Nebraska Hits Road to Face Northern Neighbors

Dual No. 3: No. 12 Nebraska vs. No. 2 Minnesota
Date: Thursday, Dec. 6
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Sports Pavilion, Minneapolis, Minn.
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Subscription Video: Huskers.com

Dual No. 4: No. 12 Nebraska vs. South Dakota State
Date: Friday, Dec. 7
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Frost Arena, Brookings, S.D.
Live Stats: Huskers.com

Lincoln-The Huskers will continue their challenging schedule this week as the wrestling team travels to Minnesota to face the defending NCAA champion Golden Gophers. The dual, slated for Thursday at 7 p.m., comes just five days after NU claimed one individual title and finished fourth as a team at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Kenny Jordan finished first in the 133-pound division in Las Vegas and earned Big 12 Wrestler-of-the-Month honors on Monday. Jordan and the rest of the Huskers face a tough challenge in Minnesota, which is ranked No. 2 in the nation this season. Nebraska has little time to rest, though, with another dual scheduled against South Dakota State on Friday in Brookings at 7 p.m.

Last Time Out: Huskers Claim Fourth at Cliff Keen
A pair of Jordans led the Huskers to a fourth-place team finish on Saturday at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas. Six of the nine Nebraska wrestlers competing finished in the top six, but NU was led by sophomores Kenny Jordan and Jordan Burroughs.

Kenny Jordan, competing at 133 pounds, went a perfect 6-0 at Las Vegas to improve to 8-0 on the season. He racked up three bonus-point victories to start the tournament and ended with three straight decisions, including a 7-0 win over T.J. Dillashaw of Cal State-Fullerton in the finals.

Meanwhile, Burroughs went 6-1 to earn third place at 149 pounds and run his season record to 15-2. Burroughs lost a 6-5 decision to Lance Palmer of Ohio State in the quarterfinals on the first day, but rebounded in the consolation bracket to earn a rematch with Palmer. It was another tight match, but Burroughs prevailed 2-1 in double overtime to earn third.

Fellow sophomore Stephen Dwyer finished fifth with a 5-2 record. Dwyer finished the second day with a 3-1 decision over Jarrod King of Edinboro.

Junior Brandon Browne earned a third-place finish after notching a 7-1 record. Browne opened competition with three-straight major decision wins, but lost 5-2 in the quarterfinals to John Dergo of Illinois. Browne wrestled his way through the consolation bracket and ended the second day with a 6-4 decision over Edinboro’s Phil Moricone to finish third.

Junior Vince Jones was impressive in his first action of the season. He opened the tournament with three straight pins, all in under a minute. Jones finished sixth with a 5-3 record, but two of those losses where to Louis Caputo of Harvard and all three were by two points.

This is the second consecutive year that Nebraska has finished fourth as a team, while Michigan won the team title this year. Nebraska racked up 112.5 points this year, compared to just 94 last year.

Scouting No. 2 Minnesota
The Golden Gophers look to be vying for another national championship after racking up 98 points at last year’s NCAA championship. Minnesota returns nine starters from that squad, including four All-Americans. UM has eight wrestlers ranked in the top ten in the latest NWCA poll. The Gophers’ most prominent wrestlers include the Schlatter brothers. C.P. Schlatter, wrestling at 157 pounds, is a two-time Big Ten Champion and earned his first All-America accolade last year with a sixth-place finish. He is ranked as high as fifth this year as he looks to end his career with an individual title. His brother Dustin put together a 37-1 record last season, including 20-0 in duals, and is the top ranked wrestler at 149 pounds this season.

Minnesota may have extra motivation on Thursday, after dropping an 18-13 decision to Iowa State last Sunday. The Gophers led until the 197-pound and heavyweight matches, but were unable to hold on and lost for the first time in their last 24 meets. It was Minnesota’s first home loss since Feb. 5, 2005.

