NCAA Championships Recap

The Buckeyes put together one of the most memorable performances in NCAA History over the last three days in St. Louis, Missouri. The Iowa Hawkeyes, who everyone thought would run away with the NCAA Title, were behind the Buckeyes the whole tournament until the finals began. Even during the finals, it looked like Goliath would fall at any time. This was especially evident after the Hawkeyes Goliath himself, Brent Metcalf at 149 pounds, was slaughtered in the finals by Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State. Ohio State put three wrestlers in the NCAA finals in Reece Humphrey at 133 pounds, J. Jaggers at 141 pounds and Mike Pucillo at 184 pounds. Reece and Pucillo, however, fell in the finals in close bouts. Humphrey lost a Big Ten Tournament final rematch with Frank Gomez of Michigan State. Pucillo lost to Big Ten champion and Hodge Trophy winner Jake Herbert of Northwestern. Jaggers repeated his national champion performance of a season ago and he did it in memorable fashion. Jaggers avenged an early season loss to Gallick of Iowa State, by pinning Gallick in the first period with his trademark cradle. He then repeated this in the semi-finals by pinning Chris Drouin of Arizona State with the same cradle in 4:27. The finals saw J. Jaggers defeat 8th seeded Ryan Williams for his second consecutive national title. Lance Palmer finished in 4th place at 149 pounds for his third consecutive All-American performance.

We couldn't have asked for more from the wrestling Buckeyes. Each Buckeye wrestler won at least one match at the national tournament. Colt Sponseller lost two consecutive nail biter matches at 165 pounds to miss All-American status by one match. One of those matches was a 4-2 overtime heartbreaking defeat to 2nd seeded Ryan Morningstar of Iowa. The Buckeyes finished as national runner-ups for the second year in a row, this time only 4 points out of the top spot to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Congratulations Buckeyes!!

Big Ten Tournament Recap

The buckeyes had a disappointing sixth place finish at the Big Ten Championships this season at University Park, Pennsylvania. Reece Humphrey was the highest Buckeye placer, finishing as the Big Ten Runner-up at 133 pounds. J. Jaggers finished in 3rd place at 141 pounds for the second year in a row, defeating third ranked Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa 4-3 in his final match of the day. Lance Palmer also finished in 3rd place at 149 pounds defeating Jake Patascil of Purdue 12-3 to finish his day. Colt Sponseller and David Rella each finished in 4th and 5th place of their respective weight classes. Mike Pucillo had his 44 match win streak stopped early in the Big Ten Tournament, but rebounded strong with big victories to finish 3rd place at 184 pounds. The Buckeyes finished the season two weeks later at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.

Buckeyes 4-0 in last 4 Duals

The Buckeyes finished the final two weeks of the regular season a perfect 4-0 in duals, all against ranked teams. The Buckeyes defeated #17 Michigan 26-17, #8 Illinois 26-13, #19 Northwestern 23-18 and #16 Wisconsin 24-18. The Michigan, which was at Michigan, looked to be in jeapordy until sophomore 125 pound wrestler Nikko Triggas secured a huge fall against #17 Michael Watts. It was a match changing fall for Triggas, who now has a team leading 11 pins on the season. The Buckeyes came home on Sunday for the final home dual of the season and easily handled #8 Illinois 26-13. One week later the Buckeyes defeated both Northwestern and Wisconsin on the road to finish the regular season 13-2 and 7-1 in the Big Ten. Head Coach Tom Ryan also picked up his 150th career coaching victory against Illinois. He now has a winning percentage of .609 in his coaching career. The Buckeyes will return to action March 7 and 8 at Penn State in the Big Ten wrestling tournament.

#5 Ohio State hosts #25 Purdue

Ohio State returned home to St. John's Arena Sunday 2/8 to host the Purdue Boilermakers. Ohio State was coming off a thrashing of Penn State just two days earlier and looked at a tough match with Purdue (11-2). Ohio State jumped out to an early 10-0 lead after three matches and never looked back, crushing the Boilermakers 28-10. Ohio State was led by a Lance Palmer victory over #7 Jake Patascil. Colt Sponseller had a 3-1 victory over #17 Luke Manuel. Nikko Triggas turned in a fall at 125 pounds. The Buckeyes look to be turning the corner and preparing for another deep post season run. Full results are below.

