InterMat Staff

The sixth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team racked up 13 bonus-point wins, including six pins, to easily handle Augustana and Oregon State by a combined score of 84-8 in two duals at the NU Coliseum on Friday. Five Huskers went 2-0 on the day, and Nebraska went 18-2 as a team to move to 3-0 in dual competition this season. Nebraska topped the 30 point mark against the Beavers for a second-straight season, as the Huskers rolled to a 34-8 win in the final dual of the night. NU won eight of the 10 contest matches against OSU, after sweeping all 10 against the Vikings in the Huskers' first dual. Nebraska's 50-0 dismantling of the Vikings is NU's largest win since posting a 55-0 drubbing of the Colorado School of Mines on Jan. 22, 1983. Senior Vince Jones' pin of Kyle Bressler highlighted the Oregon State dual for the Huskers. Jones, ranked No. 7 at 184 pounds, pinned No. 9 Bressler in 2:43, after notching the same result in 1:48 in last year's dual between the two programs. Jones moved to a perfect 8-0 on the season, with six of his wins coming by fall. Redshirt freshman Andy Pokorny also made a strong statement in his debut for the Huskers at 125 pounds. He opened the dual with a pin of Jake Gonzales in 2:28. Sophomore Curtis Salazar posted a 20-5 technical fall against Ryan Harold at 141 pounds, and third-ranked Jordan rounded out NU's bonus-point victories with an 18-7 major decision over Jon Brascetta at 157. No. 5 Stephen Dwyer (165), No. 3 Brandon Browne (174), No. 4 Craig Brester (197) and Tucker Lane (Hwt.) all notched decisions, as the Huskers won the final six matches of the dual. Nebraska jumped on Augustana early and never let up, racking up four pins, two technical falls and a major decision. The quickest fall of the dual went to Browne, who pinned Casey Mouw in 2:02 at 174 pounds. Matt Vacanti was close behind at 133 with a fall in 2:13 over Jason Jeremiason, while Brester and Salazar posted pins in 2:30 and 4:43, respectively. Pokorny started the dual with a 17-0 technical fall at 125, while Lane posted a 15-0 technical fall at heavyweight. Senior Robert Sanders contributed a 15-5 major decision over Brandon Kruger at 157, and Alex Ward (165) and Levi Wofford (184) earned decisions. The Huskers travel to the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational next. Action at the two-day tournament begins at 11 a.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday.

Wrestling fans, I'm very grateful for everyone of you and for our sport during this holiday season. On Behalf of our sport and our sponsors Happy Holidays to each of you. This week we take the Brute Adidas studios back out on the road to the Journeymen Brute NORTHEAST Duals in Troy, New York on Saturday November 29th, 2009. Journeymen Brute Northeast Duals Frank "little Chin" Popolizio began the Northeast duals 6 years ago to allow his club wrestlers to watch quality college wrestling and to assist the growth of wrestling in the greater New York State area. This dual tournament began with only 4 teams. This power packed 17 team Dual Tournament includes Iowa, Oklahoma State, Missouri, App. State, American, Binghamton, Brown, Bloomsburg, Bucknell, Central Mich, Drexel, Harvard, Lehigh, Maryland, North Carolina Greensboro, Old Dominion, Virginia and others. Joining TDR's Scott Casber will be Olympic Champion Jeff Blatnick and Earl Smith of D1Collegewrestling.net. This is a free broadcast and will begin at 10:06 AM Eastern. Join us for an interesting and exciting day of collegiate wrestling on America's Wrestling Radio program Takedownradio.com. Our thanks to Frank Popolizio and his family for his continuing support of wrestling!

In 2003, at the inaugural Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals, only four teams competed and the event drew just 300 fans. Fast forward five years. The Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals, which takes place at Hudson Valley Community College in New York's Capital Region, is now comprised of 17 Division I programs, including seven programs ranked in the top 25. Two of those programs, Oklahoma State and Iowa, are the most storied college wrestling programs in history. It has become one of the most prestigious early-season events in college wrestling. "It's an honor to have traditional Midwest powers come to the East," said Journeymen Wrestling founder and event director Frank Popolizio. "I realize these programs have a choice to go wherever they want in the country and they're trying to give back." With such a star-studded field of teams already in place, it would be easy for Popolizio to just sit back and let the event sell itself. But he doesn't view it like that. "I view it like, OK, it's going to get me some attention, but now I have maximize that and make sure there is not a stone unturned," said Popolizio. Last year's event drew close to 1,800 fans. Popolizio's goal is to get 2,500 at this year's event. Not only has the event increased awareness for big-time college wrestling to fans in New York's Capital Region, but also to members of the Journeymen Wrestling Club. One of the Journeymen Wrestling Club's sayings is "It's imperative that you're around greatness." Every year, Popolizio brings Olympians, NCAA champions, NCAA All-Americans, and Division I coaches to his club. Already this year he's brought in Division I coaches Pat Santoro, John Hughes, and J Robinson, as well as Olympians Eric Guerrero, Doug Schwab, and Ben Askren. Says Popolizio, "When you have that kind of influence constantly in your face, how do you not become inspired?" Just recently, two Journeymen Wrestling Club members, Austin Meys and Zach Clemente, signed with Division I programs. Meys, a two-time New York state champion, signed with Lehigh, while Clemente, a New York state champion, signed with Virginia. "What's happened is that these guys have become inspired to the point where it's now becoming normal to wrestle in college," said Popolizio. "So it's like we have it cranking and now it's just starting to happen." To assist wrestling fans attending the 2008 Journeyman/Brute Northeast Duals, RevWrestling.com has put together a brief analysis of 20 of the premier wrestlers at the event, as well as five freshmen who are expected to make an impact this season. Collegiate Stars (20 Premier Wrestlers): 1. Brent Metcalf (Iowa, 149) Last season, the 149-pounder from Iowa won a Big Ten championship, Big Ten Outstanding Wrestler award, NCAA title, NCAA Outstanding Wrestler honors, Hodge Trophy, and Rev Wrestler of the Year award. He finished the season with a 39-1 record, getting 12 pins, seven technical falls, and nine major decisions. 2. Joe Slaton (Iowa, 133) Slaton finished last season with a 31-5 record and was NCAA runner-up at 133 pounds. Despite his breakout season, he is expected to be in a dogfight just for a starting spot in the Hawkeye lineup this season. His teammate and rival at 133, Daniel Dennis, won the University Nationals title in freestyle. 3. Nick Marable (Missouri, 165) Marable begins the season ranked No. 1 in the country at 165 pounds after finishing third at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He recently competed at the NWCA All-Star Classic. 4. Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State, Heavyweight) Rosholt is the No. 1-ranked big man in the land. He posted a 33-5 mark last season and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships. His older brother, Jake, was a three-time NCAA champion for the Cowboys who is now a rising star in mixed martial arts (MMA). 