Nov. 16, 2012

THIS WEEK: The Stanford wrestling team plays host to No. 24 Michigan on Sunday, Nov. 18. The Cardinal (3-1) and Wolverines (2-1) will square off at 2 p.m. in Burnham Pavilion.

Sunday's Probable Matchups:
125: #14 Sean Boyle (UM) vs. Evan Silver (SU)
133: #19 Rossi Bruno (UM) vs. Peter Russo (SU)
141: Camryn Jackson (UM) vs. Josh Lauderdale OR Maxwell Hvolbek (SU)
149: #11 Eric Grajales (UM) vs. Timmy Boone (SU)
157: Jake Salazar (UM) vs. Garrett Schaner OR Kyle Meyer (SU)
165: #10 Taylor Massa (UM) vs. Bret Baumbach (SU)
174: #14 Dan Yates (UM) vs. Thomas Kimbrell OR Dylan Morris (SU)
184: Jordan Thomas (UM) vs. Alan Yen OR Ryan Davies (SU)
197: #20 Max Huntley (UM) vs. Michael Sojka (SU)
HWT: Justin Dozier (UM) vs. Dan Scherer (SU)

CATCH THE CARDINAL: Fans can keep up with Stanford throughout the season by liking the team on Facebook (Stanford Wrestling) or following them on Twitter (@CardWrestling) for updates and unique content.

ABOUT MICHIGAN: No. 24 Michigan has started the season 2-1 with wins over Olivet (46-0) and No. 18 Pittsburgh (16-15). The Wolverines, who face Oregon State on Friday, Nov. 16, are travelling to California for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Although Michigan is a young squad starting five freshmen, the Wolverines have six wrestlers ranked in the Top 20 of the InterMat rankings. Junior 174-pounder Dan Yates, ranked 14th nationally, has scored bonus points in his first three matches this season (a fall and two major decisions). Freshman 165-pounder Taylor Massa is the Wolverines' highest ranked wrestler at No. 10.

UP NEXT: Stanford travels to Columbia, Mo., to take on South Dakota State and No. 6 Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 24. The Cardinal will face the Jackrabbits at 10 a.m. PT and the Tigers at 1 p.m. PT in the Hearnes Center.

NORTHWESTERN RECAP: The Cardinal fell to Northwestern in its home opener on Nov. 9, in the Ford Center, 32-6. Redshirt freshman Evan Silver captured the only Stanford win, posting a fall over Dominick Malone at 125 pounds. It marked the first collegiate pin for the rookie, who is 4-0 overall this season in dual meets.

ROADRUNNER OPEN RESULTS: The Cardinal had 19 wrestlers travel to Fresno, Calif., last weekend for the Roadrunner Open. Senior Ryan Mango, who is redshirting the 2012-13 season, won the 133-pound title, while true freshman Jim Wilson took home the tournament championship at 165 pounds. Redshirt freshman Michael Sojka (197 pounds) and junior Dan Scherer (heavyweight) were runners-up in their respective weight classes, while true freshman Zach Nevills placed third at 174 pounds.

TOP NOTCH RETURNERS: Stanford's 11 returning letterwinners include an All-American and Pac-12 champion in Ryan Mango as well as six additional conference placewinners. With Mango redshirting the 2012-13 campaign, the Cardinal will look to senior Timmy Boone and junior Bret Baumbach, both runners-up at the conference tournament in 2012, to lead the squad this season. Last year, Stanford sent two wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo. -senior Nick Amuchastegui and Mango. Amuchastegui was the runner-up at 174 pounds for the second straight season, earning his third career All-America honors, while Mango finished fifth to secure his second All-America accolades. Overall, Amuchastegui and Mango produced 33.0 team points to finish 16th.

FRESH FACES: Stanford has 11 newcomers on its roster this year. Highlighting the rookies are five state champions, including Peter Galli (Maryland), Matt Garelli (Illinois), Josh Marchok (Illinois), Zach Nevills (California) and Peter Russo (Oregon). Additionally, the new faces on the Cardinal roster include Ryan Davies (Clovis, Calif.), Colton Dempsey (Greenwich, Conn.), Maxwell Hvolbek (West Hills, Calif.), Thomas Kimbrell (Kettering, Ohio), Dylan Morris (San Anselmo, Calif.) and Jim Wilson (Lodi, Calif.).

PAC-12 NETWORKS: With the launch of the Pac-12 Networks in August, fans will get a chance to catch some Stanford wrestling on TV this season. The Cardinal's dual on Feb. 16 against Central Michigan will be televised, as will the Pac-12 Wrestling Championships, held March 2 in Tempe, Ariz.

NCAA TOP-10: Three-time Stanford All-American Nick Amuchastegui has been announced as one of 10 student-athletes who will be honored in January 2013 as Today's Top 10 Award winners by the NCAA. The award recognizes student-athletes, who completed their athletics eligibility during the 2011-12 academic year, for their success during competition, in the classroom and within the community. Award recipients will be recognized at the Honors Celebration on Jan. 18, 2013, during the NCAA Convention in Grapevine, Texas. A mechanical engineering major with a 3.91 cumulative GPA, Amuchastegui completed his career as the only wrestler in school history to reach the NCAA finals twice. He ranks fourth in all-time wins at Stanford with 118, was named the 2011-12 Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year and captured two Pac-12 championships during his career. He was also a three-time Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American, including a two-time Men's At-Large Academic All-American of the Year.

HEAD COACH Jason Borrelli: Stanford is under the guidance of a fifth-year head coach Jason Borrelli. During his time on The Farm, Borrelli has accrued a 36-38-3 record and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships a total of 12 times. Borrelli, a former Central Michigan standout, first came to The Farm as an assistant coach in 2007 and quickly helped guide the Cardinal to one of its most successful seasons in school history. Since then, Stanford has finished in the Top 20 at the NCAA Championships the past two seasons, including a program-best 11th at the 2011 championships in Philadelphia, Pa.