Iowa State Wrestlers Win Seven Nichols Titles

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State wrestlers took seven individual crowns and put on a stellar performance at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open Saturday at the Lied Recreation Center on ISU's campus. ISU wrestlers went a combined 78-27 over the entire tournament.

The Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open featured 270 total wrestlers spanning NCAA Division I to NAIA schools. Fourteen Iowa Staters advanced to the semifinals of the event.

Head coach Kevin Jackson saw the successful action as being part of his plan early this season.

"I want to congratulate our champions and placewinners," Jackson said. "Those guys were doing the things we've been asking them to do. Our errors in concentration remain the same. We still need to work on those certain areas and improve. We are going to get better and will continue getting better."

Jackson is confident in the Cyclone squad's ability to progress as the season continues.

"We're happy with where we are at," Jackson said. "Come Monday, it is back to work though and we'll be hitting it hard."

Two Cyclones took Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open titles to finish with a clean sweep of the event during their Cyclone careers. ISU three-time NCAA finalist Jake Varner took his fourth Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open title with a finals pin in a rematch with his opponent from Thursday's dual with SDSU. Varner stuck the Jacks' Tyler Sorenson in the first period in 2:27.

Cyclone senior 149-pound Mitch Mueller added his fourth title at 149 pounds with a victory over Lindenwood's Sam Schmitz by decision, 8-2. Mueller recorded two technical falls to start the action Saturday morning.

Iowa State heavyweight David Zabriskie was victorious at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open for the third time in his career. The Cyclone held off Wartburg's upset-minded John Helgerson by a score of 3-0 in the finals. Helgerson edged ISU's Eric Thompson 5-3 in the first round to start his run to the finals.

Two-time All-American and Pan-Am Games silver medalist Jon Reader got his third title. The Cyclone took the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open 165-pound title in convincing fashion, with two pins, a technical fall and a major decision in four matches. Reader handled Ryan Pankoke of Nebraska-Omaha 17-6 for a major decision in the finals.

Sophomore 157-pounder Andrew Sorenson took the crown with a finals victory over UNI's Brett Robbins, 8-2. Sorenson took down Iowa's Derek St. John in the semifinals with a 7-5 decision. The Cyclone recorded three pins over opponents in earlier rounds.

"(Jake) Varner was impressive and so was (Jon) Reader," Jackson said. "But Andrew Sorenson really stepped it up today. He beat a kid from Iowa that won their wrestle-off. Andrew performed well all day long. He's made big strides since the intrasquad."

Redshirt freshman Andrew Long took his first title with a major decision of Iowa's J.J. Krutsinger, 11-2 in the finals. Long was 5-0 in the tournament with three major decisions and a pin.

In a rematch from the Cardinal and Gold Intrasquad, Cyclone 174-pounders Duke Burk and Chris Spangler clashed in the finals. Burk was the winner again, edging Spangler 3-1 to take the title.

Iowa State continues the early stages of its 2009-10 campaign Nov. 21 at the Kaufman-Brand (Omaha) Open on Nebraska-Omaha's campus. Mat action begins at 9 a.m.
Iowa State Wrestlers Take Down South Dakota State 43-3 In Jackson's Debut

AMES, Iowa - The No. 2 Iowa State wrestling team was firing on all cylinders Thursday night in Hilton Coliseum. ISU handled South Dakota State 43-3 for the first dual win of Cyclone head coach Kevin Jackson's career.

ISU made an impact with its offense in front of a home crowd of 2,528. The Cyclones recorded 29 takedowns to South Dakota State's four. ISU also counted heavily on back points in the contest, scoring six three-point nearfalls and seven two-point nearfalls.

"We came in as the more heralded team and we needed to wrestle like it," Jackson said. "We have a lot of things to learn and only a couple of guys have really taken over at their weight class. The rest will be determined by how we wrestle at the Harold Nichols meet this weekend and then at Omaha."

Making the first dual start of his career at 184 pounds, senior Joe Curran kicked off the 2009-10 Cyclone wrestling campaign in impressive fashion. The Elk Point, S.D. native scored a technical fall over South Dakota State's David Michaud by a score of 17-2 (5:52). Curran notched five takedowns in the match.

"Joe has been making the most connections in training and that is why he was out there tonight," Jackson said. "He and Jerome Ward have a battle going and both have done a good job. Joe went out tonight and went after his man from the start. That is what we are looking for this season."

Two Iowa Staters had pins on their mind Thursday night. Heavyweight David Zabriskie struck first for the Cyclones with a 4:17 stick of SDSU's Jeremy Swier. The fifth-ranked senior had built a 14-3 lead before recording the fall.

Two-time All-American junior Jon Reader added six team points to the Cyclone effort with his pin of the Jack's Weston Blasius at 165 pounds. Reader notched the fall in the first period in 1:42.

"The matches are the fun part," Reader said. "We have a veteran team and all of us were here this summer training. It was great to get out and wrestle somebody outside of the wrestling room."