Minnesota’s Jayson Ness will be looking for redemption after suffering a 5-2 loss to NU junior Paul Donahoe at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 19 in Eugene, Ore. Donahoe scored a takedown and a nearfall in the final period to earn the victory as the two competitors have a history. Donahoe got the upper hand in Oregon, but Ness beat Donahoe twice last season, including an 8-6 sudden victory in last year’s dual.

Husker History versus Minnesota
Minnesota has a storied wrestling program, but that has never disuaded the Huskers from facing the Gophers. The rivarly is one of the oldest in NU history, with the first meeting between the two teams coming in 1922 (Nebraska won). The Huskers trail in the series history 17-45-0, but recent run-ins have seen Nebraska wrestle more competitively. NU’s last victory over the Gophers came on Jan. 4, 2005, as Nebraska claimed a 21-12 victory in Lincoln. Minnesota squeaked out a 17-16 win at home on Jan. 1, 2004, while the Huskers last win in Minneapolis came 20-17 on Jan. 9, 1996.

Last year’s dual saw the top-ranked Gophers beat the Huskers, 32-6, but several bright spots could be found for NU. Unranked Chris Oliver upset second-ranked C.P. Schlatter at 157 pounds, while three of UM’s seven victories came by three points or less. Craig Brester scored Nebraska’s other win with an 8-1 decision over Yura Malamura as the Huskers had to forfeit the heavyweight class.

The Gophers built a 15-0 lead by winning the first four matches. At 125 pounds, Donahoe fell 8-6 in the sudden victory period to fourth-ranked Jayson Ness. Donahoe held a 6-3 lead with 1:00 remaining before Ness scored an escape and a takedown to send the match to overtime.

No. 9 Dominick Moyer was also competitive in his final home match for NU but fell in a 5-2 decision to second-ranked Manuel Rivera at 141 pounds. Rivera broke a 2-2 tie with a takedown with 1:13 to go in the third period and rode Moyer for the rest of the match.

At 149 pounds, Jordan Burroughs nearly upset top-ranked and undefeated C.P. Schlatter before falling, 9-6. A Burroughs escape with 1:20 remaining in the match cut Schlatter’s lead to 7-5, but Schlatter sealed the victory for Minnesota with a takedown of Burroughs with 18 seconds left in the match.

At 157 pounds, Oliver stormed back to defeat Schlatter 7-4 in overtime after trailing 4-1 midway through the second period. Oliver escaped with 1:18 to go in the second, then took down Schlatter with 44 seconds to go in the period to tie the match. After a scoreless third period and sudden-victory period, Oliver rode Schlatter for the first 30 seconds of the tiebreaker, before escaping with eight seconds left in the second half of the tiebreaker to take the lead for the first time in the match. Oliver added a takedown at the buzzer to polish off his second win over a ranked opponent in three days.

Three straight wins would clinch the dual for Minnesota, but at 197 pounds, Brester got back on the winning track with an 8-1 win over Yura Malamura. Brester scored eight unanswered points, including seven in the third period. Brester started the final stanza down, but scored a reversal 58 seconds into the period. Brester rode Malamura the rest of the way and scored a pair of nearfalls in the last 23 seconds of the match.

Scouting South Dakota State
Despite the relative small distance between Brookings, S.D. and Lincoln (290 miles), the two programs are fairly far apart. Nebraska’s rich wrestling heritage is a far cry from the Jackrabbits, who are in just their second year as a full-fledged Division I program. After establishing itself as a Division II powerhouse, SDSU is still finding its place in Division I. A member of the Western Wrestling Conference, the Jackrabbits finished fifth in the conference last year and 65th in the nation with one wrestler qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.

South Dakota State returns that one qualifier, Ryan Meyer, and six starters from last year’s squad. Meyer, a sophomore, finished second in the conference at 165 pounds last year and started this season ranked. Meyer and the Jackrabbits have competed in four open tournaments so far this year, including the Kaufman-Brand Open and the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite. None of SDSU’s nine wrestlers placed at Kaufman-Brand, but the the two programs did meet. Freshman Tucker Lane squared off against SDSU’s Brady Punt in the first round of the heavyweight division. Lane pinned Punt in 3:03 to advance.

