The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has selected UW-Oshkosh's Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) as its 2012 Wrestler of the Year.

Kulchytskyy earned the award after compiling a 45-2 record (17 pins) and winning the 157-pound title at both the WIAC and NCAA Division III championships. He is the first UW-Oshkosh wrestler to collect the league honor.

Kulchytskyy went unbeaten in four matches at the NCAA Division III Championship held March 9-10 in La Crosse. He became UW-Oshkosh's first NCAA Division III champion when he defeated previously unbeaten Orlando Ponce of Augsburg College (Minn.), 10-9, in the title bout.

At the WIAC Championship held Feb. 26 in Whitewater, Kulchytskyy became UW-Oshkosh's first league champion since 2001 when he ousted Ben Strobel of UW-Stevens Point, 22-9, in the first-place match.

Kulchytskyy, who had a 34-match winning streak snapped by Ponce in January, helped UW-Oshkosh finish fourth at the WIAC and 14th at the NCAA Division III championships. The Titans' national finish was their best since 1982.

Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) established a first for the UW-Oshkosh wrestling program when he captured the 157-pound title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship held Friday and Saturday (March 9-10) in La Crosse.

Kulchytskyy won all four of his contests during the tournament, including a 10-9 victory over Augsburg College's (Minn.) Orlando Ponce in the championship bout. The win allowed Kulchytskyy to close the season with a 45-2 record (17 pins) and become the first NCAA Division III wrestling champion in UW-Oshkosh history.

Kulchytskyy, who suffered a 9-4 loss to Ponce in January, built a 5-0 lead two minutes into the opening period. He scored the points by converting a drive into a takedown and then recording a near-fall. Kulchytskyy owned an 8-3 lead early in the third period, but Ponce (23-1) battled back with the help of two takedowns and two stalling penalty points.

Kulchytskyy advanced to the final with a 14-5 win over John Darling of The College of New Jersey. The victory followed Kulchytskyy triumphs of 5-2 over Troy Sterling of the State University of New York-Cortland and 8-5 over Cole Welter of Wartburg College (Iowa).

“It feels great to be a national champion, and I have worked so hard to get here," said Kulchytskyy. “Last year, I had some injuries and was out at the end. This year, I stayed healthy and thought about this moment everyday. My teammates have been a big help and I just want to thank them and my coaches for their support."

Kulchytskyy, who owns a 57-2 career record (24 pins), joins Rick DeMarais as the only other national wrestling champion in UW-Oshkosh history. DeMarias captured the 158-pound title at the 1975 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship.

UW-Oshkosh placed 14th in the team standings with 26 points. Both performances were the best since 1982 when the Titans finished sixth at the NCAA Division III Championship with 46 points.

Defending champion Wartburg College scored 141.5 points to capture its ninth NCAA Division III title. The Knights concluded the tournament with eight All-Americans, including four national champions.

Augsburg College finished second in the team standings with 86.5 points, while Coe College (Iowa) placed third with 74, UW-La Crosse fourth with 65 and Ithaca College (N.Y.) fifth with 61.5. A total of 53 teams scored points at this year's championship, including UW-Whitewater which placed eighth with 39.5 and UW-Stevens Point which finished 25th with 13.5.

UW-Oshkosh was also represented at the meet by Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) at 184 pounds, Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 125 and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174. Both Mueller and Schiferl place ninth with 1-2 records.

Mueller (33-9, 4 pins) dropped a 10-1 decision to Nathan Fitzenreider of North Central College (Ill.) in his opening bout. He then posted a 17-0 win over Stephen Hinton of Lycoming College (Pa.) before losing a 7-0 result to Jimmy Gotto of Coe College (Iowa). Mueller, a two-time national qualifier, concludes his UW-Oshkosh career with a 96-49 record (19 pins).

Schiferl (27-13, 7 pins) opened his activity with a 9-4 loss to Matthew Pfarr of St. John’s University (Minn.). He then pinned Josh Kohler of Augsburg College in 1:03 before suffering a 3-2 loss to Matt Cross of Messiah College (Pa.). Schiferl owns a career record of 41-29 (13 pins).

Engelland (27-5, 13 pins) went winless after losing decisions of 5-4 to Timothy Stewart of Messiah College and 10-8 to Ryan Pieper of Trine University (Ind.). Engelland, a four-time national qualifier, ends his UW-Oshkosh career with a 117-41 record (34 pins).

Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) earned the second seed and Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) the seventh for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Wrestling Championship that will be held this weekend in La Crosse.

The two-day tournament begins at 11 a.m. on Friday (March 9) and continues at 10 a.m. on Saturday (March 10) at the La Crosse Center. This is the 39th version of the meet, which crowns a team champion along with 10 individual champions. All-America awards will be presented to the top eight finishers in each of the 10 weight classes.

After a 34-match winning streak earlier this season, Kulchytskyy enters his inaugural NCAA postseason tournament with a 41-2 record (17 pins). He is seeded behind Augsburg College's (Minn.) Orlando Ponce (20-0) in the 157-pound weight class. Kulchytskyy, who owns a 53-2 career record (25 pins), will face Troy Sterling (19-6) of State University of New York-Cortland in his first match. The winner of their bout takes on the victor between Ben Strobel (28-11) of UW-Stevens Point and Cole Welter (29-9) of Wartburg College (Iowa).

Engelland is making his fourth appearance in the tournament after finishing ninth a year ago. He owns a 27-3 (13 pins) season record and a 117-39 career mark (34 pins). Engelland's first-round opponent in the 184-pound weight class will be Messiah College’s (Pa.) Timothy Stewart (34-5). The winner of their contest advances to meet Jefferson Ajayi (28-6) of Wesleyan University (Conn.) in the second round. Mike Denver (30-0) of The College of New Jersey is seeded first in the bracket.

In the 174-pound division, Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) opens up against eighth-seeded Mathew Pfarr (25-9) of St. John’s University (Minn.). Schiferl boasts a season record of 26-11 (six pins) and a career mark of 40-27 (12 pins). The winner of their match meets Josh Kohler (30-17) of Augsburg (Minn.) or top-seeded Jules Doliscar (33-2) of Ithaca College (N.Y.) in the second round.

Zachary Mueller's (Sr. • Jackson) first opponent in the 125-pound weight class will be the winner between top-seed Nathan Fitzenreider (31-4) of North Central College (Ill.) and Charlie Frankel (23-8) of Delaware Valley College (Pa.). Mueller has compiled a 95-47 career record (19 pins), including a 32-7 mark (four pins) this season.

Defending champion Wartburg College and 2010 champion Augsburg College are among the contenders for this year's team title. Those squads are expected to receive challenges from Coe College (Iowa), Ithaca College, UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater. Wartburg College won last year's meet with 117 points, while Augsburg College placed second with 88.5.

The last time UW-Oshkosh had more than three qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Championship was 1982. The Titans placed sixth in the team standings as six men, including Sam Engelland's father, Steve, represented UW-Oshkosh in that meet. Rick Gruber and Sean McCarthy each placed second in their respective weight classes.

