UW Madison Wrestling News and Notes

NCAA to Stream Selection Show for 2010 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships on NCAA.com
Date: Mon 03/08/10 11:17 AM

** ADVISORY **

NCAA to Stream Selection Show for 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on NCAA.com

The NCAA will announce the 330 student-athletes set to participate in the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships via a Web stream selection show on NCAA.com on Wednesday, March 10 at 6 p.m. ET.
NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee chair, Brad Traviolia, will provide the show’s introduction while Pat Tocci, Director of Administration and Public Relations for the National Wrestling Coaches Association, will serve as the host as he unveils each of the 10 brackets in the championships field.
Fans wishing to view the show can do so at the link below:
http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-wrestl/champpage/inc/div1/m-wrestl-div1-announcements.html
Complete printable brackets will be available on NCAA.com at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 10.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Listed below is the article on the Big Ten Wrestling Pre-seeds.
Some of you may know and some may not - but there are different qualifications to go on to NCAA’s this year.
Each weight class has to qualify itself thru RPI and coaches poll rankings. This year we will advance a total of 56 wrestlers thru the Big Ten and on to NCAA’s vs. previous years where we had a total of 72 wrestlers qualify.

The breakdown for each weight class is as follows:
125 Lb – 6 qualifiers
133 – 5
141 – 5
149 – 8
157 – 4
165 – 5
174 - 6
184 – 5
197 – 7
HWT – 5

For example – If Cole Schmitt (141) is the #8 seed at Big Tens, in order to automatically qualify for NCAA’s, he needs to place 5th or above at Big Tens. BUT – each weight class at the NCAA has 33 participants – the top 25 kids in the last coaches poll in each weight class automatically qualify for a spot at NCAA’s. The remaining 8 spots are determined by a Coach from each conference voting at a meeting following the qualifying tournaments (Big Tens, Big 12’s, etc). Right now, Cole Schmitt is ranked 26th in the coaches poll and 32nd in the RPI poll……so if he doesn’t place in the top 5 in the Big Tens, he needs to get one of the ‘wild card’ votes by the coaches in order to qualify. As a Coach, I would say that Cole would need to place at least 6th in the Big Tens to have a shot at the wild card vote. Eric Bugenhagen (HWT) is in the same position as Cole Schmitt – he is #33 in the RPI and the Coaches Poll – so he would have to place 5th at Big Tens for sure as only 5 guys qualify. If he places 6th – it would be a coin flip for him to get to the NCAA’s, depending on the coaches vote. Hammen, Burke, and Ard – those three for sure are going to have to place at their qualifying # or they will not advance to the NCAA’s because they are not in the top 33 in the RPI or Coaches Polls.

As you can see – at some of our weight classes individuals are going to have to wrestle above their seeds (125) or the guys that are not seeded (157 & 174) are going to have to have upsets in order to make the NCAA tournament.

YOU CAN WATCH THE BIG TEN FINALS ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK BEGINNING AT 2 PM EASTERN ON SUNDAY, MARCH 7TH.

YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG OF OUR ATHLETES DURING THE ENTIRE TOURNAMENT BY CHECKING ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.UWBADGERS.COM AND CONTINUING TO THE WRESTLING BLOG SITE.

Last year Iowa won the conference championship with a score of 141.0 points, headed by Metcalf, the 2009 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, who was one of two Hawkeyes to claim an individual title. Illinois placed second (113.5) and Michigan (92.5), Wisconsin (88.0) and Ohio State (80.0) rounded out the top five.
2010 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS PRELIMINARY SEEDS

125 lbs.
1. Angel Escobedo, IND
2. Matt McDonough, IOWA
3. Zach Sanders, MINN
4. Brad Pataky, PSU
5. Cashé Quiroga, PUR
6. Nikko Triggas, OSU
7. John Deneen, ILL
8. Drew Hammen, WIS
133 lbs.
1. Jayson Ness, MINN
2. Daniel Dennis, IOWA
3. Franklin Gomez, MSU
4. Tyler Graff, WIS
5. Eric Metzler, NU
6. Zac Stevens, MICH
7. Ian Paddock, OSU
8. Akif Eren, PUR
141 lbs.
1. Reece Humphrey, OSU
2. Mike Thorn, MINN
3. Montell Marion, IOWA
4. Adam Lynch, PSU
5. Ryan Prater, ILL
6. Juan Archuleta, PUR
7. Dan Osterman, MSU
8. Cole Schmitt, WIS
149 lbs.
1. Brent Metcalf, IOWA
2. Lance Palmer, OSU
3. Kyle Ruschell, WIS
4. Frank Molinaro, PSU
5. David Cheza, MSU
6. Andrew Nadhir, NU
7. Mario Mason, MINN
8. Nick Bertucci, PUR
157 lbs.
1. Dustin Schlatter, MINN
2. Cyler Sanderson, PSU
3. Colton Salazar, PUR
4. Kurt Kinser, IND
5. Jake Kerr, IOWA
6. Dave Johnson, MICH
7. Sean Nemec, OSU
8. Clint Arlis, ILL
165 lbs.
1. Andrew Howe, WIS
2. Ryan Morningstar, IOWA
3. Colt Sponseller, OSU
4. Dan Vallimont, PSU
5. Paul Young, IND
6. Kyle Bounds, MSU
7. Cody Yohn, MINN
8. Conrad Polz, ILL
174 lbs.
1. Jay Borschel, IOWA
2. Luke Manuel, PUR
3. Scott Glasser, MINN
4. Dave Rella, OSU
5. Jordon Blanton, ILL
6. Brian Roddy, NU
7. Ian Hinton, MSU
8. Justin Zeerip, MICH
184 lbs.
1. John Dergo, ILL
2. David Erwin, PSU
3. Phillip Keddy, IOWA
4. Mike Pucillo, OSU
5. Travis Rutt, WIS
6. Eric Cameron, IND
7. Hunter Collins, MICH
8. Nick Corpe, PUR
197 lbs.
1. Chad Beatty, IOWA
2. Trevor Brandvold, WIS
3. Anthony Biondo, MICH
4. Patrick Bond, ILL
5. Sonny Yohn, MINN
6. Matt Powless, IND
7. Logan Brown, PUR
8. Cody Magrum, OSU
HWT
1. Nate Everhart, IND
2. Dan Erekson, IOWA
3. Cameron Wade, PSU
4. Ben Berhow, MINN
5. Eric Bugenhagen, WIS
6. Corey Morrison, OSU
7. Ben Apland, MICH
8. Alan O’Donnell, MSU

Watch the Badgers on Big Ten Network or Online
Friday’s dual meet plays on Big Ten Network Saturday morning at 11am.
Sunday’s dual meet plays on Big Ten Network on Sunday night at 10pm.

