It didn't take long for Lou Ruggirello to hear the news when it broke Monday.

He had been elevated to the No. 1 spot in the national collegiate wrestling rankings at 133 pounds.

But that was no cause for celebration. Instead, Ruggirello was back in the Hofstra wrestling room fully immersed in doing what he does best.

"Lou continues to work hard and continues to get better," Hofstra coach Tom Shifflet said. "He doesn't take anybody lightly. He knows he's off to a good start, but he also realizes it's a long season. He's not the kind of kid who gets on the Internet and worries about rankings and that kind of stuff. He wants to be the best when it counts at the end."

The 19-year-old Hofstra sophomore is off to a blazing start this season at 133, boasting a victory over the nation's top-ranked wrestler in addition to wins over two wrestlers who were ranked No. 2 when he knocked them off.

Victories in the season's first three weeks over No. 2 Tyler McCormick of Missouri, No. 2 Mack Reiter of Minnesota and No. 1 Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State have vaulted Ruggirello to the No. 1 spot in the national rankings. Ruggirello pinned McCormick, beat Reiter 6-0 and edged Scott 3-2. He also has registered a first-period pin over No. 14 David Marble of Bucknell.

"It was exciting getting an opportunity to wrestle all the top guys right away," Ruggirello said. "I've been working hard with my coaches and my teammates. It definitely boosts my confidence to beat some of those guys. Now I need to keep my momentum going."

Trying to knock off Ruggirello is about as easy as trying to pronounce his name. For the record, his name is pronounced Rudge-a-rello. And it's a name wrestling fans are going to be hearing a lot over the next three years.

Ruggirello's fast start may come as a surprise to some wrestling fans. He went 0-2 in his first NCAA Championships as a freshman, but he still showed plenty of promise during his initial collegiate campaign.

Ruggirello was 31-9 as a freshman, won a Colonial Athletic Association title and was named CAA Rookie of the Year.

Unseeded at the 2007 NCAA meet last March in Auburn Hills, Mich., Ruggirello drew unseeded Jake Strayer of Penn State in his first match.

He had lost to Strayer by a handful of points earlier in the season, but Ruggirello came out strong by scoring a takedown and three back points. Still leading by three points with around a minute left in the match, Ruggirello tried to finish Strayer off.

"Lou was being aggressive and went for a headlock," Shifflet said. "He wasn't able to post his hand and got rolled through to his back and got pinned. He had a disappointing national tournament, but it was a great learning experience for him. He lost two tough matches to two really good guys."

Strayer ended up placing seventh at the NCAA meet. Ruggirello lost 3-2 to No. 3 seed Adam Frey of Cornell in the wrestlebacks and was eliminated.

"I learned a lot from that experience at the NCAA tournament," Ruggirello said. "Mentally, I wasn't prepared for it the way I should've been. I didn't wrestle a full match and I wasn't in as good of shape as I needed to be. It's something I think back on a lot. It motivates me and makes me work that much harder."

Ruggirello also caught plenty of people's attention last season when he took Penn's Matt Valenti into double-overtime before falling. Valenti went on to win his second NCAA title.

"Lou's been a winner his whole life, so I'm really not surprised about what he's done so far this year," Shifflet said. "I'm very proud of him. He was right in there with the best guys in the country last year and now he's winning the close matches he lost last year. He's more experienced, he's more confident, he's a lot stronger and he's better technically. He's made huge strides in every area."

Unlike most wrestlers who redshirt their first season in college, Ruggirello competed on the varsity right away.

"Lou jumped right into the lineup as an 18-year-old true freshman," Shifflet said. "It was a great learning experience for him and you can see how much more confident he is this year."

Ruggirello, from Walden, N.Y., arrived at Hofstra with glowing credentials. He was a three-time New York state champion, won Senior Nationals and was a second-team ASICS All-American.

He also drew recruiting attention from Cornell, Edinboro, Binghamton and Buffalo, but elected to sign with then-Hofstra coach Tom Ryan.

