Annual MSU Wrestling Golf Outing set for Sunday, Sept 7  8/15/08 - The MSU Takedown Club will host the annual MSU Wrestling Golf Outing on Sunday, September 7, at the Meridian Sun Golf Course in Haslett, MI.  Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start.  Click the link above for more information and to register for the outing.

Big Ten to send at least 100 participants and coaches to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
Conference contingent will represent 28 different countries in 17 sporting events
Park Ridge, Ill. – As the 2008 Olympic Games commence this week, the Big Ten Conference will boast at least 100 participants and coaches competing for gold medals in Beijing, China, from August 8-24. The group of Big Ten Conference competitors, which includes 11 former Olympians and five past medalists, will represent 28 different countries and 10 Big Ten institutions in 17 different sports.

Incoming freshman heavyweight, Steve Andrus, finishes second at the Junior National Championships  FARGO, ND, 7/28/08 - Manhattan High (Manhattan, KS) wrestler Steve Andrus was named an All-American for the second time Saturday, finishing second at the USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle Championship in Fargo, N.D. at 285 lbs.

Andrus finished 9-1 in the freestyle portion of the tournament after finishing fifth earlier in the week in the Greco-Roman championships. His only loss of the competition came to three-time state champion Eric Thompson of Iowa.  Andrus will be a freshman at Michigan State in the fall.

Michigan State Wrestling Online debuts "Matches From the Vault" 7/13/08 - Visitors to our web site will now be able to see great matches from the past with the debut of "Matches From the Vault."  This week's match is the classic 2003 match between Spartan heavyweight Mike Keenan and Michigan's Greg Wagner where Keenan's apparent fall is disputed and then overturned!  The Spartans went on to win the dual meet 16-15.  Just click on the vault to see the match.

Spartans ink three to National Letters of Intent
EAST LANSING, Mich., 6/27/08 - Michigan State wrestling head coach Tom Minkel has announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Jeremiah Austin, Colby Borchetta and Mason Reid will begin competition with the Spartans in the fall of 2008.

"We are very pleased to have these young men joining our wrestling program," said Minkel. "All three are talented and hard-working wrestlers, and I'm looking forward to having them on the mat this year."

Austin was the runner-up at 125-pounds at the Division 1 state tournament, representing John Glenn High School in his hometown of Westland, Mich. Austin finished his senior year with a 53-2 individual record.

Borchetta, a Plantation, Fla., native, is a two-time Florida Class 1A state champion, having wrestled at Archbishop McCarthy High School. Borchetta won his first title as a junior at 112-pounds, but moved up to 119-pounds his senior year and earned his second state championship. However, Minkel believes that he will compete at 133-pounds for the Spartans. Borchetta compiled a 44-3 record as a junior and a 29-1 mark in his final high school season.

Reid, a two-time 171-pound Kentucky state champion, attended Ryle High School in Union, Ky. and will wrestle at 165-pounds upon arriving at Michigan State. As a senior, he posted a 53-3 record.

Comcast, Big Ten Network reach broad multimedia agreement for Big Ten Network content
Comcast customers to receive Big Ten Network HD, Big Ten Network high-speed Internet content through Comcast.net, and condensed game replays and other programs through Comcast On Demand.
PHILADELPHIA AND CHICAGO, 6/19/08 – Comcast Corporation and the Big Ten Network announced today that they have reached a long-term multimedia agreement for Comcast to carry Big Ten Network programming across television, broadband and video-on-demand in time for the 2008 college football season.

Coach Minkel to appear at 1980 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team reunion
Spartan head coach Tom Minkel will join his former Olympic teammates at a reunion on June 13-15 in Las Vegas
EAST LANSING, Mich., 6/7/08 - Michigan State head wrestling coach Tom Minkel will be appearing at the reunion of the 1980 United States Olympic wrestling team next week at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev.
 
"There are few experiences in sports that match being a member of the United States Olympic Team," said Minkel. "I am really looking forward to seeing my former teammates and watching the Olympic Trials."

USA Wrestling will be hosting the event based around the wrestling Olympic Trials at the Thomas and Mack Center on June 13-15.

Franklin Gomez set to compete at University World Team Trials in Colorado Springs
EAST LANSING, Mich., 5/20/08 - Spartan sophomore Franklin Gomez is set to compete in the University World Team Trials for freestyle wrestling which is being held May 22-24 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The winners in each weight class will earn a spot on the U.S. University World Team. The World University Championships are set to take place in Tessaloniki, Greece, July 9-13.

