InterMat Staff

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Former University of Wyoming standout and four-time All-American Joe LeBlanc has been named an assistant coach for the Brown wrestling team, it was announced by Head Coach Todd Beckerman on Wednesday. Following one season as an assistant at Indiana University, LeBlanc will assist Beckerman will all aspects of the program. "I am extremely excited to have Joe join our coaching staff,” Beckerman said. “From his storied athletic career to his coaching experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to our team. We now have coaching expertise in the room at every weight class, which is a huge asset for our student-athletes as we start the season and our journey to the National Tournament." LeBlanc stands as the winningest wrestler in Wyoming history with 147 wins, including 18 victories in the NCAA Championships that landed him in the nation’s top-six four years in a row. As a senior, LeBlanc posted a 34-3 record and earned the top seed in the 184 lbs class for the 2012 NCAA Championships after surrendering just one regular season bout. “I am very excited to have this great opportunity to coach at such a prestigious institution,” LeBlanc said. “Brown has everything necessary to produce a nationally prominent wrestling team in years to come and this is an opportunity to build upon its successful tradition. I am really looking forward to working with Coach Beckerman and his staff. We share the same vision to regularly produce National Champions and All-Americans and I am confident that we can make this happen at Brown.” At Indiana, LeBlanc helped five Hoosiers qualify for the NCAA Championships and served as the sparring partner for Adam Chalfant, who earned the No. 12 seed in the national tournament in 2013. LeBlanc and his wife, Amanda, have two sons, Tyson and Colby, and are expecting their third child. A three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-American, LeBlanc graduated from Wyoming with a degree in kinesiology and health promotion in 2012.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The fifth-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team recorded four falls and four technical falls en route to a 50-0 victory as it blanked Oklahoma City University Tuesday night in McCasland Field House. In front of a crowd of 548 people, OU improved to 2-0 on the season and held an opponent scoreless for the first time since Jan. 14, 2012, when it defeated both Appalachian State and Utah Valley St. 41-0 and 43-0, respectively, in Arlington, Texas. With Tuesday’s victory, the Sooners increased their all-time record against OCU to 8-0. OU head coach Mark Cody said that he was pleased with the performance from his team. “I’m proud of them and of how aggressive they were,” Cody shared. “We’ve basically been in official practice for a couple weeks now and a lot of the stuff they’re hitting, we’re not even working on yet. We won’t be firing on all-cylinders until the end of November. To have them doing what they’re doing now, it’s a testament to the work they’ve put in over the summer. I’m proud of the way they competed tonight.” First up for the Sooners was redshirt senior Jarrod Patterson, who took the 125-pound bout against OCU freshman Adrian Gaines by a technical fall, 20-4. Redshirt sophomore Cody Brewer faced junior Travon Smith at 133 pounds. Brewer recorded the second-straight technical fall for the Sooners, 18-1. With just over 2:40 left in the first period, redshirt senior Nick Lester had a takedown against freshman James Landoll to take a 2-0 lead. Lester went on to claim the 141-pound match by fall, 2:00. At 149 pounds, redshirt senior Kendric Maple took the match by major decision, 18-6, over OCU freshman Ricky McCarty. Maple recorded two takedowns in the first period and held a 4-2 lead. McCarty deferred to start the second period, and Maple struck with an escape to take a 5-2 lead. Maple, who won the riding time point with 2:26, went on to win by major decision, 18-6. Redshirt junior Justin DeAngelis added another fall for OU as he took the 157-pound bout over senior Hunter Muskrat by fall, 4:16. The 165-pound match between redshirt freshman Clark Glass and sophomore Zach Skates was the closest of the night as Glass won by decision, 10-4. Takedown and near fall in the first to hold a 4-1 lead. Glass added two escapes and a takedown in the second, increasing his lead to 8-4. Glass accumulated 3:18 riding time in the bout. Derek Geiges jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first period after adding a takedown and two three point near falls over junior Jared Bass of OCU. The redshirt junior took the match by a technical fall, 19-1. The 184-pound match pitted redshirt senior Andrew Howe of OU against OCU freshman Derek Sivertsen. The bout was Howe’s first appearance in a team dual for the Sooners after redshirting last season following a transfer from Wisconsin. The bout was close after one period, 6-4, but Howe went on to win by technical fall, 23-8. Just a few seconds into the 197-pound match, Travis Rutt took a 2-0 lead over junior Cody Sivertsen. The redshirt senior went on to win by fall in 1:11. In the heavyweight division, Ross Larson added a fourth fall for OU on the night as he topped sophomore Destin Theus with a 2:44 fall. Cody shared a focus for this team this match was getting some falls because of the value it will have later in this season, since falls add six points to the team total. Cody said he was glad with the Sooners aggressively tried for pins against OCU. “If we’re going to make a big splash at the NCAA tournament, we have to focus on pinning guys,” Cody shared. “If you can get a pin, that’s like winning two matches at the NCAA tournament.” The Sooners will be back in action this weekend as they travel to Brockport, N.Y., to participate in the annual Brockport Classic on Saturday, Nov. 9. OU will be seeking its 15th consecutive title in the event. Results: 125: Jarrod Patterson (OU) tech. fall Adrian Gaines (OCU), 20-4 133: Cody Brewer (OU) tech. fall Travon Smith (OCU), 18-1 141: Nick Lester (OU) fall James Landoll (OCU), 2:00 149: Kendric Maple (OU) maj. dec. Ricky McCarty (OCU), 18-6 157: Justin DeAngelis (OU) fall Hunter Muskrat (OCU), 4:16 165: Clark Glass (OU) dec. Zach Skates (OCU), 10-4 174: Derek Geiges (OU) tech. fall Jared Bass (OCU), 19-1 184: Andrew Howe (OU) tech. fall Derek Sivertsen (OCU), 23-8 197: Travis Rutt (OU) fall Cody Sivertsen (OCU), 1:11 HWT: Ross Larson (OU) fall Destin Theus (OCU), 2:44

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has chosen its honorees to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on June 20-21, 2014 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Distinguished Members selected for the Class of 2014 include Eric Guerrero, Dean Lahr, Mickey Martin, and Kerry McCoy. Congressman Jim Jordan and Rear Admiral Colin Kilrain will be inducted into the Hall of Outstanding Americans. Receiving the Hall of Fame’s other national awards are: Tim Johnson, Order of Merit; Tom Norris, Medal of Courage; and Jerry Kunz, Lifetime Achievement for an Official. “The Class of 2014 is an exceptional group of individuals whose extraordinary legacies span the entire spectrum of wrestling achievement from youth, to collegiate to the Olympic levels of this great sport,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “We are excited to enshrine such outstanding representatives of our sport who are sure to inspire generations to come to excel on the mat and in life.” A Distinguished Member can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition, a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and has compiled an outstanding record, a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport, or a combination of the above qualifications. Guerrero wrestled for Coach John Smith at Oklahoma State University and amassed a career record of 117-13, winning three NCAA titles from 1997-99, and earning All-America honors four times. An accomplished freestyle wrestler, Guerrero was also a four-time U.S. Open Champion and competed on five World teams and at the 2004 Olympic Games. Lahr was a three-time All-American and three-time NCAA finalist for the University of Colorado. He was runner-up at the 1962 NCAA before finishing first in 1963 and capping his career with a second NCAA title and Outstanding Wrestler in 1964. His collegiate record was 58-4. Lahr won two National AAU Freestyle Championships in 1962 and 1966. He placed fourth in 1963 and 5th in 1966 at the World Freestyle Championships. Martin competed for the University of Oklahoma where he won two NCAA wrestling titles in 1962-63. He was voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament in 1963, joining his father Wayne (also a Distinguished Member of the NWHOF) as the only father and son to both become NCAA champs and OW honorees. Martin was a three-time All-American for the Sooners with a career record of 42-6. McCoy won two NCAA heavyweight titles for Penn State University in 1994 and 1997. A three-time All-American, he finished his collegiate career with a record of 150-18. He won five straight U.S. Open Freestyle Championships from 2000 to 2004, earning a silver medal in the 2003 World Championships, and twice representing the U.S. in the Olympic Games finishing fifth in 2000 and seventh in 2004. The Hall of Outstanding Americans recognizes those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities. Jordan has represented Ohio’s 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 3, 2007. Jordan, who was raised in Champaign County, Ohio, graduated in 1982 from Graham High School where he was a four-time state wrestling champion with a career record of 150-1. He was a three-time All-American (1984 -’86) and two-time NCAA Champion for the University of Wisconsin in 1985 and ’86. Kilrain is currently serving as the assistant commanding officer at the Joint Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, NC. He is a career Naval Special Warfare SEAL officer with multiple Joint Special Operation duty assignments during his military career. He was a three-time All-American (1980-82) and four-time EIWA champion with a career record of 87-8 for Lehigh University. The Order of Merit is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of wrestling, other than success as an athlete or coach. For the past 29 years, Johnson has been the “voice” of College Wrestling, broadcasting over 300 college wrestling meets for Iowa Public Television, ESPN, Big Ten Network and the last 10 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Johnson previously served the sport as Assistant Executive Director for USA Wrestling (1981-’84), and as Director of Wrestling for the1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, CA. The Medal of Courage is presented annually to a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, which may be physical, mental or other disabilities that make their achievements all the more uplifting. Norris earned two Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling titles for the University of Maryland in 1965 and 1966 at 118 pounds. After graduating from Maryland in 1967, he enlisted in the Navy, hoping to become a pilot, but instead became a Navy SEAL. A daring 1972 rescue mission of two pilots shot down behind enemy lines in North Vietnam earned him the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. Six months later, while protecting forces to his rear, Norris was shot in the face and left for dead. His rescue, by fellow SEAL Michael E. Thornton, marked the first time in 100 years that one recipient of the Medal of Honor would save the life of another. In spite of a long recovery and numerous surgeries, in 1979 Norris achieved his lifelong dream of becoming an FBI agent and served for 20 years. The Lifetime Achievement for Officials award recognizes outstanding service as a wrestling or pairing official, judge or referee. Kuntz has served the sport as an official since 1991, working championships in the Olympic styles at literally every level of competition, Kids, Cadets, Juniors and Open. He served as Head Official of the USA Wrestling Junior Duals eight times and as a Clinician for the USAW Cadet and Junior National Championships six times. His international officiating career includes USA World Team Trials, Commonwealth Games, World Military Championships, and Junior World Championships. He has officiated the Oklahoma High School State Championships 15 times. More information on Honors Weekend and the Hall of Fame inductions is available by telephoning 405-377-5243 or visiting the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Senior Jimmy Sheptock completed a standout weekend with three wins as the No. 25 Maryland wrestling team rolled past Johns Hopkins, Kutztown and Alderson-Broaddus at the Terrapin Duals, Saturday, at the Comcast Center Pavilion. The Terrapins (3-0, 0-0 ACC) only lost one individual match on the day and scored 129 total points. Sheptock, Tony Gardner, Spencer Myers, and Tyler Goodwin all recorded multiple victories by pin on the day. "We've got some things to work on, but anytime you go undefeated on the day against good competition is good," head coach Kerry McCoy said. "We've got to get ready for the highest level of competition, but this is a good way to get started." The Terps began the Duals against the Blue Jays. After Paul O'Neill dropped the opening match at 125 pounds against Paul Bewak, the Terps ripped off nine straight wins, highlighted by sophomore Shyheim Brown's first career dual match victory at 141 pounds, a technical fall over Duncan Crystal. Senior Frank Goodwin nabbed his first win at 149, scoring a major decision over Welles Sakmar. Gardner started a major Terp run in the four highest weight classes, grabbing a slick pin on Christian Ostrowski, Sheptock, ranked third nationally at 184, easily got past Kyle Spangler by fall. 10th-ranked Christian Boley and 8th-ranked Spencer Myers finished off the Terps 42-3 victory with wins by tech fall and fall respectively. In the second session, the Terps defeated Kutztown, 35-0, paced by strong performances from Sheptock and Tyler Goodwin. Billy Rappo started the Terps off strong, recording his first win of the season by decision. Goodwin made the most of his first career college match, pinning Arty Walsh in the first period. The Terps would rack up five straight decision victories before Sheptock rolled past Gio Ortiz, 18-2. Boley and Myers capped the Terps' win with a pair of decision victories. Against Alderson-Broaddus, the Terps started with three pins and ended with four more to win 52-0. Rappo got the Terps started with a pin at 2:50. Tyler Goodwin and Brown followed up Rappo with two quick pins. After three more victories, highlighted by Ben Dorsay's major decision over Cody Spinks, the Terps would finish with a flourish. Gardner once again was the catalyst, using a hard-fought pin to notch his third win of the day. Sheptock and Chris Jastrzebski would follow with pins before Myers ended the Terps day with a pin at 1;01. Sheptock's final win put him at the 100-win mark for his career at Maryland. The milestone capped a banner weekend for the senior, who defeated sixth-ranked Jake Swartz of Boise State at Saturday night's NWCA All-Star Classic at George Mason University. "It's a great milestone," McCoy said. "He's not really a stat chaser, but I was excited that he could get that today in front of his home crowd." The Terrapins return to action Saturday Nov. 16 on the road against against Stanford. Action slated is to begin at 4 p.m. The Terps will also compete in that weekend's Roadrunner Open in Fresno, Calif. Maryland vs. Johns Hopkins 125 -- Paul Bewak (JHU) dec Paul O'Neill (MD), 2-1, (3-0) JHU 133 --Josh Polacek (MD) dec Ray Yagloski (JHU) , 6-3, (3-3) 141 -- Shyheim Brown (MD) tech fall Duncan Crystal, (JHU) 2:34 15-0 (8-3) MD 149 -- Frank Goodwin (MD) maj dec Henry Stauber (JHU), 8-0 (12-3) 157 -- Danny Orem (MD) dec. Christian Salera (JHU), 12-7 (15-3) 165 -- Josh Snook (MD) maj dec Welles Sakmar (JHU), 15-2 (19-3) 174 -- Tony Gardner (MD) fall Christian Ostrowski (JHU) 1:43 (25-3) 184 -- Jimmy Sheptock (MD) fall Kyle Spangler (JHU), 2:32 (31-3) 197 -- Christian Boley (MD) tech fall Kory Johnson (JHU), 7:00(19-4) (36-3) 285 -- Spencer Myers (MD) fall over Joey Tilson (JHU), 1:43 (42-3) Maryland vs. Kutztown 125 -- Billy Rappo (MD) dec. Tom Trazler (KT), 6-3 (3-0) MD 133 -- Tyler Goodwin (MD) fall Arty Walsh (KT) 1:02 (9-0) 141 -- Shyheim Brown (MD) dec Mitch Voelker (KT), 5-2 (12-0) 149 -- Frank Goodwin (MD) dec. Jack Stabile (KT), 9-2 (15-0) 157 -- Ben Dorsay (MD) dec Matt Martoccio (KT), 4-2 (18-0) 165 -- Tyler Manion (MD) dec Justin Heller (KT), 8-6 (21-0) 174 -- Tony Gardner (MD) dec. Bo Candelaria (KT), 9-6, (24-0) 184 -- No. 3 Jimmy Sheptock (MD) tech fall. Gio Ortiz (KT), 5:25 18-2 (29-0) 197 -- No. 10 Christian Boley (MD) dec. Brandon Clark (KT), 3-0 (32-0) 285 -- Spencer Myers (MD) dec Dan Ortiz (KT), 3-1 (35-0) Maryland vs. Alderson-Broaddus 125 -- Billy Rappo fall over Micah Powell (AB), 2:50 (6-0) 133 -- Tyler Goodwin (MD) fall over Jason West (AB), 2:34 (12-0) 141 -- Shyheim Brown fall over Sam Jones (AB), 0:54 (18-0) 149 -- Derrick Evanovich dec Tyler Cross, 6-1 (21-0) 157 -- Ben Dorsay (MD) maj dec Cody Spinks (AB). 12-1 (25-0) 165 -- Tyler Manion (MD) dec. Keith Stednitz (AB) 4-2 (28-0) 174 -- Tony Gardner (MD) fall over Davis Solak (AB) 4:25 (34-0) 184 -- Jimmy Sheptock fall over Garrett Odernko (AB), 0:56 (40-0) 197 -- Chris Jastrzebski (MD) fall over Nick Nester (AB), 1:20 (46-0) 285 -- Spencer Myers (MD) fall over Taylor Ortiz (AB), 1:01 (52-0)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 2013-14 season officially commenced for the No. 12 Ohio State wrestling team Sunday when it traveled to Clarion, Pa., for the Clarion Open. Four Buckeyes -- Nick Heflin, Bo Jordan, Hunter Stieber and Nathan Tomasello -- won titles in their respective weight classes, while six others finished in the Top 3. The Scarlet and Gray will continue early-season open tournament action Nov. 9 at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing. The Buckeyes’ home opener vs. Notre Dame College is at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 in St. John Arena. Moving up two weight classes to 197 pounds, Heflin, a native of Massillon, Ohio, scored a pair of decisions, a major decision and a fall en route to beating Nick Bonaccorsi of Pittsburgh, 3-1, in the final. Jordan, who wrestled unattached, and will redshirt the 2013-14 season, had an impressive outing in his first collegiate event. The St. Paris, Ohio, native recorded falls in his first two 165-pound matches before posting a major decision and a pair of technical falls in the semifinals and final. Jordan downed Cody Wiercioch of Pittsburgh, 20-4, in the title bout. Stieber, wrestling unattached, opened his 2013-14 campaign with two falls, a major decision and two decisions at 149 pounds. Hailing from Monroeville, Ohio, Stieber edged Lehigh’s Mitch Minotti, 5-2, in the final. Also wrestling unattached, Tomasello, like Jordan, executed a remarkable performance in his collegiate debut. Opening the day with a technical fall, fall and two major decisions, the Buckeye from Parma, Ohio, finished the Clarion Open with an 11-7 win over Tyler Walker of Campbell in the 125-pound final. Finishing second at 157 and 184 pounds, respectively, Randy Languis dropped a 7-1 decision to Taylor Walsh of Indiana in the final, while Kenny Courts suffered a 9-4 loss to Max Thomusseit of Pittsburgh. A quartet of Buckeyes was third-place finishers at the Clarion Open. Nick Roberts (125 pounds), Johnni DiJulius (133 pounds), Mark Martin (174 pounds) and Nick Tavanello (HWT) opened the season with solid performances.