Senior Cyclone Duke Burk proved too much to handle for South Dakota State's Joe Rasmussen at 174 pounds. Burk ran the first period score to 14-1 before finishing off his Jackrabbit opponent with a takedown 21 seconds into the second period for the technical fall, 16-1 (3:21).

No. 1-ranked 197-pounder Jake Varner started off his senior campaign with bonus points over 11th-ranked Tyler Sorenson of SDSU. In the premier match of the night, ISU's Varner controlled the bout with a 13-4 major decision.

Second-ranked Cyclone 141-pounder Nick Gallick handled his SDSU opponent, Dustin Walraven, by major decision, 14-2. Fellow ISU senior Mitch Mueller followed with a strong 12-5 decision of the Jackrabbits' Nick Hagar.

The son of former Cyclone three-time NCAA champion Nate Carr scored bonus points for ISU. Nate Carr, Jr. notched a major decision over Nick Flynn of South Dakota State by a score of 9-1.

Senior Iowa Stater Nick Fanthorpe picked up a win by forfeit at 133 pounds.

Making the first start of his Cyclone career, true freshman Dallas Collier of Aiea, Hawai'i was dropped by SDSU's Aaron Pickrel by decision, 9-3.

ISU hits the mat Saturday for the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open at the Lied Recreation Center. Action begins at 10 a.m.

MATCHES
184 pounds - Joe Curran (ISU) tech. fall David Michaud (SDSU), 17-2 (5:52_
197 pounds - No. 1 Jake Varner (ISU) major dec. No. 11 Tyler Sorenson (SDSU), 13-4
HWT - No. 5 David Zabriskie (ISU) pinned Jeremy Swier (SDSU), 4:17
125 pounds - Aaron Pickrel (SDSU) dec. Dallas Collier (ISU), 9-3
133 pounds - No. 5 Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) won by forfeit
141 pounds - No. 2 Nick Gallick (ISU) major dec. Dustin Walraven (SDSU), 14-2
149 pounds - No. 9 Mitch Mueller (ISU) dec. Nick Hagar (SDSU), 12-5
157 pounds - Nate Carr, Jr. (ISU) major dec. Nick Flynn (SDSU), 9-1
165 pounds - No. 5 Jon Reader (ISU) pinned Weston Blasius (SDSU), 1:42
174 pounds - No. 12 Duke Burk (ISU) tech. fall Joe Rasmussen (SDSU), 16-1
Iowa State Wrestlers Open 2009-10 Campaign With SDSU

AMES, Iowa - No. 2 Iowa State begins the 2009-10 wrestling season under new head coach Kevin Jackson at home in Hilton Coliseum against South Dakota State Thursday at 7 p.m. The Cyclones will hit the mats Saturday for the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open at the Lied Recreation Center on ISU's campus.

Please see the attached full release (PDF).

Dual One: South Dakota State
Thurs., Nov. 12; 7 p.m.
Ames, Iowa * Hilton Coliseum
Live Video and Stats available at <http://cyclones.com>cyclones.com

Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open
Sat., Nov. 14; All day
Ames, Iowa * Lied Recreation Center

Cyclone Notebook
* Iowa State's matchup with South Dakota State Nov. 12 marks the beginning of Kevin Jackson's ISU coaching career.
* The Cyclones are 79-12-1 in season openers since 1916. ISU has won 12 straight season-opening duals since 1996.
* Last season, Iowa State notched seven individual titles at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open.
* ISU is currently ranked 2/2 in the Intermat and W.I.N. Magazine polls, respectively.
* The Cyclones are coming off a third-place showing at last year's NCAA Championships.
* Iowa State returns four grapplers who earned All-America honors in at the 2009 NCAA Championships: Nick Gallick (141), Jon Reader (165), Jake Varner (197) and David Zabriskie (HWT) in 2009. ISU 133-pounder Nick Fanthorpe was an All-American in 2008.
* No. 3 ISU won a third-straight Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship last season. The Cyclones had never won a consecutive trio of league titles. Iowa State tied for first with Nebraska with 70 points. Nick Fanthorpe (133) and David Zabriskie (HWT) notched their second conference individual titles.

Iowa State vs. South Dakota State Series Notes
* ISU leads in the all-time series against South Dakota State, 8-0.
* Iowa State last defeated SDSU Dec. 11, 1976 in Lincoln, Neb., 37-9.

Scouting South Dakota State
* The Jackrabbits are coming off a 9-11-1 season in 2008-09.
* South Dakota State returns one NCAA qualifi er in 197-pounder Tyler Sorenson.
* The Jack's Sorenson suffered two close defeats at the NCAA Championships. The senior hailing from Garretson, S.D. dropped matches by identical scores of 6-4 to both Michigan's Tyrel Todd and Pat Bradshaw of Edinboro, respectively.