Champions from the University Nationals from the seven University World Championship weights earn a bye to the finals of University World Team Trials, with the highest finisher from University Nationals getting an automatic berth if the champion isn’t in attendance. Gomez finished second at 132 lbs. at this year's University National Championships.

MSU recognized for academic success by National Wrestling Coaches Association
Redshirt sophomore Franklin Gomez named to the NWCA Division I All-Academic team.
EAST LANSING, Mich., 5/10/08 - The Michigan State wrestling team was recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) in its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30, while redshirt sophomore Franklin Gomez was named to the NWCA Division I All-Academic team.  "Our team and staff have put a lot of effort in to the academic side of our program," said head coach Tom Minkel. "It is nice to see these positive results."  

As a team, the Spartans are 23rd nationally with a 2.933 grade point average, which ranks them second among Big Ten programs and sixth among public institutions.  Meanwhile, Gomez compiled a 3.01 GPA, as a interdisciplinary studies in social science major with a concentration in human resources and society.  Gomez also was a standout for the Spartans on the mat, earning All-America honors after placing third at the NCAA Championships. In addition, he was the Big Ten champion at 133-pounds and had an overall record of 33-2.  For the complete listing of schools and student-athletes, click here.

2008-09 Wrestling schedule announced  5/1/08 - The Michigan State wrestling schedule for the upcoming season has been released and the Spartans will face many familiar foes as well as a dual with West Virginia.  The Spartans have wrestled the Mountaineers only twice before, winning both duals . . . in 1938 and 1939!

Wrestlers amaze at the annual SPYN Contest  4/27/08 - The MSU wrestlers once again rocked the crowd at the fifth annual charity SPYN contest.  Watch the video

Watch the 2007-08 Highlight Video

Gomez places eighth at U.S. Freestyle Nationals  4/26/08 - Competing at 132 lbs. Spartan sophomore Franklin Gomez fell one match short of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by placing eighth at the U.S. Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas over the weekend.  The top seven place winners at each weight class qualify to compete at the Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 13-15.  Rex Kendle and Nick Palmieri also won matches at the event but did not place.

Wrestling Team Awards Banquet honors top wrestlers  12/26/08 - The annual Wrestling Team Awards Banquet was a marvelous get together honoring the accomplishments of the 2007-08 MSU wrestling team.  The award winners were a follows:

Most Falls Award - Joe Williams (25-13 w/7 falls)
Most Exciting Wrestler Award - Franklin Gomez
Tom Muir Most Improved Award - Rex Kendle, Nick Palmieri
Commitment Award - Freddie DeRamus, Clint Frutiger
Outstanding Freshman Award - Ian Hinton
Perseverance Award - John Murphy
Grady Peninger Scholastic Achievement Award - Joel Trombly
(best GPA over last two semesters)
Outstanding Wrestler Award - Franklin Gomez (33-2, 1st MSU Open, 2nd Midlands, Big Ten Champion, 3rd NCAA Championships)

Franklin Gomez places third at NCAA Championships
Gomez earns All-America honors at 133 pounds in his first NCAA appearance.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. 3/22/08 - Sophomore Franklin Gomez posted two wins this morning to finish in third place in the 133 pound weight class at the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships, held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Gomez, who ends the season with a 33-2 record, is Michigan State's 132nd All-American and the 12th since 2000. He is also the ninth Spartan to place in the top-three at the national meet since 1981. Gomez matched Nick Simmons performance of last year, where he also placed third at 133 pounds.

"You can't diminish a third place national finish in any sport," said head coach Tom Minkel. "Even though Franklin had a tough overtime loss in the semi-finals yesterday, it is a significant accomplishment to finish third and be an All-American as a sophomore in your first NCAA appearance. Franklin got ready today for two outstanding matches and finished strong. The weight class is very talented and he will able to build off this year's experiences."
Final NCAA Brackets
Final Team Standings

Franklin Gomez reaches NCAA Championships semi-finals
Gomez defeats No. 8 Mack Reiter, 5-3, in this morning's 133-pound quarterfinals,
will face Iowa's Joey Slaton in tonight's NCAA semifinals.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Sophomore Franklin Gomez moved one step closer to the ultimate goal, beating No. 8-seed Mack Reiter of Minnesota, 5-3, this morning in the quarterfinals of the 2008 NCAA Championships, held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. Gomez, the 133-pound No. 1 seed, will face Iowa's Joey Slaton, the No. 4 seed, in tonight's semifinal.  "Today was a good win for Franklin," said head coach Tom Minkel. "He was able to control the match and do what he had to do to move onto tonight. Reiter is the real deal, so this win is a great accomplishment."