Brookings, S.D. -- Robert Kokesh (174), James Green (157) and Collin Jensen (HWT) each captured titles to open the season in the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open at Frost Arena on Sunday. Kokesh tore through the bracket at 174 pounds with two pins, one technical fall and two major decisions. The Wagner, S.D., native opened with a fall in 6:04 over Augustana College’s Drake Fanslau and added a pin in 2:06 in the semifinals against Michael Joseph of Minnesota. Kokesh completed his tournament run with a 13-3 major decision over Missouri’s Mike England in the finals. Green took home the title at 157 pounds with a victory in the finals over Kyle Bradley of Missouri. Green added a pin, major decision and technical fall leading into the final match. His fall occurred in 1:49 in the quarterfinals against Northern Illinois’ Andrew Morse. Jensen captured the heavyweight crown in South Dakota by winning four matches after a first-round bye. Jensen pinned his first opponent in 2:46 before a major decision in the quarterfinals. He won back-to-back decisions to cap his championship run, including a 7-3 victory over Devon Mellon of Missouri in the finals. Tim Lambert (125), Anthony Abidin (141) and Jake Sueflohn (149) each made appearances in the finals but fell by decision to finish second. Lambert finished the day with four wins, including two by technical fall. Abidin achieved a pin in 1:08 and a technical fall as part of his four victories on Sunday. Sueflohn won five matches, earning two pins and two major decisions in the process. Ben Morgan (133), TJ Dudley (184) and Spencer Johnson (197) each finished third in their respective weight classes. Dudley defeated fellow Husker Aaron Studebaker, 9-4, in the third-place match at 184 pounds. Additional Husker placers include Brandon Wilbourn (fourth at 165), McCoy Newberg (fourth at 174), Shawn Nagel (fifth at 125) and Nyle Bartling (seventh at heavyweight). Complete brackets and results from the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open can be found on TrackWrestling at http://www.trackwrestling.com/opentournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=93565009. The Huskers return to the mat on Friday at 6 p.m., for the Wrestle-Offs at the Devaney Center. The season-opening dual is slated for Nov. 17 as Nebraska hosts Northwestern at 1 p.m., at the Devaney Center.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Four Sooners claimed individual titles at the Oklahoma City University Open Sunday, Nov. 3, at the Abe Lemons Arena on the OCU Campus. Freshman Oliver Pierce, redshirt junior Zach Merrill, redshirt freshman Ross Larson and freshman Shayne Tucker all finished first in their respective weight classes. Pierce, who wrestled unattached, won three straight matches to claim the 149-pound title. En route to the title bout, the freshman from Allen, Texas, started with a bye and then had a 16-0 technical fall over Victor Thomas of Wayland Baptist before defeating teammate Dryden Dennis, 2-0. In the finals, Pierce faced Chris Rubacaba of New Mexico Highlands and took the championship by decision, 2-0. In the 285-pound championship, Merrill defeated Markese Christian of Wayland Baptist to take the title by a 3:43 fall. Earlier in the event Merrill won by two falls and a major decision. The tournament was Merrill’s first competition as a Sooner after transferring from California Baptist University. Competing in the Freshman/Sophomore 157 pound bracket, Tucker took the title over Newman’s Colton Duhr by decision, 7-4. The Sacramento, Calif., native defeated Ben Becker of Northeast Oklahoma by major decision, 14-2, Alex Destra by technical fall, 16-1 and Shorter University’s TJ Duncan by major decision, 15-5 to reach the final bout. With a 1:08 fall, Larson defeated Northeastern Oklahoma’s Evan McGee to take the 285-pound title in the Freshman/Sophomore division. All four of Larson’s victories on the day were by fall. In the freshman/sophomore 125, Sean Williams of Tulare, Calif., finished second after falling to Erick Rangel of New Mexico Highlands by decision, 8-4. To reach the finals, Williams claimed four matches by decision. A total of four Sooners finished third in their respective weight classes. Sophomore Matt Reed finished third in the 174-pound bracket after defeating Easton Hargrave of New Mexico Highlands by decision, 11-8. Freshman Danny Chaid place third in the Freshman/Sophomore 184 pound event In the third-place match, Chaid topped Caleb Cotter of Northeastern Oklahoma by decision, 5-0. The Dennis brothers both claimed third-place finishes with Dalton doing so in the 141-pound class while Dryden placed at 149 pounds. Dalton Dennis won the third-place match as he topped Davey Dolan of OSU by fall in 4:15. Dryden Dennis defeated Victor Thomas of Wayland Baptist by major decision, 11-1. Also competing in the OCU Open were Josh Durham (141) and Brad Johnson (197). Jon Wayne Townsend (141), Cade Wheelwright (141), Peter Huang (157), Alec Iacovelli (165) and Stone Drulman (184) all participated in the OCU Freshman/Sophomore Division. The Sooners return to action at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, as they welcome Oklahoma City University to McCasland Field House for their home opener. Open Championship Finals Results: 125: Cline (Oklahoma State, unattached) dec. Woodburn (Oklahoma State, unattached), 5-2 133: Heil (Oklahoma State, unattached) fall Lemon (Oklahoma State, unattached), 2:33 141: Collica (Oklahoma State, unattached) fall Hart (Wayland Baptist), 2:54 149: Pierce (Oklahoma, unattached) dec. Rubacaba (New Mexico Highlands), 2-0 157: Koo (Oklahoma State, unattached) dec. Torres (Oklahoma State, unattached), 5-2 165: Skates (Oklahoma City) dec. Mehan (Oklahoma State, unattached), 3-2 174: Ryan (University of Central Oklahoma) dec. Alvarez (Wayland Baptist), 4-2 184: Boyd (Oklahoma State, unattached) fall Chappell (Oklahoma State, unattached), 1:58 197: Manu (Missouri Valley) fall Rockhill (New Mexico Highlands), 0:59 285: Merrill (Oklahoma) fall Christian (Wayland Baaptist), 3:43

A gritty performance from the opening whistle produced six tournament titles in the Elite brackets for the University of Wyoming wrestling team Saturday in its season-opening event, the Cowboy Open. The Cowboys went 56-21 at the Elite level of competition on the home mats in War Memorial Fieldhouse and placed 13 competitors in the top four of their respective weight classes. Boise State was the closest finisher with two weight-class champions. "I think our overall numbers for the field were down a little bit (in comparison to recent years) but I think the quality was up because we had some bigger schools here like Arizona State, Air Force, Utah Valley and Boise State," Wyoming head coach Mark Branch said. "Those schools brought the majority of their starters, so we got to see some good guys here in the tournament. It was a good test for us. I like the way my young kids competed. It's an exciting start to the season. It gives us an idea of our weaknesses but also shows what we could be capable of when we get to a higher level." The highlight of the tournament for UW was the performance of redshirt freshman Benjamin Stroh, who went 3-0 to win the 184-pound title for Wyoming. In his first official collegiate match, he knocked off 11th-ranked Kevin Radford of Arizona State in a 5-3 decision. Stroh went on to defeat junior teammate Leland Pfeifer in the title match, 5-3. The Pokes also had strong efforts from the likes of junior Tyler Cox (first at 125), redshirt freshman Cole Mendenhall (first at 141), junior Andy McCulley (first at 157), redshirt freshman Brent Havlik (first at 174) and junior Shane Woods, who won the 197-pound title. Junior Brandon Richardson, wrestling unattached at 149, finished third. Junior Dakota Friesth was third at 165, as was sophomore Tanner Harms, who was third at heavyweight. Two Cowboys finished fourth, sophomore Austin Breckenridge (149) and redshirt freshman Tanner Miller at 157. Highlights of the Amateur division included freshman Zach Beard winning the title at 165, freshman Archie Colgan (second at 157), freshman Kyle Pope (second at 174) and freshman Finn Higgins, who was third at 197. All UW freshman wrestled as unattached competitors. Wyoming now heads to the Northwest Open on Saturday in Powell, Wyo.

