This weekend in NCAA Division I Wrestling

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
11/17/2001


The best place in the country to watch college wrestling on Saturday likely will be in Omaha.    More than 30 teams are expected to compete at the Kaufman-Brand Open at Sapp Fieldhouse.    Fifth-ranked Iowa, No. 11 Nebraska, No. 15 Northern Iowa and Wyoming are expected to bring their entire teams to the tournament which also will include three of the nation's top four Division II teams - No. 2 South Dakota State, No. 3 Central Oklahoma and No. 4 Nebraska-Omaha.    A number of top Division III, NAIA and junior-college programs also are expected to compete.    Iowa won six championships last weekend at the Central Missouri Open. Winning titles for Iowa were Marc Juergens (133), Luke Moffitt (141), Mike Zadick (149), Matt Anderson (157), Jessman Smith (184) and Steve Mocco (heavyweight).    "We needed to get out and compete last weekend and it was good for some of our guys who aren't experienced to get some competition under their belts," Iowa coach Jim Zalesky said. "As a coaching staff, we saw a lot of good things and we saw some things that we have to work on."    Nebraska is led by top-ranked Bryan Snyder at 157. Snyder, 28-2 last season, finished second in the nation last season.    Top-ranked Minnesota is scheduled to compete in Omaha, but Coach J Robinson said the Gophers will not be bringing any of their eight returning All-Americans to the meet.    Second-ranked Oklahoma State will see its first action of the season on Saturday at the Cliff Keen Open in Tulsa. The Cowboys will then play host to Tennessee-Chattanooga and Emery Riddle in dual meets on Sunday.    Third-ranked Oklahoma is scheduled to wrestle at the Missouri Open on Sunday in Columbia, Mo.    Fourth-ranked Michigan is scheduled to compete at the Michigan State Open on Saturday and Sunday in East Lansing, Mich. Seventh-ranked Ohio State also is slated to wrestle in that meet along with No. 14 Michigan State.    Record-setting Cael Sanderson and his Iowa State teammates are heading east for a pair of events. The Cyclones are scheduled to wrestle at Hofstra in Long Island, N.Y., on Friday before competing in the Penn Open in Philadelphia on Sunday.    Sanderson improved to 123-0 by winning the Harold Nichols Open at 197 pounds last weekend.    No. 8 Lehigh wrestles at Lock Haven on Sunday.    Ninth-ranked Illinois, upset by Missouri in a season-opening dual meet, will compete at the St. Louis Open on Sunday.