junior Nationals double finalist this summer. 182: Allen Stallings (OPRF) vs. Alex Benoit (Marist) Stallings qualified for state last year as a freshman, while the junior Benoit is a two-time state placer. 195: Andre Lee (OPRF) vs. Kenny Condon (Marist) The senior Lee qualified for state last season. 220: Emonte Logan (OPRF) vs. Mitch Schleyer (Marist) This is a battle between seniors laden with potential, but yet to demonstrate it with credentials. 285: Andre Lemke-Bell (OPRF) vs. Jake Ford (Marist) This is a battle of juniors with state placement potential. Lemke-Bell was a FILA Cadet freestyle champion and Cadet Nationals double All-American; however, Ford earned wins over Lemke-Bell in both freestyle and Greco-Roman this past spring. Based on projected lineups, Oak Park River Forest is a strong favorite to win this dual meet. It will take a lot for Marist to keep this dual meet close, as OPRF just has too much top end talent and too much depth. However, it is entirely possible Marist wins six of the weight classes. Other notable events No. 5 Apple Valley, Minn., hosts No. 49 Prior Lake, Minn., on Friday night with wrestling slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. CT. A preview was published on InterMat Monday afternoon. InterMat will be providing a live video stream of the dual meet courtesy of Minnesota/USA Wrestling with Steve Elwood and Lance Hughes as the commentators. No. 12 Brecksville, Ohio travels to No. 48 Claymont, Ohio on Friday night with wrestling slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. A preview for that dual meet will be posted on InterMat. No. 28 Bettendorf, Iowa and No. 31 Waverly Shell-Rock, Iowa anchor the 15-team field at this Saturday's Keith Young Invitational hosted by Cedar Falls High School, starting at 10 a.m. CT. The field features eight top-ranked and ten number two ranked wrestlers from the preseason Iowa Class AAA rankings published by The Predicament. InterMat published a preview on Wednesday. No. 24 St. Edward, Ohio will host both No. 11 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. and CVCA, Ohio in a triangular meet starting at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. All three teams will wrestle one another. The top two teams in Iowa's Class 2A preseason rankings will compete in dual meet competition on Thursday night, when Davenport Assumption travels to Mediapolis for a match starting at 6:30 p.m. CT. Gardner-Edgerton Invitational features notables from five states Gardner-Edgerton, Kansas hosts its season opening tournament on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. CT. Sixteen teams from five states will be featured in the event, with the championship match in each weight to be wrestled at 4:45 p.m. CT. Anchoring the field is a pair of nationally ranked teams, No. 15 Broken Arrow, Okla., and No. 25 Southeast Polk, Iowa. Additional teams to note in the field are Skutt Catholic, Neb., state champions in Class B last year; St. James Academy, Kansas, the top ranked team in that state in the preseason; and Junction City, Kansas, which is ranked second in Class 6A (big-school division) in the preseason. The following is a list of notable wrestlers projected to compete in each weight class: 106: No. 10 Matt Schmitt (Platte County, Mo.), Gary Joint (Junction City, Kans.), and Adam Brown (Southeast Polk, Iowa) 113: Tanner Rohweder (Iowa City West, Iowa), Brian Peska (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Stephen Tujague (St. James Academy, Kans.), Jacob Bonham (Gardner-Edgerton, Kans.), and Tyler Kester (Pittsburg, Kans.) 120: No. 17 Markus Simmons (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk, Iowa), and Mason Wallace (Manhattan, Kans.) 126: No. 15 Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Reese Cokeley (St. James Academy, Kans.), Clay Weil (Dodge City, Kans.), and Ethan Karsten (Platte County, Mo.) 132: Chris Walters (Iowa City West, Iowa), Blake Stovall (Olathe North, Kans.), Zak Hensley (St. James Academy, Kans.), Bailey Vanderpool (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Zack Edwards (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Keegan Shaw (Southeast Polk, Iowa), and Johnny Blankenship (Platte County, Mo.) 138: Shea Conley (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Andrew Tujague (St. James Academy, Kans.), Aaron Meyer (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Tristen Bowers (Iowa City West, Iowa), and Caleb Crabatree (Platte County, Mo.) 145: No. 17 Tanner Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Briar Dittmer (Southeast Polk, Iowa), and Josh Mullin (Manhattan, Kans.) 152: No. 20 Andrew Millsap (Junction City, Kans.), Paden Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.), and Daemion Gray (Topeka Seaman, Kans.) 160: Ben Vanlerberg (St. James Academy, Kans.), Braxton Owens (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Austin Chauncey (Manhattan, Kans.), and Jeryl Denton (Junction City, Kans.) 170: Dustin Williams (Gardner-Edgerton, Kans.), Nick Hollins (Skutt Catholic), Mason Kerr (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Matt Pratt (St. James Academy, Kans.), and Micah Felton (Junction City, Kans.) 182: Steve Allen (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Donovan Doyle (Iowa City West, Iowa), and Trent Salsbury (St. James Academy, Kans.) 195: Seth Pesek (Garnder-Edgerton, Kans.) and Deion Mikesell (Southeast Polk, Iowa) 220: Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) and Micah Kelsay (Iowa City West, Iowa) 285: No. 19 Jake Marnin (Southeast Polk, Iowa) and Aydan Wynos (Iowa City West, Iowa)

No. 5 Apple Valley, Minn., hosts No. 49 Prior Lake, Minn., on Friday at 7 p.m. CT in a battle of Fab 50 teams. The teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in Minnesota's Class AAA team rankings by The Guillotine. InterMat will be providing a live video stream of the dual meet courtesy of Minnesota/USA Wrestling, with Steve Elwood and Lance Hughes on the call. Paul Cheney, a returning state champion, is ranked No. 1 in Minnesota at 220 (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Apple Valley dominated the six-team Dick Shields Invitational hosted by Faribault, Minn., with a mix of starters and reserves; while Prior Lake had two very narrow victories on the way to a title at the Hastings Duals. First, Prior Lake needed tiebreaker criteria to defeat Scott West, Minn., after the dual meet ended 26-26; and then they had to rally back from a 29-9 deficit against Hastings, Minn., to win the championship dual meet 30-29. Apple Valley has twelve wrestlers ranked in the top ten of their weight classes in the preseason Class 3A state rankings by The Guillotine. Of greater note is the presence of seven wrestlers in top two positions: Seth Gross (138), Dayton Racer (160), Mark Hall (170), Bobby Steveson (182), and Paul Cheney (220) are ranked first, while Gannon Volk (120) and Maolu Woiwor (132) are ranked second. Prior Lake had an extremely strong back half of the lineup, as six of their seven weight classes contain a wrestler ranked inside the top seven: Blake Carlisle (152) is ranked first, Alex Hart (220) and Luis Pinto (285) are ranked second, Robby Schultz (182) and Rylee Streifel (195) are ranked fifth, while Sean O’Neil (170) is ranked seventh. However, the front half of the lineup is mostly young and extremely unproven. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the projected matchups. 106: Kyle Rathman (Apple Valley) vs. Curtis Lemar (Prior Lake) Rathman is ranked fourth in Class 3A according to The Guillotine. 113: Jalen Thul (Apple Valley) vs. Gunner Charbonneau (Prior Lake) 120: Gannon Volk (Apple Valley) vs. Dylan Sogge (Prior Lake) Volk was a state runner-up last year, while Sogge was a state alternate. 126: Zach Chytka (Apple Valley) vs. Tyler Hanson (Prior Lake) Chytka qualified for state last year, and is ranked sixth in Class 3A according to The Guillotine; while Hanson was a sectional placer. 132: Maolu Woiwor (Apple Valley) vs. Kenny O'Neil (Prior Lake) Woiwor is a two-time state champion, while O'Neil is talented but an eighth-grader. 138: No. 6 Seth Gross (Apple Valley) vs. Wyatt Benson (Prior Lake) Gross is a two-time state champion and three-time Fargo freestyle champion. 145: Brock Morgan (Apple Valley) vs. Michael Schultz (Prior Lake) Morgan is a two-time state qualifier and ranked fourth in Class 3A according to The Guillotine. 152: Davionte Yount (Apple Valley) vs. Blake Carlisle (Prior Lake) Carlisle placed third at state last year. 160: No. 16 Dayton Racer (Apple Valley) vs. Anthony Perez (Prior Lake) Racer is a two-time state finalist, and was a state champion last year. 170: No. 2 Mark Hall (Apple Valley) vs. Sean O'Neil (Prior Lake) Hall is a three-time state champion, while O'Neil qualified for state each of the last two years. 182: No. 12 Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley) vs. Robby Schultz (Prior Lake) Steveson placed each of the prior two years at state in Indiana, including a state title last year, while Schultz qualified for state last year and was one match away from placement. 195: Trom Petersen (Apple Valley) vs. Ryle Streifel (Prior Lake) Petersen is a two-time state qualifier, and ranked seventh in Class 3A per The Guillotine; while Streifel qualified for state last year, was one match away from placing, and is ranked fifth in Class 3A. 220: Paul Cheney (Apple Valley) vs. Alex Hart (Prior Lake) This is a match featuring the top two wrestlers in Class 3A by The Guillotine. State champion Cheney is ranked first, while state third-place finisher Hart is ranked third. 285: Lord Joshua Hyemang (Apple Valley) vs. Luis Pinto (Prior Lake) Both wrestlers qualified for state last year, but Pinto advanced deeper in the tournament finishing one match away from placement. Each is in the preseason rankings Class 3A by The Guillotine, Pinto in second and Hyemang is ranked sixth.