Related: WCWA Team Rankings | WCWA Individual Rankings BRISTOL, Tenn. -- The top-ranked King University women's wrestling team hosted their only even of the season, and the Tornado took four more wins. King wrestled two teams, and both teams took victories of Campbellsville University and No. 9 University of the Cumberlands. King's top team first faced Campbellsville, taking a 34-8 win over the Tigers. Shannon Constantine got things off to a good start when she pinned Cassidy Ferrell in 50 seconds at 101 pounds. Julia Salata also won by pin at 155, pinning Michelle Organ in 1:08. Haley Augello (116), Sarah Hildebrandt (123) all won by tech fall. The Tornado then took on ninth ranked Cumberlands, and Constantine took a tough fought 8-0 decision over Sarah Allen. After King fell behind 5-3, Augello and Hildebrandt earned wins by tech fall to give King an 11-5 advantage. Kayla Brendlinger then pinned Siebhan Esquerra in 44 seconds at 130 while Alli Ragan pinned Kerstin Yamasak in 1:11. Amanda Hendey, Salata and Lorrie Ramos capped the 36-5 victory with pins. At 143, Hendey pinned Kristin Harmon in 2:16 while Salata pinned Olivia Cepak in 1:03. Ramos defeated Angelica Hernandez in 53 seconds. King's second team also faced both schools, taking a 33-9 win over Campbellsville before topping No. 9 Cumberlands 27-13. Against Campbellsville, Ashley Iliff won by tech fall at 101 while Samantha Klingel pinned Michelle Lomas in 1:24 at 116 to give King a 9-4 lead. Kayla Bartosch defeated Kasey Ricketts by tech fall at 123. Hanna Martin capped King's win with a pin in 1:45 over Organ at 155. The Tornado fell behind Cumberlands 10-0 before Klingel brought the momentum back to the Tornado with a pin of Sherri Berube as the first period horn sounded at 116. Bartosch then evened the score at 10-10 with a pin of Tia Kinglsey in 1:38 at 123. Katie Germain gave King a lead they didn't relinquish with a pin of Esquerra in 45 seconds at 130. Stacy Martin took a 9-0 decision over Yamasaki at 136 while Hanna Martin topped Cepak on a tech fall at 155. Kerri Bumpers capped the 27-13 win with a pin of Hernandez in 41 seconds at 170. King will be in action again on Friday and Saturday at the NYAC International Tournament in New York, N.Y.

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Junior Cole Gracey (165 pounds) pinned his opponent, and eight others won bouts as the Army wrestling team opened its season with a 34-4 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) victory over Franklin and Marshall on Saturday evening at the Mayser Center. With the victory, the Black Knights open 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while the Diplomats start 0-1 and 0-1. Army seniors Paul Hancock (157) and Alex Smith (174) posted major decisions, while sophomore Bryce Barnes earned a technical fall in the 197 bout. Army jumped out to a 6-0 lead after junior Hunter Wood topped freshman Jason Bing, 6-5, in the 125-pound match, and freshman Logan Everett bettered junior Robert Ruiz, 7-3 at 133 pounds to notch his first college victory. Junior Richard Durso, the seventh-ranked wrestler at 141 pounds in the Intermat national poll, grabbed an 11-1 major decision to bring Franklin and Marshall back to a 6-4 deficit before the visitors would take the final seven matches. Army senior Ryan Bilyeu posted an 8-7 win at 149 pounds before Hancock took a 13-3 major decision in the 157-pound bout to extend the Black Knights’ lead to 13-4. Gracey made it 19-4 after pinning his opponent in 1:29, and Smith grabbed a 14-1 major decision to put the visitors in front by 19. Sophomore Nathan Dow slipped by junior Paul Alessandrini, 7-5, in the 184-pound match to give Army the decision before Barnes’ 15-0 technical fall lifted the Black Knights to a 31-4 advantage. Freshman David Farr won his collegiate debut at 285 pounds, topping junior Alex Henry, 3-1. The Black Knights are back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 6, when they host Stevens Institute of Technology in their home opener at Gillis Fieldhouse. The non-conference match is scheduled for 6 p.m. Match Notes: Army improves to 25-7-1 all-time versus Franklin and Marshall … freshman Logan Everett (133) and David Farr (285) each recorded their first college victories. Results: 125: Hunter Wood (A) dec. Jason Bing, 6-5 133: Logan Everett (A) dec. Robert Ruiz, 7-3 141: #7 Richard Durso (F) maj. dec. Tyler Rauenzahn, 11-1 149: Ryan Bilyeu (A) dec. Sharron Townsend, 8-7 157: Paul Hancock (A) maj. dec. Andrew Murano, 13-3 165: Cole Gracey (A) pinned Theodore King, 1:29 174: Alex Smith (A) maj. dec. Colin Lahiff, 14-1 184: Nathan Dow (A) dec. Paul Alessandrini, 7-5 197: Bryce Barnes (A) tech. fall Charles Kerkesner, 15-0 (7:00) 285: David Farr (A) dec. Alexander Henry, 3-1

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- The Lock Haven University wrestling team opened the 2013-14 season today with a pair of wins at home. Lock Haven (2-0) soared past Shippensburg 42-3 before earning a hard-fought 19-13 win over local-rival Bucknell in an early-season thriller. LHU first-year head coach Scott Moore and his staff made their coaching debut and their aggressive style was evident all night long as the Bald Eagles recorded 46 takedowns (46-20) in the two matches. LHU won 9-of-10 bouts in the win over Shippensburg, collecting bonus points in seven of those wins. The Bald Eagles raced out to a 32-0 lead. Lock Haven picked up bonus points in the first five bouts, thanks to two tech falls, a major decision, a forfeit and a pin. The match began at 149 pounds and R.J. Brydon (South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills) got LHU rolling with a teach fall (21-5, 2:24). Dillon Gavlock (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) and Elias Biddle (Turbottville, Pa./Warrior Run) followed it up with a major decision and tech fall, respectively and the Bald Eagles sprinted out a 14-0 lead. Dylan Caprio (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) picked up a pin at 184 and Matt Bryer (Cochranton, Pa./Cochranton) added a major decision in the win over Shippensburg. Lock Haven jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the win over Bucknell. Mac Maldarelli (Merrick, N.Y./Nassau C.C.), Billy Randt (York, Pa./West York) and Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) all won by decision. Following a Bison win at 174, Fred Garcia (Donora, Pa./Rinngold), ranked No. 12 nationally, picked up a major decision for Lock Haven. After Garcia’s win at 184, Bucknell won three straight matches, but Lock Haven put in away with thrilling wins from Cody Wheeler (Towanda, Pa./Towanda) and No. 14 Dan Neff (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco), at 133 and 141, respectively. Lock Haven returns to action tomorrow (Sunday, November 3) when a number of Bald Eagles travel to the Clarion Knight Point Open (9 a.m.). Lock Haven 42 – Shippensburg 3 149: R.J. Brydon (Lock Haven) tech fall Karl Lightner (Shippensburg) 21-5 (2:24) 157: Dillon Gavlock (Lock Haven) major dec. Mark Lentz (Shippensburg) 13-5 165: Elias Biddle (Lock Haven) tech fall Cotton Rebert (Shippensburg) 18-3 (4:58) 174: Dylan Caprio (Lock Haven) pinned Bobby Schievert (Shippensburg) 5:43 184: #12 Fred Garcia (Lock Haven) wins by forfeit 197: Phil Sprenkle (Lock Haven) dec. Evan Ramos (Shippensburg) 10-8 285: Cody Mason (Lock Haven) dec. Jacob Nale (Shippensburg) 6-5 125: David Calambas (Shippensburg) dec. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven) 6-4 133: Matt Bryer (Lock Haven) major dec. Bryan Varra (Shippensburg) 19-6 141: #14 Dan Neff (Lock Haven) wins by forfeit Lock Haven 19 – Bucknell 13 149: Mac Maldarelli (Lock Haven) dec. Alex Pellicciotti (Bucknell) 9-7 157: Billy Randt (Lock Haven) dec. Login Kerin (Bucknell) 9-3 165: Jake Kemerer ((Lock Haven) dec. Vincent Favia (Bucknell) 6-3 174: Stephen McPeek (Bucknell) dec. Travis Moyer (Lock Haven) 10-4 184: #12 Fred Garcia (Lock Haven) major dec. Tyler Greene (Bucknell) 16-5 197: Tyler Lyster (Bucknell) dec. Phil Sprenkle (Lock Haven) 6-0 285: #10 Joe Stolfi (Bucknell) major dec. Brad Emerick (Lock Haven) 15-5 125: Paul Petrov (Bucknell) dec. Kaleb LeMaire (Lock Haven) 6-2 133: Cody Wheeler (Lock Haven) dec. Grim Gonzalez (Bucknell) 11-4 141: #14 Dan Neff (Lock Haven) dec. Victor Lopez (Bucknell) 14-10 Bucknell 50 - Shippensburg 0 149: Alex Pellicciotti (Bucknell) pinned Karl Lightner (Shippensburg) 4:26 157: Brenan McAllister (Bucknell) dec. Mark Lentz (Shippensburg) 4-1 165: Rustin Barrick (Bucknell) pinned Brett Pastore (Shippensburg) 2:10 174: Stephen McPeek (Bucknell) wins by forfeit 184: Tyler Greene (Bucknell) wins by forfeit 197: Tyler Lyster (Bucknell) major dec. Evan Ramos (Shippensburg) 12-0 285: #10 Joe Stolfi (Bucknell) pinned Dan Fultz (Shippensburg) 3:44 125: Grim Gonzalez (Bucknell) dec. Dante Steffenino (Shippensburg) 10-3 133: Bob Hauser (Bucknell) major dec. Bryan Varra (Shippensburg) 12-3 141: Victor Lopez (Bucknell) wins by forfeit Records: Lock Haven 2-0 Bucknell 1-1 Shippensburg 0-2 Attendance: 403 Match Notes: Scott Moore picked up his first career head-coaching win vs. Shippensburg … The Bald Eagles return two national qualifiers (Dan Neff, 141 & Fred Garcia, 184) … Jake Kemerer will move up and compete at 165 this season … LHU was 7-6 a year ago.