* Sorenson is only the second wrestler in SDSU history to qualify in Division I.
* SDSU is set to dual with ISU Nov. 12 and then compete in the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open Nov. 14.
Iowa State Wrestlers Fanthorpe, Sanderson are Academic All-Americans

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State wrestlers, Nick Fanthorpe and Cyler Sanderson, were named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-America wrestling team for the 2007 - 08 season.

Individually, wrestlers must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is have a 3.0 cumulative and been an NCAA All-American.

Fanthorpe is a sophomore majoring in community and regional planning and carries a 3.15 GPA. He was also a member of the Big 12 Conference's first-team All-Academic unit. The Naperville, Ill., native earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at 133 pounds.

Sanderson is a sophomore fine arts major with a 3.01 GPA. He was also dubbed a first-team member of the league's first-team All-Academic squad. A native of Heber City, Utah, Sanderson placed seventh nationally at 157 pounds to garner his first All-American status.

A total of 88 Division I grapplers were named to the NWCA All-Academic wrestling team. The 2007-08 All-Academic team was highlighted by 27 Division I All-Americans and three national champions.
Iowa State Head Wrestling Coach Sanderson Lands Fourth-Ranked 171-Pounder

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson announced Tuesday that four-time Illinois high school state qualifier and state champ Chris Spangler (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS) will join the Cyclone squad for the 2008-09 season. Spangler is currently ranked fourth among preps nationally at 171 pounds by W.I.N. Magazine and is projected to wrestle at 174 or 184 pounds collegiately.

Spangler closed out his prep career with a third-place finish at 171 pounds in the Illinois high school state tournament in February. He pinned two opponents and registered a major decision en route to the third-place finish while wrestling. He finished his senior season with a 44-1 record and was selected to wrestle for Team USA at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic against a squad of Pennsylvania grapplers.

As a freshman in 2005, Spangler was a qualifier at 103 pounds and followed with a state title in the same weight class as a sophomore in 2006. Spangler jumped up two weight class for his junior season to 119 pounds where he was a state qualifier and posted a mark of 2-2.

Spangler joins Sanderson's list for 2008-09 with Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), Nate Carr Jr. (Gray, Ga.), Eric Thompson (Waverly, Iowa), Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) and Ridge Kiley (Eagle Grove, Iowa).
Iowa State's Bertolino Places Second at University Nationals

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State's David Bertolino finished as the freestyle runner-up at 84 kg (185 pounds) at the ASICS University Nationals Sunday in Akron, Ohio. David Zabriskie placed fifth at 120 kg (264.5 pounds). Ben Hanisch (60 kg), Joey DeMarie (63 kg) and Laramie Shaffer (63 kg) also wrestled in the event. All five Cyclone grapplers wrestled freestyle for the Cyclone Wrestling Club in the two-day tournament.

Bertolino, who recently capped off his collegiate career with an All-American performance at the NCAA Championships, won four matches en route to the title bout. He first knocked off Rick Loera (Iowa) 4-0, 7-2 and went on to shutout his next two opponents. In the semifinals he defeated Kurt Brenner 2-2, 2-2, 6-0. Former Northwestern NCAA champ Jake Herbert (Wildcat Wrestling Club) denied Bertolino in the championship match 2-0, 1-0. Bertolino then had to turn around and wrestle a true second-place match against Raymond Jordan (Sunkist WC), winning 1-1, 3-2.

"I thought he wrestled really well in a huge bracket," associate head coach Cody Sanderson said. "Especially in his true second-place match against Raymond Jordan only 10 minutes after wrestling [Jake] Herbert. I think he found out that if he wants to continue to compete at the open level he has the potential."

Bertolino's win earns him a qualifier spot at the University World Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 23-24, 2008. The event in Colorado will determine the athletes in these styles who will compete in Greece at the World University Championships.

Zabriskie advanced to the semifinals at 120 kg by winning four matches before being sent into the consolation bracket on a 4-0, 6-0 blanking at the hands of Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids). Zabriskie was pinned in the consolation semifinals by Justin Dobies (CWC) in 1:39. The ISU sophomore received a forfeit for fifth place.

Hanisch won his opening match against Nikko Triggas (Ohio State) 8-7, 2-4, 3-1 despite suffering three dislocated ribs. He then faced Franklin Gomez (Michigan Wrestling Club) and suffered a 6-0, 6-0 setback to drop into the wrestlebacks. Hanisch exited the tournament on a 0-1, 2-0, 0-7 loss to Aaron Ely (Edinboro).

Both DeMarie and Shaffer each won their opening bouts at 63 kg, but lost back-to-back matches to be eliminated from the tournament. DeMarie picked up his lone win with a 4-0, 4-0 shutout of Ty Costa (River City Wrestling Club). Shaffer defeated Rob LaBrake (Clarion Wrestling Club) 5-0, 4-1.
Iowa State Wrestling Awards Banquet

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State wrestling team will host its annual awards banquet on Tuesday, April 1 at Hickory Hall in Ames.

