Big Ten Network : Wrestling Top Stories

Network to double wrestling coverage in '09-10

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:34:00 +0000

Network to double wrestling coverage in '09-10

Buckeyes overcome Lehigh

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The coaches of the third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team (1-0) knew they would have their hands full against a talented Lehigh squad, which came into the match Friday in St. John Arena No. 16 in the nation. With that said, a fast start was crucial to the Buckeyes' success and that is exactly what they got when Nikko Triggas scored six team points on a pin en route to an Ohio State 22-12 victory to open up action in the Buckeyes' home opener. In all, Ohio State won six of 10 bouts, including a crucial major decision by Colt Sponseller at 165 pounds and back-to-back 4-3 decisions by No. 3 Mike Pucillo and Cody Magrum at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively. Also registering in the "win" column was No. 1 Reece Humphrey with a 7-1 victory, as well as No. 3 Lance Palmer, who also was a 7-1 winner. Triggas, a junior from Moraga, Calif., and John McDonald entered the third period knotted up at 5-all at 125 pounds. However, Triggas quickly took control in the final stanza, recording a takedown and 3-point nearfall before finally pinning McDonald 5:50 into the bout. True freshman Ian Paddock, a native of Warsaw, N.Y., suffered an 8-3 setback at 133 pounds. In his first collegiate dual match, Paddock trailed No. 12 Matt Fisk throughout the match. At 141 pounds, senior tri-captain Humphrey, who hails from Indianapolis, Ind., was the second Buckeye to put points on the board. Up, 2-0 after the first period and 4-1 following the second against 15th-ranked Seth Ciasulli, Humphrey's takedown and riding time of 1:38 in the final two minutes gave the Buckeyes a 9-3 lead. While also preparing to wrestle in the 44th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Sunday, Palmer, a captain from Columbia Station, Ohio, made his case for participation in the prestigious tournament Friday after handing Brian Tanen a 7-1 loss at 149 pounds. With a slim 2-1 lead in the first period, Palmer scored a reversal, 2-point nearfall and compiled a riding time of 3:33 to finish off the Mountain Hawk. Palmer will take off for Cal State Fullerton Saturday for the All-Star Classic and will wrestle fifth-ranked Kyle Borshoff of American. With Ohio State owning a 12-6 lead, redshirt-freshman Tony Jameson, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, held a 9-3 advantage heading into the third period at 157 pounds. However, Sean Bilodeau was able to rally, recording a takedown, 2-point nearfall and reversal before registering a 3-point nearfall in the final seconds of the period to win 12-11. Up next at 165 pounds, Sponseller gave the Buckeyes a crucial four points as he defeated Brandon Hatchett, 19-7. For the match, the Buckeye from Glenmont, Ohio, amassed nine takedowns and a 2:48 riding time to lift the Buckeyes to a 16-6 lead. Senior Dave Rella lost a heartbreaker to Robert Hamlin on 11 seconds of riding time at 174 pounds. The bout was a closely contested match that exhausted all overtime opportunities. Coming off a loss in the final of the Oklahoma Gold Classic, 184-pounded Pucillo rebounded nicely against No. 12 David Craig with his 4-3 victory. The senior captain from Strongsville, Ohio, secured a late takedown in the third period for the win. After seeing frequent action in open tournaments last season as a redshirt-freshman, Magrum completed his first collegiate dual meet with a 4-3 win and most importantly a 22-9 Ohio State lead. Following a scoreless tie after the first, Magrum, who hails from Oak Harbor, Ohio, took a 3-0 lead into the third before locking in the victory at 197 pounds courtesy of a 1:18 riding time. Senior Corey Morrison nearly pulled off the rally and upset at heavyweight as he was going up against No. 5 Zach Rey. Trailing 5-2 after the second, Morrison, who is from Shaker Heights, Ohio, scored an early escape and took advantage of consecutive warning calls on Rey. Down just 5-4, Morrison quickly scored a takedown for the 6-5 lead. However, Morrison was called for a technical violation, which automatically gave Rey a point for the 6-6 tie. Rey also had compiled 1:02 of riding time that gave him the 7-6 win.

Purdue upsets #9 Missouri, 19-15

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Purdue wrestling team scored a major road victory on Friday night, taking down the ninth-ranked University of Missouri Tigers at the Hearnes Center, 19-15. Purdue won six of the 10 bouts on the evening, including head-to-head ranked matchups at 174 and 197 pounds. Purdue moves to 12-8-1 all-time against the Tigers, snapping a two-match slide and winning in Columbia for the first time since 1999. Juniors Juan Archuleta, Luke Manuel and Logan Brown all remained undefeated for the Boilermakers, who improved to 3-1 with the win. The win is the first for Purdue against a ranked opponent since their victory over No. 17 Indiana on Feb. 8, 2008. Missouri jumped out to a 3-0 lead as freshman Brad Wisdom caught Purdue sophomore Matt Fields in a cradle for a five-point move and rode it to a 9-6 decision at 125. Fields rode Wisdom the entire third period, and caught him in a cradle of his own late, but the three-point nearfall was not enough to close the gap. The Boilermakers turned things around as sophomore Akif Eren sparked a three-match Purdue win streak with his 11-5 decision over Missouri freshman Nathan McCormick. Eren gave up an early takedown to fall behind 2-0, but it was all Purdue the rest of the way as Eren posted a takedown to take the lead and ran the score up in the third with a reversal, three-point nearfall and takedown en route to an 11-5 win. Archuleta moved to 7-0 at 141 pounds for the Boilermakers, knocking off #19 Missouri junior Todd Schavrien by decision, 9-5. Archuleta set the pace from the get-go, scoring a pair of first period takedowns en route to a 5-3 lead. After a stagnant second, he added a takedown in the third and the riding-time point to seal the victory. The run continued at 149 as Purdue senior Nick Bertucci turned in a dominant performance in his 9-0 major decision over Tiger sophomore Scott O'Donnell. The scoring didn't start until the second period, but Bertucci ran it up quick, escaping and hitting a cradle for the five-point play and 6-0 lead. After a neutral start to the third, Bertucci grabbed the bonus point with a second takedown and riding-time point for good measure. Missouri's Patrick Wright ended the Purdue streak at 157 pounds , upsetting 10th-ranked Boilermaker junior Colton Salazar, 4-0. Salazar seemed to have suffered an injury halfway through the match, but finished it off and refused to surrender bonus points in a gutsy performance. The Tigers picked up a second straight win at 165 pounds as No. 7 Nick Marable topped Purdue senior Jason Martin, 6-3. Twelfth-ranked Manuel righted the ship for the Boilermakers at 174 pounds, winning a ranked matchup with No. 16 junior Dorian Henderson, 6-2. Manuel did all the work in the bout, scoring a pair of takedowns in a solid performance for the win. Senior Nick Corpe followed up for the Old Gold and Black at 184, stretching the team lead to 16-9 with a 7-4 decision over freshman Todd Porter. Corpe took the Tiger to his back for a five-point play in the first and rode the lead out for the win. Brown, ranked 11th in the nation, made it three straight for the Boilermakers and sealed the team victory at 197 pounds, scoring a thrilling 7-5 sudden victory over 17th-ranked Missouri freshman Brent Haynes. Brown did the work early scoring two first-period takedowns, but Haynes battled back in the third, taking advantage of a fleeing penalty and scoring a late takedown to force overtime. Brown battled late in the match, working for the takedown and scoring the win. Haynes third-period takedown was the first surrendered by the Boilermaker junior this season. Fourth-ranked Dominique Bradley closed the gap for the Tigers in a meaningless heavyweight bout, as Purdue freshman Adam Walls came out firing, but was caught quickly and pinned in 18 seconds. Purdue 19 – Missouri 15 125: Brad Wisdom (UM) def. Matt Fields (PU), D 9-6 (0-3) 133: Akif Eren (PU) def. Nate McCormick (UM), D 11-5 (3-3) 141: Juan Archuleta (PU) def. #19 Todd Schavrien (UM), D 9-5 (6-3) 149: Nick Bertucci (PU) def. Scott O'Donnell (UM), MD 9-0 (10-3) 157: Patrick Wright (UM) def. #10 Colton Salazar (PU), D 4-0 (10-6) 165: #7 Nick Marable (UM) def. Jason Martin (PU), D 6-3 (10-9) 174: #12 Luke Manuel (PU) def. #16 Dorian Henderson (UM), D 6-2 (13-9) 184: Nick Corpe (PU) def. Todd Porter (UM), D 7-4 (16-9) 197: #11 Logan Brown (PU) def. #17 Brent Haynes (UM), SV 7-5 (19-9) 285: #4 Dominique Bradley def. Adam Walls (PU), Fall 0:18 (19-15)