Sunday Iowa meet will be broadcast on Big Ten Network at 10 PM Central Sunday night.

Friday’s dual meet will be live for $2.99 online at www.bigtennetwork.com (I have watched a meet this way and it was good)

There will NOT be a live webstream available for the dual meet on Sunday. (NO PAY PER VIEW)
This meet will be broadcast on Big Ten Network at 10 PM Central Sunday night.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A Note from Coach Davis

This weekend we will be facing Northwestern on Friday at 7:00 PM and then on Sunday we will meet Iowa at 3:00 PM in the Field House.
Please make sure you are aware of the time change for the Sunday Dual vs. Iowa. It’s 3:00 PM – not 1:00 PM as listed on the schedule.
The last two weeks are the most important weeks in preparing your athletes for peaking performances in the upcoming post season competition.
So far the athletes have responded very well and it showed last week with Michigan and hopefully it will show again this coming weekend.
Sunday will be the biggest dual meet as far as some great matchups ~
133 Tyler Graff (#5) vs. Dan Dennis (#3)
149 Kyle Ruschell (#5) vs. Brent Metcalf (#1)
165 Andrew Howe (#1) vs. Ryan Morningstar (#5)
184 Travis Rutt (#18) vs. Phil Keddy (#11)
197 Trevor Brandvold (#6) vs. Chad Beatty (#4)

These are the type of dual meets that as athletes and coaches that you look forward to.
We will have two seniors that will be honored at Sunday’s dual – Drew Hammen and Kyle Ruschell.
We are looking forward to seeing you Friday night and Sunday. If you can’t make it, catch both of the duals
On the Big Ten Network video feed. www.bigtennetwork.com

Coach Davis

Thursday, February 11, 2010

A note from Coach Davis!

The Team takes off on Saturday at 10 AM heading to Ann Arbor, MI for our dual meet on Sunday at 1 PM CENTRAL.

If you want to follow the dual meet go to WWW.MGOBLUE.COM

Click on “Schedules”, scroll down to Feb 15th vs. Wisconsin, click on the date to highlight. Viewing info will pop up

On the right side of the page. This is a pay-per-view.

From a peaking point of view, this week and next week are the two hardest training weeks for the athletes so

the intensity in the room has really picked up. We are putting guys thru short wrestling goes, hard drills which involve combinations ~ for example – taking a guy down, he stands ups, pick him up and put him back down again , stands up again, cut him, taken him back down again…we will do this maybe three times in a row.

The new rankings have come out and right now Andrew Howe is ranked #1, Kyle Ruschell is #5, Tyler Graff is #6, Brandvold is #7 and Rutt is #16.

If you just go by qualifiers, right now these five guys would qualify for the NCAA championships. That means the other 5 guys are going to have to beat some individuals at Big Tens that they are not supposed to beat in order to qualify for NCAA’s. If we are going to reach the expectations that we have set for this year we have to make sure we motivate our guys to wrestle above their seeds as well as again – BEAT INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BEAT!

Brandvold named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

River Falls, Wis., native went 2-0 against ranked opponents last weekend

Feb. 9, 2010

MADISON, Wis. -- University of Wisconsin wrestler Trevor Brandvold has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week after going 2-0 last week with wins over two ranked opponents.

Brandvold, a junior ranked No. 8 at 197 lbs., defeated No. 11 Logan Brown of Purdue by an 8-3 decision on Friday night as Wisconsin beat Purdue, 27-11.

The River Falls, Wis., native followed it up with a 2-1 tiebreaker win over No. 14 Patrick Bond of Illinois on Sunday. Each wrestler scored an escape, forcing the match into sudden-victory overtime. No points were scored in the first overtime, but Brandvold registered an escape in the first tiebreak to win the match.

Winner of seven matches in a row, Brandvold owns a 14-3 record overall this season. He is 8-1 in dual matches and a perfect 5-0 in Big Ten dual meets. Against ranked opponents this season, Brandvold holds a record of 6-2.

Brandvold is the first Badger to be named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week this season. The last UW wrestler to earn the honor was Zach Tanneli on Dec. 31, 2008.

Wisconsin is back in action this weekend as the Badgers go on the road to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on the Wolverines. Match time is set for 1 p.m.

Badgers fall to Nittany Lions, 22-15

Wisconsin drops second match of the weekend, 22-15.

Jan. 31, 2010

MADISON, Wis.--The No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team (5-8, 1-2) won four individual matches on Sunday afternoon in a 22-15 loss to No. 13 Penn State at the UW Field House. The Nittany Lions now stand at 10-5-1 on the season with two conference wins and two losses.

In the first match of the afternoon, senior Drew Hammen took on No. 12 junior Brad Pataky at 125 lbs. Pataky recorded the first takedown of the match with 2:39 left in the first period and added eight more points, including two nearfall points, a reversal, riding time and two more takedowns. Hammen scored three escapes in the bout, resulting in a 11-3 major decision for Pataky and 4-0 lead for Penn Sate.

The Badgers then claimed their first and only lead of the night, 5-4, as No. 8 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff defeated freshman Bryan Pearsall by a 23-8 tech fall. Graff registered 10 takedowns in the match and three nearfall points, improving his overall record to 20-4.

Then at 141 lbs., No. 20 redshirt freshman Cole Schmitt battled junior Adam Lynch in a tight bout. Schmitt scored the first takedown of the match with 2:35 left in the first period. Lynch then responded with five straight points to end the second period up 5-2. Schmitt scored a reversal with 0:44 left in the third, but could not amass another point, losing the bout by a 5-4 decision and putting the Nittany Lions back on top, 7-5.

In a top-five matchup at 149 lbs., No. 2 senior Kyle Ruschell faced No. 5 sophomore Frank Molinaro. Molinaro scored the first takedown of the match with 1:10 left in the first period, but was immediately reversed by Ruschell, followed by a reverse of his own. Ruschell scored a reversal in the third period, but it was not enough as Molinaro registered two more escapes in the bout to win 6-5 and extend Penn State’s lead to 10-5.