Related: Results | InterMat Live Blog Replay In one of the most anticipated matches at the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic, the 149-pound bout between Ohio State wrestling redshirt-junior Logan Stieber and Oklahoma's Kendric Maple lived up to the hype. In the final match of the event, Stieber defeated Maple, 6-4, on a last second reversal in the first tiebreaker. Including the win vs. Maple, Stieber now has won 37 consecutive matches dating back to March 3, 2012. Both Stieber and Maple entered the exhibition event as defending national champions in their respective weight classes. Stieber won back-to-back NCAA titles at 133 pounds in 2012 and 2013 and Maple was the 141-pound champion a season ago. Stieber and Maple also were undefeated in 2013 with Stieber amassing a 27-0 record and Maple a 33-0 mark. In 2013-14, Stieber and Maple will move up a weight class, respectively, and open the campaign as the No. 1 ranked wrestlers. Stieber, a native of Monroeville, Ohio, will wrestle at 141 pounds and Maple will compete at 149 pounds. In the match Saturday night, Stieber opened action with a takedown for a 2-0 lead. Maple ended the period with an escape and chose bottom to begin the second. An escape to open the middle period tied the score at 2-2 and not long after, Maple took a 4-2 advantage on a takedown. The Buckeye was able to cut Maple's lead to one when he scored an escape in the final seconds of the second period. Choosing bottom at the start of the third period, Stieber tied the score at 4-all on an escape to force overtime. With a lot of scrambling in the sudden victory period, the match went in to a pair of tiebreakers. Stieber opened the first tiebreaker on bottom and towards the end of the 30 seconds scored a reversal for a 6-4 lead. In the next tiebreaker, Stieber was able to ride out Maple for the win. Taylor dominates, Penn State splits two matches Penn State University Sports Information Two members of the top-ranked Penn State wrestling team took part in the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic in Fairfax, Va. Held in George Mason University's Patriot Center, All-Americans David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) and Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) each competed at the exhibition event. Taylor, ranked No. 1 at 165, was Penn State's first competitor, taking on No. 4 Michael Moreno of Iowa State. Taylor, a three-time All-American, three-time National Finalist and the 2012 NCAA Champion and Hodge Trophy winner, came out on fire, recording a quick taking down and tacking on two two-point turns for a 6-0 lead. Moreno escaped at the 1:40 mark, but Taylor quickly took him down for another takedown to lead 8-1 after the first period. Moreno chose down to start the second stanza and Taylor continued to dominate action on top, building up over 3:00 in riding time while looking for another tilt. Taylor added another takedown to lead 10-2 heading into the third. Taylor chose down to start the final stanza. Moreno put together a solid ride but Taylor was steady, working his way to a late reversal. With 3:06 in riding time, Taylor posted a strong 13-2 major decision. Brown, ranked No. 3 at 174, took on No. 1 Andrew Howe of Oklahoma. Brown, an All-American as a National Finalist last year, met Howe for the first time. Howe is a three-time All-American and former National Champion as well. Howe struck first with a takedown early in the first period, but Brown quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 1:20 mark. The duo then battled evenly for the rest of the period, giving the Sooner a 2-1 lead after one. Brown chose down to start the second period and Howe then started to work on a long ride. But the Sooner was not generating any offense on top and was his hit with three straight stall calls, giving Brown a 3-2 lead after two periods. But Howe had built up more than 2:00 in riding time with a ride-out. Howe then chose down to start the third period and worked his way to an escape and a 3-3 tie. With a riding time point against him, Brown put together a furious close but could not notch the takedown and Howe escaped with a 4-3 win on 2:00 in riding time. Over 4,000 fans attended the event in the Patriot Center. The results of the exhibition do not count towards Taylor and Brown's season records. In preparation for the start of the new campaign, the Nittany Lions will be sending a group of unattached wrestlers to the Clarion Knight Point Open on Sunday, Nov. 3, as well as a strong contingent of grapplers to the Binghamton Bearcat Open on Sunday, Nov. 10. Penn State opens up the 2013-14 season at Rider on Sat., Nov. 16, and at Lehigh on Sun., Nov. 17. All-Americans David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) and Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) will take part in the NWCA All-Star Classic two weeks prior to that on Nov. 2 at George Mason. In addition, Penn State will have a presence at the Binghamton Open on Nov. 10 with many Lions making the trip unattached. Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2013-14 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Iowa's Ramos defeats VT's Carter up a weight class University of Iowa Sports Information University of Iowa All-American Tony Ramos used a pair of late takedowns to defeat Virginia Tech's Devin Carter on Saturday night at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Ramos, the top-ranked 133-pounder in the country, finished a single-leg takedown in sudden victory to earn a 5-3 decision over Carter in the 141-pound exhibition. Carter is ranked No. 3 at 141 pounds in preseason polls. "I felt him break in the third," said Ramos. "He was worn out and I could see some hesitation. He gave a half-shot and I was able to get into the leg and finish." Ramos scored first in the match, escaping early in the second period. Carter then answered with the first takedown of the match, catching Ramos' ankle for a 2-1 lead. Carter later escaped to open the third period, extending his lead to 3-1, before Ramos forced overtime with a takedown with 20 seconds left in regulation. "There was no panic," said Ramos. "We knew what to expect going in, and I knew to watch for him kicking out. When he did I kept going for the leg and was able to finish." The 48th annual NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by the United States Marine Corps, was hosted by the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University. The Hawkeyes open the regular season Nov. 22 when Baker University, Cornell College, and Iowa Central visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the Iowa City Duals. Competition begins at 10 a.m. (CT). "It feels good and it's exciting to get the season started," said Ramos. "The guys in the room see it and they know the season is here. It's time to keep going." Lehigh wrestlers Beckman, Napoli post victories Lehigh University Sports Information Lehigh wrestlers Mason Beckman and Joey Napoli opened their seasons by posting victories at the NWCA All-Star Classic Saturday night at George Mason's Patriot Center. Beckman posted a 5-1 decision over A.J. Schopp of Edinboro at 133 while Napoli won by a 2-1 score over Nestor Taffur of Boston University. Beckman, ranked tenth in the preseason by Amateur Wrestling News, posted takedowns in each of the first two periods to knock off fourth-ranked Schopp. For his impressive win, Beckman was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the green team. The matches at the NWCA All-Star Classic are considered exhibitions and do not count towards a wrestler's official season record. On a night when first-period scoring was at a premium, Beckman netted the opening takedown in the first period, before a Schopp escape made the score 2-1 Beckman after one period. Schopp is known to be tough from the top position and chose top to open the second period but Beckman escaped and added a second takedown to go up 5-1 after two. Beckman chose neutral in the third and fought off a Schopp shot late in the third period to win 5-1 in the first collegiate meeting between the two Pennsylvania wrestlers. Napoli and Taffur were next up in a matchup of the No. 10 and No. 13 wrestlers in the nation at 157. Napoli was a late addition to the lineup after Iowa's top-ranked Derek St. John withdrew Friday due to illness. After a scoreless first period that featured little offense from either wrestler, Taffur chose bottom and escaped to open the second period. In the third period, Napoli chose bottom and was able to score a reversal to go up 2-1. Napoli successfully rode out Taffur, taking a stall warning late to preserve the victory. Lehigh wrestlers are now 16-13 at the NWCA All-Star Classic with four consecutive victories. The Mountain Hawks will open the dual meet season on Saturday November 9 when they host Bucknell at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or at LehighTickets.com. Cornell's Garrett wins in overtime at 125 Cornell University Sports Information Coming off an impressive freshman campaign, much is expected of sophomore Nahshon Garrett. So far, so good. Coming off a third place finish at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling championships, Garrett got his sophomore season off to a soaring start by getting the best of an overtime scramble to knock off returning All-American Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Saturday evening at George Mason. In the dual meet featuring many of the nation's top returning wrestlers at each weight class, Garrett was able to pick up the victory with a takedown and three near-fall points in the sudden death overtime session after heading to overtime locked at 1-1. Neither wrestler could score except to pick up escapes, Garrett getting his point in the second and Patterson earning his to tie it in the third. Maryland's Sheptock edges Boise State's Swartz at 184 University of Maryland Sports Information Jimmy Sheptock found a takedown early in the sudden death overtime period to defeat Boise State’s Jake Swartz, 3-1, in the featured 184 pound contest at the NWCA All-Star Classic Saturday night at George Mason University. Sheptock, who placed in the top-6 at the NCAA Championships to earn All-American status last year, is ranked third-nationally at 184. Swartz is No. 5. The Maryland senior got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead on an escape in the second period. Swartz leveled the score with an escape of his own in the third period. Early in overtime, Sheptock was able to bring down Swartz to score the walkoff takedown. The win serves as a perfect start for Sheptock, who will look to defend his ACC title this season. The All-Star Classic brings together some of the best competitors in the country each year to compete in a series of exhibition matches. The event is organized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and presented by the United States Marine Core. Top-ranked Nelson wins, Schiller falls for Minnesota Minnesota split two matches at the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic, with top-ranked Tony Nelson winning at heavyweight and No. 2 Scott Schiller falling at 197 pounds. Nelson earned a 2-1 tiebreaker victory over Northwestern's Mike McMullan in a rematch of last year's NCAA finals match at heavyweight. Schiller dropped a 6-4 match in sudden victory to No. 1 Taylor Meeks of Oregon State at 197 pounds. Showcase Match Results: WFS 121: Helen Maroulis (USA) tech. fall Marcia Andrades (Venezuela), 8-0 WFS 211: Kyle Snyder (USA) tech. fall Yiannis Narlidis (Canada), 10-0 125: David Terao (American) dec. No. 1 (DIII) Chris Donaldson (Ursinus), 7-5 149: Sahid Kargbo (George Mason) pinned Luke Bilyeu (West Chester), 5:33 Main Event Match Results: 125: No. 3 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. No. 5 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 6-1 SV 133: No. 10 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. No. 4 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro), 5-1 157: No. 10 Joey Napoli (Lehigh) dec. No. 13 Nestor Taffur (Boston U.), 2-1 184: No. 3 Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) dec. No. 5 Jake Swartz (Boise State), 3-1 SV 197: No. 1 Taylor Meeks (Oregon State) dec. No. 2 Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 6-4 SV 285: No. 1 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern), 2-1 TB 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 4 Michael Moreno (Iowa State), 13-2 174: No. 1 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) dec. No. 3 Matt Brown (Penn State), 4-3 141: No. 1 (at 133) Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), 5-3 SV 149: No. 1 (at 141) Logan Stieber (Ohio State) dec. No. 1 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), 6-4 TB

Showcase Match Results: WFS 121: Helen Maroulis (USA) tech. fall Marcia Andrades (Venezuela), 8-0 WFS 211: Kyle Snyder (USA) tech. fall Yiannis Narlidis (Canada), 10-0 125: David Terao (American) dec. No. 1 (DIII) Chris Donaldson (Ursinus), 7-5 149: Sahid Kargbo (George Mason) pinned Luke Bilyeu (West Chester), 5:33 Main Event Match Results: 125: No. 3 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. No. 5 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 6-1 SV 133: No. 10 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. No. 4 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro), 5-1 157: No. 10 Joey Napoli (Lehigh) dec. No. 13 Nestor Taffur (Boston U.), 2-1 184: No. 3 Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) dec. No. 5 Jake Swartz (Boise State), 3-1 SV 197: No. 1 Taylor Meeks (Oregon State) dec. No. 2 Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 6-4 SV 285: No. 1 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern), 2-1 TB 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 4 Michael Moreno (Iowa State), 13-2 174: No. 1 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) dec. No. 3 Matt Brown (Penn State), 4-3 141: No. 1 (at 133) Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), 5-3 SV 149: No. 1 (at 141) Logan Stieber (Ohio State) dec. No. 1 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), 6-4 TB