The top contenders were released for the 51st Midlands Wrestling Championships. The event takes place Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill. This list is subject to change and pre-seeds will be released on Dec. 22. 125: No. 1 Jesse Delgado, Illinois No. 4 Cory Clark, Iowa No. 7 Dylan Peters, Northern Iowa No. 12 Conor Youtsey, Michigan No. 15 Jade Rauser, Utah Valley No. 17 Kory Mines, Edinboro No. 18 Joey Dance, Virginia Tech No. 19 Ryan Taylor, Wisconsin Jarrod Garnett, Bison Wrestling Club Thomas Gilman, Iowa Nate Tomasello, Ohio State Unattached Sean Boyle, Michigan Unattached Rob Deutsch, Rider Camden Eppert, Purdue Jared Germaine, Eastern Michigan Garrett Frey, Princeton Mike Fuenffinger , Augsburg 133: No. 1 Tony Ramos, Iowa No. 4 Joe Colon, Northern Iowa No. 5 Tyler Graff, Wisconsin No. 7 Mason Beckman, Lehigh No. 8 AJ Schopp, Edinboro No. 13 Zane Richards, Illinois No. 18 Rossi Bruno, Michigan No. 20 Dom Malone, Northwestern Alan Waters, Missouri Unattached Geoffrey Alexander, Maryland Unattached Ian Nickell, CSU Bakersfield Kyle Ayersman, Purdue Val Rauser, Utah Valley 141: No. 2 Mitchell Port, Edinboro No. 3 Devin Carter, Virginia Tech No. 5 Richard Durso, Franklin & Marshall No. 8 Joey Lazor, Northern Iowa No. 13 Josh Dziewa, Iowa No. 17 Shyheim Brown, Maryland No. 18 Adam Krop, Princeton No. 19 Matt Bystol, Columbia Steve Dutton, Michigan Brian Owen, Boise State Jesse Thielke, Wisconsin Laike Gardner, Lehigh Pat Greco, Northwestern Ethan Raley , Indiana Todd Preston, Harvard Danny Sabatello, Purdue Gustavo Martinez, Grand View 149: No. 3 Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern No. 7 Eric Grajales, Michigan No. 10 David Habat, Edinboro No. 12 Zach Neibert, Virginia Tech No. 14 Chris Castillo, Boise State No. 15 Caleb Ervin, Illinois No. 19 Mitch Minotti, Lehigh Hunter Stieber, Ohio State Unattached Destin McCauley, Nebraska Unattached Jake Short, Minnesota Unattached Mike Kelly, Iowa Joe Bonaldi, Binghamton Gabe Morse, Northern Illinois Alex Griffin, Purdue Blake Roulo, George Mason Unattached Isaiah Tatum, Grand View 157: No. 1 Derek St. John, Iowa No. 8 Taylor Walsh, Indiana No. 10 Isaac Jordan, Wisconsin No. 11 Joey Napoli, Lehigh No. 15 Zac Brunson, Illinois No. 19 Max Schneider, Cal Poly Darrion Caldwell, Unattached Andrew Morse, Northern Illinois Jarrett Jensen, Northern Iowa Markus Scheidel, Columbia Matt Gray, North Dakota State 165: No. 4 Nick Moore, Iowa No. 6 Steven Monk, North Dakota State No. 8 Dan Yates, Michigan No. 11 Jackson Morse, Illinois No. 13 Ramon Santiago, Rider No. 14 Pierce Harger, Northwestern No. 16 Cooper Moore, Northern Iowa No. 17 Chris Moon, Virginia Tech Bo Jordan, Ohio State Unattached Taylor Massa, Michigan Unattached Ryan LeBlanc, Indiana Josh Houldsworth, Columbia Adam Fierro, CSU Bakersfield Chad Welch, Purdue Nazar Kulchytsky , UW Oshkosh Brock Gutches, Southern Oregon 174: No. 6 Mike Evans, Iowa No. 10 Lee Munster, Northwestern No. 14 Bryce Hammond, Cal St. Bakersfield No. 16 Tony Dallago, Illinois No. 17 Cody Caldwell, Northern Iowa No. 18 Hayden Zillmer, North Dakota State No. 19 Elliot Riddick, Lehigh Jim Resnick, Rider Austin Gabel, Virginia Tech Scott Liegel, Wisconsin Landon Williams, Wartburg Dan Schiferl, UW Oshkosh 184: No. 2 Ethen Lofthouse, Iowa No. 3 Jimmy Sheptock, Maryland No. 4 Ryan Loder, Northern Iowa No. 5 Jake Swartz, Boise State No. 8 Vic Avery, Edinboro No. 10 Max Huntley, Michigan No. 14 Ophir Bernstein, Brown No. 15 Jackson Hein, Wisconsin Pat Downey, Nebraska Unattached Nick Vetterlein, Virginia Tech Nikko Reyes, Illinois Lucas Sheridan, Indiana Joe Rau, Minnesota Storm Kurtis Julson, North Dakota State Cameron Croy, Harvard Phillip Joseph, Eastern Michigan 197: No. 7 Mario Gonzalez, Illinois No. 9 Nathan Burak, Iowa No. 11 Christian Boley, Maryland No. 17 Braden Atwood, Purdue No. 19 Alex Polizzi, Northwestern Donald McNeil, Rider Nick Whitenburg, Eastern Michigan John Bolich, Lehigh Chris Penny, Virginia Tech James Fox, Harvard Shane Siefert, UW Whitewater 285: No. 2 Mike McMullan, Northwestern No. 4 Bobby Telford, Iowa No. 5 J.T. Felix, Boise State No. 6 Connor Medbery, Wisconsin No. 7 Spencer Myers, Maryland No. 8 Adam Chalfant, Indiana No. 12 Ty Walz, Virginia Tech No. 19 Adam Coon, Michigan Ernest James, Edinboro Eric Thompson, Grandview Adam Fager, Utah Valley Evan Knutson, North Dakota State Chad Johnson, Augsburg Anthony Edgren, UW Whitewater Ryan Fank, Wartburg Conner Herman, Luther

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The 23rd-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team toppled No. 24 New York University Saturday in the Grapple at the Garden hosted at Madison Square Garden – the "World's Most Famous Arena." Stevens improves to 3-2 overall and 3-0 against NCAA Division III opponents. The Ducks have now knocked off No. 6 TCNJ and the 24th-ranked Violets (2-2) in back-to-back dual-matches. The Ducks won the first two bouts of the afternoon and after dropping one a 141 pounds, Stevens ran off four-straight victories, three by decision, to all but close-out the win. NYU was able to take 184, but wins at 197 and 285 for Stevens rounded out the 25-7 victory. Freshman Rob Murray earned a 3-0 win for the Ducks to start the dual, with sophomore Ryan Wilson following with gritty 3-2 decision over sophomore Corbin Lee. Following a loss at 141, junior 149-pounder Mike Polizzi tallied Stevens' only non-decision win over the day, taking a 13-2 major over Darryl Albonico to make it 10-4 Sophomore Jake O'Dell went 4-0 at 157 in what was one of three shutouts on the afternoon for Stevens, the others being Murray and senior Ryan Dormann who won 3-0 at 174 pounds over sophomore Brian Anderson. Junior Conner Bass was a winner, tallying an 8-6 decision, while senior captain Alex Moreno and junior heavyweight Chris Florek went 7-1 and 3-2, respectively. The announced attendance at the event was more than 8,800. Stevens will host Yeshiva University in its first home dual of the year Wednesday night in Walker Gymnasium.

A pair of one-point wins by sophomore heavyweight Cole Lampman helped the Princeton wrestling team sweep EIWA rivals Drexel and Army during the second annual Grapple at the Garden, held Dec. 1 at Madison Square Garden. Princeton opened the day with a 21-14 victory over the Drexel Dragons, giving the Tigers a victory in their first dual match of the season. They got right back on the mat and took the final two bouts to turn a 15-15 tie into a 21-15 Princeton win over Army. Underclassmen provided all six of Princeton's wins over Drexel, a run that started by freshman Jordan Laster, who pulled out a hard-fought 4-3 win at 133. Sophomore Christopher Perez, wrestling almost a year after suffering his second ACL injury, followed with a first-period pin of Matt Cimato to open a 9-5 Tiger lead. Drexel followed with a pair of decisions, and it threatened to take an even bigger lead at 165. Princeton sophomore Judd Ziegler found himself trailing for much of his match against Jason Fugiel, but he rallied in the final seconds for a 7-5 victory. Freshman Brett Harner followed with a 4-3 decision to open a 15-11 lead for Princeton, which gladly welcomed one of its best from last season in the next match. Sophomore Scott Gibbons led the Tigers in wins last season and placed in the EIWA tournament, but an early injury kept him out of all three early-season tournaments. He got right back on the winning track with an 8-2 decision, though Drexel put itself in position to steal the win with a 3-1 victory at 197. That left Lampman with the responsibility of staying close to Joe Geiorgio in their heavyweight match, which Princeton entered leading by four team points. Lampman had other ideas besides a close loss, as he scored an early takedown and used that to lead the way to a 4-3 win. Princeton moved mats for an immediate start in session two against Army, and again Laster helped Princeton early with a 5-2 decision at 133. Sophomore Kevin Moylan picked up his first dual win of the season at 149 over Mark Marchetti (7-4), and freshman Matt Gancayco followed with a 5-3 win at 157. Army's Coleman Gracey, an EIWA placewinner last year, gave the Black Knights a 12-9 lead at 165 with a decision over Ziegelr, but Harner needed less than one period to flip that deficit. His pin of Alex Smith in 2:52 gave the Tigers a 15-12 lead, though it went back to 15-15 one match later. The lone upperclassman to earn a victory Sunday was senior Dan Santoro, and he picked a key time to do so. He earned a 6-4 win at 197 to open an 18-15 lead, and Lampman once again handled the closer's pressure in impressive fashion; the sophomore once again scored an early takedown and held off Stephen Snyder for a 3-2 victory. Princeton will continue its dual season next weekend when it heads to Binghamton for a 1 pm showdown with the Bearcats. In two weeks, the Tigers will welcome Rutgers to Jadwin Gym for a 5 pm matchup; the night will include a tribute to all former N.J. state champions as Princeton celebrates New Jersey wrestling. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children (14 and under). Princeton 21, Drexel 14 125 – Tanner Shoap (D) TF. Trey Aslanian 18-0 133 – Jordan Laster (P) d. David Pearce 4-3 141 – Christopher Perez (P) p. Matt Cimato 2:52 149 – Noel Bianco (D) d. Kevin Moylan 7-4 157 – Austin Sommer (D) d. Kyle Roddy 5-2 165 – Judd Ziegler (P) d. Jason Fugiel 7-5 174 – Brett Harner (P) d. Kevin Matyas 4-3 184 – Scott Gibbons (P) d. Alex DeCiantis 8-2 197 – Brandon Palik (D) d. Daniel Santoro 3-1 HWT – Cole Lampman (P) d. Joe Geiorgio 4-3 Princeton 21, Army 15 125 – Hunter Wood (A) p. Trey Aslanian 4:28 133 – Jordan Laster (P) d. Logan Everett (A) 5-2 141 – Tyler Rauenzahn (A) d. Christopher Perez 8-4 149 – Kevin Moylan (P) d. Mark Marchetti 7-4 157 – Matt Gancayco (P) d. Paul Hancock 5-3 165 – Coleman Gracey (A) d. Judd Ziegler 4-1 174 – Brett Harner (P) p. Alex Smith 2:52 184 – Ryan Tompkins (A) d. Scott Gibbons 9-3 197 – Dan Santoro (P) d. Bryce Barnes 6-4 HWT – Cole Lampman (P) d. Stephen Snyder 3-2

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Cornell wrestling team had the world as its stage in the Most Famous Arena in the World, Madison Square Garden, and put on quite a show in winning both dual matches at the Grapple at the Garden on Sunday afternoon. The Big Red remained unbeaten with a 32-9 win over Maryland and a thrilling 18-15 triumph over No. 7 Illinois. Three wrestlers, Mike Nevinger (141), Gabe Dean (184) and Stryker Lane (HWY), each bounced back from losses in the first dual to pull out important, clinching wins less than two hours later. The win over Illinois came down to the final three matches, as the Illini led 12-9 going into the stretch run. Dean, ranked 12th nationally at 184 pounds, was looking to score bonus points against unranked Nikko Reyes. Instead, he found himself trailing 4-2 heading into the third. A late takedown tied the match and Dean was able to tilt his opponent, pinning him with only five seconds left in the match for six huge team points. After Jace Bennett lost at 197 pounds by decision to seventh-ranked Mario Gonzalez, the heavyweight match would determine the dual meet winner. With the score tied 15-15, Lane rode out Chris Lopez in the third to erase a riding time advantage and to send the match into sudden victory, then overtime, then another sudden victory and a second overtime. In the second overtime, Lane earned an escape to make it 3-2 and earned the huge 4-3 triumph to give Cornell the dual meet win. Nevinger, making his 2013-14 debut, picked up a 7-4 decision over Steven Rodrigues at 141 pounds to start a run of three straight Big Red victories. Chris Villalonga (149) and Brian Realbuto (157), the lone Cornell wrestlers to win both dual matches, earned back-to-back triumphs to take its first lead after Nahshon Garrett fell to top-ranked Jesse Delgado at 125 pounds and No. 11 Zane Richards topped Mark Grey at 133. Illinois won consecutive matches at 165 and 174 to set up Cornell's late heroics. The Big Red dominated the earlier match, easily topping Maryland to take a 2-1 lead in the all-time series between the teams. Garrett earned a second period fall over Paul O'Neill and Grey dominated for his 5-1 decision over Tyler Goodwin. The Terps took wins at 141, 184 and heavyweight, but only after Garrett's pin, a major decision by Realbuto at 157, a medical forfeit victory for Dylan Palacio at 165 and a major decision triumph by Duke Pickett at 174. Jace Bennett earned a tech fall at 197 to round out the Big Red's scoring. The Big Red will take wrestlers to the Las Vegas Invitational next weekend to face some of the toughest competition in the nation. Cornell 32, Maryland 9 125: #2 Nahshon Garrett (C) won by fall over Paul O'Neill (M), 4:34 133: #10 Mark Grey (C) won by decision over Tyler Goodwin (M), 5-1 141: Shyheim Brown (M) won by decision over #4 Mike Nevinger (C), 5-0 149: #14 Chris Villalonga (C) won by decision over Derrick Evanovich (M), 5-0 157: #12 Brian Realbuto (C) won by major decision over Danny Orem (M), 16-5 165: Dylan Palacio (C) won by medical forfeit over Tyler Manion (M) 174: Duke Pickett (C) won by major decision over Tony Gardner (M), 13-2 184: #3 Jimmy Sheptock (M) won by decision over #12 Gabe Dean (C), 5-3 197: #14 Jace Bennett (C) won by technical fall over Chris Jastrzebski (M), 18-1 HWT: #7 Spencer Myers (M) won by decision over Stryker Lane (C), 2-0 Cornell 18, Illinois 15 125: #1 Jesse Delgado (I) won by decision over #2 Nahshon Garrett (C), 6-2 133: #11 Zane Richards (I) won by decision over #10 Mark Grey (C), 4-2 141: #4 Mike Nevinger (C) won by decision over Steven Rodrigues (I), 7-4 149: #14 Chris Villalonga (C) won by decision over John Fahy (I),8-3 157: #12 Brian Realbuto (C) won by decision over #15 Zac Brunson (I), 8-3 165: #19 Jackson Morse (I) won by decision over Dylan Palacio (C), 8-4 174: #9 Tony Dallago (I) won by decision over Duke Pickett (C), 9-4 184: #12 Gabe Dean (C) won by fall over Nikko Reyes (I), 6:55 197: #7 Mario Gonzalez (I) won by decision over #14 Jace Bennett (C), 7-1 HWT: Stryker Lane (C) won by decision over Christopher Lopez (I), 4-3 (OT)