Like Nebraska, the Jackrabbits traveled to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite last weekend. SDSU placed 41st out of the 50 teams there as the two programs met again. Senior Jon May got his crack at Punt in the consolation bracket of the tournament. May pinned him in 1:10. The two will likely meet again on Friday. Nebraska will be the first dual opponent of the year for South Dakota State.

Husker History versus South Dakota State
The two programs have met suprisingly few times. Friday’s matchup will be just the second time NU has faced SDSU as Division I foes and just the second meeting between the two in the new century. The Jackrabbits lead the series history 13-12-2, but Nebraska currently holds a four-dual win streak over SDSU. The Huskers’ last loss to the Jackrabbits came in their last visit to Brookings on Feb. 9, 1980. SDSU won that dual 28-14, but have lost the last four meetings, all in Lincoln.

Last year’s dual saw the Huskers win seven of the eight contested matches in each dual, including two major decision triumphs and a win by fall. NU climbed out of an early 3-0 hole behind a 16-5 major decision win by Stephen Dwyer over Ryan Meyer, 16-5. Dwyer made his debut in the varsity lineup in a big way, getting the first of six takedowns in the match 10 seconds into the first period. Dwyer never trailed in the match and held a riding time advantage of 2:05.

The Huskers slammed the door shut on any hopes of an SDSU upset with three straight wins after Dwyer’s victory to give NU a 14-3 lead five matches into the dual. After Marc Harwood defeated Chris Moran at 174 pounds, 5-2, Levi Wofford came back from a three-point deficit after the first period to defeat SDSU’s Tyler Sorenson in overtime, 9-7. The match was tied at seven after Wofford was awarded a point after Sorenson was called for stalling, then Wofford took Sorenson down 18 seconds into the sudden victory period to clinch the win. At 197 pounds, Craig Brester gave Nebraska its fourth straight win with a 15-3 major decision win over Travis Gottschalk. Brester never trailed in the match and took a 7-1 lead after the first period.

Paul Donahoe got the Huskers back on the winning track after a forfeit at heavyweight with a win by fall over Marcus Waters at 125 pounds. Mike Rowe followed with a 4-2 win over Jeff Cooley at 133 pounds. After a win by forfeit at 141 pounds by Dominick Moyer, Robert Sanders closed the dual for Nebraska with an 8-3 win over Dan Bonte.

Jordan Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Month
The Big 12 Conference announced Dec. 3 that Husker sophomore Kenny Jordan has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Month for November. Jordan, a Frankfort, Ill., native, went a perfect 6-0 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas last weekend.

Jordan, competing at 133 pounds, racked up three bonus-point victories to start the tournament. He recorded a 15-0 technical fall over Jerome Greco of Columbia in the opening round, followed that with a pin of Old Dominion’s Kyle Hutter in 3:51 and notched a 13-2 major decision over Rick Rappo of Penn.

Jordan’s last three wins in the tournament included a 7-6 decision over Reece Humphrey of Ohio State and a 7-0 decision over Cal State-Fullerton’s T.J. Dillashaw in the finals. His performance helped propel the Huskers to a fourth-place team finish.

The national junior college champion at 133 pounds last year, Jordan is 8-0 on the season with two pins, one technical fall and one major decision.

Donahoe’s Defense
Junior Paul Donahoe will attempt to become the first Husker to repeat as a national champion this season. Donahoe capped his sophomore year by going 5-0 at the NCAA Championships, including a 3-1 overtime win over No. 1 Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma in the finals. Donahoe started the season by winning 23 of his first 24 matches and never looked back. His 35-5 season record tied three Huskers for fourth-most wins by a sophomore in school history. He became the first NU wrestler since Jason Powell in 2002-03 to win at least 30 matches. Donahoe became the ninth national champion in school history and the 77th All-American.