UW-Oshkosh’s only wrestler to win a national title was Rick DeMarais, who captured the 158-pound title at the 1975 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship.

The Titans have scored at the NCAA Division III Championship four times in the last five years. UW-Oshkosh counted five points to finish 38th a year ago.

NCAA Division III Championship Program • Brackets

With exceptional performance in the classroom and on the mat, UW-Oshkosh's Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) has been named the 2012 winner of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (WIAC) Max Sparger Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.

Mueller owns a 3.72 cumulative grade point average as a major in secondary education. He is a two-time member of both the National Wrestling Coaches Association's All-Academic Team and the WIAC's Honor Roll. Mueller has been selected to UW-Oshkosh's Dean's List and Honor Roll.

In competition this year, Mueller owns a 32-7 record with four pins. He also finished second in the 125-pound weight class at the WIAC Championship held Feb. 26 in Whitewater. Mueller is among four wrestlers that will represent UW-Oshkosh at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship on March 9-10 in La Crosse.

Last season, Mueller posted a 23-11 record and finished fifth at the WIAC Championship. In 2010, he compiled a 24-16 record, placed third at the WIAC Championship and qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship. Mueller tallied a 16-13 record and finished fourth at the WIAC Championship in 2009.

Mueller, who serves as the captain of this year's UW-Oshkosh team, boasts a career record of 95-47 with 19 pins.

The only other UW-Oshkosh wrestler to earn the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete honor was Jeff Matczak in 1991.

For the first time in 30 years, UW-Oshkosh is sending four competitors to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Wrestling Championship.

Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah), Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine), Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) will all represent the Titans at the national meet on March 9-10 in La Crosse. Kulchytskyy earned an automatic berth to the event after winning the 157-pound title at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship held Feb. 26, while Engelland, Mueller and Schiferl received at-large selections.

The 184-pound Engelland makes his fourth appearance at the NCAA Division III Championship after finishing ninth a year ago. This season, Engelland has compiled a 26-3 record with 13 pins. The four-time WIAC second-place finisher owns a 116-39 career record (34 pins).

After a 34-match winning streak earlier this season, Kulchytskyy holds a 40-2 record with 17 pins. He became UW-Oshkosh's first WIAC champion since 2001 with his victory at the league championship. Kulchytskyy has gone 52-2 (25 pins) during his two seasons with the Titans.

Mueller appeared at the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship as an at-large selection. This year, the 125-pound Mueller improved his record to 32-7 (four pins) with a second-place result at the WIAC Championship. He has registered a career record of 95-47 (19 pins).

Another second-place finisher at this year's WIAC Championship, Schiferl boasts a 25-10 record (six pins) at 174 pounds. He owns a 39-26 record (12 pins) after competing for the Titans in 2010.

The last time UW-Oshkosh had more than three qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Championship was 1982. The Titans placed sixth in the team standings as six men, including Sam Engelland's father, Steve, represented UW-Oshkosh in that meet. Rick Gruber and Sean McCarthy each placed second in their respective weight classes.

UW-Oshkosh’s only wrestler to win a national title was Rick DeMarais, who captured the 158-pound title at the 1975 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship.

The Titans have scored at the NCAA Division III Championship four times in the last five years. UW-Oshkosh counted five points to finish 38th a year ago.

2012 NCAA Division III Championship Competitors

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has named UW-Oshkosh's Chris Stratton as its 2012 Mertz Mortorelli Wrestling Coach of the Year.

Stratton earned the award after leading five wrestlers to the finals of the WIAC Championship held Feb. 26 in Whitewater. UW-Oshkosh scored 66 points to finish fourth at the league event for the third time in four years. The Titans entered the meet ranked 17th in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

At the WIAC Championship, Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) became UW-Oshkosh's first individual champion in 11 years when he won the 157-pound weight class. The Titans also obtained second-place finishes from Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) at 184 pounds, Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 125, Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) at 149 and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174. Engelland, Kulchytskyy, Mueller and Schiferl will all represent UW-Oshkosh at the NCAA Division III Championship on March 9-10 in La Crosse.

Stratton guided UW-Oshkosh to a 9-4 dual meet record this season. That mark includes a 25-14 victory over 25th-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 29 and a 24-12 triumph over 14th-ranked Elmhurst College (Ill.) on Jan. 21. UW-Oshkosh's win over UW-Stevens Point was its first in the series since 1985.

In 2011, Stratton led his first UW-Oshkosh squad to an 8-5 dual meet record and a fourth-place finish at the WIAC Championship. The Titans had two qualifiers and placed 38th at the NCAA Division III Championship.

Stratton was an assistant coach for UW-Oshkosh from 2008-10. He also wrestled for the Titans during the 2004, 2005 and 2007 seasons.

Past WIAC Coach of the Year recipients from UW-Oshkosh were Todd Yde in 1997 and Nick Matiash in 2003.

Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) became UW-Oshkosh's first individual champion in over a decade when he wrestled to the 157-pound title at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship held Sunday (Feb. 26) in Whitewater.

Kulchytskyy, ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, received a first-round bye and then went unbeaten in two matches. Kulchytskyy (40-2) pinned Corey Schmidt of UW-Whitewater in 1:48 before winning the weight class with a 22-9 victory over Ben Strobel of UW-Stevens Point. The last UW-Oshkosh wrestler to capture a WIAC individual championship was 149-pounder Joel Dziedzic in 2001.

UW-Whitewater scored 108.5 points to win its first team title since 1991 and the 13th in school history. Fourteen-time defending champion UW-La Crosse finished second with 96 points, while UW-Stevens Point placed third with 70.5, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 66, UW-Eau Claire fifth with 14 and UW-Platteville sixth with nine. UW-Oshkosh also finished fourth at last year's meet.

UW-Oshkosh had Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah), Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson), Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) also score valuable team points by advancing to the final and taking second in their weight division.

Engelland, ranked ninth in the country at 184 pounds, won his first two bouts before dropping a 3-1 overtime decision to UW-Whitewater's David Dwyer in the championship contest. Engelland (26-3) qualified for the final by posting wins of 9-4 over UW-Stevens Point's Andy Borchardt and 7-3 over UW-La Crosse's Grant Miller.

After receiving two byes, Mueller needed just an 11-3 win over UW-La Crosse's Joey Nelson to reach the final of the 125-pound bracket. Mueller (32-7) lost a 9-0 decision to UW-Whitewater's Grant Sutter in the championship contest and then had to tally a 9-1 victory over UW-Stevens Point's Lance Fabry to secure second place.

Like Mueller, Quintana also received two byes. He advanced to the final of the 149-pound weight class with a pin of UW-La Crosse's Brady Schrupp in 1:55. Quintana (22-8) lost a 14-6 ruling to UW-Whitewater's Cade Sarbacker in the title match and then had to post a 19-10 triumph over UW-Stevens Point's Jamey Simmons to grab second place.

