NU Faces Top Competition This Weekend

NU Faces Top Competition This Weekend<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

After a dominating performance at the UNI Open, the 14th-ranked <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska wrestling team faces two top-five teams from the Big Ten this weekend.  On Friday, the Huskers take on second-ranked Michigan.  The Wolverines handed NU its first dual loss of the 2004-05 season Jan. 8 at the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas.  Then on Sunday, Nebraska takes on fifth-ranked Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn.  Last season, the Huskers broke a seven-year losing streak to the Golden Gophers with a 21-12 win in Lincoln.

 

The Last Time Out: Nebraska at UNI Open

Six NU wrestlers were champions in their weight classes and 10 Huskers placed at the UNI Open in Cedar Falls, Iowa last Sunday.  Along with individual champions Paul Donahoe (125 pounds), Kenny Jordan (133), Dominick Moyer (141), Jacob Klein (174), Vince Jones (184) and B.J. Padden (197), Patrick Aleksanyan and Brandon Browne were runners-up for 12th-ranked Nebraska, at 133 and 174 pounds, respectively.  157-pound wrestler Chris Oliver and heavyweight Jon May both took third in their weight classes.

 

Donahoe was 5-0 for the Huskers at 125 pounds.  Donahoe, the No. 1 seed at his weight, defeated Cody Garcia of Nebraska-Omaha by major decision, 11-2, after winning three of his four preliminary matches by fall.  At 133 pounds, Aleksanyan and Jordan were both 4-0 heading into their clash in the championship finals, which Jordan narrowly won, 1-0.  Moyer, the top-seeded 141-pound wrestler at the UNI Open, proved worthy of his seed with a 5-0 day.  After earning a win by fall 53 seconds into his quarterfinal match with North DakotaState’s Dave Cunningham, Moyer knocked off Charles Lloyd of Minnesota in the third sudden-victory period, 4-0, before beating C.J. Ettleson of Northern Iowa, 6-2, in the finals.

 

The No. 1 seed 174-pound wrestler, Klein defeated Browne in the final, 9-3.  After winning his first round match by technical fall and his second by major decision, Klein earned a pair of shutout victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals before defeating Browne.  The third-seeded Browne earned a pair of wins by major decision and another by fall before losing to Klein in the final.  True freshman Vince Jones was dominant at 184 pounds, with four of his five wins coming by fall.  The third seed in his weight class, Jones clinched the championship with a pin of Wisconsin’s Justin Peterson 3:10 into their match.  Padden was 4-0 as the top seed at 197 pounds. 

 

The Last Time We Met (Part I): Michigan 27, Nebraska 12

The No. 4 Nebraska wrestling team suffered its first defeat of the 2004-05 season at the 2005 Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas.  The Huskers were defeated by No. 2 Michigan, 27-12.  Matt Keller started the dual for Nebraska with a win by forfeit.  After that, Michigan ran off five straight wins, including victories at 141, 149, 157 and 165 pounds.  With Michigan leading, 15-6, the Huskers tried to climb back into it with four matches to go.  Tenth-ranked Marc Harwood defeated Nick Roy, 3-1, and Travis Pascoe earned his 12th straight win with a 9-4 decision over Josh Weitzel.  The back-to-back wins cut the deficit to 17-12 with two matches remaining.  However, Michigan 197-pound wrestler Willie Breyer thwarted any hopes of a Husker comeback with a pin of NU’s B.J. Padden 55 seconds into the second period of their match.  Heavyweight Greg Wagner closed the dual with a major-decision victory.  With the loss, the Huskers’ season-opening winning streak was stopped at eight duals.

 

The Last Time We Met (Part II): Nebraska 21, Minnesota 12

The No. 4 Nebraska wrestling team used a pin from B.J. Wright at 157 pounds and an overtime win from 165-pound wrestler Jacob Klein to defeat No. 7 Minnesota, 21-12, at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln.  Wright pinned Nik Lentz 2:01 into their match.  The win gave the Huskers a 9-3 lead in the dual, which they never relinquished.  The following match, featuring seventh-ranked Klein against No. 11 Matt Nagel, was more hotly contested.  After the first overtime was scoreless, Klein registered an escape just moments before the end of the second overtime.  He rode Nagel through the duration of the third overtime.  After 10th-ranked 174-pound wrestler Marc Harwood fell in overtime to Josh McLay, NU bounced back with a pair of wins.  Travis Pascoe, the seventh-ranked 184-pound wrestler, surged to a 5-1 lead en route to a 10-4 win over No. 6 Roger Kish and No. 15 B.J. Padden held on to defeat Matt Koz at 197 pounds 3-2.