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The No. 14 Virginia wrestling team opened the 2013-14 season Saturday with a trio of dual wins in a quad meet at Memorial Gymnasium. The Cavaliers scored wins over Anderson (46-3), Gardner-Webb (43-0) and West Virginia (41-6), winning 28 of the 30 individual matches in the process. “I’m really pleased with how our guys wrestled today,” Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. “They were amazing. We only lost one match all day, outside of the injury default. Our kids put on an amazing display and made a great statement. If you watched our team today, I don’t think you want to wrestle us. They showed what the Virginia wrestling style is – we get on top of you and then dominate. I’m really proud of them for that.” Ranked 13th nationally in the preseason by InterMat at 174 pounds, Stephen Doty (R-Sr., St. Louis, Mo.) picked up three wins, including two pins, to highlight the day for the Cavaliers. Gus Sako (R-Jr., Cleveland, Ohio) recorded falls in both of his two matches in his first bouts since redshirting the 2012-13 season. Nineteen Virginia wrestlers saw action Saturday, with 18 picking up wins. Nineteen of the Cavaliers’ 28 wins resulted in bonus points (11 falls, one forfeit, three tech falls, four major decisions). Virginia won nine of 10 bouts against both Anderson and West Virginia. The Cavaliers swept all 10 matches against Gardner-Webb while racking up bonus points in six. UVa racked up five falls against Anderson and picked up three more against Gardner-Webb and WVU. UVa heads to Salem, Va., next Sunday (Nov. 10) for the Hokie Duals, where the Cavaliers will face VMI (9 a.m.), No. 20 Wisconsin (11 a.m.) and Kent State (1 p.m.). UVa’s next home bout is Sunday, Nov. 24, when the Cavaliers battle No. 8 Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena. Virginia 46, Anderson 3 125: Will Mason (UVa) pinned Cory Monteforte (AU) 1:35; UVa 6-0 133: Emilio Martinez (UVa) pinned Keenan Simmons (AU) 6:12; UVa 12-0 141: Justin Van Hoose (UVa) dec. Zak Hale (AU) 7-5; UVa 15-0 149: Chris Yankowich (UVa)pinned Ian Harper (AU) 5:40; UVa 21-0 157: Zane Newton (AU) dec. Dustin Roemer (UVa) 9-6; UVa 21-3 165: Greg Bacci (UVa) dec. Jacob Allen (AU) 7-5; UVa 24-3 174: No. 13 Stephen Doty (UVa) pinned Brian Onofrio (AU) 1:30; UVa 30-3 184: James Suvak (UVa) major dec. Taylor Dorsett (AU) 9-0; UVa 34-3 197: Patrick Gillen wins by forfeit; UVa 40-3 HWT: Ethan Hayes (UVa) pinned Brendon Latham (AU) 5:31; UVa 46-3 Virginia 43, Gardner-Webb 0 125: Nick Herrmann (UVa) dec. Cortes Starkes (GW) 6-2; UVa 3-0 133: Joseph Martinez (UVa) dec. Robbie Golde (GW) 3-0; UVa 6-0 141: No. 19 Joe Spisak (UVa) major dec. Ryan Mosley (GW) 9-0; UVa 10-0 149: No. 14 Gus Sako (UVa)pinned Tyler Ziegler (GW) 1:29; UVa 16-0 157: Blaise Butler (UVa) pinned Kyle Graves (GW) 1:20; UVa 22-0 165: No. 5 Nick Sulzer (UVa) major dec. Austin Trott (GW) 17-6; UVa 26-0 174: Stephen Doty (UVa) pinned Aaron Babin (GW) 3:23; UVa 32-0 184: Jon Fausey (UVa) dec. Gray Jones (GW) 7-1; UVa 35-3 197: Zach Nye tech fall Boyce Cornnell (GW) 18-2; UVa 40-0 HWT: Derek Papagianopoulos (UVa) dec. Justin Kozera (GW) 9-5; UVa 43-0 Virginia 41, West Virginia 6 125: Nick Herrmann (UVa) dec. Cory Stainbrook (WVU) 9-4; UVa 3-0 133: Joseph Martinez (UVa) tech fall Daniel Suite (WVU) 18-2 (5:22); UVa 8-0 141: No. 19 Joe Spisak (UVa) tech fall Colin Johnston (WVU) 16-0 (3:58); UVa 13-0 149: No. 14 Gus Sako (UVa) pinned Tre Miller-Scott (WVU) 1:24; UVa 19-0 157: Blaise Butler (UVa) pinned Brutus Scheffel (WVU) 1:24; UVa 25-0 165: No. 5 Nick Sulzer (UVa) major dec. Austin Trott (GW) 17-6; UVa 31-0 174: No. 13 Stephen Doty (UVa) dec. Bubba Scheffel (WVU) 3-2; UVa 34-0 184: No. 9 Jon Fausey (UVa) dec. Mac Mancuso (WVU) 5-3; UVa 37-0 197: Zach Nye (UVa) major dec. Leo Trindade (WVU) 10-1; UVa 41-0 HWT: A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU) won by injury default over Derek Papagianopoulos (UVa); UVa 41-6 West Virginia 24, Gardner-Webb 12 125: Cory Stainbrook (WVU) major dec. Cortez Starkes (GW) 13-2; WVU 4-0 133: Robbie Golde (GW) dec. Daniel Suite (WVU) 10-5; WVU 4-3 141: Colin Johnston (WVU) dec. Ryan Mosley (GW) 9-3; WVU 7-3 149: Mike Morales (WVU) major dec. Tyler Ziegler (GW) 10-0; WVU 11-3 157: Brutus Scheffel (WVU) major dec. Cole Graves (GW) 14-5; WVU 15-3 165: Austin Trott (GW) dec. Ross Renzi (WVU) 4-3; WVU 15-6 174: Bubba Scheffel (WVU) pinned Aaron Rabin (GW) 1:30; WVU 21-6 184: Mac Mancuso (WVU) dec. Gray Jones(GW) 2-1; WVU 24-6 197: Boyce Cornwell (GW) dec. Leo Trindade (WVU) 3-2; WVU 24-9 HWT: Justin Kozera (GW) dec. A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU) 3-2; WVU 24-12 West Virginia 46, Anderson 0 125: Cory Stainbrook (WVU) tech fall. Cory Monteforte (AU) 16-1; WVU 5-0 133: Daniel Suite (WVU) major dec. Keenan Simmons (AU) 19-5; WVU 9-0 141: Colin Johnston (WVU) dec. Zak Hale (AU) 9-7; WVU 12-0 149: Tre Miller-Scott (WVU) dec. Ian Harper (AU) 7-3; WVU 15-0 157: Brutus Scheffel (WVU) major dec. Zane Newton (GW) 17-5; WVU 19-0 165: Rozz Renzi (WVU) dec. Stephen Wylie (AU) 12-5; WVU 22-0 174: Bubba Scheffel (WVU) pinned Brian Onofrio (AU) :55; WVU 28-0 184: Mark Colabucci (WVU) pinned Taylor Dorsett (AU) 5:31 ; WVU 34-0 197: Leo Trindade wins by forfeit; WVU 40-0 HWT: Wayne Purnell (WVU) won by injury default over Brendon Latham (AU) 4:41; WVU 46-0 Gardner-Webb 40, Anderson 9 125: Cortez Starkes (GW) major dec. Cory Monteforte (AU) 15-6; GW 4-0 133: Robbie Golde (GW) pinned Keenan Simmons (AU) 1:05; GW 10-0 141: Ryan Mosley (GW) dec. Zak Hale (AU) 12-7; GW 13-0 149: Tyler Ziegler major dec. Ian Harper (AU) 13-4; GW 17-0 157: Zane Newton (AU) dec. Cole Graves (GW) 10-4; GW 17-3 165: Austin Trott(GW) tech fall Stephen Wylie(AU) 16-0 (2:53); GW 22-3 174: Brian Onofrio (AU) pinned Aaron Rabin (GW) 2:00; GW 22-9 184: Gary Jones (GW) pinned Taylor Dorsett (AU) 1:15; GW 28-9 197: Boyce Cornwell (GW) wins by forfeit; GW 34-9 HWT: Justin Kozera (GW) wins by forfeit; GW 40-9

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue wrestling team kicked off the 2013-14 season with the Black & Gold Matches Saturday in Lambert Fieldhouse. Eight bouts contested starting roles, along with a handful of exhibition matches. “This was a great way to start off the season,” head wrestling coach Scott Hinkel said. “We had a lot of competitive matches and put on a great show for all of the fans that came out. I’m happy with how our team is coming along. Now that we’ve had a look at the guys in a dual setting, we’ll go back to work to prepare for next week.” Camden Eppert put on an impressive offensive showing to open the Black & Gold Matches with a 19-5 major decision over redshirt sophomore Luke Schroeder at 125 pounds. Eppert took down Schroeder twice in the first period, taking a 4-2 lead into the second. Starting from bottom, the redshirt senior reversed Schroeder and tilted him to earn three nearfall points, pushing his lead to 9-2. He closed out with three more takedowns and another three-point nearfall, racking up 4:32 worth of riding time. Redshirt freshman Kyle Ayersman’s three-point nearfall midway through the third period lifted him to a 5-3 upset of Cashè Quiroga. Quiroga held a 2-1 advantage heading into the final two minutes thanks to a first-period takedown. Working from top, Ayersman got the redshirt senior into position for the count to earn nearfall points to take a 4-2 lead. Receiving choice following blood time taken by Quiroga, Ayersman tacked on an escape for a 5-2 advantage. Riding time acquired by Quiroga gave him his third point. At 141, redshirt junior Nick Lawrence nabbed the starting role with a 7-4 decision against redshirt sophomore Danny Sabatello. Brandon Nelsen took down Alex Griffin once in the first and second periods and twice in the third en route to a 10-1 major decision at 149. Doug Welch’s escape at the start of the final period was the difference in a 5-4 decision at 157 against Kyle Mosier. The redshirt senior struck first by taking down Welch at 2:12, only to have Welch answer with a reverse seconds later. Mosier added an escape and Welch struck for the takedown and a 4-3 edge to close out the opening period. The bout deadlocked at 4-4 in the second period with a Mosier escape. Back-to-back major decisions were recorded at 165 and 174 by Pat Robinson and Patrick Kissel, respectively. The two redshirt juniors combined for nine takedowns and over 3:30 worth of riding time. Robinson registered a 10-2 victory over Andy Hoselton and Kissel downed true freshman Jacob Morrissey 15-2. Andy Wiseman controlled Luke Schmit in the second period to earn a 10-2 major decision in a Black & Gold 184-pound exhibition match. Also in exhibition, Braden Atwood took down Tanner Lynde midway through the second period and added two more takedowns in the final three minutes to post an 8-1 decision. The final bout to impact starting roles saw redshirt senior Alex White take a 3-0 decision courtesy of a second-period escape and two stalling calls against redshirt sophomore Drake Stein. In a pair of exhibition matches that pitted true freshmen against each other, Luke Welch notched a 5-2 decision over Aaron Assad and Josh Farrell controlled the second and third periods with Cody Pae en route to a 14-4 major decision. Andrew Geers made his debut at 285 with a 5-3 decision against redshirt freshman Tyler Kral. The Boilermakers will have one week to prepare for their first tournament of the season when they travel to the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Mich., on Nov. 8. Black & Gold Results 125 – Camden Eppert maj. dec. Luke Schroeder, 19-5 133 – Kyle Ayersman dec. Cashè Quiroga, 5-3 141 – Nick Lawrence dec. Danny Sabatello, 7-4 149 – Brandon Nelsen maj. dec. Alex Griffin, 10-1 157 – Doug Welch dec. Kyle Mosier, 5-4 165 – Pat Robinson maj. dec. Andy Hoselton, 10-2 174 – Patrick Kissel maj. dec. Jacob Morrissey, 15-2 184 (exhibition) – Andy Wiseman maj. dec. Luke Schmit, 10-2 184/197 (exhibition) – Braden Atwood dec. Tanner Lynde, 8-1 285 – Alex White dec. Drake Stein, 3-0 Exhibition Matches 125/33 – Luke Welch dec. Aaron Assad, 5-2 133/41 – Josh Farrell maj. dec. Cody Pae, 14-4 285 – Andrew Geers dec. Tyler Kral, 5-3

