Army's Casey Thome Named to Inaugural NWCA Freshman All-Academic Team

Thome is honored after compiling a 33-6 record and a 3.35 grade point average during his freshman campaign.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced that Army's Casey Thome has been selected one of only six members of its inaugural Division I Freshman All-Academic Team. The rising sophomore tied for third for the Black Knights in victories with a 33-16 record while compiling a 3.35 grade point average in his first year at the Academy.

"I'm proud of Casey for all his hard work and efforts not only on the mat and in the wrestling room, but in the classroom this past year," said Army head wrestling coach Chuck Barbee. "There are a lot of adjustments guys have to make during their first year in college and Casey did a great job of handling them all. He is a great guy to have around as well."

To qualify for the team, wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won at least 60 percent of their bouts during the season.  

A native of Troy, Ohio, Thome was the Black Knights' top 149-pounder during the season. He started the season by finishing runner-up at the Leopard Invitational before notching two third-place efforts at the King's College Monarch Tournament and the East Stroudsburg Open. He also finished second at the Academy Championships and fourth at the New York State Championships during the year. Thome also went 8-6 in dual meet competition as Army compiled a 12-5 dual meet record.

The other five members of the team are Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro (3.63 GPA), Trevor Hall of Cal State-Bakersfield (3.35), A.J. Kissel of Purdue (3.32), Colt Sponseller of Ohio State (3.2), and Ethan Headlee of Pittsburgh (3.6).
Army Wrestling Ranks 16th Among Nation's Top Academic Teams

Sophomores Matt Kyler and Richard Starks are named to the All-Academic

Team

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army wrestling team ranked 16th nationally with a
3.012 cumulative grade point average while sophomores Matt Kyler and
Richard Starks were two of 88 names listed on the National Wrestling
Coaches Association All-Academic team last week.

Team totals were calculated by averaging the grade point averages of 12
wrestlers from each squad, including the 10 wrestlers that competed at
their respective NCAA qualifying tournament.

For individuals to be eligible for the all-academic team, wrestlers must
have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA while either qualifying for the NCAA
Tournament, or winning over 60 percent of their total matches. Wrestlers
with at least a 3.0 grade point average that were named All-America at
the NCAA Tournament were also included on the team.

Kyler, who owns a 3.36 grade point average at a Civil Engineering major,
was named Army's first All-American in three years after finishing sixth
at 141 pounds the NCAA Championships in March. Kyler also won his first
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) individual title en
route to a 43-6 record that set a new Academy standard for single-season
victories.

Starks finished the season with 34-9 record, including a fourth-place
effort at the EIWA Championships to earn a berth to his first NCAA
Tournament at 197 pounds. A Math major with a 3.36 grade point average,
Starks also compiled a 13-2 dual meet record to finish third for the
Black Knights in total victories.

Under the guidance of eighth-year head coach Chuck Barbee, who was named
the EIWA Coach of the Year, Army compiled a 12-6 dual meet mark before
finishing third out of 14 teams at the EIWA Championships. The Black
Knights qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships, which was
the program's highest total since the 1987 squad won the EIWA
Championships. Kyler, and Starks joined seniors Fernando Martinez (125),
Nathan Thobaben (285), Christian Snook (157) and Scott Ferguson (184) at
the season-ending national tournament.
Army 18, Lehigh 15

The Black Knights defeat the Mountain Hawks for the first time since
1991, breaking a 14-match winless streak

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army senior 125-pounder Fernando Martinez and senior
heavyweight Nathan Thobaben each picked up victories to lead the Black
Knights to a 18-15 victory over Lehigh in Eastern Intercollegiate
Wrestling Association (EIWA) action, Sunday afternoon, in Christl Arena.

The victory was Army's first over Lehigh in 14 matches dating back to a
21-14 win during the 1990-91 season. After a 21-21 tie during the
1991-92 season, the Mountain Hawks swept 13-straight meetings entering
today's match.

"Today was a hard-fought victory over a well-coached team," said Army
coach Chuck Barbee. "We knew it was going to be a tough battle that came
down to bonus points. A couple of our guys came through with big wins,
while that guys that didn't win, wrestled smart and didn't' give up
anything big. That put us in a good position to hang on and get the
victory."

Lehigh's Alex Caruso started things off with a 3-2 decision over Army's
Ryan Mergen at 174 pounds, before four-straight Army victories staked
the home team to a 14-3 lead. Senior Scott Ferguson improved to 20-4
this year with a 10-4 victory over Manuel Schubert at 184, before
sophomore Richard Starks earned a 6-5 decision over Alex Iacocca at 197
to improve to 28-5 this season.

Thobaben controlled Justin Allen for an 8-1 decision, before Martinez
picked up an 18-3 technical fall over Mitch Berger to give the Black
Knights (12-5, 7-1 EIWA) a commanding lead. Thobaben's record this
season stands at 29-12 this year, while Martinez is now 31-4.

Lehigh's Seth Ciasulli shutout Army junior Whitt Dunning, 5-0 at 133,
but a 20-7 major decision by sophomore Matt Kyler over Jeff Santo gave
Army an 18-6 lead. Kyler's victory improved his season record to a
team-best 35-5.

The Mountain Hawks (11-13, 6-1 EIWA), who were looking to avoid their
first conference loss of the season, swept the final three bouts to make
matters close. Lehigh could have tied the score in the final match with
a pin, but Mike Galante could only muster a 13-8 decision over sophomore
Chris Grill to fall three points short.
Army finishes off its dual meet season on Friday (Feb. 22) with the
annual Star Match at Navy, starting at 7:00 p.m. in Annapolis, Md. After
that, the Black Knights will participate in the EIWA Championships on
March 7-8, hosted by Franklin & Marshall.

MEET NOTES: Army recognized eight seniors before the match started.
Martinez, Thobaben, Ferguson, Christian Snook, Travis Featherstone,
Scott Clark, Dan Schiering and manager Tyler Freeman were all honored
during a Senior Day ceremony ... Thobaben sang the National Anthem for
the second time this weekend. He also sang before the lacrosse team's
16-3 season-opening win over VMI yesterday at Michie Stadium ... the
meet was also preceded by the West Point Youth Duals where over 200
wrestlers from around the region competed ... Army finished ahead of
Navy three weeks ago to win the Academy Championship title, hosted in
Christl Arena.

Army 18, Lehigh 15
125 - Fernando Martinez (A) tech. fall Mitch Berger (L), 18-3 (7:00)
133 - Seth Ciasulli (L) dec. Whitt Dunning (A), 5-0
141 - Matt Kyler (A) maj. Jeff Santo (L), 20-7
149 - Trevor Chinn (L) dec. Casey Thome (A) 4-2
157 - Dave Nakasone (L) dec. Christian Snook (A), 5-3
165 - Mike Galante (L) dec. Chris Grill (A), 13-8
174 - Alex Caruso (L) dec. Ryan Mergen (A), 3-2
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) dec. Manuel Schubert (L), 10-4
197 - Richard Starks (A) dec. Alex Iacocca (L), 6-5
285 - Nathan Thobaben (A) dec. Justin Allen (L), 8-1
Army Wrestling Class Ranked 22nd Nationally

Black Knights' Recruits Recognized Nationally Once Again

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Head coach Chuck Barbee and his staff, once again, attracted a top notch recruiting class to the U.S. Military Academy for this coming fall. Army wrestling's Class of 2010 was ranked 22nd nationally by W.I.N. Magazine.

The contingent features eight grapplers who won state titles in high school, as well as five wrestlers who attended and developed their skills at USMAPS last year. Four members of Army's 2006-07 recruiting class hail from the talent-rich state of Pennsylvania.

"This class will help give us a strong foundation over the next three to four years," said Barbee. "I challenge each one of our recruits to make their mark right away. We have a lot of unproven weight classes going into next season and a freshman could certainly break into the starting lineup."

Barbee, entering his seventh season at West Point, has authored some of the best recruiting classes in the storied history of the the Black Knights' program. This year's class certainly maintains that higher standard of excellence to which Barbee and his coaching staff expect Army wrestlers to achieve.

