Annoucements made week beginning Jan. 16

Konrad named Big 10 Wrestler of the Week

Cole Konrad of Minnesota was named the Big 10 Wrestler of the Week. 

Cole Konrad, Minnesota,JR, HWT, Freedom, Wis./Freedom HS
Konrad earns his third weekly award this season after being named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the National Duals. Konrad pinned top-ranked and two-time NCAA Champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State to clinch Minnesota's 21-14 upset of the No. 1 Cowboys. Minnesota ended OSU's consecutive winning streak at 30, while Konrad snapped Mocco's 85-match winning streak. Mocco defeated Konrad three times last year, including an overtime decision in the finals at the NCAA Championship. In the Golden Gophers' first round matchup against Hofstra, Konrad pinned Jon Andriac in 1:44 to become the 26th wrestler in school history to reach 100 career wins. In the semifinals, Konrad clinched Minnesota's 20-15 win over Central Michigan with a 9-1 major decision against 18th-ranked Bubba Gritter. Konrad is now 24-0 on the year and has won 53 of his last 54 matches.

Klein named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

DALLAS - Jacob Klein of Nebraska has been named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for his performance during meets from Jan. 9-15.  Klein receives recognition for the second time in his career.

This weekend Jacob Klein (Sr., 175 pounds, Valley Center, Kan.), went 4-0 over four ranked wrestlers at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals where the Huskers, ranked No. 14 nationally, took third place and defeated No. 6 Iowa, No. 5 Michigan and No. 7 Central Michigan. 

Ranked fifth at 174 pounds, Klein topped No. 3 Mark Perry of Iowa, 4-3; No. 6 Nick Roy of Michigan, 4-0; No. 9 Brandon Mason of Oklahoma State, 3-0 and No. 14 Brandon Stinnott of Central Michigan, 6-0.

Krom named ACC Wrestler of the Week

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Maryland's Alex Krom was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after going 2-0 on the week and leading the Terrapins to their first ACC win of the season, a 28-6 victory over NC State. 

Krom began the week by recording an 8-2 decision over Navy's Spencer Manley at 141 pounds. He was one of only three Terrapins to notch a win against the 21st-ranked Midshipmen. 

The Easton, Pa., native then scored his third technical fall of the season with a 15-0 win over Jalil Dozier of NC State. The freshman's victory helped Maryland to its first conference win since 2002 and gave head coach Pat Santoro his first win in the ACC. Krom is now 15-8 on the season.

Sinnott named MAC Wrestler of the Week

Brandon Sinnott of Central Michigan was named MAC Wrestler of the Week.

Brandon Sinnott - Jr.-So. - 174 pounds - Central Michigan - Allen Park, Mich. - Allen Park
Sinnott, ranked No. 14 in last week's InterMat poll in the 174-pound weight division, was 3-1 over the weekend as CMU finished fourth at National Duals, its best-ever finish at the event. He was one of just two Chippewas to win three matches during the tournament. His biggest  win of the tournament was a pin of No. 16 Wes Roberts (Oklahoma). The fall gave the Chippewas a 16-9 lead over the third-ranked Sooners, and ultimately led CMU to the 19-15 win. Sinnott's other wins were a 5-3 decision over Minnesota's Gabe Dretsch and a 10-4 win against Northern Iowa's Curt Zinnel. Sinnott improved to 18-8 overall this season, ranking second among his teammates in wins.*

Other Nominees
Harold Sherrell - Sr. - Heavyweight - Buffalo - Liverpool, N.Y. - Liverpool
In one dual match last week, Sherrell beat 12th-ranked Tyler Shovlin of UNC-Greensboro, 5-2, in a 22-20 setback to the Spartans. Last week, Sherrell earned his first mention in the NWCA poll, ranking 16th despite weighing in at a slight 217 pounds in the 285-pound weight class.*

Sean Clair - Fr. - 125 pounds - Eastern Michigan - Turtlecreek, Pa. - Plum
Clair was on the winning end of both of his matches in the Eagles' two dual tilts last week. In a combined dual match with Slippery Rock and Cleveland State, Clair defeated Slippery Rock's Chris Clark, 5-0, in a 19-15 EMU win, and beat Cleveland State's Jaryl Hunt, 5-4, in a 29-12 
Viking triumph.*

Kurt Gross - So. - 157 pounds - Kent State - North Royalton, Ohio - Padua Franciscan
Gross went 2-0 against opponents from Top-10 schools last week. He defeated Oklahoma State's Newly McSpadden, 3-2 to open his slate at National Duals. Gross later beat Michael Chandler of Missouri, 8-5. Gross has won five consecutive matches dating back to the Southern Scuffle, and has a season record of 18-6.*

Pat Castillo - So. - 133 pounds - Northern Illinois - Western Springs, Ill. - Lyons
Castillo picked up two victories in the Huskies' first appearance at National Duals last weekend. He defeated Michigan's Mike Watts, 14-5, in NIU's opening match. In the ensuing match against Iowa, Castillo beat the Hawkeyes' Luke Magnani, 5-2. Castillo was the only Northern Illinois wrestler to earn wins in both of the team's matches.*

Brian Cesear - Jr. - 184 pounds - Ohio - Amherst, Ohio - Marion L. Steele
Cesear set the tone early for the Bobcats on Saturday, giving them an early 4-0 lead with an 11-2 major decision over N.C. State's Jeremy Colbert in the opening match of the dual meet. Paced by Cesear, Ohio claimed five of the first six matches for a commanding 19-3 lead in the eventual 25-13 win over the Wolfpack.*

Keller named SoCon Wrestler of the Week

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestler Matt Keller won his fourth Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week Award of the 2005-06 season, the SoCon office announced Wednesday.
 
Keller went undefeated in five matches this past weekend at the Virginia Duals.  Wrestling at 133 pounds, he registered a pin and two major decisions while scoring victories over wrestlers from Columbia, Drexel, Indiana and North Carolina.
 
The junior from McDonald, Tenn., led UTC to a third-place finish and a 4-1 record in Hampton, Va.  The Mocs defeated Columbia, Drexel and North Carolina twice while falling to eventual champion Indiana in the semifinals.
 
Keller, currently ranked as high as No. 7 nationally by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and IntermatWrestle, is the team leader with a 27-7 overall record.  He also owns a 10-match winning streak.
The 25th-ranked Mocs return to action Jan. 24, opening Southern Conference competition at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

Hluschak named CAA Wrestler of the Week

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ (January 17, 2006) - Drexel University swept the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestling awards, as Ryan Hluschak was named the CAA Wrestler of the Week, and Steve Mytych was named the CAA Rookie of the Week, for all competition January 10-16.

Hluschak, a sophomore from Slatington, PA (Northern Lehigh), was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2006 Virginia Duals, winning all five of his bouts to complete a perfect 6-0 week. He led Drexel to a fifth place finish at the 16-team VA Duals.

Hluschak, the third ranked 157 in the CAA, began the week with a CAA victory against Rider. At the VA Duals he won a pair of major decisions and a fall.

Mytych, a freshman from Northampton, PA (Northampton), was 4-2 last week with a CAA victory against Rider. At the VA Duals Mytych, who is currently ranked 19th in the nation at 125 pounds, defeated previously ranked Anthony Burke of Virginia and is now 17-6 overall, including a perfect 5-0 in CAA duals.

Hinschberger named Iowa Conference Wrestler of the Week

Dustin Hinschberger (Wartburg College, Belle Plaine, Iowa/Belle Plaine) was named Iowa Conference Wrestler of the Week. Hinschberger, a senior, was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals after posting a 3-0 record with two major decisions and two victories over ranked wrestlers.  Hinschberger, the top-ranked wrestler in the 141-pound class, won major decisions over #8-ranked Travis Grawin of Luther (11-3), and Augsburg's Josh Hansen (12-2).   Hinschberger won by decision over #2-ranked Dustin Brewer of Simpson (5-2).

The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances by wrestlers.
-     Buena Vista University junior Ben Strandberg (Emmetsburg, Iowa/Emmetsburg) went 6-0 during the week at 197-pounds including 5-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals.  Strandberg had a fall, a major decision and two decisions over nationally ranked wrestlers (#5 Dan Fiecke of St. John's and #6 John Ugaste of Cornell).
-     Loras College sophomore Jay Figgins (Clinton, Iowa/Clinton) went 5-0 during the week with four falls and a major decision to lead the Duhawks' to the championship at the Budd Whitehill Division III Duals at Lycoming College.  

MacNaught, Johns named NSIC Wrestlers of the Week

Upper Iowa University senior C.J. MacNaught (Walton, N.Y.) was named one of two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestlers of the Week today. The 174-pounder won all three of his matches for the Peacocks at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls Saturday. MacNaught shared the NSIC honor with Tim Johns of Southwest Minnesota State.

In Upper Iowa's 22-15 loss to #6 Ashland, MacNaught came through with an 8-5 decision over Clint Carmony.  He recorded an 11-3 major decision win over Jesse Sheets in UIU's 19-19 tie with #18 Central Missouri State.  MacNaught ended Saturday with a 16-8 major decision over UNC-Pembroke's Richard Alstrom.  Upper Iowa defeated UNC-Pembroke 47-0.

MacNaught is currently ranked sixth at 174 pounds in the recent Division II Wrestling Coaches Association rankings.  Upper Iowa is 13th as a team. Upper Iowa is an affiliate member of the NSIC in wrestling this season.

College conferences that wish to have their Wrestlers of the week published on TheMat.com should send their selections to Gary Abbott at gabbott@usawrestling.org. These athletes will be honored weekly in a combined story.