Donahoe’s title defense has gotten off to a similar start. Donahoe recorded pins in six of his first seven matches last season, while he has started this season with two consecutive pins. His most recent victim was Lehigh’s Mitch Berger, who he pinned in 1:29 at the Huskers’ dual on Nov. 16.

Although the match does not count on his season record, Donahoe defeated Minnesota’s Jayson Ness, 5-2, at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 19 in Eugene, Ore. Donahoe scored a takedown and nearfall in the final period to earn the victory over the fourth-ranked Ness.

Donahoe finished in sixth place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas. Donahoe, who won the tournament last year, won his first three matches by decisions. He injury defaulted his final three matches as a preventative measure to prepare for Thursday’s matchup with Minnesota’s Jayson Ness.

What Can Browne Do For You
Brandon Browne is off to arguably the best start of any Husker this season. After being academically ineligible last season, Browne looks to be back on the right track as he has raced out to a 17-1 start to the season. Browne is tied for the team lead in wins, while he picked up his first loss just last weekend at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite. Browne’s wins have not been close for the most part. He added four more major-decision victories in Las Vegas to put him second on the team with six. He leads the team with four technical falls. He is also a perfect 2-0 in duals. He has notched nine takedowns in dual competition, while allowing just one.

Keep an Eye on Kenny
Kenny Jordan is undefeated during his time in the Husker fold. Wrestling at 133 pounds, Jordan went 11-0 in open competition two years ago during his redshirt season. Jordan attended Lincoln Community College in Lincoln, Ill., last year, but made it worth his time as he won four tournaments, including the National Junior College Championships. Jordan has rejoined the Huskers this season and has made a bid for the starting spot at 133. Jordan went 2-0 at the Cowboy Open on Nov. 10 before a tweaked knee sidelined him. Jordan pinned his first opponent in 3:15 and recorded an 11-4 decision over his second.

Jordan returned to the mat for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite on Nov. 30, where he went a perfect 6-0 to earn the individual title at 133 pounds and lead the Huskers to a fourth-place team finish. Jordan now has two pins, one technical fall and one major decision on the season.

Althought redshirt seasons do not count toward career totals, Jordan is now 19-0 in his two years in the Husker program.

Three for 141
The Nebraska wrestling staff has a problem at the 141 pound weight class, but it may be one they do not mind dealing with. The coaches will have to decide which of three talented Huskers deserve the starting nod. Vying for time are Patrick Aleksanyan, Robert Sanders and Curtis Salazar, as each wrestler brings unique ability and skill to the position. Sanders looked to be the likely candidate to fill the position headed into the season. The junior qualified for the NCAA Championships two years ago at 149 pounds as a redshirt freshman. Last season, he split time with Jordan Burroughs at 149, but with Burrough’s progression, Sanders has dropped to 141.

Another wrestler making a weight change this season is fellow junior Patrick Aleksanyan. Like Sanders, Aleksanyan qualified for the NCAA Championships two seasons ago, but an elbow injury forced him to redshirt last season. The return of Kenny Jordan at 133 will move Aleksanyan to 141. The darkhorse making a name for himself in this race is redshirt freshman Curtis Salazar, who finished 18-9 in open competition last season. None of the three seperated themself at the preseason wrestle-offs as Salazar beat Sanders, but lost to Aleksanyan, while Sanders beat Aleksanyan.

Salazar earned the start in the first dual of the season, but Wyoming forfeited the weight. Sanders earned the next start against Lehigh and recorded a 14-4 major decision win. Both are 6-4 on the season as all three have competed in the Cowboy Open and Kaufman-Brand Open. Sanders started the weight for the Huskers at the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas, but went 2-2 to exit early. The position may come down to which wrestler is healthiest as the long wrestling season moves along.

