Matt Kyler and Richard Starks will begin their quests for All-American honors Thursday when the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships get underway at Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.

Kyler is a four-time NCAA qualifier and Starks earned a trip to nationals for the third time. Kyler finished sixth during his sophomore season to earn All-America honors.

A four-time EIWA finalist, Kyler secured his trip to the NCAA's by winning his second EIWA title and first at 149 pounds. He is seeded sixth this year.

"Matt has tremendous confidence in his ability and really knows wrestling and position very well," said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "You can see that Matt is not always the quickest or strongest but he knows position, he knows how to get angles and he is extremely determined. He always believes he can win."

Starks, who was injured in the finals last season at EIWA's and did not compete at NCAA's, finished third at the conference tournament to earn his trip to Omaha.

"Richard is a 'match time' competitor," said Barbee. "When it comes time to step out under the lights he consistently executes which is a tremendous attribute. It's not that he isn't nervous, it is the fact that he channels all of that nervous energy into intense focus and determination.

"Most importantly for both of them is that they wrestle with a relaxed intensity, they have fun and embrace the challenges, knowing that it is going to be an all out war to get up on that NCAA podium," said Barbee.

HOW TO FOLLOW: Video streams and national television are scheduled for all six sessions either through the NCAA or espn360.com. A list of broadcast information can be found on page 4.

In addition, the NCAA will provide updates and blog entries on its site, ncaasports.com.

FOUR TIMES: Matt Kyler became the first Army wrestler since Phillip Simpson to qualify for nationals in all four of his seasons.

Simpson, a member of the Class of 2005, was a three-time All-American.

Kyler is a four-time EIWA finalist and two-time champion.

THREE TIMES: Richard Starks earned his third trip to NCAA's but will be wrestling for the second time. Starks was injured in the EIWA finals during his junior season and did not compete at nationals. He is 2-2 all-time and looking for his first All-America honor.

WINNING WITH CLASS: Senior Matt Kyler established a new Army record for career victories at the "Shorty" Hitchcock Memorial Classic in Lancaster, Pa.

A four-year starter and three-time EIWA finalist and national qualifier, Kyler now has a career record of 144-30.

Phillip Simpson went 137-29 before graduating in 2005.

100 TIMES: Senior Richard Starks eclipsed the 100-career win mark with an 11-0 major decision against Sacred Heart on Valentine's Day.

Starks is now 104-22 in his career and stands seventh on Army's all-time wins list.

VETERAN ARMY MENTOR: Chuck Barbee enters his 10th season as the Army head coach. Barbee owns an 87-60-4 record dual meet record while coaching 26 national qualifiers and 48 EIWA placewinners.

Ryan Wilman returns for his third year with the title of head assistant coach. Rafael Vega is the newest member of the staff and is in his first year with the Black Knights. Volunteer assistant coach Paul Merritt begins his 18th season with the team.

BRANCHING OUT: Both Matt Kyler and Richard Starks will enter the Infantry branch of the U.S. Army following graduation.

Kyler is a Civil Engineering major and will join the Engineers branch with a branch detail in Infantry. He will serve as an athletic intern at the U.S. Military Academy prep school next season and choose his post next season.

Starks is a Mathematics major and will post to Fort Bragg, N.C., following graduation.

INSIDE THE 149- POUND BRACKET: Army's Matt Kyler is seeded sixth in one of the toughest brackets in the tournament.

Ohio State senior Lance Palmer is the top-seed with a 31-1 mark while Iowa's Brent Metcalf is second with a 27-2 record. Metcalf is a two-time national finalist.

Oklahoma's Kyle Terry enters the tournament with a 26-2 mark and the third seed while Wisconsin's Kyle Ruschell is 28-3 and the fourth seed.

Kyler will open his tournament against Brandon Bucher of George Mason, a junior with a 17-16 mark. Boucher earned his first trip to the NCAA's with a third-place finish at the CAA Championships. A Dillsburg, Pa., native, he lost his first match and then placed third with three straight wins.

"After learning some tough lessons last year, Matt realizes that he can score on anyone and if he wants to be an NCAA champion he is going to need to go out every match and try to put at least six to eight points on the board," said Barbee. "I think it is also important for Matt to ride tough at the NCAA's and ensure he gets a riding time point every bout."