Following two byes, Schiferl earned an appearance in the final of the 174-pound weight division with a 6-4 win over UW-Stevens Point's Ryan Conat. In the championship bout, Schiferl (25-10) lost a 7-5 verdict to UW-La Crosse's Mike Schmitz. Schiferl then had to notch a 14-2 victory over UW-Whitewater's Reid Dickerson to take second place.

Other UW-Oshkosh competitors at the meet were Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) at 133 pounds, Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 141, Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams) at 165, Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) at 197 and Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) at 285. Konitzer and Heath both placed fourth while DeLuca, Mueller and LaPlante all finished fifth.

Rounding out the list of WIAC individual champions were Adam Sheley (133 pounds), Bebeto Yewah (141 pounds) and Kevin O'Brien (165 pounds) of UW-La Crosse and Adam Latella (197 pounds) and Corey Anderson (285 pounds) of UW-Whitewater. Yewah was named the John Peterson Wrestler of the Meet.

All 10 individual champions, along with six at-large qualifiers, will represent the WIAC at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship on March 9-10 in La Crosse. Individuals securing at-large spots were Engelland, Strobel, UW-Whitewater's Jake Fredricksen (133 pounds), UW-La Crosse's Billy Mayer (285 pounds), UW-Stevens Point's Joe Mileski (133 pounds) and UW-Platteville's T.J. Wunnicke (133 pounds).

UW-Oshkosh strives for its first top-three finish in 15 years at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestling Championship on Sunday (Feb. 26) in Whitewater. Competition begins at 9 a.m. at UW-Whitewater's Williams Center.

The Titans, who placed third in 1997 for their last top-three finish, enter this year's championship ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Other WIAC squads listed nationally in the top 30 are second-ranked UW-La Crosse, ninth-ranked UW-Whitewater and 26th-ranked UW-Stevens Point.

Last year, UW-La Crosse scored 148.5 points to capture its 14th straight WIAC title. UW-Stevens Point finished second with 123 points, while UW-Whitewater placed third with 121.5, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 93, UW-Platteville fifth with 82 and UW-Eau Claire sixth with 55.5.

UW-Oshkosh owns a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers in Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) at 157 pounds and Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) at 184. Kulchytskyy ranks second in the country with a 38-2 record (16 pins) and Engelland ninth with a 24-2 mark (13 pins). Engelland, who has compiled a career record of 114-38 (34 pins), has finished second at the WIAC Championship each of the last three years.

UW-Oshkosh’s other top competitors include Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson), Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton). Mueller boasts a 30-6 mark at 125 pounds, while Quintana is 20-7 at 149 pounds and Schiferl 23-9 at 174. Quintana placed fourth at last year's meet.

This year's championship features six individuals who have combined to win nine WIAC titles. UW-La Crosse's Mike Schmitz is the three-time defending champion at 174 pounds and could become the first individual in WIAC history to win the weight class four times. The Eagles' Bebeto Yewah is the returning champion at 141 pounds after winning the 133-pound title in 2010.

Other UW-La Crosse wrestlers winning titles last year were Adam Sheley at 133 pounds and Billy Mayer at 285.

UW-Whitewater’s Adam Latella captured last year's 197-pound crown after placing second in 2010, while the Warhawks' Cade Sarbacker earned first-place honors at 157 pounds a year ago.

Each league champion, along with six at-large selections, will advance to the NCAA Division III Championship on March 9-10 in La Crosse. Individuals will receive at-large bids based on voting by the league coaches following the WIAC Championship. The national meet, hosted by UW-La Crosse, will be held at the La Crosse Center.

Former UW-Oshkosh standout Rick Gruber has been named one of the 26 members on the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) All-Time Wrestling Team.

Gruber (Campbellsport • Campbellsport High School) won 91 percent of his matches during a UW-Oshkosh career that spanned from 1981-84. While posting four NCAA Division III All-America finishes, Gruber led UW-Oshkosh to its lone WIAC title in 1982.

Gruber compiled a 131-13 career record and won at least 32 matches every season. He placed fourth at the NCAA Division III Championship in 1981, second in 1982, third in 1983 and fifth in 1984.

Gruber posted a 32-3 record in 1981 and captured the first of four straight WIAC championships at 118 pounds. In 1982, Gruber won 32 consecutive matches en route to a 32-1 record. Gruber then compiled records of 33-3 in 1983 and 34-6 in 1984.

UW-La Crosse accounted for 12 positions on the all-time team with Ryan Allen (2003-06), Josh Chelf (2005-08), Paul Corner (1985-89), Jake Larsen (2004-07), Dan Laurent (2007-10), Jason Lulloff (2003-07), Matt Mauseth (2008-11), Jeff O’Gara (1993-96), Jason Ott (1999-2002), Brandon Penzkover (1993-96), Mike Schmitz (2009-present) and Bebeto Yewah (2009-present).

Three members of the squad came from both UW-River Falls and UW-Whitewater. The former Falcons receiving recognition were David Brandvold (1983-85), Paul Frandsen (1981-83) and Brian Keller (1983-86). UW-Whitewater’s selections featured Tim Carmin (1979-82), Robb Llorca (1989-92) and Terry Schuler (1985-88).

The remaining all-time picks consisted of UW-Eau Claire’s Derek Sikora (2003-06) and Davey Starks (2000-03), UW-Stout’s Dale Evans (1970-73) and Corey McCauley (1991-94), UW-Stevens Point’s Perry Miller (1995-98) and Yan White (2000-04) and UW-Superior’s Jerry Brusletten (1972-75).

The WIAC selected UW-Whitewater's Willie Myers (1969-2004) as its all-time coach.

The WIAC is recognizing the outstanding individuals from the league's 100-year history. All-time teams are being selected in those men's and women's sports that have been classified as "championship" sports at some point since 1913. Additional teams will be released on a weekly basis throughout much of the 2011-12 academic year.

All-time team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet in Madison on Aug. 4, 2012.

More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial is available at www.wiacsports.com.

Augsburg College (Minn.) captured the final six bouts to overcome an early deficit during its 32-13 wrestling victory over UW-Oshkosh on Friday (Feb.10) in Kolf Sports Center.

Augsburg College (9-3) entered the match ranked fourth in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, UW-Oshkosh (9-4) 17th.

Three of the Auggies’ wins came from wrestlers nationally ranked atop their weight class. Orlando Ponce remained undefeated (16-0) this season by stopping second-ranked Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) with a 9-4 decision at 157 pounds.

At 285 pounds, Chad Johnson improved to 27-1 with a narrow 3-2 triumph over Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin). Tony Valek, who earned second place at the NCAA Division III Championship the last two years, closed the match with a pin in 2:02 against Dylan Riley (So. • Belleville).

The Titans obtained a 13-3 lead after four matches thanks to victories by Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams), Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton). Engelland got a pin after 4:38 against Matt Hechsel at 184 pounds, while Konitzer defeated Tommy Teigen with a 9-0 tally at 165. In the 174-pound class, Schiferl snuck by Josh Kohler with a 3-2 decision.

Augsburg College's Brad Baus posted his 17th pin of the year when he took down Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) in 59 seconds at 197 pounds. At 133 pounds, the Auggies' Boyd Suparat got a pin in 3:25 against Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids). Augsburg College's other big score came from Will Keeter’s 16-0 win over Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 141 pounds.

