Huskers Send Nine to 2006 NCAA Championships

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No.  4/5 <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska (12-5) at 2006 NCAA Championships

Ford Center?Oklahoma City, Okla.?Thursday, March 16-Saturday, March 18

Last Year: Finished 19th, 31.5 pts, two All-Americans (Pascoe-184, Padden 197)

Television: Friday: ESPNU, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Saturday on ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

 

 

Huskers Send Nine to 2006 NCAA Championships

With nine wrestlers advancing to the 2006 NCAA Championships, the fifth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will look to compete for the national championship starting Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in Oklahoma City, Okla.  The nine Huskers advancing to nationals is the highest number of qualifiers NU has sent to the NCAA Championships under head coach Mark Manning.  This marks the eighth time Nebraska has sent nine or more wrestlers to the NCAA Championships since 1980.   

 

NU also seeks its 16th top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships and its fourth top-10 showing under Manning.  A finish in the top 10 would give NU five in seven years for the second time in school history.  The Huskers earned five top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships between 1990 and 1996.

The tournament returns to Oklahoma City, Okla., for the first time since 1992, but is in a Big 12 city for the fourth straight year.  The NCAA Championships were held in St. Louis, Mo., the previous two years and in Kansas City, Mo., in 2003.  Looking ahead, three of the next four national tournaments will be held in Big 12 cities, capped by the 2010 NCAA Championships, scheduled to be held at the QwestCenter in Omaha, Neb.     

 

Last Time Out: #5 Nebraska-3rd, 52.0 pts, Nine Qualifiers

B.J. Padden became Nebraska’s first back-to-back Big 12 champion since Bryan Snyder in 2002 and nine Nebraska wrestlers earned bids to the 2006 NCAA Championships at the Big 12 Championships in Ames, Iowa on Saturday.  In the team race, Nebraska took third with 52 points, just a half point behind conference runner-up Oklahoma.  OklahomaState won the team championship with 80 points.

 

Padden earned his second career conference title with his 4-0 win over Jake Rosholt of OklahomaState in the 197-pound finals.  After a scoreless first period, Padden rode Rosholt for the entire second period to take a 1:59 lead in the riding time advantage.  Then in the third period, Padden scored a takedown and earned a extra point for his riding time advantage to earn his fourth point.  Padden, who has beaten the defending national champion Rosholt all three times they have faced each other this year, will enter nationals with a 22-3 record.

 

At 174 pounds, Jacob Klein fell in the final to top-ranked Ben Askren of Missouri, 17-6.  Klein’s second-place finish, however, was good enough for Klein to move on to the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in his career.  Klein, a 2004 All-American at 165 pounds, will look for his second All-America honor in his career in Oklahoma City.

 

Paul Donahoe clinched his first career bid to the NCAA Championships with his 10-7 win over Austin DeVoe of Missouri in the third-place match at 125 pounds.  Donahoe sprinted out to an 8-1 lead 50 seconds into the second period and cruised to the win from there.  Donahoe earned his bid into the third-place match with a 14-4 major decision win over Ben Hanisch of IowaState.  Donahoe will enter nationals with a record of 24-7.

 

At 133 pounds, No. 4 seed Patrick Aleksanyan finished third after a 10-9 win over Jesse Sundell of IowaState.  Aleksanyan built a 6-2 lead in the first period and held on to qualify for his first trip to the NCAA Championships.  Aleksanyan heads to Oklahoma City with a 16-14 record.

 

Dominick Moyer will make his second career appearance at nationals after his 7-4 win over OklahomaState’s Ethan Kyle. Moyer, who finished second in the 2005 Big 12 Championships at 133 pounds, will head to the NCAA Championship this year with a 18-10 record.  Earlier in the evening session, Moyer dominated Missouri’s Chris McCormick in a 15-3 major decision victory.

 

Heavyweight Jon May will also head to nationals on the strength of a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships.  After a first-round overtime loss to Jake Hager, May pinned Sean Connole of Missouri with 34 seconds left in the first period to clinch a spot in the third-place match.  May then defeated Richard Schopf of IowaState, 5-2, to earn his first career trip to nationals.