 

Scouting Michigan

Like the 2004-05 dual against Nebraska, Michigan enters its dual against Nebraska ranked second in the nation.  The Wolverines are coming off a Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational championship, the second straight time Michigan has earned that title.  Michigan returns eight starters from last year’s squad, which finished second at the NCAA Championships. Included among those returning starters are four All-Americans.  Eric Tannenbaum (149), Ryan Churella (149) and Greg Wagner (HWT) all finished fourth in the nation last year, while 141-pound wrestler Josh Churella finished eighth.  All four returning All-Americans are ranked among the national top five in the nation in their respective weight classes.  Also in the top five nationally is freshman Steve Luke, who was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week with his 6-0 weekend at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.  Luke knocked off Alex Tirapelle of Illinois in an 11-minute bout in the 157-pound finals.

 

Scouting Minnesota

Ranked fifth in the nation, Minnesota enters its dual with Nebraska after starting the season with a 5-0 dual record.  The five dual wins to start the year is the best start for the Golden Gophers since the 2001-02, a season which Minnesota finished with a perfect 19-0 record en route to the national championship.  The Gophers are led by heavyweight Cole Konrad, ranked No. 1 in the nation.  Last year’s runner-up at heavyweight, Konrad has won 40 of his last 41 matches, dating back to last season.  His lone loss was a 3-1 overtime defeat at the hands of OklahomaState’s Steve Mocco.  Konrad defeated Mocco last month at the NWCA All-Star Classic, 4-1, at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.  Along with Konrad, Minnesota returns All-Americans Mack Reiter and Matt Nagel at 133 and 165 pounds, respectively.

 

Heading Home

This weekend marks a homecoming for three of Nebraska’s starters.  On Friday, 125-pound redshirt freshman wrestler Paul Donahoe returns to his home state of Michigan.  The Davison, Mich., native is 12-1 in his first year of varsity wrestling and is already ranked 14th at 125 pounds, building from his 20-2 true freshman season in which he was named NU’s Co-Redshirt of the Year for the 2004-05 season.  Donahoe was a two-time state champion at DavisonHigh School.

 

On Sunday, 165-pound wrestler Marc Harwood and heavyweight Jon May return to their home state of Minnesota.  Harwood is off to a 6-1 start to the 2005-06 season, including a 2-0 mark in dual competition.  Harwood has won his two dual matches in bonus-point fashion, including one by fall and one by major decision.  A two-time state champion at JacksonCountyHigh School, Harwood was a four-time all-state wrestler.  In his first full season as Nebraska’s full-time starter at heavyweight, May is 10-3 and has also won his first two dual matches.  May has picked up three wins by fall in the early going of the 2005-06 season.  May was a state champion his senior year at HutchinsonHigh School, capping a career in which he was 159-21 with four all-conference citations.

 

Knocking on the Clubhouse Door

A pair of Husker wrestlers are within reach of Nebraska’s 100-Win club.  NU All-American wrestlers B.J. Padden and Jacob Klein both entered the 2005-06 with 70 career wins, just 30 away from joining the 100-Win Club at Nebraska.  Travis Pascoe was the last Husker to join the club, finishing his career with 101 wins after last year’s sixth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championship.

 

Padden closed the 2004-05 season with a fifth-place finish at 197 pounds and enters the 2005-06 season as one of the nation’s best at 197 pounds this season.  Padden became Nebraska’s first individual conference champion since Jason Powell in 2002 with his 6-2 victory over eventual national champion Jake Rosholt of OklahomaState at the Big 12 Championships.  Padden has started the 2005-06 season with a 10-1 record, putting him just 20 wins away from 100 in his career.

 

Klein enters his senior season as NU’s starter at 174 pounds after qualifying for nationals three times at 165 pounds.  Klein was an All-American as a sophomore at 165 pounds, and reached greater heights as a junior with a 28-7 record with a 19-2 dual record.  Klein was tied with Pascoe for the team lead in dual wins and finished second on the team with 74 dual points, just one behind B.J. Wright. Klein has opened the season with seven straight wins, putting him 23 away from 100 in his career.   