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AMES, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling team won 7-of-10 bouts to top Iowa State (5-1) on Sunday inside Hilton Coliseum, 23-9. Tony Ramos and Mike Evans scored bonus points, and No. 8 Nick Moore defeated No. 6 Mike Moreno to help Iowa (4-0) win its 11th straight in the series and maintain possession of the Dan Gable Trophy. "When we come to town we know we're getting a battle," said UI head coach Tom Brands, who improved to 9-0 all-time against Iowa State. "We had opportunities to put things away and widen gaps, and we're missing those opportunities. We need to anchor what's there and finish those scoring opportunities." Evans opened the dual with a major decision at 174. He scored three takedowns, two nearfall points and 2:19 of riding time to top Tanner Weatherspoon, 10-1. "I think we were looking for bonus points, but when you go out and wrestle a team like Iowa State you know they want to keep it close," said Evans. "That can make it hard, but it's on us to create separation. We need to start doing that. We need to open up and break open the match." Ethen Lofthouse extended Iowa's lead to 7-0 with a 4-0 win at 184. Lofthouse scored a takedown in the first, an escape in the second, and added 1:44 of riding time to defeat Leland Weatherspoon. Cory Clark, Ramos, and Josh Dziewa strung together consecutive wins at 125, 133, and 141 to help Iowa extend its lead to 17-6 after Iowa State had pulled within a point. Clark's 2:44 of riding time was the difference in an 8-7 win over Earl Hall. "We've seen Clark battle," said Brands. "He knows where he's at and he's aware. He won that match on awareness. He won on riding time and on keeping the guy down. He won that match because he's pretty gutsy." Ramos totaled seven takedowns and earned 3:43 of riding time in a 16-5 major decision at 131, and Dziewa used a pair of three-point nearfalls to rally past Gabe Moreno, 12-5, at 141. Derek St. John earned a 5-1 win over John Nicholson at 157, which meant the team outcome was already decided when Moore met Moreno in the final match of the afternoon. The pair exchanged escapes in the second and third periods before Moore came out on top of a scramble with 1:01 left in the third, eventually breaking Moreno flat as time expired to earn a 3-1 win. "I got there and he was pretty deep in my legs," said Moore, who is 2-1 all-time against Moreno. "It worked out for me, but it's something where you have to get your hips back and get around, rather than getting in the scramble. "Now it's important to keep building from here, keep everything in perspective and take it for what it's worth." The Cyclones won at 197, 285 and 149. Kyven Gadson defeated Sammy Brooks, 3-2, at 197, and Quean Smith scored a takedown in sudden victory to top Terrance Jean-Jacques, 6-4, at 285. Luke Goettl used a takedown with two seconds on the clock to defeat Michael Evans, 4-2, at 149. The Hawkeyes return to the mat Thursday at 6 p.m. (CT) at No. 14 Edinboro. Iowa returns home Dec. 12 to face Bufallo at 7 p.m. (CT). Notes: Attendance was 6,261... Iowa retains possession of the Dan Gable Trophy... the Hawkeyes have won 11 straight in the series, including the last four meetings since the inception of the traveling trophy... Iowa owns a 7-6 advantage in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series... Brooks was making his first career dual appearance and his first appearance at 197. Results: 174 - #6 Mike Evans (IA) major dec. #8 Tanner Weatherman (ISU), 10-1; 4-0 184 - #2 Ethen Lofthouse (IA) dec. Leland Weatherspoon (ISU), 4-0; 7-0 197 - #3 Kyven Gadson (ISU) dec. Sammy Brooks (IA), 3-2; 7-3 285 - Quean Smith (ISU) dec. Terrance Jean-Jacques (IA), 6-4 (SV); 7-6 125 - #4 Cory Clark (IA) dec. Earl Hall (ISU), 8-7; 10-6 133 - #1 Tony Ramos (IA) major dec. Dakota Bauer (ISU), 16-5; 14-6 141 - #14 Josh Dziewa (IA) dec. Gabe Moreno (ISU), 12-5; 17-6 149 - Luke Goettl (ISU) dec. Michael Kelly (IA), 4-2; 17-9 157 - #1 Derek St. John (IA) dec. John Nicholson (ISU), 5-1; 20-9 165 - #8 Nick Moore (IA) dec. #3 Mike Moreno (ISU), 3-1; 23-9

NORMAN, Okla. -- After trailing 15-3 through six matches, the fourth-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team scored 13 unanswered dual points to take the Bedlam bout against the No. 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys by a score of 16-15 Sunday afternoon inside McCasland Field House. Mark Cody (Photo/SoonerSports.com)OU head coach Mark Cody said that despite the deficit, he still thought his team had a chance to win. “To tell you the truth, getting upset in two of the lighter weights, I was concerned, but I wasn’t feeling like we were completely out of it," Cody shared. "But it doesn’t matter how I feel. It matters how the guys who are going to run out there and wrestle for us feel." The win, which occurred in front of a crowd of 3,355 people, marked OU’s first over the in-state rival since Dec. 7, 2008. The Sooners started the dual with a victory as No. 5 Jarrod Patterson took the 125-pound match by decision over No. 14 Eddie Kilmara, 5-0. Patterson recorded a reversal and a takedown in the match and garnered the riding time point with 1:25. However, Oklahoma State then claimed five straight matches by decision. No. 4 Jon Morrison of OSU topped No. 5 Cody Brewer, 4-2 at 133 pounds. In the next match, freshman Anthony Collica from OSU defeated No. 16 Nick Lester, 5-4. At 149 pounds, OSU’s Josh Kindig, who is ranked 12th, defeated first-ranked Kendric Maple, 4-3. Redshirt junior Justin DeAngelis fell to Alex Dieringer 2-1 at 157, while No. 2 Tyler Caldwell of OSU topped redshirt freshman Clark Glass, 4-1, at 165 pounds. Then, Sooner Magic took over. OU claimed four matches in a row, including one by major decision, to take the win. The 174-pound bout featured two NCAA National Champions in No. 1 Andrew Howe and No. 2 Chris Perry of OSU. Howe won by decision, 4-2, after earning a takedown and reversal in the match. Freshman Danny Chaid took a 7-3 decision over redshirt freshman Kyle Crutchmer. Chaid trailed 3-2 late in the third period but added a takedown and three-point nearfall in the last 25 seconds to win. “I started putting together that to keep our chances of winning alive, I’d have to win the match to keep that possibility open," Chaid stated. "With about 20 seconds left, obviously not much time is left, I got that sense of urgency I needed to score the takedown immediately.” Claiming the only bonus points of the dual was redshirt senior and No. 5 Travis Rutt, who topped No. 10 Blake Rosholt by a 12-3 decision, giving the Sooners an opportunity to take the dual with a win in the final match. “I knew coming in to the dual, it would come down to bonus points," Rutt said. "I guess I never really expected it to be in my match. Before the match, I knew if everyone had won like I had expected them to, it would be tied, so something needed to happen.” With a Bedlam victory on the line, redshirt freshman and 15th-ranked Ross Larson took to the mat against No. 11 Austin Marsden. Larson recorded one takedown and an escape to Marsden’s two escapes to take the match 3-2 and seal the OU victory. “I was ready to go," Larson said of his bout. "Travis getting the major decision, I knew if I got the win, we were going to win the dual. I wasn’t nervous at all. I just carried the momentum into my match.” Next up, the Sooners travel to Las Vegas, Nev., to compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 6 and 7. The second Bedlam dual is slated for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9, in Stillwater, Okla. Results: 125: No. 5 Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. No. 14 Eddie Kilmara (OSU), 5-0 133: No. 4 Jon Morrison (OSU) dec. No. 5 Cody Brewer (OU), 8-2 141: Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. No. 16 Nick Lester (OU), 8-7 149: No. 12 Josh Kindig (OSU) dec. No. 1 Kendric Maple (OU), 4-3 157: No. 2 Alex Dieringer (OSU) dec. Justin DeAngelis (OU), 11-5 165: No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (OSU) dec. Clark Glass (OU), 10-4 174: No. 1 Andrew Howe (OU) dec. No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU), 4-2 184: Danny Chaid (OU) dec. Kyle Crutchmer (OSU), 7-3 197: No. 5 Travis Rutt (OU) maj. dec. No. 10 Blake Rosholt (OSU), 12-3 HWT: No. 15 Ross Larson (OU) dec. No. 11 Austin Marsden (OSU), 3-2

New York, NY -- Senior Luke Vaith and redshirt freshman Jamel Hudson each posted a win by fall and a major decision win to lead the Hofstra Pride to two Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association victories in the second annual Grapple at the Garden at Madison Square Garden Sunday afternoon. The Pride, 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the EIWA, defeated the Black Knights of Army, 23-16 in the opener and the Terriers of Boston University, 35-6 in the second contest. In the opener against Army, Hofstra raced to a 16-0 lead as Hudson posted an 11-3 major win over Logan Everett at 133, Vaith pinned Tyler Rauenzahn in 5:15 for his fourth pin of the season at 141 and senior Jamie Franco, at 125, and junior Cody Ruggirello, at 149, posted decisions to give the Pride the nice advantage. After BU’s Paul Hancock majored junior Nick Terdick at 157 and Hofstra graduate-student Joe Booth, ranked 11th by InterMat, majored Cole Gracey at 165, the Terriers grabbed the next three matches, including a Ryan Tompkins win by fall over Pride sophomore Victor Pozsonyi at 184, to close to within four at 20-16 heading into the match finale at 285. But Hofstra freshman Michael Hughes secured the victory with a 6-4 decision over Bryce Barnes to close out the 23-16 victory. Army is 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the EIWA this season. In the second match against Boston University-a program that will be coming to an end at the conclusion of the season-the Pride won eight of the 10 weight classes to cruise to the easy victory. Hofstra opened up with three bonus-point victories as Franco (9-3) posted a fall over Bubba McGinley at the 3:20 mark of the 125-pound match, Hudson (10-3) pinned Dane Harlow at the 1:27 mark at 133, and Vaith 11-1 and ranked 10th by InterMat, tallied an 8-0 major decision over Tyler Scotton at 141. Ruggirello (9-3) added a 7-0 victory over Nick Tourville at 149 for a 19-0 lead. Boston’s Nestor Taffur, ranked 13th by InterMat, put the Terriers on the board with a 4-2 victory over Terdick (7-5) in a hard-fought fight. But the Pride posted three consecutive decisions by Booth (12-1), Affronti (6-6), and freshman Dwight Howes (3-4) and a win by forfeit by junior Zeal McGrew (6-7) to boost the lead to 35-3. Terrier Kevin Innis defeated Hughes (6-8) at 285 to close out the match. Boston University is 0-3 overall and 0-3 in the EIWA. Hofstra will return to action next Friday and Saturday, December 6-7 when they compete in the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational at the Last Vegas Convention Center. Hofstra 23, Army 16 125- Jamie Franco (H) dec. Hunter Wood (A), 3-1 133- Jamel Hudson (H) maj. dec. Logan Everett (A), 11-3 141- Luke Vaith (H) WBF Tyler Rauenzahn (A), 5:14 149- Cody Ruggirello (H) dec. Mark Marchetti (A), 4-0 157- Paul Hancock (A) maj. dec. Nick Terdick (H), 15-6 165- Joe Booth (H) maj. dec. Cole Gracey (A), 14-4 174- Alex Smith (A) dec. Frank Affronti (H), 3-1 184- Ryan Tompkins (A) WBF Victor Pozsonyi (H), 0:50 197- Austin Wilding (A) dec. David Heitman (H), 8-4 285- Mike Hughes (H) dec. Bryce Barnes (A), 6-4 Hofstra 35, Boston University 6 125- Jamie Franco (H) WBF Bubba McGinley (B), 3:20 133- Jamel Hudson (H) WBF Dane Harlowe (B), 1:27 141- Luke Vaith (H) maj. dec. Tyler Scotton (B), 8-0 149- Cody Ruggirello (H) dec. Nick Tourville (B), 7-0 157- #13 Nestor Taffur (B) dec. Nick Terdick (H), 4-2 165- Joe Booth (H) dec. Mitchell Wightman (B), 4-1 174- Frank Affronti (H) maj. dec. Andrew Maksimovic (B), 9-0 184- Dwight Howes (H) dec. Aaron Conrad (B), 5-2 197- Zeal McGrew (H) win by forfeit 285- Kevin Innis (B) dec. Mike Hughes (H), 3-1

