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
Iowa State Wrestlers Earn Academic Honors

IRVING, Texas - Three Iowa State wrestlers have been named to the Academic All-Big 12 Conference team, the league office announced. Ben Hanisch and Nick Fanthorpe received first-team honors, while Cyler Sanderson was named to the second team. Hanisch receives the honor for the third time, while Fanthorpe and Sanderson are receiving the award for the first time.

The academic all-league wrestling squad consisted of 13 first-team members combined with four on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

Hanisch is a senior majoring in biochemistry and minoring in entrepreneurial studies and economics. The Waterloo, Iowa native is one of two Iowa State wrestlers to receive first-team honors on three occasions. The only other ISU grappler to earn such accolades was current associate head coach, Cody Sanderson, who earned the honor four times (1997-2000).

Fanthorpe is a sophomore from Naperville, Ill., majoring in community and regional planning.

Sanderson is a sophomore majoring in fine arts. He joins the likes of his three older brothers by earning Big 12 academic honors. Cody, Cole and Cael Sanderson all earned academic recognition at least once during their Cyclone wrestling career.
No. 8 Iowa State Roll Over Oregon State, 40-0

AMES, Iowa - Pins by Cyler Sanderson (157) and David Bertolino (197) highlighted a dominating performance by No. 8 Iowa State, as the Cyclones whipped Oregon State, 40-0, Friday night in Hilton Coliseum. Mitch Mueller and Jake Varner contributed major decisions at 149 and 184 pounds, respectively. ISU's record stands at 13-4, while Oregon State slips to 9-7. Underscoring its dominance, Iowa State finished the match with 32 takedowns. Oregon State had one takedown all night.

"Our guys are wrestling well," said head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson. "Especially when they are on the attack and that is what we are preaching. We are still not yet where we need to be, but for the most part we didn't seem hurt by the layoff."

Tonight's shut out over Oregon State marks the third time this season that the Cyclones have held an opponent scoreless. The 40-point margin of victory is the largest Iowa State has recorded against OSU. ISU now leads the all-time series against the Beavers 11-1.

Sanderson picked up his third pin of his sophomore season by sticking Dan Brascetta in a quick 1:48 at 157 pounds. He notched a takedown at the 2:13 mark in the first period and followed with a three-point nearfall before getting the pin. Ranked sixth nationally, Sanderson improves to 24-3 on the year and his 24 wins currently leads the Cyclone squad.

Registering the second pin of the dual was Bertolino at 197 pounds, with a 2:19 fall of Kyle Bressler. It only took the Mount Pleasant, Ohio, native 11 seconds to take down Bressler and was able to roll his shoulders to the mat to earn his third pin in his senior campaign. Currently the nations 12th-ranked grappler at 197 pounds, Bertolino pushes his mark to 18-9.

Fanthorpe, ranked seventh nationally at 133 pounds, used eleven takedowns and a two-point nearfall en-route to a 26-10 (5:46) technical fall of Clifton Ivanoff. In the first period Fanthorpe took down Ivanoff five times and was awarded backpoints for a 12-4 advantage. He then scored a trio of takedowns in the second and third periods, respectively. The sophomore hailing from Naperville, Ill., holds a 23-4 record and has four technical falls on the season.

"The coaches have a plan and we are following it," Fanthorpe said. "We had a little time off [after the Oklahoma State dual] and started to pick it up again later this week."

At 141 pounds, Mueller scored a 13-5 major decision over Kyle Larson, recording his fifth victory by major decision in his sophomore season. Mueller extends his winning streak to four matches and improves his record to 19-8.

Top-ranked Jake Varner used a first period takedown and three-point nearfall, along with a takedown in the second stanza to cruise to a 12-0 blanking of Ben Harris at 184 pounds. The sophomore All-American is 20-0 and has four major decisions.

Iowa State will travel to Tempe, Ariz., for its last road dual of the season, against Arizona State (9-5) at 3 p.m. CDT Sunday. Live stats will be available on cyclones.com. ISU returns to Hilton Coliseum Feb. 17 to face Big 12 opponent, Missouri, at 2 p.m.

IOWA STATE 40, OREGON STATE 0
125 - Tyler Clark (ISU) dec. Jake Gonzales (OSU), 7-2
133 - Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) tech. fall Clifton Ivanoff (OSU), 26-10 (5:46)
141 - Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. Heinrich Barnes (OSU), 8-1
149 - Mitch Mueller (ISU) maj. dec. Kyle Larson (OSU), 13-5
157 - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) pinned Dan Brascetta (OSU), 1:48
165 - Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Keegan Davis (OSU), 7-3
174 - Aron Scott (ISU) dec. Chris Platt (OSU), 8-2
184 - Jake Varner (ISU) maj. dec. Ben Harris (OSU), 12-0
197 - David Bertolino (ISU) pinned Kyle Bressler (OSU), 2:19
HWT - David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Travis Gardner (OSU), 3-1
Iowa State to Wrestle for Seventh Place

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Third-seeded Iowa State bounced back from an opening round loss to defeat a pair of opponents in Northern Iowa (31-3) and fourth-seeded Central Michigan (24-6), before suffering a 22-16 setback to the tournament's top-seed, Penn State Saturday evening at the National Duals in the UNI-Dome. Iowa State will wrestle for seventh place against eighth-seeded Northwestern at 9 a.m. Sunday. After four duals Saturday, ISU's mark stands at 9-3.

"The most important thing is that we got in some good matches," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "I thought we wrestled well most of the day. We get another chance on Sunday."

Picking up a trio of victories in consolation action were Nick Fanthorpe (133), Jon Reader (165) and Jake Varner (184). Both fourth-ranked Fanthorpe (19-3) and sixth-ranked Reader (18-2) tallied two major decisions. Fanthorpe has five majors in his sophomore campaign, while Reader has notched six. Varner (16-0) registered his fifth pin of the year and marked the only fall for Iowa State on the day.

ISU won nine of 10 bouts against Northern Iowa en route to a 31-3 victory. Three Cyclones registered major decisions in the dual. Fanthorpe etched an 18-6 win over FIRST NAME Baldridge at 133 pounds, Sanderson downed FIRST NAME Reiner 12-4 and 197-pounder David Bertolino picked up his third victory over Andrew Anderson on a 11-2 win. Pulled from redshirt, ISU true freshman Tyler Clark recorded his first collegiate win on an 8-2 decision over Caleb Flores at 125 pounds.

Taking on fourth-seeded Central Michigan, ISU rolled by winning eight bouts for a 24-6 dual win, including two overtime victories. At 174 pounds, Aron Scott handed fourth-ranked Brandon Sinnott a 3-2 decision in a bout that was pushed to the second tiebreaker. Varner followed at 184 pounds by scoring a takedown on the edge of the mat against Christian Sinnott for a 4-2 decision that was also pushed to a second tiebreaker. At heavyweight, fourth-ranked David Zabriskie used a takedown in the closing seconds to defeat No.3 Bubba Gritter 4-3. Reader provided bonus points with a 10-1 major decision of Pete Puckette. Clark opened the dual by scoring a 6-2 upset over 12th-ranked Luke Smith.

"This is a great tournament to be able to wrestle different guys that you don't see all the time but you will see at the NCAA Tournament," Zabriskie said.

In its third consecutive dual, Iowa State fell to the tournament's top-seed, Penn State, 22-16. Fanthorpe put the first points on the board for the Cyclones with a 15-4 major decision over Tim Haas as ISU moved in front of the Nittany Lions 4-3. PSU beat Iowa State by taking 141, 149 and 157 pounds to fall behind 13-4. Reader put the Cyclones back into contention with a 4-1 decision over Dave Rella and Varner pulled the team within three points on a 2:53 stick of Phil Bromberger. Zabriskie closed out the dual with 3-1 sudden victory win over Stefan Tighe, but his efforts were not enough to knock off the Nittany Lions.