Fans are welcome to attend the ceremony to honor the two-time Big 12 team champions. Check-in and social hour will begin at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and awards at 7 p.m.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased for $20. To reserve a spot, contact Molly Donnelly at 515-294-4872 or mdonnely@iastate.edu. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.
Iowa State Six Seconds From Second

ST. LOUIS - Six seconds. That is all that separated Iowa State from a second-place team finish at the NCAA Championships Saturday in the Scottrade Center. Ohio State's second-seeded Mike Pucillo won in after the second tie-breaker with six seconds of riding time against two-time Cyclone NCAA finalist Jake Varner to carry the Buckeye to a 4-3 win in the 184-pound title match. The loss put Ohio State into second place in the team race, while ISU tied with Oklahoma State for fifth place with 72 points. Iowa won the team title with 117.5 points. In a tight race, Ohio State finished second with 79 points, followed by Penn State with 75. Nebraska placed fourth with 74 points.

"We're close," head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. "We lost some close matches throughout the tournament and we also won some close matches. We just need to get better in areas and I need to get better as a coach because that's my responsibility. I need to make sure these guys are ready to go and they know exactly what they need to do out there.

"We had an incredible year," Sanderson continued. "(Iowa State's wrestlers) really had a great tournament and did an outstanding job. We can be proud of what we accomplished. We have some big teams coming in the future and we're going to keep getting better. We knew that a couple years ago, but it's my job to make sure that happens."

Varner, the tournament's top-seed at 184 pounds, pursued Pucillo the entire first period, but could not get in for a takedown and the opening three minutes finished scoreless. The Cyclone deferred to begin the second period, with the sophomore Buckeye taking the down position and eluded the powerful grip of Varner in a quick seven seconds to go up 1-0. Varner evened the score with an escape in the third period and the match was pushed into a 60-second sudden victory.

Both wrestlers were locked at the shoulders, unable to score, forcing the match into a pair of 30-second tiebreakers. Again, both wrestlers exchanged escapes to deadlock the score at 2-2 and move into a second edition of sudden victory.

With neither wrestler able to change the score, riding time became critical and would ultimately determine the 184-pound champ. Pucillo started the first tiebreaker from the down position and Varner was able to accumulate 11 seconds of riding time before Pucillo escaped.

Varner did escape in his turn from the down position, but it was too late. Pucuillo was able to maintain a strong hold and erase ISU's 11 seconds of riding time and get six seconds of his own. Those six seconds landed the Buckeye a top of the podium as the 184-pound national champion and pushed Ohio State up to second place.

"It's a tough way to lose a match that way, but he's doing a great job," Sanderson said. "(Varner) will be back. I think he wrestled well. He was the aggressor the whole match and it came down to six seconds of riding time and that makes it hard. It's one thing to get taken down but this is difficult. He'll bounce back and be fine. He still has two great years of wrestling left."

The sophomore from Bakersfield, Calif., closes out a decorated season with a 29-1 mark. He tallied 11 wins resulting in bonus points with four major decisions and seven falls. In his two-year Iowa State career, he is 59-8 and has been a two-time NCAA finalist and has twice been an All-American.

Iowa State finished the tournament with seven grapplers earning All-American status: Nick Fanthorpe (7th-133), Nick Gallick (5th-141), Cyler Sanderson (7th-157), Jon Reader (7th-165), Jake Varner (2nd-184), David Bertolino (8th-197) and David Zabriskie (6th-HWT). The seven All-Americans are the most ISU finishers in the top eight since1993. It marked the ninth time the feat has been completed by the ISU wrestling program. Six of Iowa State's All-Americans will return in the 2008-09 season.

"We have a lot of positives to build on with seven All-Americans, six of which are back," Sanderson said. "It's obvious that we have some things we need to improve on over the year, but I'm excited about the future."
Iowa State Third Heading Into Finals

ST. LOUIS - Iowa State's seven All-Americans were busy Saturday morning, rolling up points in the consolations as the Cyclones moved into third place at the NCAA Championships in the Scottrade Center. ISU's Nick Gallick placed fifth at 141 pounds and heavyweight David Zabriskie finished sixth. The Iowa State trio of Nick Fanthorpe (125), Cyler Sanderson (157) and Jon Reader (165) each finished seventh in their respective weight classes. David Bertolino placed eighth for the Cyclones at 197 pounds. ISU is in third place with 72 points. Iowa leads the team race with 109.5 points, followed by Nebraska with 74. Ohio State and Penn State are tied for fourth with 71 points to round out the top-five.

Jake Varner is Iowa State's lone finalist at 184 pounds. Iowa and Ohio State will send three grapplers to championship matches, while Penn State has two in the finals. Saturday night's championship bouts will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be aired live on ESPN. Live stats will be available on cyclones.com.