UW-Oshkosh's Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson), ranked seventh in the 125-pound division, was edged by Mike Fuenffinger, 4-3. Fuenffinger will be competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials this April.

UW-Oshkosh competes at the WIAC Championship on Feb. 26 in Whitewater.

Eight nationally ranked wrestlers will compete when UW-Oshkosh hosts Augsburg College (Minn.) on Friday (Feb. 10) at 7 p.m. in Kolf Sports Center. The Auggies are ranked fourth in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, while the Titans list 17th.

Augsburg College owns an 8-3 record despite losses in its past two bouts. However, those defeats were to top-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa) and second-ranked UW-La Crosse by scores of 22-17 and 27-13, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh's 9-3 record features a 25-14 triumph over 26th-ranked UW-Stevens Point and losses of 20-15 to UW-La Crosse, 28-8 to seventh-ranked Olivet College (Mich.) and 22-16 to ninth-ranked UW-Whitewater.

Friday’s top matchup should be at 157 pounds, where the country’s top two wrestlers in that weight class square off. Augsburg College's Orlando Ponce owns a 15-0 record and is ranked atop the national standings. UW-Oshkosh’s Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) is ranked second and owns a season record of 38-1 and career mark of 50-1.

Augsburg College also boasts the top-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds in Tony Valek (23-0). Jose Quintana (20-7) will try to hand Valek his first defeat of the season. The number-one wrestler at 285 pounds is Chad Johnson (26-1), who will battle Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin). Other Auggies mentioned in the top-six nationally are fifth-ranked Will Keeter at 141 pounds and sixth-ranked Brad Baus at 197 pounds.

UW-Oshkosh will be represented by seventh-ranked Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 125 pounds and ninth-ranked Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) at 184. Mueller has won 30 of his 35 matches this year, while Engelland owns a record of 23-2.

Aaron Geiger (Sr. • Mishicot) counted two wins for a fourth-place finish at the UW-Eau Claire Wrestling Open on Saturday (Feb. 4) in Eau Claire. UW-Oshkosh rested some of its top competitors during the non-scoring meet.

At 165 pounds, Geiger captured his first match over UW-Whitewater’s TJ Decker, 6-3. He then defeated UW-La Crosse’s Sean Huls by a 12-8 score. UW-Eau Claire’s Levi Polus and UW-Parkside’s Montrail Johnson topped Geiger to give him fourth place.

Scot McCullough (So. • Milwaukee) was the other Titan to record two victories. During his opening 149-pound bout, McCullough pinned Matthew Cordell (Wheaton, Ill.) in 6:23. He later earned an 8-4 decision over teammate Dylan Riley (So. • Belleville).

Tom Dahlke (Fr. • Shiocton), Jay Howarth (Fr. • Coleman) and Justin Schienebeck (Jr. • Butternut) also earned one win. Howarth turned his pin (1:37) against Wheaton’s Johann Sarna into a sixth-place result.

Dahlke totaled a 4-1 triumph over Rashad Kennedy (Augsburg) at 149 pounds, while Schienebeck rounded out the day with his victory over Zach Noel (UW-Parkside) at 141 pounds.

UW-Oshkosh has its home finale against Augsburg College (Minn.) on Friday (Feb. 10) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh overcame an early deficit and then rolled to a 34-12 victory over the UW-Eau Claire wrestling team on Friday (Feb. 3) in Eau Claire.

The Titans (9-3/3-2 WIAC), who entered the match ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, scored 18 of its points on pins by Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) at 133 pounds, Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) at 157 and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174.

UW-Oshkosh jumped to a 4-0 lead on Sam Engelland's (Sr. • Neenah) 13-5 win over Mat Rieckhoff at 184 pounds. Luke Ortscheid then won with a 9-4 decision over Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) at 197 pounds and Joe Pitsch pinned Keith McLeod (Fr. • Racine) in 1:32 at 285 pounds to give UW-Eau Claire (5-16/0-3 WIAC) a 9-4 lead.

UW-Oshkosh won the next three bouts to take a 19-9 advantage. The Titans went ahead on Parker Peterson's (So. • Eden) forfeit victory at 125 pounds and then remained in front for good on DeLuca's pin of Neil Manns in 3:56 and Alex Mueller's (Sr. • Jackson) 6-2 triumph over Steven Fisher at 141 pounds.

UW-Eau Claire cut the score to 19-12 on Ryan Seidler's 7-3 win over Scot McCullough (So. • Milwaukee) at 149 pounds, but the Titans finished off the match with victories by Kulchytskyy, Aaron Geiger (Sr. • Mishicot) at 165 pounds and Schiferl. Kulchytskyy, the third-ranked wrestler in the NCAA Division III, stuck Brandon Stradel to the mat in 2:43 while Schiferl plastered Tyler Kennedy to the surface in 4:52. In the center of the two pins was Geiger's 3-2 decision over Levi Polus.

UW-Oshkosh remains in Eau Claire to compete at the 34th Annual Blugold Open on Saturday (Feb. 4).

UW-Oshkosh earned victories in six consecutive bouts as it recorded a 36-17 win over the UW-Platteville wrestling team on Thursday (Feb. 2) in Platteville.

The Titans (8-3/2-2 WIAC), who entered the contest ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, took a 6-0 lead on Parker Peterson's (So. • Eden) forfeit victory at 125 pounds.

UW-Platteville (7-10/1-3 WIAC) owned the winner in the next two bouts to take an 11-6 advantage. The Pioneers tallied their points on T.J. Wunnicke's 15-0 triumph over David Rosenau (Jr. • Van Dyne) at 133 pounds and Tyler Henken's pin of Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) in 5:23 at 141. Wunnicke is the second-ranked wrestler in the country.

UW-Oshkosh regained the lead on pins by Scot McCullough (So. • Milwaukee) at 149 pounds and third-ranked Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) at 157. McCullough stuck Zach Fisher to the mat in 4:26 while Kulchytskyy glued Rob Maertz to the surface in 4:44.

Following Aaron Geiger's (Sr. • Mishicot) 11-6 win over Zach Wallace at 165 pounds, UW-Oshkosh went in front 33-11 on pins by Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174 pounds and Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) at 184. Schiferl stapled Austin Holland to the mat in 4:35 while Engelland attached Abe Graziano to the rug in 5:54.

UW-Oshkosh scored its final team points on Ryan Heath's (Jr. • Merrill) 8-3 victory over Mike Harman at 197 pounds. UW-Platteville then closed the dual meet with Bryant Etherton's pin of Keith McLeod (Fr. • Racine) in 6:16 at 285 pounds.

UW-Oshkosh journeys to UW-Eau Claire for a dual match on Friday (Feb. 3).

UW-Oshkosh's Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) is among the most dominant wrestlers in the country, according to the most recent NCAA Division III statistics.

The 157-pound Kulchytskyy owns a season record of 36-1 with 14 pins. He averages 4.86 points per match, the fifth-best total in the NCAA Division III. Ithaca College’s (N.Y) Jules Doliscar tops the nation with an average of 5.16 points and UW-Platteville’s Timothy Wunnicke ranks second at 5.13.