 

The No. 5 seed at 149 pounds, Robert Sanders qualified for nationals with a third-place finish.  Sanders clinched third with his 6-3 win over IowaState’s Jason Knipp.  Sanders ran out to a 5-0 lead after two periods and was able to hold on from there.  Sanders enters nationals with a 12-11 record.

 

Nebraska also received two of the conference’s eight wild card berths.  165-pound wrestler Marc Harwood and 184-pound wrestler Vince Jones were awarded the wild-card spots, while Chris Oliver was named a second alternate for a wild-card bid.

 

Marc Harwood finished fourth at 165 pounds after losing 4-1 to IowaState’s Travis Paulson.  Harwood finished the day 1-2 and advances to nationals with a 14-8 record.

 

Vince Jones also fell just short of third-place in a 6-2 loss to OklahomaState’s Rusty Blackmon.  Jones clinched a bid in the third-place match with his 13-5 major decision victory over Oklahoma’s Justin Dyer.  Jones earned a bonus point for Nebraska with a strong finish.  In the final 23 seconds, Jones bolstered his lead to eight with a reversal and a three-point near fall.  Jones earns a bid to nationals as a true freshman with a 20-11 record.

 

Chris Oliver’s bid for third place ended in a 6-5 loss to Oklahoma’s Will Rowe.  The difference in the match was Rowe’s 3:20 riding time advantage, gained by Rowe riding Oliver through the duration of the second period.  In a fourth-place challenge match, Missouri’s Michael Chandler defeated Oliver by fall with 45 seconds left in the first period.

 

Last Year: Nebraska-19th, 31.5 Team Points, Two All-Americans

The Nebraska wrestling team completed its 2004-05 season with B.J. Padden finishing fifth at 197 pounds and 184-pound wrestler Travis Pascoe finishing sixth at the 2005 NCAA Championships at the SavvisCenter in St. Louis, Mo.  Nebraska finished in 19th place in the team standings with 31.5 points.  OklahomaState won the national title with 153 points.

 

B.J. Padden finished fifth at 197 pounds after his 4-3 victory over Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan.  Padden scored the match’s first four points and held on for the victory.  Padden reached the fifth-place match after a 7-6 loss to Joel Flaggert of Oklahoma.  The match was tied at five when Flaggert took down Padden with 26 seconds to go to take a 7-5 lead.  A second stall warning was called on Flaggert with one second remaining in the match, but it was not enough to close the deficit.  Padden finished 2004-05 with a 28-12 record.  Padden caught fire late in the year, winning the Big 12 Championship with an upset of Jake Rosholt of OklahomaState in the finals of the conference tournament and  a fifth place finish at nationals.

 

At 184 pounds, Travis Pascoe finished sixth after his 3-1 loss to Paul Bradley of Iowa.  The match was tied at one when Bradley notched a takedown with 12 seconds to go in the match.   Earlier in the day, Pascoe lost in overtime to Eric Bradley of PennState, 12-10.  Bradley notched a takedown in the closing moments of the one-minute sudden victory period to earn the win. Pascoe finished his All-America senior season with a 28-6 record on the year, and his career at Nebraska with a mark of 101-37.

 

In consolation action, senior 149-pound wrestler Travis Shufelt fell one win short of his second career All-America award in a 13-4 loss to Jon Masa of Hofstra.  Masa took a 7-0 lead after one period with a takedown and two near-falls and never looked back.  With the loss, Shufelt, a 2004 All-American at 149 pounds, ended his career at Nebraska with a 71-33 record.

 

Junior 165-pound wrestler Jacob Klein also fell just one match short of All-American honors.  Columbia’s Matt Palmer defeated Klein, 2-0.  Palmer started the second period down but escaped with 1:21 to go in the frame.  Palmer added a bonus point with his 1:21 advantage in riding time.  Klein finished his junior season with a 28-7 record.

 

Matt Keller’s second career trip to nationals ended with an 11-6 loss to Robbie Preston of Harvard. Keller held a 4-2 lead halfway through the second period of the consolation match at 125 pounds, but Preston gained control of the match after escaping with just over a minute to go. Preston scored a takedown of Keller with 35 seconds to go in the second period, then added a three-point near fall 11 seconds later. Keller ended his sophomore season with a 19-8 record.