Gallick surpassed his No. 9 seed by garnering All-American status with a fifth-place finish at 141-pounds, defeating Army's Matthew Kyler 3-2. It only took the ISU sophomore seven seconds to register a takedown, but Kyler responded with an escape to make the score 2-1 heading into the second period. Both wrestlers exchanged escapes in the second and third periods, but it was the first period takedown that earned Gallick the victory. Prior to the fifth-place match, Gallick suffered a 3-2 loss to Hofstra's Charles Griffin.

Gallick won his match as older brother and former Iowa State NCAA champion Nate watched from behind the mat. The Gallick name has combined for All-American status four times and four Big 12 titles. Nick finishes his second season as a Cyclone with a 28-13 record and was the Big 12 champ at 141 pounds. He holds a career record of 57-23.

Fanthorpe was the first of three ISU wrestlers to finish seventh place with a 7-6 decision over No. 11 Joe Baker of Navy at 133 pounds. Fanthorpe and Baker's heads collided mid-way through the first period, delivering gashes to both wrestlers.

"We both tried to take a shot," Fanthorpe explained. "My head was low and he caught me right in my forehead above my eyes. I was on my back and felt some blood so I knew that they were going to have to clean me up. I don't know if the trainer put some strips on it or not, but he wrapped my head up and stitched it after."

Despite the delay, Fanthorpe was not phased and attacked with a takedown for an early lead. He went up 6-3 on two second-period escapes and a takedown. Baker evened the bout with an escape to start the final period and took the Cyclone down, but Fanthorpe was able to break Baker's hold with 18 seconds left for the winning point. The sophomore All-American concludes the season with a 32-6 record, along with an individual Big 12 Conference title, and is 61-7 in his ISU career.

"It obviously feels good to go out with a win," Fanthorpe said. "Ultimately I would have liked to be in the national finals, but the team has seven All-Americans. We're fighting back. I think overall the tournament was a good one and we'll be back next year to contend for the team title."

Sanderson wrestled true to his seed by downing Bloomsburg's Matt Moley 7-5 for seventh place at 157 pounds. Sanderson held a 2-1 edge heading into the second period. He added two takedowns in the second stanza to go up 6-3, but Moley notched a takedown of his own to come within one point. A Sanderson escape denied Moley's upset attempt.

"It feels great to get that last win, especially coming off a loss last night," the sophomore All-American said. "This is a tough tournament and it went pretty well, but I wanted to win it. I've got some stuff to work on this summer and try to get ready for next year."

Sanderson closes out the season with a 33-6 mark and finished as the 157-pound Big 12 champion. He sports a 63-17 career record at Iowa State. To date, the Sanderson name has earned All-American honors seven times.

Reader placed seventh at 165 pounds by avenging a dual loss to Nebraska's fifth-seeded Stephen Dwyer via a 10-7 decision. Back points in the first period by the Cyclone were pivotal in the win as Reader raced out to a 5-0 lead in just over a minute in the opening period. He added a takedown to go up 7-1, but Dwyer got on the board with a reversal as the first period expired. In true Reader fashion from the down position, he reversed Dwyer to go ahead 9-4. The Huskers' final attempts, a takedown with 18 seconds to go, were not enough and Reader clinched the win.

"Those back points early were important," Reader said. "I don't even know how we got in that scramble. It was a goofy scramble and I had his arm. I had never been in that situation before, maybe in practice goofing around. I am happy with everything and our team is happy as well. We'll be in the hunt next year."

A redshirt freshman All-American from Davison, Mich., Reader ends his rookie season with a 30-9 record and leads the team in bonus point wins with 16.

"It was fun and that's is what we wanted to do," Reader said. "We wanted to have fun, give your best effort and leave it all on the mat. I think I did that in all my matches. I could have changed a little bit of my strategy in some of my matches, but overall I gave my best effort for Iowa State. That's what I wanted to do and let the cookies crumble the way that they do."

For the second time this season, heavyweights David Zabriskie and Iowa's Matt Fields pushed their match into overtime, but it was a takedown by No. 4 Fields in the second sudden victory period that earned the Hawkeye a win for fifth place. Zabriskie finished the tournament by hitting his seed right one by as the sixth-place big man to earn All-American status. Prior to the fifth-place match, the ISU sophomore suffered a 6-1 decision to Oklahoma State's fifth-seeded Jared Rosholt. Zabriskie, a Branchville, N.J., native, ends the season with a 29-8 record and carries a career record of 56-16.

Bertolino had upset on his mind by pushing fifth-seeded Max Askren of Missouri into sudden victory, but a counter by the Tiger resulted in a takedown and an 11-9 seventh-place match win for Mizzou grappler. Askren scored an early takedown, but Bertolino answered with a reversal to tie the bout at 2-2. He took a 4-3 lead on a takedown with 40 seconds left in the first period, only to have Askren escape and even the score. In the second period the Missouri sophomore moved ahead 7-4. Bertolino battled back for a takedown as time expired, forcing the match into sudden victory.

