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Byline: Chris Hansen The Register-Guard

On his way to 35-5 record and a national championship last season, Nebraska wrestler Paul Donahoe lost to Minnesota freshman sensation Jayson Ness - twice.

Those two will meet again in the opening match of the National Wrestling Coaches Association's 42nd annual All-Star Classic in McArthur Court at 7 p.m. Monday, a meet that attempts to pit the top-two nationally ranked wrestlers in each weight class in one high-performance meet.

Donahoe, the top-ranked 125-pounder, is one of two NCAA champions competing in the meet, with Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter, the 2006 149-pound winner, being the other.

They join 15 2007 all-Americans, four NCAA runner-ups from last season and four wrestlers currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in Division I and one top-ranked wrestler from Division II.

Three weight classes will feature a match between a No. 1 and No. 2, with only two individuals in the event ranked lower than third.

One of those wrestlers just happens to be the fourth-ranked Ness, who was the Big Ten freshman of the year and a fifth-place finisher at the NCAA meet last season. He finished his all-American rookie season with a 40-5 record, including a pair of wins against the eventual national champ, though it was still Donahoe standing on the podium to end his sophomore season.

"It was the greatest feeling to win," said Donahoe, who beat the top three seeds in the tournament. "No one thought I was going to win."

Now Donahoe finds himself the target, though against Ness, there is certainly a question of who is chasing whom.

"Yep," was all Donahoe said when asked if revenge was a motivating factor for him against Ness. "But I'm still going to wrestle the same way."

Ness and Schlatter will be two of four wrestlers representing No. 1 Minnesota, the defending national champion.

Joining them will be 184-pounder Roger Kish and 133-pounder Mark Reiter.

As a sophomore in 2006, Kish lost to Oregon's Shane Webster in the national title match.

Last season, he lost in overtime to Iowa State freshman Jake Varner in the semifinals.

Those two will go at it again on Monday and like many matches at the All-Star Classic, this duel between No. 1 (Varner) and No. 2 (Kish) might very well be a preview of the NCAA title match at the end of the season. The meet also gives the wrestlers a chance to send a message of things to come to a highly ranked opponent, though that probably won't be the case in the 184-pound match.

"We've already planted that seed," said Varner, who was the NCAA runner-up last season. "We know what to expect from each other."

In the 133-pound match, Reiter, a senior who missed half of last season with a knee injury, will take on fourth-ranked Hofstra sophomore Lou Ruggirello, who was a late replacement for top-ranked Oklahoma State senior Coleman Scott.

Scott, a three-time all-American, two-time Big 12 Conference champion and runner-up last season at the NCAA championships, pulled out of the All-Star Classic last Thursday with an injury.

Reiter, ranked No. 2, is a two-time all-American.

He was also a late injury replacement for Missouri's Tyler McCormick, who pulled out with a leg injury following a loss to Ruggirello last weekend.

The top-ranked Schlatter will go against No. 2 Josh Churella of Michigan, and No. 1 Keith Gavin of Pittsburgh and No. 2 Matt Stolpinski of Navy will do battle at 174 pounds in the other match between the two top-ranked opponents.

"We feel the All-Star Classic is one of wrestling's greatest events," said NWCA executive director Mike Moyer in a written statement. "It can give you a potential NCAA final right now."

For members of the Oregon wrestling family, there is the hope that the All-Star Classic can do so much more.

The Ducks program is scheduled for elimination following this season and the Save Oregon Wrestling campaign is using the All-Star Classic as its kickoff event to raise money and awareness for the program.

That's also why Oregon was selected by the NWCA to host, which hasn't been lost on some participants.

"This meet, it's a pretty cool thing to do for college wrestling," Donahoe said. "I think it's also cool to do in Eugene. They're trying to save their program and hopefully this helps them."

For Patrick Pitsch, the reality of Oregon's situation hits a little closer to home.

The two-time Pac-10 champion from Arizona State is from Washington and had a brother who wrestled at Oregon State.

"It's a bummer," Pitsch said. "Everyone knows that wrestling is a dying sport and that's sad. ... It's a helpless feeling. Especially since it's another Pac-10 school."

Pitsch will be one of two Pac-10 wrestlers at the meet. The other is Cal State-Fullerton heavyweight Wade Sauer, who is an injury replacement for top-ranked Dustin Fox from Northwestern.

Sauer will wrestle Nebraska-Kearney's Tervel Dlagnev, the No. 1 heavyweight in Division II.

Pitsch, a fifth-year senior who is ranked third, will face No. 2 Eric Tannenbaum, a three-time all-American from Michigan.

"I think it's exciting having Pac-10 guys in the All-Star meet," Pitsch said. "It shows wrestling is still thriving and growing and there's good wrestlers out here. We still put out quality guys."

Monday at Mac Court, there will be nothing but.

Tickets are $15 for reserved seats, $10 for adult general admission, and $5 for children and UO students with valid IDs.