NU Faces Northwestern at National Duals

Tournament No. 4: No. 10 Nebraska at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals
Date: Saturday, Jan.12 - Sunday, Jan. 13
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: UNI Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Audio: TakeDownRadio.com
Live Video: LiveSportsVideo.com
Television: College Sports Television (Tape-Delay on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.), Iowa Public Television (Sunday 1 p.m.)

Lincoln - The Nebraska wrestling team will face its first big test of 2008 as the Huskers travel to the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Saturday at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Nebraska (6-1, 0-0 Big 12) squares off against eighth-seeded Northwestern in the first round, and a win pits them against UT-Chattanooga or top-seeded Penn State. The Huskers enter the tournament unseeded, but that has never dissuaded the team. Despite starting the tournament unseeded in 2006, NU finished third, defeating Iowa and Michigan on the first day.

The dual-format tournament features team brackets and draws some of the top programs in the nation. One of the biggest wrestling events of the year, all three NCAA divisions will be represented including the NAIA, NJCAA, club division and women’s division. Fans can watch the event via streaming video on the internet at www.livesportsvideo.com or catch live audio at www.takedownradio.com. This year’s event also features television coverage as Iowa Public Television will air Sunday’s semifinals and finals at 1 p.m., while College Sports Television will air Sunday’s duals at 7 p.m. on Jan. 20. Huskers.com will provide live stats for all Nebraska’s duals.

Last Time Out: Huskers Notch Four Pins in Rout of Beavers
The Nebraska wrestling team won nine of the 10 contested matches against Oregon State on Friday as the Huskers rolled to a 42-3 win and improved to 6-1 on the year.

The Huskers notched seven bonus-point victories in their nine wins, including four pins in a total of 3:45 as head coach Mark Manning earned his 101st dual win at Nebraska.

Junior Brandon Browne again led the Husker as he notched the fastest pin of the night (41 seconds) at 174 pounds. Fellow juniors Chris Oliver and Vince Jones also earned pins at 157 and 184, respectively, while Kenny Jordan notched his third pin of the year at 133 in 1:57.

Sophomore Stephen Dwyer started the dual with a 12-2 major decision at 165 pounds, while sophomores Craig Brester and Jordan Burroughs also had major-decision wins. Brester won 17-4 to stay a perfect 6-0 in duals this season and Burroughs won 20-11 to gain his eighth major decision on the season. Senior Jon May earned a 4-2 decision while junior Paul Donahoe won 8-2.

Manning Nabs 100th Win as Huskers Roll
Husker head wrestling coach Mark Manning collected his 100th dual win at Nebraska as the Huskers rolled to a 38-6 dual victory over Northern Colorado on Jan. 2. NU collected six bonus-point victories in the dual as it improved to 5-1 on the year.

Manning continues to cement his place as one of the winningest coaches in Husker history. He is now 100-40-2 since coming to Lincoln in 2000, while his 100 dual victories trail only Tim Neumann (199) in NU history. Manning was 8-9 in his first season, but has collected more than 10 wins every year since.

Nebraska started the Northern Colorado match with a forfeit at 133 pounds, but it was all Huskers after that as NU won the final nine matches of the night, including six bonus-point wins. Leading the way for the Huskers was junior Brandon Browne, who pinned Ryan Johnson in 3:49 at 174 pounds and collected his team-leading 19th win of the season.

Sophomores Jordan Burroughs and Craig Brester collected technical-fall victories as Burroughs notched a 21-6 win at 149 pounds and Brester improved to a perfect 5-0 in duals this season with a 21-5 victory at 197. Junior Paul Donahoe also stayed perfect on the year at 125 pounds with a 17-6 major decision over Tony Mustari, while sophomore Stephen Dwyer and junior Vince Jones also collected major decisions at 165 and 184, respectively.

Patrick Aleksanyan notched his second dual win of the season at 141 pounds with a 6-1 decision, while Chris Oliver returned to action at 157 with a 5-0 decision over Justin Gaethje. Senior Jon May captured the lone win of the night over a ranked opponent as he defeated No. 20 Reece Hopkin, 7-6, in the heavyweight class.

Scouting Northwestern (3-1, O-0 Big Ten)
The Wildcats come to the National Duals ranked just ahead of the Huskers at the No. 9 spot in the Jan. 9 NWCA poll. Northwestern is 3-1 in duals this season, but none of those wins have come against teams from the major conferences. Hosting the Midlands Championships, NU finished fifth as a team in their last competition. With five wrestlers ranked in the top 14 in the country this season, the Wildcats will look to build on a seventh place finish at last year’s National Duals.

NU is led by a trio of seniors in Dustin Fox, Ryan Lang and Mike Tamillow. All three earned All-American honors last year and look to be headed that way again this season as all three are undefeated thus far. Fox, competing at heavyweight is 3-0 and won the Midlands Championships to earn a No. 1 ranking by InterMat. Lang is 5-0 at 141 after finishing second at last year’s NCAA Championships. Tamillow has acrued a 12-0 record this season and is ranked No. 3 at 197 this season.

Husker History versus Northwestern
Nebraska’s history against the Wildcats is fairly scarce. The two NU’s have not met since the Huskers put a 35-6 win on Northwestern in Evanston on Feb. 2, 1993. The Huskers went on to finish third at the NCAA Championships that season and the two programs have not met since. The Huskers do hold a 6-2 all-time advantage over the Wildcats, but four of those meetings came in the 1920’s. Nebraska currently holds a four-dual win streak over Northwestern.

Scouting Penn State (5-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
No. 1 Penn State earned the top seed with several quality wins this season, including wins over No. 3 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. and No. 12 Hofstra 28-11 in State College, Penn. The Nittany Lions are 5-0 on the season, with four of their five wins over top 25 teams. Penn State has won its five duals by a combined scored of 151-42, thanks in part to winning 38 of its 50 bouts. Penn State currently has seven wrestlers ranked in the top 17 in the country.