Single Senior
The Nebraska wrestling team sports plenty of youth this season as its roster includes just one senior. Heavyweight Jon May returns for his senior year as a Husker looking to return to the NCAA Championships. May notched a 1-2 record at nationals in 2006, and looked to be well on his way last season before an ACL injury sidelined him. May recorded a 14-4 record before the injury. May’s experience will come in handy as 16 of NU’s 34 wrestlers are in their first or second year in the program. May made his return to dual action on Nov. 16 against Lehigh with a 7-3 win over Justin Allen. May finished fifth in the elite division of the Kaufman-Brand Open the following day. The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 saw May go 3-2 to exit in the fifth round of the consolation bracket.

The Minnesota dual will have special meaning for May, who hails from Hutchinson, Minn., a town just outside Minneapolis.

Huskers Sign Five to 2008-09 Wrestling Squad
Nebraska head coach Mark Manning has announced the signing of five recruits that will join the Husker wrestling squad in the 2008-09 academic year.

The five signees, Riley Essay of Alliance, Neb., Jon Burns of Railegh, N.C., Romero Cotton of Hutchinson, Kan., Tyler Koehn of Pittsburg, Kan., and Josh Ihnen of Sheldon, Iowa, will add look to add depth to a talent-filled Nebraska squad.

Burns will join the Huskers after a standout career at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C. In his freshman year at Cary High School, Burns finished third at the state tournament, and took home the 140-pound title in the Jim King/Orange Invitational. Burns sat out his sophomore year after transferring, but rebounded with a phenomenal junior campaign. Burns completed a 65-0 season and won the state championship. He capped his year by winning the 140-pound title at the National High School Coaches Association Junior National Wrestling Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. Ranked as the ninth-best junior in the nation last year, Burns will compete at 141 pounds for the Huskers.

The Huskers again signed one of the top recruits in the state with Essay, who will look to cap his high school career with a fourth consecutive top-five finish at the state tournament this season. Essay earned a fourth-place finish his freshman year at 103 pounds and finished fifth at 112 his sophomore year. Last season saw Essay claim third at 125. Essay is projected to wrestle at 133 for NU.

NU adds two more talented athletes with Kansas natives Cotton and Koehn. Wrestling at 152 pounds, Koehn captured a state championship last season for Pittsburg High School. He earned All-American honors last summer in the freestyle division at the USA Wrestling Nationals. Koehn works hard off the mat also, earning a 3.8 GPA at his high school. Koehn will wrestle at 174 for NU.

Cotton also has his share of state championships. He will attempt to become a four-time state champion this winter, after winning titles in 2004 at 145, in 2006 at 160 and in 2007 at 171. One of the top recruits in the nation at 189 pounds, Cotton’s athleticism has transferred to other sports as well. A running back for the three-time defending state champion Hutchinson High School, Cotton rushed for 1,398 yards and 22 touchdowns his junior season. Cotton is expected to wrestle 184 pounds in college.

Rounding out the early signings is Ihnen. After a runner-up finish at 171 pounds at the state tournament last season, Ihnen competed this summer at the USA Wrestling nationals, where he earned All-America honors in the freestyle division. Ihnen has shown abilities in the classroom also, touting a 3.99 GPA and a 30 ACT score. Ihnen will wrestle at 197 pounds for the Huskers.

Manning’s Meanderings
Nebraska wrestling head coach Mark Manning took his talents halfway across the world, as he traveled with the U.S. delegation as an assistant coach to the 2007 World Championships in Bauke, Azerbaijan, on Sept. 17-23. Manning has his share of international experience. He was selected as the head coach of the U.S. team for the 2001 World Championships. He also coached in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as an assistant.

Manning focused his efforts on the freestyle team, while two of his former wrestlers, Brad Vering and Justing Ruiz, competed for the U.S. in the Greco-Roman division. Vering, an NCAA Champion at 197 pounds at Nebraska in 2000, captured the silver medal in the 84 kilograms (185 pounds) division. He rolled off five straight wins before losing in the finals.

The country of Azerbaijan, where the World Championships were held, was a full 10 time zones ahead of Lincoln. The country is located north of Iran and east of Armenia. Manning is entering his eighth year as Nebraska’s head coach in 2007-08, having compiled a 118-63-4 dual record.