Related: Results BARRINGTON, Ill. -- No. 19 Marmion Academy, Ill., used an 8-0 record in contested medal matches in order to eke out an 8-1/2 point victory over Libertyville, Ill., 241.5 to 233, in the two-day Moore/Prettyman Invitational that came to a conclusion on Saturday at Barrington High School outside of Chicago. Five Cadet wrestlers won championships, including a pair that came against Libertyville opposition. Those wins by A.J. Jaffe, 4-1 over Junior freestyle All-American Steve Polakowski at 120; and Trace Carello (152), 3-1 in overtime over Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Joey Gunther at 152 were each crucial eight-point swings. The other three titles for Marmion Academy came from Anthony Bosco (113), No. 10 Johnny Jimenez (126), and Michael Callahan (132). Bosco had arguably the most impressive performance from any wrestler in the Moore-Prettyman Invitational. In the semifinal, he avenged a consolation final loss from last year’s state tournament – loss by fall in the tiebreaker – with a 4-3 overtime victory over Travis Piotrowski (Prairie Ridge, Ill.). Then, in the final Bosco upset Junior freestyle All-American Michael Cullen (Cary Grove, Ill.), who is ranked No. 11 nationally, by 5-3 decision in overtime. Jimenez was a dominant champion with a pair of major decisions and pair of pins on the way to a title at 126 pounds. The sophomore Callahan, who was not a varsity starter last year, came up with a crucial finals win over Brandon Peshek (Johnsburg, Ill.). Not only did he win, in the tiebreaker, but he got a pin at the 7:52 mark. Additional Cadets’ wrestlers to win their medal matches were Nick Ferraro (170) and Nathan Traxler (182), who each finished in third place, and the fifth place finish from Josh Meyers (195). Two other Cadets’ wrestlers placed in sixth, but each injury defaulted multiple matches on Saturday. Cadet freestyle All-American Riley DeMoss advanced to the 160 pound semis on Friday, but then did not wrestle at all on Saturday; while sophomore sensation Lucas Warren was upset by Matt Allen (Hinsdale Central, Ill.) 8-3 in the semifinals at 220 pounds, and then defaulted out of both consolation matches. Libertyville actually had more placers than Marmion Academy, as the Wildcats had eleven placers compared to the Cadets ten. However, they only had two champions: Kayne McCallum (170) and Kevin Barbian (220). Libertyville had three wrestlers finish second and fourth respectively. Runners-up for the Wildcats were Polakoswki, Gunther, and Chris McDermand (285); while Tyler Brooks (138), Austin Koziol (182), and Tim Grote (195) earned fourth place finishes. Additional Libertyville medalists were Joey Locasio (106) in fifth place, Nick Andrews (145) in sixth, and Colton Bast (160) in seventh. Two other squads came home with a pair of titlists respectively at the Moore-Prettyman Invitational: Hinsdale Central, Ill. and Crystal Lake South, Ill. Juwan Esmond (145) and No. 4 Brian Allen (285) won the titles for Hinsdale Central, while Nick Gil (138) and Brian Pence (195) were on top of the podium for Crystal Lake South. Rounding out the weight class champions were Darrell Flagg (Joliet West, Ill.) at 106 pounds, A.J. Villarreal (Lyons Township, Ill.) at 160, and Connor Swier (Neuqua Valley, Ill.) at 182.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The No. 16 University of Northern Iowa wrestling team dominated No. 24 Wisconsin in its home opener, winning 29-9 and getting a win over the second-ranked wrestler in the nation. Joe Colon, ranked ninth at 133 pounds, took down No. 2 Tyler Graff of Wisconsin. “He and coach Mark Schwab got a good game plan together,” said head coach Doug Schwab. “He made a statement. He controlled on his feet, and he was very tough on top.” The Panthers had a strong start from redshirt freshman No. 15 Cooper Moore, who got his third major decision of the season over UW’s Frank Cousins. No. 19 Cody Caldwell got a slow start to his match, letting Scott Liegel get ahead 5-3 before surging ahead to win by decision, 9-6. “There were some situations, like in Cody’s match, that we were behind, but they found a way to win,” said Schwab. UNI’s highest-ranked wrestler, No. 4 Ryan Loder, kept the Panthers undefeated in the meet with a 1-0 win over Dylan Iczkowski. The Panthers continued to dominate the Badgers with another 3-2 decision by Basil Minto at 197 pounds. Wisconsin got its first win with No. 6 Connor Medbery at heavyweight. Blaize Cabell was able to fend him off through two periods, but Medbery earned an early escape in the third and was awarded riding time to put the Badgers on the board. Badgers trailed 13-3 with Medbery’s 2-0 win. At 125 pounds, No. 8 Dylan Peters continued his pinning streak. He has yet to be on the mat for longer than 3 minutes, 17 seconds, and earned his sixth pin and sixth win in 2:28. “We knew he was a bonus points guy when we got him,” said Schwab. “Many said he couldn’t do that in college, but he has proven that he can. He will be tested again this week.” Joey Lazor earned 9 near fall points against No. 18 Jesse Thielke, but settled for a 14-2 major decision. At 149 pounds, Gunnar Wolfensperger got a quick, slim lead in the first and continued to rack up points, winning 10-8. “It was a good win for our guys, and a great win for our fans,” said Schwab. “We can’t wait to get back to work.” The Panthers head to the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 6-7. They return home for the UNI Open set for 9 a.m. Dec. 14 in the UNI-Dome. The Panthers remain undefeated at 3-0 in duals, and Wisconsin is now 6-3. Results: 125 – #8 Dylan Peters (UNI) pins #18 Ryan Taylor (UW), 1:50 133 –#9 Joe Colon (UNI) dec. #2 Tyler Graff (UW), 6-0 141 – #9 Joey Lazor (UNI) maj. dec. #18 Jesse Thielke, 14-2 149 – Gunnar Wolfensperger (UNI) dec. TJ Ruschell (UW), 10-8 157 –#6 Isaac Jordan (UW) pins Jarrett Jensen (UNI), 1:50 165 – #15 Cooper Moore (UNI) maj. dec. Frank Cousins (UW), 13-2 174 – #19 Cody Caldwell (UNI) dec. Scott Liegel (UW), 9-6 184 – #4 Ryan Loder (UNI) dec. Dylan Iczkowski (UW), 1-0 197 – Basil Minto (UNI) dec. Timmy McCall (UW), 3-2 HWT – #6 Connor Medbery dec. Blaize Cabell (UNI), 2-0

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 2 University of Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team defeated the No. 9 Oregon State Beavers, 28-12, on the road. The win allows the Golden Gophers to improve to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in Big Ten competition. Despite two back-to-back falls at 157 and 165 for Oregon State, the Gophers were able to claim the victory with two major decisions, a technical fall and a sudden victory on the evening. Redshirt freshman Samuel Brancale (125) picked up his first dual win of the season by defeating Pat Rollins of Oregon State by major decision, 10-1. No. 8 David Thorn followed suit and picked up a win by major decision over Drew Van Anrooy, 12-2. No. 5 Chris Dardanes and No. 3 Nick Dardanes were both able to defeat their opponents by decision, 10-4 and 4-3 respectively. At 165, Brandon Kingsely was unable to hold on as No. 6 Roger Pena won by fall at 4:04. No. 17 Danny Zilverberg was the only ranked Minnesota wrestler who did not come away with a victory as he was defeated by Alex Elder of Oregon State by fall in the last two seconds of the bout. No. 5 Logan Storley won by decision, 12-7, over Joe Latham at 174 pounds while newly ranked No. 17 Brett Pfarr won by technical fall over Bryan Engdahl, 18-3. The biggest victory of the dual came at 197 pounds as No. 2 Scott Schiller battled familiar matchup No. 1 Taylor Meeks. Schiller and Meeks met earlier this month at the All-Star Classic where Meeks came out with the 6-4 victory. At the end of three, Schiller and Meeks were tied at an escape each and went into sudden victory overtime. Schiller was able to takedown Meeks and walk away with the 3-1 victory for the Golden Gophers. No. 1 Tony Nelson was also victorious as he won by decision over No. 20 Amarveer Dhesi at 285. With their respective wins, Thorn, Storley, Schiller and Nelson survive another weekend with an undefeated record on the season. With eight out of ten bout wins, the Gophers were named the champion by a 16 point margin. The Golden Gophers will travel to Stillwater, Okla. to take on Oklahoma State on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. CT. Results: 125 Brancale (MINN) won by major decision over Rollins (OSU), 10-1. 4 0 133 #8 Thorn (MINN) won by major decision over Van Anrooy (OSU), 12-2. 8 0 141 #5 C. Dardanes (MINN) won by decision over Delgado (OSU), 10-4. 11 0 149 #3 N. Dardanes (MINN) won by decision over #7 Sakaguchi (OSU), 4-3. 14 0 157 #6 Pena (OSU) won by pin over Kingsley (MINN), 4:04. 14 6 165 Elder (OSU) won by pin over #17 Zilverberg (MINN), 6:58. 14 12 174 #5 Storley (MINN) by dec. over Latham, 12-7. 17 12 184 #17 Pfarr (MINN) won by tech fall voer Engdahl (OSU), 18-3. 22 12 197 #2 Schiller (MINN) won in sudden victory 1 over #1 Meeks (OSU). 25 12 HWT #1 Nelson (MINN) won by decision over #20 Dhesi (OSU), 6-0. 28 12