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- A fall by Sean Dougherty and a technical fall by Devon Lotito lifted the Gold team coached by Scotti Sentes to a 21-15 victory over the Mitch Monteiro-coached Green squad in Cal Poly's annual intrasquad dual wrestling meet Friday night in the Mott Athletics Center. Dougherty pinned Kent Beecham in 6 minutes, 36 seconds, after building a 13-4 lead in the 184-pound bout. Lotito, the defending Pac-12 champion at 133 pounds, scored a 16-0 technical fall over Victor Trujillo, securing the win in 4 minutes, 23 seconds. Cal Poly's other Pac-12 champion on the roster this year, Dominic Kastl, earned an 8-0 major decision over Nick Troquato at 174 pounds. Kastl, a junior, claimed the 165-pound crown in 2012 and missed the 2012-13 season with a lower back injury. Also scoring major decisions were 125-pounder Britain Longmire (13-5), 141-pounder Colt Shorts (10-2) and 157-pounder Maxamillian Schneider (16-7). Other winners were Blake Kastl with a 6-2 decision at 149 pounds, Sohrab Movahedi with a 3-2 decision at 165 and Tyler Hecht with a 3-2 decision at 285 pounds. Movahedi snapped a 2-2 tie with a third-period escape for his win while Hecht broke a 1-1 tie with a takedown with 15 seconds remaining for his victory. Brendan Buckley officially opens his third season as head coach at Cal Poly next Thursday with a Pac-12 dual meet at CSU Bakersfield. Gold 21, Green 15: 125 -- Britain Longmire (Green) maj. dec. Alfredo Espinoza (Gold) 13-5 133 -- Devon Lotito (Gold) tech. fall over Victor Trujillo (Green) 16-0, 4:23 141 -- Colt Shorts (Green) maj. dec. Jacob Leon (Gold) 10-2 149 -- Blake Kastl (Gold) dec. Kyle Chené (Green) 6-2 157 -- Maxamillian Schneider (Gold) maj. dec. Xavier Johnson (Green) 16-7 165 -- Sohrab Movahedi (Green) dec. Travis Berridge (Gold) 3-2 174 -- Dominic Kastl (Green) maj. dec. Nick Troquato (Gold) 8-0 184 -- Sean Dougherty (Gold) pinned Kent Beecham (Green) 6:36 197 -- Double forfeit 285 -- Tyler Hecht (Gold) dec. Nick Johnson (Green) 3-2

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The 16th-ranked Missouri Tigers took to the mat for the first time Friday night, taking the season opener 23-9 at the hands of the North Dakota State Bison. Mizzou won seven of the first eight bouts at Bison Sports Arena in Fargo, N.D., en route to their first win in 2013-14. Junior-captain Johnny Eblen set the tone for the Tigers on Friday, defeating 184-pound counterpart Kurtis Julson by decision, 5-2, in the opening match. After a scoreless first period, Eblen picked up an escape point in the second period after starting in the down position to take the lead. He would fall behind in the third after a Julson reversal, but an escape and a late takedown in the third sealed the victory and three team points for the Tigers. True freshman J’den Cox followed suit at 197-pounds, tabbing six takedowns against North Dakota’s Colt Castlebury in his first career collegiate match, a 14-4 victory by major decision. Head Coach Brian Smith opted to leave the redshirt off of Cox and fellow freshman Barlow McGhee in 2013-14, dressing both for the Tigers season debut. McGhee also won his first dual match, a 5-2 decision over 125-pounder Hunter Weber after two first period takedowns and an escape in the third period. “With Barlow (McGhee), he has just been the best guy in the practice room for the past three or four weeks,” said Smith following the team’s first win. “And with Alan Waters redshirting and with the possibility of Barlow wrestling at 125-pounds again next year, we thought that this year would present us with a good opportunity to get him some experience.” “And with J’den (Cox), the coaches have all the confidence in the world that he can do great things this year. He’s mature enough and he knows he can get better. He’s a hungry wrestler with the potential to bring great things to this team already.” With Mizzou holding on to a 13-0 lead after the first four matches, seniors Eric Wilson and Kyle Bradley, and 2013 All-American Drake Houdashelt added wins to seal Missouri’s first victory. Wilson fell behind 2-0 after an early takedown by Justin Scherkenbach in the first period, but he would respond with a takedown of his own, supplemented by two more escape points en route to a 4-2 win. Houdashelt added a 6-1 decision over Tyler Diamond at 149-pounds, and Bradley quickly followed with a major decision fueled by a 5-point third period over NDSU’s Matthew Gray. The night’s closest matchup came at heavyweight in a bout featuring MIzzou’s No. 16 Devin Mellon and North Dakota’s Evan Knutson. Scoring was hard to come by for both program’s ‘big men,’ as both were only able to muster up points on escapes through the first three frames. With the score knotted at two-a-piece, the match went to extra time, where Mellon was able to pick up the decisive point via riding time in the second tiebreaker, giving Mizzou three more team points with a 4-3 decision. North Dakota won three decisions on the night thanks to 18th-ranked Justin LaValle, 3rd-ranked 165-pounder Steven Monk and 174-pounder Hayden Zillmer. With the first win in the books, the Tigers will take a break from dual action until their next match scheduled for December 6th versus MAC-foe Ohio in Columbia. A total of 27 Tigers will make the short drive to South Dakota State for the WarrenWilliams/Daktronics Open set to take place this Sunday in Brookings, S.D. For news, pictures,interviews, and plenty more behind the scenes content from Tiger Style wrestling, follow us on Twitter (@MizzouWrestling), like us on Facebook andcheck out @MizzouTigerStyle on Instagram. Fans can also join the conversation by using the hashtag #TigerStyle all season long. Results: 184: Johnny Eblen (MU) won by decision over Kurtis Julson (NDSU) 5-2. (3-0 MU) 197: J`Den Cox (MU) won by major decision over Colt Castlebury (NDSU) 14-4. (7-0 MU) HWT: Devin Mellon (MU) won in tie breaker 2 over Evan Knutson (NDSU) 4-3. (10-0 MU) 125: Barlow McGhee (MU) won by decision over Hunter Weber (NDSU) 5-2. (13-0 MU) 133: Eric Wilson (MU) won by decision over Justin Scherkenbach (NDSU) 4-2. (16-0 MU) 141: Justin LaValle (NDSU) won by decision over Trevor Jauch (MU) 4-1. (16-3 MU) 149: Drake Houdashelt (MU) won by decision over Tyler Diamond (NDSU) 6-1. (19-3 MU) 157: Kyle Bradley (MU) won by major decision over Matthew Gray (NDSU) 10-2. (23-3 MU) 165: Steven Monk (NDSU) won by decision over Jordan Gagliano (MU) 6-1. (23-6 MU) 174: Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) won by decision over Mikey England (MU) 3-1. (23-9 MU)

BLACKSBURG -- The Virginia Tech wrestling squad held its annual Maroon & Orange intrasquad scrimmage Friday night inside Cassell Coliseum as the team continues to prepare for the season opener next weekend. “We did okay tonight as a group,” head coach Kevin Dresser said. “It is hard to wrestle these intrasquad scrimmages. I felt the effort was there in most places. A few of our younger guys have done a poor job with their weight and it showed. Overall, we made progress tonight.” The Hokies will open the 2013-14 season next weekend in Salem, taking on Hofstra Friday night and then hosting the Hokie Duals and Hokie Open Sunday. All three events will be held inside the Salem Civic Center. Devin Carter will compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic Saturday (Nov. 2) in Fairfax, taking on Tony Ramos of Iowa. Below are the results from Friday night: 285: Ty Walz dec. Brandon Taylor, 10-5 285: Dan Garwood dec. Dawson Peck (285), 3-1 (OT) 125/133: Joey Dance (125) dec. Nick Anderson (133), 4-2 (OT-2) 133/141: Erik Spjut (133) maj dec. Cameron Bowen (141), 14-5 133/141: Dennis Gustafson (133) dec. Gerald Ronnau (141), 11-8 149/157: David Wesley (149) dec. Mason Mele (157), 14-5 157: Sal Mastriani dec. Chad Strube, 3-2 165: Chris Moon fall David Bergida, 5:24 157/149: Nick Brascetta (157) fall Mattheos Lozier (149), 5:54 174: Zach Epperly fall Brooks Morrison, 2:21 184/197: Nick Vetterlein (184) dec. Jared Haught (197), 8-4 184/197: John Dickson (184) dec. Bobby Lavelle (197), 2-0 197: Chris Penny dec. David Reck, 8-1 285 Final: Ty Walz dec. Dan Garwood, 3-2

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- While most of the Lehigh wrestling team readies to open its season Sunday at the Clarion Knight Point Open, two Mountain Hawks will be competing at the NWCA All-Star Classic Saturday in Fairfax, Va. Sophomore Mason Beckman was selected to compete in the All-Star meet last month. He will be joined by senior Joey Napoli, who was selected for the classic Friday as a replacement for Iowa’s Derek St. John was a late scratch due to illness. Napoli, the defending EIWA champion at 157, will take on Nestor Taffur of Boston University Saturday night. Napoli is ranked tenth in Amateur Wrestling News’ preseason rankings, while Taffur is ranked 11th. Last season, Napoli went 18-4, winning 18 of his first 20 bouts to claim the EIWA title and earn the No. 3 seed at the NCAA Championships. Beckman will be competing against A.J. Schopp of Edinboro in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Lehigh’s Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year last season, Beckman enters this season ranked tenth at 133, while Schopp, a returning All-American is ranked fourth. This marks the first time since November 2004 that Lehigh will have two entrants in the All-Star Classic. That year, Cory Cooperman fell to Teyon Ware of Oklahoma at 141 and Troy Letters downed David Bolyard of Central Michigan at 165. The NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps will get underway at 7:15 p.m. at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster. On Sunday, Lehigh heads to Clarion, Pa. for the Clarion Knight Point Open. Among the teams joining Lehigh and host Clarion in the all-day event are Campbell, Indiana, Lock Haven, Maryland, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and VMI. The Mountain Hawks are planning to send more than 20 wrestlers including starters and wrestlers that are still competing for starting sports. Lehigh’s other two returning EIWA champions will compete at the Clarion Open as junior Nathaniel Brown and sophomore Randy Cruz move up to their new weight classes. Brown is the returning EIWA champion at 174 but will be moving up in class this year to 184. Last year, Cruz was Lehigh’s first true freshman EIWA Champion since 1980. Cruz wrestled at 133 last year and will be moving up to 141 with the return of Beckman at 133. At 184, senior Austin Meys has been cleared to return to competition after missing the last two seasons battling Guillain-Barre syndrome. Meys went 21-10 with 11 falls in 2010-11, his only official season of competition. Two of the more competitive spots in Lehigh’s lineup are 125 and 141 and both weight classes will be well represented at Clarion. True freshmen Darian Cruz, Artem Timchenko, Dean Somers and sophomore Cody Kievman are all slated to compete at 125, while the 141 field includes Randy Cruz, sophomore Laike Gardner, junior Jim Carucci and freshman Will Switzer. The competition at heavyweight will also continue with sophomore Max Wessell and freshman Doug Vollaro expected to compete. Action at the Clarion Knight Point Open is set for 9 a.m. from Clarion’s University Rec Center. Following this weekend’s action, the Mountain Hawks will open the dual meet season against Bucknell, Saturday Novembe

Related: NWCA All-Star Classic Live Blog Schedule: 10 a.m.: Virginia vs. Anderson; Gardner-Webb vs. West Virginia Noon: Virginia vs. Gardner-Webb; Anderson vs. West Virginia 2 p.m.: Virginia vs. West Virginia; Anderson vs. Gardner-Webb Virginia Quad

