U.S. Naval Academy Annapolis, MD

Navy Wrestling Picks Up Pair of Dual Victories

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - The Navy wrestling team snapped a three-match skid on Saturday by scoring a pair of dual victories on the road against North Carolina and Campbell. The Mids earned a 25-12 win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill to open the day's action before routing Campbell in Buies Creek in the nightcap. Navy now stand 5-6 on the year which has featured a 4-2 mark on the road.

"We competed hard in both matches today, but when you look back upon our performances we gave up too many points," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "Getting back out on the mat and getting a couple of wins certainly gives our guys some confidence, but we need to shore things up and wrestle to win. This next week is an important week as we prepare for the All-Academy Championship and there's no doubt Army and Air Force will be well prepared."

Four wrestlers closed out the day earning a pair of wins, including senior team captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) at 133 pounds. Kalil opened the day by producing an impressive 7-1 victory over UNC senior Brock LiVorio. The two previously squared off at the Southern Scuffle at the beginning of the month and Kalil squeaked out a 2-1 victory. Saturday's match was completely different as Kalil wrestled one of his better matches of the season. Meanwhile, he narrowly defeated Campbell's Joey Rizzolino to cap off the night in a 4-3 decision.

Kalil now stands 23-8 on the year and with his win over LiVorio became the 19th different wrestler in program history to join the 90-win club. He owns a 91-49 career record and is tied for 16th on Navy's all-time wins list. Meanwhile, Kalil is now 9-2 in dual matches this season.

Junior Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) also walked away with a 2-0 mark, which included a huge victory at 157 pounds in the Mids' win over North Carolina. Navy trailed 12-10 heading into Barnhisel's match, finding itself down 6-0 straight out of the gate when Zac Bennett pinned Navy's Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) at 197 pounds. Barnhisel not only gave the Mids the lead for good, he was able to pin the nation's 18th-ranked wrestler in the form of sophomore Corey Mock. For Barnhisel, it marked his second win over a ranked wrestler this season after dealing Oklahoma's Matt Lester, ranked 12th at the time, an 8-6 loss in early January.

"Bobby gave us a huge lift with a big, big win over the Mock kid and it definitely got the guys fired up," added Burnett. "Not only was it a big win in terms of turning the match in our direction, beating a ranked wrestler will pay off for him in the next RPI. On Friday night, Mock beat Kyle John from Maryland, 11-2, and John pinned Bobby a week ago. That tells you the quality of wrestler Mock is and how well Bobby performed."

Barnhisel completed his flawless night with an 11-9 victory over Campbell sophomore Nick Rex, 11-9.

Senior 184-pound Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) captured a 2-0 win over UNC's Thomas Ferguson to start the day and capped it off with a 14-6 major decision over John Merickel of Campbell at night. Ranked 13th nationally, Rebertus has won six of his last seven bouts, including four straight. He stands 22-9 on the year and is just five wins away from 100 wins, a feat just 10 other wrestlers at Navy have accomplished. Meanwhile, he is eight wins shy of reaching the 30-win mark for the third time in his career.

Finally, junior heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) looked back to form on Saturday, picking up a 9-0 major decision over UNC's Frank Abbondanza and following up with a 2-1 triumph over Joe Nolan. A triumph it was, as Miller gave up better than 30 pounds to Nolan who weighed in at 284.5 pounds. Miller has wins in five of his last six matches, including each of the last four.

"Danny had a good weekend of wrestling," said Burnett. "He stepped up and answered the call in the Carolina match after Paul was pinned. He got us a bonus point win and I couldn't ask much more out of him."

Three wrestlers - junior Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.), sophomore Joe Locksmith and freshman Peyton Walsh (Glen Allen, Va.) - turned in 1-0 marks. Bailey, who wrestled for just the second time since sitting out for nearly two months with a rib injury, turned in a solid 3-1 victory over the Tar Heels' Kyle Kiss but sat out in the evening bout.

"I thought Mason wrestled a controlled match and I also let him know that it was good to see him wrestle to win," said Burnett. "Last Sunday against (Scott) Winston, he was trying to control the match but was too conservative. He took a step in the right direction today."

Locksmith earned an opportunity to get back into the lineup and produced. The second-year standout from Kissimmee, Fla., dealt UNC's Jon Burns a 6-4 loss at 141 pounds.

"I felt like Joe needed a chance to get back on the mat and wrestle. I also thought his styled matched up against Burns a little better than Peyton (Walsh).

Speaking of Walsh, he took the mat in the nightcap where he picked up a 9-5 victory over Campbell's Mark Hartenstine.

Finally, 125-pound Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.), 149-pound Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) and 174-pound Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) pitched 1-1 marks for the Mids.

The Midshipmen will use the next week to prepare for the 18th-Annual All-Academy Championship which will be hosted by Air Force next Sunday. Last season Navy crowned five title winners while sending three others to championship bouts as the Mids claimed their 10th team title. Overall, Navy placed nine of its 10 wrestlers among the top three of last year's championship.

Navy 25, North Carolina 12
197 - Zac Bennett (NC) fall Paul Rands (NAVY), 1:34
Hwt - Dan Miller (NAVY) major dec Frank Abbondanza (NC), 9-0
125 - Brian Bokoski (NC) dec Tyler Sackett (NAVY), 6-4
133 - Aaron Kalil (NAVY) dec Brock LiVorio (NC), 7-1
141 - #20 Evan Henderson (NC) dec Dustin Haislip (NAVY), 6-2
149 - Joe Locksmith (NAVY) dec Jon Burns (NC), 6-4
157 - Bobby Barnhisel (NAVY) fall #18 Corey Mock (NC), 6:15
165 - Mason Bailey (NAVY) dec Kyle Kiss (NC), 3-1
174 - Peter Huntley (NAVY) dec Alex Utley (NC), 12-5
184 - #13 Luke Rebertus (NAVY) dec Thomas Ferguson (NC) , 2-0

Navy 23, Campbell 9
125 - Tyler Sackett (Navy) major dec Chance Credeur 9-1
133 - Aaron Kalil (Navy) dec Joey Rizzolino (CU) 4-3
141 - Dustin Haislip (Navy) dec Jordan Tolbert (CU) 9-5
149 - Peyton Walsh (Navy) dec Mark Hartenstine (CU) 9-5
157 - Bobby Barnhisel (Navy) dec Nick Rex (CU) 11-9
165 - Paul Duggan (CU) dec Mike Brant (Navy) 9-8
174 - James Cook (CU) dec Oscar Huntley (Navy) 9-8
184 - #13 Luke Rebertus (Navy) major dec John Merickel (CU) 14-6
197 - John Weakley (CU) dec Paul Rands (Navy) 13-6
285 - Dan Miller (Navy) dec Joe Nolan (CU) 2-1

Navy- Mids Come Up Short Against 24th-Ranked Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Navy wrestling team (3-6/1-2 EIWA) came up short in its quest to upset 24th-ranked Rutgers (12-3/5-1 EIWA) on Sunday afternoon at The RAC in Piscataway, N.J. thanks to a newly-implemented rule by the NCAA. Following a 4-1 victory by Navy heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) to knot the score at 19-19, the Scarlet Knights were awarded one point and the 20-19 victory by way of a 37-33 advantage in total match points.

The NCAA put into place this season criteria that would eliminate dual meets from ending in ties. In the case of Sunday's Navy-Rutgers battle, the referee was forced to award the decision by going to the third criterion after the first two were eliminated. The first is number of victories, however, both teams won five bouts. The second is combined falls and tech falls, however, once again each team had one pin and no tech falls. The third is all but a "sure thing" in the tie-breaking world, as total match points are used - meaning every point from every bout counts in the decision.

"It's frustrating," said 12th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, whose Midshipmen have lost each of their last three duals to nationally-ranked competition. "I feel bad that we lost, but a little more effort in each of our matches and we win. I believe that 100 percent. Bottom line, effort counts!"

The effort was certainly there in the first handful of matches for the Mids that saw senior 125-pound Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.) score a hard-fought 5-1 victory over two-time NCAA qualifier Joseph Langel. Since returning from a knee injury just two weeks ago, Sackett has put together a 3-1 record and stands 4-1 in duals this season.

"Tyler has done a nice job since getting back on the mat," said Burnett. "Today's win was impressive. Langel has had quite a bit of success during his career, so I chalk that up to a quality win for Tyler."

Navy pushed its advantage to 6-0 after senior team captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) put away Rutgers redshirt sophomore Vincent Dellefave, 4-2. Kalil, who fell out of the individual rankings this past Monday, recorded his 21st win of the season and is now just one win shy of joining Navy's 90-win club.

Rutgers, however, closed the gap when fifth-year senior Billy Ashnault dealt Navy senior Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) a 5-2 loss at 141 pounds. The Scarlet Knights then forged ahead of the Mids when rookie Anthony Perrotti pinned Navy's Peyton Walsh (Glen Allen, Va.) in 13 seconds to give Rutgers a 9-6 advantage in the match.

Navy junior 157-pound Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) stepped up in the next bout, as he answered with a pin of his own, flattening redshirt freshman Anthony Volpe at 2:38.

"Bobby really kept us in the match and gave the team a huge lift, emotionally and on the scoreboard," said Burnett.

The win was a credit to Barnhisel's focus and determination after getting pinned by Maryland's Kyle John just two days prior. Barnhisel, who is another Navy wrestler who is coming back from an early season injury, has won seven of his last nine matches and stands 4-4 in duals this season.

Navy's three-point lead was erased in the following match as ninth-ranked Scott Winston of Rutgers held Navy's Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) scoreless en route to a 2-0 victory at 165 pounds. Winston, who is now 15-3 this season including 9-0 in duals, is a two-time NCAA qualifier and the reigning EIWA Champion at 165 pounds. Bailey, meanwhile, has been out of commission since Dec. 2 when he suffered a rib injury.

"For having been out as long as what he has, Mason did a pretty good job. He was too conservative, though, and in a match against an accomplished wrestler like Winston, you've got to go all out."

Navy and Rutgers split the remaining four matches with 13th-ranked Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) scoring a 10-2 major decision over Rutgers juior Evan Brewer at 184 pounds and Miller picking up a 4-1 decision over fifth-year senior Daniel Hopkins.

"Our guys competed hard in a hostile environment and really didn't get any breaks," added Burnett. "I just think we've got to learn from our mistakes and push forward. I know our guys learned a valuable lesson today."

Navy will be back in action next Saturday when it travels to the state of North Carolina to face both North Carolina and Campbell. The Mids and Tar Heels are on tap for a 1:00 pm start in Chapel Hill, before Navy travels to Buies Creek, N.C. to battle Campbell at 7:00 pm.

Rutgers 20, Navy 19
(Rutgers wins via third criteria of most match points scored, 37-33)
125 - Tyler Sackett (N) dec Joseph Langel (R), 5-1
133 - Aaron Kalil (N) dec Vincent Dellefave (R), 4-2
141 - Billy Ashnault (R) dec Dustin Haislip (N), 5-2
149 - Anthony Perrotti (R) fall Peyton Walsh (N), 0:13
157 - Bobby Barnhisel (N) fall Anthony Volpe (R), 2:38
165 - #9 Scott Winston (R) dec Mason Bailey (N), 2-0
174 - #17 Greg Zannetti (R) major dec James Mannier (N), 16-6
184 - #13 Luke Rebertus (N) major Evan Brewer (R), 10-2
197 - Dan Rinaldi (R) dec Paul Rands (N), 8-2
285 - Dan Miller (N) dec Daniel Hopkins (R), 4-1

Navy- Thirteenth-Ranked Maryland Deals Navy Wrestling 23-12 Loss

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After trading victories over the first four matches, the 13th-ranked Maryland wrestling team won four of the final six bouts to secure a 23-12 victory over Navy Friday evening in front of better than 1,000 fans at Alumni Hall in Annapolis. A fall by Maryland senior Kyle John at 157 pounds helped spark the run by the Terps, as they pushed their record to 11-0 and the Mids dropped to 3-5.

"Our guys competed hard tonight and I feel good about that," said 12th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "I think we lost probably three matches because we didn't sprawl and as I've said before, you have to do the basic things to beat the good wrestlers. I can't say that we would have definitely won those matches, but we certainly would have put ourselves in a better position to win. It's something we can correct, we just have to keep working hard and there's no doubt these guys will.

"All that said, I think this is as good a Maryland team as I've seen in a long time," added Burnett. "Kerry is a phenomenal coach and has done a great job with that program. We gave it our best shot tonight, but came up short."

In the opening bout of the night, Maryland sophomore Shane Gentry, ranked 20th nationally, scored a three-point nearfall in the second period to turn the match in his favor, as he scored a 6-3 victory over Navy senior Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.) at 125 pounds. For Sackett, it was his first loss in the last four dual matches.

Senior team captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) was able to help the Mids pull even in the match by way of a 5-3 victory over 133-pound Geoffrey Alexander. Alexander scored the first points of the match with a takedown with 45 seconds left in the opening period. He rode Kalil for nearly the entire second period before Kalil was finally able to break free with 30 seconds left and then took the go-ahead point with a takedown with just four ticks left in the period. Alexander knotted the score at three apiece with 33 seconds left in the period, as Kalil drove down Alexander's riding time. Just three seconds after Alexander's escape, Kalil took Alexander to the mat and scored the match-winning takedown.

The Terps took a 7-3 lead in the match following a 10-2 major decision by Frank Goodwin at 141 pounds. Goodwin put together a pair of takedowns, a three-point nearfall and capped it off with better than three minutes of riding time to deal Navy sophomore Raymond Borja (Virginia Beach, Va.) his 10th loss of the season.

Navy was able to pull within one following freshman Peyton Walsh's (Glen Allen, Va.) 4-2 victory over Maryland sophomore Ben Dorsay at 149 pounds. Dorsay scored the initial takedown in the opening period, but Walsh quickly spun out of the hold and then scored the go-ahead takedown with just over a minute left in the period. Walsh tacked on a point for his escape to open the second period and that would be all he needed for his second dual victory of the season.

Maryland delivered a serious blow to the Mids at 157 pounds when junior Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) got out of position and was pinned just 1:36 into the match by the Terrapins' Kyle John. Barnhisel scored a quick takedown in the match before John wiggled free, but Barnhisel managed to get caught in a vulnerable position with John capitalizing. Along with Sackett, Barnhisel had given the Mids a lift over the last several matches, winning each of his three matches coming into Friday night's bout.

The John victory sparked a run of three-straight wins by the Terps before Navy senior Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) was able to temporarily shift the momentum the Mids' direction. Ranked 13th at 184 pounds, Rebertus used a pair of takedowns, an escape and riding time to hand Maryland sophomore Ty Snook an 8-3 loss, as he improved to 19-9 on the year, including 5-3 in dual competition.

The 197-pound match featured fifth-ranked Christian Boley of Maryland against unranked Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) of Navy. Rands came out with conviction in his match, jumping out to a 4-2 lead after the first period. A Rands escape pushed his lead to 5-2, but Boley rallied and put together a pair of takedowns and a two-point nearfall at the buzzer to take an 8-6 lead heading into the final period. Boley began the period down, earning the escape in just six seconds and tacked on a takedown to put the match out of reach. Boley, who improved to 24-1 on the year, dealt Rands an 11-7 loss.

Navy junior heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) took a 3-0 decision over Maryland's Dallas Brown in the final bout of the night. Miller scored points off a pair of escapes and was awarded his third point after Brown was twice called for stalling.

Navy will be back in action Sunday afternoon when it travels to New Jersey to take on 24th-ranked Rutgers. Action is set for 1:00 pm at the RAC.

Maryland 23, Navy 12
125 - #20 Shane Gentry (M) win by dec Tyler Sackett (N), 6-3
133 - Aaron Kalil (N) win by dec Geoffrey Alexander (M), 5-3
141 - Frank Goodwin (M) win by major dec Raymond Borja (N), 10-2
149 - Peyton Walsh (N) win by dec Ben Dorsay (M), 4-2
157 - Kyle John (M) win by fall Bobby Barnhisel (N), 1:36
165 - #2 Josh Asper (M) win by dec Mike Brant (N), 9-4
174 - #15 Jimmy Sheptock (M) win by major dec James Mannier (N), 12-2
184 - #13 Luke Rebertus (N) win by dec Ty Snook (M), 8-3
197 - #5 Christian Boley (M) win by dec Paul Rands (N), 11-7
HWT - Dan Miller (N) win by dec Dallas Brown (M), 3-0
Attendance: 1007

Navy Wrestling Suffers 28-6 Setback Against No. 15 Lehigh

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The 15-ranked Lehigh wrestling team (6-4/2-1 EIWA) won eight of the 10 bouts, including each of the evening's first three matches, to hand Navy (3-4/1-1 EIWA) a 28-6 loss Saturday night at Grace Hall in Bethlehem, Pa. Four of the bouts were decided by two points or less, including three matches that went in favor of the Mountain Hawks.

"We had several close matches again tonight," said 12th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "There were some guys that did not put forth their best effort tonight and when you wrestle a good team like Lehigh, you have to give your best effort. I felt like we had some guys who were intimidated inside the arena and it showed. If you don't do the little things right like sprawling, controlling the tie up, simple fighting, then the outcome is not going to be what you had hoped for."

The competition began at 184 pounds in what was deemed to be the most anticipated matchup of the night, featuring fourth-ranked Robert Hamlin of Lehigh against 13th-ranked Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) of Navy. Hamlin, who dropped a 5-4 decision to Rebertus in last year's dual match in Annapolis, avenged his loss by capturing a 6-2 decision over Rebertus. Hamlin opened up the match with a takedown and sealed the victory with a late takedown.

The Mountain Hawks pushed their lead to 9-0 with consecutive wins at 197 and 285 pounds. Lehigh senior Kadeem Samuels used three first-period takedowns to deal Navy newcomer Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) an 11-6 loss, while third-ranked and defending National Champion Zach Rey of Lehigh managed to outlast Navy junior Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) in the heavyweight bout, 3-1, thanks to a takedown in the opening period.

The Mids finally got on the scoreboard thanks to a 7-5 decision by senior Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.) at 125 pounds. Sackett, who has battled a knee injury throughout the season, returned to the mat Friday night against East Stroudsburg, scoring a fall in the evening's first bout. On Saturday, he earned a hard-fought 7-5 victory over junior Alex Abreu.

Lehigh went on to win the next three matches, which included a disappointing loss by Navy senior captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) at 133 pounds. Kalil, who is ranked 19th nationally, suffered a 6-5 loss at the hands of Lehigh rookie Mason Beckman in the first tie breaker. Kalil scored first and led 2-1 after one period. A Beckman escape in the second knotted the match at two. In the third period, Kalil escaped and then took a 5-2 lead with a takedown, but Beckman rallied to escape and was able to work his way into the tying takedown at the edge of the mat just before the end of regulation. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Beckman rode out Kalil in the first 30 second tiebreaker, and was able get free for an escape in the final three seconds of the second 30 second period to take the win.

Navy earned its second win of the night at 157 pounds when junior Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) shut out Lehigh senior Brian Tanen, 7-0. Like Sackett, Barnhisel had missed a good portion of the season with a knee injury but returned to competition a week ago when he upset then 12th-ranked Matt Lester of Oklahoma. Barnhisel has now won three-straight duals and six of his last seven matches of the season.

Lehigh, meanwhile, sealed the victory by taking wins at the final two weight classes, including another close match which saw freshman Nate Brown edging the Mids' Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.), 4-3 at 174 pounds. Brown scored a first period takedown and added escapes in the second and third periods.

While Navy narrowly leads the Mountain Hawks with a 47-45 series advantage, the Mids have now lost eight straight to Lehigh on its home mat.

"Hopefully we can bounce back and get things turned around. We've got to get over the hump and win some of these close matches. Momentum is a funny thing, a win here or there can make all the difference in a match."

Navy will be back in action next Friday when it plays host to the neighboring Maryland Terrapins, who are ranked 14th nationally. Action is slated for a 7:30 pm start at Alumni Hall.

Lehigh 28, Navy 6
184 - #4 Robert Hamlin (L) dec. #13 Luke Rebertus, 6-2
197 - Kadeem Samuels (L) dec. Paul Rands, 11-6
285 - #3 Zach Rey (L) dec. Dan Miller, 3-1
125 - Tyler Sackett (N) dec. Alex Abreu, 7-5
133 - Mason Beckman (L) dec. #19 Aaron Kalil, 6-5, t.b.
141 - #17 Steve Dutton (L) major dec. Raymond Borja, 12-3
149 - Shane Welsh (L) dec. Peyton Walsh, 10-5
157 - Bobby Barnhisel (N) dec. Brian Tanen, 7-0
165 - Sean Bilodeau (L) Fall Mike Brant, 3:36
174 - Nate Brown (L) dec. Oscar Huntley, 4-3
Attendance - 1,433

Navy Grapplers Rout East Stroudsburg, 43-6

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Winning nine of the 10 bouts, including four by fall, the Navy wrestling team dealt East Stroudsburg a crushing 43-6 loss Friday evening at Koehler Fieldhouse in East Stroudsburg, Pa. Navy, who evened its dual record at 3-3, has won all 15 matches against the Warriors.

The 37-point victory marked the largest margin of victory by the Midshipmen since defeating Rutgers, 42-0, on Dec. 1, 2006, while the 43 points scored by Navy were the most since cruising to a 48-0 victory over Delaware State on Feb. 12, 2005. The 37-point margin of victory, however, is not the largest margin of victory in the series, as Navy posted a 41-3 (38 point) win against the Warriors on Dec. 8, 2001.

"Everybody looked pretty strong tonight and I was happy to see some of the guys who have been out this season with injuries able to get back onto the mat tonight and wrestle," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett

The match opened with three-straight pins, including two by the Midshipmen. After reinjuring his knee right before the holiday break, senior 125-pound Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.) returned to action on Friday evening where he wasted little time in in picking up his second win of the season in what marked just his fourth bout of the year. Sackett pinned rookie Zach Jones at 1:03 in the match to give the Mids a 6-0 lead.

Navy doubled up its lead in the following match when senior team captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) won by fall over East Stroudsburg frosh Chris Davis at 1:10. For Kalil, it was his 87th-career win which put him in a three-way tie for 21st on the Mids' all-time career wins list alongside Justin Woodruff (1997-00) and Brett Bourne (1988-91).

The Warriors sliced Navy's lead in half when Adam Hluschak, who was ranked fourth in Div. III a week ago, was able to get Navy senior 141-pound Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) on his back for a pin at 2:31. Haislip has also been haunted by injuries this season, making his first appearance of the year on Friday evening at Koehler Fieldhouse.

"Dustin was wrestling pretty well when he made a mistake and got himself out of position and into a cement job," added Burnett. "This is the first match he's wrestled all year. Things happen in the sport of wrestling, but I have confidence in him that he'll learn from it and will be just fine."

Navy, though, would push its lead back to 12 when rookie Peyton Walsh (Glen Allen, Va.) was awarded the victory by an East Stroudsburg forfeit at 149 pounds. It would be the first of seven-consecutive victories by the Midshipmen.

Fresh off his huge upset over Oklahoma's Matt Lester a week ago, junior 157-pound Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) had to scrap for his win over ESU's Braden Turner. Barnhisel, who is now 8-7 on the year, edged the redshirt sophomore, 6-4.

Making his first appearance since the season-opening Eastern Michigan Open, senior Mike Brant (Johnstown, Pa.) returned to the mat Friday evening at 165 pounds where he dealt ESU senior Thad Frick an 8-2 loss. Like Sackett and Haislip, Brant has been limited this season battling injuries. Now 3-2 on the year, Brant earned his first dual victory in what was his first dual appearance.

At 174 pounds, Navy junior Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) claimed his fifth dual victory of the year by taking a major decision over the Warriors' Tony Vorndran, 12-2. Ironically, four of Huntley's five dual victories this season have come by way of major decision.

Navy won its next two matches via fall, as 13th-ranked Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) pinned winless Will Esposito at 2:02 and newcomer Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) picked up his third win by fall this season at 2:23 against Zachary Koller. Rebertus, who is now 4-2 on the year in duals, pushed his career record to 91-32 which puts him in a three-way tie for 15th on the Mids' all-time wins list along the late Doug Zembiec (1992-95) and Sam Gray (2002-05).

In the final bout of the night, Navy junior heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) rebounded from his tough loss a week to earn an 8-1 victory over redshirt junior Joe Blaes to give the Mids a 43-6 win.

The Midshipmen will be back in action Saturday evening when they travel to Bethlehem, Pa. for a 7:00 pm match against 15th-ranked Lehigh. The Mids upset the then 12th-ranked Mountain Hawks in Annapolis a year ago with behind a 19-15 victory.

"Tomorrow night's match is a big one for us," said Burnett. "We need each and every Navy wrestler to bring his best to the mat."

Navy 43, East Stroudsburg 6
125 - Tyler Sackett (N) pinned Zach Jones, 1:03 6-0
133 - #19 Aaron Kalil (N) pinned Chris Davis, 1:10 12-0
141 - Adam Hluschak (ESU) pinned Dustin Haislip, 2:31 12-6
149 - Peyton Walsh (N) wins by forfeit 18-6
157 - Bobby Barnhisel (N) dec. Braden Turner, 6-4 21-6
165 - Mike Brant (N) dec. Thad Frick, 8-2 24-6
174 - Oscar Huntley (N) maj. dec. Tony Vorndran, 12-2 28-6
184 - #13 Luke Rebertus (N) pinned Will Esposito, 2:02 34-6
197 - Paul Rands (N) pinned Zachary Koller, 2:23 40-6
285 - Dan Miller (N) dec. Joe Blaes, 8-1 43-6

Navy Wrestlers Back on the Mat Friday and Saturday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team (2-3) returns to action this weekend with a pair of duals on the road, beginning with a 7:00 pm battle on Friday evening at East Stroudsburg. The Mids will make the short trip to Bethlehem, Pa. on Saturday where they will face 15th-ranked Lehigh at 7:00 pm.

Live results will be available for Friday evening's match at East Stroudsburg via the following link: http://esuwarriors.com/news/2012/1/12/WREST_011212.aspx(.)

Meanwhile, Lehigh will provide a live audio and video stream via its web site at www.Lehighsports.com(.)

The Mids are coming off a tough 26-10 loss against ninth-ranked Oklahoma a week ago in Annapolis. Similar to the 2010 match, Navy won three of the first five bouts and built a 10-6 advantage, but the Sooners secured wins in each of the last five matches to squelch Navy's hopes of an upset victory.

Of the seven matches Navy dropped, four were decided by four points or fewer including a one-point decision that went against newcomer Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) at 197 pounds and a two-point loss by team captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) against 11th-ranked Jordan Keller at 133 pounds. Meanwhile, five of the seven losses were against wrestlers ranked in the top 20, including No. 1-ranked Kendric Maple at 141 pounds.

Navy's three victories brought the fans to their feet, including junior Bobby Barnhisel's (River Forest, Ill.) upset victory over 12th-ranked Matt Lester at 157 pounds. Barnhisel, who in the last two weeks has gotten back on the mat after suffering a knee injury in mid-November, struck quickly as he took Lester down just 10 seconds into the match and pushed his lead to 5-0 with a three-point nearfall. Although Lester would rally in the final period and a late takedown with 15 seconds remaining would clip Barnhisel's lead to just one, the Navy junior posted an escape with two seconds remaining to earn an 8-6 victory over Lester.

And in one of the most anticipated matchups of the evening, the 184-pound weight class was as exciting as last year's bout in which Navy's Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) won in a tie breaker. With OU's Erich Schmidtke, ranked 20th nationally, holding a 2-1 lead with time running out, Rebertus scored a takedown with 11 seconds left and tacked on a two-point nearfall with one tick left on the clock to go ahead, 5-3. Schmidtke was awarded an escape at the horn, but Rebertus claimed the 5-4 victory.

Meanwhile junior Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) picked up a major decision at 174 pounds, using three third-period takedowns, including one with five seconds left, to earn a 12-4 victory over Nolan McBryde.

Kalil and Rebertus have been the backbone for what is a very young Navy wrestling team. Rebertus has put together a 17-8 record, including a 3-2 dual mark, while Kalil suffered his first dual loss of the season last week, as he owns a 4-1 dual record to bolster his 18-7 overall mark.

Huntley has been solid throughout the season and he will take a 4-1 dual record into the weekend.

The East Stroudsburg Warriors are off to a 3-4 start to the season, picking up wins over Wilkes (23-14), Sacred Heart (41-9) and Seton Hill (22-19), while dropping bouts to George Mason (23-20), Bloomsburg (41-4), Pittsburgh-Johnstown (25-15) and Mercyhurst (33-14). Friday night's bout against Navy marks the Warriors' first compeition since the Wilkes Open on Dec. 28. The Midshipmen own a 14-0 record against East Stroudsburg with the two teams competing against one another in each of the last six years.

Meanwhile, the 15th-ranked Mountain Hawks enter the weekend with a 5-4 record, taking wins over Clarion (27-12), North Carolina (27-17), Arizona State (24-10), Purdue (32-9) and Penn (21-15). Their losses have been at the hands of No. 17 Pitt (18-16), No. 7 Illinois (22-18), No. 5 Penn State (24-12) and No. 4 Cornell (24-12).

Five of the Mountain Hawks' 10-man lineup is ranked among the nation's top 20, however 165-pound Brandon Hatchett (No. 11) and 197-pound Joe Kennedy (No. 10) are not expected to wrestle. Meanwhile, No. 4 Robert Hamlin will face Navy's Rebertus, ranked 13th, at 184 pounds, while third-ranked Zach Rey will square off against Navy junior Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) at heavyweight.

The Midshipmen hold a slight 47-44 series advantage, which featured a spectacular victory by Navy a year ago. A major decision by Navy Kalil at 125 pounds sealed the win for the Mids, as they captured a 19-15 over 12th-ranked Lehigh Halsey Field House in Annapolis. The Mountain Hawks came into the match having won 13 of the last 14 matches in the series with the Mids' last win over Lehigh coming on Jan. 13, 2007, in Annapolis.

Projected Navy Lineup
* 125 - Patrick Prada - Fr., Laurel, Md. (3-12 / 0-4) -OR- Tyler Sackett - Sr., Omaha, Neb. (1-2 / 1-0)
* 133 - #19 Aaron Kalil - Jr., Salem, N.H. (18-7 / 4-1) -OR- Colton Rasche, Fr., Plano, Ill. (3-1 / 0-0)
* 141 - Raymond Borja - So., Virginia Beach, Va. (7-8 / 0-2) -OR- Dustin Haislip - Sr., Inwood, W.Va. (0-0 / 0-0)
* 149 - Peyton Walsh - Fr., Glen Allen, Va. (7-6 / 0-1) -OR- Joe Locksmith - So., Kissimmee, Fla. (7-9 / 1-3)
* 157 - Bobby Barnhisel - Jr., River Forest, Ill. (7-7 / 1-3) -OR- Zach Basich - Jr., Wheeling, W.Va. (10-4 / 1-0)
* 165 - Matt Jackson - Jr., Rising Sun, Md. (5-6 / 0-1) -OR- Mike Brant - Sr., Johnstown, Pa. (2-2 / 0-0)
* 174 - Oscar Huntley - Jr., Stafford, Va. (13-6 / 4-1) -OR- James Mannier - So., Troy, Ohio (13-8 / 0-0)
* 184 - #13 Luke Rebertus - Sr., Gloucester, Va. (17-8 / 3-2)
* 197 - Paul Rands - Fr./So., Cary, Ill. (9-12 / 1-4)
* 285 - Dan Miller - Jr., Berlin, Md. (7-7 / 3-2) -OR- Ben Hatef - Jr., Bowie, Md.
Projected East Stroudsburg Lineup
* 125 - Zach Jones - Fr., Waymart, N.J. (4-9 / 2-5)
* 133 - Chris Davis - Fr., Voorhees, N.J. (2-13 / 0-7)
* 141 - Adam Hluschak - R-Sr., Slatington, Pa. (17-6 / 5-2)
* 149 - Andrew Ritchie - R-Sr., Nazareth, Pa. (9-9 / 2-5)
* 157 - Braden Turner - R-So., Bath, Pa. (14-7 / 5-2)
* 165 - Thad Frick - R-Sr., Nazareth, Pa. (16-4 / 6-1)
* 174 - Tony Vorndran - Jr., Millville, N.J. (1-8 / 1-1)
* 184 - James Gonzalez - Sr., Tobyhanna, Pa. (5-5 / 2-3) -OR- Will Esposito, R-So., New Milford, N.J. (0-3 / 0-2)
* 197 - Zachary Koller - Fr., Dauphin, Pa. (1-3 / 1-1)
* 285 - Joe Blaes, R-Jr., Scotch Plains, N.J. (1-8 / 1-4)
Projected Lehigh Lineup
* 125 - Alex Abreu - Jr., Highlands Ranch, Colo. (0-6 / 0-5)
* 133 - Mason Beckman - Fr., Greenville, Pa. (11-6 / 5-4)
* 141 - #17 Steve Dutton - So., Miller Place, N.Y. (7-3 / 2-1)
* 149 - Anthony Salupo - So./Fr. Lakewood, Ohio (11-7 / 1-3) or Shane Welsh - Sr./Jr., Lower Burrell, Pa. (15-5 / 1-1)
* 157 - Brian Tanen - Sr., Harleysville, Pa. (3-5 / 3-3)
* 165 - Sean Bilodeau - Sr., Harvard, Mass. (5-1 / 1-1)
* 174 - Nate Brown - Fr., Lewisburg, Pa. (9-4 / 21-13) or Kevin Bailey - Sr./Jr., Chagrin Falls, Ohio (0-1 / 0-0)
* 184 - #4 Robert Hamlin - Sr./Jr., Jonesville, Vt. (15-1 / 10-1)
* 197 - Kadeem Samuels - Sr., Bronx, N.Y. (8-7 / 1-1)
* 285 - #3 Zach Rey - Sr., Hopatcong, N.J. (8-1 / 8-1)

Navy- Ninth-Ranked Oklahoma Eases Past Mids, 26-10

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Despite winning three of the first five matches and building a 10-6 advantage, the Navy wrestling team (2-3) dropped a 26-10 decision to ninth-ranked Oklahoma (4-2) in front of a raucous crowd at Wesley Brown Field House in Annapolis Saturday evening. It was the first dual meet held in the facility which was built in 2008 and was named for the first African American to graduate from the school, retired Lt. Cmdr. Wesley A. Brown.

"I knew we would be a little tired out there tonight because I worked them pretty hard this week, but overall I thought we competed hard," said 12th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, whose Mids competed in the Southern Scuffle this past Sunday and Monday and did not get back to the Academy until late Tuesday evening.