The Nittany Lions then added six points to their score with a pin by No. 5 senior Cyler Sanderson over junior Greg Burke at 6:39. Burke scored five escapes in the matchup, but the loss resulted in a 16-5 lead for PSU.

No. 1 sophomore Andrew Howe then came through for the Badgers in a tough matchup against No. 8 Dan Vallimont. After a scoreless first period, Vallimont registered an escape, followed by a takedown for Howe to end the second period. Howe added five more points in the third with a takedown, escape, riding time and a fleeing call on Vallimont to win the match 7-2. Penn State then led 16-8.

At 174 lbs., true freshman Brendan Ard competed in his first bout since Nov. 22 against freshman Justin Ortega. The match was even at 4-4 with three seconds left in the third period when Ard scored a takedown to win the match 6-4, cutting the Nittany Lions’ lead to 16-11. Ard score three takedowns in the matchup.

The 184 lbs. weight class featured two ranked wrestlers in a low scoring match. No. 16 sophomore Travis Rutt was defeated by No. 13 senior David Erwin in a 2-0 decision. Erwin scored his points with an escape in the second period and riding time at the end of the match.The win gave the Nittany Lions a 19-11 lead with two matches to go.

No. 8 junior Trevor Brandvold then scored his second major decision of the year over sophomore David Crowell at 197 lbs. Brandvold scored four takedowns, a reversal and riding time to win the match 11-3, extending his win streak to five-straight.

Wisconsin trailed 19-15 heading into the final bout of the afternoon, needing a major decision from junior Eric Bugenhagen at heavyweight to tie things up. However, No. 11 sophomore Cameron Wade was victorious, defeating Bugenhagen 4-0, ending the day for Penn State with a 22-15 victory over Wisconsin.

The Badgers now hit the road to take on No. 25 Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. They then travel to Champagne-Urbana to face No. 20 Illinois in a 1 p.m. match on Sunday.

Off the Mat with Travis Rutt
UW coach ready to focus on wrestling again
Coach Davis meets with the media
Dual meet against Iowa changed to 3 pm start
UW Dual meet vs. Iowa changed to 3 p.m.
Match still to be covered by Big Ten Network
MADISON, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin wrestling team's dual match against Iowa on Feb. 21 has been rescheduled for a 3 p.m. start at the UW Field House, the Big Ten Conference has announced. The match was originally set to begin at 1 p.m.
It will still be covered by the Big Ten Network
< http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/011510aaa.html > and air on tape delay at 10 p.m. (CT) later that night.
Big Ten Network to air home finale against Iowa
National Duals: Complete results | Live Results | Updated bracket
Badgers take eighth at NWCA National Duals
UW Badger wrestling team takes on field at NWCA National Duals
NCAA.com – The Official Website of NCAA Championships - Blog
Howe ranked No. 1 at 165 lbs. following Midlands title

No. 14 Wisconsin knocks No. 11 Indiana from unbeatens with 21-18 victory

MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 14 Wisconsin wrestling team (5-6, 1-0) knocked off previously unbeaten and 11th-ranked Indiana (11-1, 0-1)21-18 on Friday night at the UW Field House in a battle that came down to the final matchup.

In the first match, senior Drew Hammen took on No. 1 senior Angel Escobedo at 125 lbs. Escobedo got out to an early 6-2 lead after the first period, but Hammen cut the lead to three, ending the second period 8-5. Escobedo then tacked on seven more points to end the bout on top 15-8, giving the Hoosiers a 3-0 lead. Hammen scored six escapes and a takedown in the match.

No. 8 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff then wrestled sophomore Matt Ortega at 133 lbs. In the high scoring match, Graff recorded five takedowns and two nearfall points in the first period, three takedowns in the second period and held on with two takedowns and an escape in the third period to earn a tech fall win for, 23-8. Thanks to a nearfall in the match for Graff, Wisconsin received five team points. The decision gave the Badgers the edge over IU, 5-3.

The 141 lbs. weight class featured two redshirt freshmen, Wisconsin's No. 20 Cole Schmitt and Indiana’s Danny Monaco. After a scoreless first period, Schmitt recorded a takedown and an escape to take a 3-0 lead at the end of the second period. Adding to his score, Schmitt registered a reversal and was rewarded a point for locked hands, resulting in a 6-2 victory and extending the Wisconsin lead to 8-3.

No. 2 senior Kyle Ruschell faced Matt Coughlin in a tough matchup at 149 lbs. Ruschell recorded the first takedown of the bout at 2:12 in the first period, but Coughlin took him down and score two more nearfall points to end the first period up 5-3. Ruschell scored an escape and takedown to take back the lead at the end of the second, 6-5. Ruschell scored an additional takedown and was rewarded riding time to win the match 9-5. The victory added three points to the UW lead, making the score 11-3.

Juniors Greg Burke and No. 7 Kurt Kinser then wrestled in a short matchup at 157 lbs. Kinser recorded a takedown with 2:13 left in the first period and pinned Burke 21 seconds later. Kinser was awarded six points for the pin and narrowed the Badger lead to 11-9.

No. 1 sophomore Andrew Howe then faced No. 13 Paul Young for the third time this season at 165 lbs. After the first period, Young led 2-1 and added to his lead to finish the second period 4-3. Howe took the lead and the victory after scoring an escape and a takedown late in the third period, resulting in a 6-4 decision and 14-9 Wisconsin lead. The win propelled Howe to a perfect 21-0 on the season.

At 174 lbs., Redshirt freshman Jimmy Duffy took on senior Trevor Perry. Perry took Duffy down with 2:14 left on the clock in the first period and then registered a pin six seconds later. The fall gave Indiana their first lead of the night, 15-14.

No. 17 sophomore Travis Rutt then wrestled junior Eric Cameron at 184 lbs. Rutt took an early lead, ending the first period with two takedowns and a 4-1 score. Rutt would then add an escape to win the bout 5-2, reclaiming the lead for the Badgers at 17-15.

No. 8 junior Trevor Brandvold faced sophomore Matt Powless in a crucial matchup at 194 lbs. Brandvold ended the first period 5-0 after registering a takedown and three nearfall points. He would then add six to his score, winning the match 10-1. Brandvold scored a total of three takedowns, three nearfall points and an escape to extend the UW lead to 21-15.

In the final bout, heavyweight junior Eric Bugenhagen battled No. 2 senior Nate Everhart. Bugenhagen needed to hold Everhart to anything less than a pin in order to seal a victory for the Badgers. Everhart led 5-2 after the second period and registered a final takedown and riding time to win the match by an 8-3 decision. Wisconsin held on to their lead, winning the dual 21-18.