IOWA STATE 31, NORTHERN IOWA 3
125 - Tyler Clark (ISU) dec. Caleb Flores (UNI), 8-2
133 - Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) maj. dec. Baldridge (UNI), 18-6
141 - Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. C.J. Ettelson (UNI), 5-0
149 - Mitch Mueller (ISU) dec. Charlie Ettelson (UNI), 14-7
157 - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) maj. dec. Reiner (UNI), 12-4
165 - Jon Reader (ISU) maj. dec. Moza Fay (UNI), 13-5
174 - Aron Scott (ISU) dec. Alex Dolly (UNI), 5-2
184 - Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Andy O'Loughlin (UNI), 9-2
197 - David Bertolino (ISU) maj. dec. Andrew Anderson (ISU), 11-2
HWT - David Bauman (UNI) dec. Joe Curran (ISU), 4-2 (SV)

IOWA STATE 24, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 6
125 - Tyler Clark (ISU) dec. Luke Smith (CM), 6-2
133 - Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) dec. Connor Beebee (CM), 8-3
141 - Eric Kruger (CM) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 7-5 (SV)
149 - Mitch Mueller (ISU) dec. Brandon Carter (CM), 5-3
157 - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Tyler Grayson (CM), 3-2
165 - Jon Reader (ISU) maj. dec. Pete Puckett (CM), 10-1
174 - Aron Scott (ISU) dec. Brandon Sinnott (CM), 3-2 (TB2)
184 - Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Christian Sinnott (CM), 4-2 (TB2)
197 - Wynn Michalak (CM) dec. David Bertolino (ISU), 10-6
HWT - David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Bubba Gritter (CM), 4-3

PENN STATE 22, IOWA STATE 16
125 - Mark McKnight (PSU) dec. Tyler Clark (ISU), 4-2
133 - Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) maj. dec. Tim Haas (PSU), 15-4
141 - Garrett Scott )PSU) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 8-0
149 - Bubba Jenkins (PUS) dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 10-7
157 - Dan Vallimont (PSU) dec. Cyler Sanderson (ISU), 7-4
165 - Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Dave Rella (PSU), 4-1
174 - David Erwin (PSU) dec. Aron Scott (ISU), 7-5
184 - Jake Varner (ISU) pinned Phil Bromberger (PSU), 2:53
197 - Phil Davis (PSU) pinned David Bertolino (ISU), 3:50
HWT - David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Stefan Tighe (PSU), 3-1 (SV)

Iowa State's Jake Varner Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

IRVING, Texas – Jake Varner (Iowa State) has been named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for his performances in competitions from Dec. 17-Jan. 5, the conference announced. Varner receives this recognition for the first time in his career. 

Jake Varner, Iowa State, So., 184 pounds, Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield

Varner avenged his 2007 NCAA Championship loss to former Northwestern 184-pound national champion Jake Herbert with a 3-1 sudden victory, on December 30 at the Midlands Championships. The sophomore, who placed third at the Midlands last season, became the 38th ISU wrestler to earn a Midlands title. During the course of the tournament, the All-American tallied three victories by pin, including a 5:54 stick of former Nebraska standout Travis Pascoe. He also notched a 2-1 semifinal decision over No. 6 Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan. Varner has pinned four opponents and owns a 12-0 record this season.


2007-08 Big 12 Wrestlers of the Week/Month
November - Kenny Jordan, Nebraska, 133

Dec.10 - Jake Dieffenbach, Oklahoma State, 165

Dec. 17- Cyler Sanderson, Iowa State, 157

Jan. 7- Jake Varner, Iowa State, 184

Iowa State's Jake Varner Wins Midlands Title

EVANSTON, Ill. – In a battle of the Jakes, it was Iowa State’s Jake Varner who avenged his 2007 NCAA Championship loss to former Northwestern NCAA 184-pound champion Jake Herbert with a 3-1 sudden victory win Sunday at the Midlands Championships in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Cyclone Jon Reader finished as the 165-pound runner-up. Placing third for the Cyclones were Nick Fanthorpe and Cyler Sanderson at 133 and 157 pounds, respectively. Iowa State finished second in the team race with 139 points. Iowa took home the team trophy with 185 points. Central Michigan was third was 117.5 points and Illinois fourth with 100 points.

“I thought overall we had a good tournament,” Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. “We won some big matches and lost some close ones. The important thing is we know what we have to do to get better and we will be working on those things.”

In the 184-pound battle, both wrestlers exploded from the first whistle with Herbert getting in the first shot. Varner fended it off and both wrestlers moved back to the center of the mat where the pair went at it head-to-head exchanging offensive blows. Herbert again took a shot, but Varner’s countered and slammed Herbert to the mat, nearly pinning him. The move happened so fast, however, no points were scored. Both wrestlers recorded escapes to start the second and third periods, evening the score at 1-1. They remained locked in the center as regulation time expired. In sudden victory, a 30-second period of action, Varner wasted no time going hard into Herbert as he was heading towards the edge of the mat and got the takedown with only his toes in bounds for the win.

"He is fun to wrestle,” Varner said. “We have wrestled five times and he is strong and has good technique. I wasn't thinking about the NCAA match from last season. A win like this gives you confidence for the future. In overtime, he tried a hip toss and I countered it."

Varner, who placed third at the Midlands tournament a year ago, becomes the 38th ISU grappler to earn a Midlands title. During the course of the tournament, the All-American tallied three victories by pin, pushing his tally for the season to four. He carries a spotless 11-0 record this season.

The fifth-seeded Reader and second-seeded Mark Perry tangled for the first time, squaring off for the 165-pound title, with Perry scoring an 8-0 major decision over Reader. The Iowa wrestler struck with a takedown within the bout’s first period for a 2-0 lead. Bypassing the opportunity to get on the board with an escape, Reader chose to start the second period from neutral, only to be taken down and have Perry find a way to score back points. Reader’s redshirt freshman record stands at 15-2.

The fourth-seeded Fanthorpe placed third at 133 pounds with a 4-1 decision over second-seeded Jim Kennedy of Illinois. Neither wrestler was able to get a shot in on the other during the opening three minutes of action. Starting the second stanza from the down position, Kennedy scored first with an escape for a 1-0 advantage. In the third period, Fanthorpe was able to get an escape of his own and quickly struck with a single leg and wrapped it up for a takedown and a 3-1 lead. The sophomore hailing from nearby Naperville, Ill., rode Kennedy hard throughout the rest of the period to give him an added point. Fanthorpe pushes his season mark to 16-2.

“I would have liked to have been in the title match,” Fanthorpe said. “This tournament gives you great experience. I wrestled some tough guys here and I will see some of them again this season. If I am able to take what I learned here and profit from it, it was all worth it.”

Sanderson, the second-seeded grappler at 157 pounds, surged throughout the third-place bout against fourth-seeded Brian Cobb (Roadrunner WC) with an 8-6 decision. The Cyclone took less than 10 seconds to score the first takedown and took Cobb down again in the final minute of the opening period for a 4-2 lead going into the second period. Cobb took the lead on a takedown at the five-second mark in the second stanza. Ranked fourth nationally, Sanderson escaped and notched his third takedown and held on for riding time to clinch the win.

"I didn't wrestle as well as I wanted to, particularly in one match,” Sanderson said. “I just want to get better. A loss shakes you up. Overall, it was an OK tournament."

Heavyweight David Zabriskie placed fourth for Iowa State, David Bertolino finished fifth at 197 pounds and Mitch Mueller notched a sixth-place finish at 149 pounds. 

Iowa State will continue to compete on the road, traveling to Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jan. 12-13 to participate at the NWCA National Duals in the UNI-Dome. Wrestling action returns to Ames and Hilton Coliseum Jan. 18 as the Cyclones play host to Big 10 foe, Wisconsin at 7 p.m.
No. 2 Iowa State Grapplers Stick No. 25 Northern Iowa, 29-10

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Pins by David Bertolino (197) and Cyler Sanderson (157) powered No. 2 Iowa State to a 29-10 win over intrastate foe and No. 25 Northern Iowa at the McLeod Center Sunday. Jake Varner and David Zabriskie contributed bonus points with major decisions at 184 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. The Cyclones emerged victorious in seven matches.

"We learned a lot today at several weight classes, but we are in good shape heading into Midlands," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "David wrestled a smart match. He stayed calm and wrestled his match. Our guys looked good today."

With the win Sunday, ISU now leads the Panthers in the all-time series, 49-16. Iowa State pushes its dual mark to 7-1 this season. UNI slips to 0-2-1.

Bertolino, ranked 17th at 197 pounds, gave the Cyclones momentum heading into intermission by upsetting No. 14 Andrew Anderson with a quick first period pin (2:38). After giving up an initial takedown, Bertolino answered with an escape and a takedown of his own before twisting the Panther's shoulders to the mat for the pin. A senior hailing from Mount Pleasant, Ohio, Bertolino improves to 10-1 on the year and has tallied seven victories resulting in bonus points.

"I wanted to finish strong before we have a couple weeks off before Midlands," Bertolino said. "It was a big win in that we have a short break."

Sanderson opened the dual by pinning Jarion Beets in quick fashion with a 2:12 stick. Ranked fourth nationally at 157 pounds, Sanderson recorded two takedowns in the first period before pinning Beets. The fall marks the first of the season for Sanderson, as the sophomore remains undefeated at 11-0. Sanderson's victory also pushes his career mark to 40-9.

After dropping two bouts, the top-ranked Varner revitalized the Cyclones with a 10-0 blanking of Danny Dunning at 184 pounds. Varner put the first points on the board with an escape to open the second period. With just over a minute remaining in the second stanza, Varner took down Dunning and was awarded a two-point nearfall to take a five-point advantage into the final two minutes of action. Dunning was called for stalling on two occasions, giving the ISU All-American two more points. Varner, an undefeated (7-0) sophomore from Bakersfield, Calif., scored a takedown with 15 seconds remaining in the bout and amassed 1:06 of riding time en route to earning his second major decision of the year.

