Nebraska Returns to Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha

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No.  19/18 <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska at Kaufman-Brand Open

Sapp Fieldhouse ? Omaha, Neb. ? Saturday, Nov. 18?9 a.m.
Last Appearance: 2005, No Team Scoring, Three wrestlers placed in the top six in the Open Division, seven placed in the 20-and-under division

 

Nebraska Returns to Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha

For the second weekend in a row, the 18th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will compete in an open tournament.  This weekend, the Huskers head to Omaha to wrestle in the Kaufman-Brand Open at Sapp Fieldhouse, the largest one-day tournament in the nation.  The wrestling starts at 9 a.m., and is expected to go all day.

 

Last Time Out: Cowboy Open, Five Individual Champions

Nine of the 17 Nebraska wrestlers participating in the Cowboy Open earned top-four honors on Saturday in the Huskers’ first competition of the season in Laramie, Wyo.

 

The list is led by five Huskers who earned first place in their brackets.  Three Huskers won the elite division of their respective weight class, including Paul Donahoe (125), Chris Oliver (157) and Brandon Browne (174).  Two others, Curtis Salazar (149) and Stephen Dwyer (165) won the amateur divisions in their respective weight classes.

 

At 125 pounds, Donahoe dominated in the first three rounds, in which he earned three wins by fall.  Donahoe earned the elite championship at 125 pounds with a 5-4 win over Ben Kjar of UtahValleyState.

 

Oliver was similarly dominant in his run to the championship in the elite bracket at 157 pounds.  Oliver won by fall and major decision before getting to the finals with a 10-3 win by decision over Nick Beuter.  Oliver earned the championship with his second pin of the day, as he defeated Wayne French of Great Falls in 2:39. 

 

Browne got out to a hot start in the 174-pound elite bracket, with a win by major decision.  Browne won by decision in his final three matches of the day, including a 6-4 win over Ron Lee of Oregon in the final.

 

In the 165-pound amateur bracket, Dwyer was able to get a quick pin in his first match before back-to-back shutout victories earned him a spot at the finals, which he won by technical fall over Derek Mestrovich of Boise State.

 

Salazar won four matches in the 149-pound amateur bracket to take the championship.  After a major decision victory in his first match, Salazar won three straight by decision, capped by a 5-3 win over Ryan Etherton of Nebraska-Kearney for the championship.

 

While five Huskers took home first-place finishes, three more earned second in their brackets, including Dominick Moyer (141 Elite), Levi Wofford (184 Elite) and Jon May (HWT Elite).

Last Year at the Kaufman-Brand Open

The 17th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team wrapped up a busy first week of action last season at the Kaufman-Brand Open.  No team scoring was kept, but of the 21 NU wrestlers that participated, 10 placed in the top six of their respective brackets.

 

Nebraska competed against a talented field that included Big 12 Conference foes IowaState and OklahomaState and a range of strong teams from around the region, including Division II defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha.

 

In the open division, three NU wrestlers placed.  In the 125-pound weight class, Paul Donahoe finished third, while 197-pounder B.J. Padden also earned a third-place finish, while 165-pound wrestler Marc Harwood finished sixth.

 

Donahoe started the tournament with a pair of pins before moving to the semifinals with an 11-6 win over Seth Wright of Northern Iowa.  In the consolation bracket, Donahoe defeated Nick Smith of Minnesota State-Mankato before beating Pat Castillo of Northern Illinois, 5-2, to earn third.

 

Padden was similarly strong early with wins by fall and technical fall in the first two rounds.  In a rematch of an overtime bout Friday night at the NU Coliseum, BoiseState’s Casey Phelps defeated Padden, 3-1, in overtime.  Padden pinned Heath Jolley of Central Oklahoma in his first match in the consolation bracket, then clinched third with a 9-3 win over Wyoming’s Sam Wendland.

 

At 165 pounds, Harwood overcame a first-round loss to Eric Luedke of Iowa to take sixth place.  Four straight wins in the consolation bracket earned Harwood his sixth-place finish.