Bertolino, a senior on the ISU squad, entered his first NCAA Championships unseeded and excelled throughout the tournament. Wrestling up two weight classes from the three previous seasons, Bertolino provided one of the tournament's biggest upsets in quarterfinal action by knocking off All-American and third-seeded Mike Tamillow of Northwestern 6-4 in sudden victory. Hailing from Mount Pleasant, Ohio, Bertolino wrapped up his ISU career by going 25-14 this season and finished with a 69-40 overall record.

Most All-America Performers the Last Two Years
1. Iowa State 11
2. Iowa 10
3. Michigan 9
Minnesota 9
5. Oklahoma State 8
Cornell 8
Ohio State 8
Iowa State’s Varner to Semis; Seven Clones Alive

ST. LOUIS – Iowa State’s top-seeded Jake Varner advanced to the 184-pound semifinals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships with a 2-0 win over eighth-seeded rival Roger Kish of Minnesota. ISU sent six grapplers to the quarterfinals, but Varner was the only Cyclone to advance in the championship bracket. Cyler Sanderson rallied Friday morning to win two consolation matches at 157 pounds. The six Cyclones still alive in the consolation bracket must win their match Friday night in order to earn All-America honors. In the team race, Iowa State is tied for 10th with Michigan with 33 points. Iowa has opened a 20-point lead with 67 points to Nebraska and Oklahoma State’s 47.5 points. Ohio State (44.5) and Central Michigan (43) round out the top-five teams.

Friday night’s semifinal session is set to get underway at 6 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU. Live stats will be available on cyclones.com.

“There’s no question that we knew the quarterfinals would be a tough round coming in,” Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. “We needed to get some upsets and we didn’t. Now we need to battle back. This round coming up is obviously real important to us. The winner is an All-American and we just need to score as many points as we can at this point. I feel real good about the kids we have coming back through the wrestlebacks.”

Now a two-time All-American, Varner defeated his Gopher rival on a second-period escape and was able to ride Kish for the entire third period en route to the victory. The Varner-Kish meeting is the third of the season and in all three meetings, Varner has held Kish scoreless. Varner returns to the semifinals for the second year in a row after a runner-up finish as a freshman. A sophomore from Bakersfield, Calif., Varner holds a 28-0 record.

In Friday night’s semifinals, Varner will square off against fourth-seeded Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan. These two men have met twice on the mat earlier this season with the Varner taking a 2-1 decision in the Midlands semifinals and 4-2 tie-breaker victory at national duals in mid-January.

Fifth-seeded Nick Fanthorpe and fourth-seeded Joey Slaton of Iowa pushed their quarterfinal match into a tie-breaker, but it was the intentional release by the Cyclone of Slaton decided the match. Both wrestlers were unable to get a shot in during the initial three minutes of action and they traded escapes in the second and third periods to tie the bout at 1-1. With neither man able to score in sudden victory, the match was pushed to a tie-breaker, where Slaton was able to maintain a hold on Fanthorpe throughout his entire session of the tie-breaker. Fanthorpe cut Slaton immediately in an attempt to get a shot on the Hawkeye, but was unable to get the match-winning takedown. A sophomore from Naperville, Ill., Fanthorpe’s record is now 30-5 and will take on sixth-seeded Lou Ruggirello of Hofstra.

Nick Gallick, the ninth-seed at 141 pounds, suffered a 5-0 set-back to the top-seeded Chad Mendes of Cal Poly in quarterfinal action. The match was scoreless heading into the second period, until Mendes got on the board with an escape in the second period and added to his lead on three-point neafall in the final stanza. Gallick slips to 25-12 and is set to face unseeded Drew Headlee of Pittsburgh.

Redshirt freshman Jon Reader dropped a 5-2 decision to third-seeded Nick Marable of Missouri at 165 pounds. The Tiger scored a takedown in the first and third periods and added a second-period escape. Reader is 28-8 heading into consolation action and will meet unseeded Chad Porter of Liberty.

At 197 pounds, David Bertolino responded to a quick takedown by Wisconsin’s sixth-Dallas Herbst with an escape and a takedown with six seconds left in the first period. The senior Cyclone added to his lead with an escape in the second period, but Herbst evened the score with a third-period reversal. Over two minutes of riding time proved to be the difference that won the match for the Badger. Bertolino, who advanced to the quarterfinals with a second-round major upset of third-seeded Mike Tamillow of Northwestern, has a 24-12 record in his final ISU campaign. He faces unseeded Daren Burns of UNC Greensboro Friday night.

Seventh-seeded David Zabriskie suffered an 11-1 major decision to the second-seeded heavyweight, J.D. Bergman of Ohio State. Zabriskie is 27-6 and will meet ninth-seeded Jermail Porter of Kent State.

Cyler Sanderson rebounded from a second-round loss with a pair of consolation wins Friday morning. Sanderson, the seventh-seed at 157 pounds, notched a 7-3 decision over Drexel’s Ryan Hluschak. He then took on Newly McSpadden of Oklahoma State and scored a 3-2 decision over the Cowboy on a first-period takedown and an escape in the final period. He will wrestle Hofstra’s Jonny Bonilla-Bowman in the consolation bracket.

Sophomore 149-pounder Mitch Mueller bowed out of the tournament with a 2-1 consolation loss to Missouri’s Josh Wagner. For the second time in three meetings, the match was determined based on riding time. Wagner was able to get the minute needed to earn the point and the match. Hailing from Iowa City, Iowa, Mueller concludes his second ISU campaign with a 23-13 record and finished as the Big 12 149-pound runner-up.

Aron Scott closed out his ISU wrestling career in consolation action, falling 8-2 to UT-Chattanooga’s Lloyd Rogers. Scott, who was wrestling in his first NCAA Championships after a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championship, completed the season with a 13-13 mark in his senior campaign and a career record of 35-35.


Quarterfinal Matches
133 pounds - No. 4 Joey Slaton (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Nick Fanthorpe (Iowa State), 2-1 (TB)
141 pounds - No. 1 Chad Mendes (Cal Poly) dec. No. 9 Nick Gallick (Iowa State), 5-0
165 pounds - No. 3 Nick Marable (Missouri) dec. No. 7 Jon Reader (Iowa State), 5-2
184 pounds - No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) dec. No. 8 Roger Kish (Minnesota), 2-0
197 pounds - No. 6 Dallas Herbst (Wisconsin) dec. David Bertolino (Iowa State), 5-4
HWT - No. 7 David Zabriskie (Iowa State) vs. No. 2 J.D. Bergman

Consolation Matches
149 pounds - Josh Wagner (Missouri) dec. Mitch Mueller (Iowa State), 2-1
157 pounds - No. 7 Cyler Sanderson (Iowa State) dec. Ryan Hluschak (Drexel), 7-3
174 pounds - Lloyd Rogers (UT-Chattanooga) dec. Aron Scott (Iowa State), 8-2

157 pounds - Cyler Sanderson (Iowa State) vs. Newly McSpadden (Oklahoma State)

TEAM SCORES AFTER QUARTERFINALS
1. Iowa 67
2. Nebraska 47.5
Oklahoma State
4. Ohio State 45.5
5. Central Michigan 43
6. Penn State 42
7. Missouri 38.5
8. Cornell 34.5
Minnesota 34.5
10. IOWA STATE 33
Michigan 33
Iowa State Third After First Day of NCAA Championships

ST. LOUIS – Another upset for Iowa State’s David Bertolino. The unseeded 197-pounder registered one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by knocking off third-seeded Mike Tamillow of Northwestern in 6-4 in sudden victory Thursday night in the second round of the NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center. Six Iowa State wrestlers advanced into Friday morning’s quarterfinals after picking up second-round wins. After the first day of competition, the Cyclones are in third place with 25 points. Iowa leads the tournament with 29.5 points and Nebraska is second with 26.5 points. Central Michigan and Minnesota are tied for fourth with 24 points.

Friday’s quarterfinals are set to get underway at 10 a.m. ESPNU and ESPN360.com will both be broadcasting the quarterfinals session. Live stats will be available on cyclones.com.

“The guys are getting loose and have really started wrestling now,” Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. “We’re wrestling real well and I know our guys feel real good. I think as the tournament goes on we’re going to get stronger because of our conditioning and the way we train. Each day just makes these guys feel better. We need some guys to step it up a little bit and they will. Today was a good day, but we’ve still got a lot of wrestling to do. I like what I’m seeing right now and we need to have a better day tomorrow.”

Bertolino (24-11), who as a senior in his first NCAA Championships and entered the tournament unseeded, scored a takedown with one second left in sudden victory to push forward into the quarterfinals. Bertolino scored first with a takedown in the opening period, but Tamillow evened the match with an escape in the first and second periods. Starting the final period from the down position, Bertolino moved ahead 3-2, but Tamillow responded with a takedown for a 4-3 edge. Relentless, the senior from Mount Pleasant, Ohio, escaped again to tie the bout at 4-4 and push it into sudden victory where he got the winning takedown. Tamilow was an All-American last season.

“I saw his [Tamillow] elbow and just ran through it,” Bertolino said. “I tried to take advantage of his shots. He’s tough and he kept shooting. I’m in good shape and its always a factor, especially in those overtime matches. My conditioning channeled in and kept me focused to win the match.”

Sanderson was not at all surprised with Bertolino’s win.

“Bertolino did a great job,” Sanderson said of his 197-pounder. “He’s good and I’m not surprised because I’ve been wrestling with him for five years now and I know he’s good.”

Fanthorpe was the first Iowa State wrestler to clinch his spot in the 133-pound quarterfinals with a 3-1 decision over Boise State’s Cory Fish. The always-aggressive Cyclone sophomore struck in the first period with a takedown for a 2-0 lead and added an escape in the second period for a three-point advantage on Fish. With the win, Fanthorpe’s record stands at 30-4 and he is riding an eight-match win streak. Fanthorpe will rematch against Iowa’s fourth-seeded Joe Slaton in Friday’s morning session. When the two met in early-December, Slaton scored a 6-5 decision over Fanthorpe.

Ninth-seeded Iowa State 141-pounder Nick Gallick notched a 10-7 win over Oklahoma freshman Zack Bailey in the second-round. Gallick went ahead early on a pair of takedowns in the first period for a 4-2 lead and pushed his edge to 8-5 at the end of the second period on a takedown and two escapes. The ISU sophomore is also riding an eight-match win streak and holds a 25-11 mark after Thursday’s action. In the quarterfinals, Gallick is slated to meet top-seeded Chad Mendes of Cal Poly. 

Reader, the sixth-seed at 165 pounds, recorded his seventh major decision of the season with a 15-2 second-round win over No. 11 Kurt Gross of Kent State. A redshirt freshman hailing from Davison, Mich., Reader jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first period on a takedown and a pair of three-point nearfalls. He continued to build his advantage throughout the bout on a pair of takedowns and over three minutes of riding time. Reader, now with a 28-7 record, will collide with Big 12 opponent and third-seeded Nick Marable from Missouri in Friday’s quarterfinals.

“We’re all just sticking to the plan right now and we’re ready to go,” Reader said. “Everybody is wrestling hard and giving their best effort, that’s all you can ask.”

Varner affirmed his No. 1 seed with a 2:06 stick of Stanford’s Zack Giesen. Prior to the fall, Varner put two takedowns on the board for a 4-1 lead early in the first period. The fall is the seventh of the season for the undefeated (27-0) sophomore. Varner will meet a familiar rival in the quarterfinals, eighth-seeded Roger Kish of Minnesota. In two meetings this season, the Cyclone blanked Kish 2-0 at the NWCA All-Star Classic and 3-0 at the Iowa State-Minnesota dual.

“It’s going good so far,” Varner said. “I feel good and now I get ready for my next match tomorrow. You have to take it one match at a time, but I’m always trying to look for the fall. If it’s not there, I have to beat the guy with points.”

Seventh-seeded heavywight David Zabriskie became the sixth ISU grappler to advance into the quarterfinals with a 3-2 decision over No. 10 Zach Sheaffer of Pittsburgh. A scoreless first period gave way to both big men exchanging escapes in the second and third periods to deadlock the bout at 1-1. With the final seconds ticking away on the clock, Zabriskie was able to get in on Sheaffer for a takedown on the edge of the mat and the win. He is slated to meet second-seeded J.D. Bergman of Ohio State on Friday.

“It was a tight match,” Zabriskie said. “With only three seconds left, I was trying to fumble on him [Sheaffer] hard and wrestle him on the edge of the mat and it paid off. I’m taking it one step at a time right now. Coming in last year there was a lot of excitement with me and with the team. This year there is still a ton of excitement, but I put everything else behind me.”

A trio of Iowa State wrestlers were sent into the consolation bracket after suffering second-round losses. At 149 pounds, Mitch Mueller was dealt a 6-2 decision by second-seeded Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota. Aron Scott scored first, but a third period takedown by Nebraska’s third-seeded Brandon Browne shut the door on the senior Cyclone, falling 8-5. Seventh-seeded Cyler Sanderson and No. 10 Michael Chandler of Missouri were tied at 2-2 heading into the final period, but the Tiger was able to get back points on Sanderson that gave Chandler a 5-3 win.

True freshman Tyler Clark exited the tournament on a 5-2 loss to UC Davis’ Marcos Orozco. Clark, who did not enter the starting lineup until mid-January, ends his rookie season with a 19-11 record. 

Session II

Second Round Matches
133 pounds - No. 5 Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) dec. Cory Fish (Boise State), 3-1
141 pounds - No. 9 Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. Zach Bailey (Oklahoma), 10-7
149 pounds - Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 6-2
157 pounds - Michael Chandler (Missouri) dec. No. 7 Cyler Sanderson (ISU), 5-3
165 pounds - No. 6 Jon Reader (ISU) maj. dec. No. 11 Kurt Gross (Kent State), 15-2
174 pounds - No. 3 Brandon Browne (Nebraska) dec. Aron Scott (ISU), 8-5
184 pounds - No. 1 Jake Varner (ISU) pinned Zack Giesen (Stanford), 2:06
197 pounds - David Bertolino (ISU) dec. No. 3 Mike Tamillow (Northwestern) , 6-4 (SV)
HWT - No. 7 David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. No. 10 Zach Sheaffer (Pittsburgh), 3-2

Consolation Matches
125 pounds - Marcos Orozco (UC Davis) dec. Tyler Clark (ISU), 5-2