Indiana shuts out Wabash for second straight year

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. - For the third consecutive season, IU Wrestling opened their dual match schedule with a shutout on the road at Wabash College. The Hoosiers blanked Wabash, 45-0, Tuesday night. Seven of 10 IU grapplers recorded bonus points in the contest as Indiana tallied two major decisions, a pair of tech falls and pinned three Little Giants. Three-time All-American Angel Escobedo began the night by sticking Josh Boyer in under a minute (0:53) in the 125 lbs. bout. Matt Ortega followed suit at 133 pounds, recording his fall at the 1:03 mark. Competing in his first collegiate dual match, redshirt freshman Danny Monaco posted an 8-1 victory over Jake Strausbaugh at 141 pounds. Alex Warren kept it going in the 149-lbs. match by tech falling his opponent, 17-0, in just four minutes and 23 seconds. Next up was the Bloomington High School South duo of Kurt Kinser (157 lbs.) and Paul Young (165 lbs.), each making quick work of their foe. Kinser ran his career pins total to 26, placing him eighth all-time in school history while Young garnered an 18-2 tech fall in 3:56. Trevor Perry (174 lbs.) wrestled the first match of his senior season, putting up a 12-1 major decision over Robert Beeler. Subsequent decisions by Eric Cameron and Matt Powless followed to put the Cream and Crimson ahead 41-0. Heavyweight Nate Everhart handed Rob Arnett his first defeated of the year, remaining undefeated himself after a 11-0 major decision. Redshirt freshman Ryan Konz also wrestled Tuesday night, winning his exhibition match with Jake Moore, 13-0. Indiana's next competition is the Hoosier Duals on Nov. 28, held this season at University Gym. COMPLETE RESULTS Final Score: Indiana 45- Wabash 0 125 - Angel Escobedo (Indiana) pins Josh Boyer (Wabash) 0:53 133 - Matt Ortega (Indiana) pins Willy Costakis (Wabash) 1:03 141 - Dan Monaco (Indiana) decision over Jake Strausbaugh (Wabash) 8-1 149 - Alex Warren (Indiana) tech falls Garrett Payne (Wabash) 17-0 4:23 157 - Kurt Kinser (Indiana) pins Tony Conway (Wabash) 3:41 165 - Paul Young (Indiana) tech falls Bryon Hugo (Wabash) 18-2 3:56 174 - Trevor Perry (Indiana) maj. dec. over Robert Beeler (Wabash) 12-1 184 - Eric Cameron (Indiana) decsion over Greg Rhoads (Wabash) 7-4 197 - Matt Powless (Indiana) decision over Michael Burke (Wabash) 9-5 285 - Nate Everhart (Indiana) maj. dec. over Rob Arnett (Wabash) 11-0 Exhibition Matches 157 - Ryan Konz (Indiana) maj. dec. over Jake Moore (Wabash) 13-0

No. 7 Nebraska knocks off No. 12 Wisconsin

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:18:00 +0000

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team battled No. 7 Nebraska on Sunday afternoon in its second match of the 2009-10 season. The Badgers fell to the Huskers 26-17, but had four individual victories, including a pin, a tech fall and a major decision. Wisconsin is now 1-1 on the season. The match began at 184 lbs., where redshirt freshman Jimmy Duffy took on redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen. Ihnen scored the first takedown with 1:20 left on the clock in the first period and added to his lead with another takedown and an escape to win the match 6-1 and giving the Huskers a 3-0 lead. Duffy registered an escape in the match. True freshman Jackson Hein then took on his second ranked opponent of the weekend with No. 2 senior Craig Brester at 197 lbs. Brester jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the first period, adding five more points to win by a 14-2 major decision, giving Nebraska a 7-0 lead. Hein recorded two escapes in the match. Junior Eric Bugenhagen battled No. 9 sophomore Tucker Lane in a tough heavyweight matchup. After a scoreless first period, Lane chose down and registered the only points of the second period with an escape at 1:51. In the third period, Bugenhagen chose down and did the same, evening the score at 1-1 with an escape at 1:56. The bout then went into a first overtime, where no points were scored. In the second overtime, both Bugenhagen and Lane scored escapes to tie the bout at 3-3 and sent the match into a third overtime where Lane had just one second of riding time advantage to win the match 4-3 and stretching the Husker's lead to 10-0. At 125 lbs., senior Drew Hammen wrestled true freshman David Klingsheim. Hammen recorded the first takedown of the match with 1:12 left on the clock in the first period. Hammen scored another takedown, an escape and riding time of 1:19 to win the match 5-2, giving the Badgers their first team points of the match as they trailed 10-3. No. 10 Tyler Graff then faced true freshman C.J. Napier at 133 lbs. Graff jumped out to an early 10-4 lead in the first period and never looked back. Graff registered 12 takedowns in the match and scored a riding time advantage of 1:26 to win the bout 26-10 by tech fall, narrowing the Huskers lead to 10-7. Redshirt freshman Trey Bertram took on junior Mike Koehnlein at 141 lbs. Bertram scored the first points of the match with a takedown at 1:32 in the first period. He then trailed 6-2 at the end of the period after Koehlein scored a takedown and three near fall points. Koehnlein then went on to add six more points to his score, winning the match by a 12-2 major decision and extending Nebraska's lead to 14-7. No. 2 Kyle Ruschell battled redshirt freshman Ross Grande at 149 lbs. Ruschell recorded three takedowns in the first period to lead 6-2. Ruschell went on to add two more takedowns, an escape and riding time of 3:32 to win by a 12-3 major decision, once again cutting the Huskers lead to 14-11. Junior Greg Burke battled No. 1 senior Jordan Burroughs at 165 lbs. Burroughs struck fast with a takedown and shortly after pinned Burke at 0:25, giving the Huskers a 20-11 lead over the Badgers. No. 3 sophomore Andrew Howe then wrestled junior Alex Ward at 165 lbs. Howe scored 10 takedowns, one reversal and two near fall points before pinning Ward at 6:24. It was Howe's first career pin, and it gave the UW six points, narrowing Nebraska's lead to 20-17. At 174 lbs., true freshman Brendan Ard took on No. 6 senior Stephen Dwyer. After a scoreless first period, Dwyer got on the board first with a reversal. Ard responded with an escape and then took the 3-2 lead with a takedown. Dwyer evened the score with an escape at the 54-second mark in the second. All tied up at 3-3, Ard chose down to start the third and shortly after, Dwyer pinned Ard at the 5:25 mark, giving the Huskers six points and a team victory of 26-17. Complete bout-by-bout coverage from today's match can be found here. The Badgers hit the road again next Sunday when they will face Oregon State and No. 8 Boise State in Corvallis, Ore.

Penn State beats Bloomsburg in home opener

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:28:00 +0000

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the initial NWCA Coaches Poll, downed Bloomsburg 23-15 in the home opener for head coach Cael Sanderson's squad. Over 4,000 Penn State faithful watched as Penn State's young line-up won six of ten bouts for the win. Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, downed No. 2 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg in the day's signature bout. Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 8 nationally, put Penn State up 4-0 early with a four-point tech fall at 125, downing BU's Jason Guffey 22-7. Lion freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) was up 11-5 at 133 in his Penn State debut but got caught with a quick pin at 133 as BU's Dan Gaylord got the fall at the 5:28 mark to put the Huskies up 6-4. Bloom's Frank Hickman picked up a win at 141 and BU quieted the Nittany Lion fans and led 9-4 after three bouts. But two Nittany Lion All-Americans sent the Penn State faithful into a frenzy in the next two bouts. Sophomore Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) posted a 12-3 major over BU's Josh Roosa a 149, setting up the dual's marquee match-up at 157. Penn State senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) thrilled the Lion crowd with a superb 3-2 win over Bloomsburg's Matt Moley. Sanderson was ranked No. 5 at 157 while Moley entered the bout ranked No. 2. The decision gave Penn State an 11-9 lead heading into intermission. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, pushed Penn State out to a 14-9 lead with a 2-1 win over No. 19 Rick Schmelyun. Bloomsburg, however, was not done. The Huskies countered with an 11-5 win from Nate Graham at 174 and a 4-0 win from Derek Coffey at 184 to give BU a 15-14 lead with just two bouts left to wrestle. Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) was re-ignited the Penn State fans, however, with a thrilling late takedown in a 3-1 win over Bloomsburg's Jake Dabashinky, putting Penn State back on top 17-15. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at HWT, put the exclamation point on the win by pinning Bloomsburg's Zach Walsh at the 4:42 mark, giving Penn State a 23-15 win. Penn State won six of the ten bouts and notched 20 takedowns to Bloomsburg's 11. Penn State had five bonus point in the bout while Bloomsburg picked up three on the quick pin at 133. Penn State is now 1-1 on the year while Bloomsburg falls to 2-1. The Nittany Lions trek to Binghamton, N.Y., to take part in the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Sunday, Nov. 22. Penn State will face Rutgers (9:45 a.m.), Harvard (11:30 a.m.) and Edinboro (3 p.m.) at Binghamton University.

Gophers claim seven titles at Bison Open

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:33:00 +0000

FARGO, N.D. - The Minnesota wrestling team opened their season today at the Bison Open, and did so in dominating fashion, winning titles in seven weight classes with 14 wrestlers making it to the championship round. Five Gopher wrestlers defended titles led by Jayson Ness (Bloomington, Minn.) at 133 who is now a three-time Bison Open Champion. Ness' only Bison Open loss came in his freshman season in the championship round. As a senior in 2009 he tallied three first period falls before matching up with teammate David Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) in the finals where the two shared the title. In the first action of his college career, Thorn won three matches by two decisions and one third period tech fall to advance to the finals. At the top of the line-up, Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.) claimed the 125-pound title for the second consecutive season, again beating Trent Sprenkle of host North Dakota State in the finals. Sanders won his first two matches by fall before a 13-6 decision in the semifinals and 17-7 major decision in the finals for the title. At 141 pounds, Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) also repeated as champion, beating teammate Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa) to do so. As was the case for the Gophers throughout the day, Thorn was dominant, winning two matches by fall and one by major decision before a tech fall in the finals. Reiter, in his first collegiate action, earned two wins by decision and a third by major decision en route to his appearance in the finals. A year ago Mario Mason (Moorestown, N.J.) shared the title at 149, but this season it was all his as he went 5-0 in the tournament. Mason won his first match by tech fall and also tallied a major decision on his way to the championship round. His opponent was Gopher rookie Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.) who won his first career match by fall in the first period before making his way to the finals. In the championship match Mason tabbed a 7-4 decision for the win. The final Gopher to defend a title was heavyweight Ben Berhow (Hayward, Minn.), who shared champion honors with freshman Tony Nelson (Cambridge, Minn.). Berhow ended his first match with a pin in less than two minutes and then added a 15-4 major decision for a berth in the championship. On the other side of the bracket, Nelson earned a close 2-1 decision for his first career win and then notched a 7-0 win over fellow freshman Jake Kettler (Ramsey, Minn.) in the semifinals. Continuing in dominating fashion, the Gopher boasted three of the four heavyweights competing in the semifinals. One-upping the heavyweights, however, were the 174-pounders who claimed all four semifinal spots in their class. Scott Glasser (Bismarck, N.D.) earned a 5-2 win over Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.) for a berth in the finals and Nate Matousek (Glencoe, Minn.) tallied a tight 2-1 win over Matt Everson (Mitchell, S.D.) in the other semifinal. Glasser would go on to win the 174 title with a 14-1 win. The last all-Gopher final was at 197 where Sonny Yohn (Alamosa, Colo.) met up with Joe Nord (Waconia, Minn.). Yohn tallied two tech falls and one major decision in advancing to the championship round while Nord notched a fall and two major decisions on his way to the finals. In the championship, Yohn was able to score a 10-2 victory. The final Gopher to appear in the finals was Alec Ortiz (Grand Ronde, Ore.) at 165, who got there via major decision, fall and decision. In the championship, Ortiz came up just short of a title, falling 9-7. The Gophers also claimed three third place finishes on the day for a very successful season opener. "There was a lot of good," head coach J Robinson said. "I think we learned a lot, and got a good look at where we're at. I think our young recruiting class showed a lot. We had a lot of freshman in the finals, and they really went out and got after people. Overall our guys went out at battled and it was really good to see." The Golden Gophers will return to the mat in one week when the head to Nebraska-Omaha and the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 21. Always highly competitive, Minnesota won two titles at the Kaufman-Brand in 2008, and they will look to continue their early season success as they build towards their first dual meet on Nov. 28 at Williams Arena, when they host Cal State-Bakersfield.

Buckeyes just miss out on Oklahoma Gold Classic

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:02:00 +0000

The third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team came up .5 points short of the Oklahoma Gold Classic championship Saturday in Brockport, N.Y., after scoring 144 points to first-place finisher Oklahoma's 144.5. The Buckeyes, who opened their 2009-10 campaign in the tournament that featured some of the top wrestlers in the nation, were backed by a pair of champions in No. 1 seeds and team tri-captains Reece Humphrey at 141 pounds and Lance Palmer at 149 pounds. Rutgers rounded out the Top 3 teams with 120.5 points. In fourth was Edinboro (110), followed by Kent State (100.5), Army (81), Liberty (37.5) and host Brockport (11.5). In addition to Ohio State's two champions, it received Top 6 placements from nine other Buckeyes, including runner-up finishes from junior Colt Sponseller (165), senior Dave Rella (174) and senior tri-captain Mike Pucillo (184). Freshman Ian Paddock, a fifth seed, had an impressive outing at 133 pounds with his third-place finish. Also placing in the Top 3 was sophomore Sean Nemec at 157 pounds. A trio of Buckeyes was fourth. Unseeded Pat Harrington secured a Top 4 placing at 125 pounds, as did fourth seeds Cody Magrum (197) and Corey Morrison (HWT). Nikko Triggas was fifth at 125 pounds, while John Hiles surprised the heavyweight field with his sixth-place finish as an unseeded wrestler. With open tournament action behind them, the Buckeyes will officially put their No. 3 ranking on the line when they host No. 19 Lehigh in dual action at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 in St. John Arena. Ohio State then will welcome 11 teams for the Buckeye Duals in St. John Arena Nov. 22. Action at the Buckeye Duals will begin at 10 a.m.

Purdue goes 2-1 at Northwestern Duals

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:49:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - The Purdue wrestling team opened its dual season with a 2-1 record, including their first Big Ten win of the season at the Northwestern Duals, hosted by the Wildcats in Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday. The Boilermakers lost their opener to Stanford, 19-16, but rebounded with wins over Northern Iowa, 24-9, and Northwestern, 33-7. Ranked juniors Colton Salazar, Luke Manuel and Logan Brown and sophomore Matt Fields all rolled to perfect 3-0 days, while junior Juan Archuleta had a pair of victories as well. Salazar had his first two pins of the season, while Brown posted his second major decision of the year. The Boilermakers' opener didn't go as planned as Stanford won six-of-10 bouts and picked up bonus points at 141 pounds en route to a 19-16 win. Winners for the Old Gold and Black were Fields, Salazar, Manuel and Brown as Salazar took a forfeit win, Brown posted a 10-1 major decision and Fields and Manuel settled for decisions. The matchup was the first ever between Purdue and Stanford as the Boilermakers drop to 103-30-6 in series openers. Purdue bounced back in the second match of the day as they downed Northern Iowa, 24-9, on the strength of seven victories. After losing the opener the Boilermakers rolled through three straight as Fields topped Caleb Flores, 5-4, Akif Eren took a decision over Ryan Jauch, 4-1, and Archuleta powered past Alec Hoffman, 8-4. Senior Sam Patacsil suffered a 3-2 setback for Purdue at 149, but Salazar righted the ship with his first pin of the season, a 2:07 stick of Tyson Reiner for six team points. The Panthers last win of the match came at 165 as David Bonin outlasted Jason Martin, 6-1, and Purdue rolled through the last three weights to finish the win. Manuel edged Jarion Beets at 174 pounds, 3-0, senior Nick Corpe picked up his first career win at 184 pounds, topping Andy O'Loughlin, 7-5, and Brown closed out the match with a 6-2 win over Dustin Bauman at 197. The win was just Purdue's fourth in the all-time series, improving to 4-13 against the Panthers in the first contest between the two since 2001. It also broke up a two-match slide against Northern Iowa and was the Boilermakers' largest winning margin over the Panthers, topping a 25-12 effort in 1996. Freshman Adam Walls started the Northwestern dual with a bang, sticking the Wildcats' Ben Kuhar just before the end of the second period for a 6-0 team win. Walls caught his opponent in a front headlock, dragged him to the mat and flipped him to his back for his second pin of the season. Fields followed up with his third win of the day, reversing Robert Joyce in the third period and riding him out for the 2-0 win, while Eren capitalized on a penalty point from Eric Metzler to eke out a 5-4 decision. A Northwestern forfeit upped the Purdue advantage to 18-0 in the team scores, but the Wildcats got on the board at 149 pounds as Andrew Nadhir avenged last weekend's to Purdue senior Nick Bertucci, 8-4. Salazar needed 4:40 to stick Wildcat freshman Kevin Bialka, improving his record to 8-0 this season, and pushing the team score to 24-3. Northwestern's last win of the day came at 165 pounds as Robert Kellogg notched a 10-1 major decision over Jason Martin. Manuel, Corpe and Brown capped the rout with consecutive decisions at 174, 184 and 197 as Manuel defeated Frank Battaglia, 10-3, Corpe scored a pair of takedowns en route to a 5-3 win over Marcus Shrewsbury, and Brown blanked John Schoen, 6-0. The Boilermakers' rout of Northwestern snaps a two-match losing streak to the Wildcats, giving them their first win in the series since 2004, which was also the last time Purdue opened the Big Ten dual schedule with a victory. The Boilermakers' 26-point advantage on the scoreboard is the second largest Purdue victory in the history of the series, falling just shy of a 28-0 shutout in the 1946-47 series. The Boilermakers continue their grueling dual schedule on Friday, traveling to Columbia, Mo., to face the eighth-ranked University of Missouri, and follow up with several entries in the Missouri Open next Sunday.

Badgers open season with victory over Old Dominion

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:01:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis.--The No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team played host to No. 22 Old Dominion at the UW Field House Friday night in its first official dual of the 2009-10 season. The Badgers defeated ODU 21-19, a decisive victory won in the final bout of the evening at heavyweight. In the first match, senior Drew Hammen battled No. 5 junior James Nicholson at 125 lbs. Nicholson scored the first takedown at 1:57 in the first period and added to his lead from there, winning the bout 12-5 and resulting in 3-0 lead for ODU. Hammen recorded three escapes and one reversal in the match. No. 10 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff then took on redshirt freshman Joshua Gillis at 133 lbs. In the high scoring match, Graff recorded six takedowns in the first period , three in the second period and five more in the third period to result in a tech fall win for Graff 28-13. Since Graff scored only takedowns, Wisconsin received four team points for the tech fall. The decision gave the Badgers the edge over ODU, 4-3. The 141 lbs. weight class featured to redshirt freshman, Wisconsin's Cole Schmitt and Old Dominion's Craig Wilson. Wilson recorded the first takedown with 10 seconds left in the first period, going on to record four more takedowns and two point nearfall points to win the match by major decision, 16-5, giving the lead back to ODU, 7-4. Schmitt scored five escapes in the bout. No. 2 senior Kyle Ruschell faced senior Cam Watkins in a tough matchup at 149 lbs. Ruschell scored off of a takedown in the first period, a stall by Watkins in the first period, a reversal in the third period and 5:13 of riding time at the end of the bout. Ruschell shutout Watkins 6-0, resulting in a tied matchup at 7-7. Juniors Greg Burke and Dan Rivera then battled in a short matchup at 157 lbs. Burke recorded a takedown with 39 seconds left in the first period, turning it into a pin at 2:35 seconds. Burke was awarded six points for the pin and gave the Badgers the lead, 13-7. No. 3 sophomore Andrew Howe took on junior Derek Gallagher at 165 lbs. Howe jumped out to a 8-4 lead in the first period and scored 10 more points to win the match by tech fall. Howe recorded 11 takedowns in the match and had two nearfall points, adding five points to the UW lead, making the score 18-7. True freshman Brendan Ard wrestled in his first match as a Badger. Ard faced senior NCAA qualifier Eric Decker in a close match at 174 lbs. No points were scored in an even first period. Decker scored an escape in the second period and received points for riding time at the end of the bout, winning the match 2-0. At 184 lbs. redshirt freshman Jimmy Duffy took on sophomore Joe Budi. After a scoreless first period, Budi chose down, registered the escape and took down Duffy at 1:32 before pinning him at 4:11. The Badgers lead was then narrowed to 18-16. Freshman Jackson Hein also competed in his first match as a Badger and wrestled No. 10 senior Jesse Strawn at 197 lbs. The match was kept close, with Strawn only scoring once in each of the three period. With riding time points added on at the end of the match for Strawn, he won 6-0, resulting in the ODU lead of 19-18. In the final bout, heavyweights junior Eric Bugenhagen battled redshirt freshman Grant Chapman. After a scoreless first period, Bugenhagen chose down and recorded the only points of the second period with an escape at 1:50 left on the clock. Chapman scored an escape with 1:54 in the third period to tie the match at 1-1. For the rest of the third, the two heavyweights battled it out before Bugenhagen recorded a takedown with just 24 seconds left on the clock, leading to a 3-2 win for Bugenhagen and 21-19 dual win for the UW.