After marathon bout, Franklin Gomez advances to quarterfinals of 2008 NCAA Championships
Gomez defeats Ohio State's Reece Humphrey after three sudden death overtimes
ST. LOUIS, Mo., 3/20/08 - Sophomore Franklin Gomez began his first NCAA Championship with a pair of wins to advance to the Friday's 133-pound quarterfinals. Gomez began the day in the morning session at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. with a 12-4 major decision over Northern Iowa's Josh Baldridge and followed in the night session with a 6-5, 13-minute marathon win over Ohio State's Reece Humphrey in three sudden victory overtimes.

Franklin Gomez wins first bout at NCAA Championships
ST. LOUIS, Mo., 3/20/08 - Sophomore Franklin Gomez began his first NCAA Championship with a 12-4 major decision over Northern Iowa's Josh Baldridge in this morning's first round at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.  Gomez will now face Ohio State's Reece Humphrey in the 133-pound second round tonight.

NCAA brackets released, MSU's Franklin Gomez the number one seed at 133 lbs.  3/17/08 - The brackets for the Division 1 NCAA Wrestling Championships have been released and MSU's Franklin Gomez is the number one seed at 133 lbs.  He will face Northern Iowa's Josh Baldridge in his first match.

Television coverage of the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships:

* times EST

Franklin Gomez wins Big Ten Championship at 133 lbs.
Gomez knocks off No. 1-seed James Kennedy of Illinois, 3-1 in the championship bout on Sunday.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., 3/09/08 - Sophomore Franklin Gomez proved today that he is one of the best, if not the best, collegiate wrestler in the country at 133 pounds, beating No. 1-seed James Kennedy of Illinois, 3-1, this afternoon to win the 2008 Big Ten Championship, held inside Williams Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota.  Gomez, the No. 3-seed in the weight class, becomes the 65th individual Big Ten champion in the prestigious history of MSU wrestling, including the third at 133-pounds, a weight class that has only been competed at the conference championship since 1999.
FINAL BRACKETS
BOUT-BY-BOUT RESULTS
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championship pre-seeds announced  3/4/08 - Big Ten Conference officials announced the preliminary seeds for the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships today. The pre-seeds are determined by a vote amongst the conference’s head wrestling coaches after consideration of regular-season results. This year’s Big Ten Wrestling Championships will take place on the campus of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. at Williams Arena on March 8-9. The official Big Ten Championships bracket will be set on Friday, March 7.
Spartan Big Ten Championship notes

MSU Wrestling ends regular season with 24-11 loss at No. 10 Michigan
Gomez completes a 17-0 perfect dual meet season
EAST LANSING, Mich., 2/24/08 - The Michigan State wrestling team ended the 2007-08 regular season on Sunday afternoon with a 24-11 loss at No. 10 Michigan. The Spartans will move onto the Big Ten Championships on March 8-9 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Wrestling closes out home schedule with 24-6 win over Eastern Michigan
Gomez wins his 16th straight dual meet and improves to 24-1
EAST LANSING, Mich., 2/22/08 - The Michigan State wrestling team used eight decisions to top Eastern Michigan tonight, 24-6 at Jenison Field House.  MSU is now 11-1 all-time against the Eagles.  Michigan State wraps up the 2007-08 regular season on Sunday, Feb. 24 at in-state rival Michigan. The Spartans and the No. 10 Wolverines are scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m., live on the Big Ten Network.

It's "Michigan Week" for the Spartans!
EAST LANSING, Mich., 2/20/08 - The Spartans close out their regular season with a pair of intrastate rivals, hosting Eastern Michigan on Friday, Feb. 22, and then traveling to Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 24.  Friday’s dual will feature a special presentation for Michigan State’s seniors, Clint Frutiger, Freddie DeRamus and Joe Williams, while Sunday’s dual is the Big Ten finale for MSU and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.  Last year the Spartans defeated Michigan 21-17, while MSU hasn’t faced EMU since besting the Eagles 44-6 in 2004-05.