5. Jay Borschel (Iowa, 174) Borschel placed third at the NCAA Championships in his first season in the Hawkeye lineup. He was a four-time Iowa state champion who compiled a record of 163-1 with 95 pins. 6. J.P. O'Connor (Harvard, 157) O'Connor, who is one of only three four-time New York state champions, became the first freshman All-American ever at Harvard in 2007. He repeated as All-American last season, placing sixth at 149 pounds. The pre-med major has moved up to 157 pounds for his junior campaign. 7. Hudson Taylor (Maryland, 197) Taylor was the ACC Wrestler of the Year last season after placing third at the NCAA Championships. He became Maryland's first All-American since 1997 and first Terp to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic in nearly 40 years. 8. Charlie Falck (Iowa, 125) Falck is a two-time All-American for the Hawkeyes, placing eighth in 2007 and sixth in 2008. He notched a win last season over 2008 NCAA champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana. 9. Raymond Jordan (Missouri, 174) Jordan placed fifth at the NCAA Championships last season to pick up his first All-American medal. He has moved down a weight class to 174 pounds and could become just the fourth Tiger to become an All-American in more than one weight class. 10. Max Askren (Missouri, 197) Askren, the younger brother of Olympic freestyle wrestler Ben Askren, is a returning All-American and two-time Big 12 champion. He served as Ben's training partner leading up to the Olympic Games. 11. Phil Keddy (Iowa, 184) Keddy went from 14-16 as a freshman to 28-11 and All-American last season as a sophomore. He was runner-up at the University World Team Trials in May to 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert of Northwestern. 12. Louis Caputo (Harvard, 184) Caputo was an All-American two seasons ago, placing seventh at the NCAA Championships. But last season he suffered a season-ending injury at the Lone Star Duals in January. 13. Mike Cannon (American, 174) Last season, Cannon became just the sixth American University wrestler ever to earn All-America honors after placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. He finished the season with a 30-6 record and was named NWCA Academic All-American for the second consecutive season. 14. Obe Blanc (Oklahoma State, 125) Blanc, who transferred to Oklahoma State from Lock Haven, was an All-American in 2007. He did not compete last season as he took an Olympic redshirt. 15. Brandon Mason (Oklahoma State, 165) Mason is a three-time NCAA qualifier and All-American in 2007. He has moved down one weight class to 165 pounds for his senior season. 16. Trevor Stewart (Central Michigan, 165) Stewart won the MAC title and picked up three victories at the 2008 NCAA Championships despite suffering knee injuries and a broken hand during the season. 17. Alex Tsirtsis/Dan LeClere (Iowa, 141) The Hawkeyes have two very talented wrestlers at this weight class. Both were four-time state champions. Tsirtsis was an All-American in 2006 and redshirted last season. LeClere posted a 28-11 record last season and was a Midlands champion. 18. Matt Moley (Bloomsburg, 157) Moley was 34-11 last season and placed eighth at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He was also runner-up at the EWL Championships. 19. Steve Mytych (Drexel, 125) Last season, Mytech set the Drexel single-season record with 38 victories. He needs just 30 more victories to become Drexel's all-time winningest wrestler. 20. Mike Miller (Central Michigan, 174) Miller was an All-American as a freshman in 2007. He took an Olympic redshirt last season. Super Frosh (Five Impact Freshmen): 1. Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State, 141) Parks is one of the nation's top freshmen. He was a three-time Oklahoma state champion who was ranked No. 1 in the country at his weight class as a high school senior. He compiled a record of 16-1 last season as a redshirt. 2. Troy Dolan (Missouri, 125) Dolan was a three-time Pennsylvania state champion. He was a Super 32 and Powerade champion. As a redshirt last season, Dolan was 28-6 and placed in the top five in his weight class at six tournaments, including two first-place finishes. 3. John Connor McDonald (Lehigh, 125) McDonald was a three-time Delaware state champion who won over 150 matches as a high school wrestler. He was also a Junior Nationals champion in 2006. 4. Jared Trice (Central Michigan, Heavyweight) As a redshirt, Trice won the heavyweight title in the freshman/sophomore division at the Michigan State Open. He was also a third-place finisher at both the Eastern Michigan Open and Kent State Open. 5. Max Shanaman (Missouri, 149) Shanaman came to Missouri from national powerhouse Blair Academy in New Jersey. He was a three-time National Prep champion and two-time Junior Nationals All-American. He was awarded a medical redshirt last season due to injury.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Claiming wins in six of 10 bouts, the St. John's University wrestling team snapped a 22-match losing streak to Augsburg College with an 18-13 dual-meet victory on Wednesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall. The Johnnies (5-0 overall), ranked No. 7 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings, won for the first time over the No. 2-ranked Auggies (0-1 overall) since the 1985-86 season. Augsburg is 28-2 in dual meets against St. John's since 1979. The St. John's victory also broke two other Augsburg winning streaks -- a streak of 70 straight victories over Minnesota Division II or III opponents since 1996, and a streak of 92 straight victories over Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes stretching to the 1986-87 season. Augsburg, winners of 10 of the last 18 Division III national titles, is now 228-20 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 15 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 235-23 since the 1979-80 season and 159-13 since the 1989-90 season. The Johnnies built an 18-6 lead after eight bouts and withstood Augsburg wins in the final two bouts to secure the dual victory. Meanwhile, Augsburg gained a major-decision, 14-5 victory from 197-pounder Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) over the Johnnies' Tony Willaert (SO, North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial HS), ranked No. 3 nationally in the weight class. Massey, now 5-0 on the season, claimed six takedowns and built 1:46 of riding time in the win. Two of Augsburg's three nationally-ranked wrestlers in action on Wednesday claimed victories, as top-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) built a 5-0 first-period lead and held off a rally by the Johnnies' Mogi Baatar (JR, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep HS) in a 9-8 victory. No. 5-ranked Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) scored a 6-3 victory at heavyweight over the Johnnies' Cody Socher (FY, Delano, Minn.). The Johnnies claimed three wins on riding-time bonus points -- a 4-3 win by Chad Henle (FY, Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) over Augsburg's Josh Roberts (FY, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) at 125; a 3-2 win by Matt Baarson (SO, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park HS) over Augsburg's No. 3-ranked Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) at 157; and a 4-3 win by Matt Schrupp (SR, Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) over Augsburg's Brandon Klukow (SR, Albert Lea, Minn.) at 165. Augsburg's Lucas Murray (SO, Anoka, Minn.) used a takedown and three-point near-fall midway through the third period to claim an 11-8 win over No. 3-ranked Minga Batsukh (SO, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep HS) at 141. Dustin Baxter (SO, Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley HS) of St. John's used a takedown with 14 seconds left to score a 12-10 win over Augsburg's Garrett Long (JR, Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS) at 184. John Vaith (SO, Hastings, Minn.) used a reversal and three-point near-fall in the third period to rally for an 8-6 win over Augsburg's Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) at 149, and Grant Eustice (SR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) scored a 6-3 win over Augsburg's Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.) at 174. Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) won six of nine bouts to score a 25-6 win over the St. John's junior varsity in the preliminary match on Wednesday. Augsburg returns to action after the Thanksgiving break on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 9 a.m., competing at the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragon Open. St. John's competes at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Duals on Dec. 6.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa Director of Athletics Gary Barta announced today that Coach Tom Brands has signed a contract extension that will run through the 2013 wrestling season. "Tom Brands is the best wrestling coach in the country," said Barta. "When you combine that with the fact he's been a Hawkeye all his life, the fit is perfect. I look forward to working with him for many years to come." Brands' new contract will run through June 2013 and increases his guaranteed annual compensation to approximately $150,000. Additional academic and athletic incentives will offer Brands opportunities for additional income. The 2008 NWCA, W.I.N. Magazine and Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, Brands is in his third season as Iowa's head wrestling coach. He has a 39-6 overall and 13-3 Big Ten record at Iowa, and a 56-26 career mark. Brands and the defending NCAA and Big Ten Champion Hawkeyes are off to a 4-0 start this season with wins over Iowa Central (52-0), Coe (51-0), Minnesota State Mankato (45-3) and Arizona State (41-0) at the Iowa City Duals last week. Iowa is currently on an 18-dual match winning streak. In only his second season as head coach, Brands guided the 2007-08 squad to NCAA and Big Ten titles, as well the Big Ten regular season title with an undefeated 8-0 league mark. It was Iowa's 21st NCAA team title - the first since 2000 - and the Hawkeyes' 32nd Big Ten championship - the first since 2004. Iowa also won the 2007 Midlands title and the Division I trophy at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in January. The Hawkeyes posted a 21-1 dual mark, ending the season on a 14-match winning streak. Senior Mark Perry and sophomore Brent Metcalf each won NCAA titles, and Iowa crowned a total of seven all-Americans, which was the most for Iowa since 2001. Iowa also produced six academic all-Big Ten honorees, which is the second-highest total in school history. Brands served as head coach at Virginia Tech University for two seasons (2005-06), recording a 17-20 dual mark. Prior to taking the helm at Virginia Tech, Brands was an assistant coach at Iowa for 12 seasons (1993-2004). He helped the Hawkeyes to a 177-27 dual record, seven NCAA and eight Big Ten titles, while crowning 23 NCAA champions, 73 all-Americans and 36 Big Ten champions. He was named the NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000. As a competitor, Brands won the 1996 Olympic freestyle gold medal at 136.5 pounds in Atlanta, GA. He also won a gold medal at the 1993 World Freestyle Championships in Toronto, two World Cup gold medals (1994, 1995) and was the 1995 Pan American Games champion. He won four U.S. National titles (1993-96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96). Along with his twin brother, Terry, Tom was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, the 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. He was inducted into wrestling's Hall of Fame in 2001. Brands was a four-time all-American at Iowa (1989-92). During his Hawkeye career, he won three NCAA titles and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the 1992 NCAA Championships. Also a three time Big Ten champion, Brands won 95 percent of his matches at Iowa. His career mark of 158-7-2, included an undefeated season in 1991 (45-0).

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Freshman Jedd Moore (Mount Vernon, Ohio) has been named the ACC Wrestler of the Week following his standout performance Sunday at the Journeymen Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton, N.Y. The honor is the first career conference wrestler of the week distinction for Moore. It also marks the second straight week a UVa wrestler has earned the honor after Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) nabbed it Nov. 18. In just his fourth weekend of college wrestling, Moore upset second-ranked Dan Vallimont of Penn State, 9-4, at 157 pounds. The win was key in keeping the Cavaliers close, as they went down to the final bout before falling to No. 14 PSU, 19-15. Moore went on to post a major decision in the Cavaliers' next dual against American International and improved to 12-3 this year. Moore's win over Vallimont marked the highest-ranked opponent a UVa wrestler has defeated in three years under head coach Steve Garland. The 24th-ranked Cavaliers head back to New York Saturday to compete in the Northeast Duals in Albany. UVa is slated to wrestle No. 7 Oklahoma State at 11 a.m., Bucknell at 1 p.m. and Harvard at 3 p.m.

After improving his season record to a perfect 9-0 with an individual title at 141 pounds at the Kaufman-Brand Open over the weekend, Minnesota sophomore Mike Thorn was named Wrestler of the Week by the Big Ten conference office today. Thorn, a St. Michael, Minn. native, earned his second individual title in as many weeks with an impressive 5-3 upset decision over Tennessee-Chattanooga's fourth-ranked Cody Cleveland in the championship bout. His path to the championship included two pins and a 4-1 decision victory over North Dakota State's Gabe Mooney in the semifinals. In his third season with the program, Thorn is expected to be a key contributor for the Gophers, who return just four starters this season. Just two years removed from an NCAA title, Minnesota will welcome Thorn as be one of the key newcomers to the starting lineup this season. Thorn and the Gophers return to action this weekend at the Northern Quad, where they will face Northern Colorado, North Dakota State and Portland State in a dual meet format at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. Minnesota first dual with Portland State begins at 10:00 a.m.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Utah Valley University 125-pounder Ben Kjar (Centerville, Utah/Viewmont HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. This past week Kjar, who is ranked 20th nationally, went an impressive 8-0 as he won all three of his dual matches as well as being crowned the 125-pound champion at the Best of the West Open this past Saturday. At the Best of the West, Kjar went 5-0 on the day and beat Oregon State's Jake Gonzales in the championship bout (3-1). Kjar started the week off by winning his match at the No. 13 nationally ranked Boise State Broncos via major decision as he beat Alan Bartelli 12-3. The next night Kjar, as well as the Wolverines, went 2-0 against Portland State and Simon Fraser as he pinned PSU's Kevin Martinez at the 3:40 mark, and beat Simon Fraser's Aso Palani 5-2. On the season Kjar's record has now improved to 13-2 (3-1 duals). The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Others nominated: North Dakota State - Ryan Adams, 149 lbs., Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn. (Coon Rapids HS) Northern Colorado - Mitchell Polkowske, 149 lbs., Fr., LaJara, Colo. (Centennial HS) Northern Iowa - Charlie Ettelson, 149 lbs., Jr., Hudson, Iowa (Hudson HS) Wyoming - Michael Martinez, 125 lbs., R-Fr., Pagosa Springs, Colo. (Pagosa Springs HS) 2008-09 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 11 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) Nov. 18 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) Nov. 25 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- University of Northern Iowa senior wrestler Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) scored a 13-9 exhibition win over Ohio State's Colt Sponseller at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Meet on Monday night in St. John Arena on the Ohio State campus. UNI head coach Brad Penrith said he was pleased with Fay's effort in the match. "Moza rode him hard and it kind of tired Moza out a little bit," Penrith said. "It was Moza's first real one-hour weigh-in of the year so it's understandable that he would get tired. Moza took control in the third period. It was great match to see where he is at this of year." The Panthers and Fay will be in action again on Dec. 7 at the UNI Open in the UNI-Dome.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Army juniors Matt Kyler and Richard Starks each picked up decisions to lead the Black Knights to a 21-15 victory over Bucknell, Tuesday night, in Lewisburg, Pa. The victory helped Army (3-1-1, 2-0 EIWA) remain unbeaten against Bucknell as the Black Knights improved to 8-0 all-time versus the Bison (0-2, 0-1 EIWA). "Overall, I was really pleased with intensity of the guys, especially after a long weekend at Cornell," said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "We had a lot of guys really man-up tonight. It was a good way to finish before Thanksgiving break, and we look forward to getting back at it next week as we prepare for Las Vegas." Kyler, the ninth-ranked 149-pounder in the nation, improved to 11-2 this year with a 10-3 decision over Kevin LeValley, while Starks, ranked 16th at 197, earned a 4-3 win over Jay Hahn to run his season record to 9-3. Both were coming off runner-up performances at the Body Bar Invitaitonal at Cornell on Saturday that saw Army tie for fourth place in the 11-team field. Bucknell picked up the night's first victory as 14th-ranked David Marble took a 6-4 sudden-victory decision over senior Whitt Dunning at 133, but the Black Knights would bounce back with three consecutive wins, including major decisions by sophomore Casey Thome at 141 and freshman Rudy Chelednik at 157 to take Army to a 11-3 lead. The two teams would split the final six bouts. Bucknell would pull to within two point, 14-12, after a 4-0 decision by David Thompson over Army freshman William Osilaja, but Starks' victory, followed by a 19-8 major decision by senior Michael Sprigg over Sean LoCurto at 285, clinched the meet for Army. Junior Ryan Mergen picked up his eighth victory of the season with an impressive 5-2 decision over Shane Riccio at 174 to help put the meet out of reach. Army will return to action on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6-7, at the Las Vegas Invitational.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Fifth-year senior captain Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) of the University of Michigan wrestling team backed up his No. 1 national ranking at 174 pounds, knocking off Iowa's second-ranked Jay Borschel 3-2 at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday evening (Nov. 24) at the Buckeyes' St. John Arena. Luke, making his first all-star appearance, controlled the early pace of the match and took the bout's only shots in the opening two periods. After failing to convert on a pair of first-period single-leg attempts, the Wolverine captain made good on a double-leg shot midway through the second frame. Luke drove Borschel to the edge of the mat, and, despite temporarily losing the Hawkeye's second leg as the wrestlers hit the mat, he came around out of bounds to complete the score. Borschel earned a quick escape on the restart and another early in the third period to cut Luke's advantage to one point, but the Iowa wrestler could not convert on his lone shot of the match midway through the third period as Luke kicked out of his single-leg attempt. The victory, which is considered an exhibition and does not count toward his season record, improves Luke's mark against Borschel to 2-1. The two wrestlers split a pair of meetings last season with Borschel claiming a 3-1 decision in the contest at the National Duals and Luke claiming the rematch 5-3 during the Big Ten Conference dual season. Luke and the rest of the Wolverines will continue early-season action in two weeks at the 27th-annual Cliff Keen Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5-6, in Las Vegas, Nev. Competition is slated to begin with pigtail rounds on Friday at 9 a.m. PST at the Las Vegas Convention Center. U-M returns to the prestigious tournament as the defending team champion.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Senior returning NCAA champion Jordan Leen pinned No. 7 Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday night at 157 pounds. Sophomore Mack Lewnes lost a narrow 3-2 decision to No. 4 Nick Marable of Missouri at 165 pounds. Both contests are exhibition matches and do not count towards the wrestlers' record. At 157 pounds, Leen scored an early takedown, but Sanderson came within a point with a quick escape. The Big Red wrestler was in the top position to start the second period. Leen held tight to Sanderson and racked up 1:55 in riding time before the Iowa State grappler was able to escape with 10 seconds left in the period. Sanderson cut Leen lose at the beginning of the third looking to pick up his first offensive points. With a little over a minute left in the match, Sanderson took a shot a Leen. Cornell's senior captain countered and pinned Sanderson in 5:59. At 165, Marable went up 2-0 early with a takedown, but within 28 seconds Lewnes escaped. The Missouri wrestler started the second in the down position and took a two point lead with a quick escape. Lewnes made a quick escape to come within a point in the third period. The Cornell sophomore made two deep shots late in the match, but Marable was able to evade Lewnes' clutches and won a 3-2 victory. The decision was the third time that the Missouri wrestler has edged out Lewnes by a 3-2 score. The Cornell team will be back in action on Dec. 5-6 as it travels to Nevada for the Las Vegas Invitational. The All-Star Classic will be shown on ESPNU on Dec. 4 at 10 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Iowa State 141-pound wrestler Nick Gallick defeated defending NCAA champion J Jaggers of Ohio State on his own mat and Cyclone 197-pounder Jake Varner dominated Maryland All-American Hudson Taylor at the NWCA All-Star Classic Monday in St. John Arena. Iowa State 157-pounder Cyler Sanderson was pinned by Jordan Leen of Cornell. Gallick beat Jaggers, 6-2 in the 141-pound bout. It was the first ever meeting between the two wrestlers. Jaggers was the sixth seed in the 2008 NCAA Championship at 141 pounds. The Buckeye beat the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 seeds en route to the title. Monday, Gallick got a reversal and back points to earn the victory. Gallick used the reversal and transitioned into a spladle to earn three back points in the second period to go up 5-1. The ISU All-American hung tough in the third to build up riding time and closed out the victory, 6-2. "We came to this meet to wrestle the best opponents we could find," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "Nick did a great job beating the defending NCAA champion. Jaggers is obviously really tough, so this was a good test match for us." The top-rated Varner, a two-time NCAA finalist, dominated the second-rated Hudson 13-1. Varner was tough from his feet and from the top position in his first action against the Maryland wrestler. His 12-point victory margin is the largest for an ISU grappler in a full match at the All-Star Classic since Bob Holland defeated Navy's Dan Muthler by a score of 24-11 in 1975. "Jake was aggressive out there," Sanderson said. "He got several takedowns and back points." ISU All-American Cyler Sanderson, ranked seventh nationally, was pinned by fifth-ranked Jordan Leen of Cornell, a two-time All-American in 5:59. Leen held a 3-2 advantage before the fall. The Sanderson family is no stranger to the NWCA All-Star Classic with three other cardinal-and-gold clad brothers hitting the mat for ISU. Head coach Cael Sanderson was a four-time participant from 1999-02. Associate head coach Cody Sanderson represented Iowa State at 133 pounds in 2000 and Cole Sanderson wrestled for the Cyclones at 157 pounds in 2001. "They both were in a scramble and Leen came out on top," Sanderson said. The all-star matches are contested as exhibitions which will not count toward the record of any of the wrestlers. Cael Sanderson said the trip was worth the effort. "You can only get better by wrestling the individuals who can really challenge you," said the ISU head coach. ISU stands at 46-16-3 all-time in the NWCA All-Star Classic for a .731 winning percentage. Since 1967, Cyclone wrestlers have been participants in the event 65 times.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy defeated No. 2 Jayson Ness (Minnesota), 7-5, at 133 pounds at the 43rd Annual NWCA All-Star Classic at St. John Arena Monday. Kennedy scored a pair of early takedowns in the first period and held off Ness from there to take the victory in the exhibition event. His win marks the fifh-straight win by Illini wrestlers at the All-Star Classic, including Mike Poeta's win last year, victories by Alex Tirapelle and Pete Friedl in 2005, and Mark Jayne's win in 2004. "Jimmy really gave a pretty dominating performance," Illinois head coach Mark Johnson said. "People didn't really know what to do with Ness in the rankings since he moved up to 133 this year after having success at 125 last year, so this was a good match for Jimmy to wrestle." Kennedy fired and got a takedown just seven seconds into the match but Ness escaped. Less than one minute later, Kennedy finished a double-leg takedown on the edge of the mat for a 4-1 margin. After Kennedy recorded some riding time, Ness managed to escape to make the score 4-2 at the end of the first period. Ness started down in the second and Kennedy managed to increase his riding time advantage to 1:46 before Ness escaped to bring the score to 4-3. Ness fired in on a deep single-leg but Kennedy managed to fend off the Gopher and earn a neutral restart. After no further scoring in the period, Kennedy started down in the third and escaped, but Ness caught him for a takedown to tie the score at 5. After Ness rode him for approximately 40 seconds, Kennedy escaped to make the score 6-5 and maintain his riding-time point with 1:01 of riding time advantage remaining. The Illini junior fended off numerous late attacks by Ness to hold on for the 7-5 victory.

Much like the Kaufman-Brand Open, which took place the day before in Nebraska, Sunday's Fullerton Open wrestling tournament featured a field somewhat smaller than that seen in previous years. This merely resulted in an earlier end time for the event, as there was no shortage of quality wrestling in the finals. The home team dominated the event, with Cal-Fullerton wrestlers placing in the top four of all ten weight classes. Three Titans were crowned champions, two more were runners-up, four were third and two were fourth. Conditioning played a big part in the home team's dominance. "We trained hard this year," said head coach Dan Hicks. "Especially for Navy a while ago. We beat 'em, but it was a brawl. We knew they would be tough and come on hard, so we trained for them all fall to get ready. We knew we'd be in good shape coming into this tournament, but now we've got to carry it on through." In no final was Fullerton's conditioning more apparent than at 157 pounds, where Steven De La Fuente stopped unattached Randal Allerman, 7-4. De La Fuente held a slim 5-4 lead, but yet pressed the attack and scored a final takedown at the end of the third period. "He seemed tired," De La Fuente said. "It gives me motivation. You're like a lion … you see your prey and you get excited." Using his shape to his advantage was part of his strategy. "Going into that match, I planned on wearing him out," said De La Fuente. "Go hard on the head the whole time. This is college wrestling -- both guys are going to get tired at some point. You've just got to push through it." De La Fuente was joined on the top step of the podium by teammates TJ Dillashaw (133) and Devin Velasquez (165) -- both of whom beat opponents from Cal-State Bakersfield. Dillashaw won 7-3 bout over Tomas Kimbrell and Velasquez won 7-4 over Joey Granata. The senior Dillashaw looked especially sharp in all three positions, including a ride out for the entire second period. Fullerton's Teddy Astorga appeared close to victory in his 141-pound finals match with Boris Novachkov of Cal-Poly. Down 0-1 on the scoreboard in the third period, the match was actually tied since Astorga had riding time. But the crafty Novachkov scored a quick takedown, two backpoints and erased the riding time to win 5-0. The only lopsided match of the evening saw Fullerton's Tim Hawkins lose to Zack Giesen (wrestling unattached for Stanford) 12-1. The closest bout of the evening was a 3-2 victory for Enock Francois of Cal Baptist over Jason Points of Cal-Bakersfield. In a bout that featured more action than points, the match was ironically won on a stalling call. Coach Hicks was fairly pleased with the results, but felt that his team simply had to build on it. "For us, we need confidence," said Hicks. "We have two and a half scholarships here. There are good kids in California, but a lot of times we haven't been getting the number one guy in the country … although we beat a few of them today. So we need to get in great shape so we can win matches and build confidence. Keep building where our kids feel that we can win." He also stressed that while his wrestlers have to continue to improve, he and his assistants also have work to do. "We really have to coach," said Hicks. "The kids that get that win most of the time. We've got to focus. We've got Mark Munoz working with us now. Just having him walking around is helpful. I mean, he's a national champ. We've got a great coaching staff now. For us, it's staying in shape, fixing the little things, and getting more and more experience." With the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational coming up, a tough dual meet schedule and hosting the Pac-10 tournament, that experience is certainly forthcoming. But the success has also been building already. "Before I came six years ago," Hicks said. "Fullerton hadn't conference dual in five years. Now we've won nine in a row." With the loss of the (Pac-10) Oregon wrestling program and the near-loss of Arizona State to Title IX compliance, Hicks understands the importance of building up not only his program, but wrestling itself at the college level. "We had high school team day on Friday when we wrestled Stanford and we had this whole bottom level filled with high school kids. We do that to get kids out. We're hosting the Pac-10s here this year. We have to do a lot of things to promote the sport up." Fullerton Open Brackets