Penn State drops tough dual to Lehigh

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:17:00 +0000

BETHLEHEM, Pa.; November 13, 2009 – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the initial NWCA Coaches Poll, dropped a hard-fought 23-14 dual meet at No. 17 Lehigh in the first dual meet for new head coach Cael Sanderson. Penn State won four of the ten bouts in the dual, including senior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), who downed No. 12 Mike Galante at 165. With a line-up featuring three wrestlers making their collegiate dual meet debuts, the Nittany Lions opened up an early lead, fell behind but fought back to take a lead at intermission. But the Mountainhawks, returning eight starters from a team that went 22-1 in duals last year, won the final four bouts to pull away for the victory. Penn State got out to an early 4-0 lead as Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) used six takedowns to notch a 14-4 major at 125. But Lehigh followed with a major at 133 and a pin at 141 and three bouts in, Penn State found itself down 10-4. But two All-Americans helped propel Penn State to an 11-10 lead heading into intermission as Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) got a 12-3 major off five takedowns at 149 and senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) made his Penn State debut with a 5-2 decision at 157. Senior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got an impressive 5-2 decision over No. 12 Mike Galante of Lehigh to put Penn State up 14-10. But an upset victory at 174 pulled Lehigh even as red-shirt freshman Robert Hamlin downed Penn State senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) 17-8 to tie the bout at 14-14. Lehigh's fifth year senior, No. 12 David Craig, had all he could handle from Penn State freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) in a 3-1 win at 184 that put the Mountainhawks up 17-14. Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) gave Lehigh's Joe Kennedy all he could handle as well, but Kennedy escaped with a 4-2 win that put Lehigh up 20-14. No. 6 Zach Rey then posted a hard-fought 5-2 win over No. 20 Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) to give Lehigh the 23-14 victory. Penn State is now 0-1 on the year while Lehigh moves to 2-0. The Nittany Lions will open up their home schedule on Sunday with a dual on Sunday against Bloomsburg. Penn State will entertain the Huskies at 12 p.m. in Rec Hall. Penn State Wrestling season tickets for the 2009-10 season are on sale now. The five-event package (which does not include the Nittany Lion Open) costs $30 for adults ($6 per event) and $25 for youth ($5 per event). Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $5 in advance and $6 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. #15 Penn State 14, #17 Lehigh 23 Bethlehem, Pa. – Stabler Arena – November 13, 2009 125: #8 Brad Pataky PSU maj. dec. John McDonald LU, 14-4 4-0 133: #12 Matt Fisk LU maj. dec. Tyler Saltsman PSU, 14-1 4-4 141: #18 Seth Ciauslli LU pinned Adam Lynch PSU, WBF (2:42) 4-10 149: #6 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Brian Tanen LU, 12-3 8-10 157: #5 Cyler Sanderson PSU dec. Sean Bilodeau LU, 5-2 11-10 165: #9 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. #12 Mike Galante LU, 5-2 14-10 174: Robert Hamlin LU maj. dec. David Erwin PSU, 17-8 14-14 184: #12 David Craig LU dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 3-1 14-17 197: Joe Kennedy LU dec. Clay Steadman PSU, 4-2 14-20 HWT: #6 Zach Rey LU dec. #20 Cameron Wade PSU, 5-2 14-23 BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Nittany Lion junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 125, took on Lehigh's John McDonald at 125. Pataky quickly took McDonald down just :15 into the bout to open up an early 2-0 lead. He put together a solid ride, maintaining control of the Mountainhawk grappler for 1:26 before cutting him loose at the 1:28 mark. Pataky then gained control of McDonald's right leg and worked the LU grappler to the ground for a 4-1 lead at the :32 mark. He then rode McDonald out to lead 4-1 with 2:06 in riding time after the opening stanza. Pataky chose down to start the second period and quickly rolled his way out of control to up his lead to 5-1. Pataky then used a swift high double leg, driving McDonald to the mat to lead 7-1 with just under a minute left in the period. Pataky cut McDonald loose after a reset and immediately began pushing for another takedown. Another double leg gave the Nittany Lion junior a 9-2 lead as the period ended. McDonald chose down to start the third period. Pataky cut the Mountainhawk loose and immediately scored on another double leg, upping his lead to 11-4 after cutting McDonald loose again. With the riding time point secured, Pataky once again shot in on McDonald and turned a single leg shot into a low double and his sixth takedown. A ride out and riding time point gave Pataky a 14-4 major and put Penn State up 4-0 after one bout. 133: Penn State sent sophomore Tyler Saltsman (Concord, N.H.) to the mat to meet No. 12 Matt Fisk of Lehigh. Saltsman was making his collegiate dual meet debut. Saltsman fought off an early Fisk shot but then was taken down at the 1:30 mark as the ranked Mountainhawk scrambled his way to a 2-0 lead midway through the opening period. Fisk rode Saltsman for the remainder of the period to lead 2-0 with 1:30 in riding time after the opening period. Fisk chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Fisk gained control of Saltsman and looked to throw him to his back, but the Lion sophomore was able to roll out of trouble and work his way out of bounds to force a reset with no damage done. Fisk fought his way to another takedown and turned Saltsman to his back for three near fall points before a reset was called at the :35 mark. The quick five-point move put Fisk up 8-0, a lead he would carry into the third period. Saltsman chose neutral to start the third period, looking for a first takedown to cut into Fisk's lead. Saltsman took a quick shot but was countered by Fisk, who worked his way around the Nittany Lion for a third takedown and a 10-0 lead. Fisk worked his way into completing a cradle and turned Saltsman to his back, nearly pinning the Nittany Lion. But Saltsman was able to keep his shoulders off the mat and roll out of danger again. Fisk opened up a 13-0 lead with the move with :29 left to wrestle (he had a secured riding time point as well). Fisk cut Saltsman loose to a 13-1 lead, looking for one more takedown to notch a technical fall. But it was Saltsman who nearly notched the takedown as time expired. While the Lion did not get the takedown, the last :20 of good offense allowed him to keep the damage to a 14-1 major, tying the bout at 4-4. 141: Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) took to the mat at 141 for the Nittany Lions, facing Lehigh's Seth Ciasulli, ranked No. 18. Lynch got in on a single leg early and spent the next minute working for an opening takedown. But Ciasulli was able to fight off the move and force a stalemate at the 1:47 mark. Ciasulli worked into a high single after the reset and steadily worked his way to a 2-0 lead with a takedown on the edge of the mat with 1:14 left in the opening period. Ciasulli then used the reset to work his way into control of Lynch's shoulders and after :30 of work, turned the Nittany Lion to his back for a pin at the 2:42 mark, giving LU a 10-4 lead. 149: All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 141, met Lehigh's Brian Tanen at 149. Tanen took the first solid shot of the bout, gaining control of Molinaro's thigh. But the Lion sophomore forced a reset and action returned to the center circle. Molinaro shot quickly off the reset, turning a fast high double into a takedown at the 1:24 mark to lead 2-0. The Nittany Lion sophomore put together a very strong ride, looking for an opening to turn Tanen to his back. While not turning Tanen, he managed to ride the LU grappler out. Down 2-0, Tanen chose down to start the middle period and was cut loose by Molinaro to a 2-1 score. Molinaro shot quick again off the reset, gaining control of Tannen's right leg and pulling the Mountainhawk down to the mat for another takedown and a 4-1 lead. Molinaro cut Tanen loose after a reset and began looking for another takedown. Leading 4-2 with :45 left in the middle period, Molinaro continued to force the offense. Grabbing Tanen at the waste and lifting him off the ground, Molinaro drove the Mountainhawk into the mat for a 6-2 lead after two periods. Molinaro chose down to start the third period. The Lion All-American steadily worked his way out to a 7-2 lead at the 1:36 mark and immediately turned into Tanen, looking for more offense. Molinaro used a quick underhook for his fourth takedown and, after cutting Tanen loose, led 9-3 with 1:02 left (and a clinched riding time point). Needing one more takedown for a major, Molinaro continued to pressure the Tanen and got that fifth takedown with :30 left. Molinaro then rode Tanen out and, with the bonus point, notched an impressive 12-3 major decision to cut into the LU lead, 10-8. 157: All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, made his Penn State dual meet debut against Sean Bilodeau. Sanderson was the aggressor early on, forcing Bilodeau to the edge of the mat for the first part of the period. He then used a quick low double to notch his first Nittany Lion takedown and lead 2-0 at the 1:29 mark. Bilodeau quickly escaped to cut the lead to 2-1, but Sanderson continued to pressure the Mountainhawk, making the Lehigh wrestler play defense while looking for a chance to score. Bilodeau managed to keep Sanderson at bay for the remainder of the period. Leading 2-1, Sanderson chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way out of Bilodeau's grasp to lead 3-1. Sanderson forced Bilodeau into a stall warning as the period ended. Bilodeau, trailing 3-1, chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-2 deficit. The Lion senior continued to do the shooting while Bilodeau continued to back up towards the edge of the mat. Sanderson's offensive pressure finally paid off as the Lion worked his way to a takedown at the :03 mark that cinched the 5-2 decision and put Penn State up 11-10 heading into halftime. 165: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, met No. 12 Mike Galente of Lehigh in a match-up of ranked grapplers. Vallimont shot low early, using a high outside single to work his way into control of Galante's ankle. But the Mountainhawk forced a stalemate at the 2:10 mark with the bout scoreless. Vallimont scrambled through a Galante shot, countering the Hawk to take a 2-0 lead with 1:20 left in the period. Galante quickly escaped and action returned to the center circle with 1:00 left in the opening period. Leading 2-1, Vallimont chose down to begin the second period. After :30 of work, Vallimont escaped to a 3-1 lead. Vallimont got in on a solid high single at the :25 mark and used his strength to get the takedown with just :02 left to lead 5-1 heading into the third period. Galante chose down to begin the final stanza and worked out to a 5-2 deficit with the escape. Vallimont did not let up, pressuring Galante towards the edge of the mat and not allowing the Mountainhawk to mount any kind of comeback. The Nittany Lion All-American walked away with a very strong 5-2 win, putting Penn State up 14-10. 174: Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) stepped up for Penn State at 174 to face Mountainhawk Robert Hamlin. Erwin gained control of Hamlin's ankle and got a takedown on the edge of the mat at the 2:15 mark to take a 2-1 lead after a Hamlin escape. Erwin quickly shot on the Mountainhawk and nearly got the takedown, but Hamlin countered and got the takedown himself to briefly lead 3-2. But Erwin wasted no time in reversing Hamlin to take a 4-3 lead. Hamlin then escaped and took Erwin down in a flurry on the edge of the mat to lead 6-4. The Lehigh freshman then added three near fall points to take a commanding 9-5 lead after Erwin escaped with just :04 left. Trailing by four, Erwin chose down to start the middle period but could not work free of Hamlin until the 1:00 mark. Escaping to a 9-6 deficit, Erwin turned into the Mountainhawk and began looking for his own offense. Erwin shot low on Hamlin as the period ended, but the Hawk grappler stepped over Erwin and got another takedown as the period ended to open up an 11-6 lead heading into the third period. Hamlin chose down to start the third period, escaped and quickly took Erwin down again to up his lead to 14-6. Erwin was cut loose to a 14-7 deficit. Erwin had three straight scoring chances slip out of his grasp as Hamlin continued to counter ever shot. On the third, Hamlin got his fifth takedown and took a 16-8 lead after Erwin escaped. The bonus point made the final score 17-8 and the major decision tied the bout at 14-14. 184: Penn State moved freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) up to 184 to meet Lehigh's David Craig, ranked No. 12 in the country. Craig got the bout's first takedown with a nice move, faking low and working his way to the side off Ortega for an early 2-0 lead. Craig rode Ortega out to lead 2-0 with 1:00 in riding time heading into the middle period. Kennedy chose down to begin the period and escaped just :30 in to lead 3-0. Ortega did not back down from Kennedy, continuing to look for openings to score and keeping action in the middle of the mat. Still, a scoreless second period allowed the ranked Mountainhawk to lead 3-0 with two minutes to wrestle. Ortega chose down to start the second stanza and escaped at the 1:31 mark to trail 3-1. Ortega nearly tied the bout, countering a Craig shot with 1:00 to go. But Craig was able to back out of the circle to keep his lead and action resumed in the center circle with 1:00 left. Ortega's offense forced Craig into a stall warning with :20 left. The Nittany Lion worked hard over the final seconds but could not break through Craig's defense. The 3-1 win put Lehigh up 17-14. 197: Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) took on Lehigh's Joe Kennedy at 197. Kennedy gained control of Steadman's right ankle at the 1:30 mark and spent :45 trying to take the Lion sophomore down. But Steadman held fast and worked his way free to keep the bout scoreless with :20 left in the opening period. Scoreless after one period, Kennedy chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Steadman battled the talented Hawk even for much of the second period but was hit for a first stall warning in the process. Steadman shot quickly off a reset, but Kennedy was able to counter the move, step to the side of the Lion and notched the bout's first takedown with :10 left to lead 3-0. But Steadman was able to escape as the period ended and trailed only 3-1 heading into the final period. Steadman chose down to start the final period. Steadman looked to escape but could not break out of Kennedy's control until the 1:00 mark. Steadman trailed 3-2 but Kennedy had 1:09 in riding time. Steadman furiously looked for an opening and with a reset at the :20 mark, got in deep on Kennedy's right ankle. But the Nittany Lion could not finish off the move as time expired. The bonus point gave Kennedy a 4-2 win and put Lehigh up 20-1. Steadman looked to escape but could not break out of Kennedy's control until the 1:00 mark. Steadman trailed 3-2 but Kennedy had 1:09 in riding time. Steadman furiously looked for an opening and with a reset at the :20 mark, got in deep on Kennedy's right ankle. But the Nittany Lion could not finish off the move as time expired. The bonus point gave Kennedy a 4-2 win and put Lehigh up 20-14. HWT: Nittany Lion sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Pa.), ranked No. 20 at HWT, met No. 6 Zach Rey of Lehigh in another battle or ranked foes. The two ranked big men battled evenly for the first three minutes with neither wrestler finding a true chance to score. Tied 0-0, Rey chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed the Nittany Lion sophomore to take a 2-0 lead. Wade steadily worked his way to an escape at the :53 mark to cut the lead to 2-1 and turned into the sixth-ranked wrestler, looking for his own chance to score. But Rey was able to fight off Wade and hold the 2-1 lead (with :44 in riding time) after two periods. Wade chose down to start the third period and gets his escape at the 1:40 mark, tying the bout at 2-2. But Rey owned a 1:06 time advantage. Wade worked hard to break through Rey's defense, but the Mountainhawk was able to keep way at arm's length long enough to counter a final Wade shot and post a 5-2 win. The victory gave the Hawks a 23-14 dual meet win.

Illini wrestlers fall to Missouri

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:39:00 +0000

COLUMBIA, Mo. - No. 19 Illinois and No. 10 Missouri split the 10 bouts, but a fall at heavyweight gave the host Tigers the 18-16 victory at the Hearnes Center Thursday night. Junior John Deneen, filling in for B.J. Futrell at 125, scored Illinois' only bonus points of the night as he registered a 9-0 win over Troy Dolan. "We wrestled our tails off tonight," Jim Heffernan said. "We got upset in one match but we won all the toss-ups. Our effort was great and the guys did awesome." No. 7 Jordan Blanton started the dual well for the Illini, scoring a 7-4 win over No. 20 Dorian Henderson at 174. The pair battled to a 3-3 tie after the first period and Blanton started down in the second. He escaped to take a 4-3 lead and the period ended with the pair on their feet. In the third, Henderson started down and escaped, but Blanton scored a takedown and added riding time for the victory. But the Tigers won the next three bouts as No. 2 Max Askren notched a 9-4 win over No. 10 John Dergo at 184 despite Dergo holding a 4-3 lead in the third period. After earning a caution, Askren escaped, scored a takedown and got a three-point near-fall to pull away for the win. At 197, No. 13 Patrick Bond gave up an escape and a takedown in the third period before Brent Haynes added riding time for the 4-1 Tiger win. And No. 1 Mark Ellis earned a fall in 3:54 on redshirt-freshman Pat Walker to put Missouri ahead 12-3. But Deneen sparked the Illini comeback with his 9-0 win over Dolan, an opponent he dropped a 2-1 decision to last season, at 125. After a scoreless first period, Dolan started down and Deneen notched a three-point near-fall for a 3-0 lead after two periods. In the third, Deneen chose neutral and got a takedown before adding another three-point near-fall and riding time for the major decision. "John Deneen was awesome," Heffernan said. "He got thrown in there at the last minute, did a great job of making weight and majored a guy who beat him least year. He was phenomenal." At 133, redshirt-freshman Daryl Thomas couldn't mount a late rally against Missouri's Nathan McCormick, who led 3-1 after two periods and held off Thomas for the 3-2 win. But junior Ryan Prater got the Illini back on track at 141. Prater scored the first takedown against Todd Schavrien but the Tiger earned a reversal to even the score. Prater reversed Schavrien and added two near-fall points for a 6-2 lead after three minutes. Schavrien started down in the second and got a reversal and a three-point near-fall, but Prater eventually escaped and got another takedown to regain a 9-7 advantage. Prater started down in the third and escaped, but Schavrien got within a point at 10-9 with another takedown. Prater reversed him for two then added a two-point near-fall and riding time for the 15-9 win, bringing the Illini within 15-10. Sophomore Eric Terrazas scored four third-period points to take a 4-2 win over Brandon Wiest at 149, cutting Missouri's team lead to two points and senior Clint Arlis gave Illinois its first lead since the opening bout with his 3-2 win at 157 as the Illini pulled ahead, 16-15. The match came down to 165 pounds, where redshirt-freshman Conrad Polz squared off with No. 7 Nick Marable, a two-time All-American. After a scoreless first period, Marable started down in the second. He escaped and got a takedown to take a 3-0 lead, but Polz escaped before time ran out. The Illini started down in the third and escaped, and Marable was hit with a stalling warning, but Polz wasn't able to finish any late shots as he dropped a 3-2 decision to the Tiger senior. "Conrad had two or three chances to take the guy down and came close," Heffernan said. "He's in a situation where if he beats a two-time All-American, we win the match; he did everything he could and Marable was just able to hold him off long enough." The Fighting Illini return to the practice room before splitting up for the Sprawl and Brawl duals and the Missouri Open on Sunday, Nov. 22. At Sprawl and Brawl, Illinois will face Pittsburgh, Davidson and West Virginia. #10 Missouri 18, #19 Illinois 16 Match started at 174 174: #7 Jordan Blanton (ILL) dec. #20 Dorian Henderson (MU), 7-4 184: #2 Max Askren (MU) dec. #10 John Dergo (ILL), 9-4 197: Brent Haynes (MU) dec. #13 Patrick Bond (ILL), 4-1 HWT: #1 Mark Ellis (MU) pinned Pat Walker (ILL), 3:54 125: John Deneen (ILL) maj. dec. Troy Dolan (ILL), 9-0 133: Nathan McCormick (MU) dec. Daryl Thomas (ILL), 3-2 141: Ryan Prater (ILL) dec. Todd Schavrien (MU), 15-9 149: Eric Terrazas (ILL) dec. Brandon Wiest (MU), 4-2 157: Clint Arlis (ILL) dec. Patrick Wright (MU), 3-2 165: #7 Nick Marable (MU) dec. Conrad Polz (ILL), 3-2

Illini promote Perry to associate head coach

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:46:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan announced the promotion of Carl Perry to the position of associate head coach on Tuesday. Perry is in his eighth year on the Fighting Illini coaching staff and has helped produce 19 All-Americans and six NCAA finalists during his seven years at Illinois. He brings expertise along with experience, as he was the 2000 NCAA champion at 141 pounds and a two-time All-American. "Carl is a very important member of our staff and is very deserving of this promotion," Heffernan said. "He is integral to all of our efforts from coaching to recruiting to the many administrative duties he performs. I am extremely happy to have him on our staff as we continue to work toward winning Big Ten and NCAA championships." Perry has been instrumental in the success of Illinois' lightweights and middleweights over the past seven seasons, particularly in the development of three-time All-American Mike Poeta and two-time All-American Jimmy Kennedy. He also coordinates team travel and often drills with Illini wrestlers during practice. "It is an honor to be named associate head coach," Perry said. "I'm excited to stay at Illinois, which I have great passion for as an alumnus, and I'm thankful for the support from athletic director Ron Guenther, our administration and Jim Heffernan. I look forward to continuing to help build Illinois wrestling into the perennial national title contender we all believe it can be." Perry was a four-time NCAA qualifier during his wrestling career and compiled a 13-6 career record at the NCAA Championships. He was a two-time team captain and finished his time as an Illini student-athlete in the top 20 of career wins (98) and winning percentage (.748). He also helped the 2000 Illini squad to the best dual winning percentage in school history (.933), as the team was 14-1 in duals that season.

Q&A: Gophers wrestling coach J Robinson

Michael Rand — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

J Robinson is about to embark on his 24th season coaching the Gophers wrestling team. But identifying him only by that title probably sells Robinson short. He recently took time to talk about wrestling and various other endeavors -- including a trip to Iraq, which he leaves for today -- with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand. Q Can you tell me a little more about the Iraq trip? A Chaplain (John) Morris is with the 34th Red Bull Infantry, made up of the Minnesota National Guard, and he asked me. There's a wrestler who lost his legs, and I had gone to visit him at the V.A. Hospital. When the division was going to deploy, I went to their going away deal, and told (Morris) that if there was anything else I could do, don't hesitate to call and ask. I don't know how it all started, but I think he sent out some general stuff and got things going. It came down to it that I was just going to go by myself and pay for my own ticket, and then a couple of organizations stepped up to help me. I said I'd go over there and hang out with the guys. I was in that spot a long time ago, and I know what it means to have someone come and visit. Q You served in Vietnam and have been affiliated in various ways with the armed forces. How has that experience shaped you, and will you share some of those experiences with the guys in Iraq? A I think one of the biggest things is when you are so far away from home, you just miss home. Things that people take for granted. You miss McDonalds, Burger King. Another thing you don't really realize is you're doing something that's critically important, and there are a lot of people who don't understand it and take it for granted. I want to remind them that they're doing something very special. Q You spoke recently at the memorial service for Norman Borlaug, a former wrestler and Nobel Peace Prize winner from the U of M. For those who don't know, can you describe the relationship the two of you had? A Like a lot of things, you build it on something. For us, it was wrestling. He came in one day, and I got to know him. He related many times what wrestling did for him. The great thing about Norman was how genuine he was. I don't think he ever forgot who he was, and the humility he had for being one of the 100 most influential people in the 20th century. ... His life is just a living legacy of the beauty of helping people. Q The first meet of the wrestling season is in about a month. You have the nation's top-ranked recruiting class for the second year in a row. How good can this year's team be? A I think they're pretty good right now. This team is going to be as good as they think they can be. Sky is the limit. Does it mean young guys have to come through? Yeah, but we have young guys that can come through. I think it's going to be a fun year. Q Do you see changes in the way you coach and the mindset of the athletes you get now vs. when you started with the program in 1986? A There are things that change, but principles don't change. Hard work, all the things that make people great are the same things that made people great 50 years ago. You change some minor things. How you relate to people. You learn that some things work and some things don't work. But fundamentals don't change. Q You have varied interests. How much longer do you plan to keep coaching? A As long as I'm enjoying it, I don't see any reason in doing anything else. There are other things I enjoy doing, but that's just part of the whole process. Copyright 2009 Star TribuneAll Rights Reserved

Ex-Wildcat takes silver at 2009 World Championships

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:59:00 +0000

HERNING, Denmark -- United States World Team member and former Northwestern star Jake Herbert won his first four matches at the 2009 Wrestling World Championships, becoming the only American representative in any of the seven gold-medal matches. Facing Zaurbek Sokhiev of Uzbekistan, Herbert pushed the final bout to overtime before falling in the clincher round (1-0, 0-0, 1-0) to come away with a silver medal. Sokhiev had previously won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships. The clincher round in freestyle wrestling begins with what is in effect a coin toss to determine which wrestler will be on the attack to start the period. If the attacking wrestler does not score on his opponent within 30 seconds, the defensive wrestler wins the match. Herbert lost the coin toss and surrendered a score to Sokhiev halfway through the clincher period, giving the gold in the 84-kg (185 pound) weight class to Sokhiev. "For Jake to reach the finals in his first trip to the World Championships is just an unbelievable accomplishment, it's really hard to even describe," said Northwestern head coach Tim Cysewski. "These are the same guys he'll be competing against when he tries to make and win the Olympics four years from now. To lose in overtime in the finals the way he did, you can't come any closer than that." Herbert's journey to the finals from a field of 37 wrestlers was an incredible one, beginning with his opening-round defeat of Germany's Davyd Bichinashvili, the fifth-place freestyle finisher at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After that, Herbert overcame Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan), Gokhan Yavaser (Turkey) and Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia) to set up his meeting with Sokhiev in the finals. Tuesday's matches represented a culmination of months of training at US Olympic Training Centers as well as Overtime Wrestling in Naperville for Herbert, who qualified for the World Championships on June 1 with his first-place finish at the US World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Herbert's silver medal performance caps a memorable 2009 for the native of Wexford, Pa. He graduated from Northwestern in June following his record-setting career at NU during which he won two NCAA championships and the 2009 Hodge Trophy in addition to becoming one of the most consistent winners in NCAA history with a career record of 149-4. Wildcat fans have the opportunity to salute Herbert for his accomplishments both on the collegiate and world stage when he is honored during halftime of Northwestern's football game against Penn State on Oct. 31 at Ryan Field.

New wrestling official coordinator for Big Ten

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:35:00 +0000

PARK RIDGE, Ill. --- Jim Ramirez has been appointed Coordinator of Wrestling Officials for the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences. Ramirez will be responsible for the assignment, evaluation, and training of the leagues' officials, while also serving as the liaison to NCAA officiating committees. His extensive background in the field includes officiating 16 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Tournaments, numerous Pac-10 and Big Ten Conference tournaments, and conducting more than 30 nation-wide clinics for high school wrestling referees. He also authored the book The Art of Officiating College Wrestling. The Arkansas City, Kan., native has served as a city commissioner and mayor for Arkansas City as well as executive director and TQM Training Manager for Boeing Airplanes.

Ex-Gopher: 'I screwed up, and I apologize'

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:56:00 +0000

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Ex-Gopher Brock Lesnar is well on his way to becoming mixed martial arts' biggest name. As he showed in UFC 100, he's already its biggest jerk. That's certainly good news for the UFC's bottom line, since fans of any sport love to hate a proper villain. It's not so good for the mainstream image of a sport that publicly claims it wants nothing to do with its heavyweight champion's pro wrestling-style theatrics in the main event at the league's landmark event Saturday night. "That's not who Brock really is, and what he did out there is not real," UFC president Dana White said after the unflattering end to his league's otherwise successful weekend in its hometown. "You don't have to act like someone you're not. This isn't the WWE. I'm not trying to get someone to act all crazy so we'll do more pay-per-views. That's not what this sport is about." After being chastened by White, Lesnar quickly regretted his bad-boy behavior during his second-round stoppage of Frank Mir for his first title defense. Although the UFC made more than $5 million at the gate while broadcasting the event in a record 75 countries, the former pro wrestler realized he did some damage to that shaky bridge between MMA's loyal fans and the skeptical general public that already has trouble separating the UFC from the WWE. "I was so jacked up (because) I'm used to selling pay-per-view tickets," said Lesnar, who left the WWE several years ago. "I come from a business that is purely entertainment. I screwed up, and I apologize." In just his fifth MMA fight after a winding athletic path through college wrestling, fake wrestling and the Minnesota Vikings' training camp, Lesnar first refused to touch gloves with Mir. The hulking 265-pounder spent most of the fight's two rounds on top of Mir, using his weight and wrestling skill to wear down Mir's defenses, before finishing with a relentless series of right hands to Mir's face. Lesnar (4-1), who lost to Mir last year, then taunted his fallen opponent while Mir still sat on his stool, his face bloody and swollen. When the Mandalay Bay crowd booed, Lesnar made a two-handed obscene gesture, followed by a rambunctious interview in which he insulted a prominent UFC sponsor and made an off-color comment about his own wife. When Lesnar finally left the octagon, White cornered him in a bathroom for a tongue-lashing that left Lesnar apologetic. Yet it didn't wipe the grin off his face while he drank a Bud Light, just moments after claiming he preferred Coors Light over the UFC sponsor, "because Bud Light won't pay me." "The only thing I had against Frank was that he beat me (last year)," said Lesnar, who turned 32 on Sunday. "We both talked a lot of crap, and in the end, I was just amped up." That's slight consolation to White, who claimed he was "blown away" by Lesnar's antics and poor sportsmanship. The UFC knows it still hasn't sold its respectable image to a widespread audience, and having a heavyweight champion who can't control his inner 14-year-old doesn't help. "Brock is talented," White said. "He's accomplished something that nobody has ever accomplished (by winning the title so quickly). Let that speak for you, not what you saw out there. ... That's not who he is. I've spent time with this guy. He's a smart guy, but he gets in there, the (energy) starts kicking. The mouth is moving, but the brain isn't sending stuff to the mouth." That mouth will keep running, however. With his legion of fans and haters who have followed him since the WWE, Lesnar probably is the UFC's biggest pay-per-view draw. UFC 100 has a chance to top 1.5 million buys, which would make it the biggest non-boxing PPV event. While the UFC moves on to its next showcases in Philadelphia and Portland, Ore., White must decide when to put his misbehaving heavyweight champ back in the octagon. The UFC stable contains a handful of fighters who could pose a threat, although Lesnar's rapidly improving MMA skills make him more daunting by the month. But White remains confident he'll eventually sign Fedor Emelianenko, the Russian heavyweight considered among the sport's top pound-for-pound fighters. Emelianenko fights in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 1 to finish his contract with Affliction, and White said he'll go after the Russian striker with an open wallet. "Eventually, Fedor is going to be here," White said. "I want him to come to the UFC. ... We'll do Brock vs. Fedor, and it'll be a huge fight. He's obviously contractually obligated to fight (in Anaheim), and once that's over, we'll see how it goes." Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Purdue recruit wins 130-pound freestyle title

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:53:00 +0000

FARGO, N.D. - Incoming freshman Cashé Quiroga captured the Boilermakers' second U.S.A. Wrestling Junior National Championship in a week on Saturday, capturing the 130-pound freestyle title. Fellow Indiana native Camden Eppert was very successful as well, earning fifth place overall in the 119-pound freestyle bracket. Quiroga rolled through the 130-pound bracket over the four-day tournament, posting a 9-0 record en route to his first career Fargo title. After moving up from 125 pounds through his senior season, Quiroga collected three technical falls through his tournament run over some of the nation's best. He took down Old Dominion signee Justin LaValle of Minnesota by decision, 3-3, 3-0, 10-4, and bested the Dardanes brothers, Nick and Chris, of Illinois, topping Chris, 3-0, 1-0, and defeating 11th-ranked Nick, 1-2, 7-0, 5-0, in the finals. Quiroga looks to compete at either 125 or 133 pounds for the Boilermakers this winter. Eppert's fifth-place showing came on the strength of a 7-2 tournament record, knocking off Illinois' Joe Roth in the championship round, 5-0, 2-0. Eppert rolled to the final rounds with six straight wins, including a trio of technical falls. His two losses in the tournament came to the tournament champion, Ty Mitch of Ohio, and 2009 Stanford signee Ryan Mango of Missouri, who finished fourth overall. Eppert was a two-time Indiana high school champion and was named an Asics All-America honorable mention this year. He'll look to compete at 125 pounds this year for Purdue. Greco-Roman Most Outstanding Wrestling Kendrick Sanders kicked off his pursuit for a double-championship at 152 pounds in grand fashion, posting a fall and two technical falls in his first three matches. However, he was forced to withdraw after building his 3-0 record due to a lingering hamstring injury in the Greco-Roman tournament. The Boilermakers will look for Sanders to compete at 149 pounds this winter.

Northwestern hires former OU star Storniolo

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:19:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Matt Storniolo, a two-time All-American at 149 pounds while wrestling for Oklahoma, is the newest addition to Northwestern's coaching staff, head coach Tim Cysewski announced on Friday. Storniolo has spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant at Old Dominion where he trained closely with Ryan Williams, the 2009 NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds. "Matt was an outstanding college wrestler and we saw in person the influence he had on the wrestlers he coached at Old Dominion," Cysewski said. "We think his experience, technical skill and passion for the sport will really help our guys, particularly at the middle weights." "We're really excited to bring in an individual like Matt who has gone deep in the NCAA Championships as a wrestler and a coach," said associate head coach Andrew Pariano. "He's going to play a huge part in all aspects of our program moving forward." Storniolo began his college wrestling career at Penn State, reaching the finals of the Big Ten Championships on his way to winning the conference's Freshman of the Year honors. After transferring to Oklahoma, Storniolo reached the Big XII Tournament finals each of the next three years, claiming the league championship as a senior in 2007. "It is an honor to be welcomed on to the Wildcat coaching staff and I look forward to helping Coach Cysewski and Coach Pariano continue to build this program into one of the nation's elite," Storniolo said. "I am happy to be back in the Big Ten and excited to work with all of the talented wrestlers that Tim and Drew have assembled. This is a dedicated team and coaching staff and I really feel that the sky is the limit for this program." A four-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships, Storniolo earned his first All-American honor by placing seventh as a sophomore before improving to a fourth-place finish as a junior. In his senior campaign, he entered the tournament as the second-ranked wrestler in the nation. Before college, Storniolo wrestled to an undefeated senior year at State College Area High School in Pennsylvania en route to a state championship. He was also named a high school All-American. Storniolo graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science degree in human relations. Northwestern's season officially gets underway Nov. 7 in the Eastern Michigan Open.

NU wrestling adds assistant coach

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:22:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. Matt Storniolo, a two-time All-American at 149 pounds while wrestling for Oklahoma, is the newest addition to Northwestern's coaching staff, head coach Tim Cysewski announced on Friday. Storniolo has spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant at Old Dominion where he trained closely with Ryan Williams, the 2009 NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds. "Matt was an outstanding college wrestler and we saw in person the influence he had on the wrestlers he coached at Old Dominion," Cysewski said. "We think his experience, technical skill and passion for the sport will really help our guys, particularly at the middle weights." "We're really excited to bring in an individual like Matt who has gone deep in the NCAA Championships as a wrestler and a coach," said associate head coach Andrew Pariano. "He's going to play a huge part in all aspects of our program moving forward." Storniolo began his college wrestling career at Penn State, reaching the finals of the Big Ten Championships on his way to winning the conference's Freshman of the Year honors. After transferring to Oklahoma, Storniolo reached the Big XII Tournament finals each of the next three years, claiming the league championship as a senior in 2007. "It is an honor to be welcomed on to the Wildcat coaching staff and I look forward to helping Coach Cysewski and Coach Pariano continue to build this program into one of the nation's elite," Storniolo said. "I am happy to be back in the Big Ten and excited to work with all of the talented wrestlers that Tim and Drew have assembled. This is a dedicated team and coaching staff and I really feel that the sky is the limit for this program." A four-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships, Storniolo earned his first All-American honor by placing seventh as a sophomore before improving to a fourth-place finish as a junior. In his senior campaign, he entered the tournament as the second-ranked wrestler in the nation. Before college, Storniolo wrestled to an undefeated senior year at State College Area High School in Pennsylvania en route to a state championship. He was also named a high school All-American. Storniolo graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science degree in human relations. Northwestern's season officially gets underway Nov. 7 in the Eastern Michigan Open.