If Kyler beats Bucher, he will face the winner of the Desmond Green of Buffalo and Shawn Harris of Virginia match. Green is the #11 seed and has a 27-6 mark during his redshirt sophomore season while Harris is 16-11 in his redshirt sophomore season.

Kyler could potentially face Terry in the quarterfinals and Metcalf in the semifinals.

INSIDE THE 197-POUND BRACKET: Iowa State senior Jake Varner, the defending national champion, is the top seed at this weight class with a 26-0 mark while Nebraska's Craig Brester is the second seed at 26-2.  Hudson Taylor of Maryland (38-2) is seeded third with Cam Simaz of Cornell (37-6) fourth.

Starks will open his tournament against Logan Brown, a redshirt junior from Purdue who is 32-11. Brown, a three-time qualifier, finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships.

"Richard needs to continue to execute to keep the opposition thinking about him and wrestling proactively instead of reactively," said Barbee. "He needs to be tough on top and be willing to battle hard in that third period to either hold a lead or build on it."

Brester will wrestle the winner of the pigtail match between Appalachian State's Dylan Temple and Rider's Tyler Smith. The winner of Starks' match will compete against the winner of Brester's match in the second round.

TEAM RACE: Iowa, the top-ranked team in the country and Big Ten champions, is the favorite to win its 23rd national championship.

The Hawkeyes qualified all 10 wrestlers for the event and are the two-time defending champions.

Minnesota is second in the latest poll, followed by Oklahoma State, Cornell and Iowa State.

THE ROSTER: Army has 36 wrestlers on the 2009-10 roster, four seniors, eight juniors, five sophomores and 19 freshmen. Nineteen states are represented, from Alabama to West Virginia. There are five wrestlers who call Pennsylvania call home, the most of any state.

USMAPS: Of the 36 wrestlers listed in the 2009-10 roster, 15 are products of the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS).

THE CAPTAINS: Seniors Ryan Mergen and Matt Kyler are serving as team captains for the 2009-10 season. Kyler, a three-time national qualifier, and Mergen were selected by the coaching staff and wrestlers.

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY: Senior Matt Kyler won the Southern Scuffle in impressive fashion. Kyler earned bonus points in four of his five matches before claiming the individual title with an injury default.

Kyler won two bouts during the first day of competition at the 32-team, two-day event, and then posted back-to-back major decisions to move into the finals, where he earned the championship when Cesar Grajales of Pennsylvania injury defaulted. Kyler jumped out to a 5-1 lead before the match was halted in the third period.

Kyler opened the tournament with a 10-2 major decision against Bobby Ward of North Carolina State and then pinned Savva Kostis of Appalachian State in 4:44. In the quarterfinals, he beat John Nicholson of Old Dominion, 17-7 and dispatched Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro, 15-7. In all, Kyler earned bonus points in four of his wins to help Army to a 12th-place finish in the team race.

Kyler was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week for his accomplishments.

WINNING START: Wrestling in his first collegiate event, freshman Jordan Thome won the 133-pound weight class at the Clarion Open in Clarion, Pa. Thome posted four wins to kick off his Army wrestling career.

Richard Starks (197) and Lance Penhale (125) also captured individual titles.

OKIE-GOLD: Matt Kyler, wrestling in his first event of the season, finished third at the Oklahoma-Gold Classic in Brockport, N.Y. Kyler won his first two matches of the season by fall and came in third.

Kyler was one of seven Army placewinners in the eight-team event. Ryan Mergen (174) and Jordan Thome (133) were fourth, Nicholas Bunch (141) finished fifth and Richard Starks (197), Rudy Chelednik (157) and Eric Gobin (165) came in sixth.

ANOTHER WIN: Matt Kyler won his first event of the season when he captured the 149-pound title at the Body Bar Invitational, hosted by Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y.

Kyler, the top seed, won two matches by fall, including a pin in 2:19 in the championship finals. Kyler was the only placewinner as Army finished 10th out of 12 teams.

BISON BITS: Bucknell ended an eight-match losing streak and posted its first win over Army, 25-6, at Gillis Field House on Nov. 24.