In the pin category, Kulchytskyy stands fourth (14) in the NCAA Division III. Wunnicke paces the nation with 22 pins and Doliscar comes in second at 17. Trine University’s (Ind.) George Markou is third with 16 pins.

Michael Fleck (Wilkes University, Pa.) is the only man with more technical falls than Kulchytskyy. Fleck has posted 10 this season, while Kulchytskyy owns eight victories with at least a 15-point margin.

During the 2011 campaign, Kulchytskyy compiled a 12-0 record with seven pins.

Individual titles by Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) and Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) propelled the UW-Oshkosh wrestling team to a seventh-place finish at the Pete Willson Invitational held Friday and Saturday (Jan. 27-28) in Wheaton, Ill.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, totaled 79.5 points to share seventh place in the 31-team tournament with North Central College (Ill.).

NCAA Division II UW-Parkside captured the team title with 117.5 points, while UW-Whitewater finished second with 102, University of Mount Union (Ohio) third with 92.5, NCAA Division II University of Indianapolis (Ind.) fourth with 91.5, Olivet College (Mich.) fifth with 88 and Ohio Northern University sixth with 86. Olivet College entered the meet ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III, UW-Whitewater ninth, Ohio Northern University 12th and the University of Mount Union 16th.

Kulchytskyy, ranked third in the NCAA Division III, won the 157-pound weight class with a 2-1 victory over top-ranked Elias Larson of Trine University (Ind.) in the championship bout. Kulchytskyy (36-1) advanced to the title match on a medical forfeit by UW-Parkside's Dillon Bera. Kulchytskyy went 5-0 in the tournament, with his over results being a pin in 1:32 over Chris Hardenberg of Messiah College (Pa.) and wins of 13-5 over Zack Sheridan of Elizabethtown College (Pa.) and 17-8 over Michael Letcher of Ohio Northern University.

The eighth-ranked Mueller took his 125-pound weight division with a medical forfeit by top-ranked Nathan Fitzenreider of North Central College in the championship contest. Mueller qualified for the first-place bout with a 9-5 win over seventh-ranked Robbie Bidlingmaier of Olivet College. Mueller (30-5) also pinned Danny Lethbridge of Messiah College in 1:00 and ousted Collin Lesko of Alma College (Mich.), 8-0, to go 4-0 in the tournament.

UW-Oshkosh's Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) placed sixth in the 174-pound weight category with a 2-3 record. Schiferl (20-9) lost his fifth-place match on a 4-3 score to Matt Cross of Messiah College. Schiferl began his competition by sticking Matt Mangelli of Western New England College to the mat in 2:14. He then defeated Cross, 9-5, before losing decisions of 14-3 to UW-Parkside's Luke Rynish and 11-6 to Elmhurst College's Danny Balderas.

UW-Oshkosh also had Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams) compile a 3-2 record at 165 pounds and Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) a 2-2 mark at 285. Konitzer had a pin in 2:40 over Cory Disbennett of the College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) and LaPlante a pin in 3:49 over Jeffrey Tyburski of the University of Chicago (Ill.).

Other UW-Oshkosh competitors were Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) at 133 pounds, Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 141, Tom Dahlke (Fr. • Shiocton) at 149, Kyle McKeran (So. • Lodi) at 184 and Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) at 197. DeLuca, Mueller and McKearn registered 1-2 records, while Dahlke and Heath both went 0-2.

The Titans wrestle in a dual meet at UW-Platteville on Thursday (Feb. 2).

Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) won all four of his 157-pound matches as the UW-Oshkosh wrestling team posted a 3-1 record at the UW-Whitewater Border Brawl held Saturday (Jan. 21) in Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, opened the event by marking wins of 35-12 over Trine University (Ind.) and 24-12 over 13th-ranked Elmhurst College (Ill.). Following a 28-8 loss to eighth-ranked Olivet College (Mich.), the Titans bounced back to defeat Simpson College (Iowa), 32-15.

Kulchytskyy received a forfeit in UW-Oshkosh's win over Trine University. He then pinned Tom Jung of Elmhurst College in 2:03 before counting 23-7 victories over both Steven Mena of Olivet College and Brian Haynes of Simpson College. The triumphs raised the fifth-ranked Kulchytskyy's season record to 31-1.

Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) captured three of his bouts, including two via pin. He started by flattening Trine University’s Shane Hendrickson in 4:40. After a 6-1 defeat to Elmhurst College’s Brian Brooks, LaPlante topped Olivet College’s Jake Ceslick by a 7-4 count. LaPlante then needed just 3:40 to pin Simpson College’s Ryan Haworth.

Both Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) compiled a 3-1 record with one pin. Mueller opened with a pin in 4:49 over Trine University's Brandon Preston before adding a 5-1 victory over Elmhurst College's Mark Johnson and a forfeit against Simpson College. Schiferl’s highlight was a 56-second pin over Simpson College’s Justin Bruce. Before that, Schiferl downed Trine University’s Jason Alber, 14-3, and Elmhurst College’s Danny Balderas, 6-4.

Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) was the only other Titan to compile at least two wins. He won on a forfeit against Trine University and then posted a 9-5 victory over Simpson College’s Devin Rausch.

UW-Oshkosh won 7-of-10 bouts against Trine University and 6-of-10 against Elmhurst College. Kulchytskyy and LaPlante were the only Titans to prevail during the match with Olivet College. Six UW-Oshkosh wrestlers were victorious against Simpson College, including Kyle McKearn (So. • Lodi) who registered a 2:13 pin over Taylor Witzel.

UW-Oshkosh competes at Wheaton College's Pete Willson Invitational next Friday and Saturday (Jan. 27-28) in Wheaton, Ill.

Wins by Grant Sutter and Jake Fredrickson in the final two bouts gave the UW-Whitewater wrestling team a 22-16 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Friday (Jan. 20) in Whitewater.

UW-Whitewater (15-7/2-1 WIAC) entered the match ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and UW-Oshkosh (4-2/1-2 WIAC) 19th.

UW-Oshkosh grabbed a 16-14 lead on Zachary Mueller's (Sr. • Jackson) 8-3 win over Mike Schloegel at 125 pounds. The victory raised the record of the third-ranked Mueller to 23-4 on the season.

UW-Whitewater answered back to take an 18-16 advantage on Sutter's 13-5 win over Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) at 133 pounds. The Warhawks then secured the victory with Fredrickson's 8-0 triumph over Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 141 pounds.

UW-Oshkosh jumped to a 9-0 lead on wins by Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) at 149 pounds and fifth-ranked Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) at 157. Quintana defeated Brian Lewis, 8-2, while Kulchytskyy pinned Corey Schmidt in 1:42. The win upped Kulchytskyy's season record to 27-1.

A 5-4 win by Cedric Gibson over Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams) at 165 pounds cut the Warhawks' deficit to 9-3. The Titans then extended their lead to 13-3 on Dan Schiferl's (So. • Stoughton) 12-4 victory over Reid Dickerson at 174 pounds.