149: No. 4 Lance Palmer (OSU) dec. No. 7 Jake Patacsil (Purdue); 8-5, 3-0
157: No. 17 Jason Johnstone mdec. Colton Salazar (Purdue); 14-3, 7-0
165: No. 2 Colt Sponseller (OSU) dec. No. 16 Luke Manuel (Purdue); 3-1, 10-0
174: Nick Corpe (Purdue) dec. Dave Rella (OSU); 6-4, 10-3
184: No. 2 Mike Pucillo (OSU) forfeit (Purdue); 6-0, 16-3
197: No. 13 Logan Brown (Purdue) dec. Jason Cook (OSU); 5-4, 16-6
285: Corey Morrison (OSU) dec. Chris Kasten (Purdue); 3-1, 19-6
125: Nikko Triggas (OSU) pin Akif Eren (Purdue); 6-0, 26-6
133: Carson Beebe (Purdue) mdec. Owen Schaefer (OSU); 9-0, 25-10
141: No. 14 J Jaggers (OSU) dec. Matt Hemry (Purdue); 8-4, 28-1

#Ohio State at Penn State

The Ohio State Wrestling Buckeyes traveled to State College, Pennsylvania on Friday 2/6 to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. Ohio State was coming off a stunning defeat to the Minnesota Golden Gophers just five days earlier. Penn State was going to be a tough opponent and had been in and out of the rankings all season long. However, the Buckeyes jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, crushing the Nittany Lions 33-7! It was a huge victory in Nittany Lion territory and showed why Ohio State is ranked #5 in the nation. Penn State was without undefeated returning national finalist Bubba Jenkins at 149 pounds, but that would not have made a difference. Falls were turned in by Lance Palmer, J Jaggers and Mike Pucillo. Ohio State returns to action Sunday at home against the #25 Purdue Boilermakers. Full results are below.
157 – No. 17 Jason Johnstone (OSU) DEC Tim Darling (PSU), 9-4
165 – No. 2 Colt Sponseller (OSU) DEC No. 20 Dan Vallimont (PSU), 8-3
174 – No. 16 Quentin Wright (PSU) DEC Dave Rella (OSU), 3-2
184 – No. 2 Mike Pucillo (OSU) PIN Matt Dodds (PSU), 1:35 1st
197 – Cody Gardner (OSU) DEC Jack Decker (PSU), 6-3
285 – Corey Morrison (OSU) DEC Stefan Tighe (PSU), 6-4
125 – No. 13 Brad Pataky (PSU) MAJ DEC Nikko Triggas (OSU), 14-3
133 – No. 2 Reese Humphrey (OSU) DEC No. 9 Jake Strayer (PSU), 8-3
141 – No. 14 J Jaggers (OSU) PIN Frank Molinaro (PSU), 3:38 2nd
149 – No. 4 Lance Palmer (OSU) PIN Colby Pisani (PSU), 2:56 1s

#5 Ohio State vs. #10 Minnesota

Today at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University, I was in attendance to witness a rematch of the fifth place match of the NWCA duals in which Ohio State beat Minnesota 21-12. However, today was much different. The Buckeyes lost some close matches that had went their way in the dual meet and lost to the Golden Gophers 18-16. The Buckeyes were winning 16-6 with four matches left in the dual, and lost by decision in each of the four matches ending the dual behind 18-16. With a 16-15 lead going into the final match of the evening undefeated and top ranked Buckeye Reece Humphrey took on fifth ranked Jayson Ness at 133 pounds. Ness dominated the bout this time around winning 5-0 and taking the win for the Golden Gophers.
The atmosphere at the match was unbelievable. To make things better, myself and the group I attended the dual with were sitting next to legendary Buckeye football player, and the only two time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. A win would have made it that much better. The Buckeyes return to action next Sunday, February 8th at 5pm against Purdue at St. John's Arena.