When Ryan announced he was leaving Hofstra for Ohio State in the spring of 2006, Ruggirello had a decision to make as his senior year of high school neared its conclusion.

"I really liked Tom Ryan and they had a great group of guys on the team. Plus it was close to home," Ruggirello said of his initial decision to sign with Hofstra. "When Coach Shifflet was hired, I really liked him from the very beginning and I knew I would stay here. It has worked out beautifully. I couldn't be happier."

Shifflet admired Ruggirello's decision to stick with Hofstra.

"We didn't really know each other - his relationship was with Tom Ryan," Shifflet said of when he arrived at Hofstra. "Lou could've followed Tom, and he had a lot of other options, but he stayed with his commitment to Hofstra." 

Shifflet's decision to hire past two-time NCAA champion Joe Dubuque as an assistant coach provided another bonus for a guy like Ruggirello. Dubuque, who is now competing internationally in freestyle at 55 kg/121 lbs., coaches and trains with Ruggirello.

"Joe's helped me a lot," Ruggirello said. "He's an awesome coach. He's really helped me improve on my feet. He's also helped me mentally."

Shifflet said Ruggirello has taken full advantage of Dubuque being involved with the Hofstra program.

"Joe Dubuque is enthusiastic and he's a winner," Shifflet said. "Having a two-time NCAA champion in your room, guys are going to listen to what he says. That's why Lou is taking the next step in his career. He's coachable, and he's going to listen and work on things the coaches tell him. He's willing to take advice and use it."

Hofstra's campus in Long Island, N.Y., provides a perfect fit for Ruggirello. His hometown is about a 90-minute drive away, which affords him a chance to stay close to his family. His younger brother, Cody, a sophomore in high school, already is a state champion. Lou and Cody's father, Lou, also was a state champion.

Lou Ruggirello also benefited from spending about 10 days this summer in the wrestling room at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Among the wrestlers he worked out with was 2007 World Team freestyle member Henry Cejudo, who is just a year older than Ruggirello.

"We were out there at the end of August and it helped me start getting back into shape for this season," Ruggirello said. "Being around a lot of the World Team guys was a great experience. It got me real excited about this season."

Ruggirello and Hofstra teammate Charles Griffin (141) turned in strong performances with wins at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic on Nov. 19 in Eugene, Ore.

Ruggirello put his skills in the top position on full display in the all-star dual in a dominating 6-0 win over Reiter, a two-time All-American. Griffin followed by coming from behind to beat two-time All-American Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State.

"It was a great experience to wrestle in that event and represent Hofstra," Ruggirello said. "Being around all the best wrestlers in the nation was great. It was definitely one of the most exciting experiences of my career. They had a great crowd and a great atmosphere. It was a lot of fun."

Being in the bottom position against Ruggirello is not much fun.

"I'm real comfortable on top," he said. "That's where I'm strongest."

Griffin, third in the nation last year, and national qualifier Dave Tomasette (125) provide Hofstra with a lethal 1-2-3 punch at the start of its lineup. They also provide some hard-fought battles in the room. Griffin is ranked second nationally at 141 and Tomasette is No. 7 at 125.

"You can't really let up in our wrestling room because there are so many good wrestlers in there," Ruggirello said. "Everyone is battling all the time. It's a great place to train. The guys I'm practicing with are among the best in the nation, so I know I can wrestle with anybody."

The competition doesn't become any easier for Ruggirello and his Hofstra teammates this weekend. They will compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Among the 133-pounders expected to compete are the now-No. 4 McCormick along with No. 5 Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois.

So what was Ruggirello's reaction to being ranked No. 1?

"Some of my teammates were joking around with me about it," Ruggirello said. "I just have to go out and wrestle and not pay attention to it. I just have to keep it in perspective and keep wrestling hard."

Shifflet said Ruggirello excels in the classroom as well, sporting a 3.3 grade-point average.

"I can't say enough about Lou - he's a great student and a great person who comes from a great family," Shifflet said. "As a coach, you wish you had 10 of him. He's special."