The Badgers gear up for two duals next weekend as they hit the road to face No. 5-ranked Minnesota Friday and return to the UW Field House to host No. 12 Penn State on Sunday.

#14 WISCONSIN (5-6, 1-0) VS.
#11 Indiana (11-1, 0-1)
Friday, January 22, 2010 • UW FIELD HOUSE • Madison, Wis.
Referee: Keith Poolman
Attendance: 1,465
Dual Meet Recap Team Scoring
Wisconsin 21, Indiana 18 UW IU
125: #1 Angel Escobedo (IU) dec. Drew Hammen (UW), 15-8
133: #8 Tyler Graff (UW) TF Matt Ortega (IU), 23-8, 7:54
141: #20 Cole Schmitt (UW) dec. Danny Monaco (IU), 6-2
149: #2 Kyle Ruschell (UW) dec. Matt Coughlin (IU), 9-5
157: #7 Kurt Kinser (IU) pin Greg Burke (UW), 1:09
165: #1 Andrew Howe (UW) dec. #13 Paul Young (IU), 6-4
174: Trevor Perry (IU) pin Jimmy Duffy (UW), 2:08
184: #17 Travis Rutt (UW) dec. Eric Cameron (IU), 5-2
197: #8 Trevor Brandvold (UW) maj. dec. Matt Powless (IU), 10-1
Hwt.: #2 Nate Everhart (IU) dec. Eric Bugenhagen (UW), 8-3

UW wrestling: Badgers hand Indiana first loss

No. 14 Wisconsin knocks No. 11 Indiana from unbeatens with 21-18 victory

UW beats previously unbeaten Indiana

Badgers top Indiana

Badgers host Hoosiers in Big Ten opener

IU puts perfect record on the line

Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Notes from Coach Davis:

During the last two events the athletes have really stepped up and have wrestled with more emotion and an aggressive attitude. (I guess my ‘pep’ talk with them did the trick!).

But again, they have a ways to go yet but they are moving in the right direction.

In Vegas we had two champions (Kyle Ruschell and Andrew Howe) along with a third place finish (Tyler Graff). As far as a team, we finished 9th out of 42 well represented teams. If we had

traveled with a full squad (Ard, Rutt and Brandvold were not competing) we feel that our finish would have been higher.

This past week we traveled to Northern Iowa and won 7 out of 10 matches (score was 25-11).In that dual meet, Eric Bugenhagen (Hwt) beat #12 Chris Brantley 5-4.Also, Trevor Brandvold (197)

and Travis Rutt (184)returned to the mat and each scored a victory.

This is Finals Week for the athletes (Dec 17-23) so the guys are studying hard but also have open mat practices @ 3:30 each day. Most of the guys choose to take advantage of the open mats and are working hard to get ready for Midlands held in Evanston, IL on Dec 29-30.

As a staff we know that the second half of the season will be much more competitive and intense than the first half. We will be comparing notes on each individual this week during our staff

meetings and will be putting a game plan together for our run in March.

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

ON WISCONSIN!

Barry

Badger defeat UNI

Nico Bogojevic signs with Badgers

Previewing the Cliff Keen Invite

Live scoring from UW - OSU dual - Live scoring from UW - Boise State dual

Monday, November 30, 2009
Notes from Coach Davis:

Last weekend was not a good weekend for Wisconsin Wrestling. After the duals (Oregon St. and Boise St.) I had a talk with the athletes about how you need to compete when you put on the Badger uniform. The point was made and there is an understanding that when you put on the red and white uniform, this is the way you need to compete. Sorry – I can’t put into words just exactly what I said and how firmly I said it, but be assured everyone in the room got the point.

On Wednesday of this week we head to Primm, NV for the Cliff Keen Invite. Like I told them in our meeting after the duals, we would be back out west in two weeks and we would be seeing the same teams again (Oregon State and Boise State) and those teams will know that if they meet up with a Wisconsin Badger he is a different wrestler from two weeks ago.

Trevor Brandvold is not quite ready for this competition, but I foresee him being in the line-up the following week when we wrestle Northern Iowa.

There may be a few other guys that might not be making the trip to Vegas, but we will make a final decision on Wednesday.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

ON WISCONSIN!

Coach Davis

Badgers drop two matches in Oregon
No. 13 Wisconsin falls to Oregon State, 22-13 and No. 8 Boise State, 30-9
Nov. 22, 2009
MADISON, Wis. - The No. 13 Wisconsin wrestling team traveled to Corvallis, Ore., Sunday to take on two Pac-10 opponents. Two Badger wrestlers went 2-0 in the duals, but Wisconsin lost both bouts, first with a 22-13 decision against Oregon State and then fell 30-9 to No. 8 Boise State.

Senior Kyle Ruschell and sophomore Andrew Howe both went 2-0 on the day at 149 lbs. and 165 lbs., respectively. The Badgers won just three bouts in each of the duals and are now 1-3 in dual competition on the year.

In the first match against Oregon State, senior Drew Hammen took on sophomore Jason Lara at 125 lbs. Lara jumped out to an early 6-2 lead with three takedowns in the first period. Lara then went on to register nine more points to win by major decision, 15-6, and gave the Beavers the lead with a team score of 4-0.

No. 10 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff then faced No. 17 sophomore Kelly Kubec at 133 lbs. In regular time, Graff registered two takedowns, one reversal and an escape. The bout then went into overtime, where Graff scored a takedown to win the match 9-7 and narrow the Beavers’ lead to 4-3.

At 141 lbs., redshirt freshman Cole Schmitt wrestled No. 13 redshirt freshman Mike Mangrum. The second period ended with Schmitt ahead 5-3 after scoring a takedown, escape and a reversal. Schmitt recorded the first point of the third period with an escape, but Mangrum then recorded 10 unanswered points, including a takedown, two three-point nearfalls, and riding time to win the bout 13-6 and increase the Oregon State’s lead to 7-3.

No. 2 senior Kyle Ruschell then took on freshman RJ Pena at 149 lbs. Ruschell won the match by pin at 4:45, but not before scoring two takedowns, a three point nearfall and a reversal. This win gave the Badgers their first lead of the match, 9-7.

Junior Greg Burke battled No. 18 senior Keegan Davis in a tough match at 157 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Burke scored an escape in the second period to lead the bout 1-0. Davis scored an escape in the third and registered riding time at the end of the match to win 2-1 and gave the Beavers the lead 10-9.