125: No. 5 Zach Sanders (MINN) dec. Nikko Triggas (OSU), 13-7; 16-15
133: No. 5 Jayson Ness (MINN) dec. No. 1 Reece Humphrey, 5-0; 16-18
141: No. 8 Mike Thorn (MINN) dec. No. 12 J Jaggers (OSU), 6-4; 0-3
149: No. 4 Lance Palmer (OSU) dec. Joe Grygelko (MINN), 7-0; 3-3
157: No. 14 Tyler Safratowich (MINN) dec. Sean Nemec (OSU), 8-5; 3-6
165: No. 2 Colt Sponseller (OSU) mdec. No. 16 Scott Glasser (MINN), 12-4; 7-6
174: Dave Rella (OSU) mdec. Matt Everson (MINN), 12-5; 11-6
184: No.2 Mike Pucillo (OSU) tech. fall Sonny Yohn (MINN), 21-4; 16-6
197: Gordon Bierschenk (MINN) dec. Cody Gardner (OSU), 5-2; 16-9
285: No. 18 Ben Berhow (MINN) dec. No. 17 Corey Morrison, 6-2; 16-12

Ohio State vs. Indiana

Friday, January 30 at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, the Ohio State Wrestling team took on the very tough Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers were eager for action, coming off a close loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions. The match was much closer then expected, but the Buckeyes showed true poise and why they are ranked #5 in the country. The Buckeyes were without #1 ranked 133 pounder Reece Humphrey, but battled to a 18-16 home victory. The match was 16-15 coming into the final bout of the evening, and sophomore 165 pounder Colt Sponseller scored a 7-2 decision to seal the match for the Buckeyes. Ohio State returns to action Sunday at 11am when they take on #12 Minnesota in Columbus, Ohio. Full match results are below.

174: Dave Rella (OSU) dec. No. 15 Trevor Perry (IU), 6-4; 3-0
184: No.2 Mike Pucillo (OSU) pinned Eric Cameron (IU), 6-0; 9-0
197: Matt Powless (IU) dec. Cody Gardner (OSU) 11-4; 9-3
285: Nate Everhart (IU) dec. No. 17 Corey Morrison 4-3; 9-6
125: No. 6 Angel Escobedo (IU) dec. Nikko Triggas (OSU) 7-1; 9-9
133: Matt Ortega (IU) mdec. Pat Harrington, 12-4, 9-13
141: No. 12 J Jaggers (OSU) dec. Andrae Hernandez (IU) 9-6; 12-13
149: No. 4 Lance Palmer (OSU) dec. Nick Walpole (IU), 8-2; 15-13
157: No. 12 Kurt Kinser (IU) dec. Sean Nemec (OSU), 4-2; 15-16
165: No. 2 Colt Sponseller (OSU) dec. Paul Young (IU), 7-2; 18-16

David Taylor vs. Collin Palmer

This weekend I witnessed a piece of history in Ohio High School Wrestling. Never in Ohio High School Wrestling History have two seniors, both 3x Ohio High School State Champions, wrestled during the regular season. That was until this weekend. Graham High School, returning Ohio Division 2 state champions, hosted Lakewood St. Edward, the returning Ohio Division 1 State champions. Both schools have won dozens of state titles. Taylor has a career record of 124-2 coming into his senior year. I know Collin Palmer has as many wins and the same amount of losses. Each wrestler has several national titles on their resume as well. Collin Palmer will wrestle for Ohio State next season and David Taylor will wrestle for Iowa State and Cael Sanderson. Collin Palmer is ranked #1 in the country at 140 pounds and David Taylor is #1 at 135 pounds.

Last Saturday at Graham High School David Taylor moved up in weight to take on Collin Palmer in what was billed as "The Match of the Century!" The intensity was high in the sold out gym at Graham High School. People came from all over the state to see the match, much like I did. I will not tell you what happens next during the match. The video is above. Watch it for yourself!!!