Stanford, Calif. -- The No. 10 Nebraska wrestling team won all three of its matchups at the Stanford Duals on Saturday, defeating Utah Valley, No. 18 Stanford and CSU-Bakersfield. In the opening dual, the Huskers split the first four matches against Utah Valley before adding bonus points in five of the last six matches for a 36-6 victory. The dual started at heavyweight, where Collin Jensen fell by sudden victory, 7-5, to Adam Fager. No. 15 Tim Lambert (125) came back to tie the score with his 11-5 decision over Bracken Nipko. At 133 pounds, Ben Morgan lost a 16-13 decision before Anthony Abidin notched a 12-7 decision at 141 pounds. Nebraska’s scoring barrage started at 149 pounds when No. 5 Jake Sueflohn won a 12-1 major decision over Trevor Willson. James Green, the No. 4 wrestler in the country at 157 pounds, won by injury default and No. 20 Austin Wilson won a 16-0 technical fall over Utah Valley’s Logan Addis at 165 pounds. No. 4 Robert Kokesh won by forfeit at 174 pounds to give NU a 27-6 lead heading to the final three matches. At 184 pounds, TJ Dudley pinned Ethan Smith in 5:52 before Caleb Kolb finished the match off with a 3-2 decision over the Wolverines’ Derek Thomas. Against Stanford, Jensen fell in the opening match by decision before Lambert notched one of his own for the Huskers at 125 pounds. The Cardinal’s No. 3 Ryan Mango (133) pinned Colton McCrystal in 1:32, but Abidin responded for Nebraska at 141 pounds with a pin over Matt Garelli in 4:43. Notched in a 9-9 tie, the Huskers won five of the last six matches en route to a 28-12 win over the Cardinal. Sueflohn and Green each notched major decisions before Wilson fell by a 4-1 decision to No. 15 Jim Wilson. Kokesh took down Stanford’s Zach Nevills at 174 pounds by an 18-3 technical fall before Dudley (184) and Spencer Johnson (197) closed out the match with decisions. Dudley defeated Thomas Kimbrell, 6-1, and Johnson defeated Michael Sojka, 6-3. Nebraska dominated in its third dual of the day from start to finish against CSU-Bakersfield to post a 42-0 triumph over the Roadrunners. Jensen and Lambert started the scoring for the Huskers by each notching major decisions. At 133 pounds, McCrystal won a 7-5 decision over Jose Mendoza. Abidin (141) completed a 3-0 day with a major decision over CSU-Bakersfield’s Ian Nickell, 15-5. Sueflohn (149) and Green (157) also each capped perfect performances at the Stanford Duals with bonus points wins against the Roadrunners. Sueflohn won by technical fall over Dalton Kelley and Green won a major decision over Spencer Hill. Wilson won a decision at 165 pounds before Kokesh (174) and Dudley (184) each pinned their opponents. Dudley registered two pins on Saturday and has three falls in four dual appearances this season. Kolb closed out the dual with a 10-3 decision over Reuben Franklin at 197 pounds. The Huskers return to action on Friday and Saturday at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. The tournament starts at 11 a.m. Round 1: No. 10 Nebraska 36, Utah Valley 6 HWT: Adam Fager (UV) by dec. over Collin Jensen (NEB), 7-5 (SV) (UV 3, NEB 0) 125: #15 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over Bracken Nipko (UV), 11-5 (NEB 3, UV 3) 133: Chasen Tolbert (UV) by dec. over Ben Morgan (NEB), 16-13 (UV 6, NEB 3) 141: Anthony Abidin (NEB) by dec. over Avery Garner (UV), 12-7 (NEB 6, UV 6) 149: #5 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) by major dec. over Trevor Willson (UV), 12-1 (NEB 10, UV 6) 157: #4 James Green (NEB) by inj. def. over Chase Cuthbertson (UV) (NEB 16, UV 6) 165: #20 Austin Wilson (NEB) by tech. fall over Logan Addis (UV), 16-0 (6:32) (NEB 21, UV 6) 174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by forfeit (NEB 27, UV 6) 184: TJ Dudley (NEB) by pin over Ethan Smith (UV), 5:52 (NEB 33, UV 6) 197: Caleb Kolb (NEB) by dec. over Derek Thomas (UV), 3-2 (NEB 36, UV 6) Round 2: No. 10 Nebraska 28, No. 18 Stanford 12 HWT: Josh Marchok (STAN) by dec. over Collin Jensen (NEB), 10-6 (STAN 3, NEB 0) 125: #15 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over #11 Evan Silver (STAN), 6-1 (NEB 3, STAN 3) 133: #3 Ryan Mango (STAN) by pin over Colton McCrystal (NEB), 1:32 (STAN 9, NEB 3) 141: Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over Matt Garelli (STAN), 4:43 (NEB 9, STAN 9) 149: #5 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) by major dec. over Donovan Halpin (STAN), 10-1 (NEB 13, STAN 9) 157: #4 James Green (NEB) by major dec. over Bret Baumbach (STAN), 13-5 (NEB 17, STAN 9) 165: #15 Jim Wilson (STAN) by dec. over #20 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-1 (NEB 17, STAN 12) 174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by tech. fall over Zach Nevills (STAN), 18-3 (NEB 22, STAN 12) 184: TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over Thomas Kimbrell (STAN), 6-1 (NEB 25, STAN 12) 197: Spencer Johnson (NEB) by dec. over Michael Sojka (STAN), 6-3 (NEB 28, STAN 12) Round 3: No. 10 Nebraska 42, CSU-Bakersfield 0 HWT: Collin Jensen (NEB) by major dec. over Sammy Cervantes (CSUB), 12-2 (NEB 4, CSUB 0) 125: #15 Tim Lambert (NEB) by major dec. over Sergio Mendez (CSUB), 16-2 (NEB 8, CSUB 0) 133: Colton McCrystal (NEB) by dec. over Jose Mendoza (CSUB), 7-5 (NEB 11, CSUB 0) 141: Anthony Abidin (NEB) by major dec. over Ian Nickell (CSUB), 15-5 (NEB 15, CSUB 0) 149: #5 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) by tech. fall over Dalton Kelley (CSUB), 19-4 (NEB 20, CSUB 0) 157: #4 James Green (NEB) by major dec. over Spencer Hill (CSUB), 15-5 (NEB 24, CSUB 0) 165: #20 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over David Meza (CSUB), 6-2 (NEB 27, CSUB 0) 174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by pin over #15 Bryce Hammond (CSUB), 4:07 (NEB 33, CSUB 0) 184: TJ Dudley (NEB) by pin over Sean Pollock (CSUB), 2:22 (NEB 39, CSUB 0) 197: Caleb Kolb (NEB) by dec. over Reuben Franklin (CSUB), 10-3 (NEB 42, CSUB 0)

TROY, N.Y. -- The Lehigh wrestling team made its first road trip of the 2013-14 season a successful one as the Mountain Hawks posted a 3-0 record at the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals Saturday at Hudson Valley Community College. The Mountain Hawks opened the day with a win over a tough Central Michigan squad 24-9 then upset No. 11 Virginia 19-14 before closing the day out with a 25-9 win over EIWA foe Columbia. Four Mountain Hawks posted perfect 3-0 records on the day as Lehigh improves to 4-3 overall and 1-1 against EIWA opponents. "We've been right there the last few weeks," said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. "It's nice to finally pull through and get big wins. We found ways to win matches late when we were down early. Our team has shown a lot of heart all year, now we're getting some 'W's to show for it." Saturday's first dual against Central Michigan was tightly contested, with six of the ten bouts decided by one or two points. Lehigh won seven of ten bouts overall, highlighted by a first period pin by senior Joey Napoli over Luke Smith at 157. Napoli had scored a takedown and was tilting Smith for near fall points when Smith's shoulders caught the mat and the fall was called at the 2:51 mark. Napoli went 3-0 on the day as did sophomore Mason Beckman who used riding time advantage to defeat Joe Roth 2-1 in a battle of ranked wrestlers at 133. Freshman Elliot Riddick defeated a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers at 174 en route to a 3-0 day. Riddick started his day with a 3-1 decision over No. 14 Mike Ottinger of Central Michigan. Riddick secured a takedown in the final seconds of the second period which proved to be the difference. Freshman Zach Diekel clinched the match with the Chippewas with a 6-2 decision over Austin Severn at 184. The dual with Virginia, Lehigh raced to a 13-3 lead after five bouts before the Cavaliers mounted a comeback. A tiebreaker win for Zach Nye over sophomore Jon Bolich meant that the dual would come down to heavyweights. Freshman Doug Vollaro scored spin-behind takedown against Ethan Hayes for the decisive 4-2 sudden victory decision, one of his three wins on the day and the first three official victories of his college career. Earlier against Virginia, Laike Gardner scored a takedown 24 seconds into sudden victory to defeat 11th-ranked Joe Spisak at 141. Napoli fell behind Blaise Butler 4-0 in the first period but rallied for an 8-7 win. Napoli gave up a reversal late in the third period, then reversed back and gained a 1:03 riding time advantage for the decisive point. Riddick downed his second ranked wrestler of the day, scoring a pair of third period takedowns to defeat No. 17 Stephen Doty 4-3. "Elliot has a great gas tank," Santoro said. "You don't see it if you make weight the wrong way. Today you saw it. He needed two takedowns in the second match and he got them. He got five takedowns in the third period of the last two matches and that was key." Lehigh won four of the first five bouts against Columbia to lead 12-3 halfway, but the Lions battled back after Josh Houldsworth pinned Billy Ramsey, who was filling in for freshman Brian Brill at 165, to cut Lehigh's lead to 12-9. Beginning with Riddick's third win of the day, an 8-4 decision over Shane Hughes, Lehigh captured the final four bouts of the day. Diekel delivered the only bonus points for the Mountain Hawks against the Lions as he used an eight-point second period to post a 13-5 major decision over Troy Hembury. Bolich notched his first win of the day over Mike Fetchet at 197, using a reversal and three point near fall in the second set of tiebreakers to win 6-2 and clinch Lehigh's third win of the day. Vollaro closed things out with a 2-0 decision over Wyatt Baker at heavyweight. "We won a lot of matches in the third period today," Santoro said. "That's something every coach wants to see. We've been so close so many times. Before we were getting on a leg late and not finishing but now we're finishing those shots. He concluded, "We're still making mistakes, but the fight's there. That's the most important part." The Mountain Hawks will return to the mats on Sunday, December 8 when they visit EIWA rival Penn at 2 p.m. at the Palestra. The match will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as ESPNLV.com. Lehigh 24, Central Michigan 9 125 – Cory Keener (CMU) dec. Artem Timchenko (Lehigh) 7-3 133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. Joe Roth (CMU) 2-1 141 – Zach Horan (CMU) dec. Laike Gardner (Lehigh) 3-1 149 – Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) dec. Scott Mattingly (CMU) 5-4 157 – Joey Napoli (Lehigh) Fall Luke Smith (CMU) 2:51 165 – Brian Brill (Lehigh) dec. Nick Becker (CMU) 7-3 174 – Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) dec. Mike Ottinger (CMU) 3-1 184 – Zach Diekel (Lehigh) dec. Austin Severn (CMU) 6-2 197 – Jackson Lewis (CMU) dec. John Bolich (Lehigh) 3-1 285 – Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) dec. Adam Robinson (CMU) 4-3 Lehigh 19, Virginia 14 125 – Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Nick Hermann (UVa) 4-2 133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) major dec. Joe Martinez (UVa) 10-1 141 – Laike Gardner (Lehigh) dec. Joe Spisak (UVa) 7-5, s.v. 149 – Gus Sako (UVa) dec. Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) 3-2 157 – Joey Napoli (Lehigh) dec. Blaise Butler (UVa) 8-7 165 – Nick Sulzer (UVa) tech fall Brian Brill (Lehigh) 20-5, 6:28 174 – Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) dec. Stephen Doty (UVa) 4-3 184 – James Suvak (UVa) dec, Zach Diekel (Lehigh) 5-4 197 – Zach Nye (UVa) dec. John Bolich (Lehigh) 3-1, t.b. 285 – Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) dec. Ethan Hayes (UVa) 4-2, s.v. Lehigh 25, Columbia 9 125 – Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Penn Gottfried (Columbia) 3-1 133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. Angelo Amenta (Columbia) 4-2 141 – Matt Bystol (Columbia) dec. Laike Gardner (Lehigh) 3-2 149 – Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) dec. Connor Sutton (Columbia) 9-4 157 – Joey Napoli (Lehigh) dec. Markus Scheidel (Columbia) 3-2 165 – Josh Houldsworth (Columbia) Fall Billy Ramsey (Lehigh) 2:24 174 – Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) dec. Shane Hughes (Columbia) 8-4 184 – Zach Diekel (Lehigh) major dec. Troy Hembury (Columbia) 13-5 197 – John Bolich (Lehigh) dec. Mike Fetchet (Columbia) 6-2, s.v. 2 285 – Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) dec. Wyatt Baker (Columbia) 2-0