No. 3 sophomore Andrew Howe then faced sophomore Ryan Smith at 165 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Howe scored three takedowns to lead the second period 6-3. Howe then tacked on ten more points, including three more takedowns to win by a major decision, 16-6 and giving the lead back to the Badgers, 13-10.

That would be Wisconsin’s last lead of the match as Oregon State won the final four bouts. True freshman Brendan Ard wrestled junior Colby Covington at 174 lbs. The first points of the match were scored when Covington recorded a reversal in the second period. Covington then went on to score three takedowns and riding time to win the bout 9-4, tying the team score at 13-13.

Sophomore Travis Rutt then took on junior Brice Arand in Rutt’s first match of the season at 184 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Rutt led 3-2 after scoring an escape and a takedown in the second period. Rutt scored two more escapes in the third period, but was not enough to win, with Arand scoring two takedowns and riding time to win the match 7-5, returning the lead back to the Beavers, 16-13.

True freshman Jackson Hein battled sophomore Chad Hanke at 197 lbs. Hanke jumped out to an early 5-0 lead at the end of the second period. Hein scored an escape at the beginning of the third period, but Hanke scored another takedown and riding time to win the bout 8-1 and increasing the Oregon State lead to 19-13.

At heavyweight, junior Eric Bugenhagen took on No. 17 sophomore Jack Clayton. Jack scored the first points of the bout with a takedown in the first period. Jack then added four more points to win the bout 6-1 and finalize the Beavers’ win with a final team score of 22-13.

Wisconsin then took on Boise State and won three bouts, but dropped its second match of the day, falling 30-9.

Hammen got Wisconsin out to a 3-0 lead by defeating BSU’s Allen Bartelli, 3-0 at 125 lbs. Hammen won the bout with a first period takedown and escape in the second.

One of the most anticipated matches of the day came at 133 lbs. when UW’s No. 10 Tyler Graff took on Boise State’s No. 3 Andrew Hochstrasser. Graff struck first with a first period takedown, but Hochstrasser escaped, putting the score at 2-1 heading into the second. Graff took Hochstrasser down again, but he responded with an escape and takedown of his own to even the score, 4-4. In the third period, Hochstrasser chose down and escaped, securing the 5-4 victory for Boise State.

Tied 3-3 in the team score, Schmitt then met No. 20 Levi Jones at 141 lbs. Each wrestler recorded takedowns before Jones won by fall in 3:53.

Another bout featuring two ranked wrestlers came at 149 lbs. with second-ranked Ruschell taking on No. 10 Jason Chamberlain. Ruschell scored first with a takedown in the opening period and extended his lead to 3-0 with an escape in the second. Chamberlain scored a takedown of his own to put the score at 3-2 but Ruschell tallied three more points in the second and had a point of riding time for the 7-2 victory. With the win, Ruschell has now won eight-straight matches, a streak that extends back to the 2009 NCAA Championships.

Down 9-6, Burke took on No. 6 Adam Hall at 157 lbs. and was pinned in 4:04. At 165 lbs., Howe took on Michael Cuthbertson and gave Wisconsin its final victory of the day with a 14-5 decision. Howe scored five takedowns, a reversal, an escape and had a point of riding time in the decision.

Boise State then won the final four bouts of the afternoon to win the match. At 174 lbs. Ard was pinned in 3:51 by BSU’s No. 8 Nathan Lee and Rutt fell 10-4 to 7 Kirk Smith. At 197 lbs., Boise State’s Matt Casperson defeated Hein 6-2 and Sam Zylstra registered the final win of the day for Boise State by defeating Bugenhagen, 5-2.

Wisconsin now has a week off from competition before wrestling in its first tournament of the year, Dec. 4-5 at the Cliff Keen Invite in Primm, Nev.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Notes from Coach Davis:

So far we have had two dual meets this season. Our first dual was last Friday, November 13th at the Field House. The Badgers (#12) defeated Old Dominion (#22) with a 21-19 score. It came down to Eric Bugenhagen – HWT - scoring a takedown in the last 23 seconds for a 3-1 decision.

It was the first College dual for newcomers Tyler Graff – 133 (RS Freshman), Cole Schmitt – 141 (RS Freshman), Greg Burke - 157(RS Sophomore), Brendan Ard – 174 (True freshman), and Jackson Hein – 197 (True Freshman).

On Sunday we took on Nebraska (#7) and fell short with a score of 26-17. Going into the last match the score was 20-17 when true freshman Brendan Ard took on senior Steven Dwyer (#6). The score was 3-3 going into the last period when Ard took down to start the period and ended up getting caught and pinned.

As a staff we could have had Ard take neutral going into the third period because he scored the only takedown in the match but because it’s early in the year and we know he has to learn to get off the bottom, we made him choose down ~ that’s the position that he needs to work on. People may say that in such a close dual meet why didn’t you choose up to win the dual meet………….well, the focus is not dual meets, but preparing your athlete for the National Championships. Now, if we were in the National Championships, we would choose neutral if the athlete has not made the strides he needs to make when in the down position.

Other’s are asking why we didn’t have Graff go for back points – well, we are working on Tyler Graff trying to take his opponent from his feet to his back, so what better way to do that and to give Tyler that experience than to release the guy and go for the takedown again. Again folks……..this is only November.

We have a long way to go before March rolls around. The key is preparing for the National Championships.

Some of you are wondering why Travis Rutt and Trevor Brandvold have not been in the line-up. Rutt will be in the line-up this weekend vs. Boise State and Brandvold will be back in the line-up for the Northern Iowa Dual on December 11th.

On Friday, we are heading out to wrestle Boise State (#10) and Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon on Sunday, November 22nd. We are looking forward to our dual vs. Boise State with some of the match-ups where 10th ranked Tyler Graff will be taking on 3rd ranked Andrew Hochstrasser and Greg Burke will be taking on #6 Adam Hall. True freshman Brendan Ard will have another tough opponent in #8 Nathan Lee and Travis Rutt will be taking on #7 Kirk Smith.

As you can see the Badger wrestlers have a tough schedule and are taking on some top ranked opponents. Again, this will test our young men in battle and we will see how they respond to that. As a staff, we know that when they step on the match they will leave nothing to chance ~ they will accept the challenge.

On a side note, we would all like to congratulate 3 x NCAA Champ, 3x World Champ and Olympic Team Member Lee Kemp on his induction into Wrestling Hall of Fame this Friday, November 20th.

No. 12 Wisconsin falls to No. 7 Nebraska 26-17

No. 12 Wisconsin falls to No. 7 Nebraska 26-17

The No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team battled No. 7 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. Sunday afternoon in its second match of the 2009-10 season.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-wrestl/recaps/111509aaa.html

MADISON, Wis.--The No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team battled No. 7 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. Sunday afternoon in its second match of the 2009-10 season. The Badgers fell to the Huskers 26-17, but had four individual victories, including a pin, a tech fall and a major decision. Wisconsin is now 1-1 on the season.

The match began at 184 lbs., where redshirt freshman Jimmy Duffy took on redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen. Ihnen scored the first takedown with 1:20 left on the clock in the first period and added to his lead with another takedown and an escape to win the match 6-1 and giving the Huskers a 3-0 lead. Duffy registered an escape in the match.

True freshman Jackson Hein then took on his second ranked opponent of the weekend with No. 2 senior Craig Brester at 197 lbs. Brester jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the first period, adding five more points to win by a 14-2 major decision, giving Nebraska a 7-0 lead. Hein recorded two escapes in the match.

Junior Eric Bugenhagen battled No. 9 sophomore Tucker Lane in a tough heavyweight matchup. After a scoreless first period, Lane chose down and registered the only points of the second period with an escape at 1:51. In the third period, Bugenhagen chose down and did the same, evening the score at 1-1 with an escape at 1:56. The bout then went into a first overtime, where no points were scored. In the second overtime, both Bugenhagen and Lane scored escapes to tie the bout at 3-3 and sent the match into a third overtime where Lane had just one second of riding time advantage to win the match 4-3 and stretching the Husker's lead to 10-0.

At 125 lbs., senior Drew Hammen wrestled true freshman David Klingsheim. Hammen recorded the first takedown of the match with 1:12 left on the clock in the first period. Hammen scored another takedown, an escape and riding time of 1:19 to win the match 5-2, giving the Badgers their first team points of the match as they trailed 10-3.

No. 10 Tyler Graff then faced true freshman C.J. Napier at 133 lbs. Graff jumped out to an early 10-4 lead in the first period and never looked back. Graff registered 12 takedowns in the match and scored a riding time advantage of 1:26 to win the bout 26-10 by tech fall, narrowing the Huskers lead to 10-7.

Redshirt freshman Trey Bertram took on junior Mike Koehnlein at 141 lbs. Bertram scored the first points of the match with a takedown at 1:32 in the first period. He then trailed 6-2 at the end of the period after Koehlein scored a takedown and three near fall points. Koehnlein then went on to add six more points to his score, winning the match by a 12-2 major decision and extending Nebraska's lead to 14-7.

No. 2 Kyle Ruschell battled redshirt freshman Ross Grande at 149 lbs. Ruschell recorded three takedowns in the first period to lead 6-2. Ruschell went on to add two more takedowns, an escape and riding time of 3:32 to win by a 12-3 major decision, once again cutting the Huskers lead to 14-11.

Junior Greg Burke battled No. 1 senior Jordan Burroughs at 165 lbs. Burroughs struck fast with a takedown and shortly after pinned Burke at 0:25, giving the Huskers a 20-11 lead over the Badgers.

No. 3 sophomore Andrew Howe then wrestled junior Alex Ward at 165 lbs. Howe scored 10 takedowns, one reversal and two near fall points before pinning Ward at 6:24. It was Howe's first career pin, and it gave the UW six points, narrowing Nebraska's lead to 20-17.

At 174 lbs., true freshman Brendan Ard took on No. 6 senior Stephen Dwyer. After a scoreless first period, Dwyer got on the board first with a reversal. Ard responded with an escape and then took the 3-2 lead with a takedown. Dwyer evened the score with an escape at the 54-second mark in the second. All tied up at 3-3, Ard chose down to start the third and shortly after, Dwyer pinned Ard at the 5:25 mark, giving the Huskers six points and a team victory of 26-17.

Complete bout-by-bout coverage from today's match can be found here.

The Badgers hit the road again next Sunday when they will face Oregon State and No. 8 Boise State in Corvallis, Ore.

No. 12 Wisconsin opens season with 21-19 win over No. 22 Old Dominion

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-wrestl/recaps/111309aaa.html

Nov. 13, 2009

Scoresheet | Blog | Archived Web stream

MADISON, Wis.--The No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team played host to No. 22 Old Dominion at the UW Field House Friday night in its first official dual of the 2009-10 season. The Badgers defeated ODU 21-19, a decisive victory won in the final bout of the evening at heavyweight.

In the first match, senior Drew Hammen battled No. 5 junior James Nicholson at 125 lbs. Nicholson scored the first takedown at 1:57 in the first period and added to his lead from there, winning the bout 12-5 and resulting in 3-0 lead for ODU. Hammen recorded three escapes and one reversal in the match.

No. 10 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff then took on redshirt freshman Joshua Gillis at 133 lbs. In the high scoring match, Graff recorded six takedowns in the first period , three in the second period and five more in the third period to result in a tech fall win for Graff 28-13. Since Graff scored only takedowns, Wisconsin received four team points for the tech fall. The decision gave the Badgers the edge over ODU, 4-3.

The 141 lbs. weight class featured to redshirt freshman, Wisconsin's Cole Schmitt and Old Dominion's Craig Wilson. Wilson recorded the first takedown with 10 seconds left in the first period, going on to record four more takedowns and two point nearfall points to win the match by major decision, 16-5, giving the lead back to ODU, 7-4. Schmitt scored five escapes in the bout.

No. 2 senior Kyle Ruschell faced senior Cam Watkins in a tough matchup at 149 lbs. Ruschell scored off of a takedown in the first period, a stall by Watkins in the first period, a reversal in the third period and 5:13 of riding time at the end of the bout. Ruschell shutout Watkins 6-0, resulting in a tied matchup at 7-7.

Juniors Greg Burke and Dan Rivera then battled in a short matchup at 157 lbs. Burke recorded a takedown with 39 seconds left in the first period, turning it into a pin at 2:35 seconds. Burke was awarded six points for the pin and gave the Badgers the lead, 13-7.

No. 3 sophomore Andrew Howe took on junior Derek Gallagher at 165 lbs. Howe jumped out to a 8-4 lead in the first period and scored 10 more points to win the match by tech fall. Howe recorded 11 takedowns in the match and had two nearfall points, adding five points to the UW lead, making the score 18-7.