Dates and sites of future Big Ten and NCAA Championships  2/21/08:

Wrestling loses tight match at #9 Penn State
Spartans drop match on Big Ten Network but earn three individual victories.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Michigan State wrestling (3-11, 0-7) suffered a close loss Friday night at No. 9 Penn State (12-5, 4-3) while making its Big Ten Network dual match premier in PSU's Rec Hall; the Nittany Lions picked up the 26-13 win. Franklin Gomez tallied his eighth major decision of the year with his 10th consecutive win, while Joel Trombly halted a four-dual skid with a win at 125 pounds. Rex Kendle tallied six additional points with an win in the opening bout at 165 pounds.

MSU wrestlers suffer 25-15 loss to No. 11 Wildcats
Gomez records first pin of the season to
remain undefeated in dual action; also extends win streak to nine
EAST LANSING, Mich., 2/10/08 - Within six points of catching the Wildcats, the Spartans (3-11-0, 0-6-0) suffered an unfortunate loss in the final match Sunday afternoon, dropping an overall 25-15 decision to No. 11 Northwestern (6-7-0, 1-3-0), as NU earned its first Big Ten victory this year. Sophomore star No. 5 Franklin Gomez continued to shine for Michigan State as the 133-pounder recorded his first pin of the season.

Remaining wrestling schedule on the Big Ten Network  2/10/08 - Below is the remaining wrestling schedule for the Big Ten Network:

Spartan summer wrestling camps open for enrollment  2/10/08 - Don't wait!  Reserve you spot in one of the three great summer wrestling camps at Michigan State University.  There is a camp for everyone - a Technique Camp, an Intensive Camp, and a Team Camp.  So don't get left behind, enroll now!

Buckeyes hold off Spartans in 23-15 dual
Spartans earn wins in four weights, earn one technical fall and one shut out.
EAST LANSING, Mich., 2/8/08 - The Spartans battled through a ranked opposing starting lineup as No. 7 Ohio State came to Jenison Field House. The Buckeyes walked away with the overall win, 23-15, but not without seeing incredible performances from Michigan State. No. 4 Franklin Gomez remains undefeated in dual action (13-0) with a win at 133 pounds while John Fulger, John Murphy and No. 15 Joe Williams also added victories for MSU. Gomez picked up his third technical fall of the year at 133 pounds, while Williams recorded his fourth shutout at 197 pounds, highlighting the Spartans' efforts.

This weekend for the Spartans
EAST LANSING, Mich., 2/07/08 – The Spartans look to pick up their first Big Ten victory this winter hosting a pair of Top-10 league opponents Friday and Sunday.  After taking on the No. 7-ranked Buckeyes, Michigan State wrestling continues weekend action on Sunday, Feb. 10, hosting the No. 11 Northwestern Wildcats at 1 p.m.

Wrestling comes up short at #16 Indiana
Three wrestlers pick up victories and earn 20-win seasons.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., 2/3/07 - Despite dropping a 23-9 decision at Indiana, three Michigan State wrestlers shined against the Hoosiers Sunday afternoon. Franklin Gomez, Joe Williams and John Murphy each picked up a win.

Spartans suffer road loss to #13 Wisconsin
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State wrestling (3-8-0, 0-3-0) suffered its fifth-straight defeat Friday night with a 26-12 loss at No. 13 Wisconsin. Despite wins in four matches, the Badgers proved to be too much for the young Spartans, who will travel to No. 16 Indiana for a 2 p.m. Sunday dual on Feb. 3.

Wrestlers drop heartbreaker to Purdue
Dual comes down to final match, Boilermakers pick up 18-16 victory.
EAST LANSING, Mich., 1/27/08 – Michigan State wrestling (3-7-0, 0-2-0) lost its second heartbreaker of the weekend, losing 18-16 to Purdue (9-3-0, 1-1-0) Sunday afternoon in Jenison Field House. The Spartans headed into the event’s final bout ahead by one point, but suffered a late loss, their second-straight in which the match was decided by the final weight class.

#4 Franklin Gomez scores the first
takedown against  #2 Mack Reiter

Spartans win five bouts but still fall to #4 Minnesota
Franklin Gomez continues to shine, defeating #2 Mack Reiter
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State wrestled opened up Big Ten action Friday night with a thrilling match against the fourth-ranked Minnesota Gophers. The Spartans won five of the 10 bouts, but couldn’t gain enough ground to recover 12 points lost in Minnesota pins.