St. Louis Slated for Schedule
Eager Nebraska fans can mark March 20-22 on their calender right now. The NCAA Championships will be held on those dates at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. and hopefully more than a few Huskers will be there. As the 2007-08 season begins, eight NU grapplers are ranked in their respective weight classes, but a tough road to St. Louis faces them. Nebraska’s schedule features seven schools ranked by InterMat, including the top three teams in Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Nebraska will face all three of those opponents on the road.

It’s All In the Family
The Nebraska wrestling team will be a family affair this season as three sets of brothers are on the squad. For the second consecutive year, two members of the Moyer, Sanders and Browne family will share time on the mat. Dominick Moyer, Robert Sanders and Brandon Browne will be joined by their younger brothers Derek, Paul and Cameron, respectively.

Dominick Moyer, a volunteer assistant coach this year after finishing his career with the Huskers, is joined on the NU wrestling squad by his brother, Derek, who was a three-time state champion at Oskaloosa High School in Iowa. Robert Sanders, an NCAA qualifier at 149 pounds in 2005-06, continues his wrestling career 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 Juan High School in Blanding, Utah. Brandon Browne, a projected starter at 174 pounds, is joined again by his brother, Cameron. Brandon was a two-time state champion at Plattsmouth High 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.

Huskers Battle for Starting Spots at Wrestle-Offs
The 2007-08 Nebraska wrestling team made its public debut Nov. 2 as the Huskers held their annual wrestle-offs at the Devaney Center Track. Several Huskers made cases for starting positions while several grapplers made a tough decision for NU head coach Mark Manning.

The wrestle-offs, held to assist Manning in deciding the final starting lineup, saw several grapplers go undefeated on the night. Junior Chris Oliver qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year and looks to be on his way again as he asserted his abilities at 157 pounds Friday night. Oliver pinned Rob Plambeck in 35 seconds, pinned Frank Jonas in 2:25 and recorded an 11-3 major decision over Paul Sanders. Sophomore Stephen Dwyer also qualified last year and also won both his matches Friday night. Dwyer recorded a 12-0 major decision over Cody Foust and followed up with a 4-1 decision over Alex Ward at 165 pounds.

The talented group of Huskers at 141 pounds continued to prove the weight class is the deepest for NU this season. However, a starter did not make himself immediately clear Friday night. Junior Robert Sanders won two matches against Jered Hensley and Patrick Aleksanyan, but redshirt freshman Curtis Salazar beat him. Salazar made his own bid for the spot with a win over Sanders, but came up short against Aleksanyan.

Non-Varsity Notes
The Huskers’ non-varsity wrestlers treked to Hays, Kan., last Saturday to compete in the Fort Hays State Open. Freshman Tucker Lane continued to pace the Huskers as he claimed first place in the heavyweight division, his third title of the season. Lane started the day with an 11-2 major decision victory over Louis Thornton of New Mexico Highlands. He advanced on a medical forfeit and shut out Ben Hohensee of Labbette Community College 6-0 in the next round. Lane landed a 10-3 decision over Air Force’s Anthony Stegeman in the finals. Lane is now 15-1 on the season with four pins.

Sophomore Levi Wofford earned fourth place, going 4-2 on the day. Wofford pinned his first-round opponent in 3:14 and notched two straight decisions to reach the semifinals. He lost 6-1 to top-seeded Matt Farrell, but rebounded with a 6-4 decision over Oklahoma State’s Chris McNeil to reach the third-place match. Wofford battled Central Oklahoma’s Heath Jolley to the third tiebreaker before losing 5-2.

The non-varsity wrestlers travel to Kearney on Saturday to participate in the UNK Loper Open, their last competition before the holiday break.

Next up: Nebraska Faces In-State Foe Dana College
The Huskers return home for their second of just four home duals this season to face Dana College at 7 p.m. on Dec. 15. Dana competes in the NAIA, finishing fourth at nationals last year. The Vikings return five All-Americans to a squad that has won multiple conference and regional championships. The two storied programs will showcase the talented level of wrestling in the state.