True freshman Brendan Ard wrestled in his first match as a Badger. Ard faced senior NCAA qualifier Eric Decker in a close match at 174 lbs. No points were scored in an even first period. Decker scored an escape in the second period and received points for riding time at the end of the bout, winning the match 2-0.

At 184 lbs. redshirt freshman Jimmy Duffy took on sophomore Joe Budi. After a scoreless first period, Budi chose down, registered the escape and took down Duffy at 1:32 before pinning him at 4:11. The Badgers lead was then narrowed to 18-16.

Freshman Jackson Hein also competed in his first match as a Badger and wrestled No. 10 senior Jesse Strawn at 197 lbs. The match was kept close, with Strawn only scoring once in each of the three period. With riding time points added on at the end of the match for Strawn, he won 6-0, resulting in the ODU lead of 19-18.

In the final bout, heavyweights junior Eric Bugenhagen battled redshirt freshman Grant Chapman. After a scoreless first period, Bugenhagen chose down and recorded the only points of the second period with an escape at 1:50 left on the clock. Chapman scored an escape with 1:54 in the third period to tie the match at 1-1. For the rest of the third, the two heavyweights battled it out before Bugenhagen recorded a takedown with just 24 seconds left on the clock, leading to a 3-2 win for Bugenhagen and 21-19 dual win for the UW.

The Badgers hit the road now and face No. 7 Nebraska on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Betsy Golomski
Athletic Communications Staff Assistant
University of Wisconsin
Kellner Hall
1440 Monroe Street
Madison, WI 53711
eg2@athletics.wisc.edu

Badger Notes Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Red defeats White, 20-14, in Intrasquad Scrimmage

Youth will play big role for Wisconsin wrestling

Q&A with assistant coach Jared Frayer

Four Badgers ranked by InterMat, team tabbed for 11th

Big Ten Network Announces Broadcast Schedule

UW Badger Blog: Every Second Counts

South View wrestler McCall picks Wisconsin

Rep. Jim Jordan to be inducted into Wisconsin Coaches Hall of Fame

UW Update from Coach Barry Davis

University of Wisconsin Wrestling Update from Coach Barry Davis
Date: Thu 09/24/09 09:56 AM

I think it was a very exciting summer for the guys. Andrew Howe and Travis Rutt both made the Jr. World Team and Andrew brought home the bronze. I really feel that the guys have made some great strides over the summer. Right now we have open mats Monday morning, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, and Saturday morning.

The last two years have been very good recruiting classes for us and you can tell that by the intensity in the room this early season. Everybody is fighting for a spot on the team. As you know, last year we lost 3 All-Americans with Massey, Tanelli, and Herbst so there will be some new faces this year in the line-up. It looks like at 141 it will be between freshmen Cole Schmitt and Trey Bertram. At 197, Trevor Brandvold will be moving up to take that spot, so at 184 it looks like it could be true freshmen Derrick Borlie from Virginia taking the sport. You probably thought, well we had Eric Bugenhagen at 184 last year so why isn’t he taking that spot? Well, he’s going heavyweight and right now he weights 235-240! He has done a great job over the summer working with Jamil Walker to build his body up. Other slots you might be interested in would be at 133…..Tom Kelliher will redshirt this year, so Tyler Graff from Colorado who was a redshirt freshmen last year will be taking over at 133. At 157 it will be between three different guys…….Kendal Vogel, Brad Nardick, and Kalvin York because Ben Jordan will be redshirting this year.

Along with all this we have a new assistant coach this year. Jared Frayer, former All-American from the University of Oklahoma who coached previously at Harvard and Iowa is now a Badger Assistant Coach.

The first date you will be the athletes in action will be at our Exhibition Match on Thursday, October 29th in the Field House. Our first dual meet will also be in the Field House on Friday, November 13th @ 7:00 PM. We hope to see a lot of you there!

Pre-Season Q&A With Coach Davis

UW Coaches Clinic and Exhibition Match
Clinic: Thursday, October 29 – 4:30-6:00 PM in the Field House
Exhibition Match: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Barry Davis and the Assistant UW Wrestling Coaches will once again be offering a FREE Coaches Clinic.
The Clinic is scheduled for Thursday, October 29 – 4:30-6:00 PM in the Field House.
We will also hold an Exhibition Match featuring the UW Athletes from 7:00 – 8:30 PM.
For seating consideration, it would be helpful for us if you would kindly RSVP the
number attending from your school/club no later than October 26th.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact our office at 608-262-3586.

Division 1 College Wrestling Rankings

Summer success leaves Howe hungry for more

Howe wins bronze at Junior Championships

Hull to receive service award

Greatest moments of 2008-09 - No. 5: Andrew Howe wrestles into NCAA finals

MADISON, Wis.

The 2008-09 University of Wisconsin athletics season was full of many great memories for Badger fans and athletes. Before the calendar turns to the 2009-10 season, UWBadgers.com re-lives 15 of the top moments from this past season. In the next three weeks, be sure to log onto UWBadgers.com to see if your favorite moment from the 2008-09 season made the list. Today, the No. 5 moment comes courtesy of UW wrestler Andrew Howe, who made it all the way to the NCAA finals as a true freshman.

Badger wrestler Andrew Howe had a number of memorable moments from his first year on campus. The one that will live in forever, though, was the historic run he made March 19-21 in St. Louis during the 2009 NCAA Championships, a run that took him all the way to the NCAA finals at 165 lbs. as a true freshman.

The Cedar Lake, Ind., native came into the tournament with the No. 2 seed and lived up to that seeding by winning four-straight matches to reach the finals. Howe outscored his opponents 20-7 prior to the finals and was taken down just once.

One of Howe’s more notable victories came in the semifinals when he defeated Iowa’s Ryan Morningstar for the third time that season. The match also went into extra periods for the third time, with Howe prevailing 2-1 in the tiebreaker.

Howe’s win over Morningstar gave him the momentum of 19-straight wins heading into the finals. The main event matched up Howe, the true freshman, and Edinboro’s Jarrod King, a fifth-year senior and No. 12 seed.

Howe held his own on the big stage and kept the match close throughout. After a scoreless first period, King chose bottom in the second frame and scored the first point of the match with an escape. In the third period, Howe took bottom and got an escape of his own to knot the score at 1-1.

King then scored a takedown in the third period, which was just the second time all tournament an opponent managed to take Howe down. Howe responded with another escape to bring the score to 3-2, but King hung on for the victory.

Despite the loss, Howe’s achievement was one for the Wisconsin wrestling history books. He became the first UW true freshman under head coach Barry Davis to reach the NCAA finals. His second place finish also made him the first freshman Badger All-American since current UW associate head coach Donny Pritzlaff placed sixth at 150 lbs. in 1998.

Howe’s run at the NCAA tournament also helped the Badgers place in the top-10 for the first time since 2000. Wisconsin brought home three All-Americans to finish ninth with 53.0 points, which ties for the best finish in Davis’s 16-year tenure at Wisconsin.

The 2009 NCAA Championships also capped off a season in which Howe posted a 30-5 record, won a Big Ten title and became just the third Badger in school history to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

To re-live Andrew Howe’s run at the 2009 NCAA Championships, you can look back at the wrestling blogs from St. Louis < http://www.uwbadgers.com/blogs/default.aspx?tag=Wrestling%20Blog > . A photo gallery from the NCAA tournament can also be found here>>> http://uwbadgers.com/photogallery/gallery.aspx?galleryID=344

InterMat releases 2009 recruiting class rankings

Frayer added to UW wrestling coaching staff

Another honor for Howe

Badgers announce 2009-10 wrestling schedule

Badgers announce 2009-10 wrestling schedule
MADISON, Wis.

Six home meets, return trips to Midlands and the NWCA National Duals and some new opponents highlight the 2009-10 wrestling schedule that was released today. The Badgers will wrestle 14 duals next season, not including the NWCA National Duals, and 12 of those opponents placed within the top 25 at the 2009 NCAA Championships.

Im very excited about the schedule and Im very excited about everything thats going on with our program right now, UW head coach Barry Davis said. Most of the teams were competing against were in the top 25 of the country or better last year so thats a plus for is. Its also good to have six home dual meets in Madison. I think we have a pretty well-rounded schedule which will really prepare our guys for the national championships in March, which is the most important thing.

Wisconsins non-conference season is tough once again, but 2009-10 brings some new challengers. The season begins Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in Madison against Old Dominion, who is out of the Colonial Athletic Conference. This is just the second time in school history the Badgers and Monarchs are meeting, with Wisconsin winning 33-7 during the 1992-93 season. Old Dominion returns five NCAA qualifiers off last years squad that finished second at the CAA Tournament.

Two days later, the Badgers travel to Big 12 country to take on Nebraska at 1 p.m. in Lincoln. The Huskers are the defending Big 12 champions and finished fourth at the 2009 NCAA Championships. The team returns a strong squad that includes 2009 NCAA Champion at 157 lbs., Jordan Burroughs, runner-up at 197 lbs. Craig Brester and 2008 All-American at 165 lbs., Stephen Dwyer. Wisconsin leads the all-time series against Nebraska, 7-3-2. The last time these two teams met, the match resulted in a 19-19 tie during the 2004-05 season.

The Badgers then wrestle two Pac-10 opponents on Sunday, Nov. 22 in Corvallis, Idaho. Wisconsin will meet Oregon State and Boise State beginning at noon. Oregon State, who is coached by Daviss former college roommate, Jim Zalesky, traveled to Madison last year when the Badgers tallied a 24-13 win. Wisconsin holds the 5-2 advantage all-time against Oregon State.

Boise State placed 12th at the 2009 NCAA Championships and this will be the second meeting between the Badgers and Broncos in as many years. Wisconsin matched up against Boise State in the first round of last years NWCA National Duals and fell 24-12. The all-time series between these two teams is tied at 2-2.

I think its always nice to have a change in your schedule and go to places youve never been before or wrestle teams youve never been against, Davis said regarding the different non-conference opponents on next seasons schedule. We usually get the best teams anyways with our Big Ten schedule, but its nice to have some diversity in the non-conference schedule. It gives you a chance to promote your program other places besides the places you always go to like Nebraska, or the west coast with Oregon State and Boise State.

December continues with Wisconsin returning to the Cliff Keen Invite for the fifth-consecutive year, but this years tournament will be held in Primm, Nev., from Dec. 4-5. A week later, Wisconsin meets Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for its annual meeting which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 11.

The Badgers head back to the Midlands Championships, which take place Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill. Wisconsin had three wrestlers make it to the finals at last years Midlands and placed fourth as a team with 98.5 points.

The year 2010 begins with a return trip to Cedar Falls for the NWCA National Duals from Jan 9-10. Pairings for that tournament will be announced at a later date.

January also brings the start of Big Ten Conference action and the final non-conference dual of the season. Indiana travels to Madison Friday, Jan. 22 for a 7 p.m. match to begin the always tough conference season. The following night, Wisconsin hosts Northern Colorado for a 7 p.m. dual inside the UW Field House. This will be the third meeting between Northern Colorado and Wisconsin with the Badgers holding the 2-0 advantage.

This years Border Battle heads back to Minneapolis when Wisconsin takes on the Gophers Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. The Badgers stay on the road is short as they return Sunday, Jan. 31 to host Penn State at 1 p.m.

February begins with three conference duals on the road. Wisconsin visits Purdue on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in West Lafayette, Ind., and then travels to Champaign, Ill., for a 1 p.m. dual on Sunday, Feb. 7 against Illinois. The Illini finished just two points ahead of Wisconsin for eighth place at last years NCAA meet.

Wisconsin then makes the first of two trips to Ann Arbor, Mich., when it meets the Wolverines on Valentines Day at 1 p.m. to close out the Big Ten road dual schedule.

The UW Field House plays host to the final two duals of the season when Northwestern and Iowa come to town. The Wildcats visit Madison Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. and the dual season comes to a close Sunday, Feb. 21 when defending Big Ten and NCAA champions Iowa visit Madison. Wisconsin will not face Ohio State or Michigan State during next years Big Ten dual schedule.

The post-season begins in Ann Arbor as the host of the 2010 Big Ten Championships, which take place March 6-7. Omaha, Neb., plays host to the 2010 NCAA Championships from March 18-20.

The UW wrestling team has a lot of talent returning to the 2009-10 squad including All-Americans Andrew Howe and Kyle Ruschell. Seven starters return off last years team that finished fourth at Big Tens and ninth at NCAAs and some new faces will work to fill in for the three departing All-Americans.

Be sure to stay tuned to UWBadgers.com throughout the summer for updates on the squad as they work towards the 2009-10 season.

Betsy Golomski

5/20/2009