The rankings, which came out earlier this month, named Oklahoma State's incoming freshmen as the top class for the 2006-07 campaign. Lehigh, ranked second nationally, was the top EIWA program in the rankings. Bucknell and Cornell were the only other conference rivals rated higher than Army in the annual polling of recruiting classes.

Matt Kyler (Pa.) highlights the outstanding class. He was a Pennsylvania state champion in 2005. Steven Gilbert was a four-time state champion in New Mexico, while Lance Penhale (Alaska) was a three-time state champ.

W.I.N Magazine's Top 25 Recruiting Classes
1) Oklahoma State
2) Lehigh
3) Penn State
4) Minnesota
5) Nebraska
6) Missouri
7) Arizona State
8) Old Dominion
9) Michigan
10) Oklahoma
11) Iowa State
12) Boise State
13) Virginia Tech
14) Bucknell
15) Cornell
16) N.C. State
17) Indiana
18) Purdue
19) Edinboro
20) Iowa
21) Illinois
22) Army
23) Bloomsburg
24) Rider
25) Maryland
  Rutgers
Army Wins 14th-Annual USAA Academy Wrestling Championships

Four Black Knights win individual titles and five others finish
runner-up to lead the squad to its second team title.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Led by four individual champions and nine event
finalists, Army finished first at the 14th-Annual USAA Academy Wrestling
Championships in Christl Arena. Army totaled 111.0 points to edge
four-time defending champion Navy (106.0) and third-place Air Force
(54.5) in the eight-team field.

Senior 125-pounder Fernando Martinez and sophomore 141-pounder Matthew
Kyler each won their second-straight individual title, while senior
Scott Ferguson grabbed the 184-pound crown and sophomore Richard Starks
took top-honors at 197. Five other Army wrestlers finished runner-up for
a total of nine Black Knights that wrestled for championships.

The team title marked the first time since 1996 (the second year of the
tournament) that Army finished first against its service and military
academy rivals. Navy has won seven times in the 14-year history of the
tournament, including four-straight entering this season. Army has also
finished second eight times, including the past two years.

Martinez, ranked 20th in this week's NWCA/USA Today/Intermat National
polls, improved his record to 28-3 this season with a 12-3 major
decision opposite Navy's Joey Boone in the final match. He earned a 16-0
tech fall over Norwich's Scott MacLean in the first round, before
picking up a 12-4 major decision over The Citadel's Tyler Sim to reach
the championship match.

Kyler, also ranked 20th in this week's national polls, controlled Air
Force's Jake Kriegbaum en route to a 10-3 decision in the championship
bout to improve his season mark to a team-best 32-5. Kyler picked up a
7-0 decision over Navy's Caleb Levee in the first round and a 19-3 tech
fall of Merchant Marine's James Beshada to earn his second-straight
appearance in the finals.

Ferguson upped his season record to 18-3 this season with an 8-2
decision against the Citadel's Darius Caldwell in the championship
match. He made his way to the finals with a pin of Coast Guard's Dan
Miller (4:12) and a 4-1 decision over Air Force's Jacob Devlin.

Starks, who was the runner-up at 184 during last year's tournament,
earned an emotional pin of Navy's Matt Parsons (6:06) to not only claim
an individual title, but clinch the team championship for Army. Starks,
who's season record stands at 25-5, defeated Coast Guard's Dan Sorby,
10-3, and picked up a 10-2 major decision opposite Merchant Marine's
Eric Vincent to reach the finals.

Other finalists for Army included senior heavyweight Nathan Thobaben,
sophomore Ryan Mergen at 174, senior Christian Snook, who finished
runner-up at 157 in his first action in over a month after suffering a
knee injury, freshman Casey Thome at 149 and junior Whitt Dunning at
133.

Navy's Matt Stolpinski was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler after
winning his fourth-straight individual title at 174 pounds.

Army heads to Pennsylvania next Saturday (Feb. 9) to take on host
Millersville and Delaware Valley, starting at 12:00 p.m.

14th-Annual USAA Academy Wrestling Championships
Christl Arena, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.

Teams Scores
1. Army 111; 2. Navy 106; 3. Air Force 54.5; 4. The Citadel 49.5; 5.
Merchant Marine 43; 6. VMI 34; 7. Coast Guard 5; 8. Norwich 1.

Individual Champions/Runners-Up
125 - #1 Fernando Martinez (Army) maj. #2 Joey Boone (Navy), 12-3
133 - #1 Joe Baker (Navy) maj. #3 Whitt Dunning (Army), 10-2
141 - #1 Matt Kyler (Army) dec. #3 Jake Kriegbaum (Air Force), 10-3
149 - #1 Bryce Sandoris (Navy) dec. #2 Casey Thome (Army), 6-3
157 - #2 Spencer Manley (Navy) dec. #1 Christian Snook (Army), 4-1
165 - #2 Stephen Crozier (Air Force) pin. #1 Vincent Renaut (Merchant
Marine) 4:14
174 - #1 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) pin. #3 Ryan Mergen (Army) 2:22
184 - #1 Scott Ferguson (Army) dec. #2 Darius Caldwell (The Citadel),
8-2
197 - #2 Richard Starks (Army) pin. #1 Matt Parsons (Navy) 6:06
285 - #1 Ed Prendergast (Navy) dec. #2 Nathan Thobaben (Army), 5-3 (OT)
(# before each name is seed for the championship)
Army 30, Sacred Heart 6

The Black Knight take decisions in eight bouts en route to the victory
over the Pioneers.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army wrestling team won eight of 10 bouts to
defeat visiting Sacred Heart, 30-6, Wednesday night in Gillis Field
House.

Sacred Heart (0-8) took a 3-0 lead after a decision by heavyweight Bill
Biermeister over Michael Sprigg , but gave six points right back with a
forfeit at 125.

A 5-1 decision by junior Whitt Dunning over Patt Feeley at 133, made the
score 9-3 in favor of the Black Knights, but a close 2-1 decision by the
Pioneers' Cory Dunn over freshman Casey Smith, pulled the visitors back
to within three points, 9-6. Dunning's victory improved his record to
22-12 this season.

Army (8-4) would take over from there, sweeping the final six bouts en
route to its fourth-straight dual meet victory. Freshman Casey Thome
upped his record to 23-8 this season with a 9-5 decision opposite
Anthony Priore at 149, before classmate Sean Joyce's 7-3 decision
against Michael Powers at 157 staked the Black Knights to a 15-6 edge.

Sophomore Chris Grill compiled a 12-2 major decision over Tom Sullivan
at 165 and sophomore Ryan Mergen out-pointed Jed Giguere, 5-1, at 174 to
put the match out of reach with a 22-6 lead.

Senior Scott Ferguson - the only senior competing for Army as several
regular starters were given the night off - pulled away from Rich
Eichenlaub for an 11-7 decision at 184. Sophomore Richard Starks put
things away with a 19-4 technical fall at 197 to improve his season
record to 20-8.

"We were able to rest a couple guys tonight, but I give Sacred Heart a
lot of credit for coming out to scrap. They really got after it," said
head coach Chuck Barbee. "Our second and third-string guys are crucial
to the program, especially at this time of year. They are the ones that
push the first-string guys in the wrestling room on a daily basis and
step in when something comes up. Any number-one guy has to give a lot of
credit to that number-two guy because of what he does to make him
better. They are also working their tails off so that when they have
their chance, they are ready to go."

Army heads to New England this Saturday to make two separate dual meet
stops. The Black Knights will look to make it five in a row at Brown at
11:00 a.m., before heading to Harvard to take on the Crimson at 5:00
p.m.

MATCH NOTES: Senior 125 pounder Fernando Martinez, sophomore 141-pounder
Matt Kyler, and senior heavyweight Nathan Thobaben were all given the
night off ... Martinez is ranked 20th in the most recent Intermat/NWCA
national polls ... Kyler moved up to 15th in this week's W.I.N. Magazine
poll and is ranked 19th in the Intermat listings ... Thobaben did see
limited duty, started the night off by singing the National Anthem ...
the Black Knights won their third New York State Intercollegiate
Wrestling Championship over the weekend, picking up their first crown
since winning back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 ... after this
weekend's two dual meets, Army will host the 14th-Annual Academy
Wrestling Championships next Saturday (Feb. 1) in Christl Arena ...
tickets are available by logging on to www.goARMYsports.com and clicking
the link on the right side of the page to the meet.