 

Dominick Moyer saw his season end with a major decision loss to Ryan McClester of The Citadel, 11-2 in a consolation match at 133 pounds. Moyer entered the third period only down 1-0 and starting in the down position before a strong third frame clinched the win for McClester. Moyer ended his sophomore season with a 15-15 record.

 

Senior 141-pound wrestler Matt Murray had to withdraw from the NCAA Championships due to medical reasons.

 

Husker History at the NCAA Championships

Behind nine qualifers, Nebraska looks to threaten the program’s top finish of third at the 1993 NCAA Championships.  126-pound national champion Tony Purler led a five-man contingent of Nebraska All-Americans in 1993, including eventual Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner.  The five All-Americans also set a school record for most All-America honors by NU in one year.

 

The 1993 team was the third of five teams in a seven-year period that finished in the top 10 at nationals.  With a top-10 showing this year, Nebraska can match those teams for the best seven-year run of competition at nationals in school history.  Beginning with an eighth-place finish in 2000, Nebraska has finished in the top 10 four times in the last six years, including eighth-place finishes in Mark Manning’s first two years as NU’s head coach (2001 and 2002) and a fifth-place finish in 2004. 

 

Omaha Awarded 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships

The NCAA announced earlier this season that the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held at Qwest Center Omaha on March 18-20.  The event, which will be co-hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Omaha Sports Commission, will mark the first time in NCAA history that the event has been held in the state of Nebraska.

 

“We were extremely impressed with the proximity of everything in Omaha,” said Tom Bold, the former chair of the wrestling committee that presided over the selection of the future sites of the NCAA Championships. “The Qwest Center Omaha, hotels, airport and restaurants are all very close. Also, Omaha is conveniently located with regards to many of our institutions and the fans that have supported this event in the past. With the great partnership the NCAA already has with the city of Omaha through the Men’s College World Series, we know that they will to do a tremendous job.”

 

Qwest Center Omaha also hosted the 2005 Big 12 Wrestling Championship and the 2005 NCAA Regional Volleyball tournament and is scheduled to hold the 2006 NCAA Semifinals and Finals for volleyball. 

 

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to wrestle for the national championship in front of our fans,” said Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning.  “The QwestCenter is a great venue, and I think fans that come in to watch the tournament will have a great time in Omaha.”

 

Snyder, Vering Named to 10th Anniversary Team

The Big 12 Conference announced that former NU wrestlers Bryan Snyder and Brad Vering were two of 12 wrestlers named to the conference’s 10th Anniversary Team. 

 

Snyder, currently a volunteer assistant coach with the Huskers, was a four-time conference champion at 157 pounds for Nebraska from 1999-2002.  Snyder was a four-time All-American, finishing as the national runner-up in 2001 and 2002.  Snyder finished second in school history with 136 career wins.  His .925 career winning percentage is the best in school history among wrestlers with at least 50 career matches.  Snyder also ranks second on NU’s career chart with 69 career dual victories.

 

Currently a member of the US National Team, Vering was a two-time conference champion and the 2000 national champion at 197 pounds.  Vering became the seventh Husker to win a national championship with his 2-1 overtime win over Zach Thompson of IowaState in the 2000 finals.  Vering was a three-time All-American from 1999 to 2001. 

 

Moyer Second Husker to be Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

Junior 141-pound wrestler Dominick Moyer was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week on Monday, Jan. 30.  Moyer joined senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein as the second Husker wrestler to be named conference wrestler of the week this season.  Moyer, the 19th-ranked 141-pound wrestler, all but clinched NU’s victory over Missouri on Jan. 29 with his pin of Chris McCormick with 22 seconds to go in the dual.  The victory by fall gave NU a 21-3 lead that it would not relinquish.  The award is the first career wrestler of the week citation for Moyer, who is now 16-7 on the season. 

 

Klein Climbs All-Time Charts

Jacob Klein took sole possession of third place on the career dual win charts at Nebraska with his 2-0 win over David Bertolino of IowaState on Feb. 19.  Klein’s 63 career duals wins top NU national champion wrestlers Brad Vering and Tolly Thompson, who entered the season tied for third all-time for career dual wins.  Klein tied Thompson and Vering with his pin of Oklahoma’s Shane Vernon 50 seconds into the second period of their match on Friday, Feb. 10 in Klein’s final home match at the NU Coliseum.  Klein finishes his dual wrestling career six career dual wins behind Bryan Snyder for second in school history and eight behind Bill Scherr’s school record 71 career dual wins.

