Here is a preview of this weekend's MAC wrestling action.
Central Michigan:
No. 12 Chippewas Set to Square Off Versus Old Dominion
MOUNT PLEASANT - The Central Michigan wrestling program will put its four-match winning streak on the line Sunday when it takes on Old Dominion at 1 p.m. inside McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas (11-3) have won nine of their last 10 duals after claiming at least a share of the Mid-American Conference regular season title last Sunday with a 27-8 victory over rival Kent State.
Follow the Action: Fans unable to attend Sunday's dual can watch live on the CMU Sports Zone or follow live stats provided through TrackWrestling.com. Updates will also be provided through the Chippewas' official Twitter account @CMUWrestling and Facebook page.
CMU vs. ODU: The Chippewas are 4-1 all time versus Old Dominion with their lone loss coming last season in Norfolk, Va., 18-17. CMU was without All-Americans Scotti Sentes and Jarod Trice as they were each taking redshirt seasons.
Chippewas Clinch Another MAC Title: With their 27-8 victory over rival Kent State last Sunday, Central Michigan earned its eight MAC regular season title in 10 years and the 13th in program history. The 13 regular season titles are the most of any school in the conference.
NCAA Releases First Individual Rankings: The NCAA released the first of three coaches' panel rankings on January 24, a key determinant in the selection process to determine NCAA qualifiers for the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, Iowa March 21-23. Eight Chippewas rank in the top 30 in the country according to the panel - No. 9 Cullinan (125), No. 7 Sentes (133), No. 23 Corby (149), No. 28 Smith (157), No. 29 Ottinger (165), No. 23 Kelliher (174), No. 2 Bennett (184) and No. 5 Trice (Hwt.).
100-Win Club: With senior Ben Bennett becoming the 16th wrestler in program history to record 100 career wins, senior Scotti Sentes is not far behind, needing just three more victories. Sentes holds a career record of 97-30.
Second Rumble & Tumble: The second ever Royal Rumble & Tumble will be held next Friday, February 8 with the CMU wrestling and gymnastics programs competing in McGuirk Arena at the same time. Fans can purchase tickets through CMU Athletics' Facebook Page for just $3.
Probably Lineups (Rankings based on InterMat)
125: Joe Roth (14-3) vs. No. 14 Jerome Robinson (17-4)
133: No. 7 Scotti Sentes (11-5) vs. Scott Festejo (21-10)
141: Scott Mattingly (15-12) vs. No. 16 Chris Mecate (30-7) or Justin LaValle (13-8)
149: Donnie Corby (14-9) vs. Alexander Richardson (24-8) or Brennan Brumley (19-8)
157: Lucas Smith (14-7) vs. John Nicholson (10-3) or Brennan Brumley (19-8)
165: Mike Ottinger (14-13) vs. Brett Miller (8-11)
174: Craig Kelliher (18-10) vs. Marcus Johnson (5-5)
184: No. 2 Ben Bennett (17-0) vs. Austin Coburn (14-15)
197: Jackson Lewis (9-16) vs. Jacob Henderson (22-11)
Hwt: No. 5 Jarod Trice (15-2) vs. Matt Tourdot (20-15)
Eastern Michigan:
Wrestling Hosts Kent State, Senior Night Friday at Bowen
2013 graduates Filiberto Colon, Chris Eggert and Aaron Sulzer to be recognized
YPSILANTI, Mich. – With just two Mid-American Conference bouts remaining on the 2012-13 slate, the Eastern Michigan University wrestling team hosts Kent State University in the final home conference tilt Friday, Feb. 1, at Bowen Field House. Friday night will also be Senior Night at Bowen, where the EMU wrestling family will recognize 2013 graduates Filiberto Colon, Chris Eggert, and Aaron Sulzer.
“I am honored that these guys have made it through the program and are graduating to bigger and better things,” said Head Coach Derek DelPorto. “I wish them luck and they will all be missed.”
MATCH PREVIEW: The Eagles (7-10; 1-2 MAC) are fresh off a 22-17 win over Northern Illinois University for their first MAC win of the year, while the Golden Flashes (6-4; 2-1 MAC) dropped their most recent contest, 27-8, to Central Michigan University.
Eastern Michigan will send a pair of wrestlers to the mat, Aaron Sulzer (157 lbs.) and Phillip Joseph (184 lbs.), who carry perfect 3-0 records in MAC action this season. The Golden Flashes will be led by Dustin Kilgore, who has a stranglehold on the No. 1 seed in the nation at 197 lbs. with a perfect 30-0 record.
Tasked with taming Kilgore Sunday will be either Nick Whitenburg or Khodor Hoballah. Whitenburg has won two straight MAC bouts while Hoballah is 0-1 on the year against conference foes.
AARON SULZER SENIOR PROFILE: Aaron Sulzer has been a member of the EMU wrestling team since the 2008-09 season. Since then, he has racked up 84 career victories–the fifth-highest win total in the history of the program. In 2012, the three-time team captain made a second-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and placed second at the MAC Championships while receiving a top-30 national ranking on several occasions. His 21-11 record last year was the first 20-win season of his career.
This season, Sulzer holds a 15-9 overall record which includes an undefeated 3-0 mark in MAC competition. Aside from wrestling Sulzer is pursuing his MBA and holds a 3.8 GPA.
CHRIS EGGERT SENIOR PROFILE: Chris Eggert has wrestled for EMU since the 2008-09 campaign. Over that time he has put together a 39-45 record and appeared in the 2011 MAC Championship at 174 lbs. The Dundee, Mich. native returned from injury in the 2011-12 season to move up from 174 lbs. to heavyweight this season.
Eggert will graduate this spring with a major in Management. He holds a 3.21 GPA.
FILIBERTO COLON SENIOR PROFILE: Filiberto Colon has been a member of the EMU wrestling squad since transferring from Rider University for the 2010-11 campaign. He competed in the 2011 MAC Championships at 133 lbs. after putting together a 22-13 record that year. Colon holds a career record of 26-23.
Academically, the Belleville, N.J. native maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA as a Psychology major.
EAGLES FIND A GROOVE AT NIU: The Eagles won their first Mid-American Conference bout of the season Saturday, Jan. 26, on the road against Northern Illinois, 22-17. The Eagles scored bonus points in three matches and recorded a pair of pins from Aaron Sulzer at 157 lbs. and Nick Whitenburg at 197 lbs.
Saturday's match saw the lead switch hands four times, with Whitenburg's pin at 197 lbs. ultimately sealing the victory for the Eagles. The Huskies remained winless in conference bouts and lost to Eastern Michigan for a second straight season.
“I think Whit has a little chip on his shoulder,” remarked Head Coach Derek DelPorto. “He needs to continue to on this mission and get himself to the NCAAs. That would be career changing for a guy like him.”
CALANDRINO GETS HIS 20TH: Freshman Alexander Calandrino recorded his 20th victory of the season Sunday, Jan. 26, when he defeated NIU's Nickalas Harrison, 4-0, at 125 lbs. Calandrino is 5-2 in regular season matches and 1-1 in MAC bouts.
DELPORTO INCHING CLOSER TO 100 WINS: EMU Head Coach Derek DelPorto recorded the 96th win of his career when the Eagles defeated the Huskies, Jan. 26, in DeKalb, Ill. DelPorto, now in his seventh season at the helm of EMU wrestling, spent two seasons as the head man at his Alma Mater, Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, where he led The Rock to a 24-25 mark over that span. At EMU, he is 72-65 and is nine wins shy of tying John Eisley's 80 victories from 1979-91. Overall, DelPorto is 96-90 as a Head Coach.
MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE HORIZON: The 2013 MAC Championships will be held Sunday, March 10, on the campus of the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, N.Y. The Eagles will attempt to build off a third-place finish last season when they ultimately sent four grapplers to the NCAA Championships as a result of their performance at the conference tournament.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES ONLINE: For the latest scores, news and highlights surrounding the Eagles, head to EMUEagles.com. Or check out the EMU wrestling on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/EMUWrestling/) and Twitter (@EMUWrestling).
Kent State:
Flashes Visit Eastern Michigan Friday & Buffalo Sunday
Kent State (6-4, 2-1 MAC) competes in its final two Mid-American Conference duals this weekend with road trips to Eastern Michigan (Feb. 1) and Buffalo (Feb. 3). Wins against the Eagles (7-10, 1-2) and Bulls (1-8, 1-2) would lock up a top two finish in the MAC standings for an eighth consecutive season.
Friday night will be Eastern Michigan's Senior Night with a 7:00 p.m. start at Bowen Field House. The Golden Flashes will make a brief stop home, before heading to Buffalo for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday.
- In this week's rankings, Kent State is No. 20 according to InterMat, Wrestling Report.com and Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine
- Last week, six Golden Flashes were ranked in this season's first edition of the Division I Coaches Panel Rankings. This week, six Flashes are ranked by WrestlingReport.com
- Senior Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio) needs one more victory to pass former teammate Brendan Barlow for seventh place in career wins (112).
MAC Dual Success: Since the 2005-06 season, Kent State has gone 31-6-1 in MAC duals, including a 7-1 mark since last season. During that time, the Golden Flashes have not lost a MAC dual to a team other than Central Michigan, going 29-0-1 against the combination of Northern Illinois, Buffalo, Ohio and Eastern Michigan.
History vs, EMU and Buffalo: Kent State leads the all-time series with Eastern Michigan 39-1-1 with its only loss coming in 1974. The Flashes have won 28 straight in the series, including 28-10 victory at the M.A.C. Center last season to complete a perfect 5-0 MAC run. Returning winners for KSU include Keith Witt (Oak Harbor, Ohio) and Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio).
Kent State holds a 21-7 all-times series lead against Buffalo and has won eight straight against the Bulls. Witt, Newburg and Stevie Mitcheff (Lorain, Ohio) were among the Flashes' seven winners in a 25-9 victory over the Bulls last season at the M.A.C. Center.
Another Record Broken: Kent State's 2011 national champion Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio) broke the school's career record for pins (47) last weekend at Central Michigan. Kilgore is also two pins shy of Jim Swetter's single-season record (17). The last eight times he's stepped on the mat for a dual meet, no opponent has made it to the end of the second period. Kilgore's 15 pins are three more than any other Division I wrestler this season.
Kilgore has already defeated three opponents currently ranked in the Top six spots: Jake Meredith (Arizona State), Matt Wilps (Pitt) and Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming).
The Flashes' career-victory leader (165) extended his NCAA winning streak to 49. The 2011 MAC Wrestler of the Year also carries a 59-match winning streak in dual meets. In career MAC duals, Kilgore is 18-0 with eight pins.
Now 30-0, Kilgore has 24 bonus-point victories this season. He has the highest pound-for-pound rating of any wrestler in the nation according to Takedown Wrestling. He currently ranks second in the NCAA's Most Dominant Wrestler standings behind Ohio State's Logan Stieber.
Wheeler Breaking Through: Redshirt freshman Sam Wheeler (Copley, Ohio) scored a convincing 5-2 victory over Central Michigan's Craig Kelliher, who was ranked No. 23 heading into last weekend. Wheeler advanced to the finals of both the Brute Invitational and the Navy Classic this season. He'll be tested Sunday at Buffalo against former MAC champion John-Martin Cannon of Buffalo. Wheeler is one of four freshman starters and one of five first-year starters in the lineup.
Coming Back: Sophomore Caleb Marsh (Marysville, Ohio) and redshirt freshman Nick Carr (Fayette, Pa.) are each 2-0 in MAC duals, but both did not see action at Central Michigan due to injuries. Both are expected to return this weekend. Marsh will likely face former MAC champion Mark Lewandowski Sunday.
The Competition: Eastern Michigan is coming off a 22-17 conference victory over Northern Illinois last weekend. The Eagles biggest dual win came against North Dakota State (18-17), who is currently ranked No. 25 in the NWCA Coaches Poll. EMU also scored an impressive 30-9 victory over Duke.
Buffalo earned a 19-14 MAC victory over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 18. The Bulls split 10 matches with No. 14 Bloomsburg in an 18-15 setback. Five UB wrestlers are currently 2-1 in MAC duals.
Projected Lineups:
Kent State at Eastern Michigan
125 – Alex Calandrino (20-8) vs. No. 33 Stevie Mitcheff (21-10)
133 – Jake Byers (14-10) vs. Mack McGuire (19-13)
141 – Seth Schaner (6-11) vs. Luke Kern (8-16)
149 – Mike Shaw (11-11) vs. Nick Carr (21-10)
157 – No. 30 Aaron Sulzer (15-9) vs. Tommy Sasfy (12-12)
165 – Jake Davis (18-8) vs. No. 32 Caleb Marsh (16-6)
174 – Jake Dorulla (10-13) or Alan Constable (0-9) vs. No. 28 Sam Wheeler (19-9)
184 – No. 32 Phillip Joseph (15-9) vs. No. 15 Casey Newburg (27-5)
197 – No. 27 Nick Whitenburg (6-6) or Anthony Abro (8-9) vs. No. 1 Dustin Kilgore (30-0)
285 – Chris Eggert (4-9) vs. No. 30 Keith Witt (12-13)
Kent State at Buffalo
125 – Max Soria (20-11) vs. No. 33 Stevie Mitcheff (21-10)
133 – Justin Farmer (7-17) or Erik Galloway (12-8) vs. Mack McGuire (19-13)
141 – Erik Galloway (12-8) or Andrew Schutt (6-11) vs. Luke Kern (8-16)
149 – Blake Roulo (14-9) vs. Nick Carr (21-10)
157 – Wally Maziarz (22-15) vs. Tommy Sasfy (12-12)
165 – No. 17 Mark Lewandowski (25-6) vs. No. 32 Caleb Marsh (16-6)
174 – No. 18 John-Martin Cannon (8-5) vs. No. 28 Sam Wheeler (19-9)
184 – Dominic Montesanti (14-11) or Jeff Palmeri (5-13) vs. No. 15 Casey Newburg (27-5)
197 – Jeff Palmeri (5-13) or Jarred Lux (3-6) vs. No. 1 Dustin Kilgore (30-0)
285 – Justin Heiserman (9-16) vs. No. 30 Keith Witt (12-13)
Missouri:
Sixth Annual Beauty and the Beast Features Top-Five Tigers Against No. 2 OSU, No. 22 OU
No. 5 Missouri welcomes former Big-12 rivals No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Oklahoma for a pair of action-packed duals.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - After a weekend road sweep of MAC opponents Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa, Missouri returns to Columbia, Mo., for a star-studded home stand against No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Oklahoma.
Missouri (10-1) took care of business last weekend, dropping Northern Illinois 39-3 and No. 20 Northern Iowa 27-9 for two road victories. The Tigers won 9 of 10 matches against Northern Illinois. Junior Alan Waters made a triumphant return to the lineup over the weekend, pinning NIU's Nick Harrison in 2:27 and defeating Northern Iowa's Ryan Jauch by decision 5-2. Waters, the second-ranked wrestler at 125 pounds, is a perfect 18-0 on the year. Top-ranked heavyweight Dom Bradley (26-0) also improved on his perfect record, highlighted by his 4-1 victory over Northern Iowa's Blayne Beale.
Friday's meet with No. 2 Oklahoma State (11-0) features many of last year's Big 12 champions and rematches at several weight classes from earlier this year. At this year's Joe Parisi Open, the Cowboys and Tigers won 9 of the tournament's 10 weight classes combined. Missouri's Alan Waters, Drake Houdashelt, Zach Toal and Mike Larson won Big 12 Championships last season en route to a conference tournament title for the school. OSU's Jordan Oliver (149) and Chris Perry (174) also won Big 12 titles and both rank No. 1 in the nation at their weight classes. Oliver, last year's national runner-up at 133 pounds, will face Houdashelt in a rematch from earlier this year.
Senior Nathan McCormick is headed for a showdown with OSU's No. 4 Jon Morrison at 133 pounds. The sixth-ranked McCormick defeated Morrison 4-3 at the Joe Parisi Open in a thrilling match. Todd Porter (23-6) looks to avenge a loss earlier in the year to No. 1 Chris Perry at 174. At the heavyweight class, senior Dom Bradley puts his undefeated record on the line against OSU's No. 3 Alan Galogeav. The top-ranked Bradley toppled Galogeav earlier this year 3-1 en route to the Southern Scuffle championship.
No. 22 Oklahoma (6-6) is coming off of a tough loss to No. 8 Virginia Tech last weekend. The Sooners are led by Kendric Maple (21-0), who is the top-ranked grappler at 141 pounds. Maple took fourth place at the NCAA tournament last year. Oklahoma captured 3rd place at the Midlands Championships this season. No. 4-ranked Buddy Graham (18-2) finished 3rd at last year's Big 12 Championships at 165 pounds. Graham made some noise in the NCAA tournament last season, upsetting Conrad Polz of Illinois. He'll likely face junior Zach Toal on Friday night.
The Tigers will host their 7th Annual Beauty and the Beast versus No. 2 Oklahoma St. on Friday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT at the Hearnes Center. In the event's five-year history, the Tigers are 4-2 after winning two matches in 2011 against Chattanooga and SIU-Edwardsville. Missouri will close the weekend home stand in against No. 22 Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Here are Missouri's projected lineups for this weekend's matches.
No. 5 Missouri vs. No. 2 Oklahoma State
125 - No. 2 Alan Waters, Jr., (18-0) vs. Eddie Klimara, Fr., (21-10)
133 - No. 6 Nathan McCormick, Sr., (24-2) vs. No. 4 Jon Morrison, Jr., (16-3)
141 - No. 26 Nicholas Hucke, Sr., (7-8)/Trevor Jauch, RFr., (22-7) vs. Julian Feikert, So., (15-11)
149 - No. 13 Drake Houdashelt, Soph., (20-7) vs. No. 1 Jordan Oliver, Sr., (21-0)
157 - No. 20 Kyle Bradley, Jr., (19-9) vs. No. 10 Alex Dieringer, RFr., (19-2)
165 - No. 14 Zach Toal, Jr., (18-10) vs. No. 3 Tyler Caldwell, Jr., (19-3)
174 - No. 14 Todd Porter, Sr., (23-6) vs. No. 1 Chris Perry, Jr., (21-0)
184 - No. 8 Mike Larson, Sr., (21-7)/Johnny Eblen, Soph., (19-3) vs. No. 12 Chris Chionuma, Sr., (18-5)
197 - No. 10 Brent Haynes, Sr., (24-4) vs. No. 16 Blake Rosholt, Jr., (8-2)
HWT - No. 1 Dom Bradley, RSr., (26-0)/Devin Mellon, So., (21-3) vs. No. 3 Alan Gelogaev, Sr. (13-2)
No. 5 Missouri vs. No. 22 Oklahoma
125 - No. 2 Alan Waters, Jr., (18-0) vs. Kyle Garcia, Fr., (10-11)
133 - No. 6 Nathan McCormick, Sr., (24-2) vs. No. 8 Cody Brewer, RFr., (18-4)
141 - No. 26 Nicholas Hucke, Sr., (7-8)/Trevor Jauch, RFr., (22-7) vs. No. 1 Kendric Maple, RJr., (21-0)
149 - No. 13 Drake Houdashelt, Soph., (20-7) vs. No. 11 Nick Lester, RJr., (13-7)
157 - No. 20 Kyle Bradley, Jr., (19-9) vs. No. 16 Matt Lester, RJr., (13-6)/Justin DeAngelis, RSo., (11-4)
165 - No. 14 Zach Toal, Jr., (18-10) vs. No. 4 Bubby Graham, RSr., (18-2)/Justin DeAngelis, RSo., (11-4)
174 - No. 14 Todd Porter, Sr., (23-6) vs. Matt Reed, Fr., (12-12)/No. 4 Bubby Graham, RSr., (18-2)
184 - No. 8 Mike Larson, Sr., (21-7)/Johnny Eblen, Soph., (19-3) vs. Nolan McBryde, Fr., (3-7)/Matt Reed, Fr., (12-12)
197 - No. 10 Brent Haynes, Sr., (24-4) vs. Brad Johnson, Fr., (11-13)
HWT - No. 1 Dom Bradley, RSr., (26-0)/Devin Mellon, So., (21-3) vs. Keldrick Hall, Sr., (9-12)
GAME NOTES: The Beauty and the Beast meet started in 2007 with the Mizzou Gymnastics and Wrestling teams. Sophomore Drake Houdashelt, the MAC Wrestler of the Week, is 10-2 in his last twelve matches this season. Missouri faced Oklahoma State last February, where they fell to the Cowboys 32-9. The Tigers responded by winning the Big 12 Championship later in the year. Oklahoma State has the most dual victories in NCAA history. Missouri defeated Oklahoma 25-12 last year in their final season as a member of the Big 12. For tickets online to Friday's Beauty and the Beast, click here.
WHAT'S NEXT: Following this weekend's duals, the Tigers will not return to mat action until Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. CT against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars at the Hearnes Center. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for youth/senior citizens.
On Saturday, Feb. 17, Missouri will host the Regional rounds of the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I National Dual Meet Championship at the Hearnes Center. Mizzou will take on Maryland, No. 18 Purdue, and No. 21 Wyoming for the chance to advance to the Finals the following weekend in St. Paul, Minn., at the University of Minnesota. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. CT. The Cliff Keen National Duals will feature 13 of the nation's top-25 wrestling programs from across the country.
Northern Iowa:
No. 20 Northern Iowa Wrestling to Face SDSU and No. 25 NDSU
UNI at South Dakota State; Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. (CT)
UNI at North Dakota State; Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. (CT)
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team hits the road this weekend to face former conference foes South Dakota State and No. 25 North Dakota State. Some Panther wrestlers will head to Dubuque, Iowa, Feb. 2 for the Duhawk Open.
SDSU and NDSU remain in the Western Wrestling Conference, but UNI has moved to the Mid-American Conference for the conference meet this year and begin wrestling a full MAC schedule starting next year.
Last year, UNI took a distant second to NDSU's third in the WWC meet, while SDSU finished last in the conference.
The Panthers return four NCAA national qualifiers and have the highest ranking among the three teams. The competition begins on Friday against SDSU.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: UNI has won 35 of the last 39 meetings with SDSU. One dual ended in a tie. Dustin Walraven is the only SDSU wrestler ranked in the NCAA Coaches Rankings released last week.
South Dakota State (4-8) is headed up by first-year head coach Chris Bono and first-year assistants Israel Silva and Andrew Sorenson.
SDSU PROBABLE STARTERS(NCAA Coaches Rankings):
125 - Aaron Pickrel (10-11)
133 - Brance Simms (16-12)
141 - Ben Gillette (5-15)
149 - No. 31 Dustin Walraven (20-10)
157 - Cody Pack (13-10)
165 - Joe Brewster (9-12)
174 - John Nething II (6-13)
184 - Shea Nolan (5-10)
197 - Joe Skow (3-9)
285 - J.J. Everard (5-13)
NORTH DAKOTA STATE: NDSU's win at No. 14 Wyoming on Jan. 27 was its third dual victory over a ranked opponent this season, and was only Wyoming's second loss in its last 26 WWC duals. Other wins over ranked opponents this season: 24-15 over No. 24 Boise State on Nov. 16; 27-15 over No. 25 Old Dominion on Jan. 12. Sunday marks the eighth dual this season against a ranked opponent for NDSU (7-7).
Sprenkle, Monk and Stoll are all returning NCAA qualifiers. Sprenkle and Monk came up one win short of All-American honors in 2012.
NDSU PROBABLE STARTERS (NCAA Coaches Rankings):
125 - No. 5 Trent Sprenkle, Sr., 21-4 (12-2 duals) - Intermat No. 10 / AWN No. 10
133 - Josh Rodriguez, Fr., 19-12 (7-7 duals)
141 - Mark Erickson, Sr., 15-12 (7-7 duals)
149 - Joe Garner, Sr., 15-12 (6-8 duals)
157 - Hayden Zillmer, R-Fr., 9-8 (3-3 duals) OR Tanner Carlisle, R-Fr., 0-2 (0-2 duals)
165 - No. 6 Steven Monk, Jr., 27-3 (14-0 duals) - Intermat No. 6 / AWN No. 6
174 - Kurtis Julson, So., 12-13 (6-8 duals)
184 - No. 20 Mac Stoll, Sr., 14-7 (7-5 duals)
197 - Kallen Kleinschmidt, Sr., 9-12 (5-8 duals)
285 - No. 31 Evan Knutson, So., 13-11 (6-5 duals) OR John Gusewelle, So., 9-12 (0-3 duals)
NORTHERN IOWA: UNI is coming off a 29-7 loss to No. 7 Missouri. The Panthers moved into the rankings after beating No. 13 Oklahoma and No. 21 Northwestern a couple of weeks ago. Despite the loss to the Tigers, the Panthers edged up a spot in the rankings to No. 20 this week.
The team is ranked third in the MAC and has six wrestlers ranked in the top four in the conference:
• 133 - Levi Wolfensperger 3rd
• 141 - Joey Lazor 2nd
• 149 - Bart Reiter 4th
• 157 - David Bonin 1st
• 174 - Cody Caldwell 4th
• 184 - Ryan Loder 2nd
Amateur Wrestling News rankings:
• 133 - Levi Wolfensperger 9th
• 141 - Joey Lazor 13th
• 174 - Cody Caldwell 19th
• 184 - Ryan Loder 8th
Intermat rankings has the team at 26th:
• 133 - Levi Wolfensperger 12th
• 141 - Joey Lazor 15th
• 184 - Ryan Loder 6th
UNI PROBABLE STARTERS (NCAA Coaches Rankings):
125 - Ryan Jauch (4-5/4-3)
After wrestling in the 133-pound weight class for the last couple of years, Jauch has moved down to 125 for his senior year. He won his first match of the year by technical fall (18-1) and his second with a pin in 1:31. He pinned Tyler Gilleland of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in 20 seconds. He upset No. 16 Dominick Malone to help the team beat No. 21 Northwestern. As a junior, he upset the No. 3 seed in the West Regional in the first round. He was the Finn Grinaker Open champion at 133 pounds and placed second at Harold Nichols Cyclone Open.
133 - No. 9 Levi Wolfensperger (18-6/7-2)
UNI's Wolfensperger, a sophomore, is a returning NCAA national qualifier for the Panthers and placed fourth at the Cliff Keen Invite. He won the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. As a redshirt freshman, he was the WWC's only NCAA qualifier and had the most pins at the West Regional.
141 - No. 15 Joey Lazor (24-7/7-2)
Injury kept Lazor, a junior, out of the Panther lineup last year, but he has been an integral part of the UNI team this year. He placed seventh at the Midlands Championships. As a junior, he saw limited action with his injury but placed sixth at Flash Flanagan and sixth at the Duhawk Open.
141 - Adam Perrin (7-5/0-0)
Perrin took fifth at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. Last year as a freshman, he posted the most victories of all the true freshmen. He led the team in pins with 14. He was the champion at the Loras and Jim Fox opens.
149 - No. 26 Bart Reiter (10-4/6-2)
Injury slowed Reiter's start to the season, but he has been healthy and an asset to the Panther lineup since returning. Reiter started his collegiate wrestling career at Minnesota. This is his first year at UNI.
157 - No. 18 David Bonin (19-5/6-3)
Bonin, a senior, is a two-time NCAA national qualifier for UNI. He has held a national ranking for the majority of the year. Bonin won the UNI Open, was second at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open and placed fifth at the Cliff Keen Invite. He beat No. 15 Matt Lester in SV2 to help the Panthers beat No. 13 Oklahoma Jan. 18 to earn a spot in the national rankings. As a junior he upset three ranked opponents, including the No. 4 seed Walter Peppelman in the first round of the NCAA Championships with a pin.
165 - Jarrett Jensen (13-11/5-4)
Jensen, a redshirt freshman, has been in the UNI lineup for all of UNI's dual meets this season. He placed sixth at the UNI Open. His recent losses came to No. 4 Patrick "Bubby" Graham of Oklahoma and No. 16 Pierce Harger of Northwestern. He is the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open champion. As a freshman, he won three open tournaments: Loras Open and Jim Fox Open at 157 pounds and the Flash Flanagan Open at 165 pounds.
165 - Kyle Lux (9-7/0-0)
Lux was third at the Flash Flanagan Open and fifth at the Grand View Open. As a freshman, he won the Loras Open and placed third at the Jim Fox Open.
165 - Riley Banach (12-9/0-0)
Banach is the Cobber Open champion in the gold division for upperclassmen. He placed fifth at the Flash Flanagan and Grand View opens. He was sixth at the UNI Open. As a sophomore, Banach competed for UNI in all but one dual. He won the Flash Flanagan, and placed second at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open. He was third at the Finn Grinaker and UNI opens.
174 - No. 21 Cody Caldwell (23-6/7-2)
Caldwell was seventh at the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas, Nev. Caldwell, a redshirt freshman, won the UNI Open and the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. As a freshman, he posted the best winning percentage (.885) of the freshman class, winning the Jim Fox Open, William Penn Open and the Flash Flanagan Open.
184 - No. 6 Ryan Loder (23-3/8-0)
Loder has been nationally ranked all season. He is a two-time returning NCAA national qualifier. Loder's career record is the fifth-highest winning percentage among all UNI Panthers who have had at least 50 wins and competed at least two seasons in Division I. He consistently has been UNI's top place winner at competitive tournaments, winning the UNI Open, placing third at the Cliff Keen Invite and taking fourth at the Midlands Championships. He upset No. 8 Mike Larson of Missouri in a dual. As a sophomore, he never lost a match by major decision, technical fall or pin. He won three open tournaments: Harold Nichols Cyclone Open, Finn Grinaker Open and the UNI Open. He placed third at Midlands and was named Top Contender.
197 - Blaize Cabell (10-10/2-4)
Cabell is a redshirt freshman. He took second at the William Penn Open. He placed fifth and recorded a pin and technical fall at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open. He joined the dual lineup for the Panthers mid-January. As a freshman, he won the Loras Open and was fourth at the Jim Fox and William Penn opens.
285 - Blayne Beale (11-7/4-3)
Beale, a senior, is one of four returning NCAA national qualifiers for UNI. He has wrestled the majority of the duals for the Panthers this season. He got fourth at the UNI Open, his first meet of the season. His last-second takedown against Keldrick Hall of Oklahoma helped secure the Panthers' win against the Sooners. His 3-2 decision over Hall gave UNI the three points it needed to win as a team. As a junior, he was undefeated in WWC dual competition and won the Flash Flanagan Open.
285 - Cody Krumwiede (19-10/1-1)
Krumwiede, a redshirt freshman, is the William Penn Open champion. He was second at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open, UNI Open and the Grand View Open. He got fifth at the Flash Flanagan Open. As a freshman, he won a team-high of four titles at open tournaments: Loras, Jim Fox, William Penn and Flash Flanagan opens.