Army's Ryan Mergen scored an upset win but Bucknell won eight bouts on the way to an EIWA win.

Mergen put together a takedown, reversal, back points and two escapes for a 9-6 win against #9 Shane Riccio. Senior Lance Penhale also posted a victory for Army with a 4-2 decision.

The Bison, with four nationally ranked wrestlers, strung together eight other wins and improved to 2-2.

TOUGH RIDER: Casey Thome earned a major decision but Rider won the final two matches of the evening to edge Army, 17-16. Seniors Matt Kyler and Ryan Mergen and freshmen Colin Wittmeyer and Jordan Thome won via decision but the Black Knights fell to 0-2.

Army jumped out to an early lead then retook the advantage with two matches to go but Rider fought back to post the victory on the strength of two bonus point wins.

MAJOR WINS: Led by three-straight major decisions to start the match, including a dominating performance by senior Matt Kyler, Army won its first dual of the season, dispatching Hofstra, 28-9 on Jan. 8.

The Pride spotted Army a 6-0 lead after senior Lance Penhale received a forfeit at 125 pounds. That was before sophomore Travis Coffey, junior Casey Thome and Kyler each notched a major decision to stake the Black Knights to an 18-0 lead that proved insurmountable. Jacob Vetter also posted a major decision and Richard Starks and Ryan Cook won via decision for the Black Knights.

BUSY SUNDAY: Army posted a pair of wins in a quad match with Merchant Marine Academy, Boston and Rutgers.

The Black Knights dispatched USMMA (38-4) and Boston (31-9) before falling to Rutgers (28-10).

Matt Kyler won all three of his matches, one by major decision, one by technical fall and one by fall while freshman Collin Wittmeyer also went 3-0 on the day. Richard Starks won a pair of matches, including a 3-1 decision against Rutgers' Lamar Brown, ranked #18 in the country at the time. Lance Penhale (125), Casey Thome (141), Daniel Young (157) and Ryan Cook (285) all won two matches.

GET SHORTY: Army added the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Classic to its schedule after losing a dual match against American and then crowned four champions at the Lancaster, Pa., event.

Matt Kyler established an Academy record for career wins on the way to the 149-pound title while Lance Penhale (125), Travis Coffee (133) and Richard Starks (197) won individual championships.

Kyler improved to 137-29 after winning the tournament and passed Phillip Simpson (134-19) as the all-time Army win's leader.

SECOND IN N.Y.: All 10 wrestlers placed as Army finished second at the New York State Collegiate Championships.

Cornell won the event but Army crowned two champions, Casey Thome (141) and Matt Kyler (149).

Kyler won the event for the fourth consecutive season and was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the second straight year.

NEW ENGLAND SWEEP: Army had a busy Saturday in late January, beating both Brown (27-6) and Harvard (35-11) at their respective home venues.

Army opened the day by beating Brown in Providence, R.I., before traveling to Cambridge, Mass., and beating Harvard.

Travis Coffey (133), Casey Thome (141), Joey Walters (149), Ryan Mergen (174), Richard Starks (197) and Christian Botero (285) won both of their matches.

HOME WINNING: Army ran its home dual meet record to 5-3 by beating Millersville (37-6) and Sacred Heart (46-3) on Feb. 13.

Seven wrestlers won both of their matches, including Lance Penhale (125), Richard Starks (197), Ryan Mergen (174), Connor Hannafee (133), Casey Thome (141), Jimmy Rafferty (149) and Collin Wittmeyer (184).

TOUGH END: While the score may not have indicated it, Army had its opportunities to win its match against Navy. Instead, the Midshipmen won eight bouts on the way to a 26-6 win.

Richard Starks and Ryan Mergen posted victories but Army dropped seven matches by four points or less in the final dual match of the season.

EIWA PODIUMS: Six wrestlers placed in the top-8 at the EIWA Championships. Matt Kyler won the 149-pound championship while Richard Starks finished third at 197.

In addition to those national qualifiers, Collin Wittmeyer (fifth at 184), Orion Ross (seventh at 285), Travis Coffey (eighth, 133) and Casey Thome (eight, 141) also placed for the Black Knights.