 

Starting Strong

Nebraska has been almost unbeatable in the months of November and December under head coach Mark Manning.  The Huskers have won all 34 non-conference matches in the first two months of the season under Manning and are 34-1 overall, with the only loss coming against Missouri on Dec. 15, 2001.  During that time, Nebraska has beaten 10 ranked opponents, including three last season.  Included in the 34 wins are four shutouts, including two at the 2004 Nebraska Duals.  Nebraska’s streak will be put to the test in a difficult non-conference schedule including three ranked opponents.

 

Youth Served Against BoiseState

Five NU wrestlers made their varsity debuts against BoiseState on Nov. 19.  Of those, 125-pound wrestler Paul Donahoe and 157-pound wrestler Chris Oliver notched bonus-point wins for the Huskers.

 

Donahoe dominated in his 18-8 major decision win over Cory Fish.  Donahoe never trailed in his match with Fish, and finished by outscoring Fish 9-4 in the final two minutes of the match.  Oliver came back from a 2-1 deficit to pin Johnny Nunez in the second period at 157 pounds.  Oliver took the lead for good after starting the second down, then escaping 16 seconds into the period.  Oliver then took Nunez down with 30 seconds to go in the match and pinned him nine seconds later. 

 

Along with Oliver and Donahoe, Patrick Aleksanyan, Robert Sanders and Matt Farrell made their dual debuts at 133, 149 and 184 pounds respectively.  The youth in Nebraska’s starting lineup reflects a talented, but young roster.  Of the 34 NU wrestlers on the roster, 24 are either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.

 

Klein Competes in All-Star Classic

NU senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein wrestled in the 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, Nov. 28.  Klein was defeated 8-5 by third-ranked Jacob Herbert of Northwestern. 

 

Klein nearly fought back from a 6-0 deficit.  After earning his first point with an escape with 41 seconds to go in the match, Klein registered two takedowns in the final 15 seconds of the match.  Klein’s rally fell just short, and with one point riding time, Herbert defeated Klein, 8-5.

 

Klein was one of nine Big 12 wrestlers to compete in the All-Star Classic.

 

NU Looks to Continue Success

Despite a young roster, expectations are still high for the Nebraska wrestling team as they look to continue a 20-year tradition of success.  Over the last 20 seasons, NU has won at least 10 duals in a season 18 times and at least 15 duals eight times, including the last three seasons. 

 

The 2004-05 season capped the best three-year stretch in school history.  The Huskers were 53-12-1 from the fall of 2002 to the end of the 2004-05 campaign, marking the first time Nebraska had won 50 duals in a three-year stretch since the wrestling program was started at Nebraska in 1910.  In fact, the last three years of Husker wrestling nearly equals Nebraska’s best four-year wrestling stretch.  The Huskers start this season within reach of the 63-21-2 record of the four seasons between 1979 and 1982 for the best four seasons in school history, and only 11 four-year runs have bettered Nebraska’s last three years in dual competition.

 

Nebraska has built its success over the last three years on success at home.  The Huskers have won 22 of their last 23 duals in Lincoln and are 26-2 at home since the fall of 2002.  Since Mark Manning’s arrival at Nebraska for the 2001-02 campaign, the Huskers are 32-9 at home. 

 

Huskers Sign Three in Early Period

The Nebraska wrestling team opened the early signing period with a flourish by receiving National Letters-of-Intent from three accomplished prep recruits, Husker Head Coach Mark Manning announced earlier this season.

 

“We got three really outstanding kids,” Manning said. “These guys all are good students, good wrestlers and have good character.”

 

NU’s class is led by in-state recruit Matt Vacanti.  The Papillion-LaVista product is 103-0 in his high school career and is slated to wrestle at either 133 or 141 pounds for the Huskers.  Vacanti was 35-0 with all wins by fall last season en route to his third career state championship.  Vacanti is also accomplished on the national stage, as a two-time cadet national champion.

 

“Matt has a great work ethic and is a tough, hard-nosed kid,” Manning said.  “His style of wrestling fits in well with the rest of our team.  He’s an exciting wrestler to watch and he gets after it.”

 

Joining Vacanti is Curtis Salazar of Greeley, Colo.  Salazar is a two-time Colorado state champion and a three-time state finalist.  Salazar, who is projected to wrestle at 149 pounds in college, is another valuable addition to the NU wrestling team, according to Manning.

 

“He’s a good wrestler who wants to get better, and he is a great student,” Manning said.  “He’s been dominating in-state and national competition and beat a lot of good, ranked opponents.  He’s come to our camp the last couple years and gets along well with our guys.  We’re happy to have him be part of our family now.”

 

Rounding out the signings is Alex Ward, from MountSaint JosephHigh School in Baltimore, Md.  Ward, projected to wrestle in the middle weights in college, is a two-time state champion at 145 pounds.  A fourth-place finisher the last two years in the national prep tournament, Ward is the son of three-time NCAA finalist and former NU assistant wrestling coach Kelly Ward.

 

“He’s an outstanding kid from a heralded program in MountSaint JosephHigh School,” Manning said. 

 

“We expect him to improve and develop a lot in our program.  He’s an intelligent young man with great potential and upside.  He will help us out in the future.”

 

Non-Varsity Notes

The Nebraska non-varsity wrestlers close first semester competition at the UNK Loper Open on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Kearney, Neb.  Last year, three NU wrestlers finished among the top five in their respective weight classes.

 

On Sunday, a pair of non-varsity wrestlers earned individual championships at the UNI Open.  At 133 pounds, Kenny Jordan won five matches, including a 1-0 decision over teammate Patrick Aleksanyan in the finals, to earn the championship.  At 184 pounds, Vince Jones won four of his five matches by fall en route to the championship.  Jones has been dominant of late for NU, winning 11 of his last 12 matches including 10 victories by fall.  In addition to Jordan and Jones, 174-pound wrestler Brandon Browne finished runner-up to Jacob Klein.

 

Nebraska opened its non-varsity season Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Harold Nichols Open.  The Huskers were led by Brandon Browne, who opened his second year in the program with a 5-0 weekend and 174-pound championship.  Browne headlined a list of five Husker medalists, including four NU true freshmen who made their debut in college wrestling with a top-four performance in the Harold Nichols Open.  Mike Rowe finished second at 133 pounds, while Jones and Wofford finished third at 184 pounds and 197 pounds, respectively.  Freshman heavyweight Tighe finished fourth.At the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 19, seven of the 13 non-varsity wrestlers entered placed for the Huskers in the 20-and-under division,  led by Kenny Jordan, who won the 133-pound weight class in his first collegiate competition. 

 

Vince Jones and Levi Wofford finished second at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, while heavyweight Stefan Tighe finished third.  Craig Brester earned fourth place at 174 pounds, while 197-pound wrestler Cody Millard and 184-pound wrestler Casey Roberts each finished fifth.

 

Cash Coolidge finished third at 141 pounds and Craig Brester placed second at 174 pounds for the Huskers at the Oklahoma Open Nov. 26 in Norman, Okla., in the last non-varsity competition for NU.

After the holiday break, NU will compete in the Dana College Open on Jan. 7 in Blair, Neb., before wrapping the open tournament schedule with the Glen Brand Open on Jan. 21 in Omaha, Neb.

 

Jan. 7 Dual Moved to Devaney Track

Nebraska’s Jan. 7 dual against Virginia Tech has been moved to the Bob Devaney Sports Center Track.  It will be the second of two duals held at the DevaneyCenter during the month of January, as the Jan. 2 dual against Bloomsburg is also slated to be held at the Devaney Center Track.  Both duals will be held at 7 p.m.

 

Nebraska Fans Fill the Coliseum and Devaney for NU Wrestling

For the second straight year, the attendance for Nebraska wrestling went up.  For the first time in three years, the Huskers drew over 1,000 fans per dual.  NU averaged 1,209 fans per home wrestling dual in 2004-05, highlighted by the 3,442 fans that attended the Huskers’ dual against OklahomaState.  In 2003-04, Nebraska fell just shy of 1,000 fans per dual, averaging 927 fans per night.  That number was up from Nebraska’s average attendance of 2002-03 of 561.

Nebraska’s season-opening dual against BoiseState Nov. 18 drew 584 fans to the NU Coliseum.

 

Next up: Nebraska vs. Cal Poly, DanaCollege and OregonState in Nebraska Duals

Nebraska wraps up competition in the first semester with the Nebraska Duals at the NU Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 18 starting at 10 a.m.  The field features nationally-ranked Cal Poly, OregonState and in-state NAIA power DanaCollege.  The Huskers look to continue their dominance in the third edition of the event.  In the two previous years of the event, Nebraska has won 49 of the 50 matches.