Winter vacation was the best of times and the worst of times for the wrestling team.

On the plus side, the Lions won their first dual meet of the season when they upended North Carolina State 34-10 on Jan. 2. They also won their first Big Ten dual when they beat Wisconsin 18-10 on Saturday.

Unfortunately there was also some bad news for the Lions. Iowa, a preseason co-favorite with Penn State, easily defeated the Lions 29-15 on Friday.

Bad news also came when the Lions learned that All-American Josh Robbins would not be able to wrestle because of academics. Greg Troxell's career is over because of an elbow problem that requires surgery and Assistant Coach Ken Chertow has left the team to pursue a private business venture.

If there was a bright spot for the Lions, it might have been the Midland Championships.

Four Penn State wrestlers ventured to Evanston, Ill., to wrestle in the prestigious tournament. Three wrestlers placed in the top four, led by Cary Kolat, who avenged his loss in last season's national championship match by beating North Carolina's T.J. Jaworsky 8-3 in the finals. For his efforts, Kolat was rewarded with the oustanding wrestler award.

"It was a match I've been looking forward to for a year," Kolat said of his match with Jaworsky. "I had a good tournament, but not a great tournament."