UW-Whitewater staged a comeback as it took a 14-13 lead on wins by David Dwyer at 184 pounds, Adam Latella at 197 and third-ranked Corey Anderson ay 285. Dwyer edged Sam Engelland by a 7-5 overtime score, while Latella and Anderson posted 12-4 victories over Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) and Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin), respectively. Engelland's defeat was his first this season in 21 matches.

UW-Oshkosh remains in Whitewater to wrestle 13th-ranked Elmhurst College (Ill.), eighth-ranked Olivet College (Mich.), Simpson College (Iowa) and Trine University (Ind.), on Saturday (Jan. 21).

Zach Strickland and Billy Mayer earned victories in the final two bouts as the UW-La Crosse wrestling team rallied to defeat UW-Oshkosh, 20-15, on Tuesday (Jan. 17) in La Crosse.

UW-La Crosse, which has captured the past 14 WIAC championships, entered the match ranked third in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and UW-Oshkosh 19th.

UW-Oshkosh (4-1/1-1 WIAC) took a 15-13 lead on Sam Engelland's (Sr. • Neenah) 5-3 triumph over Grant Miller at 184 pounds. The win kept Engelland's season record perfect at 20-0.

UW-La Crosse (15-2/3-0 WIAC) reclaimed the advantage on Strickland's 18-4 victory over Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) at 197 pounds. The Eagles then sealed their comeback victory on Mayer's 6-3 win over Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) at 285 pounds. The loss was LaPlante's first of the season (8-1 record).

Third-ranked Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) gave the Titans a 3-0 lead with his 6-4 victory over Joey Nelson at 125 pounds. The win improved Mueller's record to 22-4 on the season.

UW-La Crosse posted wins in the next two bouts as third-ranked Adam Sheley defeated Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids), 18-2, at 133 pounds and top-ranked Bebeto Yewah ousted Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson), 23-7, at 141.

UW-Oshkosh answered back with three straight wins to take a 12-10 lead. The Titans received victories of 9-3 from Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) over Brady Schrupp at 149 pounds, 9-2 from fifth-ranked Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) over JR Lewis at 157 and 6-4 from Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams) over Mike Minske at 165. Kulchytskyy now owns a record of 26-1 and Quintana a mark of 18-5 on the season.

UW-La Crosse then went ahead, 13-12, on a 6-5 victory by second-ranked Mike Schmitz over Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174 pounds.

UW-Oshkosh travels to face 12th-ranked UW-Whitewater on Friday (Jan. 20).

Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) and Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) each went 5-0 and earned a title as UW-Oshkosh placed sixth at the Matman Wrestling Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 14) in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Coe College (Iowa) topped the team standings with 153 points, as Cornell College (Iowa) listed second at 117 and Luther College (Iowa) third at 94.5. Wartburg College (Iowa) tallied 94 points and Stevens Institute of Technology (N.Y.) 84.5 to round out the top five, while the Titans marked 75.5 for sixth place in the 14-team event.

Pinning his first two opponents, Engelland dominated the 184-pound bracket. He took down Jeremy Kroeger (Lakeland) in 1:35 and Micah Ballew (Luther) in just 48 seconds. Engelland then earned decisions of 7-2 over Tony Piechowski (UW-La Crosse) and 7-1 over Ethan Ball (Coe) before beating Brian Broll (Buena Vista) by a 5-2 count.

Kulchytskyy booked a victory against Coe’s Dimitri Boyer to meet Luther’s Billy Barringer, who he pinned in a time of 1:09. After getting by Zach Enrico (Augsburg) with a 14-5 score, Kulchytskyy defeated Dale Handley (Coe), 7-2, and Cole Welter (Wartburg), 9-5, for the 157-pound crown.

The Titans also received scoring from Jose Quintana’s (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) third-place finish and Zachary Mueller’s (Sr. • Jackson) fourth-place showing. Quintana totaled a 5-1 record, with his only defeat coming to Nathan Lexvold (Augsburg) in his second match. Quintana met Lexvold again in the third-place bout and got revenge with a 15-7 victory.

Mueller captured each of his first two challenges with 8-3 scores. After falling to Daniel Mendoza (Luther), Mueller came back with a 5-0 decision over teammate Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids). DeLuca placed sixth in the 125-pound division with his 3-3 record.

Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams) prevailed in his second, third and fourth matches to compile a 3-2 mark. He defeated the 165-pound Seth Shatto (Buena Vista), Brett Yonkovic (Wartburg) and Noel Sweeney (Augsburg) before dropping a 7-2 match to Joey Favia (SIT).

Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) went unbeaten in three 174-pound contests as the UW-Oshkosh wrestling team defeated Lakeland College, Milwaukee School of Engineering and Wheaton College (Ill.) in dual meets held Saturday (Jan. 7) in Watertown.

The Titans registered wins of 37-10 over both Lakeland College and Wheaton College, while topping Milwaukee School of Engineering by a 32-15 score. UW-Oshkosh entered the matches ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Schiferl posted wins of 8-3 over Lakeland College's David Galarno, 12-4 over Milwaukee School of Engineering's William Pedersen and 11-8 over Wheaton College's Matt McCary.

Both Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) and Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) gained pins in their two bouts. Engelland stuck Milwaukee School of Engineering's Caleb Staub to the mat in 2:34 and Wheaton College's Mitchell Steed in 3:29 at 184 pounds, while Kulchytskyy pinned Milwaukee School of Engineering's Joshua Wengerter in 1:24 and Lakeland College's Matt Weber 2:10 at 157.

Other UW-Oshkosh wrestlers going 2-0 were Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) at 285 pounds and Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) at 149. LaPlante pinned Lakeland College's Thomas Phalin in 2:05 and posted a 1-0 decision over Milwaukee School of Engineering's Steven Nguyen. Quintana tallied a 10-2 victory over Milwaukee School of Engineering's Dallas Schurg and won on a technical fall over Wheaton College's Brett Alfrey.

UW-Oshkosh recorded three other pins as Trevor Dyreson (Sr. • Deerfield) pinned Wheaton College's Luke Sims in 2:11, Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams) pinned Lakeland College's Vincent Cardarelle in 6:40 and Charlie Wessberg (Fr. • Wales) pinned Wheaton College's Kyle Patton in 6:27.

UW-Oshkosh competes in the Cornell College (Iowa) Matman Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 14) in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

UW-Oshkosh's Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestler of the Week following his victory at the Dan Gable Open held Dec. 11 in Kolf Sports Center. The award was for meets held Dec. 5-11.

Kulchytskyy improved his record to 20-1 on the season by winning the 157-pound weight class with a pin in 1:36 of Northern Illinois University's Matt Frisch in the championship contest.

Kulchytskyy also defeated Ramiro Rojas of Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.), 17-2, and pinned Eddie Breen of Northern Illinois University in 4:08.

Kulchytskyy's weight division featured 10 contestants.