BROOKINGS, S.D. -- The North Dakota State wrestling team won seven out of 10 matches and registered three pins to post a 30-13 dual victory at South Dakota State on Saturday in the inaugural Battle for the Border Bell. NDSU (2-2) will take possession of the 100-pound kettlebell traveling trophy. The Bison have now won four consecutive duals against SDSU and own victories in 15 of the last 17 meetings between the two schools. SDSU (0-3) earned decisions at 149 pounds and 157 pounds and recorded a win by fall at 197 pounds. NDSU redshirt freshman Hunter Weber started the dual off with a first-period pin of Isaac Andrade at 125 pounds. Senior Justin LaValle, down to 133 pounds from his traditional 141, followed up with a pin of Brance Simms to give the Bison an early 12-0 lead. Redshirt freshman Clay Cathey claimed his first dual meet victory for NDSU with a 2-1 decision over Eric Orozco at 141 pounds, giving the Bison a 15-0 lead. No. 5 Steven Monk and No. 18 Hayden Zillmer earned decisions at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively, and Kurtis Julson won a 9-4 decision over Shea Nolan at 184 pounds to clinch the dual victory for the Bison. Heavyweight Evan Knutson won by fall in the final match of the day, pinning J.J. Everard in 5:26 to set the final margin at 30-13. NDSU will wrestle at the Dragon Open in Moorhead, Minn., on Saturday, Dec. 7. North Dakota State 30, South Dakota State 13 Results: 125: Hunter Weber (NDSU) wins by fall over Isaac Andrade (SDSU) 2:12 (0-6) 133: Justin LaValle (NDSU) wins by fall over Brance Simms (SDSU) 3:25 (0-12) 141: Clay Cathey (NDSU) wins by decision over Eric Orozco (SDSU) 2-1 (0-15) 149: Alex Kocer (SDSU) wins by decision over Tyler Diamond (NDSU) 6-5 (3-15) 157: Cody Pack (SDSU) wins by major decision over Matt Gray (NDSU) 13-4 (7-15) 165: No. 5 Steven Monk (NDSU) wins by decision over Joe Brewster (SDSU) 7-1 (7-18) 174: No. 19 Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) wins by decision over Brady Ayers (SDSU) 8-4 (7-21) 184: Kurtis Julson (NDSU) wins by decision over Shea Nolan (SDSU) 9-4 (7-24) 197: Trey Hable (SDSU) wins by fall over Colt Castlebury (NDSU) 0:42 (13-24) 285: Evan Knutson (NDSU) wins by fall over J.J. Everard (SDSU) 5:26 (13-30)

Grapple at the Garden

Related: Grapple at the Garden Live Blog Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Duals Schedule 9:15 a.m. ET: Binghamton vs. North Carolina Buffalo vs. North Carolina State Clarion vs. Virginia Columbia vs. Michigan State George Mason vs. Sacred Heart 11:15 a.m. ET: Binghamton vs. North Carolina State Central Michigan vs. Lehigh Clarion vs. Columbia George Mason vs. Illinois Rutgers vs. Virginia 1:30 p.m. ET: Binghamton vs. George Mason Buffalo vs. Sacred Heart Central Michigan vs. North Carolina Illinois vs. North Carolina State Lehigh vs. Virginia Michigan State vs. Rutgers 3:30 p.m. ET: Buffalo vs. Clarion Central Michigan vs. Sacred Heart Columbia vs. Lehigh Michigan State vs. North Carolina

Below are ten things in wrestling I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving ... 1.Reinstatement of Olympic wrestling The biggest moment in Olympic wrestling history came Feb. 12, 2013, when the executive board of the International Olympic Committee chose to eliminate wrestling from the core sports of the Olympic Games. That date could have been the death knell of the sport, but instead became a rallying cry from millions of wrestlers from around the world. Unlikely political alliances were formed, special events were cast and politicians from around the world supported the virtues of the sport. By Sept. 8 the decision to reinstate the sport seemed logical and just, and the IOC reinstated wrestling. There are too many individuals to thank. Some gave their time, and others gave their money, but the entire community played a role in keeping the Olympic dream alive for the next generation of wrestlers. 2. NCAA wrestling parity From Bryce Busler's upset of Kendric Maple to Stanford's improbable 6-1 start, the 2013-2014 NCAA wrestling season has already been filled with upsets and excitement stemming from a more-equal competition field. The recent growth of wrestling has meant that more schools are starting to see success at the national level. For example, after a full endowment of the coaching staff positions and improvements to the workout facility, Columbia's Steve Santos earned that school's highest-ever individual NCAA finish in 2013. On the other side of the country, Oregon State manages a top ten season, while Stanford opens 2013-2014 by rattling off wins against opponents like Maryland, Michigan, and Central Michigan. The capability of wrestling talent has improved nationwide and with increased financial support, better coaching education and a larger talent pool from which to choose, more schools have the opportunity to succeed at the NCAA tournament. That equates to a stronger sport, more fans and hopefully, long-term viability. 3. Aaron Pico and Kyle Snyder World champions Aaron Pico and Kyle SnyderThe 2013 Cadet and Junior World champions are showing that the future of USA Wrestling is stronger than it has been in more than 20 years. Pico, who recently beat a senior level Russian wrestler, has become the face of America's newest gold-level talent, while Snyder is wrestling with the best junior talent in the world and winning. Pico and Snyder are so talented that some are questioning whether they will even compete in college. Snyder already opted out of his senior season in high school to train at the Olympic Training Center. He'll arrive at Ohio State soon, though it's possible that he could redshirt and then take an Olympic redshirt within the next three years. He's aiming for the 2016 Games (as he should) and could be the future of America's upperweight representation on the international stage. Pico is still in high school, but is aiming for Olympic glory. With more success, and having already taken the first semester off from school as a sophomore, there is a chance that Pico could become a mainstay on the international stage. No American freestyler has spent their formative years as a wrestler in the eye of the public more than Pico. What effect will that have on his development? Unclear, but we are certainly lucky to have such a talented and committed Cadet-level wrestler. 4. Tour ACW, Aon, Victory, Grapple at the Garden's Super Match With four marquee events over the next year, wrestling has never had more opportunity to showcase its top talent. Whether the event is the UFC/WWE-inspired Agon Wrestling Championships or an add-on event like the Super Match at Grapple at the Garden, the sport is attracting new fans and keeping casual fans engaged with promotable events featuring top talent. Though it's unclear what will happen in the post-#SaveOlympicWrestling world, it's encouraging that there is some short-term interest in wrestling beyond the scholastic and international ranks. There will be a contraction in the number of events, but hopefully those that do survive will prosper and reestablish the marketability of the sport within pop culture. 5. Improving technology Every meaningful wrestling event is now being streamed online ... high school, college and international. If there is even a marginal interest in the event, it seems that some entity will stream it online. Though television is the best form of legitimizing the sport, the availability of the action to fans has been a necessary first step to gaining more television access. If you pay attention to Twitter then you know the number of streaming events has grown exponentially over the last few months, because when matches, tournaments and meets aren't streamed, the backlash is massive and immediate. 6. Editor Andrew Hipps I'm fortunate to work for a kind, intelligent and thoughtful boss. He will have to edit this piece, which will make him feel odd, but I don't mind, because in a world filled with malcontents and pessimists, I'm thankful to work for an optimistic, good-natured guy who is passionate about his work and the sport of wrestling. Andrew deserves my praise and the praise of others. He's one of the good guys. 7. Jordan Burroughs Burroughs has won 65 straight matches, but the real appeal isn't just that he has an unstoppable double leg, but a mass-market appeal that will result in personal endorsements and the type of energy that keeps wrestling in the public eye. Beyond his marketability here in the states, Burroughs is also much loved by the international wrestling community for displaying courage and skill on the mat. Wrestling fans are fortunate to be watching his career develop but he's also the type of wrestler we want representing the Stars and Stripes overseas. 8. Wrestling community The most passionate fan base in sports -- the wrestling community has used the last year to show the world the strength of our connection. No other sport is bound by a more formative experience, and that shared enjoyment and misery equates to a familiarity among competitors both old and young. We are special in the most important sense of the term. We're unique in our level of discipline and willingness to sacrifice for our goals. I'm grateful every week for the insightful, energetic and passionate queries of our community, and can't wait to see what 2014 will bring our sport. 9. Changes to come From FILA to the NCAA the last year has been one of change. Matches are being marketed, tournaments are being promoted and the energy behind the sport is driving interest and innovation. There will be new technologies and developments over the next year that will bring a more understandable and accessible sport to the masses. 10. What about you? What are you thankful for? Leave your comments at the bottom. COMMENT OF THE WEEK By Tim R. I think that a school should be able to enter more than one wrestler at a weight for all individual tournaments, including postseason. It sounds weird at first, but the more I thought about it the more sense it made. If you think about it, wrestling is the only individual sport that doesn't allow more than one kid from a school to compete. Whether its track, cross country, swimming, gymnastics, they all let multiple kids from the same school compete. If the two best kids in the state are both at 138 pounds, who cares if they are from the same school. As far as team scoring, just only allow a school to pick which kid will score points for them. I think kids quit the sport when they are on a squad that has really good guys all around them and they can't break the starting lineup. Also, if you have two or three really good kids all around the same weight, we have to make the kid either lose a lot of weight to get to the lower weight class or make him wrestle up and give up weight. If we are in it for the kids, let's do what's best for them and allow them to compete at the best weight for them, regardless of who happens to be on their school's team. I know if this is adopted there will be some issues to deal with, but I think we can work through them. There would need to be some limits set on bracket sizes, so maybe only allow a set number of wild card slots for a tournament, and the most qualified "backups" would get those spots. They could qualify based on varsity wins or the point system we already use for seeding tournaments. I coach a team that this has been a big issue with this year and last. I've got about four kids that either could or have qualified for states all around the same weight. I had a returning state runner-up as a sophomore get bumped up his junior year two weights higher than what he should have been because his teammates were better and beat him in a wrestle-off for postseason spots. This year I'll have a kid probably dropping more weight than he should so he can be in the lineup. I know people will say it's a good problem to have, but not for the kid that has to drop 10 pounds, or the kid that gets bumped two weight classes up. InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. Questions can be sent to Foley's email account or Twitter. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives.

