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Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA

Old Dominion Wrestling-The Year in Review

Old Dominion Wrestling Fans:

The coaching staff and entire program would like to thank you for your support this season. This past year was a rebuilding year that was filled with many new faces in the lineup. Out of our starting lineup 60% was composed of true freshman or redshirt freshman. Even with so many new and young grapplers we achieved much success:

*Our Dual meet squad was ranked anywhere from 19th to 25th in the nation all year long in the USATODAY/NWCA Division 1 Coaches poll.

*Our dual meet schedule was once again brutal and filled with Top Twenty teams. We finished with a 10-5-1 record. We defeated 1 team in the Top Twenty and had 5 losses to Top Twenty programs.

*James Nicholson become the 3rd Monarch asked to participate in the 44TH Annual All Star Classic at Cal State Bakersfield. This match was televised on the Big Ten Network.

*We captured the Regular Season CAA Dual meet title.

*Six individuals were ranked in the top twenty at their weight classes for the first time in school history.

*James Nicholson, Chris Brown and Jesse Strawn won CAA Tournament Titles.

*We entered the NCAA Tournament at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska on March 18-20 with 2 seeded wrestlers and 1 unseeded wrestler.
-----James Nicholson was the #7 seed and a returning All-American. He failed to place losing 1 point matches to two different All-Americans.
He is already ready for next year and is very motivated!

-----Jesse Strawn entered as the #10 seed. He lost a heartbreaker in the round of 16 in double OT to a Michigan Wrestler .We will miss his go for broke style!

------Chris Brown shocked the world when he upset returning All-American and #4 seed Johnny Reader from Iowa State in the first round. He earned All American status with a takedown at the buzzer in the All American round.

*Chris finished his career as the All Time Win Leader in ODU history with 138 career wins!

*Kyle Hutter finished second at the University Nationals and qualified for the World Team Trials/University Trials in the process.

*Justin Lavelle finished second in his bid to make the Greco Jr World Team as he was second at The Fila Jr World Greco Trials.

*We secured Top Twenty Recruiting Classes according to Intermat and Win Magazine.

Once again thanks for your support. The coaching staff is hard at work evaluating talent on the road. Coach Dixon was in Ohio and Illinois this week and Coach Sioredas is in New Jersey. We look forward to next season all ready!

Thanks!
Old Dominion Wrestling Brings In Yet Another Top 20 Recruiting Class

Monarchs Have Top 20 Recruiting Class For Sixth Straight Year

Wrestling

Upended At No. 14 Virginia Tech

ODU Has Five-Match Winning Streak Against Tech Snapped

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. - Head Coach Steve Martin and the Old Dominion wrestling program has brought in its sixth consecutive Top 20 recruiting class as InterMat has released its 2010 rankings. The wrestling Monarchs rank No. 16 on this year's list.

In the last six years, Martin has brought in four recruiting classes ranked in the Top 10 (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009) and two classes ranked just outside the Top 15 (No. 16 in both 2007 and 2010).
"The coaching staff is pleased to bring in a great group of talented young men both on and off the mat," said Martin. "We are very excited to help these individuals obtain degrees and championships."
Old Dominion is coming off a season where it won the CAA regular season title and produced three NCAA qualifiers. At the NCAA Tournament senior Chris Brown earn NCAA All-American status, ODU's third straight year with an All-American.

The Monarchs graduated four seniors at years end, including three starters.

"We had a priority to fill many needs at several weight classes and we accomplished that goal with this class," Martin explained. "It's very important to compete against the Big 10 and Big 12 programs head-to-head for these athletes as we continue to grow into a national power. This group has goals of becoming NCAA Champions and All-Americans."

2010 InterMat Top 25 Recruiting Classes

1. Iowa
2. Penn State
3. Northwestern
4. Minnesota
5. Iowa State
6. Nebraska
7. Indiana
8. Cornell
9. Arizona State
10. Maryland
11. Missouri
12. Ohio State
13. Virginia Tech
14. Oklahoma
15. Lehigh
16. Old Dominion
17. Edinboro
18. Boise State
19. Pennsylvania
20. Rutgers
21. Oklahoma State
22. Illinois
23. Michigan State
24. Michigan
25. Binghamton
Old Dominion's Nicholson Named to NWCA Division I All-Academic Team

Junior Wrestler Honored By National Wrestling Coaches Association

NORFOLK, Va. - Junior James Nicholson was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Team, the NWCA announced Wednesday.

To qualify for the All-Academic team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade-point-average, and either been an NCAA qualifier or have 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 have been a NCAA All-American.

"The student-athletes on this All-Academic Team are a great example of the hard work and dedication that the sport of wrestling teaches these young men," said NWCA President Jim Beichner. "Not only are they achieving winning a National Championship, but they are also showing that they are champions in the classroom as well."

Nicholson, a recipient of the Colonial Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award for wrestling, has a 3.48 GPA in Finance and qualified for his third straight NCAA Tournament in 2010.

Nicholson, who is also minoring in marketing at ODU, is a Dean's List student that was a member of the NWCA All-Academic team in 2009 and is a three-time recipient of the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award.

On the mat, Nicholson compiled a sparkling 32-3 overall record this season and was the CAA Champion at 125-pounds for the third year in a row. The 2007-08 All American was ranked seventh nationally and was the #7 seed at the 2010 NCAA Championship, where he posted a 2-2 record.

The 2009-10 All-Academic individual team includes 61 NCAA qualifiers, 23 NCAA All-Americans, seven NCAA finalists and the five NCAA champions. In all, 74 individuals representing 45 schools are being honored on this year's All-Academic Team.
Three Old Dominion Wrestlers Named to VaSID All-State Wrestling Team

Brown & Nicholson Named First Team All-State

LYNCHBURG, Va. - Three members of the nationally-ranked Old Dominion wrestling team were named to the 2010 VaSID All-State teams, it was announced Friday. Senior All-American Chris Brown and junior James Nicholson were both named to the first team, while senior Jesse Strawn garnered second team accolades.

Eight different programs managed to be represented on this year's all-state wrestling teams, which is comprised of wrestlers from the Division I, Division III and NAIA ranks.

Virginia led all programs with three first-team all-state selections, followed closely behind by Virginia Tech and ODU, with a pair of first-team honorees apiece.

Behind Virginia and Virginia Tech was Old Dominion with three total all-state selections, while the Apprentice School and Liberty each had two grapplers honored. George Mason, Southern Virginia and VMI helped round out the 20-member all-state teams with single selections.

Brown ended his remarkable Old Dominion career as the Monarchs all-time wins leader. The Chesapeake native won 138 career matches to only 42 losses and went out with a bang at the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Although ranked nationally throughout the year, Brown entered NCAA's unseeded. In his first match Brown upset No. 4 seed Jonathan Reader of Iowa State which paved the way for an eight-place finish and All-American status. Brown also dominated in CAA action throughout his illustrious career, winning three conference titles at 165-pounds.

Nicholson, a 2008 All-American, compiled a sparkling 32-3 overall record this season and was the CAA Champion at 125-pounds for the third year in a row. He was ranked seventh nationally and was the #7 seed at the 2010 NCAA Championship, where he posted a 2-2 record.

Strawn finished his ODU career with a solid senior campaign in which he posted 33 wins and led the team with 13 pins. He was ranked throughout the year and won his first CAA crown at 197-pounds. The Holton, Kansas native was seeded 10th at NCAA's and picked up one win in the tournament.

2010 VaSID All-State Wrestling Team
VaSID All-State First Team
125 James Nicholson, Old Dominion
133 Marcus Chevres, Apprentice School
141 Chris Diaz, Virginia Tech
149 Brian Stephens, Virginia Tech
157 Peter Rose, Southern Virginia
165 Chris Brown, Old Dominion
174 Chris Henrich, Virginia
184 Mike Salopek, Virginia
197 Brent Jones, Virginia
HWT Josh Wine, VMI

VaSID All-State Second Team
125 Jarrod Garnett, Virginia Tech
133 Matt Snyder, Virginia
141 Ty Holley, Apprentice School
149 Frankie Gayeski, Liberty
157 Jesse Dong, Virginia Tech
165 Chad Porter, Liberty
174 Mendbagana Tovuujav, George Mason
184 Tommy Spellman, Virginia Tech
197 Jesse Strawn, Old Dominion
HWT Jack Danilkowicz, Virginia
Old Dominion's Hutter Takes Second at University Nationals

Redshirt Senior Advances To Senior World Team Trials

AKRON, Ohio. - Redshirt senior Kyle Hutter (Mokena, Ill.) posted a 5-1 record to claim second at the ASICA University Nationals, held April 9-11 at the University of Akron.

Hutter, a two-time NCAA qualifier, competed in the freestyle wrestling 60 Kg (132.25 lbs) weight class.

Hutter proved to be dominate in his first four bouts, registering falls in three of the four. A semifinal decision over 2008 NCAA All-American Mike Grey of Cornell advanced the redshirt senior to the finals, where he lost a decision to champion Tyler Graff of Wisconsin (2010 NCAA All-American).

With the second-place finish, Hutter will enter the challenge tournament for the University World Team Trials May 28-29 in Colorado Springs, Colo. as the No. 1 seed. The winner of that tournament will wrestle the University Nationals Champion, Tyler Graff in a best-of-three matchup for the world team spot.

Also, with his second-place University Nationals finish, Hutter automatically qualifies for the senior world team trial June 10-12 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Chris Brown Becomes Old Dominion’s Third All-American In Last Three Years

Brown Finishes 2010 NCAA Tournament In Eighth To Earn All-American Status

OMAHA, Neb. – Although Senior Chris Brown dropped a narrow 3-2 decision to Iowa’s Ryan Morningstar of Iowa during the final day of the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Saturday, he earned All-American status with an eighth-place finish.

Brown, who became Old Dominion’s all-time win’s leader with a win over Maryland’s Josh Asper Friday, ends his Monarch career with a 138-42 record.

In the seventh-place bout at the Qwest Center No. 7 Morningstar took a 2-0 lead in the second period with a nearfall. Morningstar lost his group though and Brown escaped to cut the lead to 2-1.

Morningstar started the third period down and Brown rode him for nearly the entire period. With only 30 seconds left in the match and riding time in hand for Brown, Morningstar escaped to go up 3-1. Brown earned the riding time point, but Morningstar won the decision, 3-2.
Old Dominion Sends Three to Nationals Nicholson & Strawn Seeded

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The No. 23 Old Dominion wrestling team will send three wrestlers to the NCAA Wrestling Championships, March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha Neb. The NCAA announced the brackets and seeds Wednesday evening and two Monarchs earned top-10 seeds.

Junior James Nicholson was awarded the No. 7 seed at 125-pounds, while senior Jesse Strawn earned a No. 10 seed at 197-pounds. Although ranked in the top-15 most of the year, senior Chris Brown was not awarded a seed and will have to fight his way though a tough field at 165-pounds.

Nicholson posted a 30-1 record on the year and will face off against Cashe Quiroga, a freshman out of Purdue. Quiroga was 25-12 on the year. The Purdue rookie earned his spot in the championship with a sixth-place effort at the Big Ten Championships. Nicholson and Quiroga would have met at the Old Dominion Duals this season, but Quiroga filled in at 133-pounds that day for Akif Eren, who was held out due to injury.

Strawn will look to turn his No. 10 seed into a podium appearance after going 29-5 during his senior campaign. He will battle freshman Cody Magrum of Ohio State in the first round. Magrum earned an at-large bid after going 17-15 during his rookie year.

Brown was one of ODU's most consistent performers this year, going 29-3. He will go up against No. 4 seed Jonathan Reader of Iowa State in a tough first round matchup. Reader, a two-time All-American, posted a 22-4 record during his junior season.

Action will kickoff from the Qwest Center on March 18.
Old Dominion Wrestling Finishes Second at 2010 CAA Tournament

Nicholson, Brown & Strawn Win Weights

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - The Old Dominion wrestling Monarchs claimed second at the 2010 Colonial Athletic Association tournament, which concluded Saturday afternoon in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Old Dominion, which is ranked No. 23 nationally and finished the 2009-10 season with the top record in the CAA, had three champions and one runner-up. ODU's 73 team points only trailed champion Binghamton in the eight-team field.

James Nicholson improved to 29-1 on the year and won his third consecutive CAA title at 125-pounds. The junior, who is ranked No. 7 nationally, will be making his third appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Nicholson was an All-American in 2007-08.

Seniors Chris Brown and Jesse Strawn also claimed CAA titles. Brown won the 165-pound crown for the third time, while Strawn won at 197-pounds for his first championship. Both Monarchs will be competing in their third NCAA Tournament.

ODU's Craig Wilson reached the final at 141-pounds, but lost a 2-1 decision to Binghamton's Anwar Goeres. Sophomore Joe Budi won each of his Saturday matches to claim third at 184-pounds.

With four champions and one runner-up, Binghamton won their first CAA Championship. Host Rider finished third with two champions and four third place finishers.

Championship Finals:
125 #1 James Nicholson-ODU dec. #3 Brian Wright-GMU 8-2
133 #1 Steve Mytych-D dec. #2 Luke Vaith-H 2-1
141 #1 Anwar Goeres-Bing dec. #2 Craig Wilson-ODU 2-1
149 #1 Mike Kessler-R dec. #2 Donnie Vinson-Bing 8-5
157 #1 Justin Lister-Bing dec. #3 Joe Booth-D 6-4
165 #1 Chris Brown-ODU dec. #2 PJ Gillespie-H 2-1
174 #2 Josh Patterson-Bing major dec. #1 Bagna Tovuujav-GMU 16-6
184 #1 Nate Schiedel-Bing dec. #2 Ben Clymer-H 4-3
197 #1 Jesse Strawn-ODU wbf #3 Brock Mantella-BU 6:48
285 #1 Eddie Bordas-R dec. #2 Kyle Frey-D 1-0

Team Standings:

Binghamton - 87.5
Old Dominion - 73
Rider - 58.5
Drexel - 46.5
Hofstra - 41
George Mason - 29.5
Boston - 28
Sacred Heart - 21.5
Old Dominion Wrestling Ends Regular Season With CAA's Top Record

Will Compete in Conference Tournament This Weekend

CAA Tournament Set For March 5-6 in New Jersey

NORFOLK, Va. - The No. 23 Old Dominion wrestling team finished the 2009-10 season with the top record in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Monarchs were the conferences only undefeated team in league play, finishing with a 4-0-1 mark.

ODU defeated Rider, Boston University, Drexel and Hofstra, while tying Binghamton. Rider ended the regular season in second with a 6-1 mark and Binghamton wrapped up their season in third with a 4-1-2 record in league action.

All eight CAA teams are now set to compete in the conference tournament that is being held in Lawrenceville, N.J. from March 5-6. The CAA grapplers will be vying for 18 automatic NCAA Tournament bids.

Old Dominion has wrestlers ranked in the top-five of the CAA in all 10 weight classes. Additionally, three Monarchs are ranked nationally in the top-15.

Junior James Nicholson, who is a remarkable 27-1 on the year, is ranked No. 7 by Intermat and No. 3 by WIN at 125-pounds. Senior Chris Brown is ranked No. 13 in both polls at 165-pounds and classmate Jesse Strawn is No. 12 in Intermat and No. 10 in WIN.

Nicholson and Brown captured CAA titles last season, while Strawn and fellow senior Eric Decker placed third.

Seeds for the 2010 CAA Wrestling Championships will be announced later this week.Old Dominion

SALEM, Va. - In a battle of Top 25 opponents No. 14 Virginia Tech was able to get the best of No. 24 Old Dominion, 29-12, Thursday evening at Andrew Lewis Middle School in Salem, Va.

The loss drops ODU to 10-5-1 on the year, while the Hokies improve to 17-5. The match was the regular season finale for both squads.

The dual started at 141-pounds and Virginia Tech was able to race out to a 14-0 lead after winning the first three bouts. No. 13 Chris Brown and senior Eric Decker got the Monarchs on the board after each picking up decisions at 165 and 174-pounds.

After ODU's Joe Budi dropped a 4-2 decision to Tech's No. 18 Tommy Spellman, the Hokies would then forfeit at 197-pounds which brought the Monarchs to within just five team points (17-12).

In the most pivotal bout of the match, Tech's Chris Penny narrowly edged ODU freshman Grant Chapman, 4-3.

Trialing 20-12, ODU took a forfeit at 125-pounds and Tech's Brock LiVorio topped Justin LaValle to wrap up the competition.

ODU next competes at the CAA Championships on March 5 in Lawrenceville, N.J.

#14 Virginia Tech 29 vs. #24 Old Dominion 12
125 lbs.: #14 Jarrod Garnett (VT) wins by forfeit
133 lbs.: Brock LiVorio (VT) dec. Justin LaValle, 5-3
141 lbs.: #10 Chris Diaz (VT) maj. dec. Craig Wilson, 17-5
149 lbs.: Brian Stephens (VT) fall Brennan Brumley, 3:35
157 lbs.: #5 Jesse Dong (VT) maj. dec. Joey Sheridan, 15-4
165 lbs.: #13 Chris Brown (ODU) dec. Matt Epperly, 7-6
174 lbs.: Eric Decker (ODU) dec. Taylor Knapp, 5-0
184 lbs.: #18 Tommy Spellman (VT) dec. Joe Budi, 4-2
197 lbs.: #19 Jesse Strawn (ODU) wins by forfeit
285 lbs.: Chris Penny (VT) dec. Grant Chapman, 4-3

No. 25 Old Dominion Defeats American On Senior Night

Monarchs Improve to 6-1 at Home With 20-15 Win

NORFOLK, Va. - Three Old Dominion seniors collected victories to lead the No. 25 Monarchs past American, 20-15, Monday evening at the Ted Constant Center. Eric Decker and Jesse Strawn won via decision in their last home matches, while Chris Brown posted a technical fall win.

Old Dominion (10-4-1) has lost only one match in its last eight outings and improves to 6-1 at home this year.

In the only match of the evening that pitted ranked wrestlers against each other, No. 7 James Nicholson topped No. 16 Jasen Borshoff, 4-3, at 125-pounds. Nicholson got a takedown in the first round and collected valuable riding time in the third to lead 3-1 before Borshoff posted a reversal with only 15 seconds remaining. With nearly two minutes of riding time, Nicholson picked up the decision, 4-3.

At 133-pounds, freshman Justin LaValle dominated American's Thomas Williams. The Apple Valley, Minn. native recorded three takedowns and a reversal en route to a 10-2 major decision win.

Trailing 7-0, American would win the next two matches as Jordan Lipp won a decision over ODU's Craig Wilson and No. 11 Kyle Borshoff pinned Monarch senior Cam Watkins. The pin would give the Eagles a 9-7 advantage after four matches.

Old Dominion bounced back, showing off its youth and experience as a freshman and two seniors won the next three matches.

At 157-pounds freshman Joey Sheridan won an 8-2 decision over Sean McCarty and at 165-pounds No. 13 Brown picked up a technical fall victory without back points over Tanner Shaffer. Brown recorded a remarkable nine takedowns and held a 2:56 riding time advantage in the 21-6 win.

Decker gave ODU a commanding 17-7 lead in the team scoring after topping American's Phillip Barreiro 4-2 in one of the hardest fought matches of the evening. Barreiro came at Decker with a flurry of moves over the final two minutes, but Decker was able to hold him off to pick up his 22nd win of the season.

Sophomore Joe Budi struck first for ODU with an early takedown against No. 4 Mike Cannon at 184-pounds, but the nationally-ranked foe proved to be too much as he grabbed a 9-3 decision to bring American within striking distance.

With two matches remaining and the Monarchs up 17-10, Strawn could seal the match with a senior day win against Kenneth Clessas. With the bout tied, 6-6, midway through the final period, the senior tallied a takedown and held the advantage to record the win and clinch the ODU victory.

After winning five straight matches, American has now dropped three straight to fall to 7-9 overall.

Old Dominion will close out the regular season on Feb. 18 at No. 14 Virginia Tech. The Monarchs topped the Hokies last season at the Constant Center.

FINAL SCORE:
#25 ODU defeats American, 20-15
125: # 7 James Nicholson (ODU) wins by decision over #16 Jasen Borshoff (American), 4-3
133: Justin LaValle (ODU) wins by major decision over Thomas Williams (American), 10-2
141: Jordan Lipp (American) wins by decision over Craig Wilson (ODU), 6-5
149: #11 Kyle Borshoff (American) wins by fall over Cam Watkins (ODU), 3:29
157: Joey Sheridan (ODU) wins by decision over Sean McCarty (American), 8-2
165: #13 Chris Brown (ODU) wins by technical fall (4) over Tanner Shaffer (American), 21-6
174: Eric Decker (ODU) wins by decision over Phillip Barreiro (American), 4-2
184: #4 Mike Cannon (American) wins by decision over Joe Budi (ODU), 9-3
197: #14 Jesse Strawn (ODU) wins by decision over Kenneth Clessas (American), 9-6
285: Blake Herrin (American) wins by decision over Grant Chapman (ODU), 7-3
No. 25 Old Dominion Dominates N.C. State, 34-9

Brumley Picks Up Win Over Ranked Opponent at 149-Pounds

NORFOLK, Va. - Redshirt freshman Brennan Brumley stepped into the starting lineup and picked up a win over a ranked opponent at 149-pounds to lead the No. 25 Old Dominion wrestling Monarchs past N.C. State, 34-9, Tuesday evening at the Constant Center.

Old Dominion won eight of the 10 matches to improve to 9-4-1 overall and 5-1 at home this season.

Brumley picked up the biggest win of his young career, topping No. 20 Bobby Ward, 4-2 at 149-pounds. Senior Jesse Strawn and sophomore Joe Budi highlighted ODU's other wins with technical fall victories.

N.C. State forfeited the opening match which allowed No. 7 James Nicholson to have the night off at 125-pounds. The Wolfpack quickly tied the score though as Dale Shull dropped from 141-pounds to wrestle his first match of the year at 133. Shull was able to pin ODU freshman Justin LaValle to tie the team scoring at six.

The Monarchs then went on to win the next seven matches to go up 34-6. Freshmen Craig Wilson and Joey Sheridan each cruised to major decisions, while senior Eric Decker won a hard-fought 5-3 decision over N.C. State's Quinton Godley at 174-pounds.

No. 13 Chris Brown nearly had a fall in the third round at 165-pounds, but the senior had to settle for the 13-3 major decision.

N.C. State falls to 5-11 overall and lone winner Dale Shull improves to 15-11 on the year.

Old Dominion will compete in its final home match on Monday, Feb. 15 against American at 7 p.m. before traveling to Virginia Tech on Feb. 18 to wrap up the regular season.

FINAL SCORE:
#25 ODU defeats N.C. State, 34-9
125: #7 James Nicholson (ODU) wins by forfeit.
133: Dale Shull (NC State) fall over Justin LaValle (ODU), 1:00
141: Craig Wilson (ODU) wins by major decision over Scott Norris (NC State), 15-6
149: Brennan Brumley (ODU) wins by decision over #20 Bobby Ward (NC State), 4-2
157: Joey Sheridan (ODU) wins by major decision over Brett Farina (NC State), 16-3
165: #13 Chris Brown (ODU) wins by major decision over Ray Ward (NC State), 13-3
174: Eric Decker (ODU) wins by decision over Quinton Godley (NC State), 5-3
184: Joe Budi (ODU) wins by tech fall (6:37) over Cedric Moore (NC State), 16-0
197: No. 14 Jesse Strawn (ODU) wins by tech fall (5:28) over Christian McClean (NC State), 16-0
HWT: Eloheim Palma (NC State) wins by decision over Grant Chapman (ODU), 5-1
Old Dominion Wrestling Monarchs Top Bucknell, 19-16

James Nicholson Records Matches Only Pin

NORFOLK, Va. - A James Nicholson pin in the opening bout and a Chris Brown major decision at the midway point proved to be critical as the No. 25 Old Dominion wrestling team bested Bucknell, 19-16, in a non-conference matchup at the Ted Constant Convocation Center Sunday afternoon.

Old Dominion improves to 8-3-1 overall, while Bucknell falls to 8-4 on the year.

Nicholson, ranked No. 3 by WIN and No. 7 by Intermat at 125-pounds, gave the Monarchs a comfortable 6-0 cushion with a pin at the 2:11 mark over Bucknell's Derrik Russell.

After a Bucknell win at 133-pounds, redshirt freshman Craig Wilson picked up a critical 3-2 decision over the Bison's John Regan at 141-pounds.

Trailing 1-0 midway through the second period, Wilson scored a takedown, but Regan escaped to tie the score at two going into the third. Wilson wasted little time escaping from down position, gaining neutral position just eight second into the final period. The Farmington Missouri native would hold onto his one-point edge to put the Monarchs up 9-3 in the team scoring.

The Bison would take their first lead of the match, 10-9, after No. 7 Kevin LeValley topped ODU's Cam Watkins by major decision (9-0) and Brantley Hooks upended Monarch freshman Joey Sheridan (8-4).

Brown, ranked No. 14 at 165-pounds, had control throughout in his match against Bucknell's Corey Lear. The only question was could the senior garner a major decision.

Leading 8-3 and with well over a minute in riding time, Brown scored a takedown with 20 second remaining in the third period to score the major decision and give the Monarchs the lead back (13-10).

Bucknell would tie the match at 13 with a decision at 174-pounds, but ODU sophomore Joe Budi and senior Jesse Strawn both picked up decisions to give the Monarchs a 19-13 edge going into the final bout.

At heavyweight, Bucknell's Joe McMullan tried frantically to pin ODU's Grant Chapman, but the Monarch freshman fought hard to deny McMullan. Trailing 3-0 in the third period, Chapman choose down and scored a reversal to cut McMullans lead to 3-2. McMullan escaped and netted a late takedown, but Chapman only relinquished three team points by losing a decision which gave the Monarchs the 19-16 win.

Old Dominion will next be in action on Sunday, Jan. 31 as the Monarchs welcome Central Michigan to the Ted Constant Convocation Center for a 5:30 match.
Old Dominion Wrestling Monarchs Go 3-0-1 At Eighth Annual CAA Duals

No. 3 James Nicholson Picks Up Two Falls and a Technical Fall

FAIRFAX, Va. - The Old Dominion wrestling team didn't lose a match at the CAA Duals for the second consecutive year, posting a 3-0-1 record at the George Mason Field House Saturday.

A year after breaking Hofstra's 63-match CAA winning streak, Old Dominion (7-3-1, 4-0-1) dominated the Pride this year, winning the dual 29-10. The Monarchs also topped Boston U. (35-7) and Drexel (32-10), while tying Binghamton (17-17).

Four Monarchs posted 4-0 records on the day including junior James Nicholson. The No. 3 ranked wrestler at 125-pounds breezed through his four matches, picking up a pair of falls and a technical fall.

Senior's Chris Brown, Eric Decker and Jesse Strawn were also perfect on the day.

No. 14 Brown registered three major decision wins, No. 10 Strawn picked up a fall and a major decision and Decker had a fall and two major decisions.

ODU raced out to a 16-0 lead against Hofstra as James Nicholson won via forfeit, freshman Justin LaValle picked up a major decision and both Craig Wilson and John Nicholson won via decision.

After No. 19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman gave Hofstra its first win at 157-pounds, the Monarchs quickly built an insurmountable lead with a Brown decision over P.J. Gillespie and a Decker fall over Jonathan Rothman.

After splitting the first two matches against Boston University, ODU rattled off six consecutive wins to cruise to the victory. The Monarchs also never trailed against Drexel, winning seven of the 10 bouts. Sophomore Joe Budi picked up wins against both the Terriers and the Dragons.

In the most dramatic matchup of the day, Old Dominion and Binghamton each won five bouts. Both squads were also docked team points for misconduct warnings, however ODU lost two points compared to BU's one

James Nicholson and LaValle got ODU off to a hot start as Nicholson scored a technical fall over Dan Riggi and LaValle won a decision over Tyler Malmberg to put the Monarchs up 8-0.

Binghamton won the next three matches though over a trio of ODU freshmen to take their first lead of the match (9-8). After a pair of major decisions from Brown at 165-pounds (14-3) and Decker at 174-pounds (11-3), the Monarchs looked to have a safe lead.

That quickly changed though as No. 16 Josh Patterson registered a pin over Budi just nine seconds into the first round. A Strawn decision (12-5) over Nate Schiedel (12-5) would give ODU the lead going into the final bout, but freshman Grant Chapman fell to BU's Corey Waite, 7-3, to end the team scoring in a tie.

Old Dominion returns to the Ted Constant Convocation Center on Sunday, Jan. 24 to take on Bucknell. The match gets underway at 2 p.m.
Old Dominion Eliminated From Virginia Duals by No. 18 Virginia

No. 25 ODU Falls 21-15

HAMPTON, Va. - The ODU wrestling Monarchs were eliminated from the 2010 Virginia Duals by No. 18 Virginia Saturday afternoon at the Hampton Coliseum.

A pin by nationally-ranked Jesse Strawn at 197-pounds brought ODU to within striking distance going into the final bout, but UVA's Jack Danilkowicz won the heavyweight decision to give the Cavaliers a 21-15 victory.

Old Dominion, which falls to 4-3 in dual meets this season, got wins from No. 3 James Nicholson, freshman Justin LaValle, No. 13 Chris Brown and No. 10 Strawn.

The Monarchs, ranked No. 25 in the latest NWCA/USA Today Poll, raced out to an early 6-0 lead as James Nicholson won a 5-3 decison over UVA's Matt Snyder and LaValle won his second straight match, besting Matt Cubillos 5-0.

Virginia would claim the next three matchups though, including a 16-1 technical fall victory from No. 18 Danny Gonsor at 157-pounds.

With UVA leading 11-6, Brown would take to the mat for ODU at 165-pounds. His 6-1 decision over Michael Chaires brought the Monarchs to within two points in the team scoring (11-9). Brown was a perfect 3-0 at the Virginia Duals.

Virginia would get some breathing room in the next two matches as they sent a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers to the mat at 174 and 184 pounds.

No. 4 Chris Henrich got a major decision over ODU's Eric Decker and No. 19 Mike Salopek picked up a 7-3 decision over sophomore Joe Budi.

With ODU trailing 18-9 and two matches remaining, the Monarchs were in desperate need of a pin and Strawn came through with precisely that. Strawns pin over No. 16 Brent Jones at the 4:17 mark cut Virginia's lead to 18-15.

ODU's comeback hopes were dashed though as Virginia's Jack Danilkowicz topped freshman Grant Chapman, 9-3.

The Monarchs will now head to Fairfax to compete in the CAA Duals on January 16.
No. 25 Old Dominion Wrestling Splits First Two Matches at Virginia Duals

Monarchs Fall To Clarion, Top Liberty

HAMPTON, Va. - The No. 8 seed Old Dominion University Monarchs were upset by Clarion in the first round of the 2010 Virginia Duals, but ODU bounced back to handily defeat Liberty to move on in the consolation bracket.

The Monarchs were leading entering the last match against the Golden Eagles, but after dropping a decision at heavyweight, ODU found itself on the wrong end of a 20-18 score. Old Dominion bounced back though, winning eight of 10 matches in a 27-6 victory over Liberty.

ODU will now face the loser of a late match between No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 18 Virginia Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Hampton Coliseum.

James Nicholson stepped onto the mat first for ODU against Clarion at 125-pounds to take on Joe Waltko. Nicholson, the current CAA Wrestler of the Month, dominated throughout and picked up four crucial points for ODU with a 16-2 major decision victory. The redshirt junior, who is ranked as high as No. 3 nationally, had over three minutes of riding time.

Clarion scored its first victory of the day as Jay Ivanco topped ODU freshman Justin LaValle, 4-2 at 133-pounds. The Golden Eagles then took their first lead of the match with a pin at 141.

Clarion continued to build on its early momentum, picking up a technical fall win at 149-pounds. James Flemming, who just missed placing at the Midlands after going 4-2, topped ODU freshman John Nicholson. After ODU was docked a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct, Clarion led, 14-3.

The Golden Eagles then sent their top wrestler to the mat and despite a valiant effort from ODU freshman Joey Sheridan, No. 16 Hadley Harrison picked up a decision at 157-pounds to put Clarion up 17-3 in the team scoring.

Senior Chris Brown got ODU back on the right track with a major decision victory at 165-pounds. Brown, who's ranked as high as No. 13 nationally, dominated Nick Milano throughout.

The senior jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first period. After choosing down to start the second, Brown escaped and then posted four takedowns to grab the big advantage. Brown had another takedown in the third and totaled 3:02 of riding time for the match.

Senior Eric Decker then won a 3-0 decision at 174-pounds to bring the Monarchs closer to the Golden Eagles. Leading 1-0 and choosing down to start the third period, Decker escaped and used his 1:51 of riding time to take the decision over Steven Cressley.

Sophomore Joe Budi closed the gap to only two points (17-15) after his 15-0 technical fall victory. Budi got an early takedown and held the advantage for over two minutes in the first period. After choosing down to start the second period, Budi got an immediate reversal and three more points for a near fall to go up 7-0. In the third period, the sophomore had two more near falls, garnering five back points to score the technical fall.

Nationally-ranked Jesse Strawn would then give ODU the lead back, winning a 4-1 decision over Alex Thomas at 197-pounds. It was scoreless going into the last period, but Strawn got an escape, takedown and 1:18 of riding time to get the win and give the Monarchs an 18-17 lead.

The final match of the bout featured ODU's Grant Chapman and Clarion's Quintas McCorkle. Chapman was no stranger to winner-take-all matches as he picked up a sudden victory decision against Purdue, which gave Old Dominion a win over the Boilermakers at the ODU quad last Sunday. However Chapman couldn't pull it off this time though, falling 9-3 to McCorkle.

Clarion won the bout 20-18 and advanced to take on No. 4 Oklahoma State, while ODU next met Liberty.

Against Liberty, Nicholson once again got ODU off to a hot start by topping Liberty's Justin Branham via technical fall. The redshirt junior raced out to an early lead with a takedown and two near fall points within the first minute. Going into the second period, Nicholson was up 7-0. He started the second period escaping from down position and scored a takedown instantly. In the third period he continued to pile up the back points until he garnered a technical fall, 16-0. Nicholson had 3:13 of riding time.

Justin LaValle, one of five freshmen in ODU's starting lineup, was next on the mat. He was matched up against LU's Joe Pantaleo at 133-pounds. Pantaleo beat Oklahoma State's Tyler Shinn, 6-5 in an earlier match.

LaValle came through with a 5-3 decision over Pantaleo. The freshman did most of his damage in the third period, picking up a reversal from down position and two back points to go up 4-1. A late reversal would make it 4-3, but 2:10 of riding time gave LaValle the 5-3 win.
The Monarchs held an 11-0 advantage after Craig Wilson won 8-4 at 141-pounds. After back-to-back takedowns in the second period, Wilson was up 8-3. Although LU's Collin Lewis fought back in the third, Wilson held on for the decision.

Freshman John Nicholson then shut out his opponent, Frankie Gayeski at 149-pounds. Gayeski won his match against Oklahoma State, but fell 4-0 to Nicholson.

Shaun Smith got Liberty onto the board with a 4-3 decision over ODU's Joey Sheridan at 157-pounds. Sheridan fell behind 3-1 early and could not score a takedown in the final seconds to swing the match. After the 157-pound bout, ODU led 14-3.

No. 13 Chris Brown picked up his second win of the day, topping LU's Chad Porter 7-2. The senior had a takedown in round one and scored another take down with two seconds remaining in round two. He then was able to hold on for the win that put ODU ahead, 17-3.

ODU's Eric Decker continued to wrestle well, racing out to a 7-0 lead in the first period of his match at 174-pounds. Decker then held on over the final four minutes for an 8-0 major decision win.

In one of the closest matches of the day, Liberty's Nick Knowles jumped out to an early 2-1 lead in the first period against sophomore Joe Budi. Budi would regain the advantage though in the second and despite his best efforts, Knowles could not take down Budi for the remainder of the match. The sophomore picked up the decision 4-2 with just over a minute of riding time.

The Monarchs pushed their lead to 27-3 after senior Jesse Strawn picked up a decision over Jacobi Johnson at 197-pounds. Trailing 2-0, Strawn escaped and garnered a takedown with five seconds remaining in the opening period. After escaping from a down position, Strawn would record another takedown to go up 6-2 at the start of the third period. The senior would post one more takedown and add a point for 1:23 of riding time to win 9-2.

Despite a late third period takedown from freshman Grant Chapman, ODU could not end the match with a win. LU's Andrew Wilson jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 7-2 decision. The win was Liberty's second of the match.

Old Dominion defeated Liberty, 27-6 and will face the loser of Oklahoma/Virginia Saturday at 10 a.m.
Old Dominion Wrestling Set to Compete at Virginia Duals

ODU is One of Eight Ranked Teams at the Event

HAMPTON, Va. - The Old Dominion University wrestling team is set to compete against a highly talented field that includes eight nationally ranked teams at the 30th Annual Virginia duals. The team event will run from Jan. 8-9, 2010 at the Hampton Coliseum.

The Monarchs (3-1), seeded eighth at the duals, will face Clarion in the opening round Friday at 9 a.m. The winner of the match will face the winner between No. 4 Oklahoma State and Liberty at 1 p.m. The Cowboys are the top-seed at the event.

Old Dominion is coming off a three-match sweep of Purdue, Rider and UNC Greensboro at the ODU Quad last Sunday. The Monarchs are ranked No. 25 in the latest NWCA/USA Today Division I Team Coaches Poll and No. 22 according to WIN Magazine.

Redshirt Junior James Nicholson, the current Colonial Athletic Association Wrestler of the Month, is ranked No. 3 by WIN, No. 4 by Amateur Wrestling News and No. 7 by InterMat at 125-pounds.

Other nationally ranked Monarchs include seniors Chris Brown at 165 and Jesse Strawn at 197. Brown is ranked as high as No. 13 by D1 College Wrestling and Strawn checks in at No. 10 in Amateur Wrestling News rankings.

Clarion is led by fourth-year head coach Teaque Moore. The Golden Eagles dropped their only dual meet of the year to No. 13 Kent State, 24-15, on December 20.

Hadley Harrison is Clarion's lone ranked wrestler, checking in at No. 16 at 157-pounds. He placed seventh at Midlands with a 5-2 record.

Oklahoma State (2-0-1), which moved up to No. 4 in the latest NWCA/USA Today Poll, is under the guidance of legendary head coach John Smith, who is in his 19th season.

The Cowboys have picked up wins over No. 6 Minnesota (21-8) and No. 22 Arizona State (20-9), while tying No. 10 Oklahoma (16-16).

OSU features nine top-20 wrestlers, including No. 2 Jared Rosholt at heavyweight. Also ranked in weight class order are No. 9 Christ Notte at 125, No. 7 Jordan Oliver at 133, No. 4 Jamal Parks at 141, No. 14 Neil Erisman at 157, No. 13 Alex Meade at 165, No. 10 Mike Benefiel at 174, No. 9 Clayton Foster at 184 and No. 8 Alan Gelogaev at 197.

Other 9 a.m. matches including No. 13 Kent State facing Drexel and No. 15 Penn State battling Virginia Tech. At 11 a.m. No. 11 Lehigh matches up with Cal-Davis, No. 16 Edinboro takes on Ohio University, No. 23 Virginia wrestles Michigan and No. 10 Oklahoma faces Bucknell.

The Monarchs claimed fifth at last year's Virginia Duals behind three day-two wins. ODU topped nationally ranked Kent State in the fifth-place match.
Old Dominion Wrestling Sweeps Quad Meet

No. 4 James Nicholson Goes 3-0 With a Pin and Two Technical Falls

NORFOLK, Va. - The 24th ranked Old Dominion wrestling team put forth an impressive performance in their home opener Sunday, topping Purdue, Rider and UNC Greensboro in a quad meet at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Junior James Nicholson, ranked No. 4 nationally, won all three of his bouts, including two by technical fall and one by pin. Senior Chris Brown, ranked No. 10, also swept his trio of matchups, picking up a technical fall and a major decision in the process.

The Monarchs (3-1, 1-0 CAA) upended Purdue, which is receiving votes in the latest national polls, 17-14 in the closest match of the day. Redshirt freshman Grant Chapman won the clinching match at the heavyweight spot to give ODU the victory.

Old Dominion also topped UNC Greensboro, 36-7 and CAA foe Rider, 19-15.

In the opening match of the day, Old Dominion rolled past UNC Greensboro. The Monarchs won the first seven bouts and eight overall.

James Nicholson and redshirt freshman Brennan Brumley each registered falls in the opening round, while freshman Justin LaValle and Brown picked up technical fall victories.

A win by senior Eric Decker at 174-pounds would put ODU up 33-0. The Spartans would win two of the final three matches.

Rider topped Purdue 25-10 in the other 11 a.m. match.

In the most thrilling match of the day, the Monarchs and Boilermakers battled until the last bout. Brothers James and John Nicholson each won their matchups to give ODU an early 8-6 lead. Consecutive wins by Brown and freshman Joey Sheridan gave the Monarchs a 14-6 cushion.

Purdue would fight back though, winning three straight decisions to make the heavyweight bout between Chapman and Adam Walls the deciding matchup. The final bout was a thriller as it went all the way to a tiebreaker, where Chapman pulled through with a 3-2 win to give the Monarchs their second consecutive win over the Boilermakers.

Rider bested UNC Greensboro 38-9 to pit the only two undefeated teams against each other in the last match.

The Monarchs once again used a critical James Nicholson win to take an early lead. Rider would win three of the next four matches though to grab a 9-8 lead.

Brown would stop the Broncs momentum as he used a flurry of third round takedowns to get a major decision win over Rob Morrison at 165-pounds. Decker and sophomore Joe Budi also won their matches to put the Monarchs up 19-9 with two bouts remaining.

At 197-pounds a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers met as No. 19 Tyler Smith of Rider topped No. 13 Jesse Strawn, 7-4. Rider also grabbed a win with No. 17 Ed Bordan in the heavyweight bout, but they could not amount enough points to surpass conference rival Old Dominion.

Purdue picked up its first win of the day by topping UNC Greensboro 30-9 in the other 3 p.m. match.
The Monarchs will next be in action at the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va. The two-day event will begin on January 8th at the Hampton Coliseum.
Brown and Strawn Lead No. 24 Old Dominion at 2009 Southern Scuffle

Strawn Earns the Gregorian Award

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Senior's Jesse Strawn and Chris Brown led the No. 24 Old Dominion wrestling team to a 15th place finish at the 2009 Southern Scuffle, which concluded Wednesday at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.

After two days of wrestling and 828 total matches, Old Dominion totaled 53 team points, falling one point shy of 14th place Michigan. Cornell claimed their second consecutive team title at the event, edging out Minnesota.

This year’s Southern Scuffle field was perhaps the prestigious tournaments best. It included 53 wrestlers ranked in the latest InterMat rankings, including four of the 10 wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the nation at their respective weight classes. The field was also composed of seven teams ranked in the Top 25, including ODU.

Senior Jesse Strawn battled through a very tough field to finish fifth at 197-pounds. Six wrestlers at 197-pounds, including Strawn, were ranked in the Top 20 entering the event.

Strawn was surprisingly sent to the consolation bracket early, dropping a 5-4 decision to Cal State Bakersfield’s Riley Orozco in the opening round. Strawn, who is ranked No. 14 nationally, would not go away quietly though.

The senior won five consecutive matches, including four by pin, to move into the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Once there though Strawn ran into Michigan’s Anthony Biondo, who is ranked No. 5 nationally at 197-pounds.

Biondo was able to pick up an 8-3 decision over Strawn en route to claiming third-place overall. Strawn bounced back once again though, pinning Minnesota’s Sonny Yohn in the fifth-place bout.

Strawn was also honored at the end of the event with the Gregorian Award, which is given to the wrestler with the most pins in the least amount of time. Strawn had five falls in 18:36.

Another Monarch wrestler found himself in a very competitive weight class as ODU senior Chris Brown was one of seven ranked wrestlers at 165-pounds. Besides Brown, the weight also featured returning NCAA Champion Jarrod King.

Brown got off to a hot start by winning his first three matches, including a 4-2 decision over nationally ranked P.J. Gillespie of Hofstra.

In the seminfinals Brown met up with another tough foe, No. 4 Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota. Although Brown gave Schlatter, the eventual champion at 165-pounds, his toughest match of the tournament, he lost a narrow 3-2 decision.

Brown then fell to No. 14 Paul Young of Indiana (9-7) and No. 10 Justin Kerber of Cornell (11-6) to end the tournament in sixth-place.

The Monarchs will compete for the first time this season at home on January 3. ODU welcomes Purdue, UNC Greensboro and Rider to the Ted Constant Convocation Center for a quad meet beginning at 11 a.m.
2009-10 Old Dominion University Wrestling Season Tickets To Go On Sale Monday

Tickets Available For All Five Home Matches at the Ted Constant Convocation Center

NORFOLK, Va. - Tickets will go on sale for the 2009-10 Old Dominion University wrestling season on Monday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m.

The wrestling Monarchs will have five home matches this season, including a quad meet on January 3 against Purdue, Rider and UNC Greensboro. All matches will be held at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Individual matches are $6 per person and $5 for all military, senior citizens, youth and faculty/staff.

There will also be discounted season ticket packages. These packages included tickets for all five home events and they cost $25. The rate is $20 for all military, senior citizens, youth and faculty/staff.

You can also save if you come to see the Monarchs in groups of 20 or more. The individual match rate for those patrons would be $4 per ticket for individual matches.
Old Dominion's Nicholson Finishes Third at Las Vegas Invitational

James Nicholson Posts a 7-1 Record at the Event

PRIMM, Nev. - Old Dominion University wrestling standout James Nicholson finished third at the 28th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, which concluded Saturday evening. Nicholson posted a 7-1 record at 125-pounds.

Old Dominion, ranked No. 19 in the latest NWCA/USA Today Division I Team Coaches Poll, entered eight individuals into the event which is widely considered one of the best early season tournaments in the country.

In an extremely talented field, the Monarchs finished 27th. Ohio State won the Invitational by one point over Cornell. Oklahoma, Boise State and Nebraska rounded out the top-five.

Old Dominion had four seeded wrestlers in the tournament, but only one placed.

Nicholson, ranked No. 5 nationally and seeded third at the event, picked up a major decision in the first round and consecutive decisions to breeze into the quarterfinals. Nicholson was unable to push through to the semifinals though as Wyoming's Michael Martinez, ranked No. 10 in the country according to Intermat, came away with the 6-4 decision.

Nicholson would get another shot at sixth-seeded Martinez though. After recording a fall and back-to-back decisions, the current CAA Wrestler of the Month would face Martinez once again. This time Nicholson came away with the 7-2 decision to claim third in the event, while Martinez had to settle for fourth-place.

Eric Decker, seeded No. 12, fell in the first round to Cal State Fullerton's Todd Noel. In the consolation bracket, Decker topped N.C. State's Quinton Godley, 6-1 before falling to Oregon State's Colby Cavington, 4-1.

At 184-pounds Joe Budi was seeded No. 6. After a bye in the first round, Budi picked up a major decision win over Cal State Fullerton's Mark Savalle. Oregon State's Brice Arand knocked Budi into the consolation bracket though, topping the ODU sophomore 13-7 in the third round.

ODU's second highest seeded wrestler was senior Jesse Strawn at 197-pounds. Strawn, seeded fourth and ranked No. 9 nationally, looked sharp getting into the quarterfinals with two wins, including a tech fall victory over Cal State Fullerton's Ethan Weisrock.

Strawn was unable to beat No. 5 seed Logan Brown though. Brown, ranked No. 13 in the nation by both Intermat and WIN Magazine won a narrow 2-1 decision over Strawn to move into the semifinals.

The Monarch will next be in action at the Southern Scuffle. The two-day event will take place in Greesboro, N.C. starting on December 29.
Old Dominion's Decker Leads Monarchs at Mat Town Open

Decker, Brumley and Chapman Finish in Top-3

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Senior Eric Decker paced the Old Dominion wrestling team, claiming first at the 174-pound weight class at the Mat Town Open Saturday afternoon.

Redshirt freshmen Brennan Brumley and Grant Chapman also placed with Brumley garnering second-place at 141-pounds and Chapman ending the tournament in third-place in the heavyweights.

"Our team will use their experience at the Mat Town Tournament to continue to get better," said head coach Steve Martin. "Eric Decker had a great performance at the Mat Town Tournament. He put a lot of points on the board this weekend and this is very important as he continues to work toward his goal of getting on the podium in March. We will now start preparing for the Las Vegas Invitational next weekend."

Decker, who's ranked No. 16 nationally, started off his tournament with a major decision (9-1) over Drexel's Robert Brooks. In the semifinals, the senior topped Lehigh's David Chirichello 5-0. Decker saved his best match for the championship bout against Pittsburgh's Andy Vaughn, shutting out the Panther 9-0.

Brumley continued to look good during the early part of the season, going 2-1 Saturday. The redshirt freshman recorded back-to-back falls to reach the finals, but he was upended by Andrew Alton in the championship bout.

Chapman lost his opening match, but then rebounded with four consecutive wins to take home third place. The redshirt freshman posted a major decision (14-6) victory over Nate Gaffney in the third-place match.

The Monarchs will now head to one of their biggest early season tournaments, the Las Vegas Invitational in Primm, Nev. Action will run from December 4-5.
Old Dominion Wrestling Moves Into Top 20 Nationally

Monarchs Ranked No. 19 In This Week's NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll

NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion University wrestling team moved up to No. 19 in this week's NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll, released Tuesday.

"We are pleased to crack the Top 20 for the first time this season," said ODU head coach Steve Martin. "We are anxiously awaiting each competition as our team is relatively young with mostly underclassmen and we will only improve as the season goes on!"

The Monarchs were also ranked in this week's Intermat Team Rankings, checking in at No. 23.

Junior James Nicholson once again led ODU in the individual rankings, placing No. 5 at 125-pounds. Nicholson's only action since a victory at Wisconsin was a narrow 7-5 defeat in an exhibition against No. 4 Zach Sanders of Minnesota at the NWCA All-Star Classic.

Nicholson led 5-3 late in the third period, but a reversal and a near fall with only 25 seconds remaining resulted in the Saunders victory.

Kyle Hutter stayed put at No. 16 in the 133-pound weight class and senior Chris Brown is now No. 11 at 165-pounds.

Coming off a fourth-place finish at the Kaufman/Brand Open, Joe Budi remains ranked at No. 17 in the 184-pound weight class. Senior Jesse Strawn drops one spot to No. 9 at 197-pounds.

The Monarchs will be back in action this weekend, traveling to Lock Haven, Pa. for the Mat Town Open. Action is set to get underway Saturday morning.

NWCA/USA Today Division I Team Coaches Poll
1. Iowa
2. Iowa State
3. Oklahoma State
4. Ohio State
5. Minnesota
6. Maryland
7. Nebraska
8. Boise State
9. Cornell
10. Central Michigan
11. Oklahoma
12. Lehigh
13. Indiana
14. Kent State
15. Penn State
16. Missouri
T17. Edinboro
T17. Wisconsin
19. Old Dominion
20. Arizona State
21. Virginia
22. Illinois
23. Virginia Tech
24. Pittsburgh
25. Cal Poly
Others Receiving Votes: Bucknell, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon State, Penn, Purdue, Rutgers.
Old Dominion's Hutter and Brown Win Weight Classes at Kaufman/Brand Open

ODU Places Four in the Elite Division

OMAHA, Neb. - Senior's Kyle Hutter and Chris Brown paced the Old Dominion wrestling team Saturday evening by winning their weight classes at the Kaufman/Brand Open in Omaha, Neb.

Hutter, Brown, Joe Budi and Jesse Strawn all placed for the Monarchs in the elite division. In the Amateur Division, six different Monarchs placed and John Nicholson won his weight class.

Hutter, the No. 1 seed at 133-pounds, breezed into the championship match, picking up a fall and back-to-back major decisions in the opening three rounds. In his final dual, Hutter, who's ranked No. 16 nationally, drew Iowa's Tyler Clark and picked up a 6-3 decision.

At 165-pounds, Brown received a bye into the second round because he was the top-seed in the draw. The senior, ranked No. 10 by WIN Magazine, then picked up a major decision victory to advance to the semifinals. In the final two bouts, Brown won via decision, including a 4-0 win over Nebraska's Tyler Koehn.

Budi, ranked No. 16 by Intermat, picked up two wins at 184-pounds to garner a fourth-place finish and No. 8 Strawn claimed third-place at 197-pounds with a 4-1 record.

John Nicholson once again looked impressive, winning the 149-pound amateur division. The freshman recorded a pair of falls and a major decision en route to the semifinals where he matched up with second-seeded Trent Weatherman of Iowa State. After pulling off a narrow 3-1 decision over Weatherman, Nicholson completed his stellar day by knocking off Indiana's Destin McCauley, 4-2, in the championship bout.

Chad Lowman also placed at 149-pounds, earning a sixth-place finish.

Eric Dunnet and Joey Sheridan each picked up second in their weight classes. Dunnet won four consecutive close decisions before falling to top-seeded Joe Colon in the finals at 125-pounds. At 157-pounds, Sheridan had a pin and three decisions to reach the championship round where he fell to second-seeded Chase Nelson, 7-2.

Justin La Valle picked up major decisions in his first two bouts, before falling to Iowa's Nick Trizzino. The freshman battled back though, winning four consecutive matches, including a rematch with Trizzino in the third-place bout.

Grant Chapman rounded out ODU's placewinners by taking home fourth in the heavyweights. Chapman went 6-2 overall in the tournament.

To compete in the elite division the athlete must have engaged in a minimum of two years of intercollegiate competition or have participated in a minimum of five open events since Nov. 1, 2007.

A handful of Old Dominion wrestlers also competed at the N.C. State Open, highlighted by Dan Rivera's second place finish at 157-pounds.

After receiving a bye, Rivera won three consecutive decisions to reach the finals. In the semifinals, he beat Virginia Tech's Hayden Countryman, 3-2. Rivera then fell to UTC's Joey Knox in a narrow 3-1 decision to finish in second.

The Monarchs will next be in action on November 28 when they compete at the Mat Town Open in Lock Haven, Pa.
Six Old Dominion Wrestling Monarchs Nationally Ranked

ODU Ranked No. 21 in Two Major Wrestling Publications

NORFOLK, Va. - Six members of the Old Dominion wrestling team appeared in multiple national rankings released this week. As a team the Monarchs ranked as high as No. 21 in those publications.

James Nicholson led the way, ranking No. 5 at 125-pounds in both the Intermat and Amateur Wrestling News listings. Senior Jesse Strawn also ranked in the Top 10 in all publications, placing as high as No. 8 in the Intermat rankings for 197-pounders.

Chris Brown and Kyle Hutter were the other two Monarchs ranked in all the publications. Brown ranked as high as No. 10 (WIN Magazine) at 165-pounds and Hutter was No. 16 in all three polls at 133-pounds.
Joe Budi, whose off to an extremely hot start to this season, appeared in the Intermat rankings at No. 16. Eric Decker is ranked No. 18 by WIN Magazine.

As a team Old Dominion is ranked No. 21 in both the Intermat and NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Monarchs are coming off a 21-19 loss at No. 12 Wisconsin.

Old Dominion returns to action this weekend at both the NC State Open and the Kaufman/Brand Open. Both events are slated for Saturday, Nov. 21.

Old Dominion Wrestling National Rankings

Team Rank Publication
21 Intermat
21 NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll
35 WIN Magazine

James Nicholson: 125-pounds
Rank Publication
5 Intermat
5 Amateur Wrestling News
8 WIN Magazine

Kyle Hutter: 133-pounds
Rank Publication
16 Intermat
16 Amateur Wrestling News
16 WIN Magazine

Chris Brown: 165-pounds
Rank Publication
12 Intermat
11 Amateur Wrestling News
10 WIN Magazine

Eric Decker: 174-pounds
Rank Publication
18 WIN Magazine

Joe Budi: 184-pounds
Rank Publication
16 Intermat

Jesse Strawn: 197-pounds
Rank Publication
8 Intermat
10 Amateur Wrestling News
10 WIN Magazine
Old Dominion Wrestling Signs Four in Early Recruiting Class

Monarchs Bolster Roster For Next Season

NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of four recruits to national letters of intent on Tuesday. Jerome Robinson, Matt Tourdot, Tristan Warner and Matt White will make up the class that will attend ODU starting in the fall of 2010.

"The coaching staff feels very fortunate to fill heavy needs in our lineup in four weight classes," said Martin. "We were looking for kids that fit our university, our program and our goals. All four of these kids were perfect fits. We feel that this recruiting class has tremendous potential to not only win national titles and be All-American's, but to also be Academic All-Americans."

Robinson will come to Old Dominion ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit at 112-pounds by both WIN Magazine and Wrestling USA. He is the No. 32 overall recruit regardless of weight class.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio and wrestling out of St. Ignatius High School, Robinson is a three-time state qualifier and two-time state place winner. He won the state title during the 2008-09 season. Additionally, Robinson was a two-time Ironman Placer and the Super 32 champion in 2009. Robinson is expected to wrestle at 125-pounds as a Monarch.

MARTIN ON ROBINSON: Jerome comes from a High School with extremely high academic standards and that should allow him to transition very easily to becoming a collegiate student-athlete. He choose to attend ODU over numerous Big 10 and Big 12 schools. He's the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight class because he's so athletic and explosive.

Tourdot finished his high school career at Sparta with 109 wins and 54 pins. The Wisconsin native placed third in the state during the 2008-09 season. He also gained All-American status at the USA junior folkstyle nationals (4th), USA junior freestyle nationals (6th) and USA preseason nationals (3rd). Tourdot ranks fourth nationally on themat.com future Olympian rankings. He also played football and tennis in high school, garnering all-conference honors in football.

MARTIN ON TOURDOT: Matt is an excellent student-athlete. He had a great spring, summer and fall by becoming an All-American at all his events. He wrestled at 215-pounds, but he'll be a 197-pounder for us. He is a diamond in the rough and he'll make huge gains at the 197-pound weight class because he wrestles very hard. Athletes that wrestle hard at any weight class have a high probability of getting onto the podium.

Warner is ranked No. 12 by WIN Magazine and is projected to wrestle at 165-pounds, but could compete at a higher weight class if needed. He is a two-time PIAA state qualifier and recently won the Super 32 Challenge at 171-pounds. In 2007-08, Warner finished third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, wrestling at 152-pounds. In 2008-09, he finished sixth at the Super 32 Challenge and claimed seventh at the Beast of the East. He was ranked third in Wrestling USA for juniors.

MARTIN ON WARNER: Tristan is an outstanding student and wrestler. He is serious about succeeding both on and off the mat. He is from the same high school as national finalist Ryan Williams (Cumberland Valley). One of the reasons we recruited Tristan is because he mirrors Williams academically, athletically and socially. Warner was heavily favored to place high in the PIAA state tournament last year, but he contracted pneumonia before the event. We believed in him so those results didn't make a difference to us. We know we have a solid wrestler as he just recently won the Super 32, which is a preeminent tournament in the U.S. for high school wrestlers in folkstyle. He is a typical Cumberland Valley wrestler and has tremendous skills.

White, out of Woodward High School in Oklahoma is a two-time state placer in both 2008 and 2009. He garnered All-American status by finish seventh at the USA Junior freestyles. White, who is ranked No. 17 by Wrestling USA and No. 18 by WIN Magazine, is projected to wrestle at 157 or 165-pounds at ODU.

MARTIN ON WHITE: Matt comes from good blood lines as he is John Smith's (Head Coach at Oklahoma State, five-time World Champion and two-time Olympic Champion) nephew. We feel very fortunate to be able to snag Matt away from the Big 10 and Big 12 schools. Matt is very explosive on his feet and came out of nowhere this past summer to place at the prestigious junior freestyle nationals in Fargo, ND in a loaded weight class.

"We expect all four of these student-athletes to compete for national titles and to gain All-American status," said Martin. "Although this is not a huge recruiting class, it's a talented one that fulfills needs at the lower, middle and upper weights."Old Dominion Wrestling Signs Four in Early Recruiting Class
Monarchs Bolster Roster For Next Season

NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of four recruits to national letters of intent on Tuesday. Jerome Robinson, Matt Tourdot, Tristan Warner and Matt White will make up the class that will attend ODU starting in the fall of 2010.

"The coaching staff feels very fortunate to fill heavy needs in our lineup in four weight classes," said Martin. "We were looking for kids that fit our university, our program and our goals. All four of these kids were perfect fits. We feel that this recruiting class has tremendous potential to not only win national titles and be All-American's, but to also be Academic All-Americans."

Robinson will come to Old Dominion ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit at 112-pounds by both WIN Magazine and Wrestling USA. He is the No. 32 overall recruit regardless of weight class.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio and wrestling out of St. Ignatius High School, Robinson is a three-time state qualifier and two-time state place winner. He won the state title during the 2008-09 season. Additionally, Robinson was a two-time Ironman Placer and the Super 32 champion in 2009. Robinson is expected to wrestle at 125-pounds as a Monarch.

MARTIN ON ROBINSON: Jerome comes from a High School with extremely high academic standards and that should allow him to transition very easily to becoming a collegiate student-athlete. He choose to attend ODU over numerous Big 10 and Big 12 schools. He's the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight class because he's so athletic and explosive.

Tourdot finished his high school career at Sparta with 109 wins and 54 pins. The Wisconsin native placed third in the state during the 2008-09 season. He also gained All-American status at the USA junior folkstyle nationals (4th), USA junior freestyle nationals (6th) and USA preseason nationals (3rd). Tourdot ranks fourth nationally on themat.com future Olympian rankings. He also played football and tennis in high school, garnering all-conference honors in football.

MARTIN ON TOURDOT: Matt is an excellent student-athlete. He had a great spring, summer and fall by becoming an All-American at all his events. He wrestled at 215-pounds, but he'll be a 197-pounder for us. He is a diamond in the rough and he'll make huge gains at the 197-pound weight class because he wrestles very hard. Athletes that wrestle hard at any weight class have a high probability of getting onto the podium.

Warner is ranked No. 12 by WIN Magazine and is projected to wrestle at 165-pounds, but could compete at a higher weight class if needed. He is a two-time PIAA state qualifier and recently won the Super 32 Challenge at 171-pounds. In 2007-08, Warner finished third at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, wrestling at 152-pounds. In 2008-09, he finished sixth at the Super 32 Challenge and claimed seventh at the Beast of the East. He was ranked third in Wrestling USA for juniors.

MARTIN ON WARNER: Tristan is an outstanding student and wrestler. He is serious about succeeding both on and off the mat. He is from the same high school as national finalist Ryan Williams (Cumberland Valley). One of the reasons we recruited Tristan is because he mirrors Williams academically, athletically and socially. Warner was heavily favored to place high in the PIAA state tournament last year, but he contracted pneumonia before the event. We believed in him so those results didn't make a difference to us. We know we have a solid wrestler as he just recently won the Super 32, which is a preeminent tournament in the U.S. for high school wrestlers in folkstyle. He is a typical Cumberland Valley wrestler and has tremendous skills.

White, out of Woodward High School in Oklahoma is a two-time state placer in both 2008 and 2009. He garnered All-American status by finish seventh at the USA Junior freestyles. White, who is ranked No. 17 by Wrestling USA and No. 18 by WIN Magazine, is projected to wrestle at 157 or 165-pounds at ODU.

MARTIN ON WHITE: Matt comes from good blood lines as he is John Smith's (Head Coach at Oklahoma State, five-time World Champion and two-time Olympic Champion) nephew. We feel very fortunate to be able to snag Matt away from the Big 10 and Big 12 schools. Matt is very explosive on his feet and came out of nowhere this past summer to place at the prestigious junior freestyle nationals in Fargo, ND in a loaded weight class.

"We expect all four of these student-athletes to compete for national titles and to gain All-American status," said Martin. "Although this is not a huge recruiting class, it's a talented one that fulfills needs at the lower, middle and upper weights."
No. 12 Wisconsin Tops No. 22 Old Dominion, 21-19

Badgers Pull Ahead of Monarchs in Last Bout

MADISON, Wis. - The No. 22 Old Dominion wrestling team fell in a closely contested match, 21-19, to the 12th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in both teams first official dual of the 2009-10 season at the UW Field House Friday evening.

The Monarchs led going into the final match of the night, but junior heavyweight Eric Bugenhagen topped ODU's Grant Chapman, 3-2, to seal the Badgers victory.

"We wrestled very hard against Wisconsin and gained a lot of respect against the No. 12 team in the country," said ODU head coach Steve Martin. "The match came down to 285-pounds and we came up on the short end of the stick on a very questionable call. The bottom line is, if you don't have close bouts, then you can control your own fate."
In the first match, No. 5 James Nicholson dominated senior Drew Hammen to give ODU the early advantage. Nicholson, who won his weight class at the Hokie Open last week, scored the first takedown at the 1:57 mark in the first period and continued to add to his lead from there. He won the bout 12-5.

At 133-pounds it was a battle of redshirt freshman as UW's Tyler Graff, ranked No. 10, battled ODU's Joshua Gillis. In an extremely high scoring match, Graff recorded 14 takedowns to win the matchup in a tech fall (28-13). Since Graff only scored takedowns, the Badgers garnered four team points to go up 4-3.

Redshirt freshman Craig Wilson would put ODU back on top with a major decision win (16-5) over Cole Schmitt at 141-pounds.

Wisconsin bounced back with three straight victories to go up 18-7. The Badgers won a decision at 149-pounds, recorded a pin at 157 and earned a tech fall at 165.

Senior NCAA qualifier Eric Decker stopped UW's momentum and got ODU going in the right direction with his 2-0 decision at 174-pounds. Decker scored on an escape in the second period and received points for riding time.

At 184-pounds, Joe Budi netted ODU's only pin of the match, taking down Jimmy Duffy. After a scoreless first period, the sophomore chose down, escaped and pinned Duffy at the 4:11 mark.

With the Monarchs trailing 18-16 overall, No. 10 Jesse Strawn and freshman Jackson Hein battled at 197-pounds. ODU's Strawn controlled the entire match and picked up the 6-0 decision to give Old Dominion a 19-18 lead going into the final bout.

After a scoreless first period in the heavyweight matchup, Bugenhagen picked up a point after escaping from starting down. Chapman evened it up with an escape in the third, but Bugenhagen recorded a takedown with just 24 seconds left and held on for the 3-2 win.

Old Dominion will next be in action on Saturday, Nov. 21, competing at two different events. The Monarchs will take part in both the Kaufman/Brand Open in Omaha, Neb. and in the NC State Open in Raleigh, N.C.
Old Dominion Wrestlers Win Six Weight Classes at Hokie Open

Nearly 400 Wrestlers Compete in Second Annual Event

SALEM, Va. - The Old Dominion wrestling team kicked off the 2009-10 season with a bang, winning six weight classes at the second annual Hokie Open, held Sunday at the Salem Civic Center. The event had nearly 400 wrestlers competing on 10 mats throughout the day, including most of the Monarchs' roster.

Senior Jesse Strawn and junior James Nicholson each defended their Hokie Open titles, winning their respective weight classes.

Nicholson posted a 5-0 record at 125-pounds to improve to 9-0 all-time at the event. After an opening round pin, the redshirt junior used a 10-3 decision to advance into the quarterfinals. Nicholson then won three straight bouts by major decision, including an 11-3 win over Matt Oliver of Newberry in the finals.

Strawn went 4-0 at 197-pounds for the second consecutive year. He posted first period pins in each of his first two matches to move into the semifinals. The senior would then face back-to-back opponents from the University of North Carolina. In his toughest match, Strawn upended Dennis Drury, whose ranked No. 16 in the nation, 8-7 before getting a third period pin against Zac Bennett to claim the title.

Joe Budi improved on his third place finish from 2008 by winning at 184-pounds this year. The sophomore went 4-0, including a big win over Virginia Tech's Tommy Spellman by a 3-2 decision in the semifinals. Spellman is ranked No. 17 in the country.

Eric Decker went 4-1 at 174-pounds, garnering a second-place finish. The senior fell 3-1 to Jake Young of Tennessee-Chattanooga in the finals. It was Decker's second consecutive second-place finish at the Hokie Open.

Redshirt freshman Craig Wilson also performed well, advancing to the quarterfinals in the 141-pound weight class.

Kyle Hutter, John Nicholson and Chris Brown also won their weight classes wrestling unattached.
Old Dominion Places Five Wrestlers on the CAA's 25th Anniversary Team

Hall, Nicholson, Rusak, Staylor and Williams Named to Team

RICHMOND, Va. - Five current and former Old Dominion University standouts were represented on the Colonial Athletic Association's Silver Anniversary Wrestling Team, the league announced Wednesday. The team includes 22 All-America honorees and 10 former CAA Wrestlers of the Year.

Nick Hall, James Nicholson, Jeff Rusak, Jody Staylor and Ryan Williams were all chosen to be a part of the prestigious team.

As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration in 2009-10, the CAA is recognizing Silver Anniversary teams in 21 championship sports. The teams are selected by a panel of current and former coaches in the conference.

Hall, who was inducted into the ODU Athletics Hall of Fame this year, was a three-time NCAA qualifier and an All-American in 1995. He was chosen as the CAA Wrestler of the Year and was the league's heavyweight champion in 1995 and 1996. The three-time Virginia State champion posted a career record of 116-18-3.

Nicholson, the only current Monarch making the team, is a two-time NCAA qualifier who received All-America honors in 2008 at 125-pounds. He was the CAA champion in 2008 and 2009 and was the 2008 CAA Rookie of the Year. Nicholson also received NWCA Academic All-America accolades in 2008.

Rusak was a two-time NCAA qualifier and two-time CAA champion at 174-pounds. He was named the CAA Wrestler of the Year in 2002 and Rookie of the Year in 1999. He ended his Monarch career with a record of 135-19 with an ODU-record 51 pins.

Staylor was also a two-time NCAA qualifier and he was the national runner-up at 126-pounds in 1994. In 1994, Staylor was named the CAA Wrestlers of the Year and Virginia State Champion. He was the CAA champion at 126-pounds in 1994 and 1995.

Williams, who completed perhaps the greatest season in ODU wrestling history last year, was a three-time NCAA qualifier. He was the national runner-up at 141 pounds in 2009 and was named the CAA Wrestler of the year and the end of the season. Williams was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2008 championships. A two-time CAA champion at 141-pounds, Williams holds the ODU career wins record with 137 victories.

Members of the CAA Silver Anniversary team for wrestling are:

Mike Coyle (James Madison), John Curtis (George Mason), Jason DeBruin (Hofstra), Josh Feldman (Virginia Tech), Matt Finacchio (George Mason), Don Fisch (Rider), Sean Gray (Virginia Tech), Charles Griffin (Hofstra), Nick Hall (Old Dominion), Ryan Hluschak (Drexel), Chris Martin (Virginia Tech), Jon Masa (Hofstra), James Nicholson (Old Dominion), Michael Patrovich (Hofstra), Josh Patterson (Binghamton), Rob Rebmann (Drexel), Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), Jeff Rusak (Old Dominion), Chris Skretkowicz (Hofstra), Jody Staylor (Old Dominion), James Strouse (Hofstra), Doug Umbehauer (Rider), Chris Weidman (Hofstra), Ryan Williams (Old Dominion) and Payam Zarrinpour (Sacred Heart).
Nicholson's Shine at Annual Old Dominion Blue/Silver Intersquad

James and John Nicholson Each Record Major Decisions

NORFOLK, Va. - Brothers James and John Nicholson led the way with a pair of major decisions at the annual Blue/Silver Intersquad Sunday evening, kicking off the 2009-10 wrestling season.

Junior James Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa), a two-time CAA Champion at 125-pounds, defeated freshman Eric Dunnet (Pine Hill, N.J.), 18-6. Dunnet had beaten redshirt freshman Joshua Gillis earlier in the evening, 3-0.

Freshman John Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa) put together an impressive performance, topping redshirt freshman Louis Johnson, 22-8, at 149-pounds.

"Overall the team looked pretty good considering it's so early in the year," said Monarch head coach Steve Martin. "The kids wrestled hard and never backed down. The freshmen really pushed our seniors and that competition within our own team will only help us in the long run."

Another impressive performance came from sophomore Joseph Budi (Appleton, Wis.) at 184-pounds. Budi, who picked up a pair of victories at the CAA Tournament last year, topped freshman Billy Curling 7-2 and ended the bout with a 4:22 advantage in riding time.

Senior Kyle Hutter (Mokena, Ill.) also looked good at 133-pounts, topping one of ODU's top recruits, Justin LaValle. Hutter, a two-time NCAA qualifier, won the bout 8-2. Junior Dan Rivera (Winter Springs, Fla.) was the only other upperclassmen to pick up a win, upending redshirt junior Derek Gallagher, 4-2.

Redshirt freshmen Craig Wilson and Michael Chapman both won their matches, while true freshmen Victor Njomo, Chad Lowman and Joey Sheridan all won bouts.

The wrestling Monarchs will next compete at the Hokie Open on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Final Results:

Match 1 (125)
Dunnet dec Gillis, 3-0

Match 2 (HWT)
Njomo dec Burbank, 2-1

Match 3 (133)
Hutter dec LaValle, 8-2

Match 4 (141)
Wilson dec Brumley, 7-2

Match 5 (149)
Jo. Nicholson maj dec Johnson, 22-8

Match 6 (149)
Lowman dec Watkins, 4-0

Match 7 (157)
Sheridan dec Brunke, 9-2

Match 8 (157)
Rivera dec Gallagher, 4-2

Match 9 (184)
Budi dec Curling, 7-2

Match 10 (125)
Ja. Nicholson maj dec Dunnet, 18-6

Match 11 (HWT)
Chapman dec Njomo, 4-0
Old Dominion Wrestling Unveils 2009-10 Schedule

Slate Includes Possible Matchups with 22 Top-25 Squads

NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion wrestling program released its 2009-10 schedule, head coach Steve Martin announced Wednesday. Each year ODU boasts one of the toughest slates in wrestling and the upcoming season will be no different.

"Our schedule this year is extremely challenging," said Martin. "We want to really test ourselves this season as we continue to build towards our goal of being a Top-10 program year in and year out."

Of the top 25 teams ranked in the Division I Wrestling Report, No. 19 Old Dominion will compete against 22 in either head-to-head matchups or in multiple-team meets. The Monarchs will once again compete against many of the top teams in the best wrestling conferences in the nation.

"We're especially looking forward to wrestling the Big 10 and Big 12 teams because we use them as a measuring stick for our program," said Martin. "These matchups will season our squad for the NCAA Tournament at the Qwest Center in Omaha at the end of March."

Old Dominion will begin its season with an intersquad meet on Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Athletic Admin. Building. Preceding the Blue-Silver meet is a clinic, ran by Monarch assistant coach and Junior World Team Member Luke Smith.

ODU's regular season kicks off Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. The Monarchs fared well last season at the Hokie Open with five placewinners and two weight-class champions.

The Monarchs first dual meet will come against preseason No. 13 Wisconsin in Madison. The matchup with the Badgers will get underway at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13.

Old Dominion will then compete in five consecutive meets outside of Virginia. The Monarchs will look to make a splash at the Kaufman/Brand Open (Nov. 21), NC State Open (Nov. 21), Las Vegas Invite (Dec. 4-5), Nittany Lion Open (Dec. 6) and Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30). Numerous Top-25 teams will be represented at each event.

Old Dominion's home-opener will come on January 3 at the ODU Quad. The Monarchs will welcome UNC Greensboro, Big 10 foe Purdue and CAA rival Rider.

The Virginia Duals are next on the slate, taking place in Hampton January 8-9. ODU placed fifth in an extremely competitive field last season.

On January 16 th , the Monarchs will travel to Fairfax to compete in the CAA Duals before returning home for back-to-back battles with Bucknell (Jan. 24) and Central Michigan (Jan. 31.) Central Michigan is ranked No. 12 in the preseason polls.

A pair of huge in-state rivalries will follow in two of ODU's next three matches. The Monarchs will travel to nationally ranked Virginia (Feb. 6) and Virginia Tech (Feb. 18) with a matchup against NC State at home (Feb. 7) sandwiched in-between.

Old Dominion will close out the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 21, hosting American at 7 p.m.

The CAA Tournament will be held at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. this year. Teams will compete March 5-6.

The NCAA Tournament runs March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb. Last season, ODU qualified a school-record tying six wrestlers for NCAA's.

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY 2009-10 WRESTLING SCHEDULE
Nov. 1 Blue-Silver Intersquad Norfolk, Va. 5 p.m.
Nov. 8 Hokie Open Salem, Va. All Day
Nov. 13 at Wisconsin Madison, Wis. 7 p.m.
Nov. 21 Kaufman/Brand Open Omaha, Neb. All Day
Nov. 21 NC State Open Raleigh, N.C. All Day
Dec. 4-5 Las Vegas Invite Primm, Nev. All Day
Dec. 6 Nittany Lion Open State College, Pa. All Day
Dec. 29-30 Southern Scuffle Greensboro, N.C. All Day
Jan. 3 ODU Quad Norfolk, Va. 11, 1, 3
Jan. 8-9 Virginia Duals Hampton, Va. All Day
Jan. 16 CAA Duals Fairfax, Va. All Day
Jan. 24 Bucknell TBD TBD
Jan. 31 Central Michigan Norfolk, Va. 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 6 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 1 p.m.
Feb. 7 N.C. State Norfolk, Va. 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 18 at Virginia Tech Salem, Va. 8:00 p.m.
Feb. 21 American Norfolk, Va. 7:00 p.m.
March 5-6 CAA Tournament Lawrenceville, N.J. All Day
March 18-20 NCAA Tournament Omaha, Neb. All Day
Matt Small Biography for Granby Brochure

Head Coach-Cox High School

Matt Small competed at Great Bridge High School where he was a state Place winner for wrestling Coach Steve Martin. He continued his career at Old Dominion University for Granby legend Grey Simmons who was a 3X NCAA Champion and Olympian. Matt was a 2002 CAA Runner-up, a Co-captain of the wrestling team and graduated Cum Laud from ODU with a 3.45 GPA. Matt was an Assistant Coach at Great Bridge High School until 2007. While at Great Bridge, he assisted in the development of 8 State Championship Teams and 21 Individual State Champions. Matt was voted the Virginia High School Assistant Coach of the Year for the
2006-07 season. He started the wrestling program at Grassfield High School from scratch in 2007-2008. In 2008-2009 just the school's second year, Coach Small's team won the Southeastern Regular and Tournament Titles, Placed 2nd in the Eastern Region, and 4th in the AAA Virginia State tournament while producing 2 state champions, 5 state place winners, and 2 High School All-Americans using the Granby School Techniques. Matt is a student of the sport and is a great teacher and coach of The Granby Series. He is in his 17th year of attendance at the Granby School of Wrestling

Steve Martin
Head Wrestling Coach
Old Dominion University
Email: smartin@odu.edu
Cell: 757-373-6177
"Building Champions on and off the mat"
OLD DOMINION INCOMING FRESHMAN LAVALLE CAPTURES 2009 JUNIOR NATIONAL GRECO-ROMAN TITLE AT 130 POUNDS

FARGO, N.D. - Incoming Old Dominion wrestling freshman Justin LaValle (Apple Valley, Minn.) won the 2009 Junior National Greco-Roman Championship on Tuesday in Fargo, N.D. The national title was the first for an incoming Monarch freshman under head coach Steve Martin.
LaValle, who currently ranks as high as fifth nationally (Amateur Wrestling News) in his weight class, posted a shutout victory over Tucker Ray of Utah, 1-0, 7-0, to capture the 130 pound title.
"Justin LaValle winning the Junior National Greco Championships is another first for the Old Dominion wrestling program," said Martin. "This is the first time that we have had an incoming student athlete win this event. The athletes that win championships at the Junior Nationals end up being contenders for NCAA titles and Olympic teams. We are very proud of his accomplishment!"

Last year, LaValle finished runner-up in the Junior National Greco-Roman competition, losing in the finals to Luke Goettl of Arizona.
The Minnesota native will come to ODU ranked seventh by InterMat and Wrestling USA, and eighth by W.I.N. Magazine. The projected 133-pounder was a USA Wrestling Junior National All-American in 2008, and finished in 5th place at the event this season. He is a two-time Minnesota state champion and is the second Monarch recruit ranked in the InterMat Top 100, checking in at 80th overall.
LaValle and the 2009 Old Dominion recruiting class is ranked sixth nationally by W.I.N Magazine.
-ODU-
__________________________________________________________
Dustin Semonavick
Assistant Sports Information Director
Old Dominion University
Athletic Admin. Bldg.
Norfolk, VA 23529-0201
Three Recruits also named Wrestling USA Scholastic All-Americans
June 5, 2009

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Three ODU wrestling Monarchs were announced as members of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I All-Academic Team for the 2008-09 season. Senior NCAA Finalist Ryan Williams (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) earned the honor for the third straight year, while James Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa) and Kyle Hutter (Mokena, Ill.) were named for the second straight.

"We are please once again to place three Student Athletes on the National All-Academic team," said head coach Steve Martin. "These individuals are to be commended for carrying over the values that they have learned in athletics to the classroom. Ryan Williams again has set the standard for Old Dominion Wrestling and has become the first ever three-time selection in program history."

All three were NCAA Qualifiers for the Monarchs this season, leading ODU to the highest national ranking in school history, at 16th in the nation. ODU also finished higher at the national event than ever before, finishing among the top 20 teams for the first time. ODU went 17-6 including a perfect 5-0 CAA record to capture the regular season title for the first time in school history.
“The fact that we are one of only five programs in the country that placed three or more student-athletes on the team speaks volumes for the direction of the program,” said Martin.

Williams led the way for the Monarchs, reaching the NCAA Tournament Finals and becoming the second All-American in as many years for head coach Steve Martin. He became the all-time leader in wins for ODU with 137 and just the second Division I finalist in school history. He was named the ODU Male Athlete of the Year, as well as the CAA Wrestler of the Year, Virginia Sports Information Directors Wrestler of the Year and the Norfolk Sports Club Top Senior Athlete award winner. He becomes the program's first ever three-time National All-Academic team member and posted a 3.33 cumulative GPA, majoring in Marketing.

Junior Kyle Hutter earned his second selection to the All-Academic team after reaching the NCAA Tournament for a consecutive season. He became the first Monarch to earn an at-large bid by the NCAA Selection Committee under the new format. The junior 133-pounder went 22-12 in the regular season and finished second at the CAA Tournament. Hutter carried a 3.35 GPA in Accounting this year.

Joining the two upperclassmen on the All-Academic team is repeat selection <http://www.fansonly.com/schools/oldd/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/nicholson_james00.html>James Nicholson. Nicholson posted a 3.62 GPA in Finance while maintaining a Top 10 ranking all season long. He managed a 36-4 record and has 71 career victories already, through just two seasons. He won his second straight CAA Championship and earned a return trip to the NCAA Tournament in his sophomore season, going 1-2 at the big dance.

ODU also boasts three Scholastic All-Americans, according the Wrestling USA, in the 2009-10 recruiting class. John Nicholson, Justin LaValle and Joey Sheridan were listed by the national magazine as 2008-09 honorees. Nicholson ranks in the top five in the nation and is a two-time Iowa state champion. LaValle ranks seventh in the nation and was a USA Wrestling Junior National All-American in 2008. Sheridan also ranks in the top ten for his weight class, and is a three-time Oklahoma state champion.

Rob Silsbee
Asst. Sports Information Director
757.683.3374
rsilsbee@odu.edu