NWCA All-Star Classic

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. On Wednesday the NCAA announced its list of final candidate cities for hosting the 2015-2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Many of the cities mentioned were expected, while at least three came as surprises. Behind each of the bids is a difficult equation of profit and exposure, green space and safety that the Championships Committee of the NCAA must figure into their final decisions. What sinks some efforts and elevates others is still a mystery, but there are some powerful indicators as to why each city was chosen. It's important to notice which cities are notably absent from the final lists: Des Moines and Atlanta ... the latter of which many assumed was going to bid did not make it through. Des Moines' arena seats less than 18,000 fans, a benchmark the NCAA has said before it would like to maintain. Also the city doesn't have a major national airport which drove up transportation costs for the schools -- all the cities included in the final list have one or more airports. New York City Venue: Madison Square Garden Host: Hofstra The Big Apple is the media capital of the world, and there is no question that the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will draw the most media attention of any finalist city. Reporters enjoy convenience and with a new tournament style like wrestling in the city, The hipsters of Williamsburg will be sure to pedal over and file snarky reports from their day at the matches. New York City is expensive for hotels and taxis, but cheap for flights, and that convenience might also factor into the number of fans making trips from the tri-state area. Pennsylvania and New Jersey will put plenty of butts in the seats. Despite the positives, wrestling is a normally low-income sport with a large Midwestern fan base -- a move to New York City might help develop the media outreach, but could endanger the tradition of fans in Iowa and Oklahoma. Pittsburgh Venue: CONSOL Energy Center Host: West Virginia How did I miss this as a great option? I blame myself. The city most associated with high school wrestling greatness, Pittsburgh will sell out each and every seat in a matter of hours, but will it be a the right city to host wrestling's biggest event? My good friends and former roommates were born Pittsburgh and though I could do without "yinz" and the need to profess the greatness of crappy lagers, I can get down with Pittsburgh. The people in Pittsburgh are kind and the pizza is tasty. More than the generosity of the denizens to both my heart and taste buds, the hotels are top of the line and there is a life on the streets after the final session. No more patrolling for a White Castle at 11 p.m. because room service is closed. The Pittsburgh Airport services plenty of flights and the driving traffic will be ideal for much of the east coast. Again, the Midwesterners who've enjoyed good driving distances for several years are the ones taking one to the shins, but the sport needs to build up a base of younger fans and moving to a destination that can be as much party as it is singlets and school cheering, will attract younger, wealthier fans. Also, for building a nationwide story, an event moored in a destination known for wrestling will attract more national news coverage. Louisville Venue: KFC YUM Center Host: Louisville/Louisville Sports Commission Cue the intrigue! Why would Louisville bid? I didn't know so I called the sports office and asked. My guy Josh Heird, Louisville's Assistant AD for Facilities and Championships, told me that they saw the love, excitement and passion around wrestling and wanted to be part of the action. "We looked at all the bids out there. Look at the excitement around wrestling and about three years ago we started formulating a plan." Though the Louisville Cardinals don't have a wrestling program, Heird said that the lack of school focus would be better since it would be an "A-plus experience for all schools." Louisville has good hotel options, including large convention centers and a pretty nifty downtown. For drivers from the Midwest, Louisville is reachable by four wheels, but not so for the East Coast. Washington D.C. is nine hours away. New York City would have to drive, and you can expect there would be very little local participation. I did ask the $64,000 question: Does this mean Louisville is interested in using its surplus of athletic funds to start a wrestling program? Heird didn't answer but did direct to me the athletic director, who he mentioned "loves wrestling and has a son who wrestled through high school." Wells Fargo Center hosted the 2011 NCAAs in Philadelphia (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Philadelphia Venue: Wells Fargo Center Host: Rider/Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference The City of Brotherly Love managed one of the most successful and profitable NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, and was the motivation for many other non-traditional East Coast cities to bid. If Philly wins, fans will struggle with getting accommodations close to the arena, but should have a fantastic assortment of dining options. Sellout is guaranteed, but can their margins hold up against other, less-expensive cities? Cleveland Venue: Quicken Loan Arena Host: Mid-American Conference/Greater Cleveland Sports Commission A blend of Pittsburgh's tradition and St. Louis Midwestern appeal, Cleveland is the safest, risky option on the docket. There isn't anything it can offer that competitors won't do better. Media is best in NYC and Pittsburgh's regional obsession is more complete. However, Cleveland has a nice downtown area, an up-and-coming restaurant scene, and plenty of local fans to fill the stands. But is Cleveland the direction that NCAA wrestling wants to take? St. Louis Venue: Scottrade Center Host: Missouri/St. Louis Sports Commission The safest choice on the list, St. Louis has become the location that wrestling fans have most closely associate with a semi-permanent location. Good airport access, drivable from much of the Midwest and with an empty but traversable downtown, St. Louis is a safe a choice for the NCAA Championships committee. Kansas City Venue: Sprint Center Host: Missouri/Kansas City Sports Commission Few cities are less attractive to me than Kansas City. Sorry! I know that we have readers who love the dining scene and promise that beers downtown can be fun, but I don't see the city meeting many of the criteria that will help the sport to grow in the eyes of the media. It's not a regional powerhouse, has limited tradition as a host and isn't a top-flight destination for young fans who want to get involved in the sport. Oklahoma City Venue: Chesapeake Energy Arena Host: Oklahoma State/Oklahoma City All Sports Association I'm ready for 2014! The final award will be announced on December 11th. To your questions ... Q: What is better to wear under your singlet: jockstrap or compression shorts? Or is it up to the preference of the individual wrestler, and why? -- Gregg Y. Foley: I struggle with this every time I get dressed for wrestling class. Nothing seems to fit perfectly, and when you are in a variety of positions it's likely that you'll either encounter a wedgie in your boxers, or some uncomfortable shift while wearing jockstraps. In college the preference was for the two-strap, backless jock strap. Everything stayed in place which meant less crotch adjustment. However, I'm 32 years old and though I don't easily blush, I think that wearing a jock strap out of college whiffs of desperation for my competition days. There is too much hair on my chest to be mistaken for a young collegiate stud, so why wear ass-less underwear in a locker room? High school, or college? I'm strappin' in tight. Taxpaying citizen in their thirties with a receding hairline? I'll stick to the tight boxer briefs and deal with the frustration of adjustment. I embrace my fall into physical irrelevance one piece of modest and sensible clothing at a time. Q: On Sept. 8 Flowrestling.com posted an article with the proposed new 6-6-6 weights for the senior level, and Flo stated that the weights would be finalized at FILA's Technical Commission during the World Championships. However, I haven't been able to find any official statement listing the revised weight classes. Do you know what weight classes FILA decided on or if that is still under debate? Also, what are your thoughts on how the proposed weights left a huge gap at what was formerly 60 kilos? -- Jeff S. Foley: The revised weight classes will be distributed by FILA in the coming weeks. Though 60 kilos was eliminated for Olympic years, there was discussion of adding the weight class, or something nearby, back to the program during non-Olympic qualifying World Championships. Of course, the reduction of a weight class wasn't a decision that the FILA leadership made with ease, but in order to keep the sport in the Olympics they felt mandated to balance the opportunities for men's and women's wrestling. The new weight classes won't be the ones from the article you read on Sept 8. Instead you'll see something to take the sting off the loss of 60 kilos and probably a variety of weight classes between freestyle and Greco-Roman -- something FILA had been trying to accomplish for a while to help the sports become more identifiable. Keep your eyes out for more information this week or next. Q: Troy Lamson, who competes on scholarship in wrestling for Michigan State, fights amateur MMA and holds a 16-0 record. Are there any rules against competing in amateur MMA while on scholarship? What if you get hurt? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Without speaking to Troy or his coaches, I'm certain they aren't thrilled he's taking right hooks to the head in the offseason. However, if they see his scholarship as paying off for them, there is no reason they wouldn't keep paying. Plenty of college wrestlers spend their offseason playing Call of Duty. I think training in amateur MMA is much healthier and productive. Lamson isn't a starter at the moment, but seems to be a good backup, earning an 11-7 overall record last season. Not everyone can be an NCAA champion. The room needs workout partners. Lamson very well might be an excellent workout partner and teammate -- one that you would hesitate to piss off. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Brent Metcalf used to be a skater Johnny Hendricks is going for the belt ... Q: Now that we have a glimpse of what Tour ACW is offering with wrestling and we saw what Agon has tried, what are your thoughts? -- J. Martin Foley: I think that the two could learn a lot from each other. For me, the wrestling on both sides was watchable, but the matches are far too long. Once the outcome is known, the fans will lose interest and disengage from the product. Tour ACW is more open to participants. Though I doubt I'd make it to ten points in a match, there is nothing restricting me from attempting to win a grand prize. That ability to make some scratch while in the coaching aspect of your life is appealing to guys like Jarrod Garnett, and if we can keep him in the college ranks a few more years because he is make a few grand from events, then it's a win. Compared to Tour ACW, Agon was a spectacle. The guys at the front of the organization are all opinionated and passionate, and that drives a certain feel of hyper energy through the event. Unfortunately, the details are important, and I think that those got lost in their premier event. They profess new ideas and are passionate in pursuing them to their logical ends -- it's commendable and even admirable. I don't think the marquee matchups offered by Agon are a grassroots approach to building the sport, but more of a top-down method that could succeed in creating celebrities, which in turn helps drive the passion and commitment of youth wrestlers. The trash-talking in Agon is entertaining, and though it doesn't bother me, I can see how some parents might not want their child entering a sport with standoffs and the rest. The fear is that Agon and wrestling becomes too closely associated with professional wrestling, and even MMA. Agon can avoid those comparisons by tamping down the unnecessary trash talking and working on putting the touches on the production side of their operation. I'm still advocating for a takedown-only style and am willing to bring on a partner! Q: Do you happen to know why Solomon Chishko and Joey Galasso missed the Super 32 Challenge? I was looking for the names in the brackets and couldn't find them anywhere. -- Brian K. Foley: Word around the Xbox is that Chishko was sidelined by the Chickenpox (yes, it still happens) and Galasso was out with a fairly serious shoulder injury, but is expected to return in late December or early January. Q: Just looking at the finals from the Super 32 Challenge, PA was obviously dominant. But looking at it closer, District 7 in PA was unusually dominant in the lower weights. Of the first six matches, a wrestler from that district either won or was in the finals or both. And if Solomon Chishko would've wrestled it probably would have been the first eight matches. Would you attribute this to the youth programs, coaching or something else? It seems their doing something different from the other programs to be that dominant. -- Henry C. Foley: According to Josh Lowe ...There is a litany of reasons why WPIAL is better than others when it comes to their performance at the Super 32 -- willingness to participate in this type of event, strong culture and tradition for wrestling, and excellent coaching. WPIAL finalists at the Super 32 Challenge: 106: Curry 113: Lee (champion) 120: Both (Pletcher 5, Phillippi 4) 126: Forys 132: Both (Krivus 2, Kemerer 1 TB) 138: Nolf (champion) 152: Kelly *Burrell resident who attends Kiski Prep 182: Zavatsky (champion) Yes, Chishko would've been favored at 145, though that is no guarantee (see Forys over Thorn in the semis). Six of those wrestlers (Lee, Pletcher, Krivus, Kemerer, Nolf, and Zavatsky) were on the Young Guns WC Disney Duals team that torched their way to a title this summer; 10-plus wins each dual.COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK By Russ W. Last year I emailed you about Jason Chamberlain being underestimated in the early rankings. This year I want to alert you to another BSU wrestler who may receive much more attention by the time the NCAAs roll around. Carson Kuhn was the Dave Shultz winner for Utah way back in 2009. Since then he has trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, wrestled internationally, and gone on a mission. By Middle School Coach For my middle school I went right to fight shorts and my numbers are up 300 percent. Last year 9 this year 27. (I just added another.) THE SINGLET IS DEAD.