For college wrestlers entering their senior year, it's a time of mixed emotions. For those who aren't pursuing an Olympic dream, there's the bittersweet realization that this may well be their last season competing on the mat ... so there's pressure to end their careers on a high note by winning conference and national titles. For one college senior, those mixed feelings take on added poignancy. Rick Chipman, a full-time firefighter and family man, redefines the notion of "senior wrestler" not just because he's embarking on his senior year as a wrestler at the University of Southern Maine ... but also as a wrestler who, at age 44, is a number of years "senior" to his teammates and opponents. Anticipating your questions A couple questions immediately come to mind when talking to a wrestler who is twice the age of most collegiate matmen. Rick ChipmanIs Chipman the oldest wrestler to step onto the mats in college? "I'm not sure," the Maine native told InterMat. "I believe I'm the oldest, but I do know for a fact I'm the oldest-ever Academic All-American wrestler." And, is Chipman a newbie to the sport? One could imagine a guy in the midst of a midlife crisis, who, instead of purchasing a Porsche, decides to take up wrestling. You might also be picturing someone with a bucket list, who, rather than run with the bulls in Spain, made a promise to step onto a mat against studs half his age. (You may have read about the 40-year-old former college wrestler who fought an MMA bout this summer because it was on the bucket list he created two decades ago.) The answer to both of those notions is no. (More on Chipman's mat career later.) Granted, it's anything but typical for a guy to be wrestling in college in his 40s. Nowadays, the standard career trajectory for a wrestler is to immediately go from high school mat star right into college (perhaps taking a redshirt freshman year). That means the typical collegiate wrestler is in his early 20s in his senior year. It hasn't always been so. Rick ChipmanIn the decade or so after World War II, a number of wrestlers completed their college careers well into their twenties, even pushing 30. Some wrestler careers were interrupted by the war; a couple freshmen champs at the 1947 NCAA championships -- Iowa's Joe Scarpello, and Oklahoma State's Dick Hutton -- were hairy-chested World War II vets in their mid to late 20s. Dan Hodge, who graduated from Perry High School in 1951, served in the U.S. Navy before enrolling at the University of Oklahoma in the mid-1950s. When he concluded his college career with a perfect 46-0 record and his third national title at the 1957 NCAAs, Hodge was a 25-year-old married man with an infant son. Even into the early 1960s, there was three-time NCAA finalist and 1961 champ Phil Kinyon who some called "the ancient Marine" because he was in his late 20s when wrestling at Oklahoma State after competing a number of years as a Navy wrestler after high school. Just a couple years ago, InterMat profiled Justin Decker, a 33-year-old assistant coach at Upper Iowa University, who, after discovering he still had some eligibility left on his competitive career -- and, at the urging of some of his wrestlers -- stepped onto the mats as a senior, a decade after the former Hawkeye wrestler left the University of Iowa. A career that started in the early 1980s Chipman is a long-time wrestler whose mat career started in middle school and continued through high school, but got sidetracked by life, and is now resuming again in college as a forty-something. "In the early '80s, in my gym class in middle school, the girls did gymnastics, while the guys learned wrestling," according to Chipman. "I had a friend who wrestled on the eighth grade team. During class, I pinned him. He said, 'You should go out for the team.'" "In my first year, I placed second in my league." Rick Chipman works from the top position"In my freshman year of high school, I decided I'd continue wrestling, but had a tough time with upperclassmen," Chipman disclosed. "It wasn't a matter of strength -- I had gained strength from working in the fishing industry, and from rowing a boat -- but more of experience." "Later that season, I was declared academically ineligible. That put my wrestling career on hold." "I came back my sophomore year," Chipman continued. "I was a so-so student, not focused on grades. My love of music helped me do well enough in my music classes to get grades that were good enough to continue in wrestling." "Sophomore year was my breakout year. I wrestled 126, and started beating guys who I wasn't expected to beat." "I qualified for state that year, and placed fourth." "I really came into my own as a junior, coming in second at state." "As a senior, there were a couple returning state champs in my weight class, which made things tougher. I came in third place at state." "It was at that point that I came to the realization that my wrestling career was over," according to Chipman. "It really hung over my head that I was never a state champ." "As a young adult, I went to Plymouth State (where located). I went out for wrestling, went to practices, but ended up not staying in school. I realized that I didn't want to become a music teacher." That was the beginning of Rick Chipman's exile from wrestling. "I had a son and a daughter when I was in my early 20s," said Chipman. "It was difficult for me to follow the sport. I lost touch with wrestling." "I had wrestled with my son at home. As he got older -- 8 or 9 -- we started talking about wrestling." Getting back into the sport ... through coaching "When I got hired by the Bath Fire Department, we had to relocate there," according to Chipman. "Bath had a pee wee wrestling program. Got my son Spencer to go out for the sport." Rick Chipman battles with his opponent"Within a couple years, I became head coach of the pee wee program." "Spencer started to have some success," Chipman continued. "But, by eighth grade, he started talking about quitting. I said, 'OK' but his mother told him to stick it out." "It worked out for him. In fact, it became a passion for him." (Spencer ended up being a three-time state placer in Maine.) Rick Chipman rekindled his own passion for wrestling, through coaching. After a stint as a pee wee coach, Chipman moved on to become assistant coach at Bath Middle School, then served as head coach for five or six years. "All of this got me to see what wrestling meant to the community and to the families of the wrestlers," said Chipman. "Families with kids who were 'rough around the edges' were so supportive. They came out for wrestling events, and created a fantastic fan base." Time to go back to school "I started talking to high school coaches, asking them about going back to school. I've always been interested in the law. I figured I could get a bachelor's degree, then go on to law school." "Some of my friends said, 'So, are you going to wrestle in college?'" "I shared their comments with my wife, who said, 'Why not?'" "I put in my application to University of Southern Maine, and sent an email to (wrestling) coach (Joe) Pistone," said Chipman. "I told him I had coached for a number of years, and was wanting to resume my wrestling career, even though I was coming up on age 40. There were no issues of eligibility." Reactions "Coach told the team that they would have a 40-year-old guy coming out. A couple guys objected at first, but we've become friends." "I definitely didn't want to bring shame to the sport, or my team." "At the beginning of each season, I'd get weird looks from the new guys, but the veterans would greet me with high fives," according to Chipman. "I've been academic team captain for the past three years" -- an honor bestowed upon him by his coaches for his outstanding performance in the classroom. Freshman year was a true challenge for the 40-year-old firefighter. "I had something like 18 losses and three wins," Chipman disclosed. "However, after winter break, half the team was declared academically ineligible. I suddenly became the starting 165-pounder." "It wasn't so much a win-or-lose thing, but not having to forfeit the match." Rick Chipman with a few of his teammates(Academic issues are no longer much of an issue for the Southern Maine matmen. In the words of Rick Chipman, "Coach has done a great job monitoring athletes." Part of the turnaround may be credited to Chipman, who, as a family man, full-time firefighter and part-time hospital paramedic, has learned a thing or two about time management ... and has been able to share that experience with his teammates who are having trouble with classes or managing their schedules.) What about reactions from opponents? "There's a bit of a 'freak show' aspect -- all eyes are on me," said Chipman. "My body is in shape, but my face looks 44. Some opponents do a double-take when we face off." When asked if he's ever been openly disrespected by a mat rival, Chipman responded, "No, the opposite, in fact. I'll have a guy seek me out after a dual meet or tournament and say something like, 'Man, you were tough." "Opponents don't treat me any different." A matter of age Wrestling is an incredibly demanding sport. It can only be even tougher when your opponents are half your age. "Getting tired is not an option," said Chipman. "I work hard on conditioning." "I work out on my own, as well as in practice. They don't take it easy on me in practice, either. The coaches get on me if they don't think I'm working hard enough." As a wrestler in his 40s, Chipman faces challenges that even the toughest workout routine can't overcome. "In your 30s, you lose some fast-twitch muscle. I'm not as fast as I once was. I can't make as quick a shot." "I'm not as flexible, either. If I've got a strong opponent who is working me in a direction, well, in high school, I might have gradually gone over. Now, there's the risk of something popping or tearing." "When I was in high school, I felt invincible," Chipman told InterMat. "I could do anything to my body to win. Yesterday (at a tournament), I didn't feel invincible; in fact, I found myself in a 'save yourself' mentality after my legs cramped up vs. the No. 1 seed. I was questioning myself for the first time. It was frightening. You can't have that in wrestling. The next match I wrestled, I pushed through." "If I get hurt, I'm out of work" -- not just on the mat, but in his professional career as a first responder as well. Chipman's schedule would stress out even those who consider themselves masters of time management. He works 42 hours a week as a firefighter, 12 hours per week as a paramedic at a hospital, along with being a college student ... and, of course, a student-athlete. So ... why does Rick Chipman do it? Rick Chipman gets in on a single leg"My wife is the reason. She's taken over my role back home while I'm in school." "Thanks to technology, I can have face time with my kids and my wife when I'm away at a tournament." There are reasons that go beyond family ... beyond some sort of personal quest. "It's satisfying to be competitive again," Chipman said. "If I have inspired someone to do something like this, that's great. For instance, there's a guy on our team who came back after serving in Afghanistan, who is now on our team. He's 26." Rick Chipman had been something of a reluctant interview subject. This writer contacted him a couple years ago, when he first made headlines in the Maine media as the over-40 college freshman wrestler/first responder. Seeing a neat human interest story that would speak to the wrestling community well beyond the state of Maine, I thought he'd make a great subject for an InterMat profile. At the time, Chipman gracefully declined the invitation ... without completely closing the door. Recently, Chipman decided it was time to talk. "I'm a senior now. I've proven that I've done it. My sophomore year, I was 16-6. I have the grade point average and have become a Scholar All-American, one of only 132 in the nation in Division III." "I've had some success," Chipman continued. "I've contributed to the team. I didn't need the team to give to me, but I wanted to give back to the team."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City University squashed Missouri Baptist 38-6 in its final home dual of the season Wednesday at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars, ranked No. 3 in the Women's College Wrestling Association, got pins from senior Kristi Garr, sophomore Shelby Morrison and sophomore Sherese Thomas and rolled past sixth-ranked Missouri Baptist. OCU is now 8-1 in duals this season. Senior Brianna Rahall picked up a 9-2 decision over Anissa Rodriguez at 101 pounds and staked OCU to an early 3-1 lead. At 109, Garr pinned Isabella Silva in 24 seconds and Morrison followed with a pin of Bree Rapoza at 116 to make the score 13-1 in favor of the Stars. Beatrize MartinezOCU got four consecutive technical falls from junior Brieana Delgado (130), senior Beatrize Martinez (136), senior Stephanie Geltmacher (143) and junior Demi Strub (155) and took a commanding 29-5 lead. At 170, Thomas pinned Aylin Hernandez in 1:01 and extended OCU's advantage to 34-5. Junior Heather O'Connor capped the dual with a 7-3 decision over Sharon Garcia at 191 to give the Stars the 38-6 victory. OCU will return to action in the Raider Duals on Dec. 6 in Plainview, Texas. Results: 101: Brianna Rahall, OCU, dec. Anissa Rodriguez, 9-2 (OCU leads 3-1) 109: Kristi Garr, OCU, pinned Isabella Silva, 0:24 (OCU leads 8-1) 116: Shelby Morrison, OCU, pinned Bree Raoza, 4:53 (OCU leads 13-1) 123: Montana Drum, MBU, dec. Tanalei Louis, 6-0 (OCU leads 13-4) 130: Brieana Delgado, OCU, tech. fall Sabrina Solis, 10-0 (OCU leads 17-5) 136: Beatrize Martinez, OCU, tech. fall Bernice Blanco, 12-2 (OCU leads 21-5) 143: Stephanie Geltmacher, OCU, tech. fall Forrest Molinari, 10-0 (OCU leads 25-5) 155: Demi Strub, OCU, tech, fall Karissa Avallone, 10-0 (OCU leads 29-5) 170: Sherese Thomas, OCU, pinned Aylin Hernandez, 1:01 (OCU 34-5) 191: Heather O'Connor, OCU, dec. Sharon Garcia, 7-3 (OCU wins 38-6)

New York -- Four-time NCAA National Champion, Kyle Dake, fractured his right hand while competing in the Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan and will not wrestle in the upcoming Grapple at the Garden, presented by Suplay.com. Dake was expected to face off against 2011 NCAA National Champion, Bubba Jenkins, in a freestyle wrestling main event. Taking his place, Frank Molinaro, a four-time NCAA All-American and two-time National Champion will step in and square off against Jenkins on Sunday, December 1 at Madison Square Garden. Dake fractured his right hand in two places while warming up for his opening match in Azerbajian this past weekend. He went on to wrestle and finish 5th, however, post-event swelling will cause him to miss the Grapple at the Garden, presented by Suplay.com. The resulting unique senior level main event between Molinaro and Jenkins will be promoted in association with X-Cel Worldwide and will be a college folkstyle match at 163 pounds. Jenkins and Molinaro were teammates for two seasons at Penn State, prior to Jenkins transferring to Arizona State, where he defeated another former Penn State teammate, David Taylor, in the NCAA National Championship match. Molinaro said, “I am very grateful and extremely excited to fill in for the injured Kyle Dake and compete against Bubba Jenkins at Madison Square Garden in the main event of such a great day for wrestling. This match against Bubba is very personal for me. I am well-prepared, and confident I will do whatever it takes to get my hand raised.” Jenkins added, “This change in opponent is incredibly exciting for me, as I have been chasing a match versus Molinaro for quite some time. Frank has turned down this match in the past, but now we get to headline Madison Square Garden. This is an incredible opportunity for me and for our sport. On Sunday afternoon, our personal rivalry will finally reach its apex, and I know the best man will win.” The matchup between UFC standout, Frankie Edgar, and MMA star, Phillipe Nover, will remain as the co-main event. Grapple at the Garden, presented by Suplay.com begins with the finals of the MWA Middle School Tournament followed by the Beats the Streets PSAL Holiday Invitational Tournament. Starting at 10:00 a.m. the college program will begin as well as the outstanding senior club program and the Team USA vs. Canada featured women’s matches. The conclusion will come when Edgar steps on the mat against Nover and Jenkins takes on Molinaro. Tickets start at $20.00 and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.thegarden.com/grapple.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The 51st Ken Kraft Championships will take place Sunday, Dec. 29-Monday, Dec. 30 at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena, with the championship finals being televised live on Big Ten Network Monday at 8:00 p.m. CT. This year’s championships feature more than 40 schools, with an assortment of national champions and national powers from Division I, II, III and NAIA programs participating in this historic event. Director of the Ken Kraft Midlands, Tim Cysewski, won five Midlands titles during his days on the mats. The annual tournament regularly features many of the top programs in the country. This year’s field includes Big Ten rivals Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin, while 2014 Big Ten addition, Maryland will also be in the field. The 51st Ken Kraft Midlands Championships first session begins at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29, followed by the second session at 7:00 p.m. The action continues Monday with the third session, semifinals, consolation matches and seventh place matches at noon. The Midlands championship final sessions will air live on Big Ten Network at 8:00 p.m. CT. Tickets for the 2013 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships can be purchased here. Northwestern returns with 2011 Midlands champion Lee Munster and 2012 semifinalist Mike McMullan. The Wildcats will also have No. 4 Jason Tsirtsis vying for his first Midlands title at 149 pounds. The 2013 field features 14 schools in the NWCA Preseason Coaches Poll Top 25 or receiving votes. 2013 Participants (with Current Intermat Rankings) Binghamton Brown Buffalo No. 17 Boise State Cal Bakersfield Cal Poly University Columbia Eastern Michigan No. 13 Edinboro Franklin and Marshall George Mason University Harvard No. 28 Indiana Lehigh North Dakota State Northern Illinois No. 16 Northern Iowa No. 11 Northwestern No. 11 Ohio State Princeton Purdue Rider No. 10 Illinois No. 2 Iowa No. 17 Maryland No. 19 Michigan No. 14 Wisconsin No. 21 Virginia Tech Utah Valley Adams State College SIU-Edwardsville Elmhurst College Luther College North Central College Wisconsin-Whitewater University of Chicago Wartburg College (No. 1 in DIII) Wheaton College Augsburg John Carroll Wisconsin Oshkosh Nebraska Kearney (No. 1 in DII) Southern Oregon University (No. 2 NAIA) Grand View (No. 1 NAIA)