James Hawley (Fr. • Campbellsport), Aaron Konitzer (Sr. • Abrams) and Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) won their weight class as the UW-Oshkosh wrestling team participated at the 9th Annual Dan Gable Open on Sunday (Dec. 11) in Kolf Sports Center. The event, which serves as a fundraiser for the UW-Oshkosh wrestling program, featured 76 competitors.

Hawley captured the 197-pound weight division with a 4-0 record, including pins in 1:28 of unattached Patrick Miller and 1:46 of Carroll University's Dominique Karolczak. Hawley also posted wins of 18-1 over UW-Oshkosh's Keith McLeod (Fr. • Racine) and 6-1 over UW-Stevens Point's Dylan Clucas in the round-robin format.

Konitzer earned the 165-pound title with a 17-5 victory over Carroll University's Jeff Hill in the championship bout. His triumph followed wins of 5-2 over UW-Stevens Point's Bill Langford and 7-3 over the University of Wisconsin's Brett Hochstaetter.

Kulchytskyy improved his record to 20-1 on the season by winning the 157-pound weight class with a 3-0 record. He took the title with a pin in 1:36 of Northern Illinois University's Matt Frisch in the championship contest. Kulchystkyy also defeated Ramiro Rojas of Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.), 17-2, and pinned Eddie Breen on Northern Illinois University in 4:08.

UW-Oshkosh had four second-place finishers in Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) at 125 pounds, Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 141, Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) at 149 and Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174.

DeLuca ousted his first two opponents before suffering a 3-1 loss to unattached Ryan McQuade in the championship bout. DeLuca began his schedule with wins of 11-4 over UW-Stevens Point's Jordan Poirer and 5-4 over Northern Illinois University's Nick Harrison.

Mueller followed a pair of wins with a 10-1 loss to Ethan Davis of Northern Illinois University in the championship match. Mueller moved to the first-place bout after pinning Mike Hollnagel of Carroll University in 6:40 and edging Carlos Garcia of UW-Parkside, 5-3.

Quintana lost his first-place match by a score of 7-3 to Northern Illinois University's Matt Smith. Quintana's setback came after he defeated Jamey Simmons of UW-Stevens Point, 12-9, and Ben Thome of UW-Stevens Point, 18-7.

Schiferl went 1-0 before withdrawing from his first-place contest against Scott Rhoads due to an injury. Schiferl's lone victory was an 18-3 decision over Calumet College of St. Joseph's Nick Gelsosomo.

UW-Oshkosh picked up third-place finishes from Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 125 pounds, Jay Howarth (Fr. • Coleman) at 174, Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) at 184 and McLeod at 197.

The Titans are off until they host Carroll University on Jan. 4 in Kolf Sports Center.

First-place finishes in six weight classes helped UW-Oshkosh capture the team title at the Milwaukee School of Engineering Wrestling Invitational held Saturday (Dec. 3) in Milwaukee.

UW-Oshkosh won the 11-team tournament with 163 points, while Central College (Iowa) finished second with 107 and St. Olaf College (Minn.) third with 94. Milwaukee School of Engineering took fourth place with 72 points and Lakeland College fifth with 68.

Earning individual titles for the Titans were Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 125 pounds, Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) at 157, Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174, Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) at 184, Jody VanLaanen (Jr. • Ashwaubenon) at 197 and Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) at 285.

Mueller defeated all three of his opponents, including teammate Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) by a 5-2 score in the championship bout. Mueller began his journey with a pin in 1:34 of Wheaton College's (Ill.) Tom Foy and an 11-1 victory over the Milwaukee School of Engineering's Luke Gaeth.

Kulchytskyy earned his title with four convincing victories, including a pin in 4:14 of Central College's Joseph Atwell in the championship match. Kulchytskyy pinned Kin Vong of Knox College (Ill.) in 1:00 before posting wins of 18-1 over Alex Evan of St. Olaf College and 22-6 over Brent Steudel of Lakeland College.

Schiferl claimed the top listing with his 7-2 triumph over Joseph Pesta of St. Olaf College in the championship tilt. Schiferl marked wins of 11-5 over James Roach of St. Olaf College and 15-3 over Adam Chauklin of the Milwaukee School of Engineering before pinning Sam Apland of Central College in 1:12.

Engelland pinned his first three opponents before defeating Mitch Steed of Wheaton College, 6-2, in the championship match. Engelland started his trek by pinning UW-Platteville's Wes Mathieu in 4:51, Lakeland College's Jeremy Kroeger in 2:08 and Central College's Greg Barner in 2:41. Engelland improved his career record to 102-36 with the four victories.

VanLaanen recorded a 14-6 win over Wheaton College's Darren Faber in the title bout. His victory followed a pin of Maranatha Baptist Bible College's Eric Awbrey in 28 seconds and decisions of 7-4 over Hannibal-LaGrange College's (Mo.) Dan Capp and 10-3 over UW-Platteville's Matt Scott.

LaPlante pinned all four of his opponents, including Central College's Jacob Crawford in a championship-bout time of 2:22. He advanced to the title bout by pinning UW-Platteville's Devin Johnson in 3:33, Hannibal-LaGrange College's Jake Hare in 2:05 and the Milwaukee School of Engineering's Steve Nguyen in 5:13.

The Titans also had Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) finish second at 149 pounds and Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) third at 141.

UW-Oshkosh is off until it hosts the Dan Gable Open on Dec. 11 in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh defeated the UW-Stevens Point wrestling team for the first time since 1985 with a 25-14 victory on Tuesday (Nov. 29) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Pointers (1-1/0-1 WIAC) entered the contest ranked 25th in the NCAA Division III by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Titans (1-0/1-0 WIAC) 29th.

Capturing the first four bouts, UW-Oshkosh gained a quick 16-0 lead in its home opener. Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) started things off for the Titans with a 12-3 victory over Dan Diebitz at 184 pounds.

UW-Oshkosh then received wins of 19-7 from Jody VanLaanen (Jr. • Ashwaubenon) over Andy Borchardt at 197 pounds and 6-3 from Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) over Matt Cuadra at 285. Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) later topped 125-pounder Ryan Osse, 24-8, in the highest-scoring bout of the match.

Joe Mileski and Jordan Kust recorded consecutive wins to pull UW-Stevens Point within 16-8. Mileski defeated Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson), 13-4, at 133 pounds, while Kust ousted Alex Mueller (Sr. • Jackson), 10-2, at 141.

The meet’s only pin came from UW-Oshkosh's Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.), who flattened Shane Sweeney in the final minute (6:24) of their 149-pound clash. The Titans clinched their victory with Nazar Kulchytskyy’s (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) 13-6 win over Ben Strobel at 157 pounds.

UW-Stevens Point finished the match with three-point wins by Jordan Schulte at 165 pounds and Ryan Conat at 174. Needing overtime, Schulte marked an 8-6 win over Trevor Dyreson (Sr. • Deerfield). Conat then posted a 10-5 victory over Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton).

UW-Oshkosh heads to the Milwaukee School of Engineering Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 3).

UW-Oshkosh owned the champion in six of the 10 weight classes as it dominated the Muskie Wrestling Invitational on Saturday (Nov. 12) in Sheboygan. The non-scoring event was hosted by Lakeland College.