 

Youth Served for NU This Season

After losing five starters from last year’s lineup, Nebraska has had to rely on a talented freshmen class to fill those holes this season, and the class has been more than equal to the task.  Led by co-Redshirts of the Year Paul Donahoe at 125 pounds and Chris Oliver at 157 pounds, along with true freshman Vince Jones at 184 pounds, Nebraska’s freshmen have supported the more-experienced Huskers en route to a 12-5 record.  Freshmen contributed nearly half of Nebraska’s dual wins and dual points this season.  Of the Huskers’ 98 wins in duals, 41 belong to freshmen and 176 of the 398 points Nebraska has scored in duals have been earned by freshmen.  The strong performance by NU’s first-year wrestlers continued at the Big 12 Championships, as four Huskers in their first year of varsity wrestling qualified for nationals.

 

The impact of Nebraska’s younger wrestlers was never more apparent than at the National Duals.  In the first round against Iowa, Donahoe and Patrick Aleksanyan earned back-to-back falls to give the Huskers a 12-0 lead, a lead that they would not give up, despite losses in the next three matches.  After wins from veterans Marc Harwood and Jacob Klein, Jones, in his debut in a dual for Nebraska, defeated second-ranked Paul Bradley, 4-3, to give NU a 21-10 lead.  In the quarterfinals against Michigan, Donahoe again gave Nebraska 6-0 lead with a win by fall.  After three straight losses, Oliver put the Huskers back on top by pinning fifth-ranked Steve Luke to give Nebraska a 12-9 lead.  After the Wolverines tied the dual at 165 pounds, a win by Klein gave the Huskers a three-point lead before Jones gave Nebraska a nine-point lead with two matches to go with his pin of 17th-ranked Tyrell Todd. 

 

In the semifnals against OklahomaState, the Huskers’ comeback bid received a big jolt from Jones’ win by major decision, which pulled Nebraska within five points with two matches to go.  The third-place match against Central Michigan saw Nebraska again race to a 6-0 lead after wins from Donahoe and Aleksanyan in the first two matches.  After a setback at 149 pounds, NU picked up wins from Oliver and Jones in a four-match winning streak that clinched the dual for the Huskers.

 

Against second-ranked Michigan on Dec. 9, a pair of redshirt freshmen combined to give Nebraska a lead it would not relinquish on the road against the Wolverines.  Donahoe picked up a win by technical fall over Jim Shutich, 15-0, to give the Huskers an 8-3 lead before Aleksanyan broke through for his first dual win of his career with a 14-4 major decision triumph over Brandon Elliott at 133 pounds.  Aleksanyan’s victory gave NU a 12-3 lead with six matches to go.  The lead built by the redshirt freshmen held up, as Nebraska beat Michigan, 18-16.

 

Five NU wrestlers made their varsity debuts against BoiseState on Nov. 19.  Of those, Donahoe and 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 period 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, Aleksanyan, Robert Sanders and Matt Farrell made their dual debuts at 133, 149 and 184 pounds, respectively.  Against Michigan, 2005 Co-Redshirt of the Year Brandon Browne also made his varsity debut at 184 pounds.  The youth in Nebraska’s starting lineup reflects a talented, but young roster.  Of the 33 NU wrestlers on the roster, 23 are either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.

 

NU Looks to Continue Success

Despite a young roster, expectations are still high for the 2005-06 Nebraska wrestling team as it is continuing a 20-year tradition of success.  The win over American on Jan. 21 gave the Huskers their 64th dual win over the last four years, placing the last four years of Husker wrestling as the best in the school annals in terms of dual victories.  NU is 66-17-1 in the last four seasons.  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 three of the last four.  The Huskers secured their 19th 10-win season over the last 21 years. 

 

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.  Nebraska has built its success over the last three years on dominance at home.  The Huskers have won 27 of their last 30 duals in Lincoln and are 31-4 at home since the fall of 2002.  Since Mark Manning’s arrival at Nebraska for the 2001-02 campaign, the Huskers are 37-11 at home.

