InterMat Staff

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 8/14 Oklahoma wrestling team (9-5, 0-3 Big 12) will host the No. 21/22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-6, 0-3 Big 12) Friday at 7 p.m. in the Howard McCasland Field House. "This is going to be a very tough dual with a very well coached Nebraska team," head coach Jack Spates said. Last season the Sooners knocked off the Huskers in Lincoln by a score of 19-16. Oklahoma comes into the fourth Big 12 dual of the season trying to earn its first win. Last Sunday the Sooners dropped a 24-14 decision to Missouri. Oklahoma leads the all-time series with the Cornhuskers 34-15-3. Jack Spates is 8-5 all-time versus Nebraska. "We know that we have to wrestle tougher than we have been recently and I believe that we will," Spates said. After the Nebraska match Oklahoma will have wrestled five of its last seven matches against teams in the top-25. The Sooners are 2-4 in those matches. "This match will be a tough test but we have to come ready to wrestle because it won't get any easier for us on Sunday," Spates continued. Oklahoma is still without two of its starters as No. 1 Sam Hazewinkel (125-pounds) and Joe Comparin (133-pounds) still recover from injuries sustained earlier in the season. Comparin has been out since the Lone Star Duals (Jan. 6) and Hazewinkel has been out since the NWCA National Duals (Jan. 13). The Sooners next travel to Stillwater, Okla. as they face the No. 4/4 Oklahoma State Cowboys at 3 p.m. Sunday inside Gallagher-Iba arena.

Adam Frey had already written an impressive wrestling resume before arriving at Cornell University: NHSCA Senior National champ. Freestyle and Greco-Roman national champ. Five-time freestyle and Greco All-American. Winner of four athletic letters at Blair Academy. Adam FreyAs of this writing, the 133-pound starter at Cornell has a 12-0 record, including an individual title at the 2006 Southern Scuffle. Perhaps just as impressive, Adam is winning other challenges off the mat. He's back in full force after missing his entire first season at Cornell after major shoulder surgery last year. He's overcoming battles to make weight. And he's earning high marks in a challenging major -- government -- at an Ivy League school. It started with A beat-down … Like so many top-flight wrestlers, Adam Frey was introduced to the sport at an early age -- 6 years old, to be exact. However, his reason may be unique. "I kept getting beat up on the school bus," the Pittsburgh native discloses. "I was only about 40 pounds, a complete nerd, really shy… I saw a flyer about a wrestling program, so I asked my dad about it. He had been a wrestler. He said, 'No, it's too tough for you.' But I kept at him. 'You told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it.' He finally gave in." "At first I wanted to quit. But mom wouldn't let me. Dad decided to help coach me. We'd work out together in the basement. My next season I was 40-3. I guess it worked out for me." Breaking away … to Blair Throughout Adam's young life, his father Jerry worked out with him and coached him. When it was time to think about high school, Jason Robison -- a two-time NCAA All-American for Edinboro, now head coach at Washington & Jefferson -- recommended Blair Academy in New Jersey. "I loved the school on my first visit," says Adam. "They helped me succeed as a wrestler and prepared me academically for college." "Blair made me tough," Adam continues. "It's a challenging school. And, I was 15 years old, living away from home. But that made me mentally strong. It helped me become more independent. Taught me how to get things done." When asked about the wrestling program at Blair -– a school that has turned out eventual NCAA champs Steve Mocco and Zack Esposito, and All-Americans Mark Perry and Cory Cooperman, among others -- Adam Frey's immediate response is, "It's awesome!" Then the wrestler who was a starter all four years at Blair adds, "We went at it hard. I took my share of whuppings in that room. But it was great to have that level of workout partners and quality coaching." While at Blair Academy, Adam Frey started to make a name for himself throughout the United States. His final two years of high school, Adam earned back-to-back titles at the Beast of the East tournament. At the 2005 Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic -- the annual event that pits the best high school mat stars of Pennsylvania against the top preps in the rest of the country -- Adam pinned Steve Bell of Pennsylvania at 4:55 of their 130-pound match… and pinned down Outstanding Wrestler honors as well. A few weeks later, Adam claimed the 130-pound title at the 2005 NHSCA Senior Nationals, defeating Joey Slaton of Iowa, 10-5, in the finals. In a published interview after the 2005 Senior Nationals, Blair head wrestling coach Jeff Buxton said, "This is a very deserving win for Adam. He has worked hard all year and trained correctly for four years at Blair. With our track record at Blair, I am expecting Adam to join the ranks of Mocco, Esposito and Perry in the college ranks." Making the connection with Cornell With those impressive folkstyle credentials -- not to mention national titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman competition his senior year -- Adam Frey was ranked as the top recruit in his weight class, generating considerable interest among top college wrestling programs. Interestingly, at first, Cornell University was not at the top of Adam's college wish list. "There was ten feet of snow the first time I went up there," jokes the Big Red wrestler, who seriously considered other Ivy League schools. Rob KollCornell's head coach Rob Koll and his staff were persistent. As Adam puts it, "(Blair) Coach Buxton said something like, 'Would you please humor the guy at Cornell and at least talk to him?'" "I spoke to Coach Koll on the phone -- we hit it off well." Cornell came calling on Adam Frey at Blair, where, according to Adam, his Belgian sheep dog -- who weighs approximately the same as the sought-after wrestler –- made a grab for Cornell assistant coach Steve Garland. That wasn't the end of the adventure for the Cornell staff. "My dad would tell visiting coaches to climb a rope in the front yard," says Adam. "Coach Koll did it in his suit." Things went well on that visit, so Adam went to Ithaca, New York for an official visit to the Cornell campus. "Coach Koll and I went fishing," according to Adam. "I felt like we bonded well." "We made sure we left no stone unturned in our quest to get Adam to come here," says Koll. Koll got his Frey … as part of a recruiting class that included Troy Nickerson, and was ranked as high as fourth-best by the wrestling media. Shouldering a serious injury, then surgery Sadly, just as the 2005-06 wrestling season was getting started, disappointing news concerning Adam Frey came out of Cornell: he had been diagnosed with a torn labrum and a split bicep tendon, and would require surgery to repair the damage. The surgery was performed between semesters, so that Adam could stay in class. And, while the surgery was deemed a success, Adam missed the entire season. Recovery seems to be complete. "Things are a lot better now," says Adam. Referring to the shoulder, Adam says, "It's strong, it's flexible." "I now have a different outlook about competing. I consider myself lucky to be wrestling." Back in action From his on-the-mat performance so far this season, Adam Frey seems to be back in fine form. As of this writing, he has a perfect 12-0 record, and is now ranked fourth at 133 pounds by RevWrestling.com. When asked what he thought this season's high points were, Adam immediately focused on two key matches at the 2006 Southern Scuffle, the post-Christmas tournament hosted by the University of North Carolina-Greensboro: His quarterfinals match against Matt Keller of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and the semifinals bout vs. Navy's Joe Baker. In talking about the match vs. Keller, the No. 1 seed at the Scuffle, Adam said, "I was thinking, 'This is my first big match in two years.'" The Cornell 133-pounder, who was seeded eighth in the tournament followed up with, "(Keller's) a real goer … I was hurting pretty much, but it helped me realize that I could indeed compete at this level." At the end of the match, Adam Frey edged Matt Keller 10-9 to advance. Adam Frey (Photo/Darl Zehr)Boosted by his performance against the top-ranked Moc, Adam admits to being perhaps a bit overconfident in the next match vs. Baker. "I figured 'I just beat the top-ranked guy, this guy can't be as tough.' Before I knew it, I fell behind 6-2, feeling the effects of the prior match. However, I got through it," says Adam, securing a 10-9 victory over the fourth-seeded Navy wrestler. In the finals at the Southern Scuffle, Adam went up against second-seeded Evan Sola of North Carolina … and, wrestling what he described as "a good technical match," the Big Red wrestler came out on top 4-2 to take the 133-pound title. Dealing with weighty issues … and thriving Adam concedes that the following week, in a dual meet with Penn State, "it was tough to make weight" for his match with Jake Strayer, in which he had to "work hard to get the win" against the eighth-ranked Nittany Lion 6-5. "He's had struggles with his weight," says Coach Koll. "He seems to have it under control now … We're working with him regarding issues with food and working out. He thrives on training, doing extra workouts. He'll be in three times today … It's like tempering steel; the more you work with it, the harder and tougher it becomes." Cornell assistant coach Cory Cooperman concurs. "Adam's intense about working out. He likes to go up against coaches, testing himself. Doesn't back down against anyone. I really make him work. I don't let him score; I give him all the defense I can." "He has so much power as a wrestler," Cooperman adds. "He has incredible, physical 'man strength' and he's not even lifting here -- we're concentrating on cardio and wrestling … He's mentally tough, too. The way he came back against the Navy kid at the Southern Scuffle, being down 6-2, is a prime example of that." "He's the total package." The future for Frey Ask Adam Frey about his goals, and the government major immediately responds, "I hope to get into politics. Since I've been three I've wanted to be President." He chuckles at that comment, then follows up with, "I want to do my part to make the world a better place. I think I can do that via politics." Adam Frey (Photo/Darl Zehr)"I want to go into law school," Adam continues. "Ideally, I want to graduate from here with honors, then go to Cornell Law (School), and continue my wrestling career." "I'd like to help coach while pursuing my academic goals. That way, I could train, and share what I've learned. Give back to the sport." When asked about wrestling career goals, Adam says, "Sure, I have aspirations of making an Olympic team. I'll pursue it to the best of my ability with my sights on 2012, maybe 2008 if things work out that way." Coach Koll backs up Adam's dreams: "I don't see a limit to what he can achieve."

RALEIGH, N.C. –- Jeremy Colbert scored a pin at 184 pounds, and Ryan Goodman scored the winning team points with a decision at 197 Wednesday night as NC State defeated North Carolina 25-12 in Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling action at Reynolds Coliseum. The win was the Wolfpack's second in a row and raised the team's record to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in ACC matches. North Carolina fell to 7-7 overall and 4-2 in the ACC. UNC's Drew Forshey opened the match with a quick takedown of the Wolfpack's Taylor Cummings, and wound up with two takedowns in each of the first two periods en route to a 9-3 decision, giving the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead in the team scoring. Forshey improved to 17-7 with the win, while Cummings fell to 8-10. Eleventh-ranked Evan Sola upped the UNC lead to 6-0 with a 6-0 decision over Garrett Cummings at 133. Sola got a takedown midway through the first period and stayed on top for most of the match, racking up more than three minutes of riding time. Sola improved to 11-3 with the win. Cummings dropped to 12-10. The Wolfpack got on the scoreboard with Darrion Caldwell's major decision over Mike Rappo at 141 pounds. Caldwell scored a takedown just seconds into the match, then scored three near falls to take an 8-0 lead before Rappo managed an escape. Caldwell got another takedown at the end of the period for a 10-1 lead after one period. Rappo began the second period with a takedown and a near fall to cut the lead to 10-5, but Caldwell escaped and worked Rappo for three more takedowns before the match was over. The win for Caldwell lifted his record for the season to 12-3. Rappo dropped to 11-12. The Tar Heels made it three matches out of four with Vincent Ramirez's 4-2 decision over Joe Caramanica. With the bout tied at 2-2 after two periods, Ramirez began the third period in the down position, avoided giving up back points out of a Caramanica cradle hold, then scored a bout-winning reversal midway through the period. Ramirez improved to 13-8 with the win, while Caramanica dropped to 12-8. The Wolfpack caught a huge break at 157 pounds when North Carolina's Ben Fiacco appeared to pull his right hamstring with four seconds left in the second period of his bout with 18th-ranked Kody Hamrah. Hamrah had an 8-4 lead at the time, but with Fiacco unable to continue, Hamrah was declared the winner by injury default and the Wolfpack got six huge points on the scoreboard to take a 10-9 lead. Hamrah improved to 15-6 with the win, while Fiacco dropped to 14-12. At 165 pounds, 13th-ranked Keegan Mueller took a 2-0 decision over the Wolfpack's Obie Simpson to put the Tar Heels back in front at 12-10. Mueller won the match by riding out Simpson for the entire two minutes of the second period, then escaping to start the third. Mueller improved to 25-6 with the win. Simpson dropped to 7-8. NC State went back in front 13-12 with Rick Brownlee's 3-1 decision over Deon Barrett at 174. Browlee broke a 1-1 tie in the third period with a takedown with 41 seconds remaining in the bout. Brownlee upped his record to 5-7 with the win. The bout was Barrett's first action of the 2006-07 season. Colbert applied the backbreaker when he pinned Daniel Llamas at the 4:09 mark. Colbert had a 3-1 lead after a first-period takedown and an escape to start the second period. When Llamas tried to use an inside leg move to score a takedown, Colbert locked Llamas's shoulders and took him down directly to his back. He got the pin seconds later, with 51 seconds left in the period. Colbert improved to 6-9 with the win, while Llamas dropped to 3-7. Colbert's pin gave the Wolfpack a 19-12 lead with two bouts remaining, meaning the Tar Heels had to win both and record at least a major decision in one of the two. Goodman made that a moot point by clinching the team victory with a 3-0 decision over David Dashiell at 197. Goodman took a 2-0 lead with a reversal to start the second period, and earned one point for riding time. That was the only scoring in the bout at NC State took a 22-12 lead with one bout remaining. Goodman improved to 15-2 with the win. Dashiell fell to 2-2. The heavyweight bout proved to be superfluous to the team scoring, but with the Nos. 9 and 10 wrestlers in the country squaring off, it was an important match, and NC State's Jainor Palma, ranked ninth, defeated 10th-ranked Spencer Nadolsky 2-1. Both wrestlers had an escape, but Palma got the win as Nadolsky was penalized a point for a head slap in the second period. NC State returns to action this weekend with bouts on Friday night at Virginia and on Saturday at George Mason. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team won its 10th win of season with a 25-15 non-conference victory over Sacred Heart on Wednesday night at the College Avenue Gym. The 10-win season is the first for the Scarlet Knights since the 2003-04 campaign when RU finished the season 10-4. The Scarlet Knights are 10-4 on the season, including a 5-2 mark in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA). "It feels great to have gotten 10 wins this year," said head coach John Sacchi. "This team is young and I really didn't know what to expect from them. They've exceeded my expectations. I'm very pleased with how our season has gone and how much improvement we've made." The Scarlet Knights were led by freshman Chris Norrell (Phillipsburg, N.J.) who posted his eighth pin of the season at 157 pounds. Norrell trailed 2-0 after Sacred Heart's Michael Hartman scored on a takedown. At the 1:19 mark, Norrell scored a reversal and earned nearfall points at the close of the period, owning a 4-2 lead heading into the second. After selecting the defensive position, the rookie reversed Hartman just 12 seconds in, and turned him at the 1:29 mark to get the fall. Rutgers took a 6-0 lead after a forfeit at 125 pounds and never trailed. Junior Kyle Milanese (Delran, N.J.) recorded a 9-5 decision at 141 pounds to extend the RU lead to 9-3. After a win by the Pioneers at 149 pounds and Norrell's pin, the Scarlet Knights owned a 15-6 advantage at the half-way point in the match. At 165 pounds, sophomore Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) recorded a 6-1 decision over Sacred Heart's Patrick Nappi and junior Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) followed it up with a major decision victory at 174 pounds. Whalen led 6-1 after two periods on three takedowns and scored an escape from the defensive position just four seconds into the final period to take a 7-1 lead. After another takedown at the 48-second mark, the Pioneers' Jed Giguere scored on an escape, but Whalen earned a point for riding time (3:23) to get the bonus points for the Scarlet Knights. Sophomore Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.) won a 3-2 decision at 197 pounds, the final win of the night for RU. Following a scoreless opening stanza, Sacred Heart's Kevin Fox took a 1-0 lead on an escape at the 1:52 mark in the second. Brown selected the defensive position in the third and tied the match, 1-1, with an escape just four seconds in. With 1:05 remaining, Brown scored a takedown, and despite a Fox escape, held on for the win. The Scarlet Knights will wrap up EIWA competition on Saturday, Feb. 10, when they travel to Lehigh University. Match time is slated for 2:00 p.m.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- After capturing his second individual title of the season at the All-Academy Championships last Saturday, senior Sam Alvarenga has been named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week, as announced by the League office on Wednesday afternoon. Alvarenga becomes the second VMI grappler to be so honored in as many weeks, after classmate Scott Buhman earned the award last week. Alvarenga (Springfield, Va./Thomas Edison) went 3-0 in the 149 lb. weight class to capture the first All-Academy Championship of his career. On Saturday, Alvarenga first pinned Merchant Marine's Matt Dolby in 3:47 before scoring a major decision against Coast Guard's Bryan Radik (15-7). In the championship, Alvarenga defeated Navy's Joel Ahern for the second time this season, this time by a 7-2 count. Earlier this season, Alvarenga won the 149 lb. weight class of the Nittany Lion Open, and was ranked as high as 18th at 149 in the Intermat Rankings thanks to a 15-match win streak. With a 28-5 record this season, Alvarenga leads the team in wins, while only two more wins would make him the fourth VMI wrestler to post multiple 30-win seasons at the Institute. Two more wins would also move him into fifth-place in career wins at VMI, as he currently sports a 106-42 overall mark. Alvarenga and the VMI wrestling team returns to the mats on Friday night, as they travel to Harrisonburg to take on James Madison in a 7 p.m. match. Just two days later, the Keydets square off with Southern Conference foe Chattanooga on the road at 2 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio –- Ohio State wrestler T.J. Enright was named the Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week for the week of Feb. 5, the league announced Wednesday. Enright shares the honor with Penn State's Aaron Anspach. Enright (Jr., Galloway, Ohio/Westland) improved his record to 10-4 on the season after going 2-0 this past weekend and helping the then-unranked Buckeyes to two upsets over No. 19 Michigan State and No. 10 Northwestern. Against the Spartans, the OSU junior pulled off a 4-2 win over No. 1 Nick Simmons, who entered the match with a 27-0 record. The win came in dramatic fashion as Enright recorded a takedown with one second left on the clock in overtime to win by the two-point margin. Enright returned to action two days later and again was at the center of Ohio State's impressive win against the Wildcats. With the Buckeyes down 16-12 and only two matches remaining, Enright pulled the Scarlet and Gray within one after posting a 7-2 decision against Eric Metzler to set up the final and deciding bout at 141 pounds, which the Buckeyes won. This is Enright's second career weekly honor as he was first honored Nov. 23, 2004. The Buckeyes, tied for second in the conference with an 8-4 overall record and 4-1 mark in the league, return to action Sunday at 2 p.m. against Michigan in Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

This week the TDR traveling mics will be back on the road this time LIVE at Emmetsburg, Iowa and the home of the Wild Rose Casino. Wild Rose continues to be a tremendous supporter of wrestling and our efforts to publicize this sport. My sincere Thanks to the Gary Kirke Family! Joining us on the show will be: 9:05 UFC heavyweight champion Tim "The Mainiac" Sylvia. Tim wrestled in HS and will discuss the importance of wrestling in the world of MMA. Tim knows that a seasoned wrestler is a dangerous commodity. We'll talk to him about his coming event with Randy "The Natural" Couture on March 3. in Columbus Ohio. 9:25 Jeff Swenson, Head Coach/Asst. Athletic Director of Augsburg 9-time NCAA Division III National Champions! (91, 93, 95, 97, 98, 00, 01, 02, 05) What a run. We'll talk about the future and his special athlete Marcus LeVesseur Sr. 5-9 165 Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS 10:05 UFC star Josh Neer, Wrestler, Now MMA Star joins us for an inside look at the change he has had to make to become a stronger, more of a mat competitor. 10:20 Jeff Murphy joins us for our Kemin Foods TDR Top 20 Report. Let's look back a week at the action and take a look forward at the week to come as we make our way toward conference championships and yes, the NCAA's. 10:40 Tim Hartung, Assist. Head Coach Cyclones. We'll join the Cycle Asst. Coach on the bus as they head to take on 2nd ranked Missouri in Columbia. Diversity is what this show is all about and this week we'll take a step closer to the NCAA's. Join us won't you. Let's have some fun. We also want to welcome our new sponsors who have made LONG term commitments to this sport and this broadcast. We welcome: CL-ONE Energy Drink, Sunflower Wrestling Supply, Hopkins Sporting Goods, Hooters national family of restaurants. Thanks to each of you for your support of this sport and the people in it!

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– Penn State Nittany Lion heavyweight Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.) has been named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Feb. 4. Anspach shares the honor with Ohio State's T.J. Enright. Anspach entered the weekend's Big Ten duals with Northwestern and Iowa ranked No. 13 nationally, but has jumped to third after two impressive wins last week. The Nittany Lion heavyweight gave notice to his national prowess by beating the No. 4 and No. 6 ranked heavyweight wrestlers in less than 48 hours. Anspach downed No. 4 Dustin Fox, 5-2, on Friday night to help No. 13 Penn State beat No. 10 Northwestern, 25-8. The PSU senior recorded two takedowns in the first period and gave up only two escape points. Two days later, Anspach downed No. 6 Matt Fields of Iowa, 4-2, in the Lions' 24-13 win over the sixth-ranked Hawkeyes. Anspach did not give up a takedown in the match once again and posted his lone takedown in the first period and added an escape point and a riding time point in the process. The two wins improved Anspach to 14-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten. This is Anspach's first career weekly honor. The senior, who is petitioning the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility at season's end, missed two full seasons with injuries. One of Penn State's captains, Anspach is now ranked No. 3 nationally in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. The honor is Anspach's first and the second in a row for head coach Troy Sunderland's Nittany Lions. Freshman Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) was honored last week. Sunderland's Lions are off this coming week and then close out the dual match season with a road trip to Michigan and Michigan State on Friday and Sunday, Feb. 16 and 18.

BLOOMSBURG -- Bloomsburg University wrestler Ricky Donald (Millville/Millville) has been named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Wrestler of the Week for the period ending January 16, 2007. Donald posted a pair of victories to lift Bloomsburg to a 2-0 week with wins against Clarion, 39-3, and Cleveland State, 18-13. Donald opened with a 13-1 major decision over Clarion's Sal Lascari, but the highlight of his week came against David Armstrong of Cleveland State. Donald recorded a 10-4 decision over Armstrong in the next to last match of the night to seal the come from behind victory for the Huskies. Donald, a sophomore, ran his record to 21-8 for the year including two major decisions, a pin and a technical fall win. He recently took fifth place at the PSAC Championships in the 133-lb weight class. The Huskies are 10-7 overall, 3-1 in the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL), and will host EWL rival Edinboro on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Nelson Field House.

The top-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team will wrap up its 2006-07 home schedule by hosting No. 20 Michigan State on Friday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad will wrestle at home for the final time in his remarkable collegiate career. Minnesota will then hit the road to face No. 21 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., on Sunday at 1 p.m. SENIOR NIGHT The Minnesota wrestling team will honor three seniors for their contributions to the program both on and off the mat. Cole Konrad, Juan Martinez and Danny Williams will be recognized during intermission of the dual against the Spartans, the final home meet of their collegiate careers. Destined to go down as one of the greatest wrestlers in Golden Gopher history, Konrad will wrestle for the final time at the Sports Pavilion. A native of Freedom, Wis., Konrad ranks among the top five all-time in every category in the Minnesota record book. He ranks tied for second in career victories (142), fourth in career pins (45), fifth in career win percentage (.916) and tied for third in career dual meet wins (66). Konrad also possesses the longest winning streak in school history, currently at 63 consecutive matches. He broke the previous record of 58 held by Tim Hartung earlier this year. Konrad's streak is also currently the second longest active streak in the nation. Last season, Konrad became only the third wrestler in school history to finish a season unbeaten, doing so with a perfect 41-0 record. His 41 wins were the fifth-most in school history, and his 16 pins on the season rank sixth all-time. A native of South St. Paul, Minn., Juan Martinez has compiled a record of 27-16 over the course of his career. Earlier this season, Martinez took third place in the 149-pound weight class at the Bison Open. Indianapolis, Ind., native Danny Williams has been unable to compete this season due to a shoulder injury but has still provided valuable leadership to the team. Williams competed in 13 dual meets and accumulated 21 wins over the course of his career. Gopher Wrestling Notebook Streaky Gophers Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad is currently riding the second-longest winning streak in the nation at 63 consecutive matches and will be going for numbers 64 and 65 this weekend. He trails only Missori's Ben Askren, who has won his last 75 contests. Each win Konrad gets the remainder of the season extends his school-record winning streak. He broke Tim Hartung's school record of 58 consecutive wins with his win against Penn State on Sunday, Jan. 21. Sophomore Dustin Schlatter is not far behind Konrad with 56 straight victories of his own, which currently ranks as the third-longest streak in school history. Konrad's and Schlatter's streaks currently rank second and third in the nation, respectively, behind only Missouri's Ben Askren, while junior Manuel Rivera possesses the nation's fifth-longest winning streak at 31 consecutive matches. Here is a look at the longest active winning streaks in Division I wrestling: Streak...Wrestler 75..........Ben Askren (Missouri, 174) 63..........Cole Konrad (Minnesota, Hwt) 56..........Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota, 149) 49..........Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State, 165) 31..........Manuel Rivera (Minnesota, 141) 26..........Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma, 125) 24..........Max Askren (Missouri, 197) Unblemished at Home With a 5-0 record at the Sports Pavilion so far this season, Minnesota will look to wrap up its 2006-07 home slate with a perfect record for the second straight year and fifth time in Head Coach J Robinson's tenure. Since 1998, Minnesota holds a 53-13-0 (.803) overall record at home. Back at Full Strength With two-time All-American Mack Reiter's return to the starting lineup last weekend, the Golden Gophers finally have all of their returning NCAA qualifiers from last year back in the fold. Reiter missed the first three months of the season after tearing his ACL in preseason workouts. C.P. Schlatter made his return to the lineup on Jan. 13 at the National Duals after missing six weeks of action following a knee injury he suffered at the Northeast Duals on Nov. 25. Safratowich Stating His Case Sophomore Tyler Safratowich has been making a case to become a regular in the starting lineup with his performance as of late. Safratowich picked up the first two Big Ten wins of his career last weekend with a pair of impressive victories over ranked opponents at 165. In his first appearance since upsetting then-No. 2 Brian Stith of Arizona State on Jan. 2, Safratowich knocked off No. 16 Max Dean of Indiana and No. 13 Roger Smith-Bergsrud of Illinois, controlling both matches throughout. Ness Putting Opponents to Rest Jayson Ness has been impressive all year long, but the redshirt freshman from Bloominton, Minn., has been particularly dominant as of late. With a pin of No. 6 Gabe Flores last Sunday at Illinois, Ness has now earned bonus points in nine of his last 12 matches. During this streak, Ness has four pins, two tech falls and three major decisions. His current 12-match winning streak includes victories over seven ranked opponents, including four ranked in the top 10. Overall, Ness is 9-3 against ranked opponents on the season.

CLARION, Pa. -- The Pitt wrestling team earned its second EWL conference win of the season tonight when it picked up a 34-3 victory over Clarion. The Panthers (7-5, 2-2 EWL) had two falls against the Golden Eagles (7-10, 0-4 EWL) and won nine of the ten matches. Pitt got off to a great start, winning the first three matches all by decisions. Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) won the 125-pound bout over Clarion's Patrick Feeley, 5-4. At 133 pounds, true freshman Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) stepped into the lineup to win a close 7-6 decision over Clarion's Sal Lascari. And at 141 pounds, Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) won a 5-2 decision over Clarion's Greg Lewis. The Golden Eagles were able to score four team points at 149 pounds when their Hadley Harrison defeated Pitt's Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson), 11-1. The Panthers came back at 157 pounds though as Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) earned his seventh pin of the season with a fall over Lucas Christopher at the 5:25 mark. He is now seventh among Pitt's career pin leaders. At 165 pounds, Pitt kept the momentum going as Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) won a 5-3 decision over Clarion's Mario Morelli. Pitt's Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackwanna Trail) recorded a fall at 174 pounds, bringing down Scott Joseph at the 1:34 mark. At 184 pounds, Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) defeated Clarion's Dominic Ross, 9-2. The Panthers had their third bout with bonus points at 197 pounds as Eric Cassidy (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) won a 12-2 major decision. And in the last match of the night, Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) won a 6-3 decision against A.J. Brooks. Clarion was deducted a team point during that match, and the Panthers clinched the win, 34-3.

Sioux Falls, S.D. -- The #4 Minnesota State wrestling squad opened its 2006-07 NCC conference duals with a 33-7 win over the #14 Augustana Augies tonight. The Mavericks lost only two matches in the dual. Nick Smith (Yankton, S.D.) got the match started with a 3-2 decision win for the Mavericks over Chris Trampe to give them a early 3-0 lead. Jeff Pfaffinger (Blue Earth, Minn.) built the lead with a pinfall win over Adam Schlee at 1:16 to give the Mavericks a 9-0 lead. Mike Long picked up the first win for the Augies as he came up with a 13-2 major decision win before the Mavericks got back-to-back pinfall wins to go up 21-4 from Jason Rhoten (Kasson, Minn.) and Brandon Girtz (Forrest Lake, Minn.). The Mavericks won four of the next five matches to close out the night. The Mavericks will continue NCC conference action this Friday between to top-five rated NCAA Division II rated teams as the Mavericks return to the Taylor Center for a match-up against #2 Nebraska-Omaha. The match has a 7:00 p.m. start.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Iowa 149-pounder Ryan Osgood has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Osgood (Mason City, Iowa) tallied a perfect 3-0 mark including a 5-3 win over No. 9-ranked Mike Grimes of Northern Illinois. Osgood scored a 14-6 major decision over Eastern Illinois's Tommy Reamer on Saturday. Osgood followed it up on Sunday with a 10-6 victory over Old Dominion's Kaylen Baxter. Osgood finished up weekend with a double-overtime win over Grimes with only two seconds remaining in the final overtime session. Osgood exacted some revenge on Grimes, who owned a 14-7 win over Osgood earlier this season. Osgood improved to 9-7 on the year and 6-3 in dual action. Osgood is a returning national qualifier from the 2006 NCAA Championships. 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 State and Wyoming. Others Nominated: Air Force: Tony Dorward, 165, Jr., Seattle, Wash. (Mt. Rainier HS) North Dakota State: Ryan Adams, 149, R-Fr., Coon Rapids, Minn., (Coon Rapids HS) Northern Colorado: Reece Hopkin, 285, Jr., Kersey, Colo. (Platte Valley HS) South Dakota State: Ryan Meyer, 165, R-Fr., Parkston, S.D. (Parkston HS) Utah Valley State: Justin Rawle, 149/157, Sr., Springville, Utah Wyoming: Sam Wendland, 197, Sr., Bozeman, Mont. (Bozeman HS)

THIS WEEK Iowa (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) will host Michigan State (3-6, 2-2 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. All remaining dual meets will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Live audio broadcasts from all competitions will also be available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To listen online, go to the wrestling schedule, click on the event and click on the Listen link. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($6.95 per month or $49.95 per year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($99.95 per year). Television - The Iowa-Michigan State dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television (IPTV), which is in its 31st year of broadcasting college wrestling. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons will call the action. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS Michigan State is 3-6, 2-2 in the Big Ten, with wins over Pittsburgh (23-13), Michigan (21-17) and Purdue (21-14), and losses to Oklahoma State (22-8), Edinboro (26-13), Missouri (29-14), Central Michigan (21-14), Illinois (22-13) and Ohio State (19-14). The Spartans will wrestle at Minnesota Friday night. Head Coach Tom Minkel is 124-134-3 in 16 seasons at Michigan State and 139-152-3 in 18 seasons as a college head coach. His assistants are Roger Chandler (Indiana, 1997) and Chris Williams (Michigan State, 2002). Michigan State is led by senior brothers Nick and Andy Simmons, redshirt freshman Franklin Gomez and junior Joe Williams. Nick Simmons, a three-time all-American and two-time Big Ten Champion, is 25-1 (8-1 in duals) at 133. Andy Simmons is a fifth-year senior and two-time all-American with a 9-1 (6-1 in duals) record at 141. Gomez boasts a 29-2 mark (9-0 in duals) at 125. Williams is 18-7 (4-5) at 184. THE SERIES Iowa leads the series, 30-15-2, and holds a 16-6-1 advantage in Iowa City. Michigan State won the last meeting, a 19-17 decision at East Lansing, in 2006. Iowa's last win in the series was a 31-6 victory, at Iowa City in 2004. LAST MEETING Iowa lost to Michigan State, 19-17, February 5, 2006, in East Lansing, MI. The Hawkeyes and Spartans each won five matches in the dual, but Michigan State won the battle of the bonus points with a pin at 125 and a major decision at 174. Michigan State 19, Iowa 17 184- Paul Bradley (I) dec. Joe Williams (MSU), 5-2 197- Jeff Clemens (MSU) dec. Dan Erekson (I), 8-4 285- Ryan Fuller (I) dec. Max Lossen (MSU), 7-3 125- Nick Simmons (MSU) pinned Lucas Magnani (I), 2:39 133- Jeff Wimberley (MSU) dec. Daniel Dennis (I), 9-6 141- Andy Simmons (MSU) dec. Alex Tsirtsis (I), 2-1 149- Ty Eustice (I) dec. Darren McKnight (MSU), 9-5 157- Joe Johnston (I) maj. dec. Tony Greathouse (MSU), 18-8 165- Eric Luedke (I) maj. dec. Bryan Harney (MSU), 11-1 174- R.J. Boudro (MSU) maj. dec. Ben Stedman (I), 13-3 HAVEN'T WE MET? Hawkeye junior Alex Tsirtsis is 0-2 vs. Michigan State's Andy Simmons at 141, and redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar is 1-0 vs. Spartan Tony Greathouse at 157. Tsirtsis lost a 2-1 decision at the 2006 Iowa-Michigan State dual and a 6-2 decision at the 2006 Big Ten Championships. Morningstar scored a 3-1 victory, in sudden victory, at the 2006 Midlands. KIDS CLINIC SET FOR SUNDAY The Iowa Wrestling Kid's Clinic is scheduled for Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena before the Iowa-Michigan State dual. Participants can enter through the Carver-Hawkeye Arena North entrance starting at 11:30 a.m. The clinic is free to participants eighth grade and younger, and those attending the clinic will receive free admission to the dual. Parents are welcome to attend the clinic, but need to purchase a ticket to the dual meet in advance. "BLACK OUT" SET FOR IOWA-MINNESOTA DUAL Hawkeye fans are encouraged to wear black to the Iowa-Minnesota dual on Sunday, February 18, as part of a "black out" promotion. The official Iowa Wrestling Blackout shirt is currently available at all Iowa Hawk Shop locations and online at www.bravosportsmarketing.com. Senior Night and Fan Appreciation Night will also be observed at the Iowa-Minnesota dual. The 2007 senior class of Mario Galanakis (133), Alex Grunder (149), Eric Luedke (174), Lucas Magnani (125), Ben Stedman (164/174), Brett Stedman (149) and Joe Uker (165/174) will be recognized for their effort and commitment to Iowa Wrestling. All fans in attendance will be eligible to win prizes. It will also be the final opportunity that Hawkeye wrestling fans have to help Iowa "March To A Million" and achieve this year's goal of a million participants at all University of Iowa athletics events. LAST WEEK Iowa went 1-1 on its final Big Ten road weekend of the season. The Hawkeyes defeated Michigan (20-13) Friday night in Ann Arbor and lost to Penn State (24-13) Sunday afternoon in University Park. Iowa led the entire dual against Michigan, winning six of 10 bouts, to score its first win over the Wolverines since 2003. At Penn State, the Hawkeyes won four bouts on the day, but two of the six it loses were by pin. The Nittany Lions defeated the Hawkeyes for only the sixth time in school history and the third at University Park. Hawkeye sophomore Charlie Falck (125) and redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar (157) were the lone Hawkeyes to go 2-0 on the weekend. Falck picked up his 30th career win at Michigan and extended his winning streak to seven with a 7-3 upset of Penn State's Mark McKnight. Morningstar scored a come-from-behind 8-7 win over Michigan's Jeff Marsh, and picked up his 20th win with a 12-3 major decision over Penn State's Bubba Jenkins. HAWKEYES SIGN TWO Iowa signed two student-athletes to national letters of intent in the early signing period. Jordan Johnson of Bettendorf, IA and Brodie Ambrose of Eldridge, IA, are Tom Brands' first signings as Iowa's head coach. Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight state title at Naperville North High School. He moved to Bettendorf, IA, and will be competing for Bettendorf High School this season. Ambrose placed third at 171 pounds at the 2006 Class 3A state tournament for North Scott Eldridge High School. He will compete at 189 pounds this season and is a projected 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes. Ambrose also is a 189-pound Fargo freestyle all-American. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 154-16 (.906) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. Iowa's meet with Iowa State earlier this year drew 13,732. That figure ranks 11th in NCAA and Carver-Hawkeye Arena history. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 807-213-30 (.783) in 95 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 16, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 129 all-Americans have earned all-America status 263 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's remaining home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office. Tickets purchased in advance are $8 for adults and $4 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. Tickets purchased at the door are $10 for adults and $5 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge with a student ID. For tickets, contact the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. THE INTERNET Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and dual livestats are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live dual scoring, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Dan Gable, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of two Olympic gold medals, seven NCAA titles, 10 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 605-84-2 (.877), including three undefeated seasons. IOWA WRESTLING ON JEOPARDY! Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice were featured in a clue of the category "Iowa" December 8th, and in several clues of the category "Wrestling" January 8th on the TV game show JEOPARDY! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the JEOPARDY! Clue Crew taped clues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena featuring the Eustice brothers in August. The Eustice brothers are natives of Blue Earth, MN. Luke was an all-American and NCAA finalist at 125 pounds in 2002, lettering for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04. Ty was a two-time all-American at 149 pounds, competing in the NCAA finals in 2006. He lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2003-06. They are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. 2007 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS The 2007 Big Ten Championships will be held March 3-4 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The meet will be broken into three sessions. Session I will start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CST), Session II will start Saturday at 6 p.m. and Session III will start Sunday at 11 a.m. All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Sunday's finals session tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, while Saturday's single session tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Michigan State University's Ticket Office at 517/355-1610. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa close out the 2006-07 dual meet season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena next weekend. The Hawkeyes will host Ohio State Friday, February 16 at 7 p.m. and top-ranked Minnesota Sunday, February 18 at 6 p.m. The Iowa-Ohio State dual will be broadcast live on College Sports Television (CSTV), and the Iowa-Minnesota dual on Iowa Public Television (IPTV). Hawkeye fans are encouraged to wear black to the Iowa-Minnesota dual as part of a Blackout promotion. Iowa will also honor its fans and seniors with appreciation nights against the Golden Gophers.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -– Capped off by the largest Rec Hall home crowd in years, the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling program showcased amazing growth in its average attendance for the 2006-07 season. Head coach Troy Sunderland's squad averaged 3,475 fans for every Rec Hall dual meet, an increase of 26 percent over last year's total. "The support of our fans has always been a vital part in our success and this year they've come out and proven that again," Sunderland said. "I'd like to congratulate every person who came to a match this year for making Rec Hall such a special place to wrestle. The fan interest, combined with the great efforts of our administration and marketing and promotions staff, have allowed us to experience this kind of growth. I know I speak for everyone within the Penn State wrestling family when I say ‘thank you'." Penn State hosted six dual matches this year. Three saw attendance top 3,000 and two had attendance over 2,900. Sunday's home finale against Iowa saw 5,841 fans pack Rec Hall for the highest single-season attendance figure since over 6,400 witnessed Penn State and Iowa battle during the 1998-99 season. The growth in attendance over the last two years, a stunning increase of 57 percent from the 2004-05 figure, mirrors the growth and excitement within the program itself. Penn State averaged 2,757 fans last season which was, at the time, an eight year high. The Nittany Lions unveiled the new multi-million dollar Lorenzo Wrestling Complex this fall, a project made possible by donations from friends, family and former wrestlers given solely for the project. Sunderland has put together consecutive recruiting classes that have been ranked among the nation's elite. Penn State has defeated rival Iowa two years in a row and the Lions are coming off a top ten finish at last year's NCAA Championships. "We are fortunate to have what I believe is the nation's best coaching staff and we are proud of the progress that has been made at Penn State in every area of our wrestling program," Sunderland said. "We have outstanding support from the administration, the faculty, the Penn State Wrestling Booster Club, the students and the local community. This support is helping us to work towards our goals on the mat. We are continuing to attract the best the sport has to offer and the entire wrestling experience at Penn State is enhanced by everyone that supports us. From donations to the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex to jamming Rec Hall on match night, every person plays a part in what we are doing here." Penn State, currently ranked No. 12 nationally, is 12-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions could return to the top ten after a weekend that saw them defeat the tenth- and sixth-ranked teams by a combined score of 49-21. Sunderland's Lions are off this coming week and then close out the dual match season with a road trip to Michigan and Michigan State on Friday and Sunday, Feb. 16 and 18. The following lists attendance figures since 1998-99: 2006-07: 3,475 2005-06: 2,757 2004-05: 2,209 2003-04: 2,552 2002-03: 2,464 2001-02: 1,610 2000-01: 2,166 1999-00: 2,093 1998-99: 2,699

St. Cloud State University sophomore Sonny Silva, a graduate of Kimberly H.S. and resident of Kimberly, Idaho, has been named the North Central Conference Wrestler of the Week. Silva, a sophomore 133-pounder from Kimberly, Idaho, went 4-0 last week. He defeated Upper Iowa's Jacob Pederson twice, the first time was a 13-4 major decision in a dual and a 11-7 in the first round of the Moco Mercer Tournament. He continued in the tournament by defeating Mat Hemry with a pin at 5:48 in the semifinals before downing Chad Vallone with a 10-2 major decision in the finals. A transfer from Dana College, Silva has a 16-9 record for the Huskies this season. He currently leads the team with 16 wins this season. As a team, SCSU is under the leadership of first-year coach Steve Costanzo with a 3-5 dual match record. SCSU competes at the NCAA Division II level in the always rugged North Central Conference. SCSU has an enrollment of 16,000 and its campus is located about one hour northwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul in the city of St. Cloud, Minn.

This week's edition of 'On the Mat' will feature authors Mike Chapman and Mark Kreidler. Chapman, who recently received the Order of Merit from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, will discuss his latest book 'Legends of the Mat.' This book profiles 34 of America's greatest wrestlers. Kreidler's book –- 'Four Days to Glory' –- was the top selling sports book in the nation after its release according to amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. 'Four Days to Glory' follows the high school careers Jay Borshel and Dan LeClere as they attempt to become four-time Iowa High School state champions in the same year. Kreidler made a recent appearance on the CBS Early Show to promote the book. 'On the Mat' is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa hosts the show. 'On the Mat' can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Tentative schedule of upcoming guest appearances February 14: * Tim Hartung, assistant wrestling coach at Iowa State University. * Tom Brands, head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa.

Columbia, Mo. –- Missouri's 149 pound junior grappler Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week as announced today by the league office. This marks Wagner's first-ever Big 12 Wrestler of the Week accolade. Missouri has received three Big 12 Wrestler of the Week/Month honors this season, with redshirt freshman Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) named November Big 12 Wrestler of the Month and senior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) named December Big 12 Wrestler of the Month. 23-7 on the season and 4-0 against Big 12 opponents, Wagner recorded his biggest upset of the campaign after knocking off second-ranked Matt Storniolo of Oklahoma, 10-4, Sunday afternoon. The win was Wagner's 60th career victory. Earlier in the weekend, Wagner held off Oklahoma State's Dakota Simpson with a 15-4 win by major decision. Wagner helped the Tigers earn back-to-back victories over fourth-ranked Oklahoma State (17-16) and No. 13 Oklahoma (24-14) on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The sweep of both schools on the road was Missouri's first in wrestling history. The wins also helped the Tigers to a 3-0 record, something that hasn't been done since the 2002-03 season. Wagner and the Tiger wrestling team will host Northern Iowa Friday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. (CT) in the first-ever Beauty and the Beast Dual held in the Hearnes Center. While the Missouri wrestling team challenges UNI, the 19th-ranked Missouri gymnastics team will take on SEMO simultaneously on the Hearnes Center floor. Tickets for the event are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Those students interested in joining the Pinhead Club, Missouri premiere wrestling club, are encouraged to attend early in order to sign up and receive your free t-shirt.

The 14th-ranked Augustana College wrestling team concludes the home portion of its dual schedule with a pair of home duals against nationally-ranked opponents. On Tuesday, Augustana entertains No. 4 Minnesota State-Mankato in a 7 p.m. dual. Then on Saturday, the Vikings will take on No. 20 Minnesota State-Moorhead, also at 7 p.m. Both duals will be held in the Elmen Center. Saturday night will feature a doubleheader. Canton High School (S.D.) will face Jackson County High School (Minn.) in a dual at 5 p.m. Augustana and Minnesota State-Moorhead will follow at 7 p.m. Tickets that night cost $6 for adults and $3 for students and are good for both duals. Doors will open at 4 p.m.

While all kinds of debates go back and forth in the world of college wrestling, there can be no doubt as to who is its undisputed villain: Two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State (a role Hendricks says he enjoys). Hendricks' showboating seems to get under the skin of all except those who wear orange and black. His personality drives non-Cowboy fans nuts and the result is that there is no one that people want to see lose more. Emotions about this champion wrestler snowballed last season with his controversial NCAA finals match against Michigan's Ryan Churella, which took place in Oklahoma City. Trailing by a point at the end of the second period, Churella countered a Hendricks shot and locked up a cradle, putting the Cowboy on his back -- many have argued flat on his back. Referee Gary Kessel awarded two for the takedown and two nearfall to give Churella a 7-4 lead heading into the third and final period. The controversy continued with a call that many wrestling enthusiasts had an even bigger problem. With 40 seconds left, Hendricks was awarded a takedown while seemingly having no more than a lock on Churella's torso and arm. Hendricks then released Churella and scored a final takedown to win 9-8. Hendricks-haters were outraged. Furious. Incensed. Screen grabs of Hendricks allegedly pinned became signatures and avatars on wrestling message boards. The controversy escalated to the point where Kessel will not be working at this year's NCAA's, ironically hosted by the University of Michigan. In his final season as a Cowboy, lots of people would love nothing more than to see Johny Hendricks lose. But who's going to beat him? Churella's 2006 graduation has eliminated a rematch. Third-placer Muzaffar Abdurakmanov of American University (who Hendricks had a separate, controversial win over in the semifinals) was a senior last season as well. And as much as fans may dislike Hendricks, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows anything about the sport who'd be able to deny that Johny Hendricks is simply a brilliant wrestler. Shockingly strong and active in all positions, Hendricks has an uncanny ability to invent a win in any kind of close match -- even ones without controversy. And while the 165-pound weight class is deep and filled with talent, all voodoo dolls made in Hendricks' likeness have been ineffective thus far this season. So again, who can beat him? Based on the results of the season so far, the best prospect has surprisingly turned out to be Eric Tannenbaum, a three-time Illinois state champion and two-time All American, who finished sixth at the NCAA's last season at 149 pounds -- two weight classes down. This season, Tannenbaum is a perfect 17-0 at 165 pounds, beating all the top names in the weight with the exception of Hendricks, who he hasn't met. Ironically, Tannenbaum attends the same school and Hendricks' rival from the NCAA finals last season: The University of Michigan. While there's still a lot of season left, one can't help but look forward to a potential finals match-up between these two and wonder if the Wolverine could possibly get school revenge for the match that still rubs people the wrong way. RevWrestling.com's Tom Franck recently caught up with the wrestler dubbed as 'The Great Blue Hope.' Congratulations on your season thus far. Tannenbaum: Thanks. In 2003, there was a highly anticipated match between you and C.P. Schlatter at NSCHA High School Senior Nationals. Describe what happened in that match. Eric Tannenbaum (Photo/Eric Bronson)Tannenbaum: I moved up a couple weight classes. He was always bigger than me. That match was a pretty slow-paced match. It wasn't really very exciting. Excuses aside, I was pretty small. I was done with cutting weight. I didn't want to do that anymore. I knew I was a little small for that weight class. They had something ridiculous like a six-pound allowance or something, but I didn't want to avoid tough competition. I wanted to wrestle him. I remember going out there and tying up with him and thinking, 'This guy is really strong.' You got revenge against him when you were a redshirt freshman at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals and came out on top with a 5-4 victory. How satisfying was that match? Tannenbaum: It's always nice to get a little payback on some losses. I think it was a good win for me … definitely to show that I had improved a little bit, that I had put on some size, and that I could hold my own against some guys that in high school had gotten the best of me. How did you end up at Michigan? Was it through Sean Bormet (former Michigan standout and head coach of the Overtime School of Wrestling in Illinois where Tannenbaum frequents)? Tannenbaum: No. I mean, we talked about schools and stuff, but he's pretty hands off with most of his guys. He helped me a lot with the decision process, though. It was obviously something I'd never experienced before. So we talked, but it was more about just giving me guidance as to how to make my decision, but he was just posing questions more than anything. When did that decision to go to Ann Arbor finally come about? Was it the result of a number of factors? Tannenbaum: It was definitely a bunch of things, but it was pretty much the academics and the combination that it was relatively close to home, but also not too close like I wouldn't be getting away. The wrestling team was tough and everyone around my weight was really tough -- (Ryan) Bertin, (Mike) Kulczycki, (Ryan) Churella, Pat Owen. It was just unbelievable the amount of workout partners I had. I actually brought it up to Sean. I was like, 'You know, am I going to be able to get through this lineup even?' Because it was stacked around my weight. And Sean was like, 'You've got to worry about winning a national title, not about breaking into the lineup.' At the beginning of last season, you beat defending NCAA champion Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State on his home mat at the NWCA All-Star Classic. You appeared to be on the verge of a breakout season. But as the season wore on, it seemed like the weight was a struggle and it affected you. Is that accurate? Tannenbaum: I think it's definitely accurate. I think it's one of those things I didn't even really consciously know at the time, but in retrospect, I think it was, especially with dealing with the weight this year as not being a problem. I just think if you don't have to cut weight at all, it's really the best thing to avoid. I think it's detrimental a lot of times -- not even just physically, but mentally. Sometimes you don't have the best attitude when you know you're coming into practice six, seven, eight pounds over. You just come in kind of pissed off instead of coming in and working on what you need to do to beat your opponents. When did it become clear that you'd be moving up two weight classes instead of just one? Tannenbaum: It really was never clear. Coach (McFarland) kind of wanted me to certify at 57. We had meetings about it. I just really did not want to cut weight ever again. I'm sure, if like this summer, I try to make world teams or whatever, I'll try to make 63 or something, so that might be like a little bit more weight. I just didn't want to be in the same boat I was last year where at the end of the year I was just so sick of cutting weight. You're continuing this tradition 149-pound Wolverine All-Americans moving up two weights. Mike Kulczycki. did it, Ryan Churella did it, and now you've done it. Should be expect you'll be wrestling off Josh Churella next season? Tannenbaum: (Laughs) I doubt it. Josh isn't that big. A lot of Michigan wrestlers have moved a weight class, plenty wrestlers have moved up two weight classes, including you. Could you talk a little bit about what's going on in the Michigan weight room? You say you don't want to cut weight anymore, but obviously a lot of work has to be done lifting in order to be successful at higher weight classes. Tannenbaum: Yeah, well, Andy Hrovat has been helping a lot with that. He and Donny Pritzlaff brought a lot of that stuff here from Overtime. They were doing a lot of stuff with these kettlebells. It's kind of like this cardiovascular, but also lifting workout. Then there are these machines that we got that I saw first at Overtime that we incorporated over at Michigan. Hrovat has been doing a lot with that and helping out a lot more than he has in the past. We'll do a whole workout and then after that we'll go in the weight room and do a circuit. Whereas last year we would do more of morning (lifting) workouts where people were kind of dragging at practice. We're more motivated now to go through a full, hard practice and get your muscles worn out and then go right from practice into some real hard lifting circuit training stuff. So I think that's been a good transition. Do you think this is the wave of the future? A lot of guys who've gone down in weight this year are struggling, whereas those who are going up seem to be having more success. It seems like this has been going on since 1997 since the one-hour weigh-in. Eric TannenbaumTannenbaum: Yeah. I remember when I had a meeting with Coach about the weight this year, one of my main arguments or points was that if you look at everybody on our team that's had the most success, they've all been the guys that have not been cutting weight. (Greg) Wagner obviously wasn't cutting weight at heavyweight. Ryan Bertin -- Bertin would be two pounds under after practice the day before. You look at Ryan Churella -- Ryan went up to 65 from 49 and could go to IHOP or Fridays the night before a match and still be under weight. I was just looking at those guys thinking, 'Well, they're not cutting weight and they're doing really well.' They were able to get in extra workouts and not be dragging toward the end of the week. How does Coach McFarland feel about it? Is he really on board with guys going up, or is it tough to talk him into it? Tannenbaum: Well, I'm sure now he's happy. It was really more for the lineup. That was really the only reason we even talked about me possibly going 57 this year. Before the summer, I was telling him I'm going 57. And then all of a sudden, I come back and tell him I got really big over the summer. That kind of threw him for a loop. He was kind of concerned that it would be too big of a jump. He was saying, 'What happens if in the middle of the season you start losing some weight and it starts coming off a little easier, then you would be too undersized.' I think it's worked out well so far. Do you feel you've lost any speed at 165 that you had at 149? Tannenbaum: I really don't think so. If anything, I feel I'm a little quicker because I'm able to keep some of the energy I lost cutting weight. Cutting weight can slow you down out there and now I think I've got a little bit more of an explosion. I think I have a more explosive technique or style than previously. I mean, I've been hitting doubles a lot more not just my outside low single that I'm sure everybody has scouted. In terms of scouting, in the past few years, there's really been an explosion of access to wrestling footage on the Internet. I guess I'm just curious about video scouting in general. Do you watch a lot of footage? How much do you customize your game plan based on scouting or is it the sort of thing where you just do what you do? Tannenbaum: I try not to worry about it too much. You want to be aware of it, but you don't want to focus too much on it -- especially the type of person that I am. I tend to think too much. So if I go out there and think about what someone else is going to do, instead of worrying what I'm doing … it doesn't always work. It doesn't matter how well you watch somebody, it's all about the feel. I'm sure everyone knows I have a low single to the right leg. But whether or not they've ever felt it or can stop that or whether they're going to be ready for that off a double is something else. Wrestling is not something you can predict. So it's a lot more valuable to actually wrestle someone and make adjustments from match to rematch? Tannenbaum: Yeah. Definitely video of yourself wrestling somebody is a lot more useful and important than somebody else wrestling … in terms of styles, techniques and stuff. So do you watch much video of yourself? Eric TannenbaumTannenbaum: Oh yeah, I watch almost every single match. Just to be more conscious of what's going on and go out there with better perspective. Do you read wrestling message boards? Tannenbaum: I don't ever read that stuff. I understand you're quite a deejay. How long have you been doing that? Tannenbaum: I've had turntables since I was in seventh grade. And I just kind of kept working on it. It's been more of a hobby, but recently I've been doing more and more like actual gigs. Like some volunteer work and stuff. Is it a good way to relieve stress during the season? Or is it something you do more in the off-season? Tannenbaum: I do more actual gigs in the off-season, but before the season started I was deejaying at this bar for a little bit. In season, I still do it, but it's more of a hobby. Actually, the only weekend we had off, I did do a party. But usually we're out of town every weekend. I'm deejaying Monday at this thing called Mock Rock. It's a charity thing and afterwards I'm doing this like after party deejay thing. I don't know. I just kind of do it as the jobs come. It's just for fun. So you don't have any aspirations to continue? Tannenbaum: I always say it's my ideal job, but there are people out there who put as much time into it as I do into wrestling. You hinted before that you might continue with freestyle after you're done competing college. Tannenbaum: I don't know. Maybe like, just to see what happens. I might try out for 2008 or something, but, I mean, I'm trying to go to med school and there's really no time between that and … you know … it's not really practical. I know wrestlers don't really like to look ahead much, but people really can't seem to stop talking about you potentially matching up with Oklahoma State's Johny Hendricks. Tannenbaum: Right. It's the sort of thing where there's just so much drama involved because of the match he had with Ryan Churella last season … and there are a lot of people around the country who want to see him lose. Tannenbaum laughs. Well, what were you thinking when you were watching his match with Churella last season? Tannenbaum: I don't know. You mean as far as do I think Ryan got screwed? Yes. Pinned? (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Tannenbaum: Yeah. I mean, I don't know. I think he kind of got hosed a little bit, but it's one of those things where it's a tough call because it all happened so fast. I watched it again just the other day and didn't even realize that when it happened, it was happening. So it's hard for a ref in the national finals to call a pin that quickly when the other guy is winning. I think it was definitely a close call, but I think ultimately if you watch the tape, most people would say, other than Oklahoma State fans, that it was a pin. What do you think about the second-to-last takedown? It really didn't seem like there was a lot of control there. Tannenbaum: Yeah. I think the whole match was kind of out of whack with the reffing. I mean, obviously I wanted Ryan to win, so I'm definitely going to be on his side with that, but I think it's kind of a shame how … just the way that match went down is so odd. It's something that people just can't stop talking about. I think a lot of people are really rooting for you to beat Hendricks this season. And I think the match-up excites people not only because of the drama of it, but stylistically a lot of people say that you're the only person who can match his activity level. And you both seem to work from the outside rather than taking your shots from a tie up or something. It looks like it could be an entertaining match. What do you think you would have to do to beat him? Tannenbaum: I know he's a goer. I've watched a couple of his bouts. I think we have somewhat similar styles. I'm sure it would be interesting. I try not to think about it too much … because everyone says to take it one match at a time. But with him, it would be the same thing as anyone else. Go out there tough, stay in position, and work what works best for you. There's really no magic strategy I have. You just gotta go out there and wrestle.

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- The Limestone College wrestling team defeated Spartanburg Methodist College, 29-15, on Monday night at the Timken Center. The Saints improve to 6-11 for the season. Freshman Dan Scanlan (Leesburg, Va.) picked up his 26th victory of the season as he pinned his opponent in the first period to win the 184-pound weight class. Limestone's Ian Barker (Summerville, S.C./125 lbs.) got the Saints' first victory of the night as he pinned Michael Boring at 2:31. Matt Ross (Chicago, Ill.) battled against SMC's Justin Newell in the 133-pound weight class, but was edged, 6-5. Riley Pike (Alexander City, Ala.) dominated the 141-pound division with a huge 21-6 win over Jeremiah Webb. Dustin Baynes (Liberty Twp, Ohio) had another win for Limestone in the 149-pound class with a 6-3 decision over Tim Burdine. Greg Satterfield (Hampton, Va.) also recorded a 6-1 decision over the Pioneers' John Murray. The Saints' Todd Neptune (New Concord, Ohio/174 lbs.) and Dan Scanlan (184 lbs.) both pinned their opponents, at 1:69 and 0:41 respectively. Limestone's Mike Walsh (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) was pinned by Jeremiah Webb in the 197-pound weight class, while SMC's Chris Tindal won by forfeit in the heavyweight class. Limestone hosts No.-16 ranked Newberry on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Timken Center.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -– The Rutgers wrestling team will seek its first 10-win season since the 2003-04 campaign when it hosts Sacred Heart on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 7:00 p.m. at the College Avenue Gymnasium. The Scarlet Knights (9-4, 5-2 EIWA) are coming off a 19-18 come-from-behind win over American University on Feb. 4. American owned a 15-10 lead going into the final three bouts, but a decision win from Keith Dobish (Lodi, N.J.) at 184 pounds and a pin at heavyweight from Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.). Chris Norrell (Phillipsburg, N.J.) and Kyle Milanese (Delran, N.J.) also scored bonus points at their respective weights. Norrell recorded his seventh pin of the season at 157 pounds, while Milanese won by major decision at 141 pounds. Sacred Heart (3-6) also faced American University in its most recent match, falling to the Eagles, 29-19, in its final home match of the season. Senior heavyweight Payam Zarrinpour recorded a pin, while Paul Galipeau also won by fall at 133 pounds. Andrew Silber won a major decision at 184 pounds and Cory Dunn and Adam Krowinski won by decision. In last year's meeting, Sacred Heart won a 22-18 battle on Feb. 4. Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.), Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.), and Matt Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) all posted wins in the match-up. For the season, Barrett leads the team with 16 wins, while Dan Hilt (Manalapan, N.J.) and Norrell each have 13 victories. Norrell leads the team with seven pins. RU will next travel to Lehigh on Saturday, Feb. 10, for an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association match-up, slated for 2:00 p.m.

The Wyoming Cowboy wrestling team won seven of ten bouts to beat Utah Valley State 32-9, Saturday night at the Shurian Activities Center in Orem Utah. With the win, the Pokes improve to 3-9 overall and 2-1 in the Western Wrestling Conference. "I thought we fought hard and did some good things tonight," said UW head coach Steven Suder. "Utah Valley State is a team that is going to be very tough in the future. I thought they fought us hard and I really respect their program. However, I am glad that we came out on top." In tonight's win, the Cowboys won two matches by way of technical fall, one by major decision, two by decision and two by forfeit. Junior Carter Downing and redshirt senior Sam Wendland each won by technical fall. In the 149-pound weight class, Downing beat Clayton Wolf 19-2 in 6:12 to improve to 29-7 on the season. At 197-pounds, Wendland beat Mark Dennis by a score of 23-7 in 6:09 and improves his record to 10-1 on the season. In the 165-pound bout, junior Kyle Morrow won his match by major decision as he beat Dustin Olsen 10-2. Juniors Bryan Bernal and Jason Still each won their matches on the night as well. Bernal beat Marc Fenwick 6-3 in the 174-pound bout and Still beat Eric McAllister 5-2 in the heavyweight bout. Redshirt freshmen Nick Ramirez and Cory VomBaur each won their matches by way of Utah Valley State forfeits. "I thought that we had some guys really improve last night against Cal State Fullerton and we challenged them to continue that trend tonight. The guys did exactly that and I can see them becoming consistently better. Carter, Bryan and Sam all had good matches and Kyle Morrow turned a page in his journey and wrestled his best match of the season," added Suder. The Cowboy wrestling team will return to the friendly confines of the UniWyo Sport complex as they take on South Dakota State next Friday. The dual is set to begin at 7 p.m. and live video streaming will be available on UW official athletics site through Wyoming All-Access at www.wyomingathletics.com.

EAST STROUDSBURG -– Shane Mallory and Dave Williams both earned falls despite the Division I East Stroudsburg University wrestling team coming up short against visiting Division III Delaware Valley College 28-17, Thursday night in Koehler Fieldhouse. The Aggies, ranked fourth in Division III, improved to 16-2 in dual meets, including a perfect 3-0 against Division I opponents. The Warriors fell to 1-9. Delaware Valley won seven of 10 weight classes, none bigger than Jaryd Steinbacher's triumph at 149 pounds. The sophomore and 2006 Division III national qualifier hit the mat against Scott Heckman who came off a conference title just five days ago. However, Steinbacher led throughout the match and finished with a 5-4 decision to improve to 26-9 on the season. Steinbacher's victory was the second of four in a row that put the match away for the Aggies. Ricky LaForge hit the mat prior to Steinbacher and the second-ranked wrestler in Division III at 141 pounds registered a 9-1 major decision over Sean Carr for his 24th win in 26 matches. Ryan Herwig improved to 27-12 with a 6-3 decision over Alex Bimes at 157 and Ryan Pope followed with a 4-3 victory over Leif Ruschmeyer at 165 pounds to see his mark go to 22-15. Those four victories upped the match score to 28-5 before East Stroudsburg earned pinned in the final two weight classes of the night. The last two matches of the evening were victorious for the Warriors. At 174, Mallory earned a fall against the Aggies Paul Donnell to make the score 28-12 in favor of Delaware Valley with one match remaining. Next, Williams earned a pin in the second period to finish the match at 28-17. The match started at 197 pounds where Delaware Valley's Joe West (12-7) picked up a win by forfeit. Aggie heavyweight Kyle Bilquist, ranked third in Division III, followed with a 4-2 decision over Charles Deighton to improve to 34-4 on the season. ESU will travel to Boston on Sunday, February 4 to begin wrestling at 4 p.m.

Cedar Falls, Iowa - NIU (4-3-1) walked away from consecutive dual meets on Sunday with a win against Old Dominion (10-5) and a tie for the second year in a row against Northern Iowa (3-8-1). With the win and the tie, NIU improves their overall record in dual meets to 4-3-1. Coach Dave Grant said of the day's events, "We had a good day, our team wrestled pretty tough today. Pat (Castillo) was dominant, the Burk brothers had a good day and Dave Benner had a big win for us in the Northern Iowa match." Old Dominion It was an impressive opening match for NIU's Pat Castillo, ranked as high as 18th nationally, as he recorded a technical fall against ODU's Kyle Hutter at the 5:26 mark of the match giving Castillo a 20-5 win. The victory gave the Huskies an early 4-0 lead over Old Dominion. NIU quickly gave up their lead as NIU's Gralan Early and Justin Metcalfe were not able to come up with wins in back-to-back matches. Early went down by major decision giving ODU a 7-4 lead. Mike Grimes, ranked as high as 8th nationally, recorded a major over ODU's Joey Metzler by a score of 14-4. The major decision was enough to put the Huskies back in the overall lead with a score of 8-7. After NIU's Kalen Knull's close 2-1 loss, the Huskies went on a roll by winning four of the last five matches against Old Dominion. Johnny Galloway, ranked as high as 9th nationally, led the way with a pin of ODU's Nick Pullano. Then, Danny and Duke Burk dominated their opponents, as each recorded major decision victories giving the Huskies an overwhelming 23-10 lead. Nick McClone could not keep the momentum going as he lost a major decision to David Mendoza of ODU. But, in the final match NIU's David Benner picked up a 7-4 decision over Matt Pellar, giving NIU a 26-14 overall win against Old Dominion. Northern Iowa Following a short break the Huskies took the mat looking for their second win of the day against a tough Northern Iowa team, and Pat Castillo started strong once again, recording his second technical fall of the day with a 25-10 win over UNI's Grant Ruge to give the Huskies a 4-0 lead. Gralan Early came up short in a high scoring match (18-11) against UNI's Kyle Anson swinging the momentum back to the Panthers, but the Huskies still held a 4-3 overall advantage. The Huskies increased their lead to 8-3 after Justin Metcalf dismantled Mike Whisler of Northern Iowa en route to a 10-2 major decision. Three straight Northern Iowa wins followed, including Mike Grimes coming up short in overtime and Johnny Galloway's last second 5-2 loss to 4th ranked Nick Baima placing the Huskies in a 14-8 hole. Then, it was time for the Burk brothers to shine. Danny Burk put the Huskies back into contention with a 6-3 decision over UNI's Alex Dolly. The decision closed the gap to just three points with Danny's younger brother Duke about to take the mat. Duke Burk did not disappoint as he took care of business with a 4-2 decision against UNI's Dallas Mitchell to tie the overall score at 14-14 with only two matches left. NIU's Nick McClone had a chance to put the Huskies back in the lead but couldn't get the win. Consequently, the Huskies were down 17-14 going into the final match of the day. The pressure lay squarely on the broad shoulders of NIU's Dave Benner as he strode to the mat for the final match of the day. Lose, and NIU loses the match, win and go home with at least a tie. Benner proved to be up in the challenge as he came up with a huge 5-1 victory over Tyler Rhodes of UNI to allow the Huskies to finish with a 17-17 tie. The Huskies return to action on Friday February, 9th to take on 5th ranked Central Michigan in the Convocation Center at 7:05 p.m. CST.