#5 Ohio State vs. #20 Hofstra

Ohio State Head Coach Tom Ryan returned to his old school on Sunday, 1/25, as the Buckeyes of Ohio State took on Hofsta in Long Island, NY. Ohio State found themselves in quite the struggle early on, but stormed in the late matches to a 19-13 victory in front of more than 2,100 fans to improve thier record to 9-1 on the season. Reece Humphrey had a big win over #9 Lou Riggirello to improve to 19-0 on the season. Reece's match with Lou is shown above, and if you go to the 8:10 mark of the video you will see Reece hit one of the most beautiful throws in wrestling. Other wins came from #12 J. Jaggers, #17 Corey Morrison, #2 Mike Pucillo, #4 Colt Sponseller and #4 Lance Palmer.

The Buckeyes return to action next weekend when they take on #21 Indiana University Friday at 7pm at St. John's Arena. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free rally towel courtesy of Nationwide Arena. Sunday at 11a.m. the Buckeyes will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers at St. John's Arena. All fans are encouraged to wear white in an attempt to "white out" the Golden Gophers!

Updated Rankings as of 1/20/09

The NWCA rankings were released today. The Buckeyes are ranked number 5 while Iowa held down the number 1 spot as they have all season. The Hawkeyes are 15-0, while the Buckeyes are 8-1. Buckeyes ranked individually are Reece Humphrey #2 at 133, J. Jaggers #12 at 141, Lance Palmer #4 at 149, Jason Johnstone #15 at 157, Colt Sponseller #4 at 165, Mike Pucillo #2 at 184 and Corey Morrison #17 at Heavyweight. The Buckeyes will return to action on Sunday, January 25 when they face off with Head Coach Tom Ryan's old squad, Hofstra, in Long Island, NY.

Reece Humphrey named themat.com wrestler of the week

133 pound junior Reece Humphrey, from Indianapolis, IN, was named themat.com wrestler of the week for the week of January 6-12. The junior received the honor for his 5-0 performance at the NWCA National Duals and helping the Buckeyes to a fifth place finish. Humphrey was named the Division 1 outstanding wrestler for the weekend because of his great performance. Humphrey had victories over All-American Mike Grey of Cornell, No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State and No. 4 Jayson Ness of Minnesota. He is now 18-0 on the season and ranked #2 in the country.

Jaggers is Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Senior 141 pound wrestler Jeff Jaggers was named the Big Ten wrestler of the week for the week of January 13. Jaggers was given the honor for his performance at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Jaggers was one of four Buckeyes to finish the weekend with a 5-0 record and helped the Buckeyes to a fifth place finish overall. Jaggers is the fourth Buckeye wrestler to receive the honor this season. Returning 184 pound national champion Mike Pucillo received the honor last Tuesday. Junior Reece Humphrey received the honor for the week of November 4 and senior heavyweight Corey Morrison received the honor for the week of December 16.

National Duals Day 2

The Buckeyes wrestled one dual on day 2 of the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Buckeyes took on the 11th ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers. Nikko Triggas dropped the opening bout of the dual, but that was followed by Reece Humphrey earning yet another upset by defeating fourth ranked Jayson Ness 5-4. Humphrey finished his impressive weekend with a 5-0 record. Pucillo and Palmer both won by fall in their matches to help the Buckeyes defeat the Golden Gophers 21-12 and finished fifth at the NWCA National Duals. Also finishing 5-0 on the weekend were J. Jaggers, Mike Pucillo and Lance Palmer. Match by match results are below.
Fifth Place
Ohio State (OSU) 25 vs. Minnesota (MN) 12
125 Zach Sanders (MN) WBD Nikko Triggas (OSU) D 8-3
133 Reece Humphrey (OSU) WBD Jayson Ness (MN) D 5-4
141 J Jaggers (OSU) WBD Mike Thorn (MN) D 7-2
149 Lance Palmer (OSU) WBF Joe Grygelko (MN) F 2:35
157 Tyler Safratowich (MN) WBD Jason Johnstone (OSU) D 6-4
165 Colt Sponseller (OSU) WBD Scott Glasser (MN) D 4-0
174 Dave Rella (OSU) WBD Kaleb Young (MN) M 13-3
184 Mike Pucillo (OSU) WBF Brent Eidenschink (MN) F 4:33
197 Gordon Bierschenk (MN) WBD Cody Gardner (OSU) D 4-3
285 Joe Nord (MN) WBD Corey Morrison (OSU) D 4-3