"I think we let at least two matches get away from us. I think we panicked a little. But, when you wrestle the great teams they will exploit your weaknesses. The flip side of that is that you can see what those weaknesses are and work on fixing them. A perfect example of that is Bobby Barnhisel who did not make the mistakes tonight that he did early in the year. We dropped the match, but we gained a great deal by wrestling Oklahoma."

The Sooners picked up the first win of the evening, as 10th-ranked 149-pound Nick Lester scored a hard-fought 11-7 victory over Navy rookie Peyton Walsh (Glen Allen, Va.) in what was Walsh's first dual action of his collegiate career. Lester led Walsh 9-4 with under 30 seconds to go in the match, however, Walsh was able to score the escape and get a takedown in the final 16 seconds to close to within two. Lester was awarded an escape with four seconds remaining and gained another point with more than a minute riding time.

Navy junior Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) gave the Mids a much-needed boost in the following bout, as he scored a huge upset over 12th-ranked Matt Lester at 157 pounds. Barnhisel, who in the last week has gotten back on the mat after suffering a knee injury in mid-November, struck quickly as he took Lester down just 10 seconds into the match and pushed his lead to 5-0 with a three-point nearfall. Although Lester would rally in the final period and a late takedown with 15 seconds remaining would clip Barnhisel's lead to just one, the Navy junior posted an escape with two seconds remaining to earn an 8-6 victory over Lester.

"Bobby competes hard all of the time, so that really wasn't a surprise tonight," said Burnett. "He wrestled with great intensity and energy, but again he was able to learn from previous mistakes and earn a great win tonight.

Hometown favorite Bubby Graham of Oklahoma put the Sooners back on top thanks to a 12-5 victory over Matt Jackson (Rising Sun, Md.), who gave a valiant effort. The Mids have been riddled with injuries at that weight class and Jackson, normally a 157-pounder, stepped in to meet the challenge. Graham, an Annapolis High School graduate, wrestled his first two seasons at American before following head coach Mark Cody to Oklahoma this season.

The Mids took their first lead in the match following a major decision by junior Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) at 174 pounds. Huntley's takedown with 35 seconds remaining in the second period gave him the lead for good, however, he used three third-period takedowns, including one with five seconds left, to earn a 12-4 victory and put the Mids up, 7-6.

In one of the most anticipated matchups of the evening, the 184-pound weight class was as exciting as last year's bout in which Navy's Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) won in a tie breaker. OU's Erich Schmidtke, ranked 20th nationally, took a 2-0 advantage with a takedown late in the first period. Schmidtke rode Rebertus out for a good portion of the second period before the two-time NCAA qualifier was finally able to score the point for an escape. Rebertus turned the table on Schmidtke in the third period, as Rebertus was able to run Schmidtke's one-plus minute of riding time down. Rebertus, however, needed to make something happen as time was running out and Schmidtke held a 2-1 lead. The nation's 14th-ranked wrestler did just that, scoring the takedown with 11 seconds left and tacking on a two-point nearfall with one tick left on the clock to go ahead, 5-3. Schmidtke was awarded an escape at the horn, but Rebertus was rewarded for his hard work with a 5-4 victory to push the Mids' lead to 10-6.

"If you want to take about competing hard until the final horn, Luke was a great example of that," said Burnett. "He was definitely tired from our workouts this week, but I was proud of the fact that he found a way to get it done. Finishing is important in this sport."

It appeared Navy would extend its lead in the following match as newcomer Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) held a 4-3 advantage over OU's Keldrick Hall with under 20 seconds to go. Although Hall looked exhausted, he had enough in the tank to take one final shot and score the match-winning takedown with just six seconds left in the match to earned a 5-4 decision.

Sophomore heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) made a costly error late in the opening period which resulted in a takedown by OU's Kyle Colling, dramatically changing the match. Miller looked as though he would score the takedown over Colling, however, Miller's momentum put him on his back as Colling secured the takedown. Colling used that momentum to open the second period, earning a three-point nearfall en route to an 11-2 victory.

Eighth-ranked Jarrod Patterson overpowered Navy rookie Patrick Prada at 125 pounds, as Patterson utilized five takedowns and better than three minutes of riding time to deliver a 12-4 loss to Prada.

Navy senior captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) battled 11th-ranked Jordan Keller of OU at 133 pounds in what was another stellar matchup. After a scoreless first two periods which included Keller riding Kalil out the entire second period, Keller picked up the first point on an escape to open the third. Kalil took the lead, however, with a takedown with 1:13 to go in the match and was working on whittling down the riding time when Keller was able to score the reversal to take a 3-2 lead. Twentieth-ranked Kalil battled the remaining minute, but was unable to work is way free, as Keller picked up the 4-2 win with riding time.

The final bout of the night featured the nation's top-ranked 141-pound wrestler, Oklahoma's Kendric Maple, against Navy sophomore Raymond Borja (Virginia Beach, Va.). Maple spent the majority of the first two periods riding Borja out and nearly pinned the Navy youngster in the second with a three-point nearfall. Maple toyed with Borja throughout the third period, playing cat and mouse, as he recorded four takedowns before finally pinning Borja at 6:29 (12-3 score).

"Peyton (Walsh), Paul (Rands) and Dan (Miller) all came up short tonight, but they put forth a great effort. There were a few technical errors that were made that can be fixed, but they were in it to win it."

The Midshipmen will be back in action next Friday when they travel to East Stroudsburg for a 7:00 pm match and then will face Lehigh on Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa. at 7:00 pm.

Oklahoma 26, Navy 10
149 - #10 Nick Lester (OU) dec. Peyton Walsh (N), 11-7 0-3
157 - Bobby Barnhisel (N) dec. #12 Matt Lester (OU), 8-6 3-3
165 - #20 Bubby Graham (OU) dec. Matt Jackson (N), 12-5 3-6
174 - Oscar Huntley (N) major Nolan McBryde (OU), 12-4 7-6
184 - #14 Luke Rebertus (N) dec. #20 Erich Schmidtke (OU), 5-4 10-6
197 - Keldrick Hall (OU) dec. Paul Rands (N), 5-4 10-9
285 - Kyle Colling (OU) major Dan Miller (N), 11-2 10-13
125 - #8 Jarrod Patterson (OU) major Patrick Prada (N), 12-4 10-17
133 -#11 Jordan Keller (OU) dec. #20 Aaron Kalil (N), 4-2 10-20
141 - #1 Kendric Maple (OU) fall Raymond Borja (N), 6:29 10-26
Exhibition - Marcus Armato (OU) dec. James Mannier (N), 6-5

Navy Wrestlers Set to Battle No. 9 Oklahoma Saturday in Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team returns to action on Saturday evening (7:30 pm) when it plays host to the ninth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners at Wesley Brown Field House. While Navy owns a 2-2 mark in dual meets this season, Saturday's battle will be the first home dual of the 2011-12 campaign for the Mids. Meanwhile the Sooners are 3-2 this season and are coming off a surprising 18-17 loss to 18th-ranked Wyoming this past Tuesday in Laramie, Wyo.

As the Mids now turn their attention to dual portion of their season, Navy will not only face Oklahoma this weekend, but will battle East Stroudsburg, No. 12 Lehigh, No. 13 Maryland, No. 20 Rutgers, North Carolina and Campbell during the month of January.

The Midshipmen are fresh off an 11th-place finish (out of 22 teams) at the prestigious Southern Scuffle held this past week at UT Chattanooga where 50-plus nationally-ranked wrestlers were in action. Two-time NCAA qualifiers and nationally-ranked Navy seniors Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) and Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) both placed sixth in the event at their respective weight classes.

Although Kalil wrestled well at the Scuffle and was a placewinner, he dropped back two spots in this week's Intermat poll from 18th to 20th. He has amassed an 18-6 record this season which includes a flawless 4-0 record in dual competition. While he stands 23rd in Navy's all-time wins record book with 86, he will be challenged Saturday evening by 11th-ranked Jordan Keller who has put together an 11-3 record to date.

Rebertus wrestled in the toughest weight class at the Scuffle, 184 pounds, and despite a sixth-place finish, he did push up one position in the rankings from 15th to 14th. One of the reasons was an impressive win over eighth-ranked Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota at the Scuffle. Rebertus, who owns a 2-2 record in dual action this season, will meet 20th-ranked Erich Schmidtke of Oklahoma (10-5) on Saturday evening. The two wrestlers have a history, meeting twice last year, first at the Reno Tournament of Champions and then in a dual meet.

Last year's dual between the two featured plenty of sparring, but not much scoring. The opening period ended 0-0 and each wrestler produced an escape to start the second and third periods, respectfully, sending the match into overtime. After a one-minute sudden victory period, neither wrestler had scored, pushing the match into a 30-second tiebreaker. Schmidtke chose the down position, but Rebertus was relentless in keeping his ankle clinched and did not allow Schmidtke to break the hold, setting up a second 30-second tiebreaker with Rebertus in the down position. With under 10 seconds remaining, Rebertus was able to reverse the hold to take a 3-1 lead before Schmidtke escaped to trim the lead to one. But it was all Rebertus needed to avenge an earlier loss to Schmidtke at the Reno Tournament of Champions in December, as Rebertus claimed a 3-2 decision.

Rebertus is tied for 18th on the Mids' all-time career wins list with 89 alongside 2002 graduate Mike Bigrigg. A win Saturday night would make him just the 18th wrestler in school history to reach the 90-win milestone.

Junior Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) was one of three Navy wrestlers to score wins over OU a year ago as he picked up a 5-3 victory over OU's Jeff James a year ago. This year he is expected to face redshirt sophomore Nolan McBryde, who has a 3-8 overall mark and is 0-7 in dual action.

Oklahoma will put seven wrestlers on the mat who are currently ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight classes., including three in the top 10 In addition to the previously named 133 and 184-pounders, the Sooners will be represented by eighth-ranked Jarrod Patterson at 125 pounds, top-ranked Kendric Maple at 141 pounds, 10th-ranked Nick Lester at 149 pounds, 12th-ranked Matt Lester at 157 pounds and 20th-ranked Patrick "Bubby" Graham at 165 pounds. Graham's name should ring familiar to local wrestling fans, as the redshirt junior is an Annapolis High School graduate who wrestled his first two seasons for Mark Cody at American before following Cody to Oklahoma this year.

"Oklahoma is one of the powerhouses in wrestling and that's exactly why we scheduled them," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We need to figure out how we compare with the nation's elite wrestlers and that's exactly what we are going to do on Saturday night. It gives us the chance to evaluate where we are and with two-and-a-half months left in the season, what we need to do to get our guys on the podium at the NCAA Championship.

"There's no doubt our guys will compete ... it's Oklahoma! I expect our guys to give everything they've got in the tank for seven minutes on Saturday."

Admission to Saturday night's match is $7 for adults and $5 for students (18 & under). As a reminder, fans are encouraged to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and ride the shuttle over to the Naval Academy grounds. Access to the grounds is limited to those cars with a Department of Defense sticker.

Promotions

* Camper Reunion - Campers receive free admission by wearing their Navy Wrestling camp t-shirt. Campers can enter at the match to win a free session of camp for the 2011 summer.

* NFCU Night - All NFCU members receive the group ticket rate by showing their NFCU debit card or checks.

* Chamber of Commerce Night - All members of the Annapolis Chamber of Commerce are invited to attend this match for $10. This price includes the ticket, a hot dog, a Coca-cola product, and an autographed team poster.

* YMCA Night - All members of the YMCA receive $3 tickets by showing their membership card.

* Faculty and Staff Night - All USNA Faculty and Staff are invited to attend this match. Each person receives 2 tickets and they can be picked-up at the match.

Projected Navy Lineup
* 125 - Patrick Prada - Fr., Laurel, Md. (3-11 / 0-3) -OR- Tyler Sackett - Sr., Omaha, Neb. (1-2 / 1-0)
* 133 - #20 Aaron Kalil - Jr., Salem, N.H. (18-6 / 4-0)
* 141 - Raymond Borja - So., Virginia Beach, Va. (7-7 / 0-1) -OR- Dustin Haislip - Sr., Inwood, W.Va. (0-0 / 0-0)
* 149 - Joe Locksmith - So., Kissimmee, Fla. (7-9 / 1-3) -OR- Peyton Walsh - Fr., Glen Allen, Va. (7-5 / 0-0)
* 157 - Bobby Barnhisel - Jr., River Forest, Ill. (6-7 / 0-3) -OR- Zach Basich - Jr., Wheeling, W.Va. (10-4 / 1-0)
* 165 - Matt Jackson - Jr., Rising Sun, Md. (5-5 / 0-0) -OR- Mike Brant - Sr., Johnstown, Pa. (2-2 / 0-0)
* 174 - Oscar Huntley - Jr., Stafford, Va. (12-6 / 3-1) -OR- James Mannier - So., Troy, Ohio (13-8 / 0-0)
* 184 - #14 Luke Rebertus - Sr., Gloucester, Va. (16-8 / 2-2)
* 197 - Paul Rands - Fr./So., Cary, Ill. (9-11 / 1-3)
* 285 - Dan Miller - Jr., Berlin, Md. (7-6 / 3-1)

Projected Oklahoma Lineup
* 125 - #8 Jarrod Patterson - Jr., Cushing, Okla. (12-3 / 4-1)
* 133 - #11 Jordan Keller - Sr., Wichita, Kan. (11-3 / 3-1)
* 141 - #1 Kendric Maple - RSo., Wichita, Kan. (14-0 / 5-0)
* 149 - #10 Nick Lester - RSo., Eureka, Mo. (12-4 / 4-2)
* 157 - #12 Matt Lester - RSo., St. Louis, Mo. (11-3 / 4-1)
* 165 - #20 Bubby Graham - RJr., Annapolis, Md. (7-8 / 2-3)
* 174 - Nolan McBryde - RSo., Eagle River, Alaska (3-8 / 0-7)
* 184 - #20 Erich Schmidtke - RJr., Aberdeen, Wash. (10-5 / 2-3)
* 197 - Keldrick Hall - RJr., Dallas, Texas (9-6 / 2-2)
* 285 - Kyle Colling - RFr., Arcade, N.Y. (7-5 / 1-1)

Navy- Kalil and Rebertus Guide Mids to 11th-Place Showing at Southern Scuffle

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Seniors Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) and Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) both placed sixth in their respective weight classes to lead the Navy wrestling team to an 11th-place finish at the 2012 Southern Scuffle on Monday at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Fifth-ranked Penn State and third-ranked Minnesota were clearly the two best teams in the field as the Nittany Lions took the team title with 191.5 points and four individual winners, while Minnesota was second with 177.5 points and three individual champions. Eleventh-ranked Missouri placed third (136.0 pts), followed by #4 Cornell (130.0) and #16 Oregon State (103.0).

Meanwhile, Navy began the day in 11th place and was able to hold steady thanks to the performances of Kalil and Rebertus. The Mids amassed 49.5 points, edging 12th-place North Carolina by just a half a point, while Navy finished 7.5 points behind 10th-place Ohio.

Navy opened the day with five wrestlers in action, however, three of the five were eliminated following their opening match of the day. Junior 157-pound Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.), who has been out of action for better than a month with a knee injury, dropped a tough 10-7 decision to UT Chattanooga's Daniel Waddell.

Second-year 174-pound James Mannier (Troy, Ohio) had a tough draw on Monday, facing seventh-ranked Dorian Henderson of Missouri who defeated Mannier, 8-3. Henderson went on to place fifth.

Meanwhile, newcomer Paul Rands' (Cary, Ill.) first appearance at the Southern Scuffle was cut short by Minnesota's Scott Schiller by way of an 11-7 loss at 197 pounds. Schiller placed fifth in the tournament.

"Paul and James both looked strong throughout the tournament and I saw some good things out of Bobby especially after being off the mat for the length of time that he was," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett.

Kalil, who is ranked 18th at 133 pounds by Intermat, opened the day with a 12-3 major decision over Brett Boston of Appalachian State and followed up by pinning Cleveland State's Nick Flannery at 2:15 to set up a consolation semifinals bout against fifth-ranked David Thorn of Minnesota. Kalil kept it close, but was unable to knock off the Gopher in a 5-3 loss. The Navy senior went on to meet Nick Arujau in the fifth-place match, dropping another close decision, 7-6.

"Aaron fell victim to a couple of really tough calls that went against him, but overall I thought he wrestled well."

Wrestling in the toughest weight class of the tournament, Rebertus came away with a solid performance. Ranked 15th nationally at 184 pounds, Rebertus dropped a hard-fought 7-3 decision to fifth-ranked Quentin Wright of Penn State, who just happens to be the defending National Champion. Wright also went on to win the Scuffle title with a 10-3 victory over Cornell's Steve Bosak, who is ranked fourth.

Rebertus his first bout in the consolation bracket by way of a 2-0 decision against Hofstra's Ben Clymer, sending him to the fifth-place bout. He faced 10th-ranked Austin Trotman of Appalachian State, who dealt Rebertus his third-consecutive loss, a 7-3 decision.

"Luke really had a tough weight class, but it was a good opportunity to see and wrestle against the same guys he'll see in a few months at the national tournament. He showed some great signs out there over the two days, but he was also inconsistent so we have a few things to iron out.

"This was a great eye opener for some of the guys on the team and it certainly gave us an indication of where we are and where we need to be in the next couple of months," added Burnett. "It doesn't et any easier with Oklahoma coming to town later this week, but we welcome the tough competition and we need our guys to step up and answer the challenge."

The Midshipmen return to the mat on Saturday when they play host to ninth-ranked Oklahoma. Action is on tap for 7:30 pm at the Wesley Brown Field House. As a reminder, fans are encouraged to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and ride the shuttle over to the Naval Academy grounds. Access to the grounds is limited to those cars with a Department of Defense sticker.

Navy Stand 11th After Opening Day of Southern Scuffle

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Five of Navy's 17 tournament entrants remain active after day one of the two-day Southern Scuffle held at McKenzie Arena on Sunday, including 184-pound Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.), who will face defending National Champion Quentin Wright of Penn State in the semifinals.

The Mids tallied 39.5 points to close out the day's action in 11th place, just 1.5 points ahead of Hofstra and three points behind 10th-place Ohio. The talent pool is packed in this year's tournament considering last year Navy amassed 38 points after day one and sat in seventh place. Meanwhile, fifth-ranked Penn State is pacing the Scuffle with 118.0 points, followed by #3 Minnesota in second (110.5), #11 Missouri in third (83.5), #4 Cornell (79.0) in fourth and #16 Oregon State (66.0) in fifth.

While Navy sits well within striking position, head coach Bruce Burnett continues to be frustrated by his team's competition level.

"There is plenty of room for improvement on this team," said Burnett. "I just can't believe that we are this far into the year and we aren't competing hard. It's frustrating when I know we have it in us. I won't quit and I know the guys have no intentions of quitting, we just need to uncover that missing spark."

One wrestler he was pleased with was Rebertus, who was poised and focused in what marked the opening day of the 2012 calendar year. Ranked 15th by Intermat, Rebertus received a first-round bye before dealing Duke's Dylan Ryan a 10-2 loss. Rebertus met up with Army's Will Brown in the following round and cruised to a 10-3 victory to punch his ticket into the quarterfinals against 18th-ranked Kevin Steinhaus, who a year ago dashed Rebertus' hopes of becomming an All-American by defeating him 4-1 at the NCAA Championships. Rebertus would not be denied, however, scoring a 3-2 victory to earn his way into the semifinal round against Wright.

Wright is ranked fifth nationally and won all three of his matches on Sunday by way of pins, including a fall at 1:12 against 17th-ranked Mike Larson of Missouri in the quarters.

"I think Luke has a chance to beat this kid, but he has to be on his game to do it," added Burnett. "I thought he wrestled well today. He has to have that same desire and intensity and them some heading into tomorrow. He's prepared, he just has to put it to use."

Toting a 3-0 record for the day, Rebertus moved into a tie with 2002 grad Mike Bigrigg for the 18th spot on the Mids' all-time wins list. Rebertus stands 89-29 over his four-year career, trailing 17th-place George Fears (1980-83) by just one win.

While Rebertus is the lone wrestler to advance in the championship bracket, Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.), James Mannier (Troy, Ohio) and Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) also remain active in the consolation brackets of their respective weight classes.

Kalil, who is ranked 18th at 133 pounds by Intermat, won his first two bouts of the day before Minnesota's Chris Dardanes cut short Kalil's hopes of an individual title by defeating the Navy team captain, 5-3, in the quarterfinals. Kalil will return to the mat Monday where he will meet Appalachian State's Brett Boston.

With his pair of wins on the day, Kalil moved into a tie with former teammate Matt DeMichiel (2008-11) for 23rd on Navy's all-time wins list with 82 victories. He needs one win to take sole possession of 13rd and three wins to move into a tie for 21st alongside Justin Woodruff (1997-00) and Brett Bourne (1988-91).

Barnhisel, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since Nov. 12, looked a little rusty to start things off, but fought his way back through the 157-pound consolation bracket to remain active for another day. The Navy junior dropped a 9-3 decision to Virginia Tech's Matt Stephens in his opening-round match, but came back to scored a 16-1 tech fall over Indiana's Connor Graves. Barnhisel was to meet teammate Zach Basich (Wheeling, W.Va.) in the after defeating Graves, however, Basich fell out of the tournament with a shoulder injury. Barnhisel's final match of the day was against Ohio's Spartak Chino, who he beat, 10-5.

Barnhisel will face Chattanooga's Daniel Waddell first thing Monday morning. Waddell was sent to the consolation bracket after suffering a loss by tech fall (17-0) to North Carolina's Corey Mock in the quarterfinals. Ironically, it was Waddell's first match of the day after receiving an opening-round bye followed by a pair of victories by way of forfeits.

"It was nice to have Bobby back," said Burnett. "He's been out of competition for more than a month, so he has some areas that need to be cleaned up. Some of that comes with getting back onto the mat against someone other than your teammate."

Mannier put together a strong performance at 174 pounds on Sunday and will be faced with a tough challenge when he faces seventh-ranked Dorian Henderson of Missouri on Monday morning. The Navy sophomore opened up with an 8-4 win over Minnesota's Steven Avalos before dropping an 8-6 decision to Cornell's William George. Mannier came back to earn back-to-back victories over Andrew Downs of Appalachian State (7-4) and Levin Clemons of Chattanooga (9-4).

Finally, Rands put together a 2-1 mark on Sunday which featured a 4-1 decision over Virginia's Zach Nye at 197 pounds. Rands received an opening-round bye and then advanced over Taylor Meeks of Oregon State by way of a forfeit. Rands was sent to the consolation bracket following a hard-fought 13-8 loss to 11th-ranked Morgan McIntosh of Penn State in the quarterfinals. Rands will battle Scott Schiller of Minnesota on Monday morning. Schiller lost by tech fall (17-2) to top-ranked Cam Simaz of Cornell in the day's opening bout, but has fought his way back through the consolation bracket.

The teams will resume action on Monday beginning at 9:00 a.m. Brackets will be updated live online with links available on the wrestling schedule page of GoMocs.com or via trackwrestling.com(.) The finals will be streamed live through MocsVision on GoMocs.com(.)

Navy wrestlers remaining in action:
Championship Bracket
184: Semifinals - #15 Luke Rebertus vs. #5 Quentin Wright (Penn State)

Consolation Bracket
125: #18 Aaron Kalil vs. Brett Boston (Appalachian State)
157: Bobby Barnhisel vs. Daniel Waddell (UT Chattanooga)
174: James Mannier vs. #7 Dorian Henderson (Missouri)
197: Paul Rands vs. Scott Schiller (Minnesota)

Navy Wrestling Takes 31-12 Dual Win Over Franklin & Marshall

LANCASTER, Pa. - Back-to-back pins by seniors Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.) and Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) in the first two matches helped pave the way for a 31-12 victory by the Navy wrestling team over Franklin & Marshall Friday evening at the Mayser Center in Lancaster, Pa. The Midshipmen are now 2-2 in dual competition, while the Diplomats dropped to 0-7.

"I'll be honest and say this wasn't our best match, but I didn't think we looked particularly sharp all week," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "I'm not one to make excuses for the team, but perhaps it's the fact we have finals next week. Whatever it was, we have to correct the mistakes we are making. The one thing I can't criticize is how hard the guys competed. I was particularly happy with the way Luke (Rebertus) and Dan (Miller) wrestled tonight."

Sackett, who has been out of action with a knee injury since the season-opening Eastern Michigan Open, returned to the mat at 125 pounds where he built a 10-0 advantage over F&M rookie David Hershberger before earning the pin at 3:26 to give the Mids an early 6-0 lead.

"It was great to have Tyler back out on the mat," said Burnett. "Now he just needs to matches to get back into the swing of things."

Nineteenth-ranked Kalil stepped onto the mat where he battled 133-pound F&M freshman Robert Ruiz. The two locked up several times, but neither could get much going until Kalil gained his escape and got Ruiz to the mat where he took the match via fall at 3:18 to push the Mids' lead to 6-0.

After a scoreless opening period, Navy sophomore Raymond Borja (Virginia Beach, Va.) scored the first point at 141-pounds with an escape, but it would be his last lead of the evening. After Durso knotted things up with an escape to start the third, he went on to record a pair of third-period takedowns and used riding time to earn a 6-2 victory over Borja to trim Navy's lead to 12-3.

The Mids, however, would go on to win the next three matches, all of which were the first dual wins of the season for the Navy wrestlers. Sophomore Joe Locksmith (Kissimmee, Fla.) took F&M sophomore Andrew Murano to the mat early in the first period and built a 3-0 advantage early in the second. Murano's lone point of the match was an escape to begin the third, as Locksmith now stands 1-3 in dual action this season.

Junior Zach Basich (Wheeling, W.Va.) won a hard-fought match over the Diplomats' Eric Norgard at 157 pounds. Basich owned a 2-1 advantage through the first period and by the end of the second held a 5-2 lead. Norgard clipped the lead to 5-3 to open the final period, but another Basich takedown sealed the 8-3 victory in what marked his first dual of the year.

Subbing in for an injured Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) at 165 pounds was junior Jake Schalles (Orlando, Fla.), who looked strong in his match against F&M rookie Adam Schroeder. Schalles put together four takedowns en route to picking up a 9-4 win and improving to 1-0 in dual action this season.

Trailing 21-3, Franklin & Marshall was able to briefly snap the Mids' winning streak as senior 174-pound Matt Fullowan pulled off a 5-3 win over Navy junior Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) in sudden victory. Fullowan drew first win a takedown in the first and Huntley spent much of the time trying to work his way out. It wouldn't be until the second period that Huntley would earn an a point for an escape. The two would battle back and forth and by the end of regulation, the two would be deadlocked at 3-3. After a sudden victory period and two tie breakers, Fullowan went in on Huntley's leg and got him to the edge of the match for the winning takedown. It marked Huntley's first dual loss of the season, dropping to 3-1.

Senior Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) pushed the Mids' lead to 25-6 after schooling F&M senior Mat Latessa. Rebertus turned in five takedowns against Latessa before scoring the 12-3 major decision and improving to 2-2 on the year.

Senior Colin Ely of F&M looked like he was shot out of a cannon upon the opening whistle, taking Navy newcomer Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) to the mat immediately and scoring a nearfall before winning the match by fall at 1:02.

In the final bout of the night, Navy junior Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) continued to get back in wrestling after missing a handful of weeks with an injury. Miller put together three takedowns and led 6-2 before sealing the match win by way of all at 4:16. Miller now stands 3-1 in dual action this season.

The Midshipmen will have the next few weeks off from competition to concentrate on final exams and get away for the holidays before returning to the mat on Jan. 1-2 when whey travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. to take part in the Southern Scuffle.

Navy 31, Franklin & Marshall 12

125 - Tyler Sackett (N) fall David Hershberger (F&M), 3:26
133 - Aaron Kalil (N) fall Robert Ruiz (F&M), 3:18
141 - Richard Durso (F&M) dec. Raymond Borja (N), 6-2
149 - Joe Locksmith (N) dec. Andrew Murano (F&M), 3-1
157 - Zach Basich (N), dec. Eric Norgard (F&M), 8-3
165 - Jake Schalles (N) dec. Adam Schroeder (F&M), 9-4
174 - Matt Fullowan (F&M) dec. Oscar Huntley (N), 5-3 SV2
184 - Luke Rebertus major dec. Matt Latessa (F&M), 12-3
197 - Colin Ely (F&M) fall Paul Rands (N), 1:02
285 - Dan Miller (N) fall Alexander Henry (F&M), 4:16

Navy-Mannier Takes Eighth at Nittany Lion Open

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Navy wrestling team closed out a busy weekend of action by sending 15 wrestlers to compete at the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday where sophomore 174-pound James Mannier (Troy, Ohio) placed eighth.

Navy opened the weekend with head coach Bruce Burnett and assistant coach Brian Antonelli traveling out West with the Mids' top 10 wrestlers to take part in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday where the Midshipmen placed 18th out of 34 teams and had two top-eight placewinners.

In Sunday's tournament, only Mannier managed to find his way onto the podium despite a handful of wrestlers coming up just a match short of having the opportunity to place.

Mannier opened Sunday by claiming a 5-1 victory over Virginia Tech's Austin Gabel, followed by a 5-2 victory over Andre Petroski of North Carolina. Mannier extended his winning streak to three in a row by shutting out Army's Robert Doyle, 5-0, to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. However, Mannier faced the toughest challenge of his young career when he drew the nation's second-ranked wrestler on his home turn, Penn State's Ed Ruth. Ruth, in fact, claimed the win, pinning Mannier at 1:38.

Mannier, however, regrouped and and scored a 12-6 decision over the Nittany Lions' Andrew Church in the consolation bracket. He came up short in the following match as Columbia's Stephen West posted a 7-5 win over Mannier, sending him to the seventh-place match. Mannier again lost a close match, this time it was NC State's Quinton Godley who nipped the second-year Mid, 7-5.

Among those wrestlers performing well but coming up just short of the placement matches were 141-pounders Alex Johnson (Memphis, Tenn.) and Quentin Leadbeter (Owings, Md.). Johnson, a sophomore, began the tournament on a strong note, pinning Pennsylvania College of Technology's Kyle Sunseri at 4:47. Johnson, however dropped an 11-0 major decision to Penn State's Luke Frey who was wrestling unattached.

In the consolation bracket, Johnson won three in a row which featured an 11-1 win over Columbia's Matt Bystol. Johnson was bounced for the tournament a match later by Army junior Casey Smith by a 7-0 count.

Meanwhile, Leadbeter, a rookie followed almost the same roadmap as Johnson, winning his opener before falling in the second round. Leadbeter opened with a 7-4 victory over Pitt's Ronnie Garbinsky, but was dealt a 9-6 loss by Michael Depalma of Edinboro. The Navy newcomer worked his way back by winning three straight, including a pair of one-point decisions before bowing out of the tournament by way of a fall (1:40) against NC State's Darius Little.

Meanwhile, sophomore Ben Hunter (Harrisonville, Mo.) also came up just short of placing, as he posted a 4-2 record at 149 pounds. Hunter won his first-two matches of the day before Army's John Belanger scored a tech fall and sent Hunter to the consolation bracket. Hunter scored a 6-1 victory over his teammate rookie Peyton Walsh and followed up with a 5-3 win over Ryan Bilyeu of Army. Hunter, though, dropped a 3-1 decision to Pitt's Josh Pascazi to end his day.

Finally, sophomore Johnny Watson (Lexington, N.C.) also turned in a 4-2 record at 157 pounds for the Mids. He received an opening-round bye, but picked up a 9-0 major decision over Cal Stack of Lehigh in the second round. He was sent to the consolation bracket, however, by Columbia's Eric Fajardo by was of a 5-3 defeat.

Watson rallied and won three in a row, including a 7-4 victory over George Mason's Jaaziah Bethea. Watson's streak would be snapped, however, by Lehigh's Eric Hess, who pinned Watson in 47 seconds.

The Mids will wrestle in their final competition before the close of the calendar year when they travel to Lancaster, Pa. next Friday to face Franklin & Marshall in a dual. Action is slated to begin at 7:30 pm.

Navy-Kalil and Rebertus Among Placewinners at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Senior team captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) and senior Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) both closed out action at the 30th-Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Saturday among the top eight in their respective weight classes. Kalil and Rebertus were the only two Navy wrestlers to advance to the second day of action, as the other eight wrestlers bowed out by Friday evening.

Kalil, ranked 16th nationally, opened Saturday with a tough matchup against Academy rival Jordan Thome. Not only did Kalil score a 4-1 over his arch rival, he bounced Thome from the tournament and the chance to stand on the podium. Kalil, meanwhile, moved on to face Nebraska's Ridge Kiley, who he defeated, 5-4, at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals on Nov. 12. Saturday's match was just as tight, as the two wrestlers would need a tie breaker to decide the winner. Kiley took the win, 6-1, sending Kalil to the seventh-eighth place match. Kalil would suffer a second-straight loss, this time at the hands of fifth-ranked Ryan Mango of Stanford, who dealt Kalil a 17-5 loss.

Rebertus turned in a hard-fought 4-3 win over Hofstra's Ben Clymer, ranked 18th, in his first match of the day, setting up a rematch against Brown's Ophir Bernstein who Rebertus defeated, 10-2, in the opening round. Ranked 13th, Rebertus put the beatdown on Bernstein on Saturday, picking up the tech fall by the count of 16-1 to set up a rematch with 10th-ranked Josh Ihnen of Nebraska. Ihnen bested Rebertus, 6-1, in their first meeting on Nov. 12, and Ihnen once again came out on top with a 7-1 victory.

"This was a tough tournament and in all honesty in a tournament like this, any mistake you make becomes a glaring mistake because of how tough the competition is," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "I was hoping the Thanksgiving break would give us a chance to rest a recuperate a little, but I think it hurt us. I don't believe we came back in as good of shape and as prepared as we should have been.

"We need to get back at it and work harder. We need to start doing things the right way all of the time and not just once in awhile. We also need to get a heck of a lot tougher when it comes to the fight. When you are in the trenches, in those tough matches, technique goes out the window. You'd better be prepared to do whatever you have to in order to get that takedown or that escape to get you that victory. I'm not sure we have that fight in us right now, but you can bet that we'll be back in the wrestling room on Monday working towards becoming better wrestlers."

Final team scores were unavailable at press time.

The Mids will wrestle in their final competition before the close of the calendar year when they travel to Lancaster, Pa. next Friday to face Franklin & Marshall in a dual. Action is slated to begin at 7:30 pm.

Navy Seeks 19th Team Title in Hosting Annual Navy Classic

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team will open the home portion of its 2011-12 schedule on Saturday when it hosts the annual Navy Classic at Westley Brown Field House beginning at 10:00 am. Having won the team title in 18 of the 33 years the tournament has been held, including last year's 57.5-point decision over Bucknell, the Mids will battle six teams - Bucknell, The Citadel, Franklin & Marshall, Gardner Webb, George Mason and West Virginia - for the 2011 Navy Classic crown.

Among the field, there are eight ranked wrestlers, including Navy's own Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) and Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.). Meanwhile, there are just 20 returning placewinners from last year's Navy Classic, including defending champions Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) (125, up to 133 this year), Joe Locksmith (Kissimmee, Fla.) (141, up to 149 this year), Eric Filipowicz (Elkridge, Md.) (149) and Rebertus (184) who all wrestle for Navy.

One of 15 Navy wrestlers who placed in last year's Navy Classic, Kalil is in search of his third Navy Classic title after winning the 125-pound weight class in 2009 and '10. Up a weight class this season, Kalil would be only the fourth wrestler in program history to be a three-time champion, joining All-Americans John Reich (1980-81-82) and Matt Stolpinski (2005-06-07), along with John Cox (2004-05-06). Ranked 17th nationally, Kalil is off to a strong start to his senior season where he has put together a 7-1 record which features a third-place finish at the Eastern Michigan Open. Meanwhile, he swept his competition a week ago at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals in which he picked up wins over Justin Farmer of Buffalo (11-2), 17th-ranked Ridge Kiley of Nebraska (5-4) and Steve Mitcheff of Kent State (8-0). A two-time NCAA qualifer, Kalil will be challenged this weekend perhaps facing West Virginia's Collin Johnston in the finals. Johnston is ranked 16th by InterMat.

Rebertus, also a two-time NCAA qualifier and two-time Navy Classic Champion (2008-10), has produced a 5-2 record this season, dropping a pair of decisions last weekend at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals. Buffalo's Jake Waste scored a takedown in sudden victory over Rebertus in the first match of the day, while 10th-ranked Josh Ihnen from Nebraska dealt him a 6-1 blow. Rebertus got back in the winning column with a 5-3 victory over Casey Newburg of Kent State in the finale. Ranked 13th in the national polls, Rebertus, who opened the year with a title win at the Eastern Michigan Open, will likely face West Virginia's Matt Ryan, ranked 17th, at some point on Saturday.

Huntley, ranked 20th by InterMat, took the Navy Classic title at 165 pounds as a freshman, just a week before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He came back to place fifth at last year's Classic, this time wrestling at 174 pounds. Stronger and more experienced, Huntley will look to capture this year's title again at 174 pounds. Standing in his way, however, is 12th-ranked Turtogtokh Luvsandorj from The Citadel who won last year's All-Academy Classic. Huntley heads into the weekend with a 6-1 record, his only loss in the championship bout of the Eastern Michigan Open where he was defeated, 8-5, by fifth-ranked Nick Heflin of Ohio State. He picked up a pair of major decisions in last week's Wrestle for a Cure Duals, while also rounding out the day with a decision over Nebraska's Tyler Koehn.

Last year Locksmith became just the eighth freshman in program history to win an individual title when he scored an 8-7 decision over teammate and fellow rookie Raymond Borja (Virginia Beach, Va.). The second-year 149-pounder has struggled in the early going, posting a 2-5 record, however, four of his five losses have been by decisions.

Navy has crowned an individual champion who was a freshman in each of the last three years. Rebertus took the 174-pound title in 2008 becoming the first Plebe to win a title since Tyrone Neal in 1998. Meanwhile, Huntley won in 2009 and Locksmith in 2010. Ten Navy rookies will have the chance to add their names to that list this weekend, three of which were in the starting lineup a week ago at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals. Laurel, Md., product Patrick Prada is the Mids' starting 125-pounder, while Quentin Leadbeter (Owings, Md.) has filled the 141-pound role. Meanwhile, 197-pound Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) continues to improve after spending the last two years away from the mat doing missionary work.

Nine different teams have claimed the team title in the 33 years the Navy Classic has been held, while 78 different Navy wrestlers have earned individual titles. At least one Navy wrestler has won an individual crown in 31 of the 33 years (2000, '03), while there have been 14 multi-year winners.

Navy- Mids Face Three at Wrestle For a Cure Duals

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Coming off a solid season-opening performance at the 2011 Eastern Michigan Open last week which featured a title win by 184-pound Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.), the Navy wrestling team returns to action on Saturday when it makes the trip to Harrisburg, Pa. to take part in the Wrestle for a Cure Duals.

The 2nd Annual Wrestle for a Cure Duals features 28 programs ranging from high school to the Div. I ranks with 44 scheduled matches throughout the day. Navy, meanwhile, is among the 13 Div. I programs taking part in the event. While the Midshipmen will wrestle three duals, 34 collegiate matches are slated to be wresled with another 10 high school bouts. The duals benefit Cystic Fibrosis, while combining the values, virtues and work ethic of wrestling to help improve the conditions and lives of others.

While the event is slated to get underway at 9:00 am at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, Navy's first match of the day is slated for 11:00 am when it battles Buffalo. Led by 18th-year head coach Jim Beichner, the Bulls received votes in the Nov. 3 NWCA/USA Today Coaches poll and are tied for 44th in the most recent Intermat poll released Nov. 8. Buffalo put together a 9-8 dual meet record a year ago and return five of its six NCAA qualifiers - Kevin Smith (133), Andrew Schutt (141), Mark Lewandowski (157), John-Martin Cannon (165) and Brett Correll (285). Last weekend the Bulls opened their weekend at the UB Open where Cannon claimed the 174-pound title, while Smith (141) and redshirt freshman Dominic Montesanti (165) both placed second at their respective weight classes.

The Mids face Nebraska at 3:00 pm in what will be a solid test for a young Navy squad. The Huskers, who are receiving votes in the coaches poll and tabbed 26th in the latest Intermat poll, are coming off a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championship for a second-consecutive year to pair up with their 14-5 dual record. Thre NCAA qualifiers return off last year's squad, including fifth-year senior and four-year starter at heavyweight Tucker Lane, who stands eighth in the national rankings, while 165-pound Robert Kokesh is ranked 10th in what will be the Huskers' opening weekend of competition.

Navy wraps up the day with a 5:00 pm dual against Kent State, who is ranked 24th in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches poll and 25th in the Intermat poll. The Golden Flashes put together a 14-6 dual record a year ago and tied for first place in the Mids-American Conference. Ninth-year head coach Jim Adrassy is in search of his 100th-collegiate victory as he heads into the weekend with a 99-53-1 record. Kent State returns eight of its 10 starters off last year's team, including senior Nic Bedelyon who put together a 25-5 record a year ago and begins the 2011-12 season ranked fourth at 125 pounds. Additionally, senior Brendan Barlow is among the nation's top 25 heavyweights heading into the weekend.

Navy owns a 2-0 record against Buffalo, although the last time the two programs met was in 1975. The series is split at two wins apiece between Navy and Nebraska with the Huskers taking a 21-12 win in the last dual which was contested in 2005. Finally, both Navy and Kent State have won one match in the series, the Mids earning a 19-15 win in 1996 and Kent State scoring a 21-12 win in 1997.

Last weekend the Mids opened their season at the non-team scored Eastern Michigan Open where Navy put two wrestlers into the finals, including Rebertus who made his fourth-straight championship appearance at the Eastern Michigan Open. Ranked 11th by Intermat, Rebertus put together three-straight wins by decision to punch his ticket into the finals where he secured the title win with a 5-3 victory over Ohio State's Cody Magrum.

Junior 174-pound Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) also wrestled his way into the championship bout, thanks to back-to-back one-point victories including a 3-2 decision over Michigan State's Curran Jacobs who was ranked 12th. Huntley, who stands 19th according to Intermat, would face one of the best wrestlers in the country in the finals, however, facing fifth-ranked Nick Heflin of Ohio State. Heflin held off Huntley, 8-5, for the 174-pound title.

Senior Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) (125) and junior Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) (165) each placed third in the tournament, while junior 157-pound Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) placed fourth.

"Last weekend we competed hard, but from a technical aspect we are still trying to catch up," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "The NCAA pushed our starting date back and with that we lost roughly 15 practices. That translates into us not being quite as physically and mentally sharp as what we have been in the past and this is clearly one of the more inexperienced teams I've coached in recent memory. I'm not complaining as every team must tweak how it goes about its business. For us it's just a learning curve in terms of trying to figure out how you catch up without breaking into the rest and recovery time which is so crucial. It's not only crucial in the sport of wrestling, but at an Academy where there are so many other variables thrown into the mix that you must balance.

"With that being said, I think the mistakes we made last weekend are ones that can be fixed. We will continue to wrestle to the best of our ability, evaluate those performances and work to fine-tune those skills so at the turn of the calendar we are prepared for the conference and national tournaments."

Wrestle for a Cure Duals

vs. Buffalo (11:00 am) | vs. Nebraska (3:00 pm) | vs. Kent State (5:00 pm)
Pa. Farm Show Complex and Expo Center | Harrisburg, Pa.
Live Stats: http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwcaonline/results/ColScorebook/LiveCvgMeets.aspx

Projected Lineup

125 - Patrick Prada or Tyler Sackett
133 - Aaron Kalil
141 - Quentin Leadbeter
149 - Joe Locksmith or Ben Hunter
157 - Bobby Barnhisel or Zach Basich
165 - Mason Bailey or Mike Brant
174 - Oscar Huntley orJames Mannier
184 - Luke Rebertus
197 - Paul Rands
285 - Dan Miller or Chance Rauscher

Navy Wrestling - Rebertus wins, seven Mids place at EMU Open

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team opened the 2011-12 season on Saturday with the 20th-annual Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti, Mich., where senior Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) successfully defended his 184-pound title while six other Mids placed among the top six.

"We started the season about 10 days later this year which is the equivalent to roughly 15 practices, so that put us being. I think you could see that in some of our performances, but it's a good starting point," said 12th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who has seen at least one of his wrestlers claim an individual title at the EMU Open in seven of the eight times Navy has wrestled at the tournament. "We have some areas in which we need to work, but we needed to get out onto the mat and wrestle someone other than ourselves to expose those areas in which we need to fine tune.

"We had seven placewinners which is pretty good, especially with four of our guys finishing among the top three. We'll be back in the wrestling room on Monday looking to continue to improe each time we step out onto the mat."

The Mids put two wrestlers into the finals, including Rebertus who made his fourth-straight championship appearance at the Eastern Michigan Open. Ranked 12th by Amateur Wrestling News, Rebertus put together three-straight wins by decision to punch his ticket into the finals. He opened with a 2-1 advantage over John Rizqallah of Michigan State who was wrestling unattached before edging Arizona State's Bobby Bowman in the quarters. The Navy senior, however, found himself in a familiar position when he battled Purdue's Braden Atwood. The two were deadlocked at the end of regulation, forcing extra minutes. Rebertus went into the match with a 9-1 career record in overtime matches, adding another win to the list by scoring a 3-2 win over Atwood in the second overtime period, setting up the finals bout with Ohio State's Cody Magrum. Rebertus secured the title by way of a 5-3 decision over Magrum.

Junior 174-pound Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) also wrestled his way into the championship bout, thanks to back-to-back one-point victories. Huntley received a first-round bye before taking an 8-3 victory over Central Michigan's Anthony Bill. Huntley was matched up against Michigan State's Curran Jacobs in the quarters with Huntley squeezing out the 3-2 win. Jacobs is ranked 12th nationally by Amateur Wrestling News. Squaring off in the semis, Huntley edged out Phillip Joseph from Eastern Michigan to earn his opportunity to wrestle for the championship. Unranked, Huntley would face one of the best wrestlers in the country, facing fifth-ranked Nick Heflin of Ohio State. Heflin held off Huntley, 8-5, for the 174-pound title.

Wrestling at 133 pounds for the first time since his rookie season, senior team captain Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) flourished at the heavier weight class. After receiving a first-round bye, Kalil did not give up a point in his next two matches, turning in a tech fall (19-0) over Ethan Miller of Lindsey Wilson College followed by a major decision (9-0) over Danny Sabatello of Purdue. Kalil's streak, however, was snapped by seventh-ranked Cashe' Quiroga who dealt Kalil a 7-1 loss and sent him to the consolation bracket.

Kalil bounced back and scored an 8-4 win over Lindsey Wilson's Keith Klink to punch his ticket into the third-place match. Facing another Purdue foe, Kalil closed out the tournament with a 2-1 win over Matt Fields to take third for the second-straight season (125 pounds in 2010).

After finishing in the seventh-eighth place match at last year's EMU Open, junior 165-pound Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) vastly improved with a third-place showing this season. It wasn't, however, easy. Bailey dropped his first match of the tournament, 4-2, to Eastern Michigan's Lester France, forcing Bailey to win five matches in to the consolation bracket just to make the third-place bout. He began the trek with a tech fall (16-1) over Brockport State's Justin James, followed by a 4-0 victory over Mark Smilek of Notre Dame (Ohio). Bailey's next opponent would be a familiar one, teammate Mike Brant, whom he defeated by a narrow 7-5 decision. Bailey earned a 5-3 win over Kyle Long from Indiana Tech, while his 9-3 victory over Ohio State's Derek Garcia put him into the third-place bout against Purdue's Chad Welch. Welch provided little competition for Bailey as the Navy junior took a 5-1 decision.

Junior Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) is down a weight class this season to 157 where he placed fourth at the EMU Open. Barnhisel scored a 17-3 major decision over Arizona State's Hans Rasmussen and claimed a 6-3 win over Tim Rigel of Ohio State to earn his place in the semis. Eastern Michigan's Aaron Sulzer, however, would bounce Barnhisel to the consolation bracket thanks to a 9-3 decision. Barnhisel came back to dominate Purdue's Pat Robinson by way of a 14-0 major decision, but was unable to hold off Brockport State's Thomas Rispoli in the third-place match. Barnhisel held the lead until roughly the last 20 seconds of the match, giving way to an 8-7 loss to place fourth.

Also placing for the Mids were sophomore Raymond Borja (Virginia Beach, Va.) who bowed out of the tournament in the semifinals after being injured in his match against Purdue's Jake Fleckenstein. He would place sixth. Meanwhile, freshman Paul Rands (Cary, Ill.) placed sixth at 197 pounds.

The Mids will be back in action next Saturday when they take part in the 2nd-Annual NCAA Wrestle for a Cure Duals at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pa. Navy will face Buffalo (11:00 am), Nebraska (3:00 pm) and Kent State (5:00 pm).

Navy Wrestling-Burnett Helps Guide United States to Six Medals at Pan Am Games

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Twelfth-year Navy wrestling head coach Bruce Burnett helped lead the United States freestyle wrestling team to six medals at the 2011 Pan American Games held in Guadalajara, Mexico Sunday and Monday. The six medals by the the U.S. were the most won by any of the participating teams, topping Cuba and Canada who each won five medals. Meanwhile, the U.S. was the only country to win more than one gold medal, taking four over the two-day competition.

In the unofficial team standings, using the FILA scoring system, the United States finished with 57 points, while Cuba accrued 48 points and Canada totaled 47 points.

The United States opened the competition on Sunday, taking medals in four matches, including a pair of gold medals. Obe Blanc won the first medal of the tournament for the U.S. by taking home the silver at 55 kg (121 lbs) in what was a controversial match Juan Ramirez of the Dominican Republic. Ramirez took a 1-0 advantage in the match, but in the second period, Blanc led 1-0 when the officials gave Ramirez a pushout with one second left to win. The U.S. protested but the call was upheld, and Ramirez got an additional point.

Meanwhile, Teyon Ware defeated Colombia's Edison Hurtado, 1-1, 4-1, 6-0, to win the bronze medal at 66 kg (145.5 lbs).

Jake Herbert, a 2009 World silver medalist, claimed the first gold medal for the United States by way of a 1-0, 4-3 victory over Cuba's Humberto Arencibia at 84 kg (185 lbs). The first period went to the clinch with Arencibia getting Herbert's leg. Officials gave Arencibia one point while Herbert defended, but the U.S. protested and it was upheld. They restarted the clinch and Herbert held on again to score the point. In the second period, a three-point move by Herbert was key to the victory.

Closing out Sunday's competition were the big men, as Tervel Dlagnev captured the gold at 120 kg (264.5) for the U.S. Dlagnev dominated the competition, as did not give up a point in any of his three matches, including the championship bout against Canadian Sunny Dhinsa, whom he defeated 2-0, 6-0. Dlagnev, a 2009 World bronze medalist who placed fifth at the 2011 World Championships, also won the gold at the 2010 Pan American Championships.

Meanwhile, the U.S. secured gold medals in its final two weight classes in Monday's action as Jordan Burroughs earned a 3-2, 3-2 win over Cuba's Yunierki Blanco, the 2011 World Cup Champion, at 74 kg (163 lbs) and Jake Varner easily won the gold at 96 kg (211.5 lbs).

Burroughs, who found himself trailing in both periods, fell behind 2-1 in the first period, but scored a quick pushout then an ankle pick takedown to win the period. In the second, the score was tied at 2-2 with Blanco holding the tiebreaker, but Burroughs scored a spin-behind takedown to claim the period and the match.

Meanwhile, Varner did not give up a point in his three matches, which featured a 6-0, 2-0 rout over Venezuela's Luis Vivenes in the championship bout. Vivenes is now a two-time silver medalist at the Pan American Games, losing in the finals in two straight Games.

The last time the United States produced four individual freestyle champions was in 2003, with titles from Stephen Abas (55 kg), Joe Williams (74 kg), Daniel Cormier (96 kg) and Kerry McCoy (120 kg).

Burnett will make the journey back to the United States on Tuesday, as the Navy wrestling team opens the 2011-12 season on Saturday with the annual Blue-Gold Challenge Matches which will determine the Mids' starting lineup to begin year. Saturday's event is open to the public and no admission will be charged. The event will be held at Wesley Brown Field House beginning at 7:00 pm.

2011 PAN AMERICAN GAMES
At Guadalajara, Mexico

Sunday, Oct. 23
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Juan Ramirez Beltre (Dominican Republic)
Silver - Obe Blanc (USA)
Bronze - Steven Takahashi (Canada)
Bronze - Juan Valverde Carreno (Ecuador)
5th - Luis Orantes (Guatemala)
6th - Andre Quispe Fajardo (Chile)
7th - Fernando Paredes Rojas (Venezuela)

55 kg/121 lbs. - Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC), 2nd
WIN Steven Takahashi (Canada), 2-0, 6-0
LOSS. Juan Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 1-0, 2-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba)
Silver - Pedro Soto Cordero (Puerto Rico)
Bronze - Teyon Ware (USA)
Bronze - Yoan Blanco Reinoso (Ecuador)
5th - Edison Hurtado Lerma (Colombia)
5th - Elvis Fuentes Blanco (Venezuela)
7th - Ryan Lue (Canada)
8th - Leon Marquez (Mexico)
9th - Fernando Carranza (Argentina)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Teyon Ware, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 3rd
WIN Ryan Lue (Canada), 0-2, 1-0, 1-0
LOSS Livan Lopez (Cuba), 0-5, 1-4
WIN Edison Hurtado (Colombia), 1-1, 4-1, 6-0

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Jake Herbert (USA)
Silver - Humberto Arencibia Martinez (Cuba)
Bronze - Jeff Adamson (Canada)
Bronze - Jose Diaz Robertti (Venezuela)
5th - Adrian Jaoude (Brazil)
5th - Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico)
7th - Roberto Espinosa Rivera (Panama)
8th - Alejandro Gallardo Ocampo (Mexico)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), 1st
WIN Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico), 3-2, 2-0
WIN Jose Diaz (Venezuela), 1-0, 2-1
WIN Humberto Arencibia (Cuba), 1-0, 4-3

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Tervel Dlagnev (USA)
Silver - Sunny Dhinsa (Canada)
Bronze - Disney Rodriguez (Cuba)
Bronze - Carlos Felix (Dominican Republic)
5th - Carlos Delgado (Ecuador)
5th - Edgardo Lopez (Puerto Rico)
7th - Antoine Jaoude (Brazil)
8th - Jesse Ruiz (Mexico)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Carlos Delgado (Ecuador), 6-0, 7-0
WIN Disney Rodriguez (Cuba), 1-0, 5-0
WIN Sunny Dhinsa (Canada), 2-0, 6-0

Monday, Oct. 24
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Juan Ramirez Beltre (Dominican Republic)
Silver - Obe Blanc (USA)
Bronze - Steven Takahashi (Canada)
Bronze - Juan Valverde Carreno (Ecuador)
5th - Luis Orantes (Guatemala)
6th - Andre Quispe Fajardo (Chile)
7th - Fernando Paredes Rojas (Venezuela)

55 kg/121 lbs. - Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC), 2nd
WIN Steven Takahashi (Canada), 2-0, 6-0
LOSS. Juan Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 1-0, 2-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba)
Silver - Pedro Soto Cordero (Puerto Rico)
Bronze - Teyon Ware (USA)
Bronze - Yoan Blanco Reinoso (Ecuador)
5th - Edison Hurtado Lerma (Colombia)
5th - Elvis Fuentes Blanco (Venezuela)
7th - Ryan Lue (Canada)
8th - Leon Marquez (Mexico)
9th - Fernando Carranza (Argentina)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Teyon Ware, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 3rd
WIN Ryan Lue (Canada), 0-2, 1-0, 1-0
LOSS Livan Lopez (Cuba), 0-5, 1-4
WIN Edison Hurtado (Colombia), 1-1, 4-1, 6-0

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Jake Herbert (USA)
Silver - Humberto Arencibia Martinez (Cuba)
Bronze - Jeff Adamson (Canada)
Bronze - Jose Diaz Robertti (Venezuela)
5th - Adrian Jaoude (Brazil)
5th - Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico)
7th - Roberto Espinosa Rivera (Panama)
8th - Alejandro Gallardo Ocampo (Mexico)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), 1st
WIN Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico), 3-2, 2-0
WIN Jose Diaz (Venezuela), 1-0, 2-1
WIN Humberto Arencibia (Cuba), 1-0, 4-3

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Tervel Dlagnev (USA)
Silver - Sunny Dhinsa (Canada)
Bronze - Disney Rodriguez (Cuba)
Bronze - Carlos Felix (Dominican Republic)
5th - Carlos Delgado (Ecuador)
5th - Edgardo Lopez (Puerto Rico)
7th - Antoine Jaoude (Brazil)
8th - Jesse Ruiz (Mexico)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Carlos Delgado (Ecuador), 6-0, 7-0
WIN Disney Rodriguez (Cuba), 1-0, 5-0
WIN Sunny Dhinsa (Canada), 2-0, 6-0

Navy Unveils 2011-12 Wrestling Schedule

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Home duals against nationally-ranked programs Oklahoma and Maryland, as well as the annual Army-Navy Star Match highlight Navy's 2011-12 wrestling schedule released Tuesday by 12th-year Midshipmen wrestling coach Bruce Burnett. Additionally, Navy fans will be treated to the 34th-annual Navy Classic in which the Mids have claimed the team title 18 times.

In keeping with Burnett's coaching philosophy, the Midshipmen will spend the majority of the first half of the season competing amid the national tournament scene. The Mids kick off the season at the Eastern Michigan Open on Nov. 5, a tournament Navy has competed in each of the last seven years.

The Mids normally have a week off before playing host to the Navy Classic, but Burnett has tweaked the schedule to accommodate finals this year. Instead of wrestling at the Reno Tournament of Champions in mid-December, Navy will take part in the Second-Annual Wrestle for a Cure Duals benefiting cystic fibrosis on Nov. 12 in Harrisburg, Pa. The Mids will face Nebraska, who placed 12th at last year's NCAA Championship, Kent State, who finished 17th at the national tournament and Buffalo all in the same day. Navy and Buffalo will kick things off at 11:00 am, followed by a 3:00 pm battle vs. Nebraska with Kent State capping the day at 5:00 pm.

"The Reno Tournament of Champions is a fine tournament and one that gave our wrestlers a great challenge, however the timing of it put a great deal of pressure on our wrestlers to get their finals completed in what was too short of a time period. It's a good tournament, but the timing just wasn't working for the best interest of our student-athletes.

"That said, by wrestling in the Wrestle for a Cure Duals we are still focused on facing some of the best competition. Nebraska is traditionally a top-10 team and both Kent State and Buffalo have placed well in the tournament."

Navy will return home on Nov. 19 to play host to the Navy Classic, a tournament whose roots date back to 1978 and has seen the Midshipmen win 18 of the 33 team titles. Twenty-seven Navy wrestlers placed in the annual event a year ago, including senior Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) who won the 125-pound title for a ssecond-straight year and Joe Locksmith (Kissimmee, Fla.), who took the 141-pound title in what was his rookie season.

The Mids open the month of December by taking part in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 2-3. Navy will also send a team of wrestlers to the Nittany Lion Open a day later. Meanwhile, Navy will wrestle a final time in the month with a Dec. 9 dual at Franklin & Marshall (7:30 pm). The Mids own a flawless 19-0 record against the Diplomats, rekindling the series a year ago after it went dormant following the 2005 season.

Navy opens the new year with an appearance at the Southern Scuffle, the Mids' final tournament of the regular season, on Jan. 1-2. The Mids have competed in each of the last seven Scuffles and have placed among the top 10 in six of their seven appearances.

"Honestly our goal is simple, wrestle as many of the top 20 teams from the previous championship. There's no better way to accomplish that than to take part in tournaments. At last count, I believe we'll see roughly 23 of the top 25 teams from last year's championship," said Burnett. "My focus is on the national tournament and to prepare them, we need to be able to see and compete against the guys that we will see at the end of the year at the National Championship."

While Burnett values the benefits tournaments provide during the early part of the season, he equally praises the extra practice time his wrestlers receive over the latter months of competition by competing in duals.

"We're able to get a ton of matches in before the turn of the calendar year and that gives us time to evaluate and fine tune things in the months of January and February in preparation for the tournament. The schedule has served us well over the years."

Burnett has put together a strong dual schedule for the second half of the season which kicks off on Jan. 7 against Oklahoma (7:30 pm), who placed 16th at the NCAA Championship last spring and crowned three All-Americans.

Navy will wrestle back-to-back road matches on Jan. 13 and 14 against East Stroudsburg and Lehigh, respectively. Navy has won 14 straight against East Stroudsburg, including a 28-12 win two years ago. Although the Mountain Hawks have gotten the better of Navy in recent years, the Mids took a 19-15 victory over Lehigh last year in Annapolis. Navy, however, is looking to score its first win over Lehigh in Bethlehem since 1995.

The Midshipmen return home the following weekend to play host to Maryland (Jan. 20) at 7:30 pm. Having met every year since 1951, Navy owns a 48-11-3 series advantage. That said, fourth-year head coach Kerry McCoy has the Terrapin program moving in the right direction and has led them to four-straight narrow wins over the Mids.

Navy will close out the month with three-consecutive duals on the road, including a Jan. 22 match at Rutgers (2:00 pm). The Scarlet Knights have won just five matches all-time against the Midshipmen, however fifth-year head coach Scott Goodale has led Rutgers to three-straight wins over Navy and has put the Scarlet Knights back on the map.

Meanwhile, the Mids will wrestle back-to-back duals at North Carolina (1:00 pm) and Campbell (7:00 pm) on Jan 28. The Mids have won eight of the last nine duals against the Tar Heels, including a 21-19 decision last year which marked Burnett's 100th-career victory. While Campbell has participated in the Navy Classic in recent memory, the Jan. 28 date will mark the first dual between the two programs.

After claiming the All-Academy Championship team title a year ago by more than 30 points over second-place The Citadel, the Mids will defend their title on Feb. 5 when Air Force plays host to the 18th installment of the All-Academy Championship. Navy has been the dominant team in the tournament, winning 10 of the 17 championships including seven of the last eight. Navy has won 64 individual crowns in All-Academy Championship history, including 38 of the 80 titles over the last eight years. The Mids won the team title in 1995, `97, `99, `04, `05, `06, `07, `09, '10 and '11, while they have claimed five or more individual titles in 1997, `99, `04, `05, `07, `08, '10 and in '11. Last year, five Midshipmen won individual crowns, while three others placed second.

Just 12 days later, on Feb. 17, the Mids will play host to Army in the annual Star Match. Navy won seven of the 10 bouts a year ago, including the last four, to secure a 24-9 victory over the Black Knights at Christl Aren in West Point. In addition to owning a 45-5-5 series advantage, the Mids have won 11-straight matches over their service academy rival.

The month of March is dedicated to a pair of championships, the EIWA Championship and the NCAA Championship. Princeton will serve as the host institution for this year's EIWA Championship set for March 3-4 in Princeton, N.J. Anchored by the efforts of four NCAA Championship qualifiers and eight overall placewinners, Navy finished sixth out of 13 teams at the 107th EIWA Championship. A year ago, Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) and Matt DMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) each qualified in their respective weight classes (157 & 174) by wrestling in the championship bout, while 2011-12 team captain Aaron Kalil and two-time NCAA qualifier Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) punched their tickets via third and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

"The EIWA right now is probably the second-best conference in the country," said Burnett. "The Big 10 is still dominating, but the EIWA had three teams finish in the top 10 of last year's Championship (#2 Cornell, #5 American, #8 Lehigh). We are up to the challenge, but we have to wrestle to the best of our ability every time we step onto the mat."

The 2011-12 NCAA Championship will be held March 15-17 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Four Navy wrestlers helped lead the Midshipmen to a 37th-place finish at the 2010-11 NCAA Championship at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., including Saddoris who earned his second All-America citation in what was his senior year. Two-time NCAA qualifiers Kalil and Rebertus return to the mat for the Mids this season in their senior years.

Due to the renovations of Halsey Field House, Navy will utilize two venues for its home matches this season. Navy will wrestle its dual match against Oklahoma (Jan. 7) at the Wesley Brown Field House, as well as the Blue/Gold Challenge Matches (Oct. 29) and the Navy Classic (Nov. 19). Meanwhile, the Mids will face Maryland (Jan. 20) and Army (Feb. 17) at Alumni Hall.

The first glance at the 2011-12 Midshipmen squad will be Oct. 29 when Navy holds its annual Blue/Gold Challenge Matches slated to begin at 7:00 pm.

Bruce Burnett to Coach U.S. at Pan American Games

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Twelfth-year Navy wrestling head coach Bruce Burnett has been selected by USA Wrestling to serve among its coaching staff at the 2011 Pan American Games scheduled for Oct. 20-24 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Joining Burnett on the men's freestyle coaching staff in Guadalajara will be Ohio State Associate Head Coach Lou Rosselli, who also coached alongside Burnett at the 2010 FISU University World Championship in Italy, as well as National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones.

"It's always an honor to represent your country," said Burnett, a former U.S. Olympic head coach (1996, 2000). "It turned out to be a perfect window of opportunity for me to work with some of the elite athletes in the country and keep current with the sport. I gladly accepted the assignment and have high hopes in bringing the gold back to America."

The Pan American Games is a major continental sports event which is held every four years. It features the top athletes from North America, Central America and South America in 43 Olympic and Pan American sports programs.

The U.S. will send 15 wrestlers to compete in Guadalajara, with six men's freestyle athletes, six Greco-Roman athletes and three women's freestyle athletes. Greco-Roman will be held October 20-21, with women's freestyle on October 22 and men's freestyle on October 23-24.

The U.S. men's freestyle team features four past World medalists, including 2011 World champion Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs.

The other past medalists on the men's freestyle team include 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert at 84 kg/185 lbs., 2011 World bronze medalist Jake Varner at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Rounding out the men's freestyle team are 2011 World Team members Nick Simmons, who placed fifth at the 2011 World Championships, at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Teyon Ware at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

The last Pan American Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July of 2007. The U.S. had six individual champions, Greco-Roman athletes Justin Lester at 66 kg. Brad Vering at 94 kg and Justin Ruiz at 96 kg, women's freestyle athletes Sara McMann at 63 kg and Kristie Marano at 72 kg and men's freestyle athlete Henry Cejudo at 55 kg.

None of the U.S. athletes competing in Guadalajara have previous Pan American Games experience.

No stranger to international competition, Burnett has held several coaching posts in leading the United States across foreign waters. Burnett came to Annapolis fresh off a coaching stint in Sydney, Australia, where he served as the United States Olympic Freestyle Coach at the 2000 Olympic Games. His athletes captured one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Burnett has helped prepare the United States' elite athletes for world and Olympic competition as the national freestyle coach since 1992. His resume is nothing short of impressive. His teams won five medals at the 1996 Olympic Games (three gold, one silver and one bronze) and eight medals at the 1999 Pan American Games (six gold, one silver and one bronze). Additionally, his teams captured World Team Titles in 1993 and 1995, the World Cup of Wrestling in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 and the Pan American Championship in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996.

During that time, Burnett coached Kurt Angle, Tom Brands, Kendal Cross, Kevin Jackson, Brandon Slay and John Smith to Olympic gold medals, while cornering Terry Brands, Tom Brands, Angle, Jackson and Smith to World Championships.

He was named the Freestyle Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996 and was named the United States Olympic Committee Elite Coach of the Year in 1996. Additionally, he was named a finalist for the 2004 Olympic Freestyle Staff.

At the conclusion of Navy's 2001-02 season, Burnett served as the head coach of the United States World Cup Team at the 2002 Freestyle World Cup of Wrestling Championship in Spokane, Wash. He was also selected as the head coach for the U.S. World University Games in 2005.

Burnett has guided the Midshipmen to a 101-50 (.669) record in his 11 seasons at the Academy which featured six-straight seasons of 10 or more wins (2002-07). Along the way, he has helped produce nine EIWA Champions, while nine of his wrestlers have garnered All-America recognition including 2011 graduate Bryce Saddoris. The two-time All-American and 2009 recipient of the Coaches Trophy which is presented to the most valuable wrestler at the EIWA Championship, Saddoris amassed a 147-40 career record en route to becoming Navy's all-time wins record holder.

The Midshipmen have flourished under Burnett's leadership, finishing among the top 25 at the NCAA Championship in three of the last five seasons and among the top five at the EIWA Championship in five of the last seven seasons.

2011 U.S. PAN AMERICAN GAMES WRESTLING LINEUPS

Men's freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs. - Nick Simmons, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Teyon Ware, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
National Freestyle Coach - Zeke Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pan American Games Coach - Bruce Burnett, Annapolis, Md.
Pan American Games Coach - Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio
Team Leader - Mike Novogratz, New York, N.Y.
College programs - Michigan State (Simmons), Oklahoma (Ware), Nebraska (Burroughs), Northwestern (Herbert), Iowa State (Varner), Nebraska-Kearney (Dlagnev)

Greco-Roman

60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Pete Gounaridis, Leominster, Mass. (Sunkist Kids)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tim Taylor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
National Greco-Roman Coach - Steve Fraser, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pan American Games Coach - Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pan American Games Coach - John Matthews, Phoenix, Ariz.
Team Leader - Dave Barry, Hoboken, N.J.
College programs - Northern Michigan (Betterman, Provisor, Haight, Gounaridis), Montana-State Northern (Garrison), Clackamas CC (Garrison), Portland State (Garrison)

PAN AMERICAN GAMES WRESTLING SCHEDULE

At Guadalajara, Mexico, October 20-24

(match times reflect those in Guadalajara, which is the same at the U.S. Central Time Zone)

Thursday, October 20 (U.S. wrestlers Garrison, Haight, Taylor)

10:00 a.m. - Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for Greco-Roman 55, 66, 84, 120 kg

6:00 p.m. - Medal matches for Greco-Roman 55, 66, 84, 120 kg

Friday, October 21 (U.S. wrestlers Betterman, Provisor, Gounaridis)

10:00 a.m. - Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for Greco-Roman 60, 74, 96 kg

6:00 p.m. - Medal matches for Greco-Roman 60, 74, 96 kg

Sunday, October 23 (U.S. wrestlers Simmons, Ware, Herbert, Dlagnev)

10:00 a.m. - Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for freestyle 55, 66, 84, 120 kg

6:00 p.m. - Medal matches for freestyle 55, 66, 84, 120 kg

Monday, October 24 (U.S. wrestlers Burroughs, Varner)

10:00 a.m. - Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for freestyle 60, 74, 96 kg

6:00 p.m. - Medal matches for freestyle 55, 66, 84, 120 kg

Miller Takes Seventh at Junior Worlds

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Rising Navy junior wrestler Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) placed seventh at the 2011 FILA Junior World Championships held last weekend in Bucharest, Romania, leading the United States to an eighth-place finish among the 25-country tournament.

Miller, who wrestled at 120 kg/264.5 lbs, qualified to represent the United States by way of winning the 2011 FILA Junior World Team Trials held in Franklin, Ind. at the end of May. He spent 15 days at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. preparing for his first international competition.

"It was an invaluable experience to say the least," said Miller upon his return to the U.S. "I work with the best coaches on a daily basis here at the Academy, but I was also able to train with another group of tremendous coaches at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs who prepared us for the tournament. I was also able to meet some of the top rising young wrestlers coming out of high school.

Miller, whose only freestyle experience was wrestling at the FILA tournaments over the last two years, opened up the competition by pinning Greece's Victor Svetlitskin at 1:13. He followed up with 1-0 and 2-0 victories over Vadzim Shvedau of Belarus, who placed ninth in the competition. Miller suffered his first loss of the competition in the quarterfinals to Georgia's Teodore Evanoidze, who ended up finishing as the runner-up. Evanoidze took the match by way of a 1-1, 2-0 mark against Miller.

"I thought I had a good chance of beating Evanoidze," added Miller. "That's the one match I wish I had back."

In his final match of the tournament, Miller fell short against a much-bigger Richard Csercsics of Hungary, 4-0, 6-0.

"This guy was huge," said Miller. "I tried everything I could think of with him and just could get him to budge."

Russia took the team title with 56 points, followed by Georgia (50), Iran (46), Turkey (41), Azerbaijan (37), Bulgaria (32), Kazakhstan (28), the United State (25), Moldova (23) and the Ukraine (18) rounded out the top 10. In addition to Miller, Mark Grey of Blair Academy took fifth at 121 lbs. and Josh Kindig of the Cowboy Wrestling Club placed fifth for the Americans.

"Certainly the international athletes have a bit of an edge on us because they wrestle freestyle pretty much all of the time, while in the U.S. we wrestle folkstyle. It's a completely different system and you see some moves that you wouldn't normally see at the college level. Although they are vastly different styles, at the end of the day wrestling is all about position. I was constantly working on my positioning. A lot of people around me have told me I should be happy with how I competed, but admittedly I missed some opportunities. It's a learning experience and one that I appreciate.

"I honestly didn't know what to expect in terms of the whole experience - the training camp, the competition, the trip. It was a lot of unknowns, but it truly was a priceless opportunity for me and one that I am grateful for."

Navy Unveils Wrestling Newcomers

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Twelfth-year Navy wrestling coach Bruce Burnett and his staff have once again assembled one of the top recruiting classes not only on the East Coast, but on a national level as well. Navy's Class of 2015 features 13 young men who have captured a combined eight state titles and hail from eight different states including a pair from Maryland.

"I am as excited about this recruiting class as I have ever been about an incoming group of young men," said Burnett. "I expect great things from this class and quite frankly, I think there are several who not only have the opportunity to make an early impact, but who we will rely upon to step up."

Navy Wrestling Class of 2015
Name Wt. Hometown Highlights
Colynn Cook 197 Murrysville, Pa.
Ben Creed 141 Cary, N.C. 3-Time State Champion, NHSCA Academic All-American
James Dankle 149 Brooklyn Heights, Ohio 2-Time State Placewinner, Graduated having won more than 100 matches
Brendan Kahle 285 Jackson, N.J. (NAPS)
Quentin Leadbeter 141 Owings, Md. (NAPS) 3-Time State Placewinner, State Champion once
Ryan Lynch 174 Hazlet, N.J. NHSCA All-American, Graduated having won more than 100 matches
Thomas Manning 149 Tooele, Utah 3-Time State Placewinner, State Champion once
Alex Marsico 141 Pickerington, Ohio (NAPS) State Placewinner, Graduated having won more than 100 matches
Patrick Prada 125 Laurel, Md. (NAPS) National Prep Finalist, State Champion, NWCA Placewinner, Fargo All-American
Paul Rands 133 Cary, Ill. State Placewinner, Freestyle and Greco Roman State Champion,
Previously wrestled and started at Northwestern
Colton Rasche 197 Plano, Ill. (NAPS) NWCA Champion, State Champion, Fargo All-American, Ironman Runner-Up
Matthew Sommers 125 Mount Prospect, Ill. Fargo All-American
Colton Vanthof 165 Sioux Center, Iowa 2-Time State Placewinner

The 2011-12 Navy Wrestling Plebe Smoker will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 17 at Alumni Hall beginning at 7:00 pm for those fans interested in getting their first glimpse of the Navy newcomers. Meanwhile, be sure to come out and support Navy wrestling on Oct. 29 when the Mids hold their annual Blue-Gold Challenge Matches at 7:00 pm.

Mike Letts Joins Navy Wrestling Staff

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Three-time NCAA qualifier and 2011 All-American Mike Letts has joined the Naval Academy wrestling staff it was announced on Wednesday by 12th-year Navy wrestling coach Bruce Burnett.

"I am excited to have Mike join our wrestling staff and become part of the Naval Academy family," said Burnett, the former U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team head coach who has amassed a 101-50 record at the helm of the Midshipmen program. "His accomplishments in the sport of wrestling along, with his character, integrity and youthful maturity make him a perfect fit for the program. There is no doubt that his contribution will make a positive impact on our athletes right away."

"I'm very excited to have this opportunity to begin my coaching career at such an upstanding and respectable program as the United States Naval academy," said Letts. "I only hope to help build upon its winning tradition and maintain what is an already impeccable reputation."

A 2011 graduate of the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Letts spent five years in College Park wrestling for former Terrapins coach Pat Santoro, now at Lehigh, and the last three years under the guidance of Kerry McCoy. Letts was a three-time ACC Champion, winning the 174-pound title as a freshman (2006-07), sophomore (2007-08) and senior (2010-11) and in each of those seasons punched his ticket to compete on the ultimate stage, the NCAA Championship.

Letts began his career by producing a 31-7 record as a rookie, including an 18-3 dual mark, and becoming the Terps' first true freshman to advance to the NCAA Tournament since 1990. A year later he claimed his second ACC title via an undefeated mark in conference action and qualified for his second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance behind a 23-6 record. He also garnered ACC Scholar-Athlete recognition in his sophomore season.

As a junior in 2008-09, Letts stepped away from team competition and spent the season dominating the open tournament circuit where he put together a 26-3 record. He opened the year winning his first 16 matches and won titles at Eastern Michigan, NC State, East Stroudsburg and Penn State.

He returned to the Maryland lineup in 2009-10, but an injury suffered in January would end his season prematurely. Ranked as high ast No. 4 during the season, he closed out the year with a 19-4 record.

Letts came back strong and enjoyed his most successful season as a senior. Voted by his peers to serve as Maryland's team captain, he put together his second 30-win season, boasting a 32-8 record which featured a 15-2 mark in dual action. He began he final season by capturing wins in 15 of his first 16 matches. Letts earned a 4-2 victory over fourth-ranked Chris Henrich of Virginia to win his third ACC title and was named the 2010-11 ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler. He went on post a 4-2 record and seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championship, which featured a 9-2 victory over eighth-ranked Nick Heflin of Ohio State to clinch All-America honors.

Letts closed out his collegiate career with a 131-28 record, including a 59-11 dual mark.

Navy's Miller Qualifies for FILA Junior World Championships

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Rising Naval Academy junior Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) scored back-to-back victories over Virginia's Derek Papagianopoulos to take the 120 kg weight class (freestyle) at the 2011 FILA Junior World Team Trials held in Franklin, Ind. at the end of May. By winning his weight class at the trials, Miller has qualified to represent the United States at the 2011 FILA Junior World Championships slated for July 30-31 in Bucharest, Romania. FILA Juniors are athletes who are 17-20 years old.

Miller, who was wrestling unattached, produced a 3-0, 2-1 victory over Papagianopoulos in the opening round before defeating the Cavalier in round two, 4-3 and 4-0. Papagianopoulos is a rising sophomore and is coming off an impressive rookie campaign which saw him put together a 22-9 record.

"I think it's always an honor to represent the United States at a world championship," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "It's not only a tremendous honor for Danny, but also for the Naval Academy."

Miller qualified to wrestle at the 2011 FILA Junior World Team Trials after placing third at the FILA Junior Nationals held in Cleveland. Ironically, he also defeated Papagianopoulos (3-0, 4-3) to take third place at the Nationals event. Meanwhile, Iowa's Bobby Telford, who defeated Miller in the semifinals and eventually claimed the FILA Junior Nationals title, skipped the FILA Junior World Team Trials to take part in the Junior Freestyle World Cup in Germany where he claimed victories over his Azerbaijan and Japanese opponents and bowed out of his match against Turkey in the U.S.'s fifth-place bout.

Miller follows in a long line of Navy greats who have competed on the international stage, including former teammate Scott Steele who placed third at the Olympic Trials and accompanied the U.S. as the alternate for the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing, China. Steele served as a mentor for Miller during his rookie season before Miller stepped into the lead role at heavyweight for the Mids this past season. Miller owns a 26-17 record over his first two seasons competing for the Midshipmen, including a 19-11 mark this past year. He won the Navy Classic, placed second at the All-Academy Championship and just missed qualifying for the NCAA Championship after placing seventh at the EIWA Championship in a conference which produced the National Champion and the runner-up.

"Dan has made steady progress throughout his career and continues to get better," added Burnett. "This experience will prove to be invaluable. The opportunity to train with other World Team members should enhance the learning curve and help prepare him for next year."

Miller will spend 15 days at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. where the FILA Junior Freestyle World Team Training Camp will be held from July 10-24 before traveling to Romania on July 25.

Competition will be in the eight FILA Junior weights: 50 kg/110 lbs, 55 kg/121 lbs, 60 kg/132 lbs, 66 kg/145.5 lbs, 74 kg/163 lbs, 84 kg/185 lbs, 96 kg/ 211.5 lbs and 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Wrestler Oscar Huntley Recognized for Classroom Success

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Rising junior Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) was among the 93 Div. I wrestlers nationwide to be named to the 2010-11 National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) All-Academic Team. The team featured three NCAA Champions, five NCAA Runners-Up, 28 All-Americans and 84 NCAA Qualifiers.

Huntley boasts 3.35 grade-point average in information technology and stands among the top 25 percent of his class in overall order of merit at the Naval Academy. He has been named to the Commandant's List in three of the four semesters he has been at the Academy, while also earning Dean's List and Superintendent's List mention along the way. Well respected within the Hall, he ranks 183rd in military order of merit among his classmates.

After suffering a season-ending knee injury early in his rookie campaign, Huntley returned to the mat last fall looking back to form. He opened the year by winning 12 of his first 18 matches and placing among the top six at the Eastern Michigan Open (sixth), the Navy Classic (fifth) and the Nittany Lion Open (fifth) where he wrestled at 174 pounds. By year's end, Huntley pushed up to 197 pounds and represented the Mids at the All-Academy Championship, where he placed second, along with the EIWA Championship, where he finished seventh. Additionally, he scored a 15-6 major decision over Orion Ross to help lead the Midshipmen to their 11th-consecutive victory over arch rival Army. He closed out his sophomore season with a 22-14 (.611) record, including a 3-1 mark in dual action.

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 the schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic Team is have a 3.0 cumulative and been an NCAA All-American.

Navy's Saddoris Receives All-America Honors, Rebertus Bows Out

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Navy senior wrestling captain and seventh-seeded Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) earned a 5-2 victory over Oklahoma State's Robert Erisman in the consolation quarterfinals Friday evening to become just the 16th wrestler in Naval Academy history to receive All-America honors multiple times in his career. Meanwhile, junior 184-pound Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) won his opening bout of the morning at 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships held at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, but exited the tournament following the third round of consolation matches.

Saddoris, just the program's sixth four-time NCAA qualifier, began the day having his hopes of becoming an NCAA Champion dashed, as he was pinned at 4:11 in his match against second-seeded Steve Fittery of American. It was the second time in the last two weeks the two wrestlers have met with Fittery, who is undefeated to date, earning wins over Saddoris in each.

Fittery opened the bout with a takedown at the 2:35 mark, but Saddoris fought his way free to trim Fittery's lead to 2-1. However, with 32 seconds left in the opening period, Fittery took a 4-1 advantage with his second takedown of the period. Saddoris opened the second period down and was hounded by Fittery, who was able to ride until turning Saddoris. Although he fought him for nearly 45 seconds on his back, Saddoris finally succumbed.

Saddoris, however, bounced back in the evening session where he met Erisman for not only an opportunity to continue in the tournament, but also for All-America laurels. Saddoris struck a minute into the match, getting the takedown at the edge of the mat. Saddoris picked up 30 seconds of riding time before Erisman broke free. Erisman knotted the match with his escape just two seconds into the second period, but Saddoris took the lead for good with a takedown with just 10 seconds remaining in the second frame. Saddoris tacked on a point for an escape to begin the third period en route to claiming a 5-2 win and All-America honors.

"If you look at what Bryce has been able to accomplish not only this year, but throughout his career, it's just not east to do," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "There are a lot of All-Americans who never have a chance to get back on the podium during their career because the level of competition is so incredibly intense.

"I'm so proud of him - how he competes, how he leads, how he represents himself and his teammates."

In his final bout of the evening, Saddoris met sixth-seeded Derek St. John of Iowa. Although Saddoris scored the match's first points with a takedown early in the first period, St. John posted the escape and followed with a quick takedown of his own to take a 3-2 advantage. Saddoris, though, broke free at the edge of the mat and was awarded a point just before the buzzer for excessive unsportsmanlike activity. St. John evened the match at 4-4 before scoring a takedown with 59 seconds left in the second period to take the lead for good. He tacked on two points for a single-leg takedown with under a minute to go in the match and built up nearly three minutes of riding time to earn a 9-4 win over Saddoris.

"I'm excited about becoming an All-American, but I'm not happy with my performance in my last match tonight," said Saddoris. "I don't think it probably has sunk in just yet that I'm an All-American and it probably won't until the competition is over."

Saddoris will meet 11th-seeded Walter Peppelman of Harvard in the seventh/eighth-place match Saturday morning. Saddoris defeated Peppelman by a 5-1 decision at the EIWA Championship two weeks ago to earn his way into the championship bout. Saddoris also defeated Peppelman at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December by a 5-1 count to place third.

In typical Luke Rebertus fashion, he used extra minutes to capture his second-round consolation victory over Hofstra's Ben Clymer. After a scoreless opening period, Rebertus deferred and sent Clymer to the mat. Clymer escaped almost immediately, but the remaining of the bout rendered little action and no points. It took Rebertus 35 seconds to score the escape in the final frame and the two once again could get no offense going. Neither wrestler scored in the one-minute sudden victory period and two 30-second tie breaker periods were ordered up. Clymer was the first to go down and Rebertus did an admirable job of clipping his leg out from underneath of him time and time again to ride him out the entire period. Clymer in turn was strong on top in the second tie breaker period, but as time expired Rebertus freed himself for the match-winning point in a 2-1 TB decision.

Rebertus, however, bowed out of the 81st NCAA Wrestling Championship after he was shut out by eighth-seeded Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota, 4-0. The two battled to a scoreless opening period, but Steinhaus broke Rebertus' grasp early in the second frame and with under a minute to go scored the takedown to take a 3-0 lead. Although Rebertus was able to break free, it was too late as Steinhaus rode Rebertus nearly the entire third period and with over two minutes of riding time, Steinhaus claimed a 4-1 win.

The Midshipmen stand 38th with 10 points, just a half point behind Bucknell. Meanwhile, with five wrestlers remaining including three in championship bouts tomorrow night, Penn State leads the pack with 92.5 points. Just a point separates second and third-place Cornell and Iowa with 75.0 and 74.0 points, respectively. Oklahoma State sits in fourth with 65.5 points, while American rounds out the top five with 56.0 points.

Saturdays consolation semifinals and medal rounds begin at 11:00 am Saturday, while the championship finals are scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm.

NAVY WRESTLERS AT THE 81st NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
First-Round Matches
125 - (7) Ryan Mango, Stanford dec Aaron Kalil, Navy, 13-7
157 - (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy major Jackson Morse, Illinois, 13-4
174 - (10) Nick Hefflin, Ohio State dec Matt DeMichiel, Navy, 6-0
184 - Luke Rebertus, Navy dec Jonathan Velazquez, Gardner Webb, 3-1

Second-Round Matches
157 - (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy dec (10) Daryl Cocozzo, Rutgers, 3-2
184 - (1) Chris Honeycutt, Edinboro dec Luke Rebertus, Navy 9-2

Quarterfinal Matches
157 - (2) Steve Fittery, American fall (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy, 4:11

Consolations
125 - (10 Alan Waters, Missouri dec Aaron Kalil, Navy, 5-4
174 - Rob Morrison, Rider dec Matt DeMichiel, Navy, 4-2 SV
184 - Luke Rebertus, Navy dec Ben Clymer, Hofstra, 2-1 TB
184 - (8) Kevin Steinhaus, Minnesota dec Luke Rebertus, Navy, 4-1
157 - (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy dec Robert Erisman, Oklahoma State, 5-2
157 - (6) Derek St. John dec (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy, 9-4

Updated Records
125 - Aaron Kalil; 29-11 Season, 68-41 Career
157 - Bryce Saddoris; 36-8 Season, 146-40 Career
174 - Matt DeMichiel; 24-9 Season, 84-47 Career
184 - Luke Rebertus; 31-11 Season, 73-24 Career
Saddoris Closes Navy Wrestling Career an All-American, Places Seventh at NCAA Championship

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Navy senior wrestling team captain Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) closed out his collegiate wrestling career by earning a 4-3 TB victory over Harvard's Walter Peppelman Saturday morning to place seventh at 157 pounds at the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championship held in Philadelphia. Saddoris secured All-America honors for the second time in his career on Friday evening by way of a 5-2 victory over Oklahoma State's Robert Erisman.

Saddoris, the seventh seed, and 11th-seeded Peppelman met Saturday morning at the Wells Fargo Center having met twice previously this season. Saddoris earned a 5-1 victory over Peppelman to take third at the Dec. 4 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, while just two weeks ago Saddoris claimed an identical 5-1 victory to punch his ticket into the finals of the EIWA Championship.

While Saturday's match between the two would have the same end result, a win for Saddoris, the Navy senior had to fight every step of the way to capture seventh place in his final match wrestling for the Mids. Saddoris wasted little time in scoring the match's first points, taking Peppelman to the mat for the takedown. Before period's end, however, Peppelman was able to score the escape and Saddoris owned a 2-1 advantage going into the second period.

Saddoris defered and Peppelman took the down position where Saddoris was able to gain 30 seconds of riding time before his Harvard foe knotted the match at 2-2 with an escape.

With the match all square, Saddoris chose the neutral position to begin the third frame. Saddoris looked to have scored the go-ahead takedown when mysteriously the official waved off the takedown after he signaled for it.

"We were wrestling on the side of the mat and I was able to grab his far ankle," explained Saddoris. "The ref called the takedown and right after we started to scramble and he took it away."

Neither wrestler was able to gain any ground the rest of the period and at 2-2, the match was sent into a one-minute sudden victory period. Again, neither could score any points and so the match was thrust into a pair of 30-second tie breakers where each wrestler has the opportunity to begin his frame in the down position.

Saddoris was the first to go down and Peppelman was successful in riding him out the entire 30 seconds. Meanwhile, Peppelman was able to get out in just four seconds to take the 3-2 advantage in the second tie breaker period. With Peppelman stalling, Saddoris desperately needed a takedown. And in dramatic fashion, Navy's all-time winningest wrestler got his opponent to the mat in just the nick of time to win his final collegiate match.

"I was down 3-2 and I knew I had to go after him," said Saddoris. "The official called him (Peppelman) for stalling and brought us back to the middle. When we broke, I looked at the clock and saw I had just eight seconds. As soon as the whistle blew, I shot in and was able to drag him by the arm and get on top of him with about two seconds left.

"It was so close ... it was nuts!"

In fact, according to the official results, Saddoris was awarded the takedown with three seconds left to win the match, 4-3 TB. It was Saddoris' first overtime match of the year and only the second in his last two seasons of wrestling.

"What a fitting way for Bryce to conclude his career," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "Despite getting absolutely no breaks in the match, his heart continued to work and he never gave up. This is such an exciting moment for him and I can't be any more proud of him than I am today.

"We will sorely miss Bryce's leadership and his work ethic. He's been a pleasure to coach these last four years."

Just the sixth wrestler in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championship all four years, Saddoris graduates as Navy's record holder for career wins boasting a 147-40 record. He is the only wrestler in school history to win 30-plus matches all four years - 35-12 in 2008, 43-8 in 2009, 32-12 in 2010 and 37-8 in 2011. And he is just the 16th different Navy wrestler to earn multiple All-America citations.

"I don't think that it's hit me just yet that I'm an All-American and my career has just ended," added Saddoris. "Probably when I'm alone later it will sink in.

"I'm really just grateful to have ended my college wrestling career on a good note. I owe everything to Coach Burnett and Coach Antonelli, along with the guys in the room who made me a better wrestler every day. It's a bittersweet day for me, but I'm really excited to have had the last four years and end it like this."

Heading into Saturday night's championship bouts, Navy is tied with Old Dominion for 37th with 11.0 points.

NAVY WRESTLERS AT THE 81st NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
First-Round Matches
125 - (7) Ryan Mango, Stanford dec Aaron Kalil, Navy, 13-7
157 - (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy major Jackson Morse, Illinois, 13-4
174 - (10) Nick Hefflin, Ohio State dec Matt DeMichiel, Navy, 6-0
184 - Luke Rebertus, Navy dec Jonathan Velazquez, Gardner Webb, 3-1

Second-Round Matches
157 - (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy dec (10) Daryl Cocozzo, Rutgers, 3-2
184 - (1) Chris Honeycutt, Edinboro dec Luke Rebertus, Navy 9-2

Quarterfinal Matches
157 - (2) Steve Fittery, American fall (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy, 4:11

Consolations
125 - (10) Alan Waters, Missouri dec Aaron Kalil, Navy, 5-4
174 - Rob Morrison, Rider dec Matt DeMichiel, Navy, 4-2 SV
184 - Luke Rebertus, Navy dec Ben Clymer, Hofstra, 2-1 TB
184 - (8) Kevin Steinhaus, Minnesota dec Luke Rebertus, Navy, 4-1
157 - (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy dec Robert Erisman, Oklahoma State, 5-2
157 - (6) Derek St. John dec (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy, 9-4

Seventh-Place Match
157 - (7) Bryce Saddoris, Navy dec (11) Walter Peppelman, Harvard, 4-3 TB

Updated Records
125 - Aaron Kalil; 29-11 Season, 68-41 Career
157 - Bryce Saddoris; 37-8 Season, 147-40 Career
174 - Matt DeMichiel; 24-9 Season, 84-47 Career
184 - Luke Rebertus; 31-11 Season, 73-24 Career
Navy Wrestling Wins 11th Straight Star, Saddoris Ties School Wins Record

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team won seven of the 10 bouts, including the last four to secure a 24-9 victory over arch rival Army in the annual Star Match held Saturday evening at Christl Arena in West Point. While the Midshipmen now own a 45-5-5 series advantage, the rout marked Navy's 11th-straight win over its service academy rival.

"We didn't wrestle our best tonight, but we still won and I'm proud of our team," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who is 11-0 against the Black Knights since his arrival in Annapolis. "There were a bunch of close matches and we hung on to win most of them. I know how important this rivalry is to both schools so for us to get another win against Army it's a great honor for the men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps, the Naval Academy and especially our team."

Navy built an early 11-0 lead after taking the first three matches of the evening, including the opening bout featuring sophomore Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) who bumped up to 197 pounds in the last three weeks. Huntley, who placed second at the All-Academy Championship two weeks ago, faced Army's Orion Ross in what was his first-collegiate dual at the heavier weight class. Huntley, who had previously wrestled at 174 pounds, had little trouble against Ross, who gave Navy's Scott Steele a good battle in last year's dual. Huntley scored the major decision, 15-6, to put the Mids on top 4-0.

Making his Army-Navy Star Match debut was sophomore Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) who carried on the Mids' success at heavyweight by way of an 11-4 victory over Army junior Daniel Mills. Meanwhile, junior Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) pushed the Mids' lead to 11-0 by manhandling Black Knights junior Travis Coffey, who came into the match with a 17-10 overall record and a 6-2 dual mark this season. Kalil stymied Coffey, 8-0, to improve to 2-0 in Star Matches during his career.

Army tried mounting a comeback beginning at 133 pounds with second-year standout Jordan Thome dealing Navy senior Allen Stein (Portland, Maine) a 7-2 loss. Thome's older brother Casey improved to a team-best 26-9 on the year at 141 pounds thanks to a 7-3 win over the Mids' Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.). Then it was sophomore Daniel Young's turn, as he dealt Navy freshman Joe Locksmith (Kissimmee, Fla.) a 5-1 loss at 149 pounds. Not only was Locksmith wrestling up a weight class, it was his first appearance on the mat since the Reno Tournament of Champions back in mid-December.

Just over halfway through the dual and holding a narrow 11-9 advantage, Burnett turned to team captain Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) to get the Mids back on track. Ranked ninth nationally, Saddoris would have a rematch of the championship bout at the All-Academy Championship just two weeks ago. He scored a 5-2 win over Jimmy Rafferty to win his third All-Academy Championship title and he claimed an 8-4 victory over Rafferty Saturday evening to secure his third win in the Star Match series.

"The Army-Navy match is easily the dual we prepare the most for and look forward to the most as a team," said Saddoris. "Because the rivalry has such deep roots, Coach Burnett takes the time to make sure we are as prepared as we possibly can be going into the match. A win is sweet and I'm proud to graduate having won all four years."

While the win pushed Navy's match advantage to 14-9, it was also of historic proportions. The victory marked Saddoris' 141st win of his career, tying Matt Stolpinski's school record for wins which was set in 2008.

"To think about all of the great wrestlers that came before me and all of their accomplishments, I feel so honored to be in their company," said Saddoris following the conclusion of the match. "I've never been one to look at records, instead all I have wanted to do is concentrate on the things I should be doing and getting better.

"It means a great deal to me that the person I'm tied with is Matt Stolpinski, who was my team captain my plebe year," added Saddoris. "I remember Stoli saying, 'if anyone breaks that record, I want it to be you.' I've put in my time and I've put a lot of work into it, but I need to keep my head on straight the next month and finish out the season by accomplishing the goals that I've set forth."

Saddoris, who improved to 31-5 with his win over Rafferty, is the only wrestler in school history to win at least 30 matches in each of his four years. He won 35 matches as a freshman, 43 as a sophomore and 32 as a junior.

Moving on to the 165-pound bout, sophomore Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) also made the most of his first appearance in an Army-Navy Star Match, clipping Army freshman Alex Smith by a 5-3 count.

Navy went on to clinch the match in the second-to-last bout thanks to a 3-1 win by senior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.). The 174-pound DeMichiel wrestled in the Army-Navy dual his sophomore year and scored a victory for the Mids, but missed out on last year's dual after suffering a season-ending leg injury just weeks before. He and the rest of Navy's senior class, however, will graduate in May having never lost a dual match to the Black Knights.

Although the match had already been decided, Navy junior Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) went out and wrestled his match with one thing on his mind - gaining bonus points. Rebertus had little trouble in cruising to a major decision over freshman Wil Brown, 11-3, at 184 pounds.

Navy will use the next two weeks to prepare for the 107th EIWA Championship which will be held at Bucknell on March 5 and 6.

Navy 24, Army 9
Feb. 19, 2011 * Christl Arena * West Point, N.Y.
197 - Oscar Huntley (N) wins by major dec Orion Ross (A), 15-6 4-0
HWT - Dan Miller (N) wins by dec Daniel Mills (A), 11-4 7-0
125 - Aaron Kalil (N) wins by major dec Travis Coffey (A), 8-0 11-0
133 - Jordan Thome (A) win by dec Allen Stein (N), 7-2 11-3
141 - Casey Thome (A) win by dec Dustin Haislip (N), 7-3 11-6
149 - Daniel Young (A) win by dec Joe Locksmith (N), 5-1 11-9
157 - #6 Bryce Saddoris (N) wins by dec Jimmy Rafferty (A), 8-4 14-9
165 - Mason Bailey (N) wins by dec Alex Smith (A), 5-3 17-9
174 - Matt DeMichiel (N) wins by dec Collin Wittmeyer (A), 3-1 20-9
184 - #11 Luke Rebertus (N) wins by major dec Wil Brown (A), 11-3 24-9
Navy Wrestling Scores Win Over North Carolina in Wild Finish

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Trailing 19-9 with three matches remaining, a pin by sophomore heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) helped spark a Navy run that resulted in a 21-19 victory over North Carolina Saturday evening at Halsey Field House in Annapolis. While Navy improved to 4-2 on the year, the win was also memorable for 11th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett who captured his 100th-collegiate dual victory.

"You can't script a match like tonight's, that's for sure," said Burnett. "Honestly, winning takes care of itself if you're doing the right things and we had our share of problems with that. There were several performances I was really pleased with - Bryce Saddoris took it to his opponent from start to finish, Mason Bailey fought to the bitter end and gets another terrific win, Matt DeMichiel nearly had two teeth knocked out and he got us a win, Aaron Kalil is just steady out there and Allen Stein really performed like a senior.

"We had a good week of practice, but we need to come out and take care of business. Tonight wasn't our best performance and we have a heck of a good team in Rutgers coming in here tomorrow night, so I'm expecting a better effort."

Navy found itself in a huge hole after just two matches with 141-pound Mike Rappo taking the opening match by fall over Navy's Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) with just eight second remaining in the match, followed by a major decision by Nick Stable of Navy junior Collin Leadbeter (Owings, Md.) at 149 pounds.

Burnett turned to team captain Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) to help turn the momentum in Navy's favor. Saddoris, ranked sixth nationally at 157 pounds, faced North Carolina Corey Mock who came into the match with a stout 29-11 record in his rookie season. Saddoris scored the opening takedown and never looked back as he earned a 12-5 decision with better than two minutes of riding time to give Navy its first win of the evening.

The 165-pound bout was one of the best of the night, pitting Navy sophomore Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) against redshirt senior Thomas Scotton of North Carolina. No strangers, the two had battled one another twice earlier in the year with Scotton scoring wins in both bouts, including an 11-4 decision at the Southern Scuffle. After a scoreless opening period, each wrestler scored an escape in the remaining two periods to force extra minutes. Neither wrestler saw the chance to score a point until the second tie breaker where again, both wrestlers scored an escape in their respective 30-second tie breaker block. With the match going down to the wire, Bailey was able to establish approximately seven seconds of riding time that was then trimmed to five before time ran out. It was enough for Bailey to score the upset, 2-2 TB2 (w/RT).

"I had wrestled him (Scotton) twice this season and I watch a lot of tape of him wrestling Bryce last year," said Bailey. "He's a tough competitor, but I knew what I needed to do in the match to be successful.

"I tend to wrestle up to my competition," added Bailey, who knocked off 18th-ranked Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh just two weeks ago. "I've taken my share of lumps this season and I'm trying to get that monkey off my back."

Senior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) took the mat looking to ride the momentum the Mids had built with his match at 174 pounds against Carolina freshman Andre Petroski. Down 2-1 entering the second period, the following 20 seconds happened so quickly it was almost a blur. DeMichiel immediately reversed Petroski's hold and was then awarded a penalty point because Petroski locked his hands. Just seconds later Petroski fought out of DeMichiel's grasp, but again DeMichiel brought Petroski down to the mat. Petroski did break free prior to the end of the period, trailing DeMichiel, 6-4, going into the final period.

Petroski knotted up the match at six all with a takedown early in the period, but DeMichiel scored the go-ahead escape with 1:09 remaining in the bout. Despite being dinged with a stall warning with under a minute to go, DeMichiel, with blood coming from his nose and mouth, held on to take the 7-6 win and get Navy to within one at 10-9.

Heading into the 184-pound bout, there was no doubt who the favorite was. Navy's Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) is ranked 11th nationally and was facing a near-.500 freshman, Antonio Giorgio. Rebertus looked to have the match in hand with a 2-1 lead heading into the final period, but a reversal by the Carolina rookie left Rebertus fighting from behind for a second-straight week. While Rebertus was fighting to get free, Giorgio was the riding time climb and went on to upset the Navy junior, 4-2.

The Mids went from one point down to a whopping 10-point deficit in just two matches, as North Carolina redshirt freshman Zac Bennett scored a pin over Navy senior Greg Prioleau (Poway, Calif.) at 197 pounds.

With three matches remaining, Navy not only had to win all three, at least one of the three would have to come up with bonus points.

There was no time like the present for Miller to step up for his team and get that bonus point win. With the match winding down, Miller held a 3-2 advantage and looked as though he would secure the first step in Navy's comeback. But with roughly 12 seconds remaining, Miller bulldozed the Tar Heels' Ben Brooks to the mat and pinned his foe with an unbelievable two seconds remaining in the match. The win brought the fans and the Navy bench to their feet and provided the electricity the Mids would need in their final two matches.

"I'm sure he (Brooks) was looking to pin me and put the match away and I was certainly looking to pin him and get this match turned around for us," said Miller, who improved to 14-9 this season, including 3-1 in dual bouts. "I felt like it really came down to who worked the hardest and I'm thankful I was able to capitalize on some moves I made tonight. I turned the tide on the scoreboard for sure and I think it helped build some momentum as Aaron (Kalil) and Allen (Stein) got ready for their matches."

Next up for Navy was junior 125-pound Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) who has been as consistent as any Navy wrestler this season. Kalil, a 2010 NCAA qualifier, came into the match having won three-straight duals. He broke a 3-3 tie early in the second period when he scored a reversal and then rode his foe, sophomore Nick Shields, out for the remainder of the period (1:38). Shields escaped quickly to start the third period, but was unable to get anything going and Kalil picked up the 6-4 win with riding time to get the Mids to within just one point, 19-18, with one bout remaining.

In the final match of the evening, Navy had the upperhand with a senior, Allen Stein (Portland, Maine), on the mat while the Tar Heels looked to freshman Pat Owens. Stein took a 2-0 advantage with 30 seconds remaining in the first period and pushed it to 4-0 after nearly scoring the pinfall. By the end of two periods, Stein held a 6-3 advantage with momentum well in Navy's corner. Stein took a 7-3 lead with an early escape, but Owens made it interesting with a takedown with 1:16 left in the match. Owens let Stein get to his feet knowing he had to get another takedown. Owens instead received a point after Stein was called for two stall warnings in the final 40 seconds. Stein, though, would hold on and claim a 9-6 victory with riding time to win his match and lead Navy to a spectacular come-from-behind victory.

"The coaches always tell you that it's just another match, no matter who the opponent is or what the score is," said Stein, who has been involved in some memorable matches over his career, including a huge victory at 133 pounds against Army in last year's Star Match. "At the end of the day, it all boils down to a one-on-one match. I knew I had every one of my teammates behind me and I knew I had to give everything I had for seven minutes.

"I had wrestled this guy earlier in the year and he beat me," added Stein. "I had that in the back of my head."

Navy 21, North Carolina 19
Jan. 28, 2011 * Halsey Field House * Annapolis, Md.
141 - Mike Rappo (NC) wins by fall Dustin Haislip (N), 6:52 0-6
149 - Nick Stabile (NC) wins by major dec Collin Leadbeter, 13-0 0-10
157 - #6 Bryce Saddoris (N) wins by dec Corey Mock (NC), 12-5 3-10
165 - Mason Bailey (N) wins by dec Thomas Scotton (NC), 2-2 TB2 (RT) 6-10
174 - Matt DeMichiel (N) wins by dec Andre Petroski (NC), 7-6 9-10
184 - Antonio Giorgio (NC) wins by dec #11 Luke Rebertus (N), 4-2 9-13
197 - Zac Bennett (NC) wins by fall Greg Prioleau (N), 3:32 9-19
HWT - Dan Miller (N) wins by fall Ben Brooks (NC), 6:58 15-19
125 - Aaron Kalil (N) wins by dec Nick Shields (NC), 6-4 18-19
133 - Allen Stein (N) wins by Pat Owens (NC), 9-6 21-19
Navy Wrestling Falls Short at Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team fell to in-state rival Maryland, 19-12, on Saturday afternoon in University Park. Despite trailing, 16-3, with four bouts to go, the Midshipmen pulled within four points heading into the final match, but couldn't complete the comeback. Navy is now 3-2 on the year while the Terps improved to 10-3.

"We made some mistakes tonight that cost us and we weren't able to recover," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "I thought we wrestled hard and tough, even though we lost a couple of matches that we had a chance to win."

The dual began at 149 pounds where Maryland's Ben Dorsay defeated Collin Leadbeter, 6-3. The match was tied at three entering the third and Dorsay got a quick escape and then a takedown with just :01 remaining to secure the win.

In the afternoon's bout between ranked wrestlers, Navy's sixth-ranked Bryce Saddoris handily defeated No. 13 Kyle John, 7-3, at 157 pounds. Saddoris got two first-period takedowns to jump out front and the only points he allowed in the match came on escapes.

With the score tied at three, the Terps went on to claim victories in the next four bouts. No. 5 Josh Asper got a major decision, 9-1, over Mason Bailey at 165 pounds. At 174 pounds, No. 17 Mike Letts blanked Matt DeMichiel, 4-0.

The Mids' eighth-ranked Luke Rebertus then dropped a one-point decision to Corey Peltier, 4-3, at 184 pounds. Peltier picked up two near-fall points in the second period and carried a 2-1 lead into the third. After a Peltier escaped pushed his lead to 3-1, Rebertus got a takedown at the :34 mark of the frame to knot the score.

Rebertus couldn't maintain his advantage, however, and a Peltier escape with a minute remaining proved to be the difference.

In another close bout at 197, Christian Boley got a 5-3 decision over Greg Prioleau. Again with the matched tied heading into the third period, Boley got an escape and a takedown less than :30 into the fame and hung on for the win.

Dan Miller put an end to Maryland's run in the heavyweight bout as he got a 3-2 decision over Spencer Myers. Miller got a takedown in the first period and then an escape in the second to improve to 13-8 on the year with the win.

Miller's win made the score 16-6 in favor of the Terps with three bouts to go.

Aaron Kalil continued the Navy comeback at 125 with an 8-3 decision over Shane Gentry. Trailing, 2-1, after the first period, Kalil got a quick reversal and later scored two near-fall points to turn the tide and eventually clinch the victory.
Allen Stein pulled Navy within four points, at 16-12, with his 6-4 decision over Joey Boone at 133 pounds. Stein's escape and takedown in the second period proved to be the difference.

Maryland's John Kohler put an end to Navy's comeback hopes in the final match of the day at 141 pounds with a 4-0 decision over Dustin Haislip. Kohler used an escape and takedown to snap a scoreless third-period tie.

"It doesn't get any easier next weekend," said Burnett. "We need to get in the room and get back to work and continue to get better. We didn't wrestle that badly today, just not well enough to win."

Burnett will go for his 100th career win next Friday when the Midshipmen host North Carolina in the first of two weekend duals at Halsey Field House. Navy will then take on Rutgers on Saturday. Both meets will begin at 7 p.m.

Maryland 19, Navy 12
149- Ben Dorsay (MD) dec. Collin Leadbeter, 6-3 (3-0)
157- No. 6 Bryce Saddoris (Navy) dec. No. 13 Kyle John, 7-3 (3-3)
165- No. 5 Josh Asper (MD) major dec. Mason Bailey, 9-1 (7-3)
174- No. 17 Mike Letts (MD) dec. Matt DeMichiel, 4-0 (10-3)
184- Corey Peltier (MD) dec. No. 8 Luke Rebertus, 4-3 (13-3)
197- Christian Boley (MD) dec. Greg Prioleau, 5-3 (16-3)
HWT- Dan Miller (Navy) dec. Spencer Myers, 3-2 (16-6)
125- Aaron Kalil (Navy) dec. Shane Gentry, 7-3 (16-9)
133- Allen Stein (Navy) dec. Joey Boone, 6-4 (16-12)
141- Jon Kohler (MD) dec. Dustin Haislip, 4-0 (19-12)
Navy Wrestling Dominates Liberty, 34-6

Midshipmen win final seven bouts to improve to 3-1.

ANNAPOLIS, MD - The Navy wrestling team defeated Liberty in impressive fashion by a score of 34-6 on Friday night at Halsey Field House in Annapolis. With the score tied at six after three matches, 174-pounder Matt DeMichiel pinned Liberty's Royal Brettrager at the 1:21 mark to give Navy a 12-6 lead and the Midshipmen never looked back. The Mids went on to win the next six bouts as they improved to 3-1 on the season. The loss dropped Liberty to 6-6.

The dual began at 149 pounds where Liberty's Peter Crawford defeated Zach Basich, 9-4. Basich got an escape early in the second period to tie the score, but Crawford registered a takedown later in the frame to grab a 5-3 lead that he would not relinquish.

Navy's sixth-ranked Bryce Saddoris responded in the next bout at 157 pounds where he made quick work of Liberty's Eric Reger. Saddoris jumped on Reger immediately, taking a 7-1 lead at the 1:30 mark. With Reger on his back, Saddoris got the pin just seconds later, at 1:37, to give Navy the lead, 6-3.

Liberty's Chad Porter then shutout Robby Neill in the 165-pound bout. Porter got a takedown with 1:00 left in the first period and didn't score again until he got an escape in the third. Another takedown and a point for riding time secured his 6-0 win.

With the score knotted at six, the Mids then took over, beginning with DeMichiel pinning Brettrager at 174 pounds.

"I think we started slowly," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "The nucleus of guys we have that are wrestling tough are continuing to wrestle tough. Bryce got us started and our mainstays - Matt DeMichiel and Luke Rebertus - kept us going."

DeMichiel's win opened the floodgates for Navy, as No. 8 Luke Rebertus followed at 184 pounds with a 12-4 major decision over Aaron Kelley. Rebertus led 7-2 after the second period, but with two takedowns in the third and significant edge in riding time, he picked up his second major decision of the year to improve his record to 22-5.

"It's huge when you get bonus points, it just makes so much difference in a match," said Burnett, who secured his 99th career victory on Friday night. "The bonus points built momentum and our guys continued from there."

Leading 16-6, Greg Prioleau snapped his three-match losing skid as he defeated Aaron Thompson, 4-2, at 197 pounds. After trailing 2-0, Prioleau worked his way back into the match with two escapes and then got a takedown with less than: 30 remaining in the second period to take the lead for good.

In the heavyweight bout, Dan Miller recorded the third fall of the evening for Navy as he pinned Jake Wright at 6:19. Miller controlled the entire bout, leading 9-0, just before registering his third fall of the year.

Aaron Kalil boosted Navy's lead to 28-6 when he blanked Robert Jillard at 125 pounds, 5-0. Kalil scored a takedown in the first, then a reversal in the second period and picked up an extra point with 2:08 of riding time.

Navy's Tyler Sackett got a 6-3 decision over T.J. Mitchell at 133 pounds, swelling the lead to 31-6.

Dustin Haislip closed out the night with a 6-3 win over Seth Hicks at 141 pounds. With the score tied at two in the second period, Haislip got an escape and later a takedown to secure the lead for good.

Navy will be back in action on Saturday when it travels to University Park to meet Maryland (9-3) at 4 p.m.

"That's the nature of the business in wrestling, the turnaround is pretty quick and we'll have to be up and ready to go tomorrow," said Burnett.

Navy 34, Liberty 6

149 - Peter Crawford (L) won by dec. Zach Basich (N), 9-4; Liberty led, 3-0
157 - No. 6 Bryce Saddoris (N) won by fall Eric Reger (L), 1:37; Navy led, 6-3
165 - Chad Porter (L) won by dec. Robby Neill (N), 6-0; Tied at 6
174 - Matt DeMichiel (N) won by fall Royal Brettrager (L), 1:21; Navy led, 12-6
184 - No. 8 Luke Rebertus (N) won by maj. dec. Aaron Kelley (L), 12-4; Navy led, 16-6
197 - Greg Prioleau (N) won by dec. Aaron Thompson (L), 4-2; Navy led, 19-6
285 - Dan Miller (N) won by fall Jake Wright (L), 6:19; Navy led, 25-6
125 - Aaron Kalil (N) won by dec. Robert Jillard (L), 5-0; Navy led, 28-6
133 - Tyler Sackett (N) won by dec. T.J. Mitchell (L), 6-3; Navy led, 31-6
141 - Dustin Haislip (N) won by dec Seth Hicks (L), 6-3; Navy wins, 34-6
Navy Wrestlers Upset 12th-Ranked Lehigh, 19-15

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A major decision by Navy 125-pound junior Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) over Mitch Berger sealed the win for the Mids, as the Navy wrestling team (2-1/2-0 EIWA) scored a 19-15 upset victory over No. 12 Lehigh (9-5/1-1 EIWA) Saturday evening at Halsey Field House in Annapolis. The Mountain Hawks came into the match having won 13 of the last 14 matches in the series with the Mids' last win over Lehigh coming on Jan. 13, 2007, in Annapolis.

"All of the hard work that we have put in over the last several months paid off tonight," said 11th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who inched a step closer to his 100th by earning his 98th-career victory. "We competed hard from top to bottom and we earned some upset wins because we wrestled smart. Prior to the match I told the guys that we needed to win the battle of the mind and the battle of the body, but more importantly we needed to win the battle of the heart.

"Lehigh is well coached and Pat Santoro has done a phenomenal job with that wrestling program."

Santoro's Mountain Hawks looked strong in the opening bouts, building a 6-0 advantage following decisions by 141-pound Stephen Dutton over Navy's Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) and 149-pound Joey Napoli over the Mids' Eric Filipowicz (Elkridge, Md.).

Burnett, however, looked to his team captain to get the Mids back into the match. And seventh-ranked Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) didn't disappoint. Lehigh junior Sean Bilodeau opened the match fearless and went after Saddoris, scoring the match's opening points with a takedown halfway through the opening period. Saddoris quickly broke free and had Bilodeau on the mat less than 15 seconds later and at the 2:13 mark of the match, official Jeff Cook slapped the mat and awarded Saddoris a win by fall. The pin quickly erased the Lehigh lead and sparked a four-match run by the Mids.

Navy took the lead for good when 165-pound sophomore Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) pulled the evening's first upset, a 5-4 win over 18th-ranked Brandon Hatchett. After a scoreless opening period, Bailey took a quick lead in the second with a reversal, but seven seconds later Hatchett knotted the match with his own version of a reversal. Bailey eventually took the lead into the third period by earning the point for the escape.

The third period began with Hatchett getting to the neutral position to tie the match at 3-3, but Bailey quickly went for Hatchett's legs and got him to the ground for a 5-3 advantage. Although Hatchett would get on his feet and free from Bailey, it was too little, too late and Bailey his first-career win over a ranked foe.

"I've been so close in so many matches," said an elated Bailey following the match. "It's about time that I stepped up and wrestled hard and got a win for this team and myself. I have some of the best practice partners in the country and I have no doubt that each of them - Robby Neill, Bryce Saddoris, Luke Rebertus, Bobby Barnhisel - they all helped me get to where I am now and get this win tonight."

Navy continued to keep the pressure on the Mountain Hawks with senior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) stunning No. 9 Austin Meys at 174 pounds. With the match deadlocked at 3-3 after the first period, DeMichiel would score the only point of the second to take a 4-3 lead. Meys then evened the match at 4-4 with an escape to start the third. DeMichiel, who had not wrestled since Dec. 19 at the Reno Tournament of Champions because of an injury, made his clinching move with 1:25 left in the match, a takedown that gave him a 6-4 advantage. Meys eventual got free with just over a minute to go, but succumbed to DeMichiel, 6-5.

"Meys is a strong kid, so going into the match I felt like I needed to keep him on his toes and get a lot of movement in on him," said DeMichiel, who earned his second-career victory over a ranked foe and first this season. "It felt great to get back onto the mat after being out for so long. This win not only was huge for us tonight, but it's important because it's against an EIWA opponent and that will be important for seeding at the EIWA Tournament."

The two upset victories led into perhaps the most anticipated match of the evening, a battle at 184 pounds between No. 5 Robert Hamlin of Lehigh and 18th-ranked Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) of Navy. Both wrestlers came into the match having won two huge matches the week prior. While Rebertus defeated then 14th-ranked Eric Schmidtke of Oklahoma in a tie-breaker, Hamlin downed the nation's top-ranked wrestler, Joe LeBlanc of Wyoming at the Virginia Duals.

Rebertus struck first with a takedown 30 seconds into the match and built a 3-1 advantage through the first two periods. Hamlin cut into the lead with an escape to start the third before Rebertus was dinged for his second stall warning to tie the match at 3-3. He did, however, redeem himself with a takedown with under a minute to go. Hamlin broke free with 37 seconds remaining, but Rebertus held on to earn the 5-4 win and record his third win over a ranked wrestler this season.

"I was really pumped up for this match," said Rebertus. "I just won at Oklahoma and he (Hamlin) just knocked off the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country. I was excited to get the win, but more importantly I was glad that I could contribute to the team. It was an awesome environment and I always enjoy wrestling against Lehigh.

"This season has gone where I had hoped, but I have more goals to achieve. I have to make up for only wrestling half of last season and so I'm training harder, I'm working harder and I make every practice count."

Trailing 15-6, Lehigh worked its way back into the match with a 4-2 win by 14th-ranked Joe Kennedy over Navy senior Greg Prioleau (Poway, Calif.) at 197 pounds, followed by the narrowest of victories by No. 1-ranked Zach Rey over Navy senior Mike Landis (Hershey, Pa.). With the match tied at 1-1 with two minutes to go in the match, Landis made the smallest of errors and Rey was quick to take advantage of it and brough Landis to the mat with 1:34 to go. The Navy senior who last saw action on Dec. 29 at the Southern Scuffle was able to get to within one, 3-2, with an escape, but it would be the final margin.

"I tip my hat to Mike Landis who had a chance to beat the No.1 wrestler in the country tonight," said Burnett. "He had a chance because he did the right things and let me tell you, Zach Rey is a really good wrestler."

With two matches remaining, Navy was clinging to a three-point advantage at 15-12. Kalil went into his match against Lehigh senior Mitch Berger knowing he needed to take care of business. He looked like a man on a mission, building a 7-1 lead at the end of the first period and a 10-1 advantage after two. By match's end he had produced three takedowns, a three-point nearfall and nearly two minutes in riding time (1:58) to not only earn a win for the Mids, but the major decision put the match out of reach for the Mountain Hawks.

Navy junior 133-pound Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.) had upset on his mind throughout the match, building a 6-3 lead through the opening period. However, 20th-ranked Frank Cagnina fought back to a 6-6 tie after two. The two wrestlers went back and forth and after a Sackett escape with 28 seconds left, the match was all tied up at 8-8. However, Cagnina won the bout, 9-8, thanks to his 1:30 of riding time.

"I want our guys to enjoy the win because it was well deserved," said Burnett. "However, I also told them not to rest on it. While we had more points than Lehigh at the end of the match, we made some small mistakes and we need to continue to get better. I think we have pretty much everybody on board now believing in our hard work and what we are doing in practice daily is making the difference when we step onto the match in competition."

The Midshipmen return to action next Friday when they play host to Liberty in what will be the two programs' first meeting. Action is on tap to begin at 7:00 pm at Halsey Field House. Navy will then make the short trip to College Park on Saturday where the Mids will battle Maryland beginning at 4:00 pm at the Comcast Center.

Navy 19, #12 Lehigh 15
Jan. 15, 2011 * Halsey Field House * Annapolis, Md.
141 - Stephen Dutton (L) won by dec. Dustin Haislip (N), 9-5 0-3
149 - Joey Napoli (L) won by dec. Eric Filipowicz (N), 8-2 0-6
157 - #8 Bryce Saddoris (N) won by fall Sean Bilodeau (L), 2:13 6-6
165 - Mason Bailey (N) won by dec. #18 Brandon Hatchett (L), 5-4 9-6
174 - Matt DeMichiel (N) won by dec. #9 Austin Meys (L) , 6-5 12-6
184 - #18 Luke Rebertus (N) won by dec. #5 Robert Hamlin (L), 5-4 15-6
197 - #14 Joe Kennedy (L) won by dec. Greg Prioleau (N), 4-2 15-9
HWT - #1 Zach Rey (L) won by dec. Mike Landis (N), 3-2 15-12
125 - Aaron Kalil (N) won by major dec. Mitch Berger (L), 13-3 19-12
133 - #20 Frank Cagnina (L) won by dec. Tyler Sackett (N), 9-8 19-15Navy Wrestlers Upset 12th-Ranked Lehigh, 19-15
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A major decision by Navy 125-pound junior Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) over Mitch Berger sealed the win for the Mids, as the Navy wrestling team (2-1/2-0 EIWA) scored a 19-15 upset victory over No. 12 Lehigh (9-5/1-1 EIWA) Saturday evening at Halsey Field House in Annapolis. The Mountain Hawks came into the match having won 13 of the last 14 matches in the series with the Mids' last win over Lehigh coming on Jan. 13, 2007, in Annapolis.

"All of the hard work that we have put in over the last several months paid off tonight," said 11th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who inched a step closer to his 100th by earning his 98th-career victory. "We competed hard from top to bottom and we earned some upset wins because we wrestled smart. Prior to the match I told the guys that we needed to win the battle of the mind and the battle of the body, but more importantly we needed to win the battle of the heart.

"Lehigh is well coached and Pat Santoro has done a phenomenal job with that wrestling program."

Santoro's Mountain Hawks looked strong in the opening bouts, building a 6-0 advantage following decisions by 141-pound Stephen Dutton over Navy's Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) and 149-pound Joey Napoli over the Mids' Eric Filipowicz (Elkridge, Md.).

Burnett, however, looked to his team captain to get the Mids back into the match. And seventh-ranked Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) didn't disappoint. Lehigh junior Sean Bilodeau opened the match fearless and went after Saddoris, scoring the match's opening points with a takedown halfway through the opening period. Saddoris quickly broke free and had Bilodeau on the mat less than 15 seconds later and at the 2:13 mark of the match, official Jeff Cook slapped the mat and awarded Saddoris a win by fall. The pin quickly erased the Lehigh lead and sparked a four-match run by the Mids.

Navy took the lead for good when 165-pound sophomore Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) pulled the evening's first upset, a 5-4 win over 18th-ranked Brandon Hatchett. After a scoreless opening period, Bailey took a quick lead in the second with a reversal, but seven seconds later Hatchett knotted the match with his own version of a reversal. Bailey eventually took the lead into the third period by earning the point for the escape.

The third period began with Hatchett getting to the neutral position to tie the match at 3-3, but Bailey quickly went for Hatchett's legs and got him to the ground for a 5-3 advantage. Although Hatchett would get on his feet and free from Bailey, it was too little, too late and Bailey his first-career win over a ranked foe.

"I've been so close in so many matches," said an elated Bailey following the match. "It's about time that I stepped up and wrestled hard and got a win for this team and myself. I have some of the best practice partners in the country and I have no doubt that each of them - Robby Neill, Bryce Saddoris, Luke Rebertus, Bobby Barnhisel - they all helped me get to where I am now and get this win tonight."

Navy continued to keep the pressure on the Mountain Hawks with senior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) stunning No. 9 Austin Meys at 174 pounds. With the match deadlocked at 3-3 after the first period, DeMichiel would score the only point of the second to take a 4-3 lead. Meys then evened the match at 4-4 with an escape to start the third. DeMichiel, who had not wrestled since Dec. 19 at the Reno Tournament of Champions because of an injury, made his clinching move with 1:25 left in the match, a takedown that gave him a 6-4 advantage. Meys eventual got free with just over a minute to go, but succumbed to DeMichiel, 6-5.

"Meys is a strong kid, so going into the match I felt like I needed to keep him on his toes and get a lot of movement in on him," said DeMichiel, who earned his second-career victory over a ranked foe and first this season. "It felt great to get back onto the mat after being out for so long. This win not only was huge for us tonight, but it's important because it's against an EIWA opponent and that will be important for seeding at the EIWA Tournament."

The two upset victories led into perhaps the most anticipated match of the evening, a battle at 184 pounds between No. 5 Robert Hamlin of Lehigh and 18th-ranked Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) of Navy. Both wrestlers came into the match having won two huge matches the week prior. While Rebertus defeated then 14th-ranked Eric Schmidtke of Oklahoma in a tie-breaker, Hamlin downed the nation's top-ranked wrestler, Joe LeBlanc of Wyoming at the Virginia Duals.

Rebertus struck first with a takedown 30 seconds into the match and built a 3-1 advantage through the first two periods. Hamlin cut into the lead with an escape to start the third before Rebertus was dinged for his second stall warning to tie the match at 3-3. He did, however, redeem himself with a takedown with under a minute to go. Hamlin broke free with 37 seconds remaining, but Rebertus held on to earn the 5-4 win and record his third win over a ranked wrestler this season.

"I was really pumped up for this match," said Rebertus. "I just won at Oklahoma and he (Hamlin) just knocked off the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country. I was excited to get the win, but more importantly I was glad that I could contribute to the team. It was an awesome environment and I always enjoy wrestling against Lehigh.

"This season has gone where I had hoped, but I have more goals to achieve. I have to make up for only wrestling half of last season and so I'm training harder, I'm working harder and I make every practice count."

Trailing 15-6, Lehigh worked its way back into the match with a 4-2 win by 14th-ranked Joe Kennedy over Navy senior Greg Prioleau (Poway, Calif.) at 197 pounds, followed by the narrowest of victories by No. 1-ranked Zach Rey over Navy senior Mike Landis (Hershey, Pa.). With the match tied at 1-1 with two minutes to go in the match, Landis made the smallest of errors and Rey was quick to take advantage of it and brough Landis to the mat with 1:34 to go. The Navy senior who last saw action on Dec. 29 at the Southern Scuffle was able to get to within one, 3-2, with an escape, but it would be the final margin.

"I tip my hat to Mike Landis who had a chance to beat the No.1 wrestler in the country tonight," said Burnett. "He had a chance because he did the right things and let me tell you, Zach Rey is a really good wrestler."

With two matches remaining, Navy was clinging to a three-point advantage at 15-12. Kalil went into his match against Lehigh senior Mitch Berger knowing he needed to take care of business. He looked like a man on a mission, building a 7-1 lead at the end of the first period and a 10-1 advantage after two. By match's end he had produced three takedowns, a three-point nearfall and nearly two minutes in riding time (1:58) to not only earn a win for the Mids, but the major decision put the match out of reach for the Mountain Hawks.

Navy junior 133-pound Tyler Sackett (Omaha, Neb.) had upset on his mind throughout the match, building a 6-3 lead through the opening period. However, 20th-ranked Frank Cagnina fought back to a 6-6 tie after two. The two wrestlers went back and forth and after a Sackett escape with 28 seconds left, the match was all tied up at 8-8. However, Cagnina won the bout, 9-8, thanks to his 1:30 of riding time.

"I want our guys to enjoy the win because it was well deserved," said Burnett. "However, I also told them not to rest on it. While we had more points than Lehigh at the end of the match, we made some small mistakes and we need to continue to get better. I think we have pretty much everybody on board now believing in our hard work and what we are doing in practice daily is making the difference when we step onto the match in competition."

The Midshipmen return to action next Friday when they play host to Liberty in what will be the two programs' first meeting. Action is on tap to begin at 7:00 pm at Halsey Field House. Navy will then make the short trip to College Park on Saturday where the Mids will battle Maryland beginning at 4:00 pm at the Comcast Center.

Navy 19, #12 Lehigh 15
Jan. 15, 2011 * Halsey Field House * Annapolis, Md.
141 - Stephen Dutton (L) won by dec. Dustin Haislip (N), 9-5 0-3
149 - Joey Napoli (L) won by dec. Eric Filipowicz (N), 8-2 0-6
157 - #8 Bryce Saddoris (N) won by fall Sean Bilodeau (L), 2:13 6-6
165 - Mason Bailey (N) won by dec. #18 Brandon Hatchett (L), 5-4 9-6
174 - Matt DeMichiel (N) won by dec. #9 Austin Meys (L) , 6-5 12-6
184 - #18 Luke Rebertus (N) won by dec. #5 Robert Hamlin (L), 5-4 15-6
197 - #14 Joe Kennedy (L) won by dec. Greg Prioleau (N), 4-2 15-9
HWT - #1 Zach Rey (L) won by dec. Mike Landis (N), 3-2 15-12
125 - Aaron Kalil (N) won by major dec. Mitch Berger (L), 13-3 19-12
133 - #20 Frank Cagnina (L) won by dec. Tyler Sackett (N), 9-8 19-15
Navy Wrestling Powers Past Franklin & Marshall, 32-13

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team (1-0) opened the dual portion of its schedule Friday evening by defeating EIWA foe Franklin & Marshall, 32-13, at Halsey Field House in Annapolis. The Midshipmen won seven of the 10 bouts, including five straight in the middle of the match.

"It was nice to be at home," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who has amassed a 97-47 record in his 11 seasons at the Academy. "We are getting closer to final exams, so I think it was important for us to be at home this weekend as our wrestlers prepare for next week.

"We've had some distractions recently and I think it showed a little bit tonight. But I think we fought through it and had some good to go along with the bad. We have some very smart kids on this team, but we seem to be making the same mistakes over and over. We have to correct that for them to be successful and at the end of the day, that is what I am hopeful for. For each of our wrestlers to reach their potential and enjoy great success."

The Diplomats opened the match in a big hole, forfeiting the 125-pound bout to Navy freshman Jericho Urmenita (Auburn, Wash.) as Navy took a 6-0 lead. Franklin & Marshall battle its way back into the match by winning back-to-back matches at 133 and 141 pounds to take a 9-6 lead after three bouts. Senior Jake Bucha kept his unblemished record intact by earning a 12-8 win over Navy senior Allen Stein (Portland, Maine) at 133 pounds. Bucha, who is now 8-0 on the year, recorded five takedowns in the match, including four in the opening period. Meanwhile, F&M's Kenny Knapp scored a surprise pin over Navy rookie Joe Locksmith (Kissimmee, Fla.) at 4:31. With the match tied up at two apiece in the second period, Locksmith had control of Knapp, but an over-aggressive move cost the Navy youngster the match as Knapp quickly put him on his back for the pinfall.

"I think Joe got a little frustrated in his match and when he got his opponent in a position he wanted, he rushed it," said Burnett. "In getting in a hurry he got caught and made a mistake that cost him the match. He can learn from it ... he needs to learn from it because that could be a more costly error in the future."

Though Navy trailed after three bouts, the Mids quickly bounced back and took control of the match. Sophomore 149-pound Eric Filipowicz (Elkridge, Md.) gained an early 4-1 lead after one and pushed it to 7-1 after two periods. Filipowicz began the cat-and-mouse game with F&M's Andrew Murano by taking him to the mat and allowing the escape time and time again. In fact, Filipowicz scored three takedowns in the final period and added on more than three minutes of riding time to score the 14-4 major decision to give the Mids the lead for good. It was Filipowicz's first-career dual match.

Senior team captain Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) showed no mercy in his match against F&M sophomore Eric Norgard. Saddoris built a 7-1 lead at the end of the first period and nearly had Norgard pinned in the opening minute of the match. Norgard held on, but only for a short time, as Saddoris took him down to the mat quickly to start the second period and won by pinfall at the 3:09 mark. Saddoris, who is ranked sixth nationally at 157 pounds, is now 14-1 on the year and 124-33 over his four seasons at Navy.

Turning in a 14-3 win by major decision was Navy sophomore 165-pounder Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.). Barnhisel built at 6-1 advantage through the first period and pushed the lead to 11-1 by the end of two. He recorded four takedowns, a two-point nearfall and three-point nearfall en route to winning his first-collegiate dual.

Coming off a spectacular performance at last week's Nittany Lion Open that saw him place fifth, sophomore Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) continued his success on the mat with an 8-1 victory over F&M's Matt Fullowan. Huntley kept Fullowan off the scoreboard until the early seconds of the third period, but Huntley would get the final points of the match with a takedown with under 30 seconds to wrestle and a point for his two minutes of riding time. It was Huntley's first dual appearance after suffering a season-ending knee injury a year ago in what was just his third tournament of his career.

Navy capped off its five-match winning streak with a pin by 18th-ranked Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) at 184 pounds. Rebertus, who improved to 11-2 with the win, had built a 4-1 lead just over two minutes into the match when he was able to maneuver Matt Latessa to the mat and pinned him at the 2:18 mark.

The Diplomats would slow the Mids momentarily with a 13-5 major decision by Colin Ely over sophomore Chance Rauscher at 197 pounds.

And in one of the more evenly-fought matches, Navy senior Mike Landis (Hershey, Pa.) scored a 3-2 win over F&M's Dan Canfield. Following a scoreless opening period, Landis produced the first point of the bout on an escape to open the second. Canfield would knot the match with an escape of his own to open the third. But as time began to wind down, Landis took a lunging shot at Canfield, bringing him down for the takedown with 1:01 remaining. Looking to have things in control, Canfield was awarded a point for an escape despite appearing to be out of the scoring vicinity. Canfield was within a point at 3-2 with 11 seconds to go, but Landis was able to hang on for his first-career dual win.

"I really want to compliment Mike Rogers on the job he is doing at Franklin & Marshall in his first year," added Burnett. "I could see the improvement his wrestlers made from just a month ago when we wrestled against them at the Navy Classic. He's really doing a good job with that program."

The Midshipmen return to action next Sunday night when they travel back to the state of Nevada to take part in The Reno Tournament of Champions.

Navy 32, Franklin & Marshall 13
Dec. 10, 2010 * Halsey Field House * Annapolis, Md.
125 - Jericho Urmenita (N) won by forfeit 6-0
133 - Jake Bucha (FM) won by dec. Allen Stein (N), 12-8 6-3
141 - Kenny Knapp (FM) won by fall Joe Locksmith (N), 4:31 6-9
149 - Eric Filipowicz (N) won by major dec. Andrew Murano (FM), 14-4 10-9
157 - #6 Bryce Saddoris (N) won by fall Eric Norgard (FM), 3:09 16-9
165 - Bobby Barnhisel (N) won by major dec. Anthony Bongarzone (FM), 14-3 20-9
174 - Oscar Huntley (N) won by dec. Matt Fullowan (FM), 8-1 23-9
184 - #18 Luke Rebertus (N) won by fall Matt Latessa (FM), 2:18 29-9
197 - Colin Ely (FM) won by major dec. Chance Rauscher (N), 13-5 29-13
HWT - Mike Landis (N) won by dec. Dan Canfield (FM), 3-2 32-13
Bryce Saddoris Elected 2010-11 Navy Wrestling Team Captain

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy senior Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.), a three-year letterwinner and 2009 All-American, has been elected by his peers to serve as the 2010-11 Navy wrestling captain it was announced on Wednesday. Saddoris is the 101st different midshipman to serve as wrestling captain in what is the Academy's 103rd season of competition.

"Bryce is a leader by example," said 11th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "His teammates and coaches see how he trains, how he competes, how he handles himself and are truly inspired. Bryce is out there to help in whatever way he can. I've watched him mentor the younger guys in technique and I know he does it in the hall as well. He's just a phenomenal leader."

"I am honored that this group of guys, the wrestlers, wanted me to represent them," said Saddoris, who has enjoyed a storied wrestling career in Annapolis. "Any senior this year could represent the team as well as I could, which makes me want to work harder and ensure everyone is taken care of on and off the mat.

Saddoris has been at the head of the class both on and off the mat during his four years at the Academy. He heads into his senior season boasting a 110-32 career record, standing ninth on Navy's career wins list. As one of just five wrestlers in program history to reach the 30-win plateau three times in his career, he is on track to not only become only the second wrestler in school history to win 140 matches, but he has the opportunity to become the Mids' all-time winningest wrestler. Two-time All-American Matt Stolpinski (2005-08) is atop the leader board with 141 wins, as Saddoris trails his former teammate by 31 victories.

Off the mat, Saddoris holds a 2.50 grade-point average in history and appeared on the Commandant's List last spring after achieving a 3.07 GPA for that semester. He is ranked among the top 20 percent of his class of over 1,500 in military order of merit and hopes to service select Marine Corps.

In 2007-08, Saddoris began his wrestling career at Navy by turning in a 35-12 record which at the time marked the second-most wins by a Navy freshman and the most since Tyrone Neal set the record with 37 in 1998-99. He followed up with a career-changing season which not only led him to the second-most wins by a Navy wrestler in school history (43), but also guided him to the national semifinals where he would earn All-America honors at 149 pounds in his sophomore season. The 43 wins were the most by a sophomore in school history, while his 78-combined wins over his first two seasons shattered the Navy record which had previously been held by Greg Gingeleskie who amassed 59 wins as a freshman and sophomore in 1996 and '97. Along the way, he upset Academy rival Matt Kyler at the 2009 EIWA Championship to claim his first EIWA individual crown. He was rewarded as the recipient of the The Coaches Trophy, awarded at the conclusion of the EIWA Tournament to the championship's most valuable wrestler. While it was just the ninth time Navy wrestler had received the award, Saddoris was the first since Scott Kelly in 1987.

Last season Saddoris pushed up a weight class to 157 where he was again a success on the mat with a 32-12 record. He made his third-consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship after finishing as the runner-up at the 2010 EIWA Championship, however, came up short in stepping atop the podium.

"Everybody has some physical gifts - strength, balance, speed, agility and flexibility. Those five things make up a wrestler. You don't have to have all of them, but most good guys have at least two of them. Honestly, Bryce is strong. He's gifted strong and he works hard at getting stronger. I would put him in the top two percent among the guys wrestling when he was at 149 pounds and at 157, he's probably in the top 10 percent. Now if you have someone who is taller and as strong or stronger than you and you enter in with some leverage and strength, then there is a learning curve that comes into play with technique. He had to learn that last year when he moved to 157. Some things he could do at 149, he couldn't do at 157. That came into play against the Northern Colorado kid in the first round of the NCAAs. We've talked about things he needs to improve on and how we are going to do that. Based on the technical things that we've worked on, I don't think that'll happen again."

Saddoris once again has his sight set on the NCAA Championship and going out as a National Champion. Additionally, a trip to the NCAA Championship next spring would make him just the sixth wrestler in school history to be a four-time NCAA qualifier.

"Being the captain of the Navy wrestling program in its 103rd year of existence brings a lot of things into perspective. There are countless individuals who have gone before me who have made a large impact on this program. I will make sure that I do my best to honor those who have previously served as captain and have gone on to achieve great things by making sure my teammates are taken care of and the Navy wrestling program has a positive outlook on the Academy and the fans who support us."

Fans will get their chance to see Saddoris and his teammates this weekend when Navy plays host to its annual Blue/Gold Challenge Matches on Saturday at 7:00 pm. The matches will be held at Halsey Field House and admission is free.
Navy Wrestling's Bruce Burnett to Coach U.S. at University World Championships

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Eleventh-year Navy wrestling head coach Bruce Burnett has been selected by USA Wrestling to serve among its coaching staff at the 2010 FISU University World Championship scheduled for Oct. 26-30 in Torino, Italy. Joining Burnett on the coaching staff in Italy will be Ohio State Associate Head Coach Lou Rosselli, who was named the 2009 National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year.

Leading the U.S. men's freestyle team is 2008 University World silver medalist Reece Humphrey (New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. Humphrey, a past NCAA runner-up, graduated from Ohio State last year. Competing at 55 kg/121 lbs. is Angel Escobedo (Gator WC), who is currently ranked No. 2 in the USA on the Senior level. Escobedo is a past NCAA champion and recent graduate from Indiana.

Four of the U.S. freestyle team members are currently NCAA Div. I stars in college wrestling, including a pair from the EIWA, the same conference in which the Midshipmen compete; Kevin LeValley (Bison WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Jon Reader (Iowa State) at 74 kg/163 lbs., Sonny Yohn (Minnesota Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Zach Rey (Lehigh Valley AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. LeValley attends Bucknell, Reader goes to Iowa State, Yohn competes for Minnesota and Rey wrestles for Lehigh.

The final spot on the team will feature Marty Usman (FTW Eagles) at 84 kg/185 lbs., who was a 2010 Div. II champion and three-time All-American at Nebraska-Kearney.

"We have a short amount of time to get prepared for this event," said Burnett, who will travel with the U.S. squad to Italy on Oct. 22 and wrestle just four days later. "I have put some work into this already and assessed some of the wrestlers' technical skills, however we will have to rely on their training over the last several months and the that they should come in prepared. Lou and I will conduct evaluations on each of the wrestlers before we leave and hope to give these young athletes the best chance to win.

"Any time you take the top guy out of our country and put him against the rest of the world, we have an opportunity to win. I don't care who they are or what the rules are. There are no excuses, only results. Right now freestyle wrestling in the U.S. needs a boost. We want to go over there and win some medals and come back with some victories. We want to let everyone know the future is bright for the United States and its wrestling program."

No stranger to international competition, Burnett has held several coaching posts in leading the United States across foreign waters. Burnett came to Annapolis fresh off a coaching stint in Sydney, Australia, where he served as the United States Olympic Freestyle Coach at the 2000 Olympic Games. His athletes captured one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Burnett has helped prepare the United States' elite athletes for world and Olympic competition as the national freestyle coach since 1992. His resume is nothing short of impressive. His teams won five medals at the 1996 Olympic Games (three gold, one silver and one bronze) and eight medals at the 1999 Pan American Games (six gold, one silver and one bronze). Additionally, his teams captured World Team Titles in 1993 and 1995, the World Cup of Wrestling in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 and the Pan American Championship in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996.

During that time, Burnett coached Kurt Angle, Tom Brands, Kendal Cross, Kevin Jackson, Brandon Slay and John Smith to Olympic gold medals, while cornering Terry Brands, Tom Brands, Angle, Jackson and Smith to World Championships.

He was named the Freestyle Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996 and was named the United States Olympic Committee Elite Coach of the Year in 1996. Additionally, he was named a finalist for the 2004 Olympic Freestyle Staff.

At the conclusion of Navy's 2001-02 season, Burnett served as the head coach of the United States World Cup Team at the 2002 Freestyle World Cup of Wrestling Championship in Spokane, Wash. He was also selected as the head coach for the U.S. World University Games in 2005.

Burnett has guided the Midshipmen to a 96-47 (.671) record in his 10 seasons at the Academy which featured six-straight seasons of 10 or more wins (2002-07). Along the way, he has helped produce nine EIWA Champions, while nine of his wrestlers have garnered All-America recognition including Navy senior 157-pounder Bryce Saddoris. The 2009 recipient of the Coaches Trophy which is presented to the most valuable wrestler at the EIWA Championship, Saddoris has amassed a 110-32 career record and has the opportunity to break the school's all-time wins record set three years ago by two-time All-American Matt Stolpinski who won 141 matches.

The Midshipmen have flourished under Burnett's leadership, finishing among the top 25 at the NCAA Championship in three of the last four seasons and among the top five at the EIWA Championship in five of the last six seasons.

"If you're going to make a commitment like this and if you are going to work with the National Team, the benefits are huge for your own program. If you're going to be a teacher, I think you need to continue to learn. If you have the opportunity to get around the best in the world, then you benefit from what you learned and even how you were able help from past experiences. It's extremely important to stay involved with the cutting edge of wrestling. To have this opportunity to represent the United States at a world championship with the best university-aged group wrestlers you can get is important. I'm excited to get over there and represent our country."

For information on the event, visit the official website at: http://www.fisu.net/en/Wrestling-2010-1727.html

FISU WORLD UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Torino, Italy, Oct. 26-30

U.S. University World Team rosters
Men's Freestyle (Oct. 26-27)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Angel Escobedo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kevin LeValley, Hugo, Colo. (Bison WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jon Reader, Davison, Mich. (Iowa State)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Marty Usman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (GRIT Athletics)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Sonny Yohn, Alamosa, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC)
Coaches - Bruce Burnett, Annapolis, Md., Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio

Women's freestyle (Oct 27-28)
48 kg/105.5 lbs.- Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Gabrielle Henry, Columbus, Ohio (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Ashley Hudson, Wildwood, Mo. (Gator WC/OCU)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Amberle Montgomery. Kent, Wash. (Gator WC/OCU)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
Coaches - USOEC head coach Shannyn Gillespie, Marquette, Mich.; Link Davis, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Greco-Roman (Oct. 29-30)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Max Nowry, Wheeling, Ill. (New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Kemmerer, Mountain Top, Pa. (Virginia Gold)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (Sunkist Kids)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Aaron Briggs, Tucson, Ariz. (New York AC)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Talan Knox, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Zack Nielsen, Zimmerman, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Jarod Trice, Mount Pleasant, Mich. (Central Michigan)
Coaches - National Greco-Roman Developmental Coach Ike Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Eric Wetzel, Oak Park, Ill., John Matthews, Phoenix, Ariz.
Navy Introduces Highly-Touted Rookie Class of Wrestlers

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Eleventh-year Navy wrestling coach Bruce Burnett and his staff have once again assembled one of the top recruiting classes not only on the East Coast, but on a national level as well. Navy's Class of 2014, which features 13 young men who have captured a combined 16 state titles, is ranked 24th by WIN Magazine. Additionally, Navy is one of five EIWA members who is listed among the rankings, joining defending EIWA champion Cornell (No. 3), Rutgers (No. 12), Lehigh (No. 15) and Bucknell (No. 18).

"My assistant Brian Antonelli has done a great job of recruiting a class that is competitive and will provide good depth," said Burnett. "We have a handful of freshmen who are definitely capable of breaking into the lineup due to their talent. I'm looking forward to the upcoming season and seeing how this crop of freshmen will push the veteran members in the wrestling room and vice versa."

Navy Wrestling Class of 2014
Name Wt. Hometown Highlights
Gary Albright 165 Sparks, Nev. 2-Time State Champion, 3-Time State Placewinner
Ray Borja 141 Fort Belvoir, Va. 3-Time State Placewinner, NHSCA All-American, NWCA Placewinner (NAPS)
Justis Flamio 133 Mahopac, N.Y. 3-Time State Finalist, NHSCA All-American
Bent Hunter 149 Harrisonville, Mo. 2-Time State Champion
Zack Johnson 141 Memphis, Tenn. 2-Time State Champion, 3-Time State Placewinner
Alex Johnson 133 Memphis, Tenn. 1-Time State Champion, 3-Time State Placewinner
Jordan Krulick 174 Martinsville, Ind. State Placewinner, NHSCA All-American
Joe Locksmith 133 Kissimmee, Fla. 2-Time State Champion, 3-Time State Placewinner, Fargo All-American
Mike Love 184 Baton Rouge, La. 2-Time State Champion
James Mannier 174 Troy, Ohio 2-Time State Placewinner, Ironman Placewinner, NWCA Placewinner (NAPS)
Walter Pope 149 Framingham, Mass. State Champion, New England Champion (NAPS)
Sam Warne 133 Dent, Minn. 3-Time State Placewinner
Johnnie Watson 165 Lexington, N.C. 3-Time National Prep All-American, 4-Time State Champion, 2-Time Freestyle Champion

The 2010-11 Navy Wrestling Plebe Smoker will be held on Wednesday at Halsey Field House beginning at 7:00 pm for those fans interested in getting their first glimpse of the Navy newcomers. Meanwhile, be sure to come out and support Navy Wrestling over Homecoming weekend when the Mids hold their annual Blue-Gold Challenge Matches at 7:00 pm on Oct. 30.
Navy Wrestling's Glenn Shober Scores High Marks for Academic Success

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy team captain and 2010 NCAA Championship qualifier Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) was among the 74 Div. I wrestlers nationwide to be named to the 2009-10 National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) All-Academic Team. The team includes 61 NCAA qualifiers, 23 NCAA All-Americans, seven NCAA finalists and five NCAA champions.

With graduation just three weeks away, Shober will soon be commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy where he will begin a career within the submarine community. Over the course of seven-plus semesters at the Naval Academy, he has achieved a 3.51 grade-point average studying ocean engineering. He is ranked among the top 20 percent of his class more than 1,000 students in academic order of merit.

To qualify for the All-Academic Team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, and either 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 to have a 3.0 GPA and been an NCAA All-American.

Shober concluded his collegiate wrestling career just short of two months ago when he earned his first trip to the NCAA Wrestling Championship in Omaha, Neb. and turned in a 1-2 record which featured a win by fall over Chattanooga's Dean Pavlou. Voted by his peers to serve as the Mids' team captain, Shober put together perhaps his most successful season in his final year. He produced a 23-16 record and included a pair of individual titles. He opened the year by winning four straight matches en route to capturing the 2009 Eastern Michigan Open title at 149 pounds, his first collegiate individual crown. He also laid claim to the 2010 All-Academy Championship by sweeping all three of his matches.

His upset victory over second-seeded Kyle Borshoff of American at the EIWA Championship paved the way for his first NCAA Championship appearance.

Perhaps no win was sweeter than his dominating performance over eighth-ranked Matt Kyler of Army at Alumni Hall in Annapolis on Senior Night. Kyler came into the match with an impressive 27-2 record, however, Shober never backed down. Despite heading into the final period with a 1-0 deficit, Shober fought his way back. The final stanza began with a Shober escape and with 57 seconds remaining, the senior took Kyler to the match for a 3-1 advantage. Unable to ride him out, Kyler was able to narrow the gap with an escape, but Shober sealed the win with a takedown with just four seconds remaining to upset one of the nation's best at 149 pounds.

Shober finished the season with a 23-16 record, marking a personal best in the wins column. Meanwhile, he produced a 74-54 record over his four seasons.
Navy Wrestling Season Comes to an End at NCAA Championship

OMAHA, Neb. — The 2009-10 wrestling season came to an early end for the Midshipmen on Friday, as Navy’s three remaining wrestlers were eliminated in the consolation bracket at the 80th NCAA Wrestling Championship at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.

After extending his stay into the second round thanks to a win by fall over Chattanooga’s Dean Pavlou, senior team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) saw his last chance at All-America honors fade away Friday afternoon. Central Michigan redshirt senior Anthony D’Alie dominated his match against Shober at 149 pounds, scoring five takedowns en route to a major decision, 12-3. Shober concluded his season with a 23-15 record and a career mark of 74-54.

Meanwhile, junior Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.), who gained All-America honors a year ago wrestling at 149 pounds, was bounced from the tournament after being pinned by Michigan State’s 157-pound Anthony Jones less than a minute into the match. For Saddoris, it’s just the third pinfall he has succumbed to in three seasons and the first this year.

Saddoris concluded his season with a 31-11 record and is one of just five wrestlers in program history to win 30 or matches three times during his career. Next year he will set his sight on becoming the first wrestler in school history to reach that milestone four times. With a 110-32 career record, he is one of just 10 wrestlers in Navy history to reach 100 wins. He stands ninth in career wins and trails all-time leader Matt Stolpinski by 31 victories.

Like the opening round, senior Scott Steele (Towson, Md.) came up with a big win to advance into the consolation fourth round. After exchanging escape points in the second and third periods, Steele used 1:04 worth of riding time to get the point he needed to secure a 2-1 victory over Northern Iowa’s Christian Brantley.

Steele’s next match went much the same as his match against Brantley. He and Central Michigan’s Jarod Trice battled in a scoreless first period and then Steele struck first with a point for an escape in the second period. The seventh-seeded Trice evened the match early in the third with an escape, but quickly took Steele down for the go-ahead takedown. Steele managed the the escape, but Trice again put Steele to ground and then added a point for 1:02 riding time to eliminate Steele with a 6-2 win.

Steele closed out his career with an 81-25 record, including a 16-5 mark in a shortened senior season.

“I’m disappointed that our tournament ended so early for our guys, but I am just so proud of how they competed and represented our institution,” said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. “Four of the five wrestlers we brought to the National Tournament had never been there before, and so that’s certainly a learning curve. But we really were thrown some tough draws and we knew going into the tournament how good the field would be and how every round is a battle.

“It’s tough ending your season this way, but on the positive side of things we have three of our five qualifiers coming back next year. We had a solid dual season this year and I think we were able to achieve three of our five goals this year. We have plenty to build off of and I know they we will be back next year working hard to get someone back on that podium.”

With nine wrestlers remaining in the hunt, Iowa continues to pull away from the field where it holds a 19-point lead over second-place Cornell (73.0-54.0) who has seven wrestlers still active in the compeition. Iowa State and Ohio State are tied for third with 46.0 points, while Oklahoma rounds out the top five with 44.0 points.

Cornell leads all of the EIWA teams with 54.0 points and stands second, while American is tied for 12th (28.0 pts), Lehigh is in 14th (26.0 pts), Rutgers stands 25th (18.0 pts), Harvard is tied for 29th (13.0 pts), Bucknell is 32nd (10.5 pts), Army is tied for 40th (7.0 pts), Navy is in 43rd with 6.5 points, Penn is tied for 44th (6.0 pts) and Princeton is tied for 61st (1.0).

NAVY WRESTLERS AT THE 80th NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
First-Round Matches
125 — #11 Michael Martinez (Wyoming) dec Aaron Kalil, 6-2
149 — #4 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin) dec Glenn Shober, 4-0
157 — Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) dec #8 Bryce Saddoris, 6-3
165 — Matt Kaylor (Binghamton) dec Robby Neill, 3-2
HWT — #12 Scott Steele dec Ricardo Alcala (UC Davis), 3-2

Second-Round Matches
HWT — #5 Daniel Erekson (Iowa) fall Scott Steele, 2:37

Consolation Matches
125 — #6 Zachary Sanders (Minnesota) dec Aaron Kalil, 11-5
149 — Glenn Shober fall Dean Pavlou (Chattanooga), 2:38
149 — Anthony D’Alie (Central Michigan) major dec Glenn Shober, 12-3
157 — #8 Bryce Saddoris dec Colton Salazar (Purdue), 8-2
157 — Anthony Jones (Michigan State) fall #8 Bryce Saddoris, 0:57
165 — #4 Jonathan Reader (Iowa State) major dec Robby Neill, 12-1
HWT — #12 Scott Steele dec Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa), 2-1
HWT — #7 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan) dec #12 Scott Steele, 6-2
Navy's Steele and Kalil Receive NCAA Wrestling Championship At-Large Bids

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Navy senior heavyweight Scott Steele (Towson, Md.) and sophomore 125-pound Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) were among the 50 wrestlers who received at-large selections on Wednesday to compete in the 2010 NCAA Championship slated for March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. Steele and Kalil will join Navy teammates Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.), a three-time NCAA qualifier and 2009 All-American, team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) and junior Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.), who received automatic berths into the tournament by virtue of their placement at the EIWA Championship last weekend.

"I'm so excited for all five of our wrestlers who will be able to perform on the national stage and have the opportunity to stand atop that podium in Omaha," said 10th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "The schedule we wrestled this year allowed for this to take place, for us to get two at-large selections. We wrestled against some of the best talent out there and in the end, you are rewarded if you competed and performed well. It's a testament to the system"

A fifth-place finisher at the EIWA Champion, Kalil enjoyed a spectacular sophomore campaign that was highlighted by a strong run in the EIWA Tournament. Seeded fourth, he opened the tournament with a major decision over fifth-seeded John McDonald of Lehigh, the same opponent he narrowly defeated in dual action nearly two months ago. Kalil was sent to the consolation bracket by Troy Nickerson of Cornell, who is the No. 2 in the 2010 NCAA Championship. Kalil led 4-0 in his match against the No. 2 seed, Joseph Langel of Rutgers, but a mistake proved costly and Langel overcame the deficit to earn a 7-5 win over Kalil. However, he was quick to recover, posting a 7-4 win over American's Jasen Borschoff, the third seed in the tournament.

Kalil is a first-time NCAA qualifier and will make his way into the national tournament boasting a 22-11 record. He has won 11 of his last 14 bouts. He will face 11th-seeded Michael Martinez, a redshirt sophomore, in the opening round of the tournament.

Steele, meanwhile, can breathe a sigh of relief after receiving not only an at-large selection, but was also seeded 12th. After sustaining a major shoulder injury last December, Steele was forced to undergo surgery and a lengthy rehab that would keep him out of school until this semester. He returned to the mat on Dec. 29 at the Southern Scuffle where he placed second. He came into the EIWA Tournament with a 13-2 record and was poised to make a run at an individual title in what was his first appearance in the conference championship. Instead, Steele was forced to bow out of the tournament with an injury, medically forfeiting his last two matches and a disappointing fifth-place finish.

"Quite frankly I'm pleased that there were some people who recognize the ability that Scott has," said Burnett. "What he's been able to accomplish over the years and especially this season after coming back from one of the most serious shoulder injuries I've seen, it's fantastic that they selected him. He's a little dinged up, but I know he will do everything in his power to get healed up and prepare for this tournament."

Steele, a former U.S. Freestyle Team member and an alternate for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, kept his thoughts simple, "I'm just thankful for having a new lease on life."

That new beginning will kick off with an opening-round matchup against 17th-ranked Ricardo Alcala of UC Davis, who is unseeded.

Among Navy's three automatic NCAA qualifiers, only Saddoris earned a seed. The three-time NCAA qualifier is the only Navy wrestler headed to the national tournament who has made a previous appearance. Saddoris put together a spectacular performance at last year's National Championship where he placed sixth and garnered All-America honors. As the No. 8 seed, his quest to become only the 21st Navy wrestler to become a multiple All-American will begin with a match against the winner of the Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado)-vs.-Hadley Harrison (Clarion) bout.

Shober will battle fourth-seeded Kyle Rushell of Wisconsin in the opener at 149 pounds, while Neill is set to face Binghamton's Matt Kaylor at 165 pounds.

One Navy hopeful who was left out of the tournament was senior Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.), who gave a heroic effort at the EIWA Championship. As the eighth seed, he upset the No. 3 and No. 5 seeds, and came a whistle away from taking down the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler Kyle Dake, en route to placing fourth, just one place shy of the automatic qualifier.

"It's always disappointing when someone is skipped over," said Burnett. "Matt was wrestling the best I've seen him at the end of the year and he had some great wins. He can be proud of what he's achieved over his four seasons and he closed out his career as a winner."

Weight Seed Wrestler First-Round Opponent
125 --- Aaron Kalil (22-11) #11 Michael Martinez, Wyoming
149 --- Glenn Shober (22-14) #4 Kyle Rushell, Wisconsin
157 8 Bryce Saddoris (30-10) Winner of Justin Gaethje, N. Colorado vs. Haldey Harrison, Clarion
165 --- Robby Neill (24-14) Matt Kaylor, Binghamton
HWT 12 Scott Steele (14-3) Ricardo Alcala, UC Davis
Seven Navy Mids Earn Their Way Onto the Podium at 106th EIWA Championship

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Anchored by the efforts of three NCAA Championship qualifiers and seven overall placewinners, the Navy wrestling team placed seventh out of 13 teams at the 106th EIWA Championship held at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. Juniors Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) and Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) each qualified in their respective weight classes (157 & 165) following Saturday's action, while senior team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) punched his ticket on Sunday by upsetting the No. 2 seed in the consolations semis at 149 pounds.

Cornell crowned five individual champions and racked up 160.5 team points to win its fourth-consecutive team title. A strong showing by Penn in Sunday's morning session allowed the Quakers to leapfrog Lehigh for second place with 113 points, while the Mountain Hawks settled for third place with 109.5 points. The Mids, meanwhile, were just 5.5 points behind sixth-place Rutgers and well ahead of Army and Columbia who tied with 65 points.

"I am so proud of the way our guys competed and how they conducted themselves at the tournament this weekend," said head coach Bruce Burnett, who has sent at least one wrestler to the NCAA Championship in each of his 10 seasons at the Academy. "We had some really great performances in a conference that is extremely tough this year. Everybody competed hard and everybody that we brought one a match.

"We've got three guys that are going to the championship and I think we have the potential to get three more wildcards. Last year we were fortunate enough to get two wildcards, including one by a senior, Casey Caldwell, who closed out his career by getting a win in his only appearance at the National Championship."

After Saturday's action sent six wrestlers to the consolation bracket, Saddoris was the lone Navy wrestler who had hopes of winning an EIWA title. The 2009 All-American overcame the odds last year by defeating Academy rival Matt Kyler to claim the 149-pound title and would once again have the odds stacked against him as he looked to upset the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds. Though it was a hard-fought match, Saddoris would come up short in his quest to become a two-time EIWA Champion, as Harvard's J.P. O'Connor kept his undefeated record intact with a 3-1 win over his Navy counterpart.

"Bryce is really wrestling well right now and had a strong tournament," said Burnett "He was in on O'Connor's leg a few times, but just wasn't able to get him to the mat. I think he's poised to do some great things in the NCAA Tournament with the way he is wrestling right now and having had the experience wrestling on this stage two other times during his career."

Saddoris, however, will anchor a group of three Midshipmen who are assured of a spot in the 2010 NCAA Championship slated for March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. Saddoris is making his third trip to the NCAA Tournament, while Neill and Shober will make their debut in two weeks.

Shober came into the final day of action needing only to win his first match of the day in order to qualify for the NCAA Championship. It's an easy statement to make, however, Shober would face a tough opponent in American's Kyle Borshoff who was seeded No. 2 in the tournament and had beaten Shober in an earlier dual (4-1) this season. But for Shober, it was his time to shine, as he continued to use the momentum he gained from his win over Army's Matt Kyler, this year's EIWA Champion, just two weeks ago to help lead him to a 4-3 win over Borshoff and earn the automatic bid.

In the third-place match, Shober came up just short as seventh-seeded Cesar Grajales of Penn used an escape to earn a 2-1 win in the tie breaker to earn the win over Shober.

Six wrestlers from the EIWA qualified for the NCAA Championship at 165 pounds and sixth-seeded Neill scored that sixth slot to earn the automatic berth. Neill fought his way through the consolation bracket on Saturday to set himself up for an opportunity to wrestle in the third-place bout. However, Columbia's Eren Civan, seeded fourth, had other plans as he produced a 5-2 win over Neill and sent him to the fifth-place match instead. Unable to bounce back from his narrow loss, he found himself in a vulnerable position and fifth-seeded Stephan Burak of Penn put Neill on his back for the fall at 3:55.

Navy had three other opportunities to pick up automatic berths, but two of the three came up just one win short.

Sophomore Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), who has been spectacular on the mat this season, finished fifth at 125 pounds with the NCAA taking the top four placewinners. Wrestling in his first EIWA Championship, Kalil led 4-0 in his match against the No. 2 seed, Joseph Langel of Rutgers, but a mistake proved costly and Langel overcame the deficit to earn a 7-5 win over Kalil.

"It's really a shame for Aaron," said Burnett. "He has really been wrestling well, especially during this tournament. He made one mistake the entire weekend and it just happened at the wrong time and cost him the match and an automatic bid. I'm hopeful that his season is not over and that perhaps he'll be able to get one of the at-large bids from the NCAA."

Kalil was quick to recover, however, posting a 7-4 win over American's Jasen Borschoff, the third seed in the tournament.

Senior Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) is also hopeful he will receive an at-large selection, as he put forth a yeoman's effort as the eighth seed to finish fourth. Following back-to-back wins on Saturday, including a 4-1 victory over Academy rival and fifth-seeded Casey Thome of Army, Pagan upset third-seeded Trevor Melde of Rutgers, 6-5. This was a huge turn of events from the last time the two battled in the circle, as Melde had his way with Pagan and eventually scored a tech fall to end the match with an 18-2 win. Like Shober, this was Pagan's final chance to get to the NCAA Championship and his best effort was certainly rewarded.

That elation, however, turned to despair when Penn's Zack Kemmerer claimed third place with a 7-4 win over Pagan.

Navy's final wrestler to have a chance at an automatic bid was senior heavyweight Scott Steele (Towson, Md.). However, a nagging ankle injury in which he tweaked on Saturday would keep Steele from the mat, as he was forced to medically forfeit both matches on Sunday and would have to settle for fifth. Ranked ninth nationally and 10th in the Div. I Wrestling Coaches Panel poll, Steele does have an outside chance at getting picked as an at-large selection.

Meanwhile, freshman Andrew Buck's (Carson, Wash.) season likely came to an end on Sunday, dropping a 4-0 decision to Brown's Bran Crudden in the seventh-place match. Buck, who posted a 20-10 record, fought off countless injuries throughout the season, but maintained his drive and focus.

After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 46 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on Wednesday. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class.

106th EIWA Championship
Pl Points Team Champions
1 160.5 Cornell 5 - 125 Troy Nickerson, 133 Mike Grey, 141 Kyle Dake, 174 Mack Lewnes, 197 Cam Simaz
2 113.0 Penn
2 109.5 Lehigh 1 - HWT Zach Rey
4 103.5 Bucknell 1 - 165 Andrew Rendos
5 96.0 American 1 - 184 Michael Cannon
6 87.0 Rutgers
7 81.5 Navy
8 65.0 Army 1 - 149 Matt Kyler
65.0 Columbia
10 55.0 Brown
11 52.5 Harvard 1 - 157 J.P. O'Connor
12 24.0 Princeton
13 2.0 Franklin & Marshall
CH - Champions

Special Awards
The Coaches Trophy (Most Outstanding Wrestler) - Mack Lewnes, Cornell
Coach of the Year - Rob Koll, Cornell
Good Sportsmanship Award - Princeton
Sheridan Award (Most falls) - Matt Fisk, Lehigh (2 in 5:44)
Fletcher Award (Most career points at EIWA Championship) - Troy Nickerson, Cornell

Navy Wrestlers
125 - Aaron Kalil (No. 4 Seed; Placed 5th)
* won by major (5) John McDonald (Lehigh), 14-2
* lost by major (1) Troy Nickerson (Cornell), 9-0
Sunday
* lost by dec. (2) Joseph Langel (Rutgers), 7-5
* won by dec. (3) Jasen Borschoff (American), 7-4

133 - Allan Stein (No. 8 Seed)
* won by major Zachary Bintliff (Princeton), 15-4
* lost by fall (1) Mike Grey (Cornell), 2:06
* lost by dec. Cortlandt Choate (Brown), 11-6

141 - Matt Pagan (No. 8 Seed; Placed 4th)
* won by fall Matt Murray (Franklin & Marshall), 5:25
* lost by dec. (1) Kyle Dake (Cornell), 5-4
* won by dec. Luis Ramos (Princeton), 10-3
* won by dec. (5) Casey Thome (Army), 4-1
Sunday
* won by dec. (3) Trevor Melde (Rutgers), 6-5
* lost by dec. (4) Zack Kemmerer (Penn), 7-4

149 - Glenn Shober (No. 4 Seed; Placed 4th) - has qualified for NCAA Championship
* won by fall Eric Norgard (Franklin & Marshall), 6:48
* won by dec. (5) Joseph Napoli (Lehigh), 4-2
* lost by dec. (1) Kevin LeValley (Bucknell), 8-4
Sunday
* won by dec. (2) Kyle Borshoff (American), 4-3
* lost by dec. (7) Cesar Grajales (Penn), 2-1 TB

157 - Bryce Saddoris (No. 2 Seed; Placed 2nd) - has qualified for NCAA Championship
* won by major Derek Schreiner (Cornell), 12-2
* won by dec. (6) Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh), 3-0
* won by dec. (2) Steve Fittery (American), 3-2
Sunday
* lost by dec. (1) J.P. O'Connor (Harvard), 3-1

165 - Robby Neill (No. 6 Seed; Placed 6th) - has qualified for NCAA Championship
* won by major Tanner Shaffer (American), 8-0
* lost by dec. (3) Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh), 3-2
* won by major Adam Hogue (Harvard), 9-1
* won by dec. (7) Greg Zannetti (Rutgers), 10-3
Sunday
* lost by dec. (4) Eren Civan (Columbia), 5-2
* lost by fall (5) Stephen Burak (Penn), 3:55

174 - Mike Billings
* lost by dec. (7) Matt Fullowan (Franklin & Marshall), 4-2
* won by dec. David Lalo (Harvard), 8-7
* lost by dec. (8) Michael Erdman (Princeton), 12-11

184 - Andrew Buck (No. 5 Seed; Placed 8th)
* won by fall Harrison Cook (Penn), 1:01
* lost by major (4) Steve Bosak (Cornell), 11-0
* won by dec. Cary Aldrich (Columbia), 9-7 SV
* lost by fall (8) Collin Wittmeyer (Army), 4:57
Sunday
* lost by dec. (7) Bran Crudden (Brown), 4-0

197 - Russ Kropp
* lost by major (2) Richard Starks (Army), 12-0
* won by major Colin Ely (Franklin & Marshall), 11-2
* lost by major (8) Louis Miller (Columbia), 11-1

HWT - Scott Steele (No. 3 Seed; Placed 5th)
* won by dec. (6) Kevin Lester (Columbia), 8-5
* lost by dec. (2) Dominick Russo (Rutgers), 4-0
Sunday
* lost by medical forfeit (8) Tyler Blakely (Penn)
* lost by medical forfeit (6) Kevin Lester (Columbia)
Navy Mids Sixth at EIWA Championship


Mids Stand Sixth at EIWA Championship, Saddoris and Neill Punch Tickets to NCAA Championship

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Seven Navy wrestlers remain active, one in the championship bracket and six in the consolations, following the first day of action at the 106th EIWA Championship, as the Midshipmen currently sit in sixth place in the team standings with 73.5 points. Meanwhile, reigning EIWA Champion Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) and junior 165-pound Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) have already clinched berths to wrestle at the 2010 NCAA Championship in Omaha, Neb. on March 18-20.

Saddoris and senior heavyweight Scott Steele (Towson, Md.) came into the tournament as the Mids' highest seeded wrestlers, each drawing a No. 3 seed. Saddoris easily won his opening match by way of a major decision over Cornell's Derek Schreiner before facing Lehigh's Sean Bilodeau for a second time this season. When the two squared off in mid-January, Saddoris scored a 10-3 decision. While Bilodeau was a more formidable opponent on Saturday, the result was the same, as Saddoris picked up a 3-0 win and advanced to the semifinals against the No. 2 seed Steve Fittery of American.

Saddoris and Fittery last met on Jan. 8 in what was Navy's first dual of the season. Additionally, it marked the last time Saddoris lost a match, as the 2009 All-American came in to the tournament riding a nine-match winning streak. That streak remains alive at 12 in a row after Saddoris picked off Fittery, who is ranked fourth nationally and third according to the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Coaches Panel Rankings, 3-2. A tall task is ahead of Saddoris on Sunday as he will face the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler, Harvard's J.P. O'Connor, who boasts a flawless 29-0 record this season. Saddoris, meanwhile, has put together 30-9 record this season and adds his list to an elite group of Navy wrestlers who have made three appearances on the 30-win list - all-time wins leader Matt Stolpinski, Greg Gingeleskie, Mark Conley and John Reich.

Seeded sixth in one of the most competitive weight classes in the tournament, Neill has had to fight his way back through the consolation bracket in order to earn what is his first NCAA Championship berth. Neill opened up with an 8-0 win over American's Shaffer, marking the second time this season he has held his AU foe scoreless after beating him 7-0 in an earlier dual. However, Neill's run in the championship bracket came to an end when Lehigh's Brandon Hatchett, the No. 3 seed, narrowly defeated him by a 3-2 count.

Neill bounced back, however, and collected back-to-back wins over Harvard's Adam Hogue (9-1) and Rutgers' Greg Zannetti (10-3). Neill will now face fourth-seeded Eren Civan of Columbia for a chance to qualify for the 3rd/4th-place match.

Navy sophomore 125-pound Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) and senior team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) at 149 pounds need to win their first match of the day in order to qualify for the NCAA Championship. Both weight classes are assured of four wrestlers to send to the NCAA Championship in a few weeks. Kalil looked spectacular in making his EIWA Championship debut, scoring a major decision over fifth-seeded John McDonald of Lehigh. The same opponent he narrowly defeated in dual action nearly two months ago. In an unfortunate draw, Kalil then met up with the buzz saw known as Troy Nickerson of Cornell, who is ranked No. 2 in the country. Nickerson bounced Kalil by major decision, 9-0, and now Kalil will face No. 2 seed Joseph Langel of Rutgers on Saturday morning. Langel, who was upset by Princeton's Garrett Frey, bested Kalil during the regular season behind a 9-5 decision.

Shober, seeded fourth, is wrestling perhaps at the top of his career, riding the momentum he gained from upsetting Army's Matt Kyler just two weeks ago. Shober pinned Franklin & Marshall's Eric Norgard in his opening match before securing a 4-2 victory over Lehigh's Joseph Napoli in the quarters. Top-seeded Kevin LeValley of Bucknell, ranked seventh nationally, clipped Shober, 8-4, in the semis, sending Shober to the consolation bracket. Shober has the sobering task of facing the No. 2 seed Kyle Borshoff of American, who he lost to, 4-1, in early January.

Seniors Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) at 141 pounds and Steele both need to win two matches on Sunday to earn an NCAA Championship bid. Pagan began the day by pinning Franklin & Marshall's Matt Murray and nearly scored the upset of the tournament in the second round, but instead succumbed to No. 1 ranked Kyle Dake by a 5-4 decision. Dake, a freshman, owns a 22-2 record this season.

Pagan, however, has battled his way back through the consolation bracket where he earned a 10-3 win over Princeton's Luis Ramos before turning back Army's Casey Thome for a second time in two weeks. He claimed a 4-1 win over the fifth-seeded Thome, eliminating him from contention for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. Meanwhile, Pagan remains active in the tournament and will face No. 3 seed Trevor Melde on Saturday. Melde won by tech fall in their earlier matchup.

Steele squeezed past Columbia heavyweight Kevin Lester, 8-5, in the first round, but for a second time this season, dropped a decision to Rutgers' Dominick (DJ) Russo. Russo claimed a 7-6 decision over Steele earlier this season after racking up riding time in the match, however, this time Russo kept Steele off the scoreboard with a 4-0 decision. Steele will battle eighth-seeded Tyler Blakely of Penn on Saturday morning. He not only needs to defeat Blakely, he would also need to beat the winner of the Joshua Arnone (Cornell) vs. Kevin Lester (Columbia) match, as just the top three wrestlers from this class will receive automatic berths.

Though he will not receive an automatic bid to wrestle at the 2010 NCAA Championship, freshman Andrew Buck (Carson, Wash.) will place in this year's EIWA Championship. Seeded fifth, he has battled his way into the 7th/8th-place match where he will face Brown's Bran Crudden. Buck opened the tournament by pinning Penn's Harrison Cook in just over a minute's time, but was dropped by No. 4 seed Steve Bosak of Cornell by way of major decision. Buck, like so many times this year, gave a gritty performance in the consolation bracket where he managed a 9-7 sudden victory win over Columbia's Cary Aldrich. Though he had hopes of advancing, Buck was sent to the 7th/8th-place match after Army's Collin Wittmeyer avenged his loss to Buck by pinning the young Mid.

Ending their seasons on Saturday were 133-pound junior Allan Stein (Portland, Maine) and seniors Mike Billings (Waterford, Mich.) at 174 pounds and Russ Kropp (Pittsburgh, Pa.) at 197 pounds. All three of those Midshipmen produced a 1-2 record before bowing out of the tournament.

The 106th EIWA Championships will continue on Sunday beginning at 10:00 am with the consolation semifinals. Consolation finals are slated to begin at 11:30 am, while the championship matches are on tap for 3:00 pm.

106th EIWA Championship
Pl Points Team CH CONS
1 124.0 Cornell 5 4
2 92.5 Lehigh 3 4
92.5 Penn 2 7
4 81.5 Bucknell 2 6
5 75.0 American 2 5
6 73.5 Navy 1 6
7 72.0 Rutgers 1 7
8 58.5 Columbia - 7
9 54.5 Army 1 5
10 43.5 Brown - 7
11 42.5 Harvard 2 1
12 23.0 Princeton 1 1
13 2.0 Franklin & Marshall - -
CH - Championship Bracket; CONS - Consolation bracket

Navy Wrestlers
125 - Aaron Kalil (No. 4 Seed)
* won by major (5) John McDonald (Lehigh), 14-2
* lost by major (1) Troy Nickerson (Cornell), 9-0
* will face (2) Joseph Langel (Rutgers)

133 - Allan Stein (No. 8 Seed)
* won by major Zachary Bintliff (Princeton), 15-4
* lost by fall (1) Mike Grey (Cornell), 2:06
* lost by dec. Cortlandt Choate (Brown), 11-6
* has been eliminated

141 - Matt Pagan (No. 8 Seed)
* won by fall Matt Murray (Franklin & Marshall), 5:25
* lost by dec. (1) Kyle Dake (Cornell), 5-4
* won by dec. Luis Ramos (Princeton), 10-3
* won by dec. (5) Casey Thome (Army), 4-1
* will face (3) Trevor Melde (Rutgers)

149 - Glenn Shober (No. 4 Seed)
* won by fall Eric Norgard (Franklin & Marshall), 6:48
* won by dec. (5) Joseph Napoli (Lehigh), 4-2
* lost by dec. (1) Kevin LeValley (Bucknell), 8-4
* will face (2) Kyle Borshoff (American)

157 - Bryce Saddoris (No. 2 Seed) - has qualified for NCAA Championship
* won by major Derek Schreiner (Cornell), 12-2
* won by dec. (6) Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh), 3-0
* won by dec. (2) Steve Fittery (American), 3-2
* will face (1) J.P. O'Connor (Harvard)

165 - Robby Neill (No. 6 Seed) - has qualified for NCAA Championship
* won by major Tanner Shaffer (American), 8-0
* lost by dec. (3) Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh), 3-2
* won by major Adam Hogue (Harvard), 9-1
* won by dec. (7) Greg Zannetti (Rutgers), 10-3
* will face (4) Eren Civan (Columbia)

174 - Mike Billings
* lost by dec. (7) Matt Fullowan (Franklin & Marshall), 4-2
* won by dec. David Lalo (Harvard), 8-7
* lost by dec. (8) Michael Erdman (Princeton), 12-11
* has been eliminated

184 - Andrew Buck (No. 5 Seed)
* won by fall Harrison Cook (Penn), 1:01
* lost by major (4) Steve Bosak (Cornell), 11-0
* won by dec. Cary Aldrich (Columbia), 9-7 SV
* lost by fall (8) Collin Wittmeyer (Army), 4:57
* will face (7) Bran Crudden (Brown) in 7th/8th place match

197 - Russ Kropp
* lost by major (2) Richard Starks (Army), 12-0
* won by major Colin Ely (Franklin & Marshall), 11-2
* lost by major (8) Louis Miller (Columbia), 11-1
* has been eliminated

HWT - Scott Steele (No. 3 Seed)
* won by dec. (6) Kevin Lester (Columbia), 8-5
* lost by dec. (2) Dominick Russo (Rutgers), 4-0
* will face (8) Tyler Blakely (Penn)
Shober Anchors Navy Wrestling Win Over Arch Rival Army

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After dropping two of the first three bouts of the night, Navy went on to win the remaining seven and earn a 26-6 victory over arch rival Army in the annual Star Match held Saturday evening at Alumni Hall in Annapolis. While the Midshipmen now own a 44-5-5 series advantage, the rout marked Navy's 10th consecutive win over its service academy rival.

"I am so proud of our guys," said an elated Bruce Burnett. "When you look at this match on paper, this wasn't supposed to happen. They had beaten us at several of the weight classes either last year or in competitions earlier this season. I can go down the list of wrestlers who gutted it out, gave their heart, believed in themselves. This is the biggest win against Army since I've been here. They rose above and got the job done."

While there were countless performances that displayed courage and desire over the course of the evening, Navy freshman Andrew Buck (Carson, Wash.) provided the Mids with an amazing come-from-behind win over Collin Wittmeyer at 184 pounds. After knotting the match up in the third period with a takedown, Buck lost a pair of points less than 30 seconds later after being called for an illegal move. Buck, however, scored the takedown with 21 seconds remaining to tie the score at 4-4. Despite the scored, Wittmeyer held the advantage after building up more than a minute's worth of riding time, forcing Buck to allow Wittmeyer out of the hold and giving him the opportunity for a last second takedown. Buck did just that, scoring a two-point nearfall at the buzzer to send it to sudden victory. Starting in the neutral position, Buck was able to bring Wittmeyer down and tried to lean him back onto his back. Despite multiple tries, Buck finally was able to roll and swing around Wittmeyer for the takedown with 18 seconds remaining in the one-minute sudden victory period.

"Can you believe Andrew Buck coming back," said Burnett. "He's had several injuries over the last few months and he just gutted it out."

The Mids received another emotional lift from junior Allan Stein (Portland, Maine) who has spent his entire collegiate wrestling career at 125 pounds but was asked to step into the role at 133 pounds. Stein, a scrappy, speedy wrestler who leaves everything he has on the mat, won perhaps the biggest match of his career. Stein built a 5-3 lead after the opening period that included a takedown followed by a two-point nearfall, but his foe, sophomore Travis Coffey, proved a valid foe as he put together a pair of escapes and a takedown with a minute to go in the second period to knot the match at 7-7. Stein scored the escape at the end of the period and opened the final period with an escape to push his lead to two. Coffey, though, was credited with a takedown with 47 seconds left to tie the match at 9-9. Stein broke free and was able to hold on for the 10-9 win.

"I'm naturally about 135 pounds, so for me to cut two pounds versus 10 pounds was a noticeable difference for me," said Stein. "I felt fresher and was able to press the pace a little."

For Stein, the win was significant for a number of reasons. "I had that loss against Army from my Plebe Year in the back of my head. I thought to myself, 'this is the last chance I have to wrestle against Army at Alumni Hall and win. This is truly the most excited I've ever been after a win. It's a much bigger win than any other match I've ever wrestled. It was a special win for me because it was against Army and it was at home. My dad was able to drive down to watch and my high school coach, Coach Kirk, drove all the way down here. It meant a lot to me to have all of them here."

"When you wrestle Allan, you know what you are going to get," said Burnett. "I knew that Allan would give everything he had in his tank and in his heart."

Familiar foes Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) of Navy and Casey Thome of Army met in the 141-pound match and based on record alone, Thome clearly had the advantage. Thome came into the match boasting a 23-5 record and had won 10 consecutive matches, while Pagan had produced a 20-14 record and was coming off a second-place finish at the All-Academy Championship.

Pagan was the aggressor early on, but as the match continued both wrestlers began to tactically stalk one another. Pagan built a 3-1 lead with 1:48 to go in the second period, but a Thome takedown with just over a minute to go tied things up. Pagan took a 4-3 lead at the end of the period, however Thome would again tie the match with an escape to start the final period. After the two wrestlers rode out the one-minute sudden victory period, the match headed to a pair of 30-second tie breakers. Pagan selected the down position in the first tie breaker and was able to break loose with 20 seconds to go to take a 5-4 lead. Fight as he may, Thome was unable to break free from Pagan's hold in the second 30-second tie breaker and Pagan scored a huge win for the Mids.

Team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) used the momentum built by his teammates to help him upset eighth-ranked Matt Kyler, who came into the match with an impressive 27-2 record. After a scoreless opening period, Kyler scored the first point with an escape to begin the second stanza. The final period began with a Shober escape and with 57 seconds remaining, the senior took Kyler to the match for a 3-1 advantage. Unable to ride him out, Kyler was able to narrow the gap with an escape, but Shober sealed the win with a takedown with just four seconds remaining to upset one of the nation's best at 149 pounds.

"I've got to thank Coach Burnett for preparing us," said Shober, who picked up his first win over Army in the annual dual. "Mentally, I knew I could do it. I think the momentum that we built after winning four matches in a row really got me up. This is definitely the biggest upset of my career."

"We really couldn't have scripted Glenn's match any more than how it turned out," said Burnett. "You wouldn't believe that we actually had talked prior to the match about him going for a last second takedown. He was well prepared and his weight management this week was probably the best it's been all year. Glenn did a great job of preparing and believing in himself."

Additionally, Navy received wins from sophomore 125-pound Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), 157-pound Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) and junior 165-pound Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) and Scott Steele (Towson, Md.) who earned an 11-7 win in what was his 100th career match.

"The preparation and hard work is honestly like no other sport in that you see immediate results when you focus on those two aspects," added Burnett. "On the flip side, that can certainly work against you, but it proves how valuable preparation and execution are. They are just words, it's about hard work and seeing that hard work through.

The Midshipmen will be back in action in two weeks when they make the short journey to Bethlehem, Pa. to take part in the 2010 EIWA Championship, slated for March 6-7.

Navy 26, Army 6
Alumni Hall * Annapolis, Md.

174 - Ryan Mergen (Army) dec. Mike Billings (Navy), 5-3
184 - Andrew Buck (Navy) dec. Collin Wittmeyer (Army), 8-6 SV
197 - #16 Richard Starks (Army) dec. Russ Kropp (Navy), 8-4
285 - #9 Scott Steele (Navy) dec. Orion Ross (Army), 11-7
125 - Aaron Kalil (Navy) dec. Lance Penhale (Army), 11-9
133 - Allan Stein (Navy) dec. Travis Coffey (Army), 10-9
141 - Matt Pagan (Navy) dec. Casey Thome (Army), 5-4 TB
149 - Glenn Shober (Navy) dec. #8 Matt Kyler (Army), 5-2
157 - #7 Bryce Saddoris (Navy) tech fall Daniel Young (Army), 17-2
165 - Robby Neill (Navy) dec. Patrick Marchetti (Army), 6-3
Navy Wrestling Completes Weekend Sweep with Wins Over North Carolina, NC State

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team improved to 5-1 in dual action on the year after scoring back-to-back-to-back victories over No. 7 Maryland, North Carolina and NC State in the last 24 hours. After upsetting the Terps, 19-14, in Annapolis on Friday night, the Mids cashed in on the momentum by dealing North Carolina a 21-15 loss and dismantled NC State in a 38-3 victory Saturday at Halsey Field House in Annapolis.

"I knew heading into the weekend that this would be an important group of matches, but coming away with three wins has really given us great momentum as we continue our quest towards the EIWA Championship and the National Tournament," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who now owns a 95-46 record in his 10 seasons at Navy. "As a group, our guys competed hard. You don't have to have ability to have effort and if you don't give effort, you aren't going to win. We did a great job of pushing through some tough matches in order to win."

Six Navy wrestlers scored wins in both dual matches on Saturday, including eighth-ranked 157-pound Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) who not only picked up a monumental victory against the Tar Heels, he also etched his name in the record book for his evening bout win over the Wolfpack. Saddoris opened the day by facing facing sixth-ranked Thomas Scotton. A familiar foe, Scotton has not only faced Saddoris in two previous matches, he has gotten the best of the Navy All-American, securing a pair of victories by way of 5-3 decisions at the Reno Tournament of Champions, as well as the Southern Scuffle.

After a scoreless opening period, Saddoris would go on to score the only point of the second stanza with an escape. After an immediate escape to open the final period, the two wrestlers planned their attack. With Scotton hugging the edge, Saddoris was awarded the takedown with 1:03 remaining, sending the Carolina bench into a frenzy. After a warning was issued to the bench and back-to-back false start cautions on Scotton, Saddoris was able to ride out his rival and eventually earn riding time to score the 4-1 victory.

"I knew what I needed to do in the match, knew I needed to push the pace," said Saddoris. "After two close matches, we knew each other's styles well."

Just a few hours later, Saddoris put NC State's Juan Stimpson on the mat and took the match by a fall in just 1:18. The win pushed Saddoris' record to 100-29 over his three seasons, making him just the 10th wrestler in program history to reach 100 wins. It's an exclusive list that includes former teammates Matt Stolpinski and Ed Prendergast.

Asked if he realized how lofty of an accomplishment it was to win 100 matches, he said, "Yes, I definitely understand the magnitude of it. There are many wrestlers who have accomplished it and I feel honored to be among some of the greatest wrestlers in our program's history. It's been an incredible journey that has entailed a lot of hard work. It's not been easy, but having great teammates in the room pushing me has made the difference.

"What works best for me, however, is taking one match at a time," he added. I don't like to look past my next match. It keeps my head straight and my focus intact."

Senior Charles Carafano not only won his first collegiate dual match on Saturday, he did so in spectacular fashion. The senior hailing from Germantown, Md. was dominating 12th-ranked Dennis Drury of North Carolina when after a reversal he was able to get Drury's shoulders to the mat and pin him (4:12). In addition to it being Carafano's first dual match victory, it also marked his first win over a nationally-ranked competitor.

"This win was a little bit of sweet revenge because I wrestled him (Drury) in high school and lost pretty bad," said Carafano. "I haven't had a very good last couple of weeks, so it was great to put together a solid match. The plan going into this match was to attack. After getting a takedown in last night's match against Hudson Taylor (ranked #3), it really became a confidence booster. It definitely was the biggest win of my Navy career."

Senior heavyweight Scott Steele (Towson, Md.), meanwhile, has won six-straight matches to push his record to 10-1 since returning to the Academy in late December. Steele earned a 7-3 win over UNC's Ziad Haddad, whom he defeated earlier in the year in the semifinals of the Southern Scuffle, before handling NC State's Eloheim Palma, 6-0.

Perhaps the most improved player on the Navy roster this year is sophomore 125-pound Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), who has put together wins in each of his last five duals and now stands 16-8 overall and 5-1 in dual competitions. Kalil opened the day with a 10-3 win over the Tar Heels' Brian Bokoski before closing out the weekend with a 16-6 major decision over Mike Moreno. In both matches, Kalil manhandled his opponent. Kalil nearly pinned Bokoski in the opening minute of action, but instead built a 5-1 advantage by the end of the first period and pushed it to 8-1 through two. Bokoski spoiled his plans of a major decision after scoring the takedown with just 36 seconds left in the match. However, Kalil added a point for riding time at the end of the match, along with a bonus point after Bokoski was dinged for a point with some extra-curricular activity after the buzzer.

Meanwhile, Kalil put together seven takedowns in producing his major decision over NC State's Moreno.

Senior 141-pound Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) and junior 165-pound Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) each recorded a pair of victories on the day. Pagan scrambled to record a takedown with six ticks remaining in the first period against UNC's Mike Rappo and never looked back as he cruised to a 3-1 win. In the nightcap, he posted five takedowns to deliver a 12-4 major decision over the Wolfpack's Dale Shull.

After taking a 2-0 lead with three seconds remaining in the opening period, Neill turned in the escape in the final stanza to help secure a 3-1 win over North Carolina's Kyle Kiss. Meanwhile, five takedowns helped lead Neill to a 12-5 decision with riding time over NC State's Ray Ward.

Sophomore 133-pound Pat McCaffrey (Chicago, Ill.), senior 174-pound Mike Billings (Waterford, Mich.) and junior 184-pound Greg Prioleau (Poway, Calif.) also produced wins in the night match against NC State. For Prioleau, his 7-2 decision over NC State's Cedric Moore marked his first collegiate dual win. A pair of takedowns in the opening period helped set the tone for the wrestler who hails from the same hometown as 2009 graduate and two-time All-American Joe Baker.

After sitting out the early match against North Carolina, McCaffrey looked determine to get out of the slump he has recently fell into. He built a 9-3 advantage that included a three-point near fall before pinning NC State's Scott Norris with just nine seconds remaining in the opening period.

And in the final bout of the weekend, Burnett asked Billings to step up and fill a void left by junior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.), who suffered a grisly leg injury in the match against North Carolina earlier in the day. An unfortunate injury, DeMichiel secured Navy's victory over Maryland less than 24 hours prior to the injury. Billings, meanwhile, forced his match against Quinton Godley of NC State into extra minutes as he was able to escape with just over a minute remaining in regulation. Despite a furious flurry at the end of the one-minute sudden victory period by Billings, the two wrestlers were forced into a pair of 30-second tie-breakers. Billings won the coin toss and elected to start the first 30-second period down. Godley, however, held Billings to the mat and the two would remain deadlocked at one heading into the second 30-second tie breaker. With Godley selecting the down position, Billings was able to turn Wolfpack sophomore and score the two-point near fall. Godley would go on to narrow the gap to one with an escape with one second left, but it was too little, too late and Billings earned the 3-2 TB win.

Both duals played into Navy's hands and were out of reach fairly quickly. The Mids held a 21-9 lead heading into the final bout, but the injury suffered by DeMichiel would in turn give the Tar Heels six points to narrow what otherwise was a convincing win by Navy. Meanwhile, Navy jumped out to a 26-0 lead before the Wolfpack were able to get on the board, as the Mids claimed wins in nine of the 10 bouts.

Navy will be back in action next Saturday when it travels to New Jersey to battle Rutgers. Action is set for 7:00 pm with the Mids holding a 20-3 series advantage over the Scarlet Knights.

Navy 21, North Carolina 15
184 - Nick Tenpenny (NC) dec. Greg Prioleau (N), 3-2
197 - Charles Carafano (N) fall #12 Dennis Drury (NC), 4:12
HWT - #5 Scott Steele (N) dec. Ziad Haddad (NC), 7-3
125 - Aaron Kalil (N) dec. Brian Bokoski (NC), 10-3
133 - Jeremy Shaw (NC) dec. Ben Levin (N), 4-0
141 - Matt Pagan (N) dec. Mike Rappo (NC), 3-1
149 - Jon Burns (NC) dec. Glenn Shober (N), 7-5
157 - #8 Bryce Saddoris (N) dec. #6 Thomas Scotton (NC), 4-1
165 - Robby Neill (N) dec. Kyle Kiss (NC), 3-1
174 - Thomas Ferguson (NC) injury def. Matt DeMichiel (N), 4:54 (match tied at 4-4)

Navy 38, NC State 3
184 - Greg Prioleau (N) dec. Cedrick Moore (NCST), 7-2
197 - Charles Carafano (N) forfeit, ---
HWT - #5 Scott Steele (N) dec. Eloheim Palma (NCST), 6-0
125 - Aaron Kalil (N) major dec. Mike Moreno (NCST), 16-6
133 - Pat McCaffrey (N) fall Scott Norris (NCST), 2:51
141 - Matt Pagan (N) major dec. Dale Shull (NCST), 12-4
149 - Bobby Ward (NCST) dec. Glenn Shober (NCST), 7-3
157 - #8 Bryce Saddoris (N) fall Juan Stimpson (NCST), 1:18
165 - Robby Neill (N) dec. Ray Ward (NCST), 12-5
174 - Mike Billings (N) dec. Quinton Godley (NCST), 3-2 TB
Navy Def. No. 7 Maryland, 19-14


Navy Wrestlers Score 19-14 Upset over No. 7 Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team won six bouts, including a major decision by team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.), en route to earning one of its most memorable wins in recent history, a 19-14 victory over seventh-ranked Maryland Friday night in front of packed house at Halsey Field House in Annapolis. Three straight victories in the middle of the lineup gave Navy a 16-7 lead in the match, a lead it would not relinquish as the Mids improved to 3-1 in dual action this season.

"This was a huge win for our program and against a terrific Maryland team," said 10th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We had a great crowd tonight and I really appreciate all the people who came out to support both teams. It was a great environment for wrestling."

The story of the night perhaps was the fact that Maryland wrestled without three of its ranked wrestlers - #11 Steven Bell (133), #9 Alex Krom (141), #5 Mike Letts (165) - who were suffering from various ailments. It's something Burnett is more than familiar with, as three of his starters were also sidelined for the match, two for the year.

"It's one of those things where you play the hand you are dealt," said Burnett. "We've experienced the same woes with injuries this year, but you can't let that hold you back. You have to push forward and wrestle harder. This was an important match for us to win and we were able to do that."

Perhaps it was best put by junior 174-pounder Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) who said that certainly he would have liked to have wrestled a healthy Maryland team, but "no team is carried by three wrestlers." Indeed, Maryland fielded a full squad, whose backups were well groomed for the dual.

The momentum pendulum in the opening half of the match saw the Terps take a narrow 7-6 lead after four bouts with each team winning a pair. Maryland claimed the early advantage as third-ranked Hudson Taylor pushed his record to 30-2 behind a 14-2 major decision over Navy senior Charles Carafano (Germantown, Md.) at 197 pounds.

Navy, though, took a 6-4 advantage in the match by winning back-to-back matches. After a scoreless opening period, Navy heavyweight Scott Steele (Towson, Md.), ranked fifth nationally, took a 5-1 lead heading into the final stanza en route to a 6-2 victory over Patrick Gilmore. Meanwhile, sophomore Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) won his three straight dual by handing Maryland senior James Knox a 7-1 loss. Kalil scored a takedown with 32 seconds left in the second period and tacked on three more points with a near fall by the end of the period.

Suffering from flu-like symptoms, 11th-ranked Steven Bell sat out the match for Maryland at 133 pounds. Despite being replaced in the lineup, the Terps' Mookie Golden produced an escape and a late takedown in the match to overcome a 4-2 deficit and earn the 6-4 win over a struggling Pat McCaffrey (Chicago, Ill.), who has now dropped three in a row.

The turning point in the match, however was at 141 pounds. After leading 2-1 heading into the final two minutes of action, Navy senior Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) put together three takedowns, an escape and built up over two minutes of riding time to beat the Terps' Matt Bogusz. That win would give the Mids a 9-7 lead in the match, a lead they would not relinquish.

Navy extended its lead to six thanks to a major decision by Shober who took Annapolis native Jon Kohler to task at 149 pounds. Though Shober held just a one-point advantage after the first period, he would come out and dominate Kohler in the second. Shober scored six points in the final minute of the second period to take a commanding 10-2 lead. Playing a game of cat-and-mouse to help gather enough points for the major decision, Shober did so by scoring two more takedowns in the final period, including his final shot at the buzzer, to score a 15-4 win over Kohler.

"It's always good to score the first point in the match because it certainly gives you a mental edge," said Shober, who stands at 15-9 overall and 1-1 in dual action this season. "I felt like his body was starting to give in a little bit in the second period and so I tried to go at him. I knew we needed the points, so getting the extra team point was what I was going for."

The Mids won their third-straight match by way of a 9-7 win by junior All-American Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) at 157 pounds. A winded Saddoris was challenged throughout the match by Maryland sophomore Kyle John. John stalked Saddoris and kept him within reach and as time was running down, John struck. With 12 seconds left in the match, John scored his second takedown of the match and tied things up at 7-7. John was forced to let Saddoris out of his grasp as he trailed by over a minute in riding time. Unable to get a final takedown in the last five seconds, Saddoris managed to pull out the 9-7 win and move to within two wins of reaching 100 for his career.

Maryland was finally able to stop the Navy run thanks to 15th-ranked Josh Asper's major decision over junior Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.). Asper put Neill on the mat five times and gained a pair of points on stall warnings to cut into the Mids' lead with a 14-4 win.

With the Mids leading 16-11 with two matches remaining, Navy looked to DeMichiel to help secure the win. DeMichiel jumped out on top early with back-to-back takedowns, but a reversal with 12 seconds to go in the opening period narrowed his lead to 4-3. That lead, however, would expand to four as DeMichiel squirmed out of Smith's hold, followed by a takedown. The last 45 seconds of the third period featured a flurry of points for both wrestlers as DeMichiel tried to score enough for a major decision. He produced a pair of takedowns and gained a point for his more than three minutes of riding time, however he would fall just short of the major behind a 12-6 decision.

A decision or a major decision, however, would matter not, as the DeMichiel win sealed the Navy upset with the Mids taking a 19-11 lead heading into the final bout.

"Heading into the match, I knew I had to win," said DeMichiel. "The pressure was definitely on and I wanted to go out there and get a win for the team. It's something that really drives you."

Though Maryland sophomore Corey Peltier scored the final win of the night, an 8-2 decision over Navy junior Greg Prioleau (Poway, Calif.), it would be too little for the Terps as the Mids earned a 19-14 win. It was just the fourth blemish on paper for the Terps this season.

"It was an interesting match to watch in terms of who was controlling the pace and tempo of the match," added Burnett. "I think both teams did a phenomenal job of keeping in check the match and how it needed to flow for them to be successful. We had a lot of nice performances tonight and I have to tip my hat at some of the experienced guys we had out on the mat. Matt (Pagan) looked like he was fading and then he came on. Glenn (Shober) did an excellent job of controlling his match. Aaron (Kalil) stepped up and provided a great effort at 125 pounds.

"We have a nucleus of guys that have to step up and perform from match to match and tonight we did a good job of that. We cannot be content, however, if we want to continue to succeed. Each match we need to be focused and have discipline."

The Midshipmen will look to use the momentum gained from the win over the Terps to help leverage their way on Saturday against North Carolina and NC State. Navy plays host to the Tar Heels at Halsey Field House beginning at 3:00 pm, followed by a 7:00 pm battle against NC State. Fans should be sure to stick around after the NC State for the annual Meet the Mids autograph session.

Navy 19, #7 Maryland 14
Jan. 22, 2010 * Annapolis, Md.

Wt Win Type Loss Score N M
197 #3 Hudson Taylor (M) major Charles Carafano 14-2 0 4
285 #5 Scott Steele (N) dec Patrick Gilmore 6-2 3 4
125 Aaron Kalil (N) dec James Knox 7-1 6 4
133 Mookie Golden (M) dec Pat McCaffrey 6-4 6 7
141 Matt Pagan (N) dec Matt Bogusz 10-3 9 7
149 Glenn Shober (N) major Jon Kohler 15-4 13 7
157 #8 Bryce Saddoris (N) dec Kyle John 9-7 16 7
165 #15 Josh Asper (M) major Robby Neill 14-4 16 11
174 Matt DeMichiel (N) dec Owen Smith 12-6 19 11
184 Corey Peltier (M) dec Greg Prioleau 8-2 19 14
Navy Wrestlers Return Home, Prepare for Challenging Weekend

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Making its first appearance at home since the Nov. 21 Navy Classic, the Navy wrestling team returns to Halsey Field House this weekend where it will play host to a trio of duals, including a Friday battle against seventh-ranked Maryland at 7:00 pm. On Saturday, the Mids are on tap to face North Carolina (3:00 pm) and NC State (7:00 pm) in a doubleheader. Navy will cap the weekend off with its annual Meet the Mids autograph session following the conclusion of the NC State match.
No. 9 Lehigh Too Much for Navy Wrestlers

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Ninth-ranked Lehigh claimed wins in seven of the 10 bouts to hand the previously undefeated Navy wrestling team a 28-9 loss Saturday afternoon at Grace Hall. The Mountain Hawks, who improved to 11-3 this season, have now won 13 of the last 14 matches against the Mids, including seven in a row in Bethlehem.

"We wrestled a very good Lehigh team who, top to bottom, is solid and has really no weaknesses," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We had some injuries and certainly I would have like to have seen how we would have competed with those guys in the lineup. That said, we can't use that as an excuse. You have to wrestle the best you can with the hand you are dealt."

Navy sophomore 125-pounder Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) provided an early boost for the Mids, as he earned a 4-0 win over John McDonald. Kalil took a quick lead in the match with a takedown and rode out McDonald for over two minutes. However, McDonald would erase the riding time deficit keeping Kalil tight to the mat in the second period. Kalil sealed the win late in the final period with his second takedown to improve to 13-8 overall and 2-1 in dual action this season.

"Aaron did a good job of getting us started off on a good note," added Burnett. "He's really worked hard in the wrestling room and we are beginning to see it pay dividends."

Navy's 3-0 lead, however, would be its last, as a Matt Fisk pin at 133 pounds was the first of three straight Lehigh wins. In addition to Fisk's fall over Navy sophomore Pat McCaffrey (Chicago, Ill.), 17th-ranked Seth Ciasulli scored a major decision over Navy senior Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.), 14-5, and Joey Napoli just edged second-year 149-pounder John Majka (Chicago, Ill.), 4-3.

Junior All-American Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) ended the skid for the Mids, as the nation's eighth-ranked 157-pounder delivered a 10-3 loss to the Mountain Hawks' Sean Bilodeau to narrow the gap to 13-6 at intermission.

"Bryce continues to get bigger and stronger at 157 pounds," said Burnett. "He's settled into that weight class and is now flourishing. He really had an outstanding match this afternoon."

But the momentum swing would be short-lived, as Lehigh once again used a pin, this time by 165-pounder Brandon Hatchett, as a springboard for wins in the next four matches (165, 174, 184, 197) and put the match out of reach for the Mids.

The final match of the evening, however, was perhaps the most anticipated bout of the evening as fifth-ranked Zach Rey of Lehigh was set to lock horns with Navy's Scott Steele (Towson, Md.), who is ranked ninth. Steele put together an escape and a takedown to hold a 3-1 advantage heading into the final period of action. Though Rey was able to pull within one with an escape, Steele held off the higher-seeded Rey for the 3-2 win.

"Having wrestled just a handful of matches since coming back to the Academy, this was probably Scott's toughest opponent he has faced," said Burnett. "He did a great job out there upsetting a higher ranked wrestler. He's looked great since coming back from his shoulder injury and certainly he looked solid today.

"We had some good performances today, some fight in us. Warriors want to be in the fight, but I'm not sure we had a full team of warriors today. All we can ask for is for every one of our wrestlers to compete and for the most part we did. We've got time to fix some of those things that went awry, but certainly our schedule doesn't get any easier."

In fact, Navy will play host to No. 8 Maryland next Friday night (7:00 pm) at Halsey Field House in what has turned in to a fierce rivalry in recent years. The Terps have won two in a row against the Mids, including a narrow 21-18 decision when Maryland last visited Halsey Field House in 2008. Navy will also battle North Carolina (3:00 pm) and NC State (7:00 pm) next Saturday at Halsey Field House.

No. 9 Lehigh 28, Navy 9
Jan. 16, 2010 * Bethlehem, Pa.

125 - Aaron Kalil (N) dec. John McDonald (L), 4-0 3-0
133 - #14 Matt Fisk (L) pinned Pat McCaffrey N), 2:46 3-6
141 - #17 Seth Ciasulli (L) major dec. Matt Pagan (N), 14-5 3-10
149 - Joey Napoli (L) dec. John Majka (N), 4-3 3-13
157 - #8 Bryce Saddoris (N) dec. Sean Bilodeau (L), 10-3 6-13
165 - Brandon Hatchett (L) pinned Robby Neill (N), 3:55 6-19
174 - #18 Robert Hamlin (L) dec. Matt DeMichiel (N), 10-4 6-22
184 - #15 David Craig (L) dec. Greg Prioleau (N), 6-1 6-25
197 - Joe Kennedy (L) dec. Charles Carafano (N), 7-0 6-28
285 - #9 Scott Steele (N) dec. #5 Zach Rey (L), 3-2 9-28
Navy Grapplers Improve to 2-0 With Win Over East Stroudsburg

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Earning its 14th-consecutive victory over East Stroudsburg (5-4), the Navy wrestling team captured a 28-12 win over the Warriors Friday evening at Koehler Fieldhouse to improve to 2-0 in dual action on the year. Navy won eight of the 10 bouts, including three bonus point matches.

With one of the biggest matches of the year set for Saturday afternoon in Bethlehem, Pa. against No. 9 Lehigh, Navy head coach Bruce Burnett rested four of his starters while giving the opportunity for some of his young talent to experience dual action. Senior Charles Carafano (Germantown, Md.), sophomore Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) and rookie Bobby Barnhisel (River Forest, Ill.) wrestled in their first career dual match, while John Majka (Chicago, Ill.), who was a starter for most of last season, replaced team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) in the lineup against the Warriors.

"I thought I'd change a few things up tonight and give some of the younger guys an opportunity to prepare and wrestle in a dual match," said Burnett. "Regardless of what the final result was, it was a good opportunity for them to know how to prepare physically and mentally for one match in an evening as opposed to a tournament setting."

Navy, in fact, saw some of those young wrestlers provide solid performances and plentiful points to help push the Mids past East Stroudsburg.

Sophomore 125-pounder Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), who has faced a tremendously tough slate this fall, gave the Mids an early lead behind a 10-3 decision over redshirt junior David Luthy. It was just Kalil's second collegiate dual win in 10 bouts. That lead, however, would be short-lived, as ESU sophomore Andrew Arnold pinned fellow second-year standout Pat McCaffrey (Chicago, Ill.) with just five seconds remining to give the Warriors a 6-3 advantage.

Despite trailing in the match, Burnett gave a few words of advice and sent Haislip onto the mat for his first collegiate dual. Haislip took control of the match, putting ESU's Adam Hluschak on his back and with two seconds remaining in the second period, Haislip scored his sixth-career win by way of fall. The win also gave the Mids a 9-6 lead, a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Majka, a sophomore 149-pounder, came into the match having wrestled in several duals a year ago. But as a back-up to Shober, he was seeing his first dual action of the season. Majka dominated his match against Eddie Stephenson, walking away with a 9-5 win and snapping a six-match losing skid in dual action.

The Warriors pulled within three, 12-9, after Thad Frick held off a rallying Barnhisel from Navy. Though Barnhisel came up just short, Burnett was happy with what he saw from the young wrestler.

"Bobby made some mistakes in his match. Mistakes that you expect out of a freshman," said Burnett. "But even in a loss, I saw some great potential out of Bobby and he has a great future ahead of him."

With wins at the next three weight classes - 165, 174, 184 - Navy put the match out of reach for East Stroudsburg. Junior Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) earned a 5-2 victory over Jeff Jacobs to improve to 14-9 overall and 2-0 in dual action, while classmate Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) fell a point short of a major decision as he turned back Ken Monarque, 12-5, at 174 pounds.

While the 184-pound match provided the Mids with a big boost in the point column, it was at the expense of one of Navy's up-and-coming freshmen. After leading 6-3 in the opening period, Carson, Wash. native Andrew Buck was slammed to mat by ESU redshirt senior Shane Mallory, who was then issued a one-point penalty for an illegal move. After taking his second injury timeout of the match, Buck was unable to continue and Navy received six points because the match could not be finished by Buck.

ESU's Ed Ebewo went on to narrowly beat Carafano at 184 pounds, 3-2, while eighth-ranked heavyweight Scott Steele (Towson, Md.) of Navy provided the final margin of the evening behind a 14-4 major decision over Will Weaver.

The Mids will get little rest before returning to the mat on Saturday to face ninth-ranked Lehigh (10-3) in Bethlehem. Saturday's match marks the 90th meeting between the two programs, a series in which Navy holds a narrow 46-43 series advantage. Lehigh, however, has won 12 of the last 13 matches in the series, with Navy last winning on Jan 13, 2007. Meanwhile, the Mountain Hawks own a 23-10 lead in matches played on their home mat. The last time the Mids beat Lehigh in Bethlehem was on Jan. 28, 1995, when Navy cruised to a 22-9 victory.

"Tomorrow's match is big, it's huge," said Burnett. "We are facing a really tough team in Lehigh, but we will be prepared."

Saturday's matchup is slated for a 3:00 pm start held at Lehigh's Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall.

Navy 28, East Stroudsburg 12
Jan. 15, 2010 * East Stroudsburg, Pa.

125 - Aaron Kalil (N) dec. David Luthy, 10-3 3-0
133 - Andrew Arnold (ESU) pinned Pat McCaffrey, 6:55 3-6
141 - Dustin Haislip (N) pinned Adam Hluschak, 4:58 9-6
149 - John Majka (N) dec. Eddie Stephenson, 9-5 12-6
157 - Thad Frick (ESU) dec. Bobby Barnhisel, 6-4 12-9
165 - Robby Neill (N) dec. Jeff Jacobs, 5-2 15-9
174 - Matt DeMichiel (N) dec. Ken Monarque, 12-5 18-9
184 - Andrew Buck (N) injury default Shane Mallory 24-9
(Buck led 6-3 in 1st period, injured on Mallory illegal move)
197 - Ed Ebewo (ESU) dec. Charles Carafano, 3-2 24-12
285 - No. 9 Scott Steele (N) maj. dec. Will Weaver, 14-4 28-12
Navy Wrestlers Outlast American in Season's First Dual

WASHINGTON, DC - Friday night's Navy-American wrestling dual lived up to its billing as fans were treated to an old-fashioned duel. Navy twice erased deficits in the match to avenge last year's two-point loss in Annapolis by claiming an 18-17 victory over the Eagles in the nation's capital.

"I wouldn't go as far as saying we looked strong in getting the win tonight, but we did get some good performances," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who improved to 91-45 over his 10-year collegiate coaching career. "Andrew Buck put on a great performance tonight and gave us bonus points after we lost the previous match by a tech fall. It was an important match for us to win, but the manner in which he won was impressive. Scott (Steele) got us a bonus point win, as well.

"I think the match really came down to the bonus points that Buck and Steele were able to provide us with tonight. Truth be told, we had our chances in some of the other matches, but just couldn't complete the task. That's something we need to work on as we push forward and get closer to the conference meet and nationals."

The match kicked off in American's favor, as the opening two bouts put a pair of nationally-ranked American wrestlers on the mat. Twelfth-ranked Kyle Borshoff secured a 4-1 victory over Navy team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) at 149 pounds by way of a takedown late in the match. The Eagles then took a 6-0 advantage when fifth-ranked Steve Fittery got the best of Navy All-American Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) at 157 pounds. Saddoris, ranked eighth nationally, was caught in a compromising position early in the match and was put on his back, leaving him to try and battle back against a talented wrestler in Fittery, who would close out the match behind a 9-3 decision. While Saddoris slid to 18-9 on the year, Fittery now owns an impressive 19-1 record.

Junior 165-pounder Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) put Navy's first points on the scoreboard, as he dominated American's Tanner Shaffer in a 7-0 decision, while junior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) breezed to a 13-6 victory over American redshirt frosh Phillip Barreiro to even the match at 6-6. Both Neill and DeMichiel were just a point shy in each of their respective matches from giving Navy a two-point advantage in the overall team score.

American pulled ahead once again when 2009 All-American Mike Cannon, ranked fourth at 184 pounds, dealt Navy senior Mike Billings (Waterford, Mich.) a 16-0 loss. The Eagles' celebration, however, would be short-lived as Navy rookie Andrew Buck (Carson, Wash.) made his debut at 197 pounds look easy by earning a 15-0 tech fall over fellow freshman Kenneth Clessas to knot the match at 11-all. After sitting out the Southern Scuffle, Buck made his return by making the move from 184 pounds to 197. Ironically, he had battle DeMichiel throughout much of the early part of the season for the starting spot at 184 pounds and neither is currently wrestling at that weight class.

A week ago, Navy got a boost from senior heavyweight Scott Steele (Towson, Md.) when he returned to school, as well as the Mids' lineup after suffering a severe shoulder injury. Steele, already ranked ninth in the country, gave Navy the lead for good by earning a 15-4 major decision over newcomer Blake Herrin.

Despite an outstanding performance by Navy sophomore Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), 20th-ranked Jasen Borshoff held off his Navy foe for 4-3 decision at 125 pounds, cutting into the Mids' lead. But Navy pushed its lead back to four when sophomore Pat McCaffrey (Chicago, Ill.) controlled his match against Thomas Williams to post a 9-4 win.

Similar to last year's match, American needed a win to give it a chance at winning the match. However, not only did 141-pounder Jordan Lipp need a win, he needed a bonus-point victory to at least tie the match. But Navy senior Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) would not have it. Though Pagan would come up short in the battle, it was a hard-fought bout that would see Lipp escaping with a 2-1 decision, but coming up shy in the team total.

"Our wrestlers are going through a pretty tough conditioning stage and I do think it showed in their legs tonight, but that's what you have to do in order to prepare yourself for the end of the year. You have to be mentally tough to finish strong. We're certainly not in peak form and we have quite a lot to improve upon, but we have the time. We have a challenging schedule ahead of us and we will need to get that much better if we are going to beat the likes of Maryland, North Carolina, NC State and Lehigh in the coming weeks."

The Midshipmen will be back in action next weekend when they head to Pennsylvania to face East Stroudsburg and Lehigh in dual matches on back-to-back days. Navy and ESU will battle next Friday at 7:00 pm, followed by a 3:00 pm matchup between the Mids and Mountain Hawks in Bethlehem.

Navy 18, American 17
Jan. 8, 2010 * Bender Arena * Washington, D.C.
Exhibition 141- Dustin Haislip (N) won by major dec. Nick Pitas (A), 14-3
149 - #12 Kyle Borshoff (A) won by dec. Glenn Shober (N), 4-1 0-3
157 - #5 Steve Fittery (A) won by dec. #8 Bryce Saddoris (N), 9-3 0-6
165 - Robby Neill (N) won by dec. Tanner Shaffer (A), 7-0 3-6
174 - Matt DeMichiel (N) won by dec. Phillip Barreiro (A), 13-6 6-6
184 - #4 Mike Cannon (A) won by tech fall Mike Billings (N), 16-0 6-11
197 - Andrew Buck (N) won by tech fall Kenneth Clessas (A), 15-0 11-11
HWT - #9 Scott Steele (N) won by major dec. Blake Herrin (A), 15-4 15-11
125 - #20 Jasen Borshoff (A) won by dec. Aaron Kalil (N), 4-3 15-14
133 - Pat McCaffrey (N) won by dec. Thomas Williams (A), 9-4 18-14
141 - Jordan Lipp (A) won by dec. Matt Pagan (N), 2-1 18-17
Exhibition HWT - Mingo Grant (A) won by dec. Mike Landis (N), 5-3
Navy Wrestling Opens Dual Slate Friday at American

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy wrestling team will look to open the new year on a winning note when it makes the short drive to Washington D.C. on Friday evening to battle EIWA foe American (2-4) in what will be the Mids' opening dual of the 2009-10 campaign.

Tickets to Friday's dual are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth under 17 and can be purchased at the door.

Action is slated for 7:00 pm at the Eagles' Bender Arena and for those unable to attend, the match will be available online at AUeagles.tv for $5.95. Calling the action will be American play-by-play announcer Allen Brown, along with long-time referee Jim Johnson and EIWA Hall of Famer and Naval Academy graduate Wayne Hicks.
Navy Take Team Crown, Pair of Individual Titles at Navy Classic

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Sophomore Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) and freshman Oscar Huntley (Emerald Isle, N.C.) claimed individual titles and 22 Navy wrestlers placed, as the Midshipmen won the 2009 Navy Wrestling Classic held Saturday at Halsey Field House in Annapolis. Navy and Virginia Tech exchanged the lead throughout the day, but the Mids held a narrow advantage heading into the medal round and were able to hold on for their 17th Navy Classic title in 32 years.

"We won some close bouts, but we lost some too, but overall I was really proud of the effort our team put forth today," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who has led the Mids to the Navy Classic title in five of the last six years. "I want our wrestlers to be tough out on the mat and today I really felt as though we had some tough performances. It was a very competitive tournament and I'm happy with the outcome."

In fact, Navy's win is impressive given the fact that it was without the services of its starting 133 and 174-pound starters Pat McCaffrey and Luke Rebertus, respectively. Additionally, Virginia Tech stands No. 23 in this week's Intermat rankings, while Bucknell is receiving votes. Navy took the crown with 137 points, followed by Virginia Tech with 126.5 points, Bucknell with 120 points, Bloomsburg with 107 points and Franklin & Marshall edge out George Mason by a half a point (33-32.5) to take fifth.

Seven Navy wrestlers appeared in the championship bout of their respective weight classes, including three freshmen. Third-seeded Allan Stein (Portland, Maine) upset second-seeded Jason Guffey from Bloomsburg in the semifinals by a 7-5 count to meet Kalil in the championship bout. Kalil, seeded No. 1, took control of the match early, putting Stein on his back and nearly pinning him to take a 5-0 lead after one. The second period featured back-to-back takedowns by Kalil, who built up a load of riding time and eventually took the match win 11-2. It was Kalil's first collegiate individual tournament crown.

Navy junior Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) sailed through the preliminary rounds, leaving nothing behind as he captured a tech fall in his opener and back-to-back major decisions en route to earning a spot in the 157-pound finals. Ranked 11th, Saddoris had no answer for 19th-ranked Jess Dong of Virginia Tech, however, as Dong was awarded a pair of back points in the second period and rode out Saddoris for the remainder of the period. Dong went on to defeat Saddoris, 4-0, in what was just the second loss by Saddoris this season and the second consecutive tournament he has finished as runner-up.

"Bryce certainly had the opportunity to win the two matches that he's lost this year," said Burnett, who sees Saddoris bump in weight a challenge, but one that is certainly within reach. "It's certainly an adjustment for Bryce in the weight change. In the past he was able to utilize his strength, but he has to be technically better to achieve what his goals are this season. It will be a process, but Bryce has the drive to meet the challenge."

The 165-pound finals put two Navy wrestlers out on the mat. Huntley, who won earned his first individual title as a collegian, upset second-seeded and 20th-ranked Rick Schmelyun of Bloomsburg to punch his ticket into the finals. His foe, however, was a wrestler he knew all too well, Navy junior Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.). Neill scored three wins to earn a spot in the finals, including upsetting top-seeded Matt Epperly of Virginia Tech by a 7-4 decision.

"It's difficult to wrestle against someone you face every single day in your own room," said Huntley, who made mention that he was happy to see his hard work pay off. "We are both similar wrestlers in our style and when the match went into overtime, I was really working hard on my defense."

After a 1-1 tie after regulation, the two entered into sudden victory. Neither wrestler scored and in the two tie-breaker sessions, each was able to break free for the one-point escape. It was in the second sudden victory session that Neill's mistake cost him the championship, as Huntley was able to take Neill to the mat for the 4-2 sv2 win. It's the second straight year that a Navy rookie has won a Navy Classic title, after not having a frosh win a weight class since 1998. Last year, Luke Rebertus (Elkton, Md.) was crowned the 174-pound champion.

After pinning Campbell's Derek Tomasone in under one minute, Navy freshman Andrew Buck (Carson, Wash.) would face a much more threatening foe in his quarterfinals match. In fact, David Thompson not only came in as the runner-up in last year's Navy Classic, he was ranked 19th by Amateur Wrestling News at 184 pounds. The two traded points until the match was eventually sent into overtime. Buck came out the victor by taking down Thompson in sudden victory.

Buck went on to face teammate Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.), Navy's starter at 165 pounds a year ago, and dealt him a loss for a second straight tournament as Buck advanced to the finals. That jubilation, however, was short lived as 18th-ranked Thomas Spellman of Virginia Tech carded the 10-0 win to claim the title.

It went down to the wire in the finals bout of the heavyweight division between Navy rookie Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) and Virginia Tech junior D.J. Bruce. After finishing as last year's runner-up at 197 pounds, Bruce held off Miller, 5-3, to win the title.

The Mids had multiple several other strong efforts throughout the day. Annapolis product Austin Clouse scored a pair of takedowns and was awarded three back points en route to a 9-4 victory over Bucknell's Derrik Russell to take fifth at 125 pounds. Meanwhile, Jared Anongos (Richmond, Va.) put together a solid effort in placing fifth at 133 pounds.

Senior 141-pounder Matt Pagan (Carteret, N.J.) was awarded third place after his opponent, Virginia Tech sophomore Nick Murray, was disqualified. Just over three minutes into the match, Murray chomped down on Pagan's hand and was eliminated from the tournament for flagrant misconduct, a move that cost the Hokies a team point at the end of the match. Also placing in the weight class was freshman Eric Filipowicz (Elkridge, Md.) who was narrowly defeated in the fifth-place match by Bucknell's Adam Healey.

Team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.) picked up fourth at 149 pounds, while second-year standout John Majka (Chicago, Ill.) placed sixth. Shober scrambled in the latter part of the match, but Josh Roosa of Bloomsburg held on for a 3-2 win despite being hit for stalling in the final period.

Sophomore Cory Vernon (Great Meadows, N.J.) jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first and never looked back, as he claimed fifth place at 157 pounds over teammate Zach Basich (Wheeling, W.Va.).

With nearly three minutes of riding time, freshman Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) used a series of takedowns and a reversal to score a 10-6 victory over Bucknell's Nick Czapla to finish fifth at 165 pounds, while senior Mike Billings (Waterford, Mich.) finished fourth at 174 pounds in what was his final Navy Classic.

DiMichiel gave up an escape in the final period to give way to Bloomsburg's Derek Coffey in the third-place match of the 184-pounders, while senior Charles Carafano (Germantown, Md.) blanked Bloomsburg's Jacob Daishinsky, 3-0, to take third at 197 pounds. Newcomer Chance Rauscher (Glasgow, Mont.) took a 4-0 advantage in the opening period against Franklin & Marshall's Colin Ely and never surrendered the lead as he placed fifth at 197 pounds behind an 8-4 win.

The Mids ended up taking second, third and fourth at heavyweight, as junior Mike Landis (Hershey, Pa.) scored a reversal in the second and a takedown in the third to just edge out teammate Joe Breaux (Bossier City, La.).

Navy will be back in action the weekend of Dec. 4-6 when a split squad will head to the Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 4-5) and the Nittany Lion Open (Dec. 6).

Final Team Standings
1 - 137.0 Navy
2 - 126.5 Virginia Tech
3 - 120.0 Bucknell
4 - 107.0 Bloomsburg
5 - 33.0 Franklin & marshall
6 - 32.5 George Mason
7 - 19.5 Duquesne
8 - 17.5 Campbell
9 - 10.5 West Virginia

Championship Finals:
125 - Aaron Kalil, Navy 11-2 Allan Stein, Navy
133 - David Marble, Bucknell 2-0 Eric Spjut, Virginia Tech
141 - Christopher Diaz, Virginia Tech 8-2 Zachary Hancock, Bucknell
149 - Kevin LeValley, Bucknell 13-2 Peter Yates, Virginia Tech
157 - Jesse Dong, Virginia Tech 4-0 Bryce Saddoris, Navy
165 - Oscar Huntley, Navy 4-2;sv2 Robby Neill, Navy
174 - Shane Riccio, Bucknell 2-0 Nathan Graham, Bloomsburg
184 - Tommy Spellman, Virginia Tech 10-0 Andrew Buck, Navy
197 - Jay Hahn, Bucknell 8-6 Joseph McMullan, Bucknell
285 - D.J. Bruce, Virginia Tech 5-3 Dan Miller, Navy

Consolation Finals (for third and fifth)
125 - Brian Wright, George Mason 7-1 Jason Guffey, Bloomsburg; Austin Clouse, Navy 9-4 Derrick Russell, Bucknell
133 - Denny Herndon, George Mason 3-2 Jake Bucha, Franklin & Marshall; Jared Anongos, Navy 12-2 Richie Apolinar, Campbell
141 - Matt Pagan, Navy, DQ Nicholas Murray, Virginia Tech; Adam Healey, Bucknell 3-2 Eric Filipowicz, Navy
149 - Josh Roosa, Bloomsburg 3-2 Glenn Shober, Navy; John Regan, Bucknell 8-1 John Majka, Navy
157 - Brantley Hooks, Bucknell 10-5 Bryce Buscler, Bloomsburg; Cory Vernon, Navy 9-7 Zach Basich, Navy
165 - Rick Schmelyun, Bloomsburg 13-5 Matt Epperly, Virginia Tech; Mason Bailey, Navy 10-6 Nicholas Czapla, Bucknell
174 - Anthony Trongone, Virginia Tech 9-5 Mike Billings, Navy Seth Csaszar, Duquesne 5-4 Matt Fullowan, Franklin & Marshall
184 - Derek Coffey, Bloomsburg 3-2 Matt DeMichiel, Navy; Rob Waltko, Bucknell Mac Mancuso, West Virginia
197 - Charles Carafano, Navy 3-0 Jacob Dabishinsky, Bloomsburg; Chance Rauscher, Navy 8-4 Colin Ely, Franklin & Marshall
285 - Mike Landis, Navy 4-3 Joe Breaux, Navy; Zachary Walsh, Bloomsburg 2-1 Dan Canfield, Franklin & Marshall
Navy Wrestling Opens Practice to Public on Saturday, Oct. 3


    ANNAPOLIS, Md. -  Tenth-year Navy head wrestling coach Bruce Burnett is opening the doors to this Saturday's team practice, extending an open invitation to alumni, fans and friends of the Navy wrestling program to get an early look at this year's Midshipmen. Navy will practice from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Dahlgren Hall. Following the practice session, the coaches and wrestlers will be signing and handing out the 2009-10 Navy wrestling poster and mingling throughout the crowd.

Navy, who has finished among the top 25 at the NCAA Championship in each of the last three years while also crowning at least one All-American during that span, welcomes back a pair of NCAA qualifiers, including junior 149-pound Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.).

Saddoris is a two-time NCAA qualifier, who took the 2009 EIWA individual title en route to being named the tournament's most valuable wrestler.  He went on to garner All-America kudos with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championship.

Also returning to the mat is 2009 NCAA qualifier sophomore Luke Rebertus (Elkton, Md.) whose 36 wins a year ago were the second most by a Navy rookie all-time.

In all, the Mids return half their starting lineup, including 2009-10 team captain Glenn Shober (Reading, Pa.).  Combined with a solid recruiting class that has accounted for more than 20 individual state titles, this season will be an exciting one.

Not only is this a great opportunity to meet up with the Navy wrestling team and see what the 2009-10 season has in store, it's also a terrific way of getting the day started before heading over to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to cheer on the Navy football team in what is sure to be a great contest against Service Academy-rival Air Force.  Game time is set for 3:30 pm and tickets may be purchased online at www.NavySports.com or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY.


### Go Navy ###



Stacie Michaud
Associate Sports Information Director
United States Naval Academy
www.NavySports.com
w:  410-293-8773
f:  410-293-8954

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Navy Introduces Highly-Touted Rookie Class of Wrestlers

    ANNAPOLIS, Md. -  Tenth-year Navy wrestling coach Bruce Burnett and his staff have assembled one of the top recruiting classes not only on the East Coast, but on a national level as well. Navy's Class of 2013, which features 18 young men who have captured a combined 20 state titles, is ranked 21st by D1CollegeWrestling.net. Additionally, Navy is one of four EIWA members who are listed among the rankings, joining defending EIWA champion Cornell (No. 10), Lehigh (No. 19) and Bucknell (No. 23).

"There is no doubt in my mind that we have brought in one of the best classes we've had since I've been at the Academy," said Burnett.  "We strive to bring in the best all-around student-athlete year in and year out to continue to make the competition in our wrestling room stronger.  That in turn helps each of our young wrestlers to develop, compete and succeed on a national level."

Navy Wrestling Class of 2013
Name    Wt.    Hometown / High School    Highlights
Jared Anongos    125    Richmond, Va.    State Champion, 4-Time Placewinner (6th, 4th, 3rd, 1st)
Eric Flipowicz    133    Elkridge, Md.    State Champion, 2-Time National Prep Placewinner
Ben Levin    133    Reisterstown, Md.    State Champion, 4-Time Placewinner (4th, 4th, 2nd, 1st)
Ray Seese    141    Alto, Mich.    2-Time Placewinner (7th, 6th)
Bobby Barnhisel    149    River Forest, Ill.    2-Time State Champion, 3-Time Placewinner (5th, 1st, 1st)
            2-Time Cadet Freestyle All-American
Tyler White    157    Thurmont, Md.    State Finalist, 2-Time Placewinner (5th, 2nd)
Zach Basich    157    Wheeling, W.Va.    2-Time State Champion, 4-Time Placewinner (4th, 2nd, 1st, 1st)
Rich Jackson    157    Rising Sun, Md.    3-Time State Champion, 4-Time Placewinner (3rd, 1st, 1st, 1st)
Zach White    165    Thurmont, Md.    State Finalist, 2-Time Placewinner (3rd, 2nd)
Jacob Schalles    165    Oviedo, Fla.    State Finalist, NWCA Champion
Mason Bailey    174    Fairmont, W.Va.    2-Time State Champion, 3-Time Finalist, 4-Time Placewinner
            Dutton Award recipient (top senior in W.Va.)
Andrew Buck    174    Carson, Wash.    National Champion, 2-Time State Finalist, 3-Time High School All-American
Oscar Huntley    174    Stafford, Va.    State Champion, 4-Time Prep Placewinner (5th, 3rd, 4th, 1st)
Ben Hatef    184    Bowie, Md.    4th / 3rd at Prep Nationals, 2nd at Maryland State Championship
Nick Hylton    184    Eccles, W.Va.    2-Time State Champion, 4-Time Placewinner, NWCA Champion
Chance Rauscher    197    Glasgow, Mont.    2-Time State Champion, 4-Time Placewinner (5th, 3rd, 1st, 1st)
Daniel Miller    285    Berlin, Md.    2-Time State Champion
Sam Cervantes    285    Poway, Calif.    State Champion, 2-Time Finalist, 2-Time Freestyle Finalist


After putting together back-to-back-to-back top-25 finishes at the NCAA Championship for the first time in better than 20 years, wrestling and its support at the Naval Academy is on the rise.  Last spring 133-pound Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.) and 149-pound Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) not only claimed EIWA titles, both found themselves on the podium at the NCAA Championship.  After becomming just the fifth wrestler in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championship all four years, Baker became the 15th different Naval Academy wrestler to achieve All-America status multiple times in his career.

Saddoris, meanwhile, enters his junior campaign ranked 25th on the Mids' career win list with a two-year mark of 78-20.  The 78 wins shattered the school record for matches won over a wrestler's first two seasons, breaking the previous record of 59 wins by Greg Gingeleskie during the 1996 and '97 seasons.  Having finished the 2009 campaign with a 43-8 record, he became just the fourth different wrestler in program history to reach 40 wins in a season.  He was only one shy of tying the all-time record set by Mark Conley in 2002 and later tied by Matt Stolpinski in 2007.

In addition to becoming an All-American and winning his first EIWA individual title, one of Saddoris' biggest accomplishments of the 2009 campaign was being named the recipient of the The Coaches Trophy, awarded at the conclusion of the EIWA Tournament to the championship's most valuable wrestler.  It's just the ninth time a Navy wrestler has received the award and the first time since Scott Kelly earned the award in 1987.

With Saddoris and 2009 NCAA qualifier Luke Rebertus (Elkton, Md.) headlining the list of returning letterwinners for the Midshipmen, combined with fresh new talent that has already gotten the prognosticators' attention, the future of Navy wrestling looks bright.  The 2009-10 Navy Wrestling Plebe Smoker will be held Aug. 12 at Halsey Field House beginning at 7:00 pm for those fans interested in getting their first glimpse of the Navy newcomers.  Meanwhile, pencil in Oct. 30 as Navy's annual Blue-Gold Challenge Matches.

### Go Navy ###

Navy Wrestling - Casey Caldwell receives academic honor

NCAA Qualifier Casey Caldwell Recognized for Classroom Success
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Recent Naval Academy graduate Casey Caldwell (Liberty, Ind.), a 2009 NCAA Championship qualifier, was among the 73 Div. I wrestlers nationwide to be named to the 2008-09 National Wrestling Coaches Association’s (NWCA) All-Academic Team. The team featured a total of 51 NCAA qualifiers, 17 NCAA All-Americans, eight NCAA Finalists and five National Champions.

Caldwell’s contributions to the Navy wrestling program over the last two seasons were extraordinary. While the Union County High School product concluded his career with a 56-36 record, he owned a combined 53-29 mark in his final two years of competition including a 19-4 dual match mark. He saved his best season for last, however, winning 32 matches this winter and becoming just the 26th different wrestler in program history to reach the 30-win milestone. Among those 32 victories was an 11-match winning streak that eventually helped lead him to his first individual tournament title (All-Academy Championship), as well as a sixth-place finish at the EIWA Championship.

After just missing the mark as an automatic NCAA qualifier through the EIWA Championship, Caldwell, who wrestled at the 184-pound weight class, was one of 52 at-large selections chosen by the NCAA to participate in the 2008-09 NCAA Championship. Not only was Caldwell able to close out his collegiate career as an NCAA qualifier, he was also successful in capturing a 7-6 decision over Buffalo’s Mickey Moran in the wrestleback round.

Boasting a 3.25 grade-point average over the span of four years, Caldwell graduated in May with a degree in hand in the field of quantitative economics. He was ranked 259th in overall order of merit among his class of 1,065 students and No. 23 in military order of merit. He was named to the Commandant’s List in all eight semesters and twice earned mention on the Superintendent’s List. During the graduation ceremony, Caldwell was commissioned into the United States Navy as an Ensign and has service selected special warfare.

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.

### Go Navy ###

Navy Wrestling - The late Peter Blair to be enshrined in National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Peter Blair to be Inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame, June 5-6
STILLWATER, Okla. — The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum will host its 33rd annual Honors Weekend culminating in the Induction Ceremony on June 5-6 in Stillwater, Okla. Honored will be the Class of 2009 inductees in the categories of Distinguished Member, Outstanding American, Order of Merit, Medal of Courage and Lifetime Achievement for Officials.

The late Peter Blair will be inducted as a Distinguished Member. A Distinguished Member is a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition, a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and has compiled an outstanding record, a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport, or any combination of the above qualifications.

Those seeking information can contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-659-9637 cell.

Peter Blair – Distinguished Member

He never made his high school team, but by the time he graduated from college, Peter Steele Blair, known as “Destroyer,” had achieved the heights in the sport of wrestling.

A 5-foot-6 inch lightweight, Blair couldn’t make the lineup for Billy Martin’s Granby High School in Norfolk, Va. Upon graduating at age 16, he joined the U.S. Navy and was chosen to attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Bainbridge, Md. By the end of the next two years, he had grown over seven inches and made a name for himself, going undefeated at 177 pounds.

Success followed him to the U.S. Naval Academy, where in four years on the varsity team, he lost only five matches. A 177-pounder as a freshman and sophomore, Blair moved up to 191 pounds and won back-to-back NCAA championships in 1954 and 1955. His final record as a Midshipman was 57-5 with 31 falls. Known to his teammates as a “master of leverage and balance” with a “grip of steel,” he captained the team as a senior and earned the Naval Academy’s prestigious Thompson Award as the midshipman who contributed most to the promotion of athletics.

But he wasn’t finished yet.

After commissioning, Ensign Blair remained at the Academy to train for the 1956 Olympic Trials. In the AAU National Freestyle Championships, he pinned five consecutive opponents to capture the title. Two weeks later, he earned a berth on the team bound for Melbourne. As captain of the Olympic team, Blair won a bronze medal losing on points to eventual champion Gholam Takhti of Iran and to silver medalist Boris Koulaev of Russia.

Blair served his country on submarines, ships and in Academy classrooms, retiring with the rank of Commander in 1974. He joined Pacific Ordinance and Electronics and managed company activities in Tsoying, Taiwan and Rio de Janeiro. In 1981, he joined Marinette Marine Shipyard and worked his way to vice president of marketing. He passed away on June 29, 1994, after a brief battle with cancer.

As a man who served both his sport and his country with distinction, Peter Steele Blair is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

### Go Navy ###