Cavaliers’ Doty named ACC Wrestler of the Week
 By Steve Phillips
 Atlantic Coast Conference
 
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Virginia sophomore Stephen Doty has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after posting three wins – including a pair of ACC victories – while competing in two different weight classes.
 
Doty filled in for the Cavaliers in all three of their weekend dual matches. On Friday, the St. Louis native wrestled up a weight class and picked up a 5-2 win at 197 pounds over Maryland’s Dallas Brown, giving the Cavaliers a late lead in the dual, which Maryland eventually won by a 19-16 score.
 
On Saturday, Doty moved back down to 184 pounds to wrestle Diego Bencomo of Duke, who owned a 22-11 record coming into the match. Doty rallied from a 5-1 third-period deficit and scored a takedown just before the final buzzer to force overtime. He then took Bencomo down early in the extra session to pick up the exciting win, 7-5.
 
Doty went back to the 197 class later Saturday and dominated Appalachian State’s Jon Hartley, 10-4. With his three weekend victories, Doty improved to 23-9 this season.

Lister, Nicholson named CAA Wrestlers of the Week, Loew named Rookie of the Week
By Bud Focht
Rider University

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—Justin Lister of Binghamton University and James Nicholson of Old Dominion University are the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestlers of the Week, and Matt Loew of Hofstra University is the CAA Rookie of the Week, for all competition February 8-14.

Lister, a junior 165 from Rodman, NY (South Jefferson), won all three of his matches last week, two by fall, including a CAA victory with a fall in less than a minute.

Lister has won six straight duals, including back-to-back first period pins, raising his record to 18-6 overall.

Nicholson, a senior 125 from Des Moines, Iowa (Theodore Roosevelt), won all three of his matches last week with a tech fall, a fall and an 8-2 decision over the 14th ranked wrestler in the nation from Virginia Tech.  The pin was his sixth of the season.

Currently ranked fourth in the nation, Nicholson improved to a perfect 28-0, including 6-0 in the CAA.

Loew, a freshman 197 from Wantagh, NY (Wantagh), won both of his matches last week, including a first period fall in a win at Harvard. The pin, his first, was his 10th collegiate victory.

Kellen Russell named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
By Bob Healy
Big Ten Conference

Michigan’s Kellen Russell earns his second Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award of 2010-11 after defeating the No. 2 and No. 3 wrestlers at 141 pounds over the weekend. The top-ranked wrestler in the country at 141, Russell defeated second-ranked Mike Thorn of No. 5 Minnesota on Friday. The junior notched a takedown in overtime to earn the 3-1 win over Thorn. He followed with a 9-5 sudden victory win over third-ranked Montell Marion of No. 2 Iowa on Sunday. Russell converted on a takedown with 15 seconds remaining in regulation time to tie the bout and force an extra period. He then took Marion to his back, scoring four points on a takedown and a near fall to earn the win. Russell’s record now stands at 29-0 this season.

Jeremiason named Northern Sun Wrestler of the Week
By Nick Kornder
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference

Jason Jeremiason knocked off top-ranked Kyle Pedretti of Upper Iowa on Friday night, helping No. 2 Augustana to a 28-9 victory over the No. 11 Peacocks. The win secured the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title for the Vikings, who finish conference dual action with a perfect 7-0 mark. Jeremiason used a pair of takedown and more than two minutes of riding time to notch the 5-1 win. His victory pushed the Viking lead to 12-3. Jeremiason is now 17-3 on the season. This marks the second time this season Jeremiason has been named NSIC Wrestler of the Week (1/10/11).

LeBlanc named WWC Wrestler of the Week
By James Warnick
Western Wrestling Conference
University of Wyoming 184-pound junior Joe LeBlanc (Meeker, Colo./Meeker HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week after defeating two top-15 ranked opponents last week, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon.

UW's 184-pounder claimed his two victories over two top-15 wrestlers to push his overall record to 21-1. Ranked fifth in the country, LeBlanc started Friday’s dual against the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners with a win over Erich Schmidtke, ranked 15th, with a 13-2 major decision. LeBlanc claimed six near-fall points and a riding time point for the final margin. The win gave Wyoming a 4-0 lead after one match.   

He followed that up with a win versus the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sunday as he took down No. 10 Chris Perry in a hard-fought 4-3 decision. LeBlanc's win was Wyoming's sole victory versus Oklahoma State.  

LeBlanc is now 7-1 on the season versus ranked opponents.

The conference honor is the two-time All American's first of the season.