National Duals Day 1

Ohio State entered the NWCA National Duals ranked number 6 in the country and they looked to improve that ranking with an impressive showing here in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Buckeyes opened by wrestling 21st ranked Northern Iowa. The Buckeyes took an early lead on UNI and they never looked back, spanking UNI 32-12. The Buckeyes won 7 of the 10 matches, led by sophomore 165 pound wrestler Colt Sponseller. Sponseller avenged an early season loss by beating 2nd ranked Moza Fay, 9-6. Below are the match by match results:
125 Nikko Triggas (OSU) WBF Caleb Flores (UNI) DEF
133 Reece Humphrey (OSU) WBF Josh Baldridge (UNI) F 6:26
141 J Jaggers (OSU) WBD Trent Washington (UNI) D 4-3
149 Lance Palmer (OSU) WBF Brett Robbins (UNI) F 2:46
157 Jason Johnstone (OSU) WBD Trevor Kittleson (UNI) M 15-5
165 Colt Sponseller (OSU) WBD Moza Fay (UNI) D 9-6
174 Jarion Beets (UNI) WBD Dave Rella (OSU) D 6-4
184 Mike Pucillo (OSU) WBD Alex Dolly (UNI) M 12-3
197 Andrew Anderson (UNI) WBD Cody Gardner (OSU) D 9-6
285 Christian Brantley (UNI) WBF Corey Morrison (OSU) F 6:51

The wrestling Buckeyes next saw third ranked Cornell. The Buckeyes looked to be on the verge of a big upset, but fell 17-16. Ohio State held a 16-13 lead heading into the final match of the day, but returning national champion Jordan Leen scored a major decision victory over Buckeye 157 pound wrestler Jason Johnstone. Match by match results are below.
165 Mack Lewnes (COR) WBD Colt Sponseller (OSU) D 3-1 SV1
174 Steve Anceravage (COR) WBD Dave Rella
184 Mike Pucillo (OSU) WBD Justin Kerber (COR) D 8-7
197 Cameron Simaz (COR) WBD Cody Gardner (OSU) M 12-4
285 Corey Morrison (OSU) WBD Zach Hammond (COR) D 6-4
125 Troy Nickerson (COR) WBD Nikko Triggas (OSU) D 2-0
133 Reece Humphrey
141 Jeff Jaggers (OSU) WBD Corey Manson (COR) M 11-2
149 Lance Palmer (OSU) WBD DJ Meagher (COR) D 2-1
157 Jordan Leen (COR) WBD Jason Johnstone (OSU) D 6-2

The Buckeyes next matched up with the fifth ranked Missouri Tigers. The Buckeyes quickly forgot that match with Cornell by downing the Tigers 23-19. Both the Buckeyes and the Tigers each won five matches on the day, but coming up big for the wrestling Buckeyes were Nikko Triggas and Lance Palmer, who each won by fall. Match by Match results are below. Reece Humphrey also had a major decision victory.
125 Nikko Triggas (OSU) WBF Troy Dolan (MIZ) F 2:13
133 Reece Humphrey (OSU) WBD Taylor Crane (MIZ) M 19-7
141 J Jaggers (OSU) WBD Marcus Hoehn (MIZ) D 8-6 SV1
149 Lance Palmer (OSU) WBF Andrew Sherry (MIZ) F 1:19
157 Michael Chandler (MIZ) WBD Jason Johnstone (OSU) D 12-5
165 Nick Marable (MIZ) WBD Colt Sponseller (OSU) D 3-2
174 Raymond Jordan (MIZ) WBD Dave Rella (OSU) M 13-4
184 Mike Pucillo (OSU) WBD Dorian Henderson (MIZ) M 11-3
197 Max Askren (MIZ) WBF Jason Cook (OSU) F 3:30
285 Mark Ellis (MIZ) WBD Corey Morrison (OSU) D 6-0

The final dual of day one saw the sixth ranked Buckeyes take on the 16th ranked Boise State Broncos. The Buckeyes took seven of the ten matches from the Broncos, including 133 pounder Reece Humphrey upseting second ranked Andrew Hoshstrasser. Match by match results are below. The Buckeyes will face Minnesota at 11a.m. tomorrow for fifth place. Going 4-0 on the day were Reece Humphrey, J. Jaggers, Lance Palmer and Mike Pucillo.
125 Nikko Triggas (OSU) WBD Brian Owen (BSU) D 6-0
133 Reece Humphrey (OSU) WBD Andrew Hoshstrasser (BSU) D 6-4
141 J Jaggers (OSU) WBD Cory Fish (BSU) D 3-1
149 Lance Palmer (OSU) WBD Jason Chamberlain (BSU) D 6-1
157 Adam Hall (BSU) WBD Sean Nemec (OSU) D 6-2
165 Colt Sponseller (OSU) WBD Tyler Sherfey (BSU) D 8-6
174 Nate Lee (BSU) WBD Dave Rella (OSU) D 5-2
184 Mike Pucillo (OSU) WBD Kirk Smith (BSU) D 3-2
197 Brent Chriswell (BSU) WBF Cody Gardner (OSU) F 2:02
285 Corey Morrison (OSU) WBD Sam Zylstra (BSU) D 2-1

Ohio State vs. Kent State

Ohio State hosted the Kent State Golden Flashes on January 4 at St. John's Arena. The Buckeyes did not look like themselves during this dual. I must say it was the worst performance by the Buckeyes during this short season. With two matches left in the dual, Ohio State found themselves behind 13-15 to the Golden Flashes. Lance Palmer came up with a major decision victory at 149 pounds to put Ohio State ahead 17-15. This meant that the winner of the match at 157 pounds would win the dual for his team. Jason Johnstone fell behind 2-0 to start the match but stormed back to pick up a 9-3 victory and a team victory for the wrestling Buckeyes.

No. 6 Ohio State vs. Kent State
Jan. 4, 2009
St. John Arena
Columbus, Ohio

Kent State - 15
Ohio State - 20

Individual Matches

Wt	Winning Wrestler (School)	Win Type	Losing Wrestler (School)	Score
125	Nic Bedelyon (Kent State)	DEC	Nikko Triggas (Ohio State)	5 - 2
133	Reece Humphrey (Ohio State)	DEC	Danny Mitchoff (Kent State)	5 - 4
141	Drew Lashaway (Kent State)	PIN	J Jaggers (Ohio State)	6 - 0
149	Lance Palmer (Ohio State)	MDEC	Clint Sponseller (Ohio State)	9 - 0
157	Jason Johnstone (Ohio State)	DEC	Ross Tice (Kent State)	9 - 3
165	Colt Sponseller (Ohio State)	MDEC	Obie Simpson (Kent State)	12 - 4
174	Dave Rella (Ohio State)	DEC	Chris Estep (Kent State)	9 - 4
184	Mike Pucillo (Ohio State)	DEC	Dustin Kilgore (Kent State)	6 - 1
197	Eric Chine (Kent State)	DEC	Cody Gardner (Ohio State)	3 - 2
285	Jermail Porter (Kent State)	DEC	Corey Morrison (Ohio State)	4 - 3

Ohio State vs. Edinboro

No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 17 Edinboro
Dec. 14, 2008
McComb Fieldhouse
Edinboro, Pa.

Edinboro - 12
Ohio State - 19

Individual Matches
125 Kyle Fluke (Edinboro) DEC Nikko Triggas (Ohio State) 6 - 2
133 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) MD Rick Deubel (Edinboro) 6 - 14
141 Joel Webster (Edinboro) DEC J Jaggers (Ohio State) 5 - 4
149 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) DEC Torsten Gillespie (Edinboro) 1 - 7
157 Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) DEC Jason Johnstone (Ohio State) 6 - 2
165 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) DEC Jarrod King (Edinboro) 1 - 4
174 Sean Nemec (Ohio State) DEC Paul Paddock (Edinboro) 4 - 7
184 Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) DEC Christopher Honeycutt (Edinboro) 1 - 8
197 Patrick Bradshaw (Edinboro) DEC Cody Gardner (Ohio State) 3 - 0
285 Corey Morrison (Ohio State) DEC Joe Fendone (Edinboro) 3 - 5

Ohio State traveled to Edinboro, PA to take on the Edinboro Fighting Scots on December 14. Edinboro, ranked 17 nationally, jumped out to an early lead but the Buckeyes battled back to win six of the 10 contested matches to take a 19-12 victory into the holiday break. Reece Humphrey had a 14-6 major decision over former Ohio state champion Ricky Deubel. Sean Nemec looked impressive winning a 7-4 decision over Paul Paddock. Jason Johnstone wrestled a tough opponet in former national champion Gregor Gillespie but fell 6-2. The Buckeyes return to action after the New Year again Kent State.

Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational

The Buckeyes traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to compete in the Cliff Keen Invitational on December 5 and 6. The Buckeyes were represented by six wrestlers and managed to finish a respectable 11th place as a team with the small lineup. Lance Palmer and Colt Sponseller each finished second in their weight classes. Corey Morrison finished sixth at Heavyweight and Jason Johnstone finished 8th at 157 pounds. Nikko Triggas and J. Jaggers also competed and both finished 2-2. Colt Sponseller ran into top ranked Mack Lewnes in the finals and fell 11-3. Lance Palmer defeated 5th ranked Kyle Ruschell of Nebraska in the semi finals before losing by fall to 2nd ranked Darion Caldwell of N.C. State in the finals. The Buckeyes return to action when they will face Edinboro next weekend.

Final Team Standings
1. Nebraska – 124.5
2. Cornell – 91.0
3. Minnesota – 89.0
4. Pittsburgh – 85.0
5. Purdue – 83.0
6. Michigan – 82.5
7. Boise State – 79.5
8. Cal St Bakersfield – 76.0
9. Indiana – 69.0
9. Virginia Tech – 69.0
11. Harvard – 67.5
11. Ohio State – 67.5

NWCA All-Star Classic

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic brought some of the top ranked wrestlers in the country to Columbus, Ohio and St. John's Arena for a night full of great exhibition matches. Ohio State was represented by three wrestlers in 141 Jeff Jaggers, 133 Reece Humphrey and 165 Colt Sponseller. 8th ranked Reece Humphrey took on 6th ranked Joe Baker of Navy and lost a hard fought 5-1 decision. Humphrey showed a lot of potential and the season looks bright for him. Top ranked 141 pounder J. Jaggers took on second ranked Nick Gallick of Iowa State and lost a 6-2 decision. The first period ended 0-0 and Gallick scored a reversal and three near-fall points to open the second and it proved to be too much for Jaggers. 16th ranked Sophomore Colt Sponseller took on second ranked 165 pounder Moza Fay of Northern Iowa. Sponseller lost 13-9 but showed why he is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the country. He was losing 9-3 to begin the third period but stormed back to make the score 11-9 but could not score the takedown to send the match to overtime. It was a night of intense wrestling at St. John's Arena that showcased the top wrestlers in Division 1 wrestling.

All-Star Classic Results
Nov. 24
St. John Arena
Columbus, Ohio

125 – No. 3 Charlie Falck (Iowa) dec. No. 5 James Nicholson (Old Dominion) 6-2
133 – No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) dec. No. 2 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 7-5
141 – No. 2 Nick Gallick (Iowa State) dec. No. 1 J Jaggers (Ohio State) 6-2
149 – No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) tech fall No. 4 Darrion Caldwell (NC State) 19-3
157 – No. 5 Jordan Leen (Cornell) wbf No. 7 No. 7 Cyler Sanderson (Iowa State) 5:59
165 – No. 1 Nick Marable (Missouri) dec. No. 2 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) 3-2
174 – No. 1 Steve Luke (Michigan) dec. No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) 3-2
184 – No. 3 Phil Keddy (Iowa) dec. No. 4 Louis Caputo (Harvard) 3-2
197 – No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) maj. dec. No. 2 Hudson Taylor (Maryland) 13-1
285 – No. 1 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 3 Kyle Massey (Wisconsin) 8-4

Buckeye Duals

Ohio State hosted Notre Dame College and Cleveland State on Saturday, November 16 in the Buckeye Duals. Ohio State made quick work of both teams in defeating Notre Dame College, of the N.A.I.A., 34-6 and Cleveland State by a score of 35-13. Going 2-0 on the day for the wrestling Buckeyes was #165 Colt Sponseller, #197 Cody Gardner, #125 Nikko Triggas, #133 Reece Humphrey, #141 J. Jaggers and #157 Jason Johnstone. The Buckeyes will return to action Monday, November 24 when they host the NWCA All-Star Classic at St. John's Arena. The Buckeyes will be represented by J. Jaggers, Colt Sponseller and Reece Humphrey.

Buffalo Open and N.C. State Open

The Buckeye wrestlers opened the season on Sunday, November 2 with the Buffalo Open and then followed that by wrestling in the N.C. State Open on Saturday, November 8. The Buckeyes had crowned six champions at the Buffalo Open and several others placers. Reece Humphrey started the season off in a big way by claiming the 133 pound title. Jason Johnstone won the title at 157 pounds, while fellow 157 pound wrestler Sean Nemec finished third. Ohio State did not have to wait long for the next two titles as Sophomore Colt Sponseller won the title at 165 pounds and Dave Rella won the title at 174 pounds. Cody Gardner, a four time state champion from Virginia who had 186 prep victories, won the title for Ohio State at 197 pounds and Corey Morrison won the title at 285 pounds. Nikko Triggas claimed third place at 125 pounds. Seven Buckeyes advanced to the finals of the N.C. State Open on November 8. Winning championships were Reece Humphrey at 133 pounds, Jason Johnstone at 157 pounds, Colt Sponseller at 165 pounds and Cody Gardner at 197 pounds. Also reaching the finals were Lance Palmer at 149 pounds, who lost to #3 Darrion Caldwell of N.C. State. Wes Bergman and Corey Morrison also finished second at 184 pounds and 285 pounds. Finishing third was Jason Cook at 197 pounds, Nikko Triggas at 125 pounds and Sean Nemec at 157 pounds. John Hiles finished 4th at heavyweight. It was a great opening two weekends for the wrestling Buckeyes and I look forward to what this season holds.

Season Preview

Ohio State is coming off one of the best seasons in recent memory. The 2007-08 Ohio State Wrestling Buckeyes turned in a runner-up finish at the NCAA tournament and crowned two nationals champions (#141 Jeff Jaggers and #184 Mike Pucillo), a national runner-up (Heavyweight J.D. Bergman) and a seventh place finisher in #149 Lance Palmer. The Buckeyes had finished fifth in the Big Ten Tournament two weeks earlier and advanced seven wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament.
The Buckeyes have high hopes for the 2008-09 Wrestling Season. Head Coach Tom Ryan boasts a lineup that returns six NCAA Qualifiers, two national champions and another two-time All-American. The Buckeyes will begin the season at the Buffalo Open and are ranked #3 nationally by Intermat Wrestling.