Bellator 106 was shaping up to be a potentially disappointing pay-per-view idea anchored by a fight between two past-their-prime UFC washouts nobody asked for. However, with Tito Ortiz hurt and the card moved back to basic cable, things suddenly seem more interesting. Richard and John analyze the main card, headlined by lightweight titlist Michael Chandler against Eddie Alvarez and featherweight champ Pat Curran versus Daniel Straus. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team will contest starting roles at the Black & Gold Matches Saturday at 10 a.m. ET in Lambert Fieldhouse. Eight decisive bouts will take place, along with four exhibition matches. The Black & Gold Matches are free and open to the public. The 2013-14 Boilermakers begin competition at the Michigan State Open on Nov. 9. The first home dual of the season will be one to be remembered as Purdue will celebrate 100 years of wrestling while hosting Duke on Nov. 16. It marks the return of former assistant coach Glen Lanham, who is now at the Blue Devil helm, and two legendary Purdue grapplers, Jake Patascil and Ben Wissel, who are assistants under Lanham. Half of the Boilermakers' 14 duals will be against teams that finished among the top 20 at the 2013 NCAA Championships. They will take on familiar Big Ten Conference foes and meet a handful of opponents for the first time in years. Head coach Scott Hinkel has his Purdue team in three marquee tournaments to prepare for the 2014 Big Ten Championships and the grand finale at the 2014 NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla. Leadership and experience are key factors to success and the 2013-14 Boilermakers have that with five returning NCAA qualifiers and four Big Ten Championships placewinners. Their experience, combined with their range of weights, has brought a heightened drive and intensity into the wrestling room. A strong, healthy lineup has returned after battling hankering injuries and off-season surgeries. Even though half of the lineup has postseason credentials, they still have to earn their starting role. PurdueSports.com has broken down each weight class: who's the front-runner to earn a starting spot, who has changed weight classes and who has earned preseason recognition. Gold & Black bouts are unveiled at the conclusion of the 2013-14 preview. 125: Veteran Camden Eppert enters his final campaign at Purdue with high aspirations after narrowly missing a third-straight trip to the NCAA Championships last year. The senior is looking to have his best season yet after an off-season surgery that questioned whether or not he would return to the mat. His recovery, and what he has shown in the wrestling room, is beyond what was expected. Earning preseason national rankings, Eppert is aiming for a podium finish in Oklahoma City. Eppert posted a 23-13 record as a junior, with a team-high nine wins via major decision. His 14 reversals earned him a spot on the single-season top-20 list, tied for 18th, and pushed him into a tie for 11th on the all-time list with 33. In conference duals, the Anderson, Ind., native surrendered just three takedowns while registering a 6-2 mark. Despite Eppert's credentials, redshirt sophomore Luke Schroder and true freshman Aaron Assad will also be contending for the starting role at 125. Schroder wrestled at 125 as a true freshman in 2011-12, filling in as Eppert battled illness and injury, finishing 9-14. He took a redshirt last year while listed at 133, but will drop back down for his second season. 133: Like Eppert, Cashè Quiroga narrowly missed a third trip to the NCAA Championships last season after battling multiple injuries that limited him to just 13 matches. Quiroga's determination to become a two-time All-American has stood out early in practice. Although he had a shortened season as a junior, Quiroga owned a 10-3 record, highlighted by a trio of major decisions and tech falls, and had a team-high 68 takedowns. He currently sits at eighth on Purdue's career takedown chart with 289 and averages 96.3 takedowns per season. At that rate, he could be closing in on finishing among the top-three all-time. Willie Wineberg (1996-99) is third with 387 takedowns. The senior hailing from Indianapolis, Ind., has also garnered preseason attention, landing among the top 20 in two polls. Quiroga is being pushed by redshirt freshman Kyle Ayersman and true freshman Luke Welch, who is the younger brother of Doug and Chad. 141: With Brandon Nelsen making the move to 149 pounds, the competition at 141 has heightened. Redshirt junior Nick Lawrence saw action in four duals, winning three bouts, and competed in six open tournaments, including a first-place finish at the Indianapolis Greyhound Open with a pair of tech falls, for a 17-9 record a year ago. Danny Sabatello makes the move up to 141 after spending his redshirt freshman season at 133, where he went 11-8. He had a team-best four tech falls which helped him earn the second-most back points among returners with 39. This is also one of the weights where Alex Griffin, a redshirt freshman from Lafayette, Ind., could be a contender as he shifts from 157. Also in the mix is true freshman Cody Pae, a two-time Missouri High School state champ. 149: For the past two seasons, Brandon Nelsen has been the mainstay at 141, but with the graduation of All-American Ivan Lopouchanski, he makes the move to 149. Nelsen qualified for his first NCAA Championships a year ago after a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. He has twice led the Boilermakers with nine pins in each of his first two seasons, which is tied for 17th on the single-season record list, and his 18 career falls are tied for 14th. The Indianapolis, Ind., native has received preseason recognition, although two polls have him listed at 141. WrestlingReport.com included Nelsen on its 149 list, checking in at No. 23. Griffin could also be in contention at 149, in addition to 141. True freshman Josh Farrell is also in the mix at 149. 157: With the loss of two-time NCAA qualifier Tommy Churchard to graduation, determining who will be the starter at 157 pounds will impact the Boilermakers all the way up to 184 with numerous wrestlers being able to compete at different weight classes. Heading into the Black & Gold Matches, four names are in the mix at 157: Kyle Mosier, Doug Welch, Dustin Schultz and Riley McClurg. Mosier has competed for Purdue at a wide-range of weights over the course of three years with a career record of 38-38 combined with matches at 164, 174 and 184. The Yorktown, Ind., native, has appeared in the Big Ten Championships each season for the Boilermakers. Welch is also making the move from 165 to 157. During his initial season, he wrestled all but one of his 22 matches at 165 for a 13-9 record. Seven of his wins resulted in bonus points with four pins, two major decisions and one tech fall. Redshirt junior Dustin Schultz is the only one out of four contenders that has wrestled at 157, with majority of his action coming at open tournaments. He is 17-16 in two seasons with one dual appearance. McClurg is a true freshman trying to gain an edge amongst the veterans. 165: Pat Robinson went 23-15 as the starter at 165 pounds last season and his 58 takedowns are the third most among returners. During his redshirt sophomore campaign, Robinson won five-consecutive matches on two occasions, placed third at the Eastern Michigan Open and fifth at the Northern Iowa Open. Add Chad Welch, who was a NCAA qualifier at 174 pounds in his first season as a Boilermaker, into the conversation of potential starters at 165. Welch finished with a 22-15 record and an eighth-place showing at the Big Ten Championships. Redshirt sophomore Andy Hoselton is eyeing his dual debut after appearing in five open tournaments in his first year. 174: Chad Welch could also resume his duties at 174, where WrestlingReport.com has tabbed him 26th in its preseason poll. Another starter from last season, Patrick Kissel, also wants to retain his role. Kissel (21-9) split the load for Purdue at 184 pounds alongside Andy Wiseman (12-8) while battling injuries. He has dropped down a weight class for his redshirt junior campaign, but so has Wiseman. Preston Quam wrestled his first three collegiate matches at 285 (2-1) before moving to 197 (2-4) for his six other bouts. For his redshirt sophomore season, he has cut to 174. Also providing support is true freshman Jacob Morrissey, who posted a pair of undefeated seasons in high school and won three Wisconsin state titles. 184: Like Welch at 174, Kissel could also hold steady at his starting role at 184. He made his first appearance in a national poll, checking in at No. 19 in the W.I.N. Magazine preseason 184 list. If Kissel opts to wrestle at 174, a trio of redshirt freshmen is ready for an opportunity to become a starter in their first season of competition: Tanner Lynde, Luke Schmidt and Andrew Hissom. Lynde, a product of Delphi High School where he was teammates with 197-pounder Braden Atwood, became the first state champion in school history, winning the 189 pound Indiana title in 2012. He also posted the first undefeated season for Delphi with a record of 52-0 as a senior. Schmit and Hissom each were two-time high school state championship qualifiers in Minnesota and Michigan, respectively. Hissom wrestled his way to a podium finish, placing fifth at 189 as a senior. 197: This is one weight class for the Boilermakers without any questions with Braden Atwood. The junior captain has been recognized as a top-15 197-pounder in numerous preseason polls, listed as high as No. 13 by Amateur Wrestling News and W.I.N. Magazine. Atwood went 25-12 last year and earned an automatic berth to his second NCAA Championships, his first at 197, with an eighth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. He led the team with 85 points scored in dual action a year ago. Among returners, the Delphi, Ind., native's 25 wins and seven falls rank second and his 35 back points is third. 285: A pair of wrestlers with experience as a starter, although at different weights, is vying for the job at 285. Redshirt senior Alex White led the way for Purdue as the starter a season ago finishing with a 10-19 record, with seven of his eight Big Ten bouts coming against top-20 competition. Drake Stein stepped in immediately as a freshman, serving as the 174-pound starter during the 2011-12 season. He tallied a 10-18 mark in his inaugural collegiate season, racking up six pins, one tech fall and one major decision. After taking a redshirt last year, Stein has bulked up and made the move to 285 where he looks to contend with White for the starting role. Looking for their first opportunity to step on the mat wearing the Old Gold & Black are redshirt freshman Tyler Kral and true freshman Andrew Geers. Kral took home the 220-pound Indiana High School state title as a senior and Geers compiled a 131-29 record with 63 wins via fall, capping off his high school career as the Illinois High School 3A runner-up. Black & Gold Bouts 125 - Camden Eppert vs. Luke Schroeder 125 - Aaron Assad vs. Luke Welch (exhibition) 133 - Cashè Quiroga vs. Kyle Ayersman 141 - Nick Lawrence vs. Danny Sabatello 149 - Brandon Nelsen vs. Alex Griffin 157 - Doug Welch vs. Kyle Mosier 165 - Pat Robinson vs. Andy Hoselton 174 - Patrick Kissel vs. Jacob Morrissey 184 - Andy Wiseman vs. Luke Schmit (exhibition) 197 - Braden Atwood vs. Tanner Lynde (exhibition) 285 - Alex White vs. Drake Stein 285 - Tyler Kral vs. Andrew Geers (exhibition)

Travis Rutt, a native of New Prague, Minn., was a 2011 NCAA Division I All-American at 184 pounds while attending the University of Wisconsin. Rutt has since transferred to the University of Oklahoma, and returns to NCAA competition this season after an Olympic redshirt season followed by a redshirt season. He enters this season ranked No. 5 at 197 pounds by InterMat. InterMat recently caught up with the Sooner senior. Travis Rutt (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)You've been out of the lineup for the past two seasons. How much are you looking forward to competing in the lineup this season for the Sooners? Rutt: I'm really excited. It's been two years since I've been part of a team atmosphere like that. It's going to be great. You spent time with your assistant coach Jared Frayer at Wisconsin, and then rejoined him at Oklahoma. How much did having Frayer at Oklahoma factor into your decision to become a Sooner? Rutt: It was like paving the way. It was pretty easy coming down on a visit since I had known him before. It really influenced my decision quite a bit right away. When I came down it was a perfect fit for me. Then it didn't matter that he was my coach before. You and Andrew Howe both made the move from Madison to Norman. Were you two set on staying together? Or is that just how things turned out? Rutt: We really wanted to stay together. We knew if it wasn't going to work out, then it wasn't going to work out. But we tried to stay at the same place and it ended up working out perfectly. Travis Rutt defeated Kevin Steinhaus to place seventh at the 2011 NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You were an All-American at 184 pounds in 2011. Now you're moving up to 197 pounds. How is that transition to 197 pounds going? Rutt: Putting on the weight hasn't been an issue. I wrestled 211 in the summer. I felt pretty good there. It has been a pretty easy transition so far. I haven't competed at 197 at all, though. Taylor Meeks of Oregon State is currently ranked No. 1 at 197 pounds. You made quick work of Meeks in freestyle this past spring, earning a fall in just 34 seconds. Did that win give you added confidence knowing that Meeks is the highest returning NCAA finisher at 197 pounds? Rutt: Yeah. It is a different style, so that plays a factor. But it's still going to be there … in the back of both of our minds. That win kind of finalized my decision to go up to 197 pounds. You could potentially meet Meeks at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December. Is that a potential matchup you look forward to more than other matches? Rutt: Yeah. He is the guy with the target on his back right now. You always want to wrestle the No. 1 guy. We have a dual with Oregon State later in the season too. I could potentially see him three or four times this year. Every time we meet it will be a good match and also be exciting. Mark CodyMark Cody is regarded as one of the nation's top college wrestling coaches. What's it like wrestling for him? Rutt: It's great. It's a really nice to have such a hands-on head coach. You competed in the starting lineup at Wisconsin as a true freshman in 2008-09. When you look back on that season now, what did that season do for your wrestling career? Rutt: I was just talking to some of the Oklahoma guys here about that last night. I think I had like seven wins, including open tournaments, before I was taken out of my redshirt. It was not a good year. I definitely took my lumps. It was great, though, because I feel like I learned so much faster through that than if I would have redshirted. I like that I was able to redshirt later. I knew what I needed to work on and where I lacked. So it was a lot easier to focus on things rather than not knowing as a true freshman. I definitely took my lumps. I had a lot of losses, but it helped in the long run. Travis Rutt competed in the 2012 Olympic Trials in Greco-Roman (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You come from Minnesota, a Greco-Roman wrestling hotbed. You have competed in several national events in Greco-Roman, including the Olympic Team Trials in 2012. Do you have favor Greco-Roman over the other two styles? Rutt: I really enjoyed wrestling Greco-Roman growing up. I definitely had a better feel for it. Now I really don't know if I could pick a favorite. I'm planning on wrestling both styles at the World Team Trials next summer. You have coached some national teams in Fargo. Is coaching a potential career path for you? Rutt: Yeah, definitely. I really enjoy that, especially coaching the wrestlers who want to learn and get better, so it's always fun coaching in Fargo. I definitely could see myself coaching in the future. You're one of six All-Americans in the Sooner lineup this season. What does your team need to do to win an NCAA team title in Oklahoma City? Rutt: We're definitely going to need everybody to wrestle up to their potential and perform better than where they're going to be seeded. We'll probably have six guys ranked in the top eight coming into the tournament, and then the other guys are going to have to contribute to that as well. It's not just about the past All-Americans. It's about the other wrestlers too. That will play a big factor in how we finish. This story also appears in the Oct. 25 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.