Huskers Take Second at Vegas

Behind the 184-pound championship of Travis Pascoe, the No. 3 Nebraska wrestling team finished second at the 23rd annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Saturday.  The Huskers were defeated by <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Michigan, 148-139.5.  Nebraska had eight of ten wrestlers place among the top eight of their respective weight classes.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

“I was happy that our team finished strong and finished focused,” said coach Mark Manning.  The upside about this tournament is that can improve a lot from the mental mistakes we made at this tournament.”

 

Pascoe won his second straight individual championship at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational with a 6-4 decision of Arizona State’s Clarence Dollaway, capping a weekend in which Pascoe was 5-0.

 

“He wrestled a good, solid tournament,” Manning said.  “He’s doing the things we’re teaching.  He stayed focused throughout the whole tournament.  If he continues to do those things this whole year, he’s going to have a great senior season.”

 

One of five Huskers to enter Saturday’s action in the semifinals, Pascoe was the only one to advance to the finals.  Three other NU wrestlers took third place.  One of those was Jacob Klein, who defeated Missouri’s Tyron Woodley in the third-place match in double overtime, 4-3.  Klein was 6-1 on the weekend, with four of those victories going for bonus points.

 

At 141 pounds, Matt Murray was awarded third after an injury default disqualified Brandon Lauer of West Virginia.  Murray finished the tournament 6-1, losing only in the semifinals to Robert Tarquino of Pittsburgh, 3-2.

 

Marc Harwood also earned third-place status at 174 pounds, beating Eric Hood of Edinboro in overtime, 3-1.  Harwood, who lost in the quarterfinals, won three wrestleback matches to get into the third-place match.

 

Matt Keller finished fifth for Nebraska at 125 pounds, defeating Jesse Miramontes of Cal State-Fullerton for the second time in the invitational in the fifth-place match, 6-3.  Keller was 5-2 at Las Vegas.

 

At 157 pounds, B.J. Wright finished sixth after a 3-3 weekend.  B.J. Padden took seventh for NU at 197 pounds, and Mitch Manstedt finished eighth for the Huskers at heavyweight.

 

Nebraska’s next action is on Saturday, Dec. 11, when they hit the road for a pair of duals.  The Huskers take on Oregon in Eugene at 3 p.m., then travel to Corvallis to take Oregon State at 9 p.m.

 

Team Scores:
1. Michigan - 148
2. Nebraska - 139.5
3. Hofstra - 108.5
4. Arizona State - 103.5
5. Cornell - 97.5
6. Missouri - 88.5
7. Purdue - 83.5
8. Boise State - 75
9. Wisconsin - 65.5
10. Edinboro - 64.5
10. Pittsburgh - 64.