Senior Philip Davis leads the Nittany Lions after finishing fifth at 197 pounds at last year’s NCAA Championships. Davis is a three-time All-American, including a runner-up finish in 2006. Davis is just 5-0 on the year, but all five have been bonus-point wins. He has two pins, two technical falls and one major decision on the season. Davis has plenty of competition for the spotlight, including junior Jake Strayer, who was an All-American at 133 pounds last season. Strayer is 8-1 on the season with three pins and is ranked second at 141. The latest Nittany Lion to earn an accolade is sophomore David Erwin, who was named Big 10 Wrestler-of-the-Week on Jan. 9. Erwin leads Penn State in wins this year with a 17-2 overall record, including five major decisions.

Scouting UT-Chattanooga (5-2, 0-0 Southern Conference)
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga enters the National Duals ranked No. 16 in the Jan. 9 NWCA poll with seven wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the country. The Mocs got off to a hot start with five straight duals victories to start the season, including wins over Ohio State and Anderson University. The Mocs also finished seventh as a team at the Midlands Championships, but have run into tougher competition lately. UTC comes to the tournament with a two-dual losing streak with losses to No. 7 Missouri, 24-10, on Dec. 16 and 21-16 to No. 24 Northern Iowa on Jan. 6.

Chattanooga is led by two-time conference champion Javier Maldonado. The senior, ranked ninth in the country, is off to a 10-3 start to the season and will be a formitable opponent for Paul Donahoe at 125. Fellow senior Matt Koz may be familiar with the Huskers. He wrestled for two years at Minnesota before transferring to UTC last year. Koz is a two-time NCAA qualifier that enters the duals ranked No. 13 by InterMat after starting the season 13-3.

Scouting the National Duals Field
After what has already been an unpredictable season at the top of the rankings, Penn State comes into the National Duals ranked No. 1 in the latest NWCA poll and earns the top seed. The Nittany Lions will have plenty of familiar faces in Cedar Falls as six of the 12 teams in the bracket are from the Big Ten. The conference captured the top two seeds as Iowa enters the tournament ranked second and received the second seed. This year’s field features 10 of the top 12 teams from the Jan. 9 NWCA poll.

Three of the Big 12’s five teams will compete as Oklahoma and Oklahoma State decided to forgo the duals. The Huskers enter the tournament unseeded while fellow Big 12 competitor Missouri grabbed the seventh seed. The Tigers face Indiana in the opening round. Iowa State earned the highest seed for a Big 12 team at third and will dual Hofstra in the first round.

Nebraska faces two tough opponents in the opening rounds, but Husker fans are hoping for a semifinal rematch against fifth-seed Minnesota. The Golden Gophers earned a 25-13 dual win over the Huskers on Dec. 6 in Minneapolis in front of more than 1,600 rowdy fans. However, Nebraska forfeited two weights to give Minnesota 12 easy points. The Huskers will look for revenge, but Minnesota has to get past West Virginia and fourth-seeded Central Michigan or unseeded Ohio State.

Husker History at the National Duals
The Huskers are 43-27 in their 15 appearances at the National Duals. NU went 1-2 last year after facing some tough opponents, including two teams ranked in the top five in the nation in No. 3 Hofstra and No. 5 Iowa. However, Nebraska finished third the previous year after a four-year absence. It was the ninth time the Huskers have finished in the top five in the event’s history. NU finished in the top five four straight years, from 1993 to 1996. That run coincided with the event’s five-year run in Lincoln, which saw Nebraska host the National Duals from 1993 to 1997. Nebraska ran off 11 straight top-eight finishes from 1990 to 2000. A pair of runner-up finishes, in 1993 and 1996, highlighted NU’s participation in the event. In 1993, Nebraska clinched its bid to finals with a 24-20 upset of top-ranked Iowa. The win was clinched by Rulon Gardner at heavyweight with his 12-5 win over John Ostendorp.

Last Year at the National Duals: Huskers Defeat No. 11 Michigan, Go 1-2 at National Duals
The 20th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team wrestled to a 1-2 mark at the 2007 NWCA National Duals at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Huskers fell in the first round to No. 3 Hofstra, 32-6, then split a pair of consolation matches, defeating No. 11 Michigan, 23-13, before being eliminated by fifth-ranked Iowa, 30-5.

In its first consolation bracket dual, Nebraska sprinted out to an early 11-0 lead after three matches against Michigan. Paul Donahoe earned his 15th straight win with a 20-7 major decision victory over Michael Watts of Michigan. Patrick Aleksanyan followed with an 8-5 win over Chris Diehl at 133 pounds, and Dominick Moyer earned his team-leading sixth major decision win with a 14-5 triumph over Justin Chrzanowski. After a setback at 149 pounds, Chris Oliver earned his sixth fall of the season, pinning Michigan’s Jeff Marsh with 16 seconds remaining in the first period to give NU a 17-3 lead halfway through the dual.

After a loss at 165 pounds, Marc Harwood got the Huskers back on the winning track with a 4-1 win over Jordan Sherrod at 174 pounds. A loss at 184 pounds cut Nebraska’s lead to 10, but Craig Brester clinched the dual win for the Huskers with his 5-2 win at 197 pounds over Nick Roy.

Nebraska fell into the consolation bracket after a 32-6 loss to Hofstra in the first round of the tournament. Donahoe defeated fifth-ranked Dave Tomasette at 125 pounds, but the Pride rattled off seven straight wins to put the dual out of reach for the Huskers. With the dual decided, Brester won at 197 pounds over fourth-ranked Chris Weidman, 13-8.

NU was eliminated from the National Duals in a 30-5 loