By Matt Plizga - plizga@duaa.duke.edu

Tough Night In Chapel Hill For Duke As UNC Wins, 32-6

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Duke traveled the short distance to Chapel Hill on Thursday night with hopes of pulling off an upset. However, a strong North Carolina squad defeated the Blue Devils, 32-6, in Fetzer Gymnasium. With the loss, the Blue Devils fall to 6-6 on the season and 0-2 in ACC meets. North Carolina improves to 5-3 overall and 1-0 in the ACC.

Duke's senior captain Kellan McKeon started off the night at 125 pounds and gave former ACC champion Drew Forshey a run for his money, but came up on the short end of a 9-2 decision.

With the first of the Blue Devil's two individual victories on the night was redshirt senior captain Bryan Gibson at 133 pounds. Gibson earned a 7-1 decision over UNC's Jeremy Shaw. That win tied the meet at 3-3, but it would be almost all Tar Heels the rest of the way. Gibson's season record is now 8-3 and he is tied for second on the team with four pins. With the win he moves into sole possession of 17th place on the all-time Duke wins list with 71. 

At 157 pounds, sophomore Voris Tejada had a closely fought match with Thomas Scotton of UNC, but ended up losing, 7-3. Tejada now holds a 25-10 mark overall this year and a 6-1 record in duals. His career .710 winning percentage (44-18) is 17th all-time at Duke.

Redshirt sophomore captain John Barone chalked up another victory in what is turning out to be one of the most impressive seasons ever for a Duke grappler. His 2-1 decision over Nick Tenpenny earned him his first ACC match of the year. Barone is now 27-4 with 11 falls and an 11-1 ledger in duals. His 62-20 overall mark as a Blue Devil is good for ninth place on Duke's all-time winning percentage list with a .756 clip. Barone is tied for 12th on Duke's single season wins list and is already tied for 21st on the career wins list. He needs eight more victories to eclipse the single season wins record, and there are 10 more regular season dual meets and the ACC Tournament to go.

Duke redshirt junior Aaron Glover and redshirt sophomore Mike Tunick both drew extremely tough matches on Thursday night. Glover went up against the No. 12 nationally-ranked 165-pounder in Keegan Mueller and lost 15-1 in a major decision. At the heavyweight class, Tunick battled with No. 18 Justin Dobies and went down in a major decision, 13-4.

With the loss, Duke is now down 9-2 in this year's Carlyle Cup standings. The Carlyle Cup is an all-sports competition between Duke and North Carolina and is in its eighth year of existence. Carlyle & Company, the Greensboro, N.C.-based jeweler, remains the title sponsor of this head-to-head all-sports competition. The two schools have split the first seven Cups, 3-3-1.

Next up for Duke will be a road contest versus No. 21 Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 4:00 p.m., at Comcast Pavilion in College Park, Md. The Blue Devils do not return home to Cameron Indoor Stadium until Sunday, Feb. 10 when they take on ACC foe Virginia at 6 p.m.
Carlyle Cup Point At Stake When Wrestling Clashes With North Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke will make the short trip to Chapel Hill, N.C., for a 7 p.m. showdown with archrival North Carolina on Thursday in Carmichael Auditorium. It marks the second of five ACC contests for the Blue Devils this season and the first on the road.

The Blue Devils: Duke is 6-5 so far this season in duals and 0-1 in ACC action. In their only team-scored tournament of the year, the Blue Devils took 21st place out of 29 teams at the prestigious Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29 and 30 in Greensboro, N.C.

Duke’s most dominating wrestler at any weight this year has been 184-pound redshirt sophomore captain John Barone, who was named the ACC’s wrestler of the week on Nov. 27. Barone’s 11-second pin of Mike Walsh of Limestone College on Dec. 1 was the fastest fall in Duke history, breaking an 18-year-old school record. He is 26-4 with 11 falls and a 10-1 mark in duals in 2007-08. Barone is 61-20 overall as a Blue Devil, which is good for ninth place on Duke’s all-time winning percentage list with a .753 clip.

Senior captain Kellan McKeon will represent Duke at 125 pounds against UNC. The native of Chapel Hill, N.C., is 20-10 this season with three falls and two top-four tournament finishes. He is 7-3 in dual meets.

At 133 pounds, redshirt senior captain Bryan Gibson makes the start. Gibson, who has seen limited action due to injuries, is 7-3 this year with four pins. He is tied for 17th on the all-time career wins list at Duke with 70.

At 157 pounds, sophomore Voris Tejada will get the nod. Tejada boasts a 25-9 mark this year and is 6-0 in dual meets. His career .721 winning percentage (44-17) is 15th all-time at Duke.

Junior captain Addison Nuding may get the call at 165 pounds. Nuding is 22-6 on the year with two pins and a 9-2 dual record. He is 13-2 in his last 15 matches and has won six in a row.

The Opponent: The Tar Heels are 4-3 in 2007-08 and have yet to wrestle in an ACC meet. Two of their three losses have come to ranked teams--- No. 19 Oklahoma and No. 21 Maryland. North Carolina tied for 15th with 45 points in the Southern Scuffle, which is the only tournament it has shared with Duke.

UNC placed third at the ACC Tournament in 2007, but lost their one individual champion and one of their two finalists. Vincent Ramirez is the lone returnee from that trio, and the 149-pound junior from Durham, N.C., is 10-7 this year with one fall. Also leading the Heels are juniors Keegan Mueller at 165 pounds and Justin Dobies at heavyweight. Mueller is 17-3 overall, 7-0 in duals and is ranked 13th nationally. Dobies holds an 18-5 record, including a 7-0 duals mark, and has four falls this season.

Most Recent Meeting: The last time Duke and North Carolina clashed, it was on Jan. 31, 2007, as the Tar Heels downed the Blue Devils, 30-12, at Chapel Hill High School. Voris Tejada and John Barone picked up wins for Duke at 157 and 174 pounds, respectively.

The Carlyle Cup: The Carlyle Cup is an all-sport competition between Duke and North Carolina and is in its eighth year of existence. The winner of Thursday’s wrestling meet will receive one point toward its yearly total. North Carolina holds an 8-2 lead in the current standings. Carlyle & Company, the Greensboro, N.C.-based jeweler, remains the title sponsor of this head-to-head all-sports competition. The two schools have split the first seven Cups, 3-3-1.

Probable Starters (Record):
125: Kellan McKeon (20-10) vs. Drew Forshey (11-6) or Jason DeLuca (8-3)
133: Bryan Gibson (7-3) vs. Danny Lopes (10-9) or Jeremy Shaw (6-7)
141: A.J. Guardado (13-13) or Spencer Jasper (9-12) vs. Nick Stabelle (14-3)
149: Mike Bell (11-14) vs. Vincent Ramirez (10-7)
157: Voris Tejada (25-9) vs. Ben Fiacco (10-8) or Thomas Scotton (11-4)
165: Addison Nuding (22-6) or Aaron Glover (7-5) vs. No. 13 Keegan Mueller (17-3)
174: Ben Wales (14-10) vs. Kyle Kiss (13-8)
184: John Barone (26-4) vs. Nick Tenpenny (10-7)
197: Robert Holbrook (11-11) vs. Dennis Drury (10-9)
HWT: Mike Tunick (5-5) vs. No. 18 Justin Dobies (18-5)

A Look Ahead: Next up for Duke will be a road contest versus No. 21 Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 4:00 p.m., at Comcast Pavilion in College Park, Md. The Blue Devils do not return home to Cameron Indoor Stadium until Sunday, Feb. 10 when they take on ACC foe Virginia at 6 p.m.
Upset-Minded Duke Falls To N.C. State At Home, 27-10

DURHAM, N.C. - Despite taking an early lead, the Duke Blue Devils fell short in their bid for an upset over the

defending ACC Champion N.C. State Wolfpack. The Blue Devils won three of the first four matches but lost the last six straight on Wednesday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium. With the 27-10 defeat, Duke fell to 4-5 on the season and 0-1 in ACC meets while N.C. State improved to 5-5 and 1-0 in the ACC.
The meet began at 149 pounds, and although Duke freshman Mike Bell put up a fight in the early going, he was pinned 58 seconds into his match with Darrion Caldwell. It marked the 12th pin of the year for the No. 9 nationally-ranked 149-pounder from N.C. State.

Sophomore Voris Tejada earned a 6-0 decision at 157 pounds against Ray Ward to bring the Blue Devils deficit to just 6-3. Tejada now boasts a 23-9 mark overall and a 4-0 record in duals. His career .712 winning percentage (42-17) is tied for 16th all-time at Duke.

At 165 pounds, junior captain Addison Nuding had a big second period and finished strong to win a 10-0 major decision over Jalil Dozier. Nuding is 20-6 on the year and 7-2 in dual matches. The win gave the Blue Devils a 7-6 lead in team points.

In a thrilling match, redshirt junior Aaron Glover picked up a big win for the Devils at 174 pounds. Down 2-0 going into the third period and 5-4 with 11 seconds left, Glover rallied and earned a 6-5 decision with a late takedown over Ryan Goodman. Duke then led 10-6 after four matches.

Redshirt sophomore captain John Barone faced ACC champion Randy Goodman at 184 pounds and the two went into the final stanza tied, 5-5. Despite suffering an injury, Barone stayed in the match but lost a close decision, 9-5. He is now 24-4 with 10 falls and an 8-1 ledger in duals in 2007-08. Barone's 59-20 overall mark as a Blue Devil is good for 10th place on Duke's all-time winning percentage list with a .747 clip.

At 197 pounds, Blue Devil redshirt freshman Robert Holbrook dropped a 13-2 major decision to Mark Jahad that gave N.C. State a 13-10 lead that they would not relinquish.

Another close match pitted Duke's redshirt sophomore Mike Tunick and N.C. State's Bobby Isola at the heavyweight division. The first period was scoreless, but Isola would prevail 10-4 to put the Wolfpack up 16-10.

Senior captain Kellan McKeon put up a strong showing at 125 pounds, but gave up a late lead and lost a 4-2 decision. McKeon is now 19-9 this season and 6-2 in dual meets.
Returning to ACC action for the first time in two years was redshirt senior Bryan Gibson at 133 pounds. Gibson took an early lead but lost an 11-6 decision after a strong third period by the Wolfpack's Darrius Little.

Closing out the night was freshman A.J. Guardado, who faced Joe Caramanica. Guardado battled as he took Caramanica into the third round, but the seventh-ranked 141-pounder in the nation proved too much, winning by technical fall, 17-1 at 6:19.

The Blue Devils will make a quick turnaround as they travel to New York, N.Y., for their next competition at the NYAC Duals on Friday. Duke will take on Princeton and Davidson in a tri-meet format beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Duke Edges Out 17-15 Win Over GWU Wrestling

DURHAM, N.C. - Gardner-Webb and Duke each earned five individual
victories on Saturday, but the Blue Devils scored a pair of major
decisions for the extra two points and the team win.

The action started at the 157-pound class and Adam Glaser gave GWU the
early 3-0 advantage with a 5-3 win. Duke struck back to tie the score
at 3-3 with a decision at 165 and pulled out to a 6-3 lead with another
decision at 174 pounds.

Brandon Beach forged yet another tie at 6-6 with a 10-7 decision over
Dan Tulley in the 184-pound bout but Duke again answered with a pair of
wins to retake the lead.

Konrad Dudziak scored a 12-4 major decision over Brent Blackwell at 197
and Wade Van Sickle gave Duke the 13-6 lead with a 3-1 decision over
Brandon Schweitzer.

Consecutive decisions by Cortney Roberts and Josh Pniewski at 125 and
133 pounds drew the Bulldogs to within a single point at 13-12 with two
matches left on the card.

Duke stopped the GWU streak at two matches and extended its lead to
17-12 as Wes Kuser registered the second major decision of the night
for the Blue Devils with a 13-3 win over A.J. Renteria at 141 pounds.

The final match of the night pitted the 13th-ranked Daniel Elliott up
against Duke's Daniel Shvartsman with Elliott needing a pin or a
technical fall to pull out a team win or force a draw. Elliott
succeeded in winning the individual match by a 16-12 count, but the
three team points were not enough as Duke held on for the 17-15 team
win.

The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 12-11 on the season with two regular
season matches remaining on the schedule.

The Bulldogs will round out the regular season with home contests
against The Citadel and UNC Greensboro on Feb. 21 and 22. GWU will then
host the NCAA East Regional Championships on March 4 and 5.

Duke Def. Gardner-Webb, 17-15

157- (GWU) Adam Glaser dec. Cameron Harms, 5-3
165- (Duke) Aaron Glover dec. Jordan Lowe, 6-2
174- (Duke) Levi Craig dec. Chad Davis, 7-3
184- (GWU) Brandon Beach dec. Dan Tulley, 10-7
197- (Duke) Konrad Dudziak maj. dec. Brent Blackwell, 12-4
285- (Duke) Wade Van Sickle dec. Brandon Schweitzer, 3-1
125- (GWU) Cortney Roberts dec. Kellan McKeon, 6-4
133- (GWU) Josh Pniewski dec. Michael Degli Obizzi, 10-5
141- (Duke) Wes Kuser maj. dec. A.J. Renteria, 13-3
149- (GWU) No. 13 Daniel Elliott dec. Daniel Shvartsman, 16-12

Duke's Michael Degli Obizzi Tabbed ACC Wrestler of the Week

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Duke's Michael Degli Obizzi was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after posting a dual-match win in the Blue Devils' match with NC State.

Degli Obizzi, a freshman from Newark, Del., opened the dual meet by claiming a 13-5 major decision victory over NC State's Jeff Breese at 133 pounds. Although Degli Obizzi put Duke ahead 4-0 early, the Blue Devils fell 26-7 to the Wolfpack.

The Duke wrestling team will return to action at UNC Greensboro on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Grapplers Win All Three Contests At Delaware State Duals; Prepare For UNC On Tuesday

Five Blue Devils go 3-0 for the day, look toward hosting the Heels in Cameron

HOCKESSIN, Del. - The Duke wrestling team took three dual-meet victories in Hockessin, Del. on Saturday. A 23-13 win over Division III powerhouse York College (Pa.) was followed by two convincing wins over Division I competition: a 36-5 win over host Delaware State and a 35-3 win over James Madison. Nine Blue Devils went undefeated on the day, with five picking up three wins each. The matches served as preparation for the upcoming match on Tuesday with rival North Carolina.

York posed the biggest challenge of the day for Duke. The Blue Devils began with four close decisions, paced by Kellan McKeon's gritty performance at 125 and Bryan Gibson's last-second victory at 133. York took a decision at 141 before Duke answered with two more wins, as Steve Smith and Levi Craig continued to show their experience and leadership qualities on the mat, each holding his opponent to only two points in the match. York picked up wins at 184 and 197 with some help from health problems on the Duke side. Weakened by illness, Frank Cornely opened his match with a takedown before losing a little stamina and giving up the lead and the match. Mark Thompson also started strong, but after his opponent landed an unorthodox move, he suffered an injury, eventually falling in an awkward position for a pin. At heavyweight, former Tar Heel Venroy July clinched the match for Duke, landing a 16-0 victory. 

The Blue Devils were in control throughout their next contest, winning eight of ten matches against Delaware State, with the two losses coming by a combined four points. The matches at 157 and 165 pounds were the highlights for the dual meet. Philip Wightman, moving up to 157 and wrestling a skilled opponent, overcame a size advantage and an early deficit he, as well as two slams on the gym floor off the mat, to score two near-fall points in the last fifteen seconds and win 7-5. Steve Smith took a different route, securing an early lead before putting away his opponent with a second-period reversal and pin.

Closing the day against James Madison, the Blue Devils turned in their most complete effort of the day, winning nine of the ten matches. Konrad Dudziak, stepping in for the injured Thompson, picked up his second pin of the day at 197 pounds, while Scott Doerr posted with a 6-3 win at 184, subbing for Cornely. Other highlights included back-to-back major decisions at 133 and 141 pounds, as Gibson took a 10-0 victory and Daniel Shvartsman notched a 21-8 win.

Duke faces a quick turnaround, as it will wrestle North Carolina at home in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night. Last season, Duke took the Carlyle Cup point with its first victory over the Tar Heels in more than thirty years, a 21-13 match in Chapel Hill. UNC comes in as one of the ACC favorites for the season, and looks to rebound from an upset loss to NC State. and avenge last year's bout. The Tar Heels are 2-1 in the ACC, while Duke is 1-1. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Duke Wrestling - March 19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Matt Plizga
March 19, 2004 (919) 684-3328 * plizga@duke.edu

Benitez And Cornely Advance At NCAA
Wrestling Championships
St. LOUIS, MO. -- Juniors Adam Benitez and Frank Cornely bounced back from opening round losses to post wins in the consolation bracket at their respective weight classes at the 2004 NCAA Championships on Thursday, March 18. In other action, sophomore Levi Craig (174-lbs.) and freshman Christian Smith (125-lbs.) were eliminated from the tournament with two early losses.

After falling in the opening round to seventh-seeded Darrell Vasquez (Cal Poly-SLO), 12-4, Benitez got back on the winning track in the 133-pound wrestlebacks with a 10-2 decision over Bryan Hart (Bloomsburg). Benitez faces Scott Jorgensen (Boise State) on Friday, March 19 in the second round of the consolation bracket. Jorgensen opened the tournament with a 6-1 win over Josh Pniewski (Gardner-Webb), before falling to fourth-seeded Foley Dowd (Michigan), 3-2.

At 184-lbs., Cornely bounced back from a 22-7 technical fall loss to top-seed Greg Jones (West Virginia) in the opening round with a 9-3 decision over Brad Christie (Hofstra) in the wrestlebacks. Cornely squares off against Rider's Nick Catone in the second round of the consolation bracket. Catone registered a win by fall (5:52) against Cornely earlier this season.

Freshman Christian Smith lost his first two matches after drawing a difficult pairing in the 125-lb. weight class. Smith,despite holding a 30-12 record on the season, drew sixth-seed Kyle Ott (Illinois) in the opening round. Ott posted a 20-7 decision. In the consolation bracket, Smith dropped a close 10-7 decision to Christian Staylor (Arizona State).

At 174-lbs., Craig dropped an opening round decision to Matt Kallai (Cleveland State), 8-2 and fell in the consolation bracket, 13-3, to Francis Iorfido (Pittsburgh). Craig wraps up the season with a 21-20 record.

Duke Wrestling - March 16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Matt Plizga
March 16, 2004 (919) 684-3328 * plizga@duke.edu

Four Duke Grapplers To Compete At NCAA
Championships In St. Louis
DURHAM, N.C. -- Juniors Adam Benitez and Frank Cornely, along with sophomore Levi Craig and freshman Christian Smith will be in action beginning Thursday, March 18 at the 2004 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Mo.

The four Blue Devil wrestlers each claimed ACC titles at their respective weight classes, becoming the first foursome in Duke history to earn conference titles and NCAA Championship berths in the same season. The previous Duke standard for NCAA qualifies in a season was three with Ted Sliwinski, Tom Nugent and Seann Henry accomplishing the feat in 1987 and Greg Penny, Joel Puleo and Brian Davis qualifying in 1974. The 1974 trio all claimed ACC titles as well.

Adam Benitez (133-lbs.) has registered 14 straight victories to enter the NCAA Championship with a 26-10 record. The 26 victories are third most on the team this season and are tied for the ninth best single season total at Duke. After finishing the dual meet season with a perfect 11-0 mark, Benitez won three matches at the ACC Championship to win the 133-lb. title. The Santa Ana, Calif., native has a 2-1 mark against NCAA qualifiers this season with wins over Josh Pniewski (Gardner-Webb), 6-5, and Josh Keefe (UT-Chattanooga), 6-4. After an opening round bye, Benitez will square off against Darrel Vasquez (26-5) of Cal Poly-SLO.

Frank Cornely (184-lbs.) continued to climb in the Duke career record books throughout the 2003-04 season. The Pennsauken, N.J., native has a 23-12 record this season with a seven-match win streak. Cornely has posted at least 20 wins in all three seasons and currently ranks 12th all-time at Duke with 71 victories. This season, Cornely is fourth on the team with four pins to go along with three major decision victories. All four of Cornely's pins have come in the opening period, including a pin in 38 seconds of John Dickerson (The Citadel). Cornely drew a tough assignment at the championships, facing top-seed Greg Jones (21-0) of West Virginia, in his first match.

After a slow start to the dual meet season that including six consecutive losses, Levi Craig (174-lbs.) has rebounded to win 10 of his last 13 matches and reach the NCAA Championship for the first time. The Enid, Okla., native captured the ACC crown at 174-lbs. with three straight wins. Craig opened with a 6-0 win over Joshua Lee (North Carolina) and beat Rick Brownlee (N.C. State), 3-0, in the semifinals. In the finals, Craig topped Virginia's Michael Grogan, 3-1, in overtime. During the tournament season, Craig claimed second place at the Pembroke Open. Craig's opening round opponent is Cleveland State's Matt Kallai (17-8).

Christian Smith (125-lbs.) has had an outstanding freshman season for the Blue Devils. The Chesapeake, Va., native is second on the team with 30 wins and first with 10 wins by fall. Smith leads the country in pins at 125-lbs., while also being tied for fifth in wins. During the early season tournaments, Smith posted a 15-9 record and racked up top-five finishes at the Keydet Invitational (second), Keystone Classic (third), Pembroke Open (fourth) and Beast of the East (fourth). Smith finished the dual meet slate with a 13-3 mark, including a 4-0 record in the ACC. At the ACC Championships, Smith topped Drew Forshey (North Carolina), 12-7, in the semifinals before claiming the ACC title with a pin (6:05) of Jeremy Hartrum (N.C. State). Smith currently has a seven-match win streak and has won 10 of his last 11 bouts. The freshman 125-pounder was selected as the ACC Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 16 after posting a 2-0 record in dual meet action. Smith's 30 wins this season is the most by a Duke freshman in school history. Dan Covatta holds the single season wins record in with 33 victories in 1997 when he was an NCAA qualifier at 142-lbs.