For those of you in high school wrestling that don't have to worry about your weight this coming weekend, which is most of you, enjoy your Thanksgiving meals. Otherwise, still enjoy, but don't eat too much. While there are a few states that will have scholastic wrestling action this coming week(end), most states don't start in earnest until next week. State Championships Calendar As we prepare for the start of the season, let's lay out when the state championships in each state will be conducted: Individual: 12/13 & 12/14 -- Alaska (Class 123A), they conduct a fall season 2/7 & 2/8 -- Alaska (Class 4A) 2/13 to 2/15 -- Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, and Utah 2/14 & 2/15 -- Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and Texas 2/20 to 2/22 -- Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Carolina 2/21 to 2/22 -- Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, National Prep, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia, and Washington 2/27 to 3/1 -- Idaho, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin 2/28 & 3/1 -- Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming 3/6 to 3/8 -- Pennsylvania 3/7 & 3/8 -- California, New England, and Maryland 3/7 to 3/9 -- New Jersey Dual: 1/9 to 1/11 -- Georgia 1/31 & 2/1 -- Tennessee 2/6 to 2/8 -- Pennsylvania 2/8 -- North Carolina and Ohio 2/11 -- Delaware 2/13 -- North Dakota 2/15 -- Maryland, Oklahoma, and South Carolina 2/16 -- New Jersey 2/19 -- Iowa 2/21 & 2/22 -- Michigan 2/27 -- Minnesota 3/1 -- Illinois and Nebraska 3/7 & 3/8 -- Wisconsin Football/Wrestling Combos While winter sports are just beginning in high schools across the country, the football season is still not over for some teams across the country. With certain teams making deep postseason runs, it will take some wrestlers out during the course of the early season. Here is a breakdown of the football successes for programs in the top 25 portion of the Fab50: No. 3 Montini Catholic, Ill., has its starters in the last four weight classes all on an undefeated 13-0 football team that will be going for an Illinois Class 5A state title on Saturday night. With a win, this would be a fifth consecutive title for the Broncos. Michael Maduko, the starting 182-pound wrestler, is the team's leader in tackles from a linebacker position. Defending state champion Anthony Ferraro, slated to start at 195 pounds this year, also is a starting linebacker. Two-time state placer Edgar Ruano, the projected 220-pound starter and a Junior National double All-American, stars along the defensive line. Michael Johnson, ranked No. 6 in the nation at 285 pounds, is a starter along the offensive line. Two weeks from the state title game is the Walsh Ironman, so it will be interesting to see (1) if they participate (2) what shape they are in. Nick Nevills (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)No. 7 Clovis, Calif., has five potential starters on a football team that is in the CIF Central Section Division 1 semifinals on Friday night. State qualifier Lane Barnes, slated to start at 145 pounds this year, is a defensive back. State qualifier Josh Hokit, who was a match away from state placement last year, is slated to start at 152 or 160 pounds and plays defensive back. Brandon Barnes, a possible starter at 182 pounds, is a linebacker. State qualifier Hexton Coronado, who was a match away from placing at state last year, is the starter at 220 pounds and offensive line. Nick Nevills, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 285 pounds, is a starter along the defensive line and plays some at tight end. The Cougars open their wrestling season next week, which would be concurrent to a championship game, and travel to the Clovis West Shootout in two weeks' time. No. 11 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich., has two potential starters on a football team that is playing for a Division 1 state title on Saturday. Returning state placer Nick Giese is slated as the 195/215-pound starter, and plays fullback and linebacker on the football team; while Dylan Roney is in contention to start at 285 pounds, and the Naval Academy football commit is a fullback and defensive end on the football team. The Shamrocks open their wrestling season next Saturday with dual meets against No. 24 St. Edward, Ohio and CVCA, Ohio; they also have a showdown with No. 20 Davison, Mich. two weeks from today (December 11th). No. 13 Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio, has at least four starters on a football team that plays in a Division I state semifinal on Saturday night, as the Crusaders seek to defend the state football title that they won last year. State placer from 2011 Dean Meyer is slated to start at 170 pounds this wrestling season, and is a running back on the football team. Defending state champion Dakota Sizemore, who is ranked No. 15 at 182 pounds, is the starting middle linebacker. Returning state runner-up Quinton Rosser, who will start at 195 pounds, is also a linebacker. Defending state champion Chalmer Frueauf, who is ranked No. 5 nationally at 285 pounds, is a starter on the defensive line. Moeller opens its wrestling season next Saturday with the Moeller Duals, the date of a potential state title game, and the Walsh Ironman is two weekends from now. No. 15 Broken Arrow, Okla., has two starters on a football team which has advanced to the state semifinals this Friday night in Class 6A. A pair of impact defensive linemen, Gage Kaiser and Quintonio Tolon, is slated to start at 195 and 220 pounds respectively. The Tigers open their season with a dual meet one week from Thursday, a tri-meet the next evening, and the Gardner-Edgerton Invite in Kansas one week from Saturday. The week after that is the Walsh Ironman. No. 17 Marist, Ill., had five starters on a football team which was eliminated this past Saturday in the Class 8A state semifinal round. The Red Hawks open their season next weekend with a tri-meet on Friday night and a quad on Saturday at Washington, where they are slated to have a dual meet against No. 2 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. State qualifier Nick Gasbarro is slated to start at 145 pounds this year, and was a defensive back on the football team. Two-time state placer Peter Andreotti, who is ranked No. 14 nationally at 160 pounds, plays the running back position. The starter at 195 pounds was a member of the football team -- either wide receiver/defensive back Flynn Nagel or linebacker Kenny Condon. Offensive linemen Mitch Schleyer and Jake Ford as slated to start at 220 and 285 respectively. No. 18 St. Peter's Prep, N.J., has starters in the back three weight classes on a football team, which will be playing for a Non-Public Group 4 state title next weekend. Two weekends from that game is the opening date of wrestling in New Jersey, for which the Marauders will be competing in the Beast of the East. Returning state placer Jordan Fox, slated to start at 195 pounds this year, is a linebacker in football. Two-time state qualifier Armond Cox, slated to start at 220 this year, is a defensive lineman. Returning state placer Jose Palomino, slated to start at 285, is an offensive lineman. No. 24 St. Edward, Ohio, has its back three weight classes manned by wrestlers also on a football team playing in the state semifinals on Saturday night. Projected 195-pound starter Michael O'Malley is a defensive lineman. Junior National freestyle All-American Parker Knapp, projected to start at 220 pounds, is a defensive lineman. Projected starter at 285 pounds Ralph Nichols is a linebacker. The Eagles open their season with a tri-meet one week from Saturday, which would be the day of a state title football game, against No. 11 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. and CVCA, Ohio. The Walsh Ironman is the next weekend. Actual wrestling: Moore-Prettyman Invitational One of the states that start its wrestling season this weekend is Illinois, and there are a couple of notable tournaments in the Land of Lincoln on the docket. One of those events is the Moore-Prettyman Invitational hosted by Barrington High School on Friday and Saturday; finals slated for 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. No. 19 Marmon Academy and Libertyville, who is ranked seventh in Class 3A by Illinois Matmen, anchor the 21 squad field. From an individual standpoint, the 113-pound weight class is the one which will merit most attention. Two-time state placer, and Junior freestyle third place finisher Michael Cullen (Cary Grove, Ill.) leads a field that features three other state placers and another state qualifier. Those wrestlers are Travis Piotrowski (Prairie Ridge, Ill.), third at state last year and Cadet freestyle All-American; two-time state placer Anthony Bosco (Marmion Academy, Ill.); state sixth placer Nicholas Koch (Fox Lake Grant, Ill.); and state qualifier Jared Sims (Joliet West, Ill.) The 126-pound weight class could feature an interesting showdown between three-time state champion Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.), who is ranked No. 10 nationally; and Stephen Polakowski (Libertyville, Ill.), a Junior freestyle All-American and Preseason Nationals champion. Also likely in this weight class is state qualifier Logan Hanselmann (Cary Grove, Ill.) It will be a pair of Cadet Nationals runner-up finishers likely to be at 152 pounds, with Joey Gunther (Libertyville, Ill.) and Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.) both here. Joining them in the weight class is returning state fifth place finisher Justin Maslow (Hinsdale South, Ill.). Finally, at 285 pounds, No. 4 in the nation Brian Allen, a three-time state placer and defending state champion, anchors the weight class. Also here is returning state qualifier Chris McDermand (Libertyville, Ill.) Blair Academy back in the Ironman After being ruled out of the Ironman by the National Federation of High School State Associations (NFHS) just under two weeks ago, No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. is back in the Ironman. After protest from Blair Academy, the NFHS reversed its original decision on Tuesday morning. The Ironman, to be held at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on December 13th and 14th, now features seven of the nation's top ten teams. For full information, check out http://www.walshironman.com.

Fremont, Neb. -- No. 9 Midland University opened up their conference schedule with a win on Tuesday night, defeating Northwestern College 28-17. "There were a few surprising matches today," said Beau Vest, Midland University wrestling head coach. "Northwestern was tough and gave us a good run. Overall, I thought we wrestled well and we'll continue to work on some things and get better as a program. " No. 3 ranked Lonnie Brown sealed the victory for the Warriors in the 285-lb weight class by getting the major decision, 10-2, over Northwestern's Derek Jaurigue. No. 4 ranked Aspen Kmiec wrestled up a weight class at 133-lbs, but still managed to get the pinfall over Richard Ortiz in the first period. No. 9 Tyler McMichael won by decision, 7-4, in the 165-lb weight class in a tough match over Northwestern's Andras Lukas-Farkas. Midland University moves to a dual record of 1-3 overall on the year and 1-0 in the GPAC .The Warriors won't be in action again untilDecember 4, when they travel to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on Briar Cliff University in another GPAC dual. The event is set to start at 7:00 p.m. Results: 125- Deigo Quintana (Northwestern) Wins By fall over Josh Heinzer (Midland) 133- Aspen Kmeic (Midland) Wins by fall over Richard Ortiz (Northwestern) 141- Jacob Lunning Hoshino (Midland) Winner by dec. 7-4 over Daniel Areco (Northwestern) 149- Tyler Boyer (Midland) Winner by fall over Roger Fender (Northwestern) 157- John Lynch (Northwestern) Winner by dec. 5-4 over Joseph Winkler (Midland) 165- Tyler McMicheal (Midland) Winner by dec. 7-4 over Andras Lukas-Farkas (Northwestern) 174- Aaron Hovey (Midland) Winner by Forfeit 184- Randy Null (Northwestern) Winner by dec. 8-3 over Conor Hovey (Midland) 197- Forrest Marx (Northwestern) Winner by fall over Micah Kekela (Midland) 285-Lonnie Brown (Midland) winner by Major dec. 10-2 over Derek Jaurigue (Northwestern)