Gophers and Boilermakers up next for Spartans  1/24/07 - The Spartans return home to open Big Ten wrestling action in Jenison Field House this weekend. MSU kicks off action Friday, Jan. 25, hosting defending national champion Minnesota at 7 p.m., and continue on Sunday, Jan. 27, with Purdue for at 1 p.m.

Minkel honored at CMU with the retirement of his uniform 
1/24/07 - EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State's head wrestling coach Tom Minkel, along with former Chippewa wrestler John Matthews, was honored on Sunday, Jan. 20 with the retirement of their singlets at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

"I am most appreciative of this honor and recognition by Central Michigan University," expressed Minkel. "My most formative years as a student, as a collegiate and Olympic athlete, and as a wrestling coach were at CMU. I accept this honor really on behalf of all of those at Central who provided me the friendship, guidance, and opportunity to have such a marvelous career in the sport of wrestling."

The pair became the first wrestlers in school history to have their singlets ceremoniously raised to the rafters of Rose Arena. The banners were raised in front of 4,273 fans who packed Rose Arena for the No. 9 CMU-No. 4 Michigan dual, which followed the ceremony.
Photo Gallery

Wrestling suffers tough set back in Oklahoma
No. 3 Franklin Gomez stays perfect in dual action with pair of wins against Oklahoma and Pittsburgh.
NORMAN, Okla., 11/13/08 - Despite a pair of major decision victories from 133-pound starter No. 3 Franklin Gomez, Michigan State wrestling (3-5-0, 0-0-0) suffered two losses on Saturday, falling to No. 20 Pittsburgh and No. 18 Oklahoma in Howard McCasland Field House on the Sooners’ campus. Pittsburgh escaped MSU’s late come-back attempt to hold off the Spartans 21-14, while Oklahoma defeated Michigan State 29-7. Gomez extends his record to 16-1 and remains perfect in dual action, 8-0.

Oklahoma and Pitt up next for Spartans  1/12/08 - Coming off a strong 39-0 win over Ohio last week, the Spartans travel to Norman, Okla., to take on No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 20 Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 12. Action begins at 3 p.m.

Oklahoma picked up three wins last weekend to push its record to 8-1-0 on the season at the 11th Annual Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas. The No. 19-ranked Sooners defeated No. 21 Navy, Cal-State Fullerton and North Carolina.

The Sooners boast six ranked wrestlers, No. 11 Zack Bailey (141 pounds), No. 8 Will Rowe (149 pounds), No. 12 Max Dean (165 pounds), No. 7 Joshua Weitzel (184 pounds), No. 5 Joel Flaggert (197 pounds) and No. 14 Nathan Fernandez (285 pounds).

The No. 20-ranked Panthers rolled to two dual match victories over Duquesne and Franklin and Marshall last weekend. Pitt shut out the Dukes 49-0 and toppled the Diplomats by a count of 38-12.

Wrestling shuts down Ohio University 39-0
Spartans earn first home dual victory with three major decisions and one fall
EAST LANSING, Mich., 1/04/08 - Michigan State wrestling defeated Ohio University Friday night, tallying its first home dual victory of the season with a 39-0 win in Jenison Field House. Two Spartans earned their first career starts and dual wins en route to MSU’s first shutout since defeating Eastern Michigan 39-0 on Feb. 1, 1998. With the win, Michigan State evens its record to 3-3-0, while Ohio drops to 4-3-0.
Photo Gallery

Spartans open 2008 with Ohio University
1/4/07 - With tournament action complete, the Spartans dive into their demanding dual schedule beginning Friday, Jan. 4, 2008 against Ohio University. Michigan State hosts the Bobcats at 7 p.m. in Jenison Field House.  Click the heading for complete notes on Ohio University and MSU stats to date..

Gomez places second to lead Spartans at Midlands
Sophomore standout suffers first loss of season in 133-pound title bout.
EVANSTON, Ill., 12/30/07 - Michigan State wrestling was led by sophomore Franklin Gomez's second-place finish at 133 pounds, and Joe Williams' eighth-place finish at 197 pounds at the two-day Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern Saturday and Sunday.
Final Midlands Brackets
Final Midlands Team Standings

Gomez advances to the Midlands semi-finals
EVANSTON, Ill., 12/29/07 - Michigan State wrestling kicked off action at the Midlands Championships Saturday in Northwestern University’s Welsh-Ryan Arena.  Sophomore Franklin Gomez picked up three wins to advance to Sunday’s semifinal round in the 133-pound weight class. The Spartans are currently tied for 10th place out of 50 teams in the team standings.

Fourth-ranked Gomez started off the tournament with two major decision wins, his second and third of the season. First, Gomez defeated Jacob Pederson 17-6, then took down Pittsburgh's Jim Couroy 12-4.  In the quarter-finals Franklin defeated Wyoming's Cory VornBauer 16-1. With the wins, Gomez remains undefeated on the season with an 12-0 record.

Joe Williams, who is ranked 18th nationally at 197 lbs. entering the weekend and John Murphy at 174 lbs., are alive in the consolation bracket.
 

John Matthews and Tom Minkel
were honored at a CMU football game in 1980

Chippewas to honor Matthews and Minkel
MOUNT PLEASANT – A pair of former Central Michigan University wrestlers and U.S. Olympians will be honored on Jan. 20 with the retirement of their uniforms.
John Matthews and Tom Minkel will become the first wrestlers in school history to have their singlets ceremoniously raised to the rafters of Rose Arena. CMU is hosting a special recognition event when the Chippewas host the Michigan Wolverines for a dual meet beginning at 2 p.m.

2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championship tickets on sale now
Tickets are available through host-school Minnesota’s athletic office; visit www.gophersports.com or call
1-800-U-GOPHER.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Tickets for the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, to be held at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena from March 8-9, became available on Monday, Dec. 17.  All-session tickets are $30 and may be purchased through gophersports.com, in person at the Minnesota athletics ticket office in Mariucci Arena or by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or 612-624-8080.  Single-session tickets, if available, will not go on sale until Monday, March 3.

True freshman, Anthony Jones, wins the Cleveland State Open  12/16/07 - Anthony Jones led a freshmen contingent at the Cleveland State Open with a first place finish at 149 lbs.  Also placing was Eric Olanowski (5th at 125 lbs.), Ian Hinton (6th at 184 lbs.) and Tyler Dickenson (6th at 197 lbs.)  Also competing for the Spartans was David Cheza at 149 lbs., Collin Dozier at 149 lbs., Phil Khozein at 157 lbs., George Murray at 165 lbs., Curran Jacobs at 174 lbs. and Eric Anderson at 184 lbs.
FINAL BRACKETS

Big Ten Network to air wrestling live this winter
First-year network to televise Big Ten Championships, Midlands, nine duals
CHICAGO, Il, 12/5/07 – Every Big Ten wrestling team will make at least one live appearance this winter on the Big Ten Network. The network will televise 11 total events and 10 of those, including the Big Ten Championships and portions of the Midlands, will be carried live.

Joe Williams leads Spartans with second place finish at Penn State Open 
Clint Frutiger goes to the semi-finals undefeated but is forced to default out due to an ankle injury
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., 12/02/07 - Michigan State’s wrestlers closed out the fall semester competing at the annual Nittany Lion Open hosted by Penn State University on Sunday, Dec. 2. Senior Joe Williams finished second in the 197 bracket, nearly defending his title from last year, while junior Clint Frutiger placed fourth at 125 pounds.
Click here for final brackets

Wrestling suffers tough defeat at No. 7 Central Michigan
Franklin Gomez remains undefeated, runs his record to 9-0
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich., 11/29/07 - Michigan State wrestling (2-3) couldn’t fend off the nation’s seventh-ranked program as Central Michigan (5-0) defeated the Spartans 33-3 Thursday night in front of 1,755 fans at the Chippewas’ Rose Arena. Central Michigan brought eight ranked wrestlers to its starting lineup, proving to be too strong for Spartans’ two ranked starters. The Chippewas have now won 15 consecutive duals, dating back to last season.

Spartans head to Central Michigan  11/28/07 - Returning to action after a brief holiday break, Michigan State wrestling heads to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., to take on the No. 9 Central Michigan Chippewas at 7:30 p.m. in Rose Arena.

Spartans sign two nationally ranked recruits  11-27-07  The MSU Spartans have announced the signing of two major wrestling recruits:

Kirk Tank, Curtice, OH - Kirk is a two-time all-state wrestler from Oak Harbor High School.  He placed fourth at the Ohio State High School Championships as a sophomore and second as a junior.  Both years he competed at 145 lbs.  Kirk is expected to wrestle at 157 or 165 lbs. in college.

Steve Andrus, Manhattan, KS - Steve won the Kansas heavyweight High School State Championship in 2007 after placing third as a sophomore in 2006.  He also excels in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling.  He was a multiple All-American in Fargo, ND and won the 2006 Cadet Freestyle National Championships. Steve will wrestle at heavyweight at Michigan State..
 

Media guide for 2007-08 season released  11/25/07 - MSU Sports Information intern, Sarah Tinsley, has put together an outstanding media guide for the 2007-08 campaign - the 91st season in Michigan State wrestling history.  Click on the photo to see the guide.

Wrestling team goes 2-1 in ACC-Big Ten Clash 
Sophomore standout Franklin Gomez remains undefeated, going 3-0 on Saturday.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., 11/18/07 - Michigan State wrestling made a strong appearance for the Big Ten Conference at Saturday’s ACC-Big Ten Clash, hosted by the University of North Carolina at Eddie Smith Field House. MSU defeated North Carolina in round one, 21-15, and North Carolina State in round three, 23-15, sandwiching a second-round loss to Virginia, 29-10. Sophomore Franklin Gomez, ranked sixth at 133 pounds, bested all three of his opponents of the day, including one ranked wrestler, and improved to 8-0 on the season. The Spartans improve to 2-2 on the season in dual meets.

Sugar Rush - Evans back on track with UFC win over Bisping  11/18/07 - After his July draw with Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans’ place in the talent-rich light heavyweight division was questioned. But in the UFC 78 main event at the Prudential Center tonight, the Michigan State product returned to his lofty spot in the 205-pound pecking order with a solid three round split decision win over England’s Michael Bisping.  Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for the unbeaten Evans (16-0-1), whose takedowns and quick right hands proved to be the deciding factor.

Franklin Gomez earns Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
No. 6-ranked sophomore recognized for outstanding start to 2007-08 season
11/14/07 - Franklin Gomez (Brandon, Fla.), MSU’s 133-pound sophomore starter, was tabbed the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Wednesday, Nov. 14, as announced by the conference office. Gomez kicked off the 2007-08 season with five-straight wins, including an upset over then-ranked No. 3 Andrae Hernandez of Indiana. His weekend success also resulted in jumping four spots in the national rankings, moving up to sixth at 133 pounds. In addition to Gomez’s appearance in the rankings, senior teammate Joe Williams (Orange, Calif.) also made the polls, ranking 14th at 197 pounds.
Up-To-Date Team Stats
Season Notes

Franklin Gomez and Joe Williams climb in national rankings  11/14/07 - Intermat/NWMA released updated rankings Tuesday evening, placing Michigan State’s senior Joe Williams and sophomore Franklin Gomez among the nation’s elite collegiate wrestlers. Williams, who recorded his first official dual in the 197 weight class last weekend, ranks No. 14, while Gomez, who preseason ranked at No. 10 in the 133-pound class, jumped in the standings to No. 6.

Gomez claims 133-pound championship at MSU Open
Spartans give strong showing at home tournament, earning seven medals
With a bracket champion, Michigan State wrestling claimed six medals within the two divisions at its annual MSU Open Sunday in Jenison Field House. Franklin Gomez captured the Open 133 title, Joe Williams placed second in the 197 Open draw and John Murphy finished fifth in the Open 174 bracket. In the Freshman/Sophomore division, Eric Olanowski, Blake Mesyn and Ian Hinton placed second in the 125, 174 and 184-pound brackets, respectively.
FINAL BRACKETS

Spartans fall in first dual  11/9/07 - In his first official dual in the 197-pound weight class, senior captain Joe Williams posted an 11-3 major decision over Old Dominion's 16th-ranked David Mendoza. With the win, Williams sparked a rally for the Spartans, as they tallied wins at heavyweight , 133 and 157, but couldn't hold off the Monarchs, as Old Dominion (1-0) captured the overall win 20-16.

Wrestlers get first taste of competition at the Eastern Michigan Open  11/4/07 - Many of the Spartan wrestlers got their season started Saturday competing unattached at the Eastern Michigan Open, the first warm up tournament of the year.  MSU opens the regular season on Friday when they host Old Dominion at the IM West arena in the first dual of the 2007-08 campaign.  Jeff Wimberley won the EMU Open at 141 lbs. while Joel Trombly (125 lbs.), Ian Hinton (184 lbs.), and Joe Williams (197 lbs.) took second.  Seven other Spartans placed at the event and over 440 wrestlers competed in the one-day tournament.
Final brackets: 125,  133,  141,  149,  157,  165,  174,  184,  197,  285

Wrestlers participate in basketball Midnight Madness  10/18/07 - Six Spartan wrestlers participated in MSU basketball's Midnight Madness on Friday night.  Thousands of fans packed Munn Arena and watched Alan O'Donnell, Tim Hammer, Nick Palmieri, Nick Fallico, Ian Hinton and Ben Boudro dressed in their togas escort the women's basketball players and new head coach Suzy Merchant into the ceremony. 
Click here to watch the video

Pre-season conditioning workouts underway  9/28/07 - The Spartan wrestling team is working hard at building the strength and conditioning foundation for the upcoming season.  Regular season practices will begin on October 8 and the wrestlers will see their first competition at the Eastern Michigan Open on November 3. 
Click here to watch the pre-season video

Former MSU wrestling coach, Grady Peninger, inducted into MSU Athletics Hall of Fame   EAST LANSING, Mich., 9/10/07 - Michigan State University inducted Grady Peninger along with 10 other members into its Athletics Hall of Fame prior to Saturday's football game against Bowling Green.  On Friday, a ceremony was held in the Smith Center unveiling the plaques of the inductees. On Saturday, the class was officially inducted with a ceremony at the Kellogg Center, and later was introduced at halftime of the football game at Spartan Stadium.

Incoming Spartan freshman, Collin Dozier, named Gameday Magazine Male Athlete of the Year  8/24/07 - Before this season, only eight wrestlers (AAA) had ever been crowned four-time state champion in the history of Virginia. MSU's stellar recruit, Colin Dozier, made it nine this season.

Grady Peninger to be inducted into MSU Athletics Hall of Fame  7/20/07 - Former Spartan wrestling coach, Grady Peninger, is one of ten former athletes and coaches who will be inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame on September 8.  Peninger is joined in the 2007 class by Shirley Cook, Marshall Dill, Richard Frey, George Guerre, Dean Look, Val Kemper, George Perles, Tom Ross and Scott Skiles.  Grady's teams won seven consecutive Big Ten Conference titles from 1966 to 1972 and his 1967 team won the NCAA National Championship.  After 24 years at Michigan State, Grady retired from coaching in 1986 and now lives in Okemos with his wife, Wanda.

Wrestling room gets All Americans & NCAA Champions Wall  7/19/07 - The MSU wrestling room has been dressed up with the addition of a special display recognizing former Spartan All-Americans and NCAA Champions.  The wall, two years in development, gives proper recognition to former Spartan wrestling greats from MSU's first All-American, Harry Byam, in 1931 to the present day.

Michigan State Open Wrestling Tournament to incorporate a two division format  7/11/07 - In an effort to give more wrestlers more opportunity to compete successfully at the Michigan State Open, the tournament will be run this year with two divisions.  There will be a Freshman/Sophomore Division which will be open to any first or second year college wrestler as well as high school wrestlers. The second division will be the Open Division which will be open to all wrestlers.  Both divisions will be limited to the first 350 entries and will run simultaneously.

Big Ten Network to officially launch August 30th
Prime time premiere of Big Ten Tonight studio show marks milestone
Network surpasses 75th distribution commitment
CHICAGO, IL, 7/2/07 – The new Big Ten Network officially launches in prime time at 7 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, Aug. 30, with the evening also marking the inaugural telecast of Big Ten Tonight, the network's signature studio-based news, information and highlight show.  In addition, the network today achieved distribution commitments for more than 75 local cable systems serving communities in the eight states where Big Ten institutions are located. These commitments, which demonstrate the network's broad appeal, account for hundreds of thousands of cable subscribers spanning Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all of whom will receive Big Ten Network on an expanded basic level of service.

2007-08 MSU Wrestling schedule finalized  7/2/07 - The final 2007-08 MSU Wrestling schedule has been released and Spartan wrestling fans will enjoy seven home dual meet as well as the MSU Open on campus.  There are several new opponents on the schedule and the Spartans will also participate for the first time in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Raleigh, NC.