 

Seven NU wrestlers placed 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.

 

Three Accomplished Student-Athletes Join NU Wrestling

Nebraska head wrestling coach Mark Manning announced the signing of three student-athletes during the early signing period that will join the Huskers for the 2007-08 academic year. 

 

The three signees, Andy Pokorny of Bennington, Neb., Tucker Lane of Nucla, Colo., and Chris Hacker of El Reno, Okla., represent Nebraska’s continued success in wrestling both on and off the mat.

 

“We are extremely pleased with all three joining our team,” Manning said.  “These young men are the type of people we need in this program.  All three have excelled in wrestling not only at the state level, but also at the national level.  These are outstanding young men that will represent Nebraska in a first-class manner.”

 

Pokorny is a two-time state champion, winning last year’s class C crown at 112 pounds after winning in 2005 at 103.  A 2006 Junior Freestyle All-American, Pokorny is the fourth-ranked 112-pound wrestler in the nation by Wrestling USA and is the 52nd ranked high school wrestler overall by Intermat.  His accomplishments are not limited to the mat, however, as he is currently second in his class with at 3.935 GPA and a 30 on his ACT.

 

“Andy is arguably the best high school wrestler in the state,” Manning said.  “He’s one of the top lightweights in the country and one of the top students in the state.  His work ethic, dedication and character are all tremendous.  He’s the type of young man we want on this team.”

 

Lane also comes to Nebraska with glittering athletic and academic credentials.  A two-time state champion, Lane is the nation’s second-ranked 215-pound wrestler by Wrestling USA and is the 40th ranked high school wrestler overall, according to Intermat, which has recognized him as a four-star recruit.  Lane also was a Junior Freestyle All-American in 2006.  Like Pokorny, Lane is also accomplished in the classroom.  He earned a 31 on his ACT and entered his senior year at NuclaHigh School with a 4.25 GPA, tops in his graduating class.

 

“Tucker is an outstanding student-athlete that will help our program on the mat and off it,” Manning said.  “He’s one of the top student-athletes that Nebraska will recruit this year.  He’s a young man with tremendous maturity, work ethic and desire to be the best.”

 

A four-time Cadet All-American and two-time Junior All-American, Hacker also joins the Huskers with an impressive resume at both the state and national levels.  Hacker captured the Class 4A championships at 152 pounds last year, and is the No. 6 152-pounder according to Wrestling USA and is the 53rd-best high school wrestler in the nation, according to Intermat.  Hacker also received recruiting attention from Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Missouri, among others.

 

“Chris is a very accomplished wrestler, both in Oklahoma and on the national stage.  He’s one of the top middleweights in the country, and he wrestles year-round.  He epitomizes the tough, hard-nosed competitors that we like on our team.  We are very fortunate that Chris has chosen us over the other schools that were recruiting him.”

 

Tough Road To Detroit Awaits Nebraska        

The Nebraska wrestling program has always dealt with a difficult schedule in the Big 12 Conference.  But few years have seen one conference so thoroughly dominate the top six rankings.  In both major polls, four of the top six teams in the nation are from the Big 12.  Nebraska will take the challenge of the Big 12 Conference head on when it faces five of the top six teams in a 22-day stretch from Jan. 20 to Feb. 11.  The Huskers, one of only three teams in the nation to see five of the top six in the nation on their schedule, will start the difficult stretch with a home dual against IowaState and close it with a home dual against top-ranked Minnesota in Lincoln. 

Experienced but Young Huskers Set to Tackle the 2006-07 Season    

Nebraska is in a unique position entering the 2006-07 season.  The Huskers return eight starters and seven NCAA qualifiers from last year’s team, which ranks among the highest total in those two categories in Mark Manning’s seven years as the Huskers’ head coach.  However, the two seniors on Nebraska’s roster match the fewest that Manning has had at NU.