Army 30, Sacred Heart 6
285 - Bill Beirmeister (SHU) dec. Michael Sprigg, 6-4 (OT)
125 - Lance Penhale (A) Win by Forfeit
133 - Whitt Dunning (A) dec. Patt Feeley, 5-1
141 - Cory Dunn (SHU) dec. Casey Smith, 2-1
149 - Casey Thome (A) dec. Anthony Priore, 9-5
157 - Sean Joyce (A) dec. Michael Powers, 7-3
165 - Chris Grill (A) maj. Tom Sullivan, 12-2
174 - Ryan Mergen (A) dec. Jed Giguere, 5-1
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) dec. Rich Eichenlaub, 11-7
197 - Richard Starks (A) tech. fall Brandon Lapp, 19-4 (7:00)
Army Wins 39th-Annual New York State Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships

Fernando Martinez and Matt Kyler defend their individual championships,
while three others finish runner-up

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army wrestling team finished first out of 18
teams at the 39th-Annual New York State Intercollegiate Wrestling
Championships, Saturday as two Black Knights won individual
championships and three others finished runner-up. The title was Army's
first since winning back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005.

Senior captain Fernando Martinez won his second-straight 125-pound
championship, while sophomore Matt Kyler swept four matches en route to
his second-consecutive 141-pound crown. Junior Whitt Dunning (133
pounds), freshman Sean Joyce (157) and sophomore Ryan Mergen (174) all
wrestled to second-place finishes, while senior heavyweight Nathan
Thobaben finished third and freshman Casey Thome (149) finished fourth.
Sophomore Richard Starks (197) and freshman Patrick Smith (184) also
scored for Army, each notching sixth-place efforts.

"I thought this was a really good team performance," said head coach
Chuck Barbee. "We battled some injuries and really had to work our tails
off to hold off a tough Buffalo team so I'm real proud of our team.
Coming in, we certainly weren't the favorite to win, but the guys really
stepped it up and made it happen. The five guys in the finals all
wrestled very well."

Martinez, seeded first in the weight class, started the tournament off
with a 16-0 tech fall over NYU's Kyle Christensen (3:00) on Friday
night, before earning a 8-5 decision over Cornell's Frank Perrelli and a
5-0 decision against Buffalo's Dan Bishop. Ranked 15th in this week's
W.I.N. Magazine national poll, and 19th in the Intermat/NWCA poll,
Martinez improved his record to 24-3 this season and picked up his 60th
career victory for a 61-23 collegiate record.

Kyler, also the top-seed in his division, opened the championship on
Friday night by pinning Niagara County C.C.'s Mike Tiller (2:58) and
Oneonta State's Michael Gregg (4:57), before picking up a 14-3 major
decision opposite Buffalo's Andrew Stella in the semifinals, and downing
NYU's Stephen Hult, 11-6, in the championship bout. Ranked in three
national polls, including 17th in the Intermat/NWCA, Kyler's season
record is now a team-best 27-5, including a squad-best 13 pins and 16
bonus-point victories.

After picking up a 19-2 tech fall (7:00) over Oneonta's Walter Moore and
a 4-0 decision from Columbia's Jerome Greco on Friday, Dunning advanced
to the championship match with a 4-3 decision over Cortland's Dave
Colagiovanni. Nassau C.C.'s Chris Notte earned a 3-1 decision over
Dunning in the final. Dunning's season record stands at 21-12.

Fourth-seeded Joyce picked up a 6-2 decision over Wagner's Sean Quinn on
Friday, before opening the second day of action with a 6-3 decision over
top-seeded John Cummings from Buffalo. His championship bid came up
short after a tough 2-0 loss to Columbia's Matt Dunn in the final.

Mergen, seeded third, pinned Nassau C.C.'s Eric Roering (4:50) and
picked up a 13-4 major decision over Oneonta State's Josh Wake on
Friday. Following a slim 1-0 decision over Buffalo's Mike Ragusa, Mergen
fell, 6-1 in the final to top-seeded Joey Hooker of Cornell.

Thobaben, seeded second, picked up decisions over Columbia's Jed Wade
(4-1) and Nassau C.C.'s Brandon Williamson (10-3) to start the
tournament off, before losing a 7-4 decision to Cornell's Maliej Jochym
in the semifinals on Saturday. He bounced back with a 57-second pin of
Columbia's Jed Wade in the consolation bracket, before beating Buffalo's
Jeff Parker, 6-1, in the third-place match.

After hosting Sacred Heart this Wednesday (Jan. 23) at 7:30 p.m. in
Gillis Field House, Army will travel to New England on Saturday (Jan.
26) and make stops at Brown (11:00 p.m.) and Harvard (5:00 p.m.) for two
separate dual meets.
Army Wrestling Defeats Rutgers, 27-10, and Kings Point, 38-3

The Black Knights sweep the tri-meet in Christl Arena, Sunday afternoon,
as seven Army wrestlers win twice

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army wrestling team picked up wins over visiting
Rutgers, 27-10, and Kings Point, 38-3, in tri-meet action this afternoon
in Christl Arena. Rutgers also was a 21-12 winner over Kings Point in
the day's other match.

Seven Black Knights won two matches apiece, including senior 125-pounder
Fernando Martinez and sophomore 141-pounder Matt Kyler. Martinez
improved his record to 21-3 this season with pin of Rutgers' Ryan
Jablonski (4:12) and a 16-4 major decision against Kings Point's Jordan
Alfaro. Martinez entered the week ranked 16th in the USA Today/Intermat
national poll, and 18th in the Amateur Wrestling News national poll.

"After taking some tough losses out in Arizona last Sunday, we had a lot
of heart-to-heart talks with the guys this week and challenged them to
step it up," said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "I think they really did
that today. Rutgers has a lot of quality guys and is well-coached and we
just went out there and got after it. I was real proud of them."

Kyler, who stands 17th in both national polls, ran his record to a
team-best 23-5 this year with a 7-2 decision over Rutgers' Steve
Adamschik (ranked 20th in the Amateur Wrestling News poll) and a 14-6
major decision opposite Kings Point's Jimmy Beshada.

"Kyler keeps getting better and continues to work on his weaknesses,
which is crucial this time of year, while Fernando wrestled well after a
tough weekend in Arizona," continued Barbee. "All of our seniors are
doing a great job to of leading the younger guys as well."

Army (7-4) swept the first seven bouts against Rutgers (4-5) to cruise
to the 17-point victory, while taking nine of 10 decisions against Kings
Point (5-4).

Senior Nathan Thobaben pinned both of his opponents, taking down
Rutgers' Karim Mahmoud in 4:49, before sticking the Mariners' Judd
Connell in 1:55 to improve his record to 20-9 this season.

Army will travel to the New York State Championships this Friday and
Saturday (Jan. 18-19), hosted by Cornell, before returning home next
Wednesday (Jan. 23) to host Sacred Heart at 7:30 p.m. in Gillis Field
House.

MEET NOTES: Army's win over Rutgers was the 29th victory in 38 meetings
all-time with the Scarlet Knights, while the Black Knights improved to
4-0 al-time against Kings Point ... Army defeated Rutgers, 28-6, and
Kings Point, 41-0, last season in Piscataway, N.J. ... Thobaben has
totaled nine pin falls this season, second on the team to Kyler's 11 ...
Kyler picked up his 13th bonus-point win, including 11 pins and two
major decisions. He is tied with freshman Dean Gaier who also picked up
his 13th bonus point victory with a 15-0 shutout of Kings Point's Justin
Diesel. Gaier has six pins, three tech falls and four major decisions
for a 16-6 record in 2007-08 ... after losing consecutive bouts for the
first time this season during last Sunday's Sun Devil Duals, Fernandez
bounced back with two victories today. His pin of Rutgers' Jablonski was
his first pin of the season.

Army 38, Kings Point 3
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) maj. Troy McGuinness, 16-5
197 - Richard Starks (A) maj. Eric Vincent, 15-6
285 - Nathan Thobaben (A) pin. Judd Connell 1:55
125 - Fernando Martinez (A) maj. Jordan Alfaro, 16-4
133 - Whitt Dunning (A) tech. Philip Green, 16-0 (5:00)
141 - Matt Kyler (A) maj. Jimmy Beshada, 14-6
149 - Casey Thome (A) dec. Dan Twito, 2-0
157 - Sean Joyce (A) dec. Scott Lowe, 3-1
165 - Vincent Renaut (KP) dec. John Drew, 13-6
174 - Dean Gaier (A) tech. Justin Diesel, 15-0 (7:00)

Army 27, Rutgers 10
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) dec. Keith Dobish, 3-2
197 - Richard Starks (A) dec. Lamar Brown, 7-4
285 - Nathan Thobaben (A) pin. Karim Mahmoud 4:49
125 - Fernando Martinez (A) pin. Ryan Jablonski 4:12
133 - Whitt Dunning (A) dec. Dan Hilt, 6-0
141 - Matt Kyler (A) dec. Steve Adamscik, 7-2
149 - Casey Thome (A) dec. Jack Barrett, 3-2
157 - Chris Norell (RU) dec. Sean Joyce, 8-2
165 - Matt Pletcher (RU) maj. John Drew, 10-2
174 - Mike Whelan (RU) dec. Dean Gaier, 6-4

Rutgers 21, Kings Point 12
184 - Keith Dobish (RU) dec. Troy McGuinness, 6-0
197 - Eric Vincent (KP) dec. Lamar Brown, 10-4
285 - D.J. Russo (RU) tech. Judd Connell (KP), 18-2 (5:00)
125 - Jordan Alfaro (KP) dec. Ryan Jablonski, 9-7 (OT)
133 - Dan Hilt (RU) dec. Philip Green, 11-4
141 - Steve Adamscik (RU) maj. Jimmy Beshada, 15-7
149 - Jack Barrett (RU) dec. Dan Twito, 5-4
157 - Scott Lowe (KP) dec. Jamie Lijo, 4-3
165 - Vincent Renaut (KP) dec. Matt Rigoglioso, 6-4
174 - Mike Whalen (RU) dec. Justin Diesel, 6-1
Army Finishes 1-2 At Sun Devil Duals

TEMPE, Ariz. - Army sophomore 141 pounder Matt Kyler was credited with
three victories as the Black Knights finished with a 1-2 record at the
Sun Devil Duals on Sunday.

Army opened the day with a 22-13 loss to host Arizona State, before
falling, 25-9, to No. 25 Pennsylvania. The Black Knights finished the
day with a 53-3 victory over a short-handed Grand Canyon State squad.

"Today was not our best day of wrestling," said head coach Chuck Barbee.
"We looked a little flat and just weren't very sharp. We really just had
some missed opportunities that we'll take back to practice room and work
on overcoming so we can get a good push into the second half of the
season."

Kyler, ranked 17th in the latest national polls, improved to 21-5 this
season. He started the day with a 4-1 victory over Arizona State's Chris
Drouin, and followed that with a 7-0 decision against Penn's Zack
Kemmerer. He also picked up a win by forfeit opposite Grand Canyon
State.

Other highlights from the day included senior Scott Ferguson upsetting
13th-ranked Lior Zamir of Penn with a pin in a time of 4:49.

"The guys are motivated and know what they need to do and I'm confident
we'll be able to do that," continued Barbee. "We are all looking forward
to this weekend and are anxious to wrestle back home."

The Black Knights will host Rutgers and Kings Point on Jan. 13 in a
tri-meet starting at 4:00 p.m. in Christl Arena. The meet will be
available live on the internet via Knight Vision on
www.goARMYsports.com.


Arizona State 22, Army 13
165 - #10 Patrick Pitsch (AZ) pin. John Drew, 5:35
174 - Dean Gaier (ARMY) dec. Rick Renzi, 5-3
184 - Jake Cranford (AZ) dec. Scott Ferguson, 7-5
197 - Jason Trulson (AZ) dec. Richard Starks, 8-2
285 - Nathan Thobaben (Army) dec. Quinton Pruett, 3-0
125 - #19 Anthony Robles (AZ) maj. #16 Fernando Martinez, 15-4
133 - Todd Schavrien (AZ) dec. Whitt Dunning, 4-2 (OT)
141 - #16 Matt Kyler (Army) dec. Chris Drouin, 4-1
149 - Casey Thome (Army) maj. Jerrad Trulson, 9-1
157 - Alex Pavlenko (AZ) dec. Chris Grill, 7-1

No. 25 Penn 25, Army 9
165 - Zach Shanaman (P) maj. John Drew, 13-3
174 - Scott Giffin (P) dec. Dean Gaier, 8-6
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) pin. #13 Lior Zamir, 4:49
197 - Thomas Shovlin (P) dec. Richard Starks, 3-2
285 - Trey McLean (P) dec. Nathan Thobaben, 11-4
125 - #8 Rollie Peterkin (P) dec. #16 Fernando Martinez, 8-2
133 - Bryan Ortenzio (P) dec. Whitt Dunning, 2-0
141 - #17 Matt Kyler (A) dec. Zack Kemmerer, 7-0
149 - #15 Cesar Grajales (P) dec. Casey Thome, 3-1
157 - Rob Hitschler (P) dec. Chris Grill, 6-5

Army 53, Grand Canyon State 3
165 - John Drew (A) WBF
174 - Dean Gaier (A) pin. Jack Porter, 3:34
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) WBF
197 - Richard Starks (A) WBF
285 - Nathan Thobaben (A) WBF
125 - #16 Fernando Martinez (A) WBF
133 - Whitt Dunning (A) WBF
141 - #17 Matt Kyler (A) WBF
149 - Casey Thome (A) WBF
157 - Stephen Towne (GC) dec. Chris Grill, 7-4

Army Wrestling Eager To Resume 2007-08 Season

The Black Knights are eager to start the New Year after a solid fall
portion of the schedule

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army wrestling team is eager to resume its
2007-08 schedule after a strong showing this fall. The Black Knights
return to action after the holidays on Jan. 6 at the Sun Devil Duals in
Tempe, Ariz. with several individuals that put together a solid first
half of the season.

Senior captain Fernando Martinez leads the pack with a sterling 18-1
record thus far at 125 pounds. He finished the semester ranked 12th in
the latest Amateur Wrestling News (AWN) national polls, 15th in both the
most recent Wrestling International Newsmagazine (W.I.N.) and USA
Today/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)/Intermat Coaches
Poll, and second in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
(EIWA) rankings. After starting the season with three-straight victories
at the Fighting Scot Duals, the Highland, Ind. native notched
first-place efforts at the Oklahoma-Gold Classic and the Nittany Lion
Open. His only loss of the season came in the championship match of the
Body Bar Invitational to Wisconsin's Collin Cudd by a slim 7-6 margin.

Sophomore Matt Kyler is tied with Martinez for the EIWA lead in wins
with an 18-5 mark at 141 pounds. Ranked 16th in both the AWN and
Intermat national polls and first in the EIWA rankings, the Clearfield,
Pa. resident finished second at the Nittany Lion Open, third at the Body
Bar Invitational and fifth at the Oklahoma-Gold Classic this season. The
owner of a 6-0 dual record, he also leads the conference with 11
victories by fall, including three in six matches during the Nittany
Lion Open.

Senior 285-pounder Nathan Thobaben stands third in the EIWA in wins with
a 17-8 ledger and is second to Kyler with eight pins. Currently third in
the EIWA heavyweight rankings, the Wilmington, Ohio native finished
fourth at the Oklahoma-Gold Classic and fifth at the Body Bar
Invitational.

Four other Army wrestlers are ranked in the EIWA standings. Senior
Christian Snook (Middlesburg, Pa.) has compiled a 12-5 record to rank
second at 157 pounds, while sophomore Richard Starks (Midway, Ky.) is
second at 197 pounds with a 12-3 mark. Junior Whit Dunning (Nashville,
Tenn.) is fifth in the 133-pound standings with a 13-7 record, while
senior Scott Ferguson (Clovis, Calif.) is fifth at 184 pounds with a 8-2
mark.

After the Sun Devil Duals, the Black Knights will host Rutgers and Kings
Point on Jan. 13 in a tri-meet starting at 4:00 p.m. in Christl Arena.
The meet will be available live on the internet via Knight Vision on
www. goARMYsports.com.

Army 30, East Stroudsburg 6

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Army senior captain Fernando Martinez registered
one of eight Black Knight victories en route to a 30-6 dual meet win at
East Stroudsburg, Tuesday night, in Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling
Association (EIWA) action.

Ranked 15th in the latest NWCA poll at 125 pounds, Martinez notched an
8-0 major victory over Matthew Benedetti to improve to 18-1 this season,
including a flawless 6-0 mark in dual meet competition.

It was one of three major decisions captured by Army (4-2, 3-0 EIWA) on
the evening as a pair of freshmen also scored bonus points for the Black
Knights. Casey Thome defeated Alex Bimes, 10-1, at 149, while Dean Gaier
picked up a 17-9 win over Shane Mallory in the 174-pound bout. Thome's
upped his season record to 14-5, while Gaier improved to 9-8.

"I was especially impressed with the way Dean competed tonight," said
Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "He wrestled with a lot of poise and
determination and took it to a pretty tough kid in the third period to
earn the victory."

Junior Whitt Dunning ran his record to 14-7 this season with a 7-4
decision over Matt Swallow at 133, while sophomore Chris Grill also
picked up a decision with a 10-6 victory over Kyle Heselpoth at 157.

Junior John Drew took down Joe Schick in overtime to pick up a 4-2
victory at 165, while Scott Ferguson defeated Dave Williams, 8-3, at 184
to seal the Black Knight victory in their final competition of 2007.
Drew's record stands at 2-7, while Ferguson improved to 8-2.

The only two Army setbacks on the evening were sophomore Matt Kyler, who
lost to Sean Carr, 7-4, at 141 pounds, and senior heavyweight Nathan
Thobaban, who dropped a 5-3 decision. Kyler's season record is 18-5,
while Thobaben is the owner of a 16-8 mark this year.

"Overall, I thought it was a good ending to a solid first semester for
us," continued Barbee. "Wednesday night meets on the road are always a
bit tougher, especially after a long weekend of competition like we had
on Sunday at Penn State. Throw school work and being on the road again
into the mix and it makes things even a little more challenging. I
thought the guys responded well and took care of business."

After a month break for final exams and the holidays, Army will return
to action on Sunday, January 6, at the Sun Devil Duals in Tempe, Ariz.

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007
East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Army 30, East Stroudsburg 6

125 - No. 15 Fernando Martinez (Army) maj. Matthew Benedetti, 8-0
133 - Whitt Dunning (Army) dec. Matt Swallow, 7-4
141 - Sean Carr (ESU) dec. Matt Kyler, 7-4
149 - Casey Thome (Army) maj. Alex Bimes, 10-1
157 - Chris Grill (Army) dec. Kyle Heselpoth, 10-6
165 - John Drew (Army) dec. Joe Schick, 4-2 sv
174 - Dean Gaier (Army) maj. Shane Mallory, 17-9
184 - Scott Ferguson (Army) dec. Dave Williams, 8-3
197 - Richard Starks (Army), forfeit
285 - Chris Birchler (ESU) dec. Nathan Thobaben, 5-3

Former Army Assistant Mike Clayton Named Head Wrestling Coach at Stevens

HOBOKEN, N.J. (August 8, 2007) - Former United States Military Academy head assistant coach Mike Clayton (Brooklyn, Iowa) has been named the head wrestling coach at Stevens Institute of Technology. A four-time letterwinner at the United States Naval Academy during the 1990's, Clayton takes over the Ducks' program after former head coach Andy Lausier assumed the position of assistant coach at Princeton University in late-June.

"I'm very excited to join a great group of people at Stevens," Clayton said. "The school's administration and athletics director (Russell Rogers - Branchburg, N.J.) have made a landmark commitment to bring back a program to a wrestling rich community. They are 100 percent behind building the best Division III wrestling program in the nation.

"With our campus location near Manhattan, a top academic reputation and amazing job placement history, wrestling at Stevens is a natural fit for the best young men all around the country," Clayton added.

During his three years at Army, Clayton helped produce eight NCAA Championship qualifiers. In his first year with the team, he guided Phillip Simpson to his third consecutive All-America certificate and an appearance in the national finals. In 2004-05 and 2005-06, Clayton was instrumental as the Black Knights returned to the national polls. He was also responsible for student development, recruiting, team and individual workouts, travel, budgeting, camps, purchasing, facility improvements and promotions while at West Point. Clayton's 2006 recruiting class ranked No. 22 nationally in the Wrestling USA Magazine poll.

Prior to arriving at Army, Clayton spent five years as the head coach at Newport News Apprentice School in Virginia. During his time there, Clayton mentored 30 National Collegiate Wrestling Association All-Americans and eight national champions. He also increased the team size from eight wrestlers upon his arrival in 1999 to 30 in 2003 by developing a national recruiting base. Clayton's 2003-04 roster featured athletes from 14 different states. In addition, the team's fortunes turned around immensely on the mat. After posting a 0-10 record his first two seasons at the helm, Clayton guided Apprentice School to a 26-11 mark over his final three years.

During those final three years at Apprentice, Clayton delivered a college curriculum in Business Operations/Leadership, Ship Construction and Microsoft Office. He also developed a partnership with the U.S. Naval Academy's leadership department as part of his Business Operations course.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Navy in 1995, Clayton, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps, was named an assistant wrestling coach for the Midshipmen. He served in that role for five months before heading to Athens, Ga., to complete the 27-week Navy Supply Corps Officers Basic Qualification School. While there, Clayton earned a spot on the All-Navy wrestling team, capturing a silver medal at the 1996 Armed Forces Championships and placing fourth at the Chattanooga, Tenn., Olympic Regionals.

From 1997-2001, Clayton served in a variety of posts. He was a Supply and Disbursing Officer on the USS Guam from 1997-98. Clayton also worked as a Hazardous Material Control and Ship's Store Officer on the USS Nimitz and as a Logistics/Purchasing Officer at Fleet Hospital Support Office in Virginia.

During his professional career, Clayton has published a book entitled Championship Training Log for Wrestling. The book helps wrestlers self-assess their habits to ensure healthy and effective training.

What They're Saying About Mike Clayton

"We are very excited to bring one of the nation's top young wrestling coaches to Stevens. Mike has the experience, vision and determination to lead our team as we strive to build one of the nation's elite programs. Most importantly, I look forward to seeing the positive impact that his leadership is going to have on the overall development of our student-athletes."

~ Russell Rogers, Director of Athletics at Stevens Institute of Technology

"I am excited that Coach Clayton will have a chance to lead such a wonderful program like Stevens. During his time at West Point, he worked very hard, and I'm certain that he will carry that over in this new position and help elevate the Stevens' program to the upper echelon of the Division III ranks."

~ Chuck Barbee, Head Wrestling Coach at the United States Military Academy

"Mike Clayton is a student of the sport of wrestling and has a great concept of what it takes to win on a national level. He has great insight into training, conditioning, and the skills needed to be standing on top of the podium."

~ Bruce Burnett, Head Wrestling Coach at the United States Naval Academy

"As a friend and colleague of Mike's, I am excited for him. Mike is a winner on and off the mat. He is a person with many talents and a great passion for kids and wrestling. As a former West Point coach, I am sorry to see him leave, but this is a great opportunity - one in which he will prosper and bring a new level of excellence to Stevens Wrestling while impacting many lives."

~ Jack Spates, Head Wrestling Coach at Oklahoma University

Army Names Ryan Wilman Assistant Wrestling Coach

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army wrestling coach Chuck Barbee announced today
that Ryan Wilman has been named an assistant coach for the Black
Knights. The former West Virginia team captain joins the staff after
spending last season as an assistant coach at James Madison in
Harrisonburg, Virginia.

"I am very excited to have Ryan join the Army wrestling staff," said
Barbee. "He is a super motivated coach and is anxious to start making a
difference in all facets of our program. His experience competing and
coaching will give our upper weight classes a huge boost, while his
passion for wrestling and coaching will surely help our young men
realize their goals on the mat."

Wilman totaled over 80 wins during his four-year career at West
Virginia, competing in the 184-lb. weight class his first two years,
before moving down to 174 for his junior and senior campaigns. An
Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Academic All-American in 2003, he was
also a member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll during all four
years as a Mountaineer. Wilman was a member of three EWL Championship
teams and ranked in the top-20 nationally all four years at WVU. Voted
team captain for his final two seasons, he graduated with Bachelor of
Arts in history with a minor in communications in 2005.

Wilman was also a two-time Georgia State High School Champion, compiling
a 172-14 record, while garnering All-America and Academic All-America
honors at Harrison H.S.

Wilman spent one year as a special education teacher and assistant
wrestling coach at McEachern High School in his home town of Powder
Springs, Georgia. He guided a trio of Class 5A State Champions, and four
more state runners-up on his way to being named the 2005-06 Georgia
State High School Athletic Association Assistant Wrestling Coach of the
Year.

Wilman was named an assistant coach at James Madison in the fall of
2006, shortly before the Dukes announced that 10 sports were to be
dropped from the department, including the wrestling program, the
following year. Before his departure, he was responsible for helping
with all facets of the team including technique sessions, travel
coordination, recruiting and scouting

Wilman is also a veteran camp clinician, serving as a senior counselor
and technician at the WVU Wrestling Camp for four years, while also
instructing at the Mike Mason All-America Camp. He additionally served
as the social chairperson for the Mountaineer Student Athlete Advisory
Committee for two years as well.

"It is a great honor to have the opportunity to work at West Point,"
said Wilman. "From the first day I stepped foot on post, I could feel
how special this place was. I am thrilled to be working with such a
great coaching staff as well as the cadet-athletes. They possess the
same unique character traits that not only produce national champions
and All-Americans, but Army officers a well."

Army Wrestling Finishes Second at Academy Championships

Martinez, Simpson, Kyler and Rowan All Win Titles

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  -  Fernando Martinez, William Simpson, Matt Kyler and Brian Rowan won individual titles as the Army wrestling team finished second at the 13th Annual All-Academy Wrestling Championships, Saturday at Cadet East Gym.

The Black Knights won the first three weight classes with Martinez, Simpson and Kyler earning championships at 125, 133 and 141, respectively. Rowan won the 165 title. In addition, Richard Starks (184) and Connor Sanders (197) finished second with Nathan Thobaben (285) third and Brent Smith fourth (174). Army now has 25 individual champions in the event.
Navy won the team title with 124.5 points, followed by Army (96.5), VMI (72), The Citadel (72), Air Force (33.5), Merchant Marine (22.5), Norwich (19.5) and Coast Guard (7.5).

Martinez upset top-seed Alex Usztics of Navy 10-6 in the finals at 125. Martinez beat Zach Valdez of Air Force 4-0 and dispatched Philip Greene of Merchant Marine 8-2 in the semifinals.

Simpson opened the tournament with a 17-0 technical fall over Anthony Day of Merchant Marine and then scored a 14-3 major decision against Matt Leach of The Citadel. He beat Tyler Anthony of VMI 3-0 in the finals.

Kyler rode a pair of major decisions to advance to the finals. He beat Garrett Feldman of Coast Guard 11-3 and then dispatched Matt Bullwinkle of The Citadel 12-1. He edged Nick Canterbury of Navy 8-6 to win the championship.

Rowan utilized a pair of pins to make it to the finals where he beat Justin Jacobs of Navy 3-0. He pinned Taylor Andrews of the Coast Guard in 37 seconds and Anthony Dorward of Air Force in 6:53.
 
Starks began his day with a 15-3 major decision against Ben Sanders of Merchant Martine. He edged Corry Murray of VMI 3-2 in the semifinals but dropped a 5-3 decision to Antonio Miranda of Navy 5-3.

Sanders pinned Jordan Ferguson of Norwich in 4:20 in his first match then handled Sterling Tribbe of Air Force 6-2. In the finals, he was pinned by Matt Parsons of Navy in 4:24.
Thobaben battled for a 9-7 win against Anthony Stegeman of Air Force in the first round but fell to Scott Buhman of VMI 8-4 in the semifinals. He pinned Troy Robinson of the Coast Guard in 27 seconds and earned a third-place finish with a fall against Stegeman in 1:27.
 
Smith had a 10-1 major decision in the first round against Troy McGuinness of Merchant Marine but dropped a 5-2 decision to Darius Caldwell 5-2. Smith racked up a 15-0 technical fall against Stephen Crozier of Air Force and finished fourth after a 2-1 loss to Dustin McCabe of VMI.

Army will return to dual meet action Saturday at Lehigh at 1 p.m.
Team Standings:
1. Navy (124.5); 2. Army (96.5); 3. VMI (72); 4. The Citadel (72), 5. Air Force (33.5); 6. Merchant Marine (22.5); 7. Norwich (19.5); 8. Coast Guard (7.5).

Army Wrestling Upsets No. 25 Columbia
Thobaben's Fall Sparks Black Knights to 21-13 win.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Following Sunday's dual meet loss to Harvard, Army head wrestling coach Chuck Barbee was concerned with the aggressiveness of his squad. Those concerns were erased Wednesday night at Christl Arena.
Army won six of 10 bouts and upset EIWA rival, No. 25 Columbia, 21-13. Columbia was ranked 25th in the latest InterMat poll.

The Black Knights were the aggressors from the beginning and improved to 10-4 overall and 6-1 in the EIWA. Columbia fell to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in conference meets.

"We definitely talked about taking the match to our opponents," Barbee said. "After Harvard, we were just flat and tonight the guys really stepped up and showed good fight, the kind of Army fight that we need."
Nathan Thobaben opened the dual with a fall at heavyweight and Fernando Martinez, Matt Kyler, Christian Snook, Brian Rowan and Scott Ferguson all won decisions as the Black Knights beat Columbia for the second straight season.

The match stated at heavyweight and Thobaben got the Black Knights off to a great start with a first-period fall over Kevin Lester. Lester scored an early takedown at the edge of the mat. Seconds later, Thobaben stood up and escaped. He then took Lester down and to his back and racked up his third fall of the season in 1:27. On Sunday, Lester pinned Paul Weibel of Lehigh, the 20th ranked wrestler in the country.

"Nathan really set the tone," Barbee said. "He beat a very good heavyweight and got us off on the right foot."

Martinez extended the Army advantage to 9-0 with a 4-0 decision at 125. Following a scoreless first period, Martinez took down to start the second period and needed just seven seconds to escape. He added a takedown later and almost scored back points but led 3-0 after the second period. He rode out Brandon Kinney for the entire third period and had more than three minutes of riding time for his 18th victory of the season.

Army's William Simpson dropped a tough match at 133 that made it 9-3. There was no scoring in the first period against Matt DeLorenzo, the 18th ranked wrestler in the country according to InterMat. Simpson aggressively rode out DeLorenzo in the second period. He chose neutral in the third and was taken down with 50 seconds left. He tried several rolls to score the escape or reversal but could not get the point needed to force overtime and dropped a 2-1 decision.
 
Kyler put together three takedowns and an escape on the way to an 8-3 win at 141. Kyler had a takedown midway through the first period, an escape and takedown in the second and a final takedown in the third period to make it 12-3 Army after four weights. He also had more than two minutes of riding time on the way to his team-best 25th win of the season.

Columbia cut its deficit to five, 12-7 with a major decision by Matt Dunn at 149, 9-0.

Snook battled his way to a 4-3 win at 157 to give the Black Knights an eight-point advantage. Columbia's Devon Mesanko had a first-period takedown but Snook escaped seconds later. Mesanko took down to start the second period and Snook took him to his back for two more points and had more than 90 seconds of riding time. Snook chose top in the final period and Mesanko escaped to make it 3-3 but with riding time Snook scored a 4-3 decision and made the match score 15-7.

"Wrestling is much more fun when you just go after and don't have the burden of winning or losing," Barbee said. "Tonight we just went after it and it showed that good things will happen."

Rowan also rebounded from an early deficit and put Army ahead 18-7. Ricky Turk had a reversal after a scoreless first period but Rowan quickly escaped. Rowan then took him down later in the period to make it 3-2. He added a third-period escape for the final 4-2 margin.

The Lions closed within eight points but Brent Smith made them work for it. Columbia's Matt Palmer led 4-0 early in the second period. Smith escaped but Palmer had a takedown to make it 6-1. Palmer escaped to open the third period and also had riding time for an 8-1 lead. Smith, though, had a takedown and took Palmer to his back for three points. He could not get the fall though and fell 8-6.

Ferguson clinched the match with an impressive showing at 184. Andy Geving of Columbia had an early takedown but Ferguson controlled the match from the second period on. He had a takedown early in the second period and then a pair of double-leg takedowns and riding time for a 10-4 win that gave Army a 21-10 advantage.
The final bout of the evening needed sudden victory to determine a winner and it was Columbia's Nick Sommerfield earning the victory with a takedown 17 seconds in the extra one-minute session.

Army will wrestle at the Academy Championships, Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Army 21, No. 25 Columbia 13
285 - Nathan Thobaben (A) pinned Kevin Lester, 1:27
125 - Fernando Martinez (A) dec. Brandon Kinney, 4-0
133 - No. 18 Matt DeLorenzo (Co) dec. William Simpson, 2-1
141 - Matt Kyler (A) dec. Sal Tirico, 8-3
149 - Matt Dunn (Co) major dec. Austin Milster, 9-0
157 - Christian Snook (A) dec. Devin Mesanko, 4-3
165 - Brian Rowan (A) dec. Ricky Turk, 4-2
174 - Matt Palmer (Co) dec. Brent Smith, 8-6
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) dec. Andy Geving, 10-4
197 - Nick Sommerfield (Co) dec. Connor Sanders, 3-1 OT
Referee: Peter Frampton
Records: Columbia 4-2, 0-2 EIWA; Army 10-4, 6-1 EIWA

Army Wrestling Rebounds, Beats Brown

Black Knights Win Seven of 10 Bouts

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army wrestling team rebounded from its first Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association loss of the season by beating Brown, 23-10, Sunday at Gillis Field House.
Shortly after dropping a decision to Harvard, the Black Knights won seven bouts and improved to 9-4 overall and 5-1 in EIWA matches.
 
Fernando Martinez and Richard Starks had major decisions and Matt Kyler, Austin Milster, Brent Smith, Scott Ferguson and Nathan Thobaben won by decisions to lead the Black Knights.

"We rebounded in the second match," Army head coach Chuck Barbee said. "We wrestled a little better in the second match. Before the match, we talked about firing and off and being aggressive which is what you need to do to beat good teams."

Martinez got the Black Knights off to a great start with a 13-5 major decision at 125. Martinez had a first-period takedown, a takedown and near fall points in the second and an escape and riding time in the third. He also benefited from a locking hands penalty and had riding time.
 
Brown's Jeff Schell tied the match one weight class later with a major decision over William Simpson. Schell had a takedown and three back points in the second period and then a takedown and riding time for a 9-1 win.

Kyler put Army ahead 7-4 with a hard-fought win at 141. Kyler had three takedowns in the first period, including one on the end of the mat late in the period for a 6-4 victory.
Milster battled his way to an 8-5 win at 149. Milster had a takedown early and then escaped following a reversal. Brown's Leonard Marandino then had a takedown for a 4-3 lead. Marandino took down to start the second and had an escape. Milster countered with a takedown to tie the match heading into the final period. Milster was down to start the third period and quickly escaped. He sealed the victory with a takedown with 15 seconds left and gave Army a 10-4 lead.
Brown cut its deficit to 10-7 when Tom Fazio scored a 4-2 decision at 157. Army's Christian Snook trailed 3-0 going into the final period. He chose down and had a reversal but could not get back points. Fazio also had riding time and moved Brown within three points.
Brown tied the match after Bran Crudden's 4-3 win at 165. Crudden had an early takedown but Army's Brian Rowan escaped. Crudden had an escape in the second period and then riding time to make it 10-10 after six weights.

Smith put the Black Knights back ahead with a workman-like effort at 174. Smith had a takedown in the first, a reversal in the second and then rode out Chris Musser in the third for a 5-0 win.

Ferguson put together three takedowns, three back points and an escape for a 10-6 win at 184 to increase the Army advantage to 16-10.
Starks had more than three minutes of riding time, along with a three takedowns and an escape for an 8-0 win that gave the Black Knights a 20-10 lead.
Thobaben closed the dual with a 10-5 victory at heavyweight. Thobaben trailed 2-0 early but scored three takedowns, two back points and a pair of escapes.

Army will return to action Wednesday when nationally ranked Columbia visits West Point for a 7:30 p.m. match.
 
Army 23, Brown 10
125 - Fernando Martinez (A) major dec. Greg Einfrank, 13-5
133 - Jeffrey Schell (B) major dec. William Simpson, 9-1
141 - Matt Kyler (A) dec. Mark Savino, 6-4
149 - Austin Milster (A) dec. Leonard Marandino, 8-5
157 - Tom Fazio (B) dec. Christian Snook, 4-2
165 - Bran Crudden (B) dec. Brian Rowan, 4-3
174 - Brent Smith (A) dec. Chris Musser, 5-0
184 - Scott Ferguson (A) dec. Matt Gevelinger, 10-6
197 - Richard Starks (A) major dec. Larry Otsuka, 8-0
285 - Nathan Thobaben (A) dec. Levon Mock, 10-5
Referee: Matt Sorochinsky
Records: Army 9-4, 5-1 EIWA; Brown is 1-7, 1-3 EIWA

Army Pulls Away, Hands Brown Wrestlers 23-10 Loss

Schell, Fazio, Crudden win matches

West Point, NY ó With the dual tied at 10-10 after six matches, the Brown
wrestling team (1-7, 1-4 EIWA) was shut out in the final four bouts, taking a
23-10 loss at Army (9-4, 5-1) on Sunday. Junior Jeff Schell (Zion Grove, PA),
sophomore Tom Fazio (Ringwood, NJ), and freshman Bran Crudden (Columbia, CT)
picked up Brownís three wins.

After Army took a major decision at 125 pounds to open the match, Schell got
those four points right back. The junior took a 9-1 major decision of his own
over William Simpson, who entered the weekend ranked sixth in the EIWA. The
Golden Knights then took a six-point lead with decisions at 141 and 149, but
Fazio and Crudden brought the Bears back even. Fazio took a 4-2 decision at 157,
taking a 3-0 lead into the final period and holding on for the win. Crudden had
a similarly tight win, taking a 4-3 victory with riding time. However, that
would prove to be the final win for the Bears, as their hosts won the final four
matches.

The Bears will hit the road again next weekend, with a pair of Ivy and EIWA
match-ups with Penn and Princeton, and a non-conference contest with Drexel.

Army 23, Brown 10

125 ñ Fernando Martinez (A) major dec. Greg Einfrank (B), 13-5 (Army, 4-0)
133 ñ Jeff Schell (B) major dec. William Simpson (A), 9-1 (Tie, 4-4)
141 ñ Matt Kyler (A) dec. Mark Savino (B), 6-4 (Army, 7-4)
149 ñ Austin Milster (A) dec. Lenny Marandino (B), 8-5 (Army, 10-4)
157 ñ Tom Fazio (B) dec. Christian Snook (A), 4-2 (Army, 10-7)
165 ñ Bran Crudden (B) dec. Brian Rowan (A), 4-3 (Tie, 10-10)
174 ñ Brent Smith (A) dec. Chris Musser (B), 5-0 (Army, 13-10)
184 ñ Scott Ferguson (A) dec. Matt Gevelinger (B), 10-6 (Army, 16-10)
197 ñ Richard Starks (A) major dec. Larry Otsuka (B), 8-0 (Army, 20-10)
285 ñ Nathan Thobaben (A) dec. Levon Mock (B), 10-5 (Army, 23-10)

Army Wrestling Handles Sacred Heart

Smith Earns Fall, Simpson and Kyler Major Decisions

FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Brent Smith earned his 10th fall of the season and William Simpson and Matthew Kyler picked up major decisions as Army beat Sacred Heart, 32-6, Wednesday night in non-conference wrestling.

Army improved to 8-3 and won of eight of 10 bouts. Christian Snook (157), Brian Rowan (157), Scott Ferguson (184) and Connor Sanders (197) won by decisions while Davey Mason picked up a forfeit at 125.

Smith, who now has 22 wins on the season, turned Jed Giguere in the first period. Simpson opened the match at 133 and cruised to a 9-0 win and Kyler followed with a 9-1 victory at 141.

"I thought we wrestled well," Army coach Chuck Barbee said. "We wrestled with good intensity and shook off some rust early and just got after it. I was pleased with our effort for a mid-week dual."

Following one of two Sacred Heart decisions, Snook battled his way to an 8-4 win at 157, beginning a streak of five straight wins for the Black Knights. Rowan made the match score 14-3 with an 8-5 win.

Smith's fall was followed by decisions from Ferguson, 8-6 and Sanders, a 5-2 winner. Army heavyweight Nathan Thobaben was locked in a close battled with Payam Zarrinpour, the 16th-ranked wrestler in the country, but could not pull out the win and fell 8-7.

"Our big guys wrestled well," Barbee said. "I thought the whole team wrestled well but our big guys - Smith, Ferguson and Sanders - wrestled some really decent guys. They wrestled smart and got after it. And Nathan just ran out of time against a very good wrestler."

Army will host a pair of matches Sunday at Gills Field House. At 2:30 p.m., Army will tangle with Harvard in a match being broadcast live on ESPNU. At 4 p.m., Army will wrestle Brown.

Army 32, Sacred Heart 6
133 -- William Simpson (A) major dec. Paul Galipeau, 9-0           
141 -- Matthew Kyler (A) major dec. Cory Dunn, 9-1
149 -- Chris Davis (SH) dec. Austin Milster, 8-3
157 -- Christian Snook (A) dec. Michael Hartman, 8-4 
165 -- Brian Rowan (A) dec. Patrick Nappi, 8-5
174 -- Brent Smith (A) pinned Jed Giguere (S), 2:26
184 -- Scott Ferguson (A) dec. Andrew Silber, 8-6
197 -- Connor Sanders (A) dec. Kevin Fox, 5-2
285 - 16-Payam Zarrinpour (SH) dec. Nathan Thobaben, 8-7
125 -- Davey Mason (A) won by forfeit

Army Defeats East Stroudsburg

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Seven Black Knights won bouts as the Army wrestling team defeated East Stroudsburg, 25-12, Tuesday evening in its 2006 home debut at Christl Arena. The Black Knights, who have won two straight matches, improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Warriors fall to 0-2. It marked the second straight EIWA victory for Army, which downed Bucknell two weeks ago.

The match started at 125 pounds and sophomore Whitt Dunning earned a 13-2 major decision verdict versus Steve Gambino. After falling behind, 2-0, Dunning reeled off 13 unanswered points on the strength of two takedowns and a pair of near falls.

Freshman Matthew Kyler gave Army a 7-0 advantage in the team scoring after taking a 6-0 decision from Matt Swallow. Kyler parlayed a pair of takedowns into the shutout victory.

East Stroudsburg cut Army’s advantage to 7-3 when Sean Carr defeated Austin Milster, 11-5, at 141 pounds.

The Black Knights regained their seven-point cushion, however, as sophomore Brian Rowan got past Alex Bimes, 8-3, in the 149-pound bout. The three-point decision gave Army a 10-3 lead. Dan Geib increased Army’s advantage to 13-3 as the sophomore seized an 8-2 decision versus Ben Bishop at 157 pounds. Geib accumulated two takedowns and scored a key reversal in the third period to take control of the bout.

Army’s streak of wins continued in the 165-pound bout, where sophomore John Drew earned a hard-fought 4-2 decision. Drew trailed, 2-1, after the first period, but he was able to come from behind to earn the victory and put the Black Knights in front, 16-3.

East Stroudsburg pulled to within 16-12 after Shane Mallory defeated Ryan Mergen, 5-2, at 174 pounds, and David Williams pinned Richard Starks in 2:34 at 184 pounds.

Mallory led the 174-pound bout, 2-1, heading into the third period, but Mergen knotted the score at 2-2 following an escape. Mallory pulled out the win when he took Mergen to the mat in the final 10 seconds.

At 184 pounds, Williams scored a pair of takedowns before finally recording the pin near the conclusion of the first period.

Senior co-captain Connor Sanders was credited with a win via forfeit at 197 pounds to clinch the match for Army. The six-point decision gave the Black Knights a 22-12 lead with just one bout remaining.

Nathan Thobaben closed out the scoring for Army, registering a 2-0 decision over Charles Deighton in the heavyweight bout.

Army head coach Chuck Barbee was pleased with the performance of his improving squad.

“I was really happy to get the win,” remarked Barbee. “The guys wrestled hard. I don’t think it was our best performance, but they showed some fight out there and got the job done.

“Matt Kyler keeps putting forth workmanlike performances out there, added Barbee. “He felt a little rusty after wrestling seven matches on Sunday, but he fought it out and beat a pretty tough competitor. Whitt Dunning did a nice job in his bout. He racked up quite a few points in the third period and got a good major decision for us.
 
Army is idle now until January, when the Black Knights begin the second half of their season against Franklin & Marshall on Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. at Christl Arena.

The time off will give Barbee time to reevaluate his team.

“It’s good to have the break now,” mentioned Barbee. “We have to reassess (the team) and look at our starting lineup. We have a lot of improvement to make between now and January. I think we’ve made some good headway, and we’ve identified some weaknesses that we need to address.”

Army 25, East Stroudsburg 12

125: Whitt Dunning (A) maj. dec. Steve Gambino, 13-2

133: Matthew Kyler (A) dec. Matt Swallow, 6-0

141: Sean Carr (ESU) dec. Austin Milster, 11-5

149: Brian Rowan (A) dec. Alex Bimes, 8-3

157: Dan Geib (A) dec. Ben Bishop, 8-2

165: John Drew (A) dec. Leif Ruschmeyer, 4-2

174: Shane Mallory (ESU) dec. Ryan Mergen, 5-2

184: David Williams (ESU) pinned Richard Starks, 2:34

197: Connor Sanders (A) win by forfeit

7th Annual Army Wrestling Fall Clinic Set For Nov. 4

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army wrestling head coach Chuck Barbee and his staff will host the 7th annual Army Wrestling Fall Clinic for both wrestlers and coaches on Saturday Nov. 5. The clinic will take place in the team’s new wrestling room, located in Arvin Gymnasium, with registration between 8 a.m. until 9 a.m.

 The day will consist of five sessions (9:15 and 10:30 a.m., and 1, 2, and 3 p.m.) that focus on technique, peaking, strength, nutrition, mental skills and drilling.  The cost of the clinic is $30 per coach or wrestler. 

 Barbee, who enters his seventh season at Army, was a three-time All-American at perennial power Oklahoma State.  The Black Knight’s mentor has led the program back onto the national scene cracking the NCAA Top 25 polls last season, and will serve as the primary instructor throughout the day.

 Mike Clayton and Bill Maldonado round out the Army coaching staff, and list of presenters for the day’s events.  Clayton, a 1995 Navy graduate, has mentored 30 All-Americans and eight NCWA Champions during his coaching career.  Maldonado, a 2002 Iowa State, was a NCAA All-American with the Cyclones and holds a master’s degree in education.

 Participants are encouraged to watch Army’s Black vs. Gold intra-squad dual meet following the clinic. Admission is free with matches starting at 4 p.m.

 Any wrestlers or coaches interested in attending any of the day’s planned activities can contact Maldonado by phone at 845-938-5028 or by e-mail at william.maldonado@usma.edu. The registration form for the clinic can be accessed by clicking the below link.