Capturing titles for the Titans were Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) at 184 pounds, Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) at 157, Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) at 125, Jose Quintana (Sr. • Burnsville, Minn.) at 149, Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) at 174 and James Hawley (Fr. • Campbellsport) at 197.

Engelland compiled a 3-0 record and pinned Phillip Norton of North Central College (Ill.) in 1:04 during the championship match. Engelland posted a 6-1 victory over Dan Diebitz of UW-Stevens Point before sticking Adam Lehnus of North Central College to the mat in 2:12.

Kulchytskyy needed just two victories to win his weight class. He pinned Logan Gueths of North Central College in 53 seconds before edging Eric Oyster of North Central College, 6-5, in the championship bout.

Mueller went unbeaten in three matches. He followed wins of 16-2 over Nicholas Santos of North Central College and 2-0 over Brayan Gonzalez of North Central College with a 4-0 triumph of UW-Oshkosh's Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) in the title bout.

Quintana won his weight class with a 3-0 record. He followed a 17-2 victory over Jacob Maechtle of Lakeland College in the opener with wins of 13-2 over Mack Glasby of UW-Stevens Point and 12-4 over Shane Sweeney of UW-Stevens Point.

It took only two victories for Schiferl to take the top spot in his weight class. He marked a 12-7 win over Kyle Geary of North Central College before defeating Kyle Hughes of North Central College, 9-1, in the championship match.

Hawley compiled a 2-1 round-robin result after recording pins of 1:02 over Dylan Mahler of North Central College and 58 seconds over UW-Oshkosh's Keith McLeod (Fr. • Racine). Hawley's lone setback was a 3-1 loss to UW-Stevens Point's Dylan Clucas.

UW-Oshkosh also had Charles Wessberg (Fr. • Wales) finish second at 285 pounds and Jay Howarth (Fr. • Coleman) and third at 174.

The Titans are off until they host UW-Stevens Point in their WIAC opener on Nov. 29 in Kolf Sports Center.

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has selected UW-Oshkosh's Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) as its Wrestler of the Week. The award is for meets held October 31 - November 6.

Engelland, a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Division III Championship, went unbeaten in four contests to win the 184-pound weight class at the Pointer Open on Nov. 5 in Stevens Point.

Engelland pinned Joshua Willaert of St. John's University (Minn.) in 3:57 to take the first-place match.

Engelland advanced to the final by pinning David Shields of UW-Whitewater in 1:18 and ousting Dan Diebitz of UW-Stevens Point, 11-3, and Mitchell Hagen of St. John's University, 3-1.

Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) and Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) wrestled to individual championships as UW-Oshkosh opened its 2011-12 season at the Pointer Open held Saturday (Nov. 5) in Stevens Point. No team scores were kept at the meet hosted by UW-Stevens Point.

Engelland, a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Division III Championship, went unbeaten in four contests to win the 184-pound weight class. He pinned Joshua Willaert of St. John's University (Minn.) in 3:57 to take the first-place match. Engelland advanced to the final by pinning David Shields of UW-Whitewater in 1:18 and ousting Dan Diebitz of UW-Stevens Point, 11-3, and Mitchell Hagen of St. John's University, 3-1.

Mueller, who qualified for the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship, won all four of his bouts in the 125-pound weight division. He completed his journey with a 4-0 victory over teammate Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) in the first-place match. Mueller paraded to the final by defeating Austin Hietpas of the University of Wisconsin, 5-0, pinning Jordan Poirier of UW-Stevens Point in 1:59 and topping unattached Ryan McQuade, 6-3.

DeLuca, who competed at last year's NCAA Division III Championship, took second place after his loss to Mueller. Prior to his setback, DeLuca defeated Kameron Bouregois of Carroll University by an 18-6 score, Lance Fabry of UW-Stevens Point by an 8-4 result and Matt Cavallaris of the University of Wisconsin by a default.

UW-Oshkosh received two other second-place finishes from Nazar Kulchytskyy (So. • Sosnivka, Ukraine) at 157 pounds and Jody VanLaanen (Jr. • Ashwaubenon) at 197.

Kulchytskyy finished with a 4-1 record after dropping a 5-4 decision to Dillon Bera of UW-Parkside in the championship bout. He strolled to the first-place match by pinning Eddie Breen of Northern Illinois University in 4:15, pinning Matthew Cordell of Wheaton College (Ill.) in 2:06, stomping unattached Ryne Coakley, 12-5, and trouncing Alex Yde of the University of Wisconsin, 9-2.

VanLaanen posted a 3-1 record, with his lone setback being an 8-6 loss to Darren Faber of Wheaton College in the championship match. VanLaanen wasted little time in advancing to the final as he pinned Carl Stanfield of Carroll University in 1:22, Justin Birschbach of UW-Whitewater in 4:56 and Dustin Wozniak of UW-Stevens Point in 4:16.

The Titans also had Dan Schiferl (So. • Stoughton) place third at 174 pounds with a 4-1 record. Schiferl edged Matt McCrary of Wheaton College, 8-7, and pinned Montrall Johnson of UW-Parkside in 1:45 before suffering a 4-2 loss to Ryan Conat of UW-Stevens Point. Schiferl then won on a 7-2 decision over Timofey Savenok of Wheaton College and a pin in 3:54 over Ryan Aprahamian of UW-Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh's Ryan Heath (Jr. • Merrill) and Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) finished sixth at 184 and 285 pounds, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh competes at the Lakeland College Invitational on Saturday (Nov. 12).

The UW-Oshkosh wrestling team is ranked 26th in the NCAA Division III, according to a preseason poll conducted by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).

Defending national champion Wartburg College (Iowa) is ranked first, followed by UW-La Crosse and Coe College (Iowa). Ithaca College (N.Y.) comes in the fourth position, while Cornell College (Iowa) rounds out the top five.

The Titans have four individuals ranked in the top 14 of their weight classes by D3wrestle.com. Nazar Kulchytskyy (So • Sosnivka, Ukraine) stands sixth at 157 pounds and Sam Engelland (Sr. • Neenah) seventh at 184 pounds. Carl DeLuca (Sr. • Wisconsin Rapids) is the 11th-ranked wrestler at 125 pounds and Zachary Mueller (Sr. • Jackson) 14th in the 133-pound division.

Kulchytskyy went 12-0 with seven pins a year ago. One of four UW-Oshkosh seniors in the rankings, Engelland finished second at the 2011 WIAC Championship. He then completed his year with a 31-8 record and a ninth-place result at the NCAA Division III Championship. DeLuca also placed ninth at nationals and compiled a 19-13 mark in 2011.

A qualifier for the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship, Mueller went 23-11 with nine pins last season. Jason LaPlante (Sr. • New Berlin) is the final UW-Oshkosh wrestler in the rankings, coming in 23rd at 285 pounds. LaPlante posted a 9-4 record with four pins a year ago.

UW-Oshkosh returns 14 lettermen from last season, including four NWCA Academic All-Americans.

The Titans begin their 2011-12 campaign with the Pointer Open on Saturday (Nov. 5) in Stevens Point.