 

Klein Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

Nebraska senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein was named Wrestler of the Week by the Big 12 Conference on Jan. 16.  Klein went 4-0 at the NWCA National Duals Jan. 14-15 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, helping the Huskers to a third-place finish.  Klein defeated four ranked wrestlers at National Duals, including three shutouts.  In the first round, Klein knocked off third-ranked Mark Perry of Iowa, 4-3, to help NU to a 24-13 victory over the No. 6 Hawkeyes.  Klein followed that performance with a 4-0 shutout of sixth-ranked Nick Roy of Michigan as the Huskers earned their second win of the season over the No. 5 Wolverines, 24-16.

 

On day two, Klein defeated ninth-ranked Brandon Mason of OklahomaState, 3-0, in Nebraska’s semifinal loss to the Cowboys before defeating 14th-ranked Brandon Stinnott of Central Michigan, 6-0, in the third-place dual which Nebraska won, 21-10, over the seventh-ranked Chippewas.  It is the second career Big 12 Wrestler of the Week citation for Klein.  As a junior, Klein was honored as both conference wrestler of the week and CSTV National Wrestler of the Week after he defeated then-ninth-ranked Tyron Woodley of Missouri, 3-2, on Jan. 24, 2004. 

 

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.

 

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.  Slated to wrestle at either 133 or 141 pounds, the Papillion-LaVista product closed his high school career with a record of 128-1 and four state championships.  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 three-time Colorado state champion and a four-time state finalist.  Salazar closed his high school career with a 38-0 record and a class 3A state championship at 145 pounds for EagleHigh School.  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 three-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

Seven Huskers finished in the top four in the their respective weight classes at the Glen Brand Open in Omaha, Neb., at Jan. 21.  A pair of Nebraska wrestlers, 149-pound wrestler Robert Sanders and 197-pound wrestler Levi Wofford, won individual championships.  Heavyweight Stefan Tighe was second, while two Huskers, Mike Rowe (141) and Craig Brester (184) finished third, while three NU wrestlers, 157-pound wrestler Rob Plambeck, 184-pound wrestler Casey Roberts and 197-pound wrestler Cody Millard, took fourth in their respective weight classes.  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 the 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.   Jones and Wofford finished second at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, while heavyweight Tighe finished third.  Brester earned fourth place at 174 pounds, while 197-pound wrestler Cody Millard and 184-pound wrestler Roberts each finished fifth.  On Nov. 26, Cash Coolidge finished third at 141 pounds and Brester placed second at 174 pounds for the Huskers at the Oklahoma Open in Norman, Okla.  On Sunday, Dec. 4, a pair of non-varsity wrestlers earned individual championships at the UNI Open.  At 133 pounds, Jordan won five matches, including a 1-0 decision over teammate Patrick Aleksanyan in the finals, to earn the championship.  At 184 pounds, Jones won four of his five matches by fall en route to the championship.  In addition to Jordan and Jones, 174-pound wrestler Browne finished runner-up to Jacob Klein.  The Nebraska non-varsity wrestlers closed first semester competition at the UNK Loper Open on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Kearney, Neb.  Three Huskers earned individual championships including a pair of Huskers, 149-pound wrestler Ryan Davis and 165-pounder Ingalls, who were making their 2005-06 season debuts.  Brester also was a champion at 174 pounds, while Tighe was third in the heavyweight division.  At the Dana College Open on Jan. 7, seven Huskers finished in the top three in their respective weight classes.  The highlight for NU was the 184-pound weight class, where NU swept the top three spots.  Vince Jones earned the championship with four pins, while Casey Roberts took second and Craig Brester earned third.  David Ingalls earned the 165-pound championship, while Levi Wofford won the 197-pound championship.  James Pummel and Stefan Tighe finished third and 174 pounds and heavyweight, respectively.

 

Nebraska Fans Fill the Coliseum and Devaney for NU Wrestling

For the second straight year, the attendance for Nebraska wrestling went up in 2004-05.  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.  This season, Nebraska has averaged 668 fans per home date, including the season-high crowd of 1,517 fans that saw Nebraska and Oklahoma square off at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln.