Huskers Focus on Virginia Duals

The eighth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team (9-1) will try to keep building momentum as they travel east to compete in the 2003 Virginia Duals at the Hampton Coliseum Friday and Saturday. The two-day sixteen team tournament will feature three ranked teams including Nebraska.

Against the Field
Nebraska owns a 55-33-2 all-time record vs. teams competing in the tournament. The Huskers have faced the University of Wyoming the most times with 37 meetings, with NU winning 24. The Huskers have faced off against Arizona State 13 times winning eight and tying one.

The Huskers own a 7-1 record against Lock Haven, while defeating North Carolina in four of five all-time meetings. Wisconsin has defeated the Huskers seven times in 11 meetings, while Purdue and the Huskers have faced off six times with NU winning five of them.

The Huskers have the possibility of facing Cleveland State, The Citadel, Edinboro, Old Dominion and Virginia Tech for the first time in school history.

Nebraska owns a 2-0 record against both Virginia and Rider, while having dropped all three matches against both Kent State and Lehigh.

The Last Time We Met
At last season's Virginia Duals, the Nebraska wresting team captured a second-place finish. In the opening round the Huskers defeated Brown, 26-10 before ousting 21st-ranked Hofstra, 22-17. In the semifinals against Illinois, the Huskers used a Mitch Manstedt win to give them a 20-17 victory. In the finals against Lehigh, the Huskers fell 34-7. Despite the loss, Travis Shufelt was named the Virginia Duals, Most Outstanding wrestlers as he went a perfect 4-0.

Last Time Out
Nebraska suffered its first loss of the season dropping a close match to 10th-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers, 17-16, Jan. 1 at the Rochester Regional Sports Center. With the loss, NU had its 11-match dual win streak snapped.

Leading by three heading into the final weight class (174), sophomore James Pummel lost by major decision to junior Jon Duncombe, 17-6 to give the Gophers the four team points and the victory.

Senior Nathan McClain used an escape to record a 1-0 upset decision over sixth-ranked Cole Konrad at heavyweight.

After the Minnesota loss, the Huskers rebounded to post their third shutout of the season, 44-0 over Oregon, Jan. 3 at the NU Coliseum. On the night, NU won six matches that earned bonus points.

Huskers on Winning streak
Dating back to last season’s NCAA Championships, top-ranked Jason Powell enters the Virginia Duals on a 15-match winning streak. Powell who is off to a 11-0 start this season, ended last season on a four-match win streak and finished third at the NCAA Championships. Against Minnesota, Juniors Travis Pascoe and Travis Shufelt extended their individual win streaks to 15 and 16 matches, respectively. Redshirt freshman, Matt Keller has extended his season-high win streak to six matches.

Huskers Rolling Up the Points
With the Huskers posting their third shoutout of the season against Oregon, Nebraska has now scored 30 or more points in nine of its last 11 duals.

Last season the Huskers recorded 30 or more points in eight straight duals.

Huskers Rank Among Nations Best
Sophomore B.J. Padden currently leads the 197-pound weight class in pins with nine according to the latest fall leaders by InterMat. He is tied for six among all weight classes with Minnesota's Jacob Volkmann.

Travis Shufelt is in fourth-place with seven falls at 149 pounds, three behind East Stromsburg's Mark Smith.

Redshirt freshman Matt Keller is tied for sixth in the 133 pound weight class with 17 wins, four behind weight class leader Josh Moore of Penn State.

Pascoe Garners Big 12 Wrestler of the Month
Junior Travis Pascoe earned the Big 12 Conference December Wrestler-of-the-Month honor the Big 12 offices announced Monday, Jan. 5.

Pascoe, a Rathdrum, Idaho native, posted nine victories in December to improve to a perfect 15-0 overall in the 184-pound weight class. Pascoe is currently ranked third in the nation according to W.I.N. Magazine. He posted three technical falls, along with one major decision, a pin and forfeit last month

On Dec. 5-6 at the Cliff Keen Invitational, Pascoe led the Huskers to their first team tournament title since the 1999 Billy Sheridan Invitational as he won the 184-pound title defeated two ranked opponents in Las Vegas in No. 19 Luke Calvert of Army (10-4) and eighth-ranked Blake Kaplan of Ohio State in the championship round.

At the Nebraska Duals on Dec. 22, Pascoe went 3-0 while leading the Huskers to victories over Nebraska-Kearney (46-0), Chadron State (45-0) and Dana College (44-3).

Who's Hot Among Husker Wrestlers
Jason Powell, Sr., 125, Midwest City, Okla. q The two-time All-American is off to an 11-0 start this season and has earned the Huskers bouns points in seven of his victories. Powel has defeated all three ranked opponents he has faced this season. Powell earned a first-place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational on Dec. 5-6.

Travis Shufelt, Jr., 149, Oconto, Wis. q The Oconto, Wis. native is off to a dominating start compiling a 16-0 record, including 10-0 in dual matches. He is currently second on the team in falls with seven and is tied for second on the team in technical falls with three. Of Shufelt's, 16 wins, 12 have earned the Huskers bonus points. His last seven matches have all earned bonus points. Shufelt earned a first-place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational on Dec. 5-6.

Travis Pascoe, Jr., 184, Rathdrum, Idaho q After a change in weigh class, Pascoe is off to a 15-0 start, which include a first-place showing at the Cliff Keen Invitational on Dec. 5-6. The team leader in takedowns with 36, Pascoe has only been taken to the mat once. Seven of Pascoes last 10 wins have earned the Huskers bonus points. Pascoe also leads the Huskers in technical falls with five.

Nathan McClain, Sr., HWT, Flora Vista, N.M. q On of the biggest surprises to the season, McClain is off to a 12-3 record, while taking over for an injured Mitch Manstedt. McClain leads the team in major decisions with eight and is second on the team in takedowns with 34. At the Cliff Keen Invitational, McClain earned a seventh-place finish. McClain is three wins short of tying his win total from all of last season.

Who's Hot Among Husker Redshirts
Derek Pirner, 125, Elk Point, S.D. q The former three-time South Dakota state champion is 15-5 on the season with two top-five finishes, including a first-place finish at the South Dakota State Open. Of his 15 wins, he has recorded four falls and four major decisions.

Jon May, HWT, Hutchinson, Minn. q May is having a solid redshirt season compiling a 12-3 record, including three top-three finishes. He was won tournament titles at the UNO and UNK Opens. May leads all redshirts in falls with five.

Huskers in the Rankings
In the latest W.I.N magazine rankings, the Huskers currently are ranked eighth behind Big 12 rivals, Oklahoma State (No.1) and Iowa State (No. 2). Missouri follows at No. 3 with Oklahoma rounding out the Big 12 schools at No. 13

In individual rankings, senior 125-pounder Jason Powell is No.1 according to W.I.N. Redshirt-freshman 133-pounder Matt Keller enters at No. 18, followed by junior Matt Murray, who is 12th, at 141 pounds. Junior Travis Shufelt is ranked ffifth at 149 pounds.

Junior B.J. Wright is at 17th (157) while Sophomore Jacob Klein is 15th at 165 pounds, junior Travis Pascoe is fourth at 184 pounds, and senior heavyweight Nathan McClain is 13th. Sophomore B.J. Padden is eighth at 197 pounds.

Huskers Strong at Home
With its 44-0 defeat over Oregon on Jan. 3, NU recorded its 14th victory in its last 15 home matches. The Huskers have won 11 straight at home last losing to Minnesota in 2003.

During that 11-match stretch, NU has defeated four ranked opponents. The average margin of victory during this stretch is 25.3 points.

The 11-match home win streak is the longest in school history bettering the previous mark of eight set twice.

Husker Look For Another 10-Win Season
With a win in the opening round of the Virginia Duals, the Huskers will raise their win total to 10. The 10 wins will mark the 12th time since 1990-91 that NU has recorded double-digits wins. It will also mark third time in four season that NU has reached the 10 win plateau under Head Coach Mark Manning.

Huskers Have Strong Recruiting Class
The Husker coaching staff announced that three of the nation's top-30 high wrestlers according to InterMat have signed National Letters-of-Intent to compete for the Huskers beginning in 2004-05.

The signees include Chris Oliver of Omaha Creighton Prep, Paul Donahoe of Davison, Mich., Mike Rodgers of Easton, Pa. and Matt Nelson of Wayne, Neb.

Oliver, a three-time state champion, is 97-0 during his prep career and was won state titles at 103, 119 and 140 pounds. He picked NU over Minnesota. His father, Ray, wrestled for NU from 1981 to 1983, earning All-American honors in 1983. According to InterMat, Oliver is the 27th-ranked high school senior in the country.
Donahoe, a two-time national junior freestyle champion, picked NU after receiving offers from Michigan and Michigan State. Competing for Davison High School, Donahoe won state titles in 2000 and 2001 at 103 pounds and finished second last year at 119. Donahoe is ranked as the 24th best High School wrestler in the county.

Rodgers is currently ranked second in the nation at 145 pounds and is a three-time place winner for Easton High. Rodgers is from the same high school that produced four-time Big 12 champion and All-American Bryan Snyder and current Husker Chad Sportelli. Rodgers is listed as the 29th-best high school senior in the country according to Intermat wrestling. Nelson is a three-time placewinner and is the defending state champion at 135 pounds.

Huskers to Be Shown on CSTV
The University of Nebraska wrestling team is scheduled to have two duals televised on College Sports Television this season.

Nebraska’s matches against Missouri on Jan. 24 and Iowa State on Feb. 5 are slated to be seen live.

Wrestling legends Dan Gable and Jeff Blatnick will call the action on selected CSTV telecasts.

Up Next
Following the Virginia Duals, the Huskers will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. on Jan. 16 and Laramie, Wyo. on Jan. 17 for duals against the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Wyoming.