Zabriskie, the sixth-rated heavyweight in the nation, picked up his third major decision of the year, a 12-4 victory over Dustin Bauman. Zabriskie blasted the Panther with five takedowns and surrendered none as all of Bauman's points came on escapes. A native of Branchville, N.J., Zabriskie scored a pair of takedowns in both the first and third periods and a single takedown in the second. In his sophomore campaign, he carries a 9-1 record and is four wins shy of reaching 40-career victories.

Mark Kist (125), Nick Fanthorpe (133) and Nick Gallick (141) also picked up wins in the dual.

The Cyclones will travel to Evanston, Ill., Dec. 29-30 to compete in the 45th annual Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern University. ISU returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena to defend its title, as ISU crowned one champion and won its first team title since 1981 at the 2006 tournament. Wrestling action resumes in Hilton Coliseum Jan. 18 as Iowa State plays host to Wisconsin at 7 p.m.

IOWA STATE 29, NORTHERN IOWA 10
157 pounds - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) pinned Jarion Beets (UNI), 2:12
165 pounds - Moza Fay (UNI) dec. Jon Reader (ISU), 9-6
174 pounds - Alex Dolly (UNI) maj. dec. Chris Pursel (ISU), 16-6
184 pounds - Jake Varner (ISU) maj. dec. Danny Dunning (UNI), 10-0
197 pounds - David Bertolino (ISU) pinned Andrew Anderson (UNI), 2:38
HWT - David Zabriskie (ISU) maj. dec. Dustin Bauman (UNI), 12-4
125 pounds - Mark Kist (ISU) dec. Caleb Flores (UNI), 5-3
133 pounds - Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) dec. Trent Washington (UNI), 4-2
141 pounds - Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. C.J. Ettelson (UNI), 6-2
149 pounds - Nick Pickerell (UNI) dec. Adam Ketcher (ISU), 6-4

Iowa State @ UNI wrestling on IPTV Sunday, December 16

32nd Season of College Wrestling Coverage
Continues with Iowa State @ UNI
Dual will be broadcast live on IPTV at 2 p.m. Sunday, December 16

(Johnston, Iowa) - Iowa Public Television continues its tradition of providing quality coverage of college wrestling Sunday, December 16 at 2 p.m. when the Iowa State Cyclones travel to Cedar Falls to take on the Northern Iowa Panthers in IPTV's College Wrestling coverage of the dual.
This year, IPTV is showcasing four top collegiate match-ups with coverage and expert commentary from several wrestling legends. For this meet, Tim Johnson returns to provide play-by-play, and Jim Gibbons will again provide color commentary.
College Wrestling can be seen statewide on all IPTV stations.
More information about College Wrestling can be found at www.iptv.org.
# # #

Iowa Public Television is Iowa's statewide public broadcasting network. IPTV provides quality, noncommercial programming to make a difference in the lives of Iowans. As one of the last locally controlled media enterprises in the state, IPTV is committed to telling Iowa's stories like no one else can. Our mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans enables IPTV to present an unequaled array of programs of lasting value to Iowans regardless of where they live or what they can afford. More than one million viewers a week turn to IPTV for programming that reflects a range of interests for Iowans in all demographic categories. Iowa Public Television stations include: Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; Channel 36, Red Oak. IPTV-Digital stations include: Channel 11.1, Des Moines; Channel 12.1, Iowa City; Channel 21.1, Fort Dodge; Channel 24.1, Mason City; Channel 27.1, Sioux City; Channel 32.1, Waterloo; Channel 32.1, Council Bluffs; Channel 36.1, Red Oak; Channel 36.1, Davenport (coming soon).

No. 1 Iowa State Falls to No. 3 Iowa, 20-13

AMES, Iowa --- In a highly anticipated showdown between top-ranked Iowa State and No. 3 Iowa, scoring first proved to be a pivotal aspect as the Hawkeyes handed the Cyclones their first dual loss of the season Sunday in sold-out Hilton Coliseum, 20-13. ISU won four bouts on the afternoon with No. 16 David Bertolino scoring bonus points at 197 pounds. Fourth-ranked Cyler Sanderson (157), seventh-ranked Jon Reader (165) and the nation’s top wrestler at 184 pounds, Jake Varner, all picked up wins.

“I think you have to take some positive from a tough situation,” head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. “Obviously we wanted to win this match. When you get that many fans here, you want to entertain them. We did not give them that much to cheer about, but just like the guys said we have to put this behind us and look to the future.”

Today’s Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk dual marked the 73rd meeting between the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes. With the win today, Iowa now leads the all-time series, 55-16-2. ISU drops to 6-1 on the season, while Iowa improves to 5-0.

“A few of the guys definitely need to improve on their aggressiveness,” Sanderson said. “That’s going to fall on my head so I’ve got some work to do. Most of the guys went out there and fought and hustled, but everyone has areas that they need to work on. This match was great for us, it put the guys under some pressure and that’s what we need.”

Bertolino tallied a 16-5 major decision over sophomore Hawkeye Chad Beatty at 197 pounds. Only 24 seconds into the first period, Bertolino nearly stuck Beatty’s shoulders to the mat after a takedown, but was awarded with a two-point nearfall. The native from Mount Pleasant, Ohio, added two takedowns in the second period for a 9-1 advantage heading into the final two minutes of action. Bertolino scored two more takedowns and an escape before the final whistle blew and was awarded an additional point for 3:56 worth of riding time to win the bout.

“I just went out there and wrestled hard,” Bertolino said. “I pushed the pace, and tried to break down my opponent like any match. I was definitely looking for the fall. I tried to give us a chance to make a run.”

The major decision gives him three on the year and pushes his record to 9-1 in his senior campaign.

“As a senior, I feel like I need to pick up my team,” Bertolino said. “I need tell them to look to the future; look to March and learn from this. We have a lot of tape we can watch, and learn from our mistakes. We’re still the same team as we were earlier today and this is just a stepping stone to March.”

Sanderson’s third period dramatic domination over No. 15 Ryan Morningstar at 157 pounds put the first team points on the board for the Cyclones with a 10-5 decision. Currently ranked fourth, the undefeated sophomore battled back from a 4-2 first period deficit with a reversal to open the second period, tying the bout at 4-4. With 40 seconds remaining in the period, Sanderson notched a takedown to take a 6-5 advantage into the final three minutes. Morningstar opted to start from the down position in the third period, but he could not elude the grasp of the Heber City, Utah, native as Sanderson brought the sold-out crowd to its feet by nearly pinning the Hawkeye on three occasions. Sanderson improves his record to 10-0.

Redshirt freshman Jon Reader kept his spotless record intact at 11-0 with a 7-3 decision over Jake Kerr at 165 pounds. The seventh-ranked grappler scored a takedown at the 2:06 mark and recorded another with 48 seconds remaining in the first period for a 4-1 lead. A native of Davison, Mich., Reader escaped twice and tallied 2:10 worth of riding time for the victory.

Facing a familiar foe, Varner recorded a 4-1 decision over No. 16 Phillip Keddy. The All-American’s first-period takedown and an escape in the second period was all that the top-ranked 184-pounder needed to pick up the sixth win of his sophomore season.

“I had the same mindset as always,” Varner said. “You just go in there and wrestle your match. You don’t worry about the other stuff. I went out there and tried to get the pin, but those things don’t happen all the time. It was nice to have all those people in the Hilton Coliseum today. It was really loud in there and you just use it a s a motivator.”

Iowa State will be back in action Dec. 16 as the Cyclones travel to Cedar Falls to take on Northern Iowa at 2 p.m. in the McLeod Center. The dual will be televised live on Iowa Public Television. ISU wrestling returns to Hilton Coliseum Jan. 18 to play host to Wisconsin at 7 p.m.


IOWA 20, IOWA STATE 13
125 pounds - Charlie Falck (Iowa) dec. Mark Kist (ISU), 8-4
133 pounds - Joe Slaton (Iowa) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 6-5
141 pounds - Dan LeClere (Iowa) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 3-1
149 pounds - Brent Metcalf (Iowa) maj. dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 14-4
157 pounds - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) 10-5
165 pounds - Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Jake Kerr (Iowa), 7-3
174 pounds - Jay Borschel (Iowa) maj. dec. Aron Scott (ISU), 18-7
184 pounds - Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Phil Keddy (Iowa), 4-1
197 pounds - David Bertolino (ISU) maj. dec. Chad Beatty (Iowa), 16-5
Heavyweight - Matt Fields (Iowa) dec. David Zabriskie (ISU), 6-3

No. 2 Iowa State Wrestling Moves to 5-0

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Guided by the winning ways of Mark Kist (125), Nick Fanthorpe (133), Jon Reader (165) and David Zabriskie (HWT), No. 2 Iowa State wrestling defeated three opponents at the Binghamton Duals Sunday to move to 5-0 on the season. The Cyclones shut out Clarion, 40-0, and denied Binghamton 30-15 and West Virginia 24-9.