The 43rd Annual NWCA All-Star Classic provided several exciting matches for the 2,070 in attendance at St. John Arena on the campus of Ohio State University. Twelve bouts were contested and only three were decided with bonus point wins. Brent Metcalf (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)One of those bonus point victories came in the much anticipated rematch of No. 1 Brent Metcalf of Iowa and No. 4 Darrion Caldwell of NC State. Metcalf avenged a loss to Caldwell last season with a dominant 19-3 technical fall. After both wrestlers exchanged head slaps to start the bout, they settled into the match and Metcalf took control. Metcalf secured a takedown and then transitioned into a turk for three back points early in the first period. From that point on Metcalf took advantage of Caldwell risk taking style and broke the match open. At the 6:20 mark, Metcalf earned one last takedown and ended the bout. Combined the two bouts between Metcalf an Caldwell have lasted eight minutes. The first bout of the night was at 125. No. 3 Charlie Falck of Iowa took a 6-2 decision over Old Dominion's James Nicholson, ranked No. 5. Falck scored an early takedown, but the match was still in doubt until late in the third when Falck earned his second takedown of the match. That score put Falck up 5-2 and he tacked on riding time for the 6-2 win. The feature match at 133 paired No. 6 Joe Baker of Navy and No. 8 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. Baker, a late addition to the All-Star line-up, used tough work from the top position to earn a 5-1 win. Leading 1-0 going into the third, Baker rode Humphrey for most the period before scoring three near-fall with a cradle and securing riding time. Humphrey did escape, but it was too late and he dropped the decision in front of the home crowd. The second bout at 133 saw No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois defeat No. 2 Jayson Ness of Minnesota. Kennedy used two takedowns in the first period to jump out to a 4-2 lead. Ness cut the score to 4-3 with an escape. Kennedy escaped in the third, but Ness tied the match with a takedown. The difference for Kennedy, in the 7-5 win, was another escape and banked riding time. No. 2 Nick Gallick defeated returning NCAA Champion and No. 1 ranked J Jaggers of Ohio State, 6-2. After a scoreless first period, Gallick chose bottom and picked up a reversal. Moments later Gallick scored three controversial back points. Jaggers believed he had a reversal with a Peterson roll, but both wrestlers were in awkward positions. The officials saw no change in control and awarded the points to Gallick. Gallick made the lead hold up and added a riding time point to beat Jaggers. No. 5 Jordan Leen of Cornell picked up a surprising fall against No. 7 Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State. Leen held a 3-2 lead in the third period. He got in deep on a shot on the mat and in effort to defend the takedown Sanderson draped over Leen's back. Leen rocked back and stacked Sanderson up for the fall at 5:59. The feature bout at 165 was a high scoring bout between No. 2 Moza Fay of Northern Iowa and No. 16 Colt Sponseller of Ohio State. Fay led 5-1 after one period, but Sponseller continued to be aggressive on his feet. Sponseller cut into Fay's big lead in the third period with several takedowns, but the deficit was too big to overcome. Fay held on for a 13-9 win. No. 4 Nick Marable of Missouri used a takedown and an escape to down No. 1 Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the second bout at 165. Marable kept good position on his feet to slow down Lewnes' attack and only allowed two escapes. No. 1 Steve Luke of Michigan defeated No. 2 Jay Borschel of Iowa, 3-2. Luke's victory was paced by a strong second period, in which he recorded an escape and a takedown. Borschel tried to push the issue on his feet in the third period, but Luke didn't leave any openings and made the most of his second period points. For the third straight match the final score was 3-2. The victor this time was No. 3 Phil Keddy of Iowa. Keddy scored a takedown early in the first period of his match with No. 4 Louis Caputo of Harvard. He did allow an offensive point in the match, allowing two escapes. Keddy added an escape and took the 3-2 decision. No. 1 Jake Varner of Iowa State took a major decision win over No. 2 Hudson Taylor of Maryland. Varner's 13-1 victory was a combination of offensive and defensive scoring on his feet. The match involved several wild scrambles with Varner coming out on top of nearly all of them. Taylor remained aggressive throughout the match, but Varner had an answer for everything that was throw at him. Oklahoma State's Jared Rosholt, ranked No. 1, earned an 8-4 decision over No. 3 Kyle Massey of Wisconsin. Rosholt and Massey battled on their feet for most the match with Rosholt winning that battle. Rosholt tallied two defensive takedowns and one offensive takedown on a sweep single in the third. Both wrestlers were active, but Rosholt owned the action in the neutral position, which was the difference in the match.

The NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the United States Marine Corps is tonight at 7 p.m. ET on the campus of Ohio State University. InterMat will have live text coverage throughout the night and Takedown Radio will be broadcasting live from St. John Arena Starting at 6:30. Joining TDR's Scott Casber and Britt Malinsky will be Ohio State Assistant Coach Joe Heskett with the play by play. TDR's chat room will be open for fans to interact with one another as well.

United States Congressman and former two-time NCAA wrestling champion Jim Jordan will be this week's featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio. Augsburg College's KAUG radio serves as the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live this Tuesday from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. As a wrestler, Jordan was a two-time NCAA champion for the University of Wisconsin in 1984 and 1985. He was also a four-time Ohio state prep champion for St. Paris Graham High School from 1979 – 1982, compiling a 150-1 career record. Jordan currently serves as a United States Congressman from the 4th district of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, Jordan was elected to his second congressional term during the Nov. 4 elections. This week's guests on Wrestling 411 Radio Tuesday, November 25 – Jim Jordan, United States Congressman, former two-time NCAA champion for Wisconsin. Thursday, November 27 – Thanksgiving holiday. No show. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 – 8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Morningside College (IA) head coach Tim Jager and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse head coach Dave Malecek. Tim Jager is in his fifth season as the head wrestling coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, IA. An NAIA school, Morningside College restarted their wrestling program in 2004 after not competing since 1979. In his first year at the helm, Jager guided the Mustangs to a 9-7 dual meet record and his teams have gone 40-24 in four seasons. Jager has coached seven NAIA All-Americans, including Morningside's first national champion, Jake Stevenson, at 184 pounds in 2007. Jager was a two-time state place winner for George-Little Rock (IA) High School, finishing second as a senior at 160 pounds in 1992. Jager graduated from Buena Vista University (IA) where he was a two-time Division III national qualifier. Dave Malecek's University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling teams have finished third and second in the last two NCAA Division III Championships. In his 3rd season leading the Eagles, Malecek hopes to improve on their early national ranking of 5th. He was named 2007 NCAA Rookie Coach of the Year. Malecek contributed to three national championship teams as an assistant coach at Wartburg College and was successful leading Cedar Rapids Xavier High School for two years. A two-time state champ at legendary Osage (IA) High School, Malecek earned All-American honors at the University of Northern Iowa at 177 pounds in 1994 with a fourth place finish. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

VESTAL, NY -- The Edinboro wrestling team picked up wins in two of its three matches at the Sprawl & Brawl Duals hosted by Binghamton University on Sunday. In the process the 15th-ranked Fighting Scots fell victim to one ranked team while upsetting another. Edinboro opened the day with a 32-12 win over Upper Iowa, but then suffered a 24-16 loss to 14th-ranked Penn State. In their final match the Fighting Scots upset 13th-ranked Boise State, 20-12. Edinboro is now 5-1. As has been the case this year, the Fighting Scots started slow before picking up steam in the middle weights. In fact, Edinboro lost the 125 and 133 lbs. matches in all three matches. Against Upper Iowa, the Fighting Scots fell behind 8-0 before roaring back with wins in the next four matches and seven of the last eight. The Penn State match featured three bouts with a pair of nationally-ranked matches, with Edinboro winning two of the three. The highlight of the day came in the 157 lb. match, where third-ranked Gregor Gillespie met Penn State's second-ranked Dan Vallimont. Vallimont had defeated Gillespie, 2-1, in last year's consolation semifinals at Nationals. This time around Gillespie got the best of the Nittany Lion, tilting him twice in the second period for a total of five points and going on for an 8-0 major decision. Gillespie's younger brother, Torsten, wasn't as fortunate as the 17th-ranked wrestler at 149 lbs. lost by fall to Bubba Jenkins, who is ranked second. Chris Honeycutt came up with a minor upset at 184 lbs. Honeycutt, ranked 14th, held off 13th-ranked Phil Bomberger, winning an 8-3 decision. Edinboro came back with a strong showing against 13th-ranked Boise State. After falling behind 6-0 with losses in the first two bouts, the Boro ran off wins in the next four matches to take a 12-6 lead. The Broncos would pick up wins by decision at 174 and 184 lbs. to knot the match at 12-12, but Edinboro closed with a pair of major decisions. Pat Bradshaw, who was one of just four wrestlers to win all three of his bouts, won by a 14-3 score over Ryan Allen at 197 lbs. Joey Fendone, ranked eighth and also 3-0 on the day, closed out the win with an 8-0 major decision over Sam Zylstra. Gregor Gillespie picked up another big win as he won a 1-0 decision over 10th-ranked Adam Hall. Honeycutt was unable to come up with a second upset win, as he dropped a 7-2 decision to fifth-ranked Kirk Smith. That dropped Honeycutt to 5-1. Gillespie improved to 10-0 on the season and 121-10 for his career, moving into a tie for ninth with Alex Clemsen in career wins. Fendone and King are also perfect at 10-0 and 9-0, respectively. Fendone also picked up his 30th career win by fall and is now 85-32. Bradshaw boosted his record to 7-3, while Torsten Gillespie won two of three bouts and is 8-4. Edinboro will return to action on Saturday, December 6 looking to defend its title in the PSAC Championships. Mercyhurst will host the tournament.

OMAHA, NE -- Four University of Iowa wrestlers won individual titles at the 26th annual Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday in Omaha, NE. Junior Joe Slaton won the 133-pound title in the elite division, while true freshmen Matt McDonough (133) and Mark Ballweg (141) and redshirt freshman Brodie Ambrose (197) won titles in the amateur division. Slaton, who defeated Iowa redshirt freshman Montell Marion 5-1 in the finals, won his second straight Kaufman-Brand Open title. McDonough also faced a Hawkeye teammate in the finals, beating true freshman Nate Moore in the 133-pound amateur final. Ballweg recorded two pins, a technical fall and a major decision en route to his title. Hawkeye sophomore Aaron Janssen was Iowa's other placewinner, finishing third in the 165-pound elite division. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck (125), and juniors Brent Metcalf (149), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) are scheduled to compete at the 43rd annual NWCA All-Star Dual Monday in Columbus, OH. The event, which will be held at Ohio State's St. John Arena is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on ESPNU Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. (CT). The Hawkeyes will then head to Troy, NY, Nov. 29 for the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals. Iowa will wrestle Binghamton at 8:15 a.m., Maryland at 10 a.m., Central Michigan at 12:15 p.m. and Bloomsburg at 4 p.m.

DAVIS, Calif. -- Senior Dustin Noack and sophomore Ricky Alcala earned major decisions, and UC Davis added six more points with a forfeit at 157 pounds to upset 10th-ranked Northwestern, 23-15, in a collegiate wrestling dual in front of 944 fans at The Pavilion Sunday night. It marked the home opener for the Aggies and the first time in school history they have defeated a top-10 ranked NCAA Division I team. The win improves them to 2-1 overall while the Wildcats drop their first dual of the season to fall to 4-1. Northwestern defeated Stanford, 25-15, earlier in the day. "It's a big win for our program," said Aggie head coach Lennie Zalesky. "Hopefully this shows that a California team can build an extremely competitive program and contend with these top-10 ranked teams. We'll use this win and hopefully keep things rolling as the season progresses." Noack earned a 9-0 major decision at 165 pounds and Alcala took an 11-3 major decision in the heavyweight finale to lead UC Davis. Redshirt freshman Joey Wilson earned a six-point forfeit win at 157 pounds to keep his collegiate record perfect at 3-0. The two teams split the first four matches for an early 6-6 tie. Sophomores Brandon Low (133) and Barrett Abel (149) earned decisions during that run. The forfeit at 157 pounds gave the Aggies a 12-6 score, which they would not relinquish. Noack increased the Aggie lead to 16-6 with his major decision and senior Tyler Bernacchi grabbed an 8-6 decision at 174 pounds with a takedown in the first sudden victory period to put UC Davis ahead 19-6. A pin from 2007 national champion Jake Herbert at 184 pounds put the Wildcats within striking distance at 19-12. John Schoen earned a 10-6 decision at 197 pounds to make the score 19-15 and give heavyweight Paul Rands a chance to win the dual with a pin. Alcala capped the Aggies' historical win with his major decision to make the final score 23-15. Along with earning the first victory over a top-10 ranked team, the Aggies also won their first dual over a Big Ten Conference opponent. UC Davis is next in action at the Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 5 and 6.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Mountain Hawks ran away with a 41-3 victory over Princeton on the mats at Leeman-Turner Arena in Grace Hall on Sunday afternoon. No. 22 Lehigh won nine of the 10 matches in its EIWA opener, with eight wins coming by major decisions, pins or forfeits. The win improves Lehigh's mark to 4-0 on the dual season, while Princeton falls to 0-2. "There were still some areas where we were not executing as well as we would hope," head coach Pat Santoro said. "It's hard to fix those things in one day, so we just have to get ready for next week now." The Mountain Hawks opened up the day with their easiest win of the year so far. Seth Ciasulli took the mat, received the cheers from the crowd and allowed referee James Rupp to raise his hand over his head in victory as the Tigers chose to forfeit the match at 141. After six points were added to the scoreboard, Trevor Chinn added a few more with a dominating performance against Danny Scotton at 149. Chinn was content with trading the two-point takedowns for one-point escapes as he continually scored against his opponent and racked up a 16-5 major decision. The Mountain Hawks suffered their only setback of the day when Marty Everin delivered an 8-2 defeat to Sean Bilodeau at 157. Bilodeau fell behind 2-0 at the end of the first period and could not climb out of the hole as Everin kept the pressure on throughout. Mike Galante got the Brown and White back on track with another dominating performance at 165. The junior went on the attack in the first minute of the match, scoring a big takedown that led to a near fall and almost ended the match as soon as it had begun. Galante grabbed an 11-3 lead after one period and it only grew from there as he ran away for a 21-7 major decision. Subbing in for Alex Caruso - the No. 13 wrestler in the country at 174 - Brandon Hatchett kept the pressure on the Tigers with the fourth win of the day for the Mountain Hawks. Hatchett scored two takedowns in the first period and held on for a convincing 8-3 decision in his first dual meet action of the season. "He's going to be really good," Santoro said. "He wrestles really hard and he's really excited to be out there. He's got some skills even though he gives up a little bit of weight." David Craig gave the Mountain Hawks their third major decision victory of the afternoon at 184 with a 12-4 victory. The junior from Brandon, Fla. let Kurt Brendel escape in the last minute to set up a final takedown late in the match to secure the eight-point win. The match between Joe Kennedy and Zach Morse at 197 was never in doubt, with Kennedy taking the lead early and never relinquishing control in a 12-3 major decision. But that didn't stop the Grace Hall crowd from getting into things, chanting "let's go Joe" in the third period as Kennedy extended his lead to 9-3 with a takedown en route to the major. Zach Rey stirred up the crowd with the third major decision in a row at 285, as he defeated Stephen Turner 17-6. Rey held a six-point advantage at the start of the third period, but the heavyweight quickly escaped and scored a takedown to give himself the necessary cushion for the major decision. With the match winding down, John McDonald made sure the fans would not go home without some excitement by scoring the only pin of the day at 125. McDonald took down Robert Benitez four times in the first period, almost earning a pin on the third takedown. Then on the fourth takedown, McDonald grabbed hold of Benetiez' arm and turned the Tiger over for the quick pin, 2:35 into the match. Then Matt Fisk wrapped up the day's events with the second-consecutive first-period pin over Nikhil Pereira to send the fans home quickly. Fisk wrapped his legs around Periera's head and flipped the grappler over to instantly record the pin. The crowd erupted and the teams poured on to the mat as the match concluded after Fisk's pin. "As a coach, you never underestimate anybody," Santoro said. "We wrestled hard and they wrestled hard. But, again, we have a lot of things to work on." Lehigh returns to action on Saturday when the Mountain Hawks travel to Troy, N.Y. for the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals. The Mountain Hawks will wrestle four duals, beginning with a 9:15 a.m. matchup with No. 7 Oklahoma State. Lehigh will also face UNC Greensboro, Binghamton and Appalachian State on the day. Bonus points: Prior to Sunday's dual with Princeton, the Lehigh community honored the late Gerry Leeman with a memorial service inside Grace Hall…This was the 55th meeting between Lehigh and Princeton all time, with the Brown and White dominating the series, 49-5-1 since 1911…The last five matches of the day were finished with Lehigh wins by fall or major decision to complete the rout.

In the main event of the evening, with the Ring of Combat Middleweight Belt on the line, Paul Bradley showed just how dangerous his hands have become by finishing Dante Rivera in just 0:34 seconds of the 1st Round. In 13 fights, including TUF Season 7 Finale, Rivera had never been KO'd or TKO'd until Friday night against Paul Bradley. Bradley caught Rivera in a vicious uppercut that sent Rivera to the canvas. As Bradley went in to finish the fight, referee Yves Lavigne stopped the bout after a few more strikes. Promoter Lou Neglia said, "What I liked most about Paul is that in a Main Event Title Fight, a lot of fighters go out not to lose, but Paul went out to finish the fight and win, and that is great for the sport and great for our Show and our fans! We can't wait to get him back on the Ring of Combat." The victory improves Bradley's professional record to 9-0. His next fight will be against Rafael Sapo on December 13th in Washington, DC at District Combat-Battle at the Nations Capital.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 19th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team easily won a battle of top 20 teams Sunday afternoon at the McCasland Field House in Norman, dismantling No. 20 Old Dominion by a 28-6 final. After dropping two of the first three bouts, the Sooners tallied seven straight victories to improve to 3-0 on the season. "We beat a really good team this afternoon," head coach Jack Spates said. "Really, we dominated them by most of our guys rising to the challenge and turning in a good, strong performance." Senior David Armstrong posted OU's first win of the day at 133 pounds by recording an 11-5 decision over No. 12 Kyle Hutter. The Cleveland State transfer had five takedowns in the upset win to improve to 4-2 on the year. "My coaches are always telling me to trust myself on the mat," Armstrong said. "That is what I did today. I went out and trusted myself and turned in a good performance." After a win at 141 pounds by ODU, Kyle Terry started the Sooner rally with a 9-1 major decision over Joey Metzler at 149 pounds. Terry, a redshirt junior from Midwest City, Okla., extended his win streak to five matches and gave OU its first lead of the dual, 7-6. Shane Vernon then narrowly defeated 157-pound Kaylen Baxter, scoring a takedown with eight seconds remaining in the final period to win by a 3-1 final. A pin by redshirt freshman Ryan Smith at 165 pounds over Chris Brown in the first period extended the Sooner lead to 16-6. The Prineville, Ore., native picked up his fifth win and his first pin this season. Jeff James then posted a 3-2 decision over Eric Decker at 174 pounds, followed by another decision by 184-pound Pat Flynn over Joe Budi, 7-3. Flynn built his lead in the first, scoring a takedown and two nearfalls. Sooner Eric Lapotsky, ranked No. 10 nationally, trailed, 3-4, headed into the third period of the 197-pound bout. The junior chose the down position and scored an escape to even the match, followed by a takedown with one minute remaining to post the victory and give Oklahoma a 25-6 team lead. Redshirt sophomore Nathan Fernandez closed out the Sooner victory with a 5-3 decision over Roy Dragon. The Lawton, Okla., native scored a reversal in the first and a takedown in the third to pick up his fifth win this season. Old Dominion's two wins came at 125 and 141 pounds. ODU's James Nicholson, ranked No. 4, defeated Joey Fio, 5-2, and No. 14 Ryan Williams won by a 6-5 decision in the final seconds over No. 9 Zack Bailey. The Sooners will next be in action when they host the Oklahoma Open this weekend, Nov. 29, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.