 

Both experience and youth have proven valuable for Manning as Nebraska’s coach.  When the Huskers had only two seniors in 2001-02, they rebounded from an 8-9 regular season to take eighth at the NCAA Championships, the program’s 14th top-10 finish.  The two times that Nebraska returned eight starters (2004 and 2005), the Huskers won 19 duals and, in 2004, took fifth at nationals.

Three Pairs of Brothers Lead Huskers

Most wrestling teams see themselves as families, but the 2006-07 Nebraska squad takes it to an entirely different level with three sets of brothers.  Among the 17 true freshmen on Nebraska’s roster, three are the younger brothers of returning Huskers.  Dominick Moyer, Robert Sanders and Brandon Browne were joined by their younger brothers Derek, Paul and Cameron, respectively.

Dominick Moyer, a returning starter and NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds, is joined on the NU wrestling squad by his brother, Derek, who was a three-time state champion at OskaloosaHigh School in Iowa.  Robert Sanders, who also started last season and qualified for nationals at 149 pounds, reunites with his brother Paul at NU.  With their father, Bob, as their head coach, both Robert and Paul won at least two individual state championships at San JuanHigh School in Blanding, Utah.  Brandon Browne, a frontrunner for starting time at 174 pounds, will be joined this season by his brother, Cameron.  Brandon was a two-time state champion at PlattsmouthHigh School, while Cameron earned one state title during his time at PHS.

 

Since 1990, six pairs of brothers have lettered for NU, including the Buxtons (Jason, 1991-92; John 1990-93), the Coltvets (Jeff, 1985-86, 1988-89; Rick, 1992-93), the DeAndas (Tony, 1995-96; Jose, 1996-99), the Hensons (Joe, 1999-2000; Josh, 1999-2000), the Malias (Joe, 2000-04; Ty, 2001) and the Verings (Brad, 1998-2001; Russ, 1994).  Among those wrestlers are three that attained All-America status, including three-time All-American and 2000 national champion Brad Vering.  Jose DeAnda and John Buxton also earned All-America honors during their Husker careers. 

 

In NU wrestling history, the most decorated pair of brothers are the Scherrs.  Bill and Jim Scherr each won a national championship in 1984, Jim at 177 pounds, and Bill at 190.  Jim earned a pair of All-America honors during his career, while Bill was a three-time All-American.  Both Bill and Jim are members of Nebraska’s 100-win club.

Non-Varsity Notes

For the second straight week, the non-varsity wrestlers will wrestle with the varsity, as Nebraska’s non-varsity wrestlers will participate in the Kaufman-Brand Open on Saturday, Nov. 18 in Omaha, Neb. 

Last weekend, Matt Vacanti was the lone Husker to place at the Harold Nichols Open.  Vacanti took third with a 5-3 win over Robert Struthers of Wartburg at 125 pounds.  Austin Baier advanced to the semifinals at 141 pounds before he was defeated by Joey Slaton of Iowa.

 

Meanwhile, a pair of true freshmen earned gold medals at the Cowboy Open in Laramie, Wyo.  Curtis Salazar was 4-0 in a championship run in the amateur division at 149 pounds, while Stephen Dwyer was 4-0 en route to the 165-pound amateur championship. 

 

The redshirts will head to Cedar Falls, Iowa for the UNI Open on Dec. 3 before wrapping up first semester competition with the UNK Loper Open in Kearney, Neb., on Dec. 9.  After the holiday break, the Huskers’ non-varsity wrestlers will compete in a pair of in-state opens, starting with the Dana College Open on Jan. 6 in Blair, followed by the Glen Brand Open in Omaha on Jan. 20.

 

Next up: Nebraska at Virginia Tech and Maryland     

Nebraska wrestles its first duals of the season on Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25, as the Huskers take on Virginia Tech and Maryland.  Nebraska faces the Hokies for the second straight year after beating Virginia Tech in Lincoln, 41-3, on Jan. 7 at the Devaney Center Track.  Meanwhile, it’s the fourth time Nebraska and Maryland have wrestled.  The Huskers have won the previous three meetings.  The time of the Maryland dual on Saturday has been changed to 3 p.m.