"Today was a tough day with the way this tournament was set up," associate head wrestling coach Cody Sanderson said. "Wrestling three back-to-back-to-back matches forced our wrestlers to go hard each time and they responded well. Aron Scott and Chris Pursel did a great job for us at 174 and 184 pounds, respectively. Aron saw his first action of the season and he fought hard."

ISU took on Clarion in the first of three duals and cruised to a 40-0 victory over the Golden Eagles. All 10 Cyclone grapplers won their bouts. Highlighting the dual were quick fist period pins by Kist, who pinned Andrew Smith in 1:26, and David Bertolino's stick of Dixon Jordan in 1:56 at 197 pounds. Reader, ranked ninth nationally, tallied a 19-7 major decision of David Cox and No. 6 Zabriskie outscored Roman Husam 11-2. Fanthorpe recorded a 24-8 technical fall in 6:50 over Robert LaBrake.

"I was much more comfortable today than I was Friday night," Kist said. "I'm not nervous anymore. Getting the pin in the opening bout against Clarion was a good way to start the dual. I think it set the tone. It was a lot of fun to get my first varsity pin."

At 157 pounds, No. 11 Cyler Sanderson took a knee off his cheek as he went in for a single-leg shot on Clarion's Travis Uncapher. Although he finished the match with 9-6 decision, Sanderson's injury sidelined him for the Binghamton dual and forced Iowa State to forfeit at 157 pounds for the Binghamton match.

Despite Sanderson's departure from the lineup against the Bearcats, the Cyclones were able to oust Binghamton 30-15. Again providing bonus points for ISU were Kist and Zabriskie with major decisions. Fanthorpe earned his second technical fall of the day and Bertolino got one of his own. Reader picked up his second pin of his redshirt freshman season, a 1:27 stick of Gaetjens Lexiz. Aron Scott sealed a 6-1 decision over Brett Nelson at 174 pounds by registering a takedown with 22 seconds remaining on the clock. Chris Pursel followed with a key 3-2 decision over Anthony Esposito at 184 pounds.

"Getting bonus points during the Binghamton dual was big," Sanderson said. "We tell our guys not to get hung up on a one or two-point lead. We want them to get points and to take risks."

The final dual of the day pitted Iowa State against a relentless West Virginia squad, but the Cyclones proved to be too much, winning the first six matches and the dual by a score of 24-9. No. 16 Nick Gallick (141) and No. 14 Mitch Mueller (149) each bounced back from losses in the Binghamton dual, winning via a 4-0 and 7-4 decision, respectively. Sanderson returned to the mat at 157 pounds and won his match, 3-2, over No. 15 Zac Fryling.

"We knew that West Virginia was going to be tough," Sanderson said. "Mueller did a great job coming back and generating offense in the West Virginia match and Cyler had guts going out there the way he did after the injury he suffered in that first match."

At the end of the day the Cyclones won 12 matches that resulted in bonus points - five major decisions, four technical falls and three pins. Six of the grapplers in action Sunay maintain spotless records (Kist, Fanthorpe, Sanderson, Reader and Zabriskie) and the lineup used in Sunday's matches carry a 71-8 combined career mark. Through five duals, ISU has bested opponents 167-28 and has registered two shutouts.

"It felt good to get those big wins today," Fanthorpe said. "I have just been listening to the coaches and I go out there and perform. They [the coaches] keep telling us to build on a lead by getting points. My conditioning is really good and it shows in the second and third periods. This weekend was good experience for us because we got to see different guys, teams and competition. We will learn from what we did this weekend and go back to prepare for Minnesota."

Head coach Cael Sanderson and 184-pounder Jake Varner were absent from Sunday's event. The two departed for Eugene, Ore., Saturday as Varner will participate at the NWCA All-Star Match Monday night. Varner, a 2007 NCAA runner-up, is slated to go up against Roger Kish of Minnesota.

Iowa State will trek north on Interstate 35 Dec. 2, to take on defending NCAA champion Minnesota at 2 p.m. in Minneapolis. Wrestling action returns to Hilton Coliseum Dec. 9, as the Cyclones play host to intrastate rival Iowa at 2 p.m.

IOWA STATE 40, CLARION 0
125 pounds - Mark Kist pinned Andrew Smith, 2:26
133 pounds - Nick Fanthorpe tech. fall Robert LaBrake, 24-8 (6:50)
141 pounds - Nick Gallick dec. Sal Lascari, 9-5
149 pounds - Mitch Mueller dec. Hadley Harrison, 11-4
157 pounds - Cyler Sanderson dec. Travis Uncapher, 9-6
165 pounds - Jon Reader maj. dec. David Cox, 19-7
174 pounds - Aron Scott dec. Marrio Morrelli, 3-2
184 pounds - Chris Pursel dec. Scott Joseph, 8-5
197 pounds - David Bertolino pinned Dixon Jordan, 1:56
HWT - David Zabriskie maj. dec. Roman Husam, 11-2

IOWA STATE 30, BINGHAMTON 15
125 pounds - Mark Kist maj. dec. Tyler Malmberg, 10-1
133 pounds - Nick Fanthorpe tech. fall Leigh Tobias, 22-5 (6:25)
141 pounds - Anwar Goeres pinned Nick Gallick, 1:54
149 pounds - Kyle Fried dec. Mitch Mueller, 6-4 (SV)
157 pounds - Nate Patterson wins by forfeit
165 pounds - Jon Reader pinned Gaetjens Lezin, 1:27
174 pounds - Aron Scott dec. Brett Nelson, 6-1
184 pounds - Chris Pursel dec. Anthony Esposito, 3-2
197 pounds - David Bertolino tech. fall Corey Waite, 17-0 (5:22)
HWT - David Zabriskie maj. dec. Mike Patterson, 13-4

IOWA STATE 24, WEST VIRGINIA 9
125 pounds - Mark Kist dec. Kyle Turnbull, 6-1
133 pounds - Nick Fanthorpe maj. dec. Mark Anderson, 12-4
141 pounds - Nick Gallick dec. Tyler Oravec, 4-0
149 pounds - Mitch Mueller dec. David Jauregui, 7-4
157 pounds - Cyler Sanderson dec. Zac Fryling, 3-2
165 pounds - Jon Reader tech. fall Donnie Jones, 19-2 (5:12)
174 pounds - Chance Litton dec. Aron Scott, 5-3
184 pounds - Kurt Brenner dec. Chris Pursel, 10-8
197 pounds - Jared Villers dec. David Bertolino, 6-4
HWT - David Zabriskie dec. Lou Thomas, 7-4

No. 2 Iowa State Blanks Rider, 34-0

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - The second-ranked Iowa State wrestling squad etched its second dual victory of the season with a 34-0 victory over Rider Friday night in Alumni Gym. David Bertolino upset No. 11 T.J. Morrison at 197 pounds and three Cyclones -- Nick Fanthorpe (133), Jon Reader (165) and David Zabriskie (HWT) -- provided bonus points. Winning in their ISU dual debut were Mark Kist and Chris Pursel at 125 and 174 pounds, respectively.

"Rider is a solid program with solid kids," ISU head coach Cael Sanderson said. "It gives us more preparation for our season. We're getting good competition and were trying to see where we're at so far. Now, we go back to the drawing board and see what areas we need to work on."

Iowa State (2-0) dominated every aspect of the dual, winning all 10 bouts, recording 33 takedowns and only surrendering three. Outside of the three takedowns, the only points that the Broncs could muster were escapes and a single reversal. The Cyclones handed Rider its second loss of the season.

Bertolino, who spent the previous three seasons at 174 pounds, has bumped up two weight classes to 197 pounds for his senior campaign. Bertolino took T.J. Morrison down to the wire and claimed a 5-4 victory. The Mount Pleasant, Ohio, native struck first with a takedown midway through the first period and added an escape at the start of the second period for a 3-0 lead. Morrison, an NCAA qualifier a year ago, reversed Bertolino in the third period to take a 4-3 advantage. With time ticking down, Bertolino escaped from the Bronc to make the match 4-4. The 1:15 worth of riding time that Bertolino accumulated was the difference in the match, giving him a point and a 5-4 victory.

"It was a close match," Bertolino said. "I knew that my conditioning was better than his and that he would break before I would. I wanted to push the pace and I knew he was hurting more. I've been waiting to wrestle someone tough and to have the chance to prove myself at this weight. I knew that it was a matter of time before someone tough came along. This is definitely a confidence builder for me."

Fanthorpe scored his second major decision of his sophomore campaign, 12-4 over Zac Cunliffe at 133 pounds. The Naperville, Ill., native held a 5-1 lead after the second period, but it was the third period when Fanthorpe proved to be too much for Cunliffe, taking down the Bronc three times. Ranked eighth at 133 pounds, Fanthorpe pushes his season mark to 6-0.

Reader continued his explosive offensive performance by putting 16 points on the board and blanking Mike Darling in 5:20. The ninth-ranked 165 pound redshirt freshman used three technical falls, two reversals and a takedown en route to his sixth win.

A native of Branchville, N.J., Zabriskie returned to his home state and put together an impressive 24-9 technical fall of Peter Reid. The third period again was again key for the Cyclones as the eighth-ranked heavyweight scored six takedowns in 90 seconds. Zabriskie also recorded 3:11 worth of riding time in the win.

In his first dual start, redshirt freshman Mark Kist opened the night with a 3-2 decision over Mitch Fenton at 125 pounds. Kist scored the only takedown early in the first period and added an escape in the third to take the bout. The Eagle Grove, Iowa, native, who finished as the runner-up at last week's Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open, ups his record to 4-0.

"Getting that first (dual) win feels great, especially to wrestle in an Iowa State singlet. I wanted to get another takedown towards the end, but I just pushed the pace. This is different from wrestling in a tournament because during a dual there is only one match going on at a time. All of the focus is on you and I like that."

Pursel made his first start for the Cyclones and took a 7-3 decision over Joe Ferber at 174 pounds. Hailing from Effingham, Kan., Pursel registered a takedown at 1:01 in the first period and another at 1:34 in the second period. A reversal in the third sealed the sophomore's first dual victory.

"Both Kist and Pursel had a great first match," Sanderson said. "They did what we told them to and we're proud of them."

Iowa State will travel to Binghamton, N.Y., to wrestle in the Binghamton Duals Sunday. The Cyclones will face a trio of opponents in Clarion, West Virginia and Binghamton starting at 8:30 a.m. CST. Action returns to Hilton Coliseum Dec. 9 as ISU will play host to intrastate rival Iowa at 2 p.m.

IOWA STATE 34, RIDER 0
125 pounds - Mark Kist dec. Mitch Fenton, 3-2
133 pounds - Nick Fanthorpe maj. dec. Zac Cunliffe, 12-4
141 pounds - Nick Gallick dec. Fred Rodgers, 5-0
149 pounds - Mitch Mueller dec. Don Frisch, 3-2
157 pounds - Cyler Sanderson dec. Rob Morrison, 10-5
165 pounds - Jon Reader tech. fall Mark Darling, 16-0 (5:20)
174 pounds - Chris Pursel dec. Joe Ferber, 7-3
184 pounds - Jake Varner dec. Doug Umbehauer, 8-4
197 pounds - David Bertolino dec. T.J. Morrison, 5-4
Heavyweight - David Zabriskie tech. fall Peter Reid, 24-9 (7:00)

Seven Iowa State Grapplers Earn Titles

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State's wrestlers put on a dominating performance Saturday at the Lied Recreation Center, as Mitch Muller (149) and Jake Varner (184) each claimed their second Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open titles. Five others won their first championship. Mark Kist (125) and Nick Gallick (141) each finished as runner-up in their respective weight class.

"We performed well today and learned a lot," head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. "There were a lot of good teams and individuals here. We're happy with what we did today because we got what we wanted."

Mueller, ranked 15th, downed Wartburg's Jacob Naig with a 5-0 decision to win the 149-pound title. On the day, the Iowa City, native was relentless on offense, posting a 5-0 tournament record. Mueller scored a technical fall over Garret James (unatt.) in his opening bout and followed with a 2:57 stick of Lindenwood's Syler Scott. He then tallied back-to-back 11-3 major decisions over Kalen Knull of Northern Illinois and Jeremy Powell (unatt.) to propel into the championship match.

Varner, the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, pinned Lindenwood's Brian Judd in 5:18 to win his second Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open title. Seeing his first action on the mat after winning by forfeit in Thursday night's dual against Northern Illinois, Varner first stuck Iowa Central's Nate Troyer in 3:22 and followed up with a 12-2 major decision over Mitch Brown (unatt.).

"It feels good to get back out on the mat," Varner said. "I was disappointed that I didn't get a match Thursday night, but today makes up for it. The competition was good today. It's great to get those first matches of the season out of the way."

Nick Fanthorpe defeated Northern Illinois' Pat Costillo for the second time in three days by a 3-2 decision to claim the 133-pound title. Ranked seventh, Fanthorpe tallied two pins and a major decision on the day and moves to 5-0 in his sophomore season.

Cyler Sanderson scored two key takedowns on the edge of the mat en route to an 8-5 157-pound championship decision over Aaron Wernimont of Wartburg. Sanderson, ranked 11th, racked up 55 points against opponents via a 12-8 decision of Iowa Central's Carrington Banks, a 22-7 technical fall against Tim Kirincic (unatt.) and a 21-7 major decision of Josh Hekendorn (unatt.).

Redshirt freshman sensation Jon Reader defeated Aaron Denson (unatt.) 5-1 to win the 165-pound title. Currently ranked ninth, the Davison, Mich., native pinned Robbie Hicklin of Lindenwood in 2:45 to open the tournament. He followed with back-to-back major decisions, 14-1 over Anthony Victor of Northern Illinois and 19-5 against Aaron Janssen (unatt.).

"I go out there to dominate. It is all hustle, hustle, hustle, because that is what the mentality is here," Reader said. "Coach says he not as worried about a win or a loss, as long as you hustle on the mat. To win today feels great. We had a plan going into this weekend and I stuck to it. Now it is time to go back to the drawing board."

Senior David Bertolino used a reversal, a two-point nearfall and riding time to defeat Wartburg's TJ Miller for the 197-pound title. Prior to the championship bout, Bertolino recorded major decisions over Jon Wilbourne of Dana (17-4) and blanked Jacob Marrs (unatt.), 11-0.

In the final seconds of the tournament's final match, David Zabriskie clinched the heavyweight championship with a last-second takedown of Wartburg's Brian Borchers to win 3-1. The country's sixth-ranked big man opened with a 5:11 fall against North Iowa Area Community College's Beau Tudor. The Cyclone tallied a 12-2 major decision of Iowa Central's Matt Sixta and a 3-1 decision of Dan Erekson (unatt.) to advance into the title match.

Kist, making his debut as a Cyclone, suffered a 3-1 overtime loss to Terrance Young of Iowa Central in the 125 championship match. The Eagle Grove, Iowa, native won two matches by decision and pinned Aaron Wilcox of Dana in 5:36.

Although Gallick defeated Northern Illinois' Patrick McLemore 7-3 Thursday night, the Huskie was able to get Gallick in a cradle and register a 2:27 pin for the 133-pound title. Prior to the loss, Gallick stuck Ryan Joyce of Lindenwood in 2:06, scored a 13-2 major decision over Northern Illinois' Danny Ruetiger.

Wrestling unattached, true freshman Tyler Clark finished third in the 125-pound bracket.

The Cyclones will take to the road next weekend to face Rider in Lawerenceville, N.J., Friday at 6 p.m. CST. ISU will travel to partake in the Binghamton Duals Nov. 18 in Binghamton, N.Y., taking on Clarion, Binghamton and West Virginia. Wrestling will return to Hilton Coliseum Dec. 9 as Iowa State will play host to intrastate rival Iowa at 2 p.m.
Iowa State Storms Northern Illinois, 39-4

AMES, Iowa - The second-ranked Iowa State wrestling team stormed to a 39-4 season-opening victory over Northern Illinois Thursday night in Hilton Coliseum. In his debut as a Cyclone, redshirt freshman Jon Reader registered the first pin of his career at 165 pounds and sophomore David Zabriskie replicated the feat at heavyweight with a pin of his own. Mitch Mueller (149) and David Bertolino (197) provided a major decision and technical fall, respectively.

"We brought in Northern Illinois because they are a well-coached team and are always in good condition," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "They will be a factor in their conference and beyond this season. Overall, I thought we did a good job going after it and being aggressive. We have our things to work on."

For the 11th consecutive season, Iowa State claimed victory in its season opener. The Cyclones won nine of 10 bouts and did not surrender a takedown in any of those victories. On the night, ISU racked up 19 takedowns, while the Huskies managed to register only four takedowns - all in one match.

Wrestling in his first match as a Cyclone grappler, Reader ignited Hilton Coliseum by pinning Bryan Deutsch in 4:42. One of the most sought after prep recruits nationally in 2006, Reader scored a trio of three-point nearfalls in the first period alone for an 11-0 advantage. After an exchange of reversals by both wrestlers to open the second period, Reader added a second reversal that pushed Deutsch's shoulders to the mat for the pin.

"We had a plan and I stuck to it," Reader said. "I have waited a year to really get back into it. I wasn't trying to pin him, but that is the way it went."

Zabriskie, currently ranked sixth as the defending Big 12 heavyweight champion, closed out the night by pinning David Benner in 6:12. Zabriskie, a Branchville, N.J., native put the first points on the board with an escape to start the second period and added a takedown to finish out the second period. With a 3-1 advantage to begin the third period, Zabriskie found his groove and took down the Huskie twice more before the pin was signaled.

"The first period, I was kind of chasing him around the mat," Zabriskie said. "I started catching up to him in the second and third periods. He (Benner) was getting tired."

Mueller, ranked 15th at 149 pounds, jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on Kalen Knull in the first period on two takedowns. He added three more takedowns in the final two periods and tallied 1:58 worth riding time for his first victory of his sophomore season.

Bertolino began his senior campaign in dominating fashion by scoring a 16-1 technical fall of Jake Smith in 6:13. Bertolino was awarded nearfall points in the final minute of both the first and second periods. He held an 11-1 to open the third period and wasted no time by scoring a takedown and a three-point nearfall.

Iowa State will compete in the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open Saturday at the Lied Recreation Center. Matches are set to get underway at 10 a.m. ISU will travel out East next weekend to take on Rider Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. CST and will then travel to Binghamton, N.Y., to wrestle in the Binghamton Duals against Clarion, Binghamton and West Virginia. Action will resume in Hilton Coliseum Dec. 9 as the Cyclones host intrastate rival, Iowa, at 2 p.m.

Former Iowa State University Wrestler TJ Sebolt Joins NIACC Wrestling Staff

Mason City, IA- NIACC Head Wrestling Coach Richard Fergola announced today that former Iowa State University wrestler and one of the most highly decorated high school wrestlers in Iowa, TJ Sebolt has joined his coaching staff. Sebolt, from Centerville, IA, completed his high school career at Centerville with four Iowa state titles and a stellar career record of 207 wins and only one loss. Sebolt's 207 victories is an Iowa high school record. Other records that Sebolt holds is Most Consecutive Wins with 197 and Most Pins with 137. 

Sebolt also claimed the 2003 Junior National Freestyle Championship in Fargo, ND. At the collegiate level, Sebolt spent the 2006-07 season competing for Cael Sanderson at Iowa State and won the prestigious University of Nebraska-Omaha Kaufman-Brand Open at 141 pounds as a red-shirt, but did not compete after that due to a shoulder injury. Most recently, Sebolt finished in 6th place at the Junior FILA Freestyle Championships in Las Vegas, NV. at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Sebolt's duties will be primarily focusing on the smaller weights at NIACC. "I am very excited to get a young man like TJ on our staff," stated Coach Fergola. He will only add to the competitiveness in our room and will elevate our smaller weights tremendously. We are very lucky to have TJ and he is very excited about coaching."

NIACC will be starting their inaugural wrestling season since cutting the program in 1976. Head Coach Richard Fergola has put together a 35 man roster for their first season and they kick off their competitive schedule at home on November 3rd with the Kaye Young/NIACC Open.

Trent Paulson Wins; Iowa State Second

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - It was a very good year. Trent Paulson came from behind to win the NCAA 157-pound championship as Iowa State finished second to Minnesota at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in The Palace at Auburn Hills. In a year in which the Gophers were expected to win the national team title handily, the final outcome was not decided until American's Josh Glenn defeated ISU's Kurt Backes in sudden victory overtime at 197 pounds. Minnesota got a pin from heavyweight Cole Konrad in the final match of the night, which would have given his team the title even if all three Cyclone finalists had won their matches without bonus points. But Iowa State's run for the first-place trophy impressed all who saw it and that impression was affirmed when Sanderson was named the National Coach of the Year.

At the end of the day Minnesota posted a winning total of 98 points. Iowa State was second with 88.5 points, followed by Missouri (80), Northwestern (71.5) and Oklahoma State (69).

"We had a great tournament," Sanderson said. "I want to hand it to our entire team. We wrestled well. The seniors can go out with their heads high. Trent and Travis Paulson really bought into what we were doing this year and that isn't always easy when you are in your fifth year someplace. The same goes for Kurt Backes. Iowa State is going to be right there from now on. There is no doubt that everybody knows it. I also want to give our congratulations to Minnesota's coaches and wrestlers. They won the prize and they earned it."

Top-seeded Trent Paulson capped off his Iowa State wrestling career on the big stage by capturing the 157-pound championship with a thrilling 6-5 victory over seventh-seeded Craig Henning of Wisconsin. Hailing from Council Bluffs, Iowa, Paulson finishes as one of only of 33 Cyclone wrestlers to win 100-career matches, with a four-year mark of 115-20. His career-win total ties him for 18th on the all-time ISU list, tied with Dave Powell (1976-79). Paulson matched his best single-season win record, with a 29-4 mark that matched record he earned as a sophomore. He closed out his season winning 15 consecutive matches, a feat he also accomplished as a sophomore.

Henning struck first with a takedown midway through the first period to go up 2-0 on a scramble started by a Paulson shot. Paulson registered his first point at the 1:03 mark with an escape. Henning answered with an escape of his own to start the second period, taking a 3-1 advantage through the entire period. The match was far from over.

Starting the final two minutes from the down position, Paulson narrowed the lead to a single point with an immediate escape and took a 4-3 lead with a takedown. He then cut Henning loose, evening the score at 4-4, in a bid to get the winning move. It was a fortuitous decision. Shooting low with only 15 seconds remaining on the clock, Paulson grabbed a hold of Henning's leg to clinch the title with a takedown.

"It's a dream come true," Paulson said. "I've been imagining this moment since I got to Iowa State and to actually feel it is unbelievable. I shot a single leg and as the scramble went on it kind of turned into a high crotch situation. I thought he could scramble really well from there and felt he was getting the angle so I tried to get a little lower so he couldn't scramble as well and get my hips back. I wanted to wrestle on my feet and score my points there, especially after getting down right away. I didn't want it to come down to riding time and give him a chance to get into the last seconds. I wanted to leave it up to my performance on my feet."

Varner, seeded sixth, finished as the 184-pound runner-up, suffering a 6-1 loss to top-seeded Jake Herbert. The freshman was unable to muster much offense against the undefeated Wildcat. Varner is the first freshman to earn All-American honors and wrestle in a championship match since Cael Sanderson in 1999. He concludes his rookie season with a record of 29-7.

Backes, who came into the tournament as the ninth seed, finished his ISU wrestling career as the 197-pound runner-up. Backes battled back from an early 3-1 deficit, to tie the match at 3-3 with a takedown in the closing seconds of the second period. He took a 4-3 lead with an escape at the 1:22 mark, but Glenn's riding time evened the match at 4-4, pushing it into sudden victory. Glenn emerged as the aggressor in the first 12 seconds of sudden victory with a low, double-leg takedown on the edge of the mat for the win.

Backes finishes as one of 33 Cyclones with 100-career victories, recording a four-year record of 109-31 and going 28-7 in his senior campaign after moving up from 184 pounds a year ago. He was twice an All-American after earning seventh-place honors as freshman.

Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard witnessed the finals after flying from Minneapolis, Minn. where the Iowa State women's basketball team defeated Washington in the early afternoon.

"I don't think there is any doubt about Cael Sanderson being the coach of the year. He is the best coach in the country and with our returning lineup the future is very bright."

Very bright indeed.

Iowa State Wins Big 12 Championship; 10 to NCAA Championship

COLUMBIA, Mo. - It was probably too much to ask of a freshman. Iowa State frosh David Zabriskie, who some said would be too small to have success as a collegiate heavyweight wrestler, carried 20 years of waiting for Iowa State wrestling fans into the last match of the Big 12 Wrestling Championship Saturday in the Hearnes Center. It rarely comes down to the last match in a conference meet, but there was Zabriskie, facing Oklahoma State's Jared Rosholt in the heavyweight title match. The winner would claim the Big 12 team trophy for his squad.

Zabriskie used an first-period takedown and a third-period escape to beat Rosholt, 3-2 and lift Iowa State to its first Big 12 wrestling crown, the school's first conference title in 20 years and the first outright Cyclone team conference championship in a quarter century. Iowa State's other champion was Trent Paulson at 157 pounds, who beat Nebraska's Chris Oliver, 11-1 in the title match. The Cyclones finished with 66.5 points. Missouri was second with 61.5, followed by Oklahoma State with 61, Nebraska with 46 and Oklahoma with 44. Iowa State will send all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championship, March 16-18 in Detroit, Mich.

"This is a great accomplishment for this team," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "We need to build on this the next two weeks. We are proud of all our guys. Dave (Zabriskie) has real class and has done a phenomenal job for us. We are real proud of him."

Trent Paulson, rated second nationally, claimed his second consecutive Big 12 Conference title after the two-time All-American jumped out to an early 5-1 lead using a takedown and a three-point nearfall. Paulson then began the second period from the down position and reversed Oliver and tacked on another three-point nearfall en route to the victory. Paulson's mark in his senior campaign improves to 24-4 and he holds a career record of 110-20 as he gets ready for his fourth NCAA tournament.

"This one means more to me (than his first Big 12 title) because it was part of an effort that won the team title for us," Paulson said. "I think I surprised him and went right for the score after talking with coach (Sanderson) about that before the match."

Redshirt freshman Cyler Sanderson placed second at 149 pounds, suffering a 5-0 loss to Oklahoma's Matt Storinolo in their title match. After a scoreless first period, Storinolo posted the first points with an escape in the second period. The Sooner maneuvered Sanderson and added a three-point nearfall. Sanderson, a Heber City, Utah, native earns a spot in the NCAA Championships and carries record of 26-9 in his rookie season.

Travis Paulson fell in the 165-pound title match to Oklahoma State's Johny Hendricks by decision, 4-3. Paulson took a 3-2 lead with an escape midway through the final period, but a takedown by Hendricks with 33 seconds sealed the Cowboy win. Despite the loss, Paulson will advance to his fourth NCAA Championship with a career record of 102-30 and a senior season record of 24-5.

Jake Varner took runner-up honors at 184-pounds, falling to Raymond Jordan of Missouri by a 4-3 decision in his title bout. Varner battled back from a 1-0 deficit to tie the match at 1-1 with an escape early in the final three minutes of the match. The Tiger scored a takedown, but was then penalized for stalling, awarding Varner with a point. Varner tied the match at 3-3, but fell short with 1:05 riding time that Jordan had accumulated. Varner, Bakersfield, Calif., native will enter the NCAA Championship with a 24-5 mark.
Nick Gallick punched his ticket to The Palace at Auburn Hills with a 2:41 stick of Oklahoma's Brian Shelton in the 133-pound third-place match. Gallick, rated 14th, scored an early takedown and a two-point nearfall before working the Sooner into prime position for the pin. In his initial season as a Cyclone, Gallick has registered eight pins and has a 26-8 record.

Grant Turner was a big story of the meet. Seeded fifth coming into the tournament at 174 pounds, he earned an NCAA Tournament birth at 174 pounds with a 5-3 decision over Nebraska's Marc Harwood in the third-place match. With the match tied at 3-3 with less than a minute to go, Turner tallied his second takedown in the final period. The third-place finish is Turner's best conference tournament performance. The senior from Johnston, Iowa, evens out his record at 14-14.

"I was not going to leave a trip to the NCAA Tournament up to anyone but myself," Turner said. "I told myself that I was going to decide this. Coach (Sanderson) told me if I wrestle the way I did in the third period, I can keep winning matches."

A duo of redshirt freshmen, Nick Fanthorpe (125) and Mitch Mueller (141), placed fourth for the Cyclones. Fanthorpe suffered a 5-3 decision at the hands of Oklahoma State's Tyler Shinn. Fanthorpe advanced to the third-place bout at 125 pounds by scoring a 7-3 decision over Missouri's John Olanowski in the consolation semifinal. The Naperville, Ill., native's record stands at 24-9. Mueller was pinned by Oklahoma's Kyle Terry in 4:32 his the third-place bout. Mueller took an 11-6 decision of Missouri's Ashtin Primus to push forward to the 141-pound third-place match. The Iowa City native returned to the mat after spending a month out due to a dislocated elbow injury that was suffered in the Feb. 9 dual against Rider. He is 17-14 in his rookie season.

Kurt Backes was defeated by Oklahoma's Joel Flaggert in the third-place match at 197 pounds. Backes worked from behind the entire match, but sent the bout into overtime with a 1:22 riding time advantage. A takedown with 16 seconds left in overtime by Flaggert clinched the Sooner win.

ISU will push forward to the NCAA Championships will take place March 16 - 18 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Mich.

Five Iowa State Wrestlers Advance to Title Matches

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Iowa State advanced five wrestlers to championship matches at the Big 12 Championships and holds a three-point lead after the semifinal round of the league tournament at the Hearnes Center. Cyler Sanderson (149), Trent Paulson (157), Travis Paulson (165), Jake Varner (184) and David Zabriskie (HWT) will be vying for conference crowns. The Cyclones lead the team race with 44 points. Four-time defending conference champ Oklahoma State sits in second with 41 points. Missouri and Nebraska are separated by two points, 35.5 and 33.5 points for third and fourth-place, respectively. Oklahoma rounds out the team scoring with 20 points.

Sanderson advanced to the championship bout at 149 pounds with a dramatic 10-9 decision over Missouri's Josh Wagner. Sanderson worked from a 2-0 deficit in the second period and tied it 2-2 with a reversal. Scrambling for control, both Sanderson and Wagner exchanged reversals to close out the second period. Down 8-6 with two minutes to go, Sanderson clinched the victory with two key takedowns. The Heber City, Utah, native carries a 26-8 mark into the title match against Oklahoma's Matt Storinolo.

Trent Paulson, rated second nationally, clinched a spot in the 157-pound title bout by scoring a 10-5 overtime decision over Oklahoma's Will Rowe. Rallying from a 3-1 deficit, Paulson used two escapes and a takedown with 26 seconds left in the final period to push the match into overtime tied at 5-5. The two-time All-American scored a takedown and registered a three-point nearfall to record his 109th career victory. It will be Paulson's second consecutive appearance in the Big 12 title match and he will square off against Nebraska's Chris Oliver. Paulson handed the Husker a 9-3 decision in Lincoln in a mid-January match-up.

Travis Paulson surged into the 165-pound championship bout with 10-3 decision over Matt Pell of Missouri. Paulson struck early by taking the Tiger down twice, taking a 4-1 lead into the second period. The two-time All-American tacked on an escape in the second period, upping his lead, 5-1. Paulson maintained his momentum, scoring two more takedowns and earning his first trip to the title match. Paulson's record stands at 24-4 and he will meet arch-rival Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State, for the third time this season.

Redshirt freshman 184-pounder Jake Varner dealt Oklahoma State's Jack Jensen a 4-0 decision en route to a rematch with Missouri's Raymond Jordan. Varner's match against Jensen remained scoreless until the third period when the Bakersfield, Calif., native took a 1-0 lead with an escape. He then took down the Cowboy with 12 seconds remaining in the match to seal the win and added 2:03 worth of riding time. The redshirt freshman's record stands at 24-4.

David Zabriskie pinned Oklahoma's Brad Farmer in 6:43 to advance to the heavyweight championship bout. The first period ended with a 3-2 Zabriskie lead after the Cyclone battled back from an early 2-0 deficit. Zabriskie, rated 11th nationally, took a 5-3 lead with a takedown at the 1:12 mark. A native of Branchville, N.J., Zabriskie stuck the Sooner's shoulders to the mat and registered his fourth pin. Zabriskie has a record of 23-6 and extends his win streak to 11. He will collide with familiar foe, Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State in the title match. It will be the third meeting between the two redshirt freshmen, with Zabriskie winning both previous matches by a score of 4-3.

Grant Turner (174) and Kurt Backes (197) opened the tournament with pigtail match victories. Turner avenged an earlier loss to Nebraska's Marc Harwood with a 3-2 decision. Turner will face the winner of a Josh Weitzel (OU)/Harwood for third place. Backes registered his sixth technical fall on the season in 3:51 by a score of 17-0 over Oklahoma State's Jared Shelton. Backes awaits the winner of a Shelton/Joel Flaggert (OU) match-up for third place.

At 133 pounds, Nick Gallick will wrestle for third place against Oklahoma's Brian Shelton, as two other Cyclones, Nick Fanthorpe and Mitch Mueller, will work through the consolation bracket.

The second session is set to get under way at 4 p.m. in the Hearnes Center with consolation and third-place matches. Championship matches will begin at 7 p.m. Check out cyclones.com for live updates throughout the remainder of the tournament.

ISU Clinches Midlands Team Title

EVANSTON, Ill. - Iowa State wrestlers Nick Fanthorpe (125), Trent Paulson (157), Travis Paulson (165) and Kurt Backes (197) each advanced to the championship match of the 44th Midlands Tournament as Iowa State's wrestling team clinched its first team crown since 1981. ISU closed out afternoon competition leading with 149.5 points. Heading into tonight's final session, Iowa is a distant 46.5 points back in second place with 103 points. Central Michigan (94.5), Northwestern (94) and Indiana (90) round out the top five team scores.

"Overall we've wrestled an outstanding tournament," head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. "I told the guys if they work hard they would like the way things would go. Our seniors have really stepped up so far. We have a lot of room to improve. That is the good thing when you think about it, we have more room for improvement than most of the teams we compete against."

Fanthorpe, an unseeded freshman from the Chicago area surged into championship contention at 125-pounds by scoring a 4-2 semi-final decision over fifth-seeded Luke Smith of Central Michigan. Down 1-0 to open the third period, Fanthorpe tied the match at 1-1 when Smith was tagged for stalling, when holding onto the Cyclones' ankle. Fanthorpe took a 2-1 lead with an escape and then took Smith down with 42 seconds remaining to go up 4-1. Fanthorpe is the only unseeded wrestler to compete in the finals where he will square off against the third seed, Angel Escobedo of Indiana.

"Our coaches are always talking about position and being aware of where you are," the Naperville, Ill., native said. "Holding the ankle is a stalling position and our coaches have addressed that with us. Wrestling is a push-and-pull sport that also requires balance. Smith is a strong kid. You gain a little more experience with each match."

Trent Paulson pinned his third Midlands opponent, fourth-seeded Andrew Flannagan of Harvard, en route to the 157-pound title match. After scoring a reversal in the second period, the top-seeded Cyclone scored a two-point nearfall. From there he took Flannagan down again and was in position to get back points. Paulson registered the pin in 5:53.

"The coaches have stressed with me that I have many offensive tools I can use, the two-time All-American said. "I have worked in practice and competition to use more of those different attacks in the match."

This will be Paulson's second trip to a Midlands championship match. In 2003 the senior took top honors at 149-pounds and was named the Midlands' outstanding wrestler. The senior will meet Illinois' Mike Poeta in the title bout.

Travis Paulson handed intrastate rival, Nick Baima of Northern Iowa, an 11-3 semi-final defeat. The two met for the 10th time and the third time this season. Paulson, the number two seed at 165-pounds, exploded offensively registering five takedowns against the Panther. Baima's only points came via escapes.

"I had seen the scoreboard," the two-time All-American said. "I knew that one more takedown meant bonus points."

In the finals, Paulson will meet another intrastate foe, Iowa's Mark Perry. The two collided in Iowa City Dec. 3 and Paulson came up short suffering a 6-4 decision, his only loss on the season. Paulson, ranked third by W.I.N. Magazine, matched up against Perry, ranked second, in the 2004 Midlands title match but finished runner-up by decision, 6-4.

The fourth Cyclone to make it into the championship bout was Backes by pinning the top-seed at 197-pounds, Josh Glenn of American in 1:58. Backes, seeded fifth, wasted no time as he scored an early takedown on Glenn before registering the pin.

"I got his ankle and then used my upper body to set it up," Backes said. "When you wrestle against Cael in the wrestling room you start to develop his mentality. Why go upper body with a guy whose strength is there? Go for a weak spot. Once someone has your ankle it is pretty hard to recover."

Making his second trip to a Midlands championship match, Backes will face Northwestern's Mike Tamillow. It is not the first meeting for Backes and Tamillow as they met early in Midlands competition in 2004 with Backes winning with an 11-7 decision. Both wrestlers have bumped up a weight class from last season, where they met on the mat at National Duals. Backes took a 7-5 decision.

Nick Gallick, the fifth-seed at 133-pounds, moved into the consolation quaterfinals with a 13-2 major decision over Penn's Andrew Gold. Gallick then scored a 1-0 victory over the eight-seed Corey Jantzen (Independent). The match went down to the wire, deadlocked 0-0, but a locked-hands call was all that was needed with two seconds remaining on the clock. Gallick put on an offensive show by recording a 15-0 technical fall of Northwestern's Eric Metzler. The 17-4 redshirt freshman will wrestle second-seeded Robbie Preston (Independent) for third place honors.

After suffering a 3-1 semi-final loss at the hands of Michigan State's Joe Williams at 184-pounds, Jake Varner will wrestle for third place. In consolation bracket action, the third seed handed the fifth seed Lous Caputo of Harvard a 5-3 defeat. Up next for the redshirt freshman will be the four seed, Christian Sinnott from Central Michigan.

At 141-pounds Mitch Mueller was downed by Iowa's Alex Tsirtsis in the semi-finals, 7-4. Moving into consolation bracket action, Mueller fell in a close match at the hands of intrastate rival, C.J. Ettleson of Northern Iowa, 5-4. For fifth-place, the Iowa City, Iowa, native squares off against the seventh-seed, Eric Kruger of Central Michigan.

Wrestling for fifth-place at 157-pounds will be Jason Knipp. He took a 4-3 opening consolation round decision over Victer Crenshaw of Cleveland State. Tied 2-2 in the final period against Northern Iowa's Colby Goetsch, Knipp tookdown the Panther with 13 seconds left to clinch a 4-2 victory. He will wrestle the eight seed, Brian Cobb (Road Runner WC) for fifth.

Wrapping up Midlands competition by placing seventh was Cyler Sanderson at 149-pounds. Wrestling unattached was true freshman Jonathan Reader who also placed seventh at 165-pounds

The 44th Midlands Championship will conclude Saturday night with the finals set to begin at 7:30 p.m. in Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Iowa State Wrestlers Fall to Minnesota, 19-13

AMES, Iowa - The fifth-ranked Cyclones kept it close, but were unable to knock off top-ranked Minnesota Friday night in Hilton Coliseum, falling 19-13. Four Iowa State wrestlers claimed victory, including All-American Kurt Backes at 197 pounds with a major decision. Also picking up wins for ISU were Nick Gallick at 133-pounds and Trent and Travis Paulson at 157- and 165-pounds, respectively. The Cyclones slipped to 2-2 in dual meet action, while the Gophers improved to 5-1.

"This team is learning," head coach Cael Sanderson said. "We need to work on finishing our moves and not focus on the scoreboard.  I believe in this team and each match will help us in the long run. We're counting on Backes to lead us as a senior should.  He went out and got some bonus points.  I thought this was a great experience for Varner.  We kept going for big moves in that match which is a freshman mistake.

Backes tallied the only team bonus points on the night with a 14-3 major decision over Yura Malamura. After starting out slow, Backes rallied to score a reversal, a takedown and a three-point nearfall in the second period to take 10-3 lead. Malamura was tagged for stalling twice in the third period, giving Backes three more points. Backes, a Neshanic Station, N.J. native, is now 10-1 in his senior campaign.

Putting the first points on the board for the Cyclones was redshirt freshman Nick Gallick at 133-pounds with a 5-2 victory over Minnesota's Mike Thorn. Within the first 10 seconds, Gallick scored a takedown to go up 2-0. Thorn evened the score at two with a reversal mid-way through the first period. Gallick, a Tucson, Ariz. native, was able to tack on two escapes, one in the second period and another in third giving him a 4-2 advantage. Adding 2:05 worth of riding time, Gallick won the match by a score of 5-2 and improves to 10-3 on the season.

At 157-pounds, two-time All-American Trent Paulson downed Tyler Safratowich, 5-3. After one period of action, Paulson held a 4-1 advantage on the Minnesota sophomore. An escape in the third period closed out the match and ultimately the victory. Paulson, who is the top-ranked wrestler at 157-pounds, pushes his record to 9-1.

"Coach Sanderson has been stressing to keep working to score all the time," Paulson said. "I think I wrestled better tonight than I did at Iowa.  The freshman on this team are going to keep getting better and we will be tougher as the season goes on."

Following up with another victory was Travis Paulson at 165 pounds as he blanked Jeremy Larson, 7-0. The third-ranked, two-time All-American Paulson took Larson down late in the first period. He carried that momentum into the second period as he scored a three-point nearfall, going up 5-0. Paulson capped off the match with an escape in the third and 1:57 worth of riding time, giving him the 7-0 decision.

Iowa State's wrestling team will return to action in Hilton Coliseum Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. as it will play host intrastate rival, Northern Iowa.

ISU's Trent Paulson Wins at NWCA All-Star Classic

DALLAS, Texas -- Iowa State two-time All-American Trent Paulson used an advantage in riding time to beat 2006 NCAA 157-pound runner up Brian Stith of Arizona State in the 157-pound wrestling bout of the 41st NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps Monday at the Dallas Convention Center Arena .
 
The match remained scoreless until the 10 seconds into the second period when Paulson started from the down position and was able to score an escape to go up 1-0. Stith was able to escape late in the third to tie it up at 1-1. Paulson held a 1:32 riding time advantage that ultimately earned him the 2-1 victory.
 
Both Paulson and Stith occupy a number one spot in various rankings. Paulson is ranked first by Amateur Wrestling News , while Stith is listed at number one by The Wrestling Mall, W.I.N. Magazine and InterMat/NWCA. Paulson and Stith had met once before with Paulson taking a 3-1 decision. Paulson now holds a 2-0 series against the two-time All-American from Arizona State .
 
It will not be long before the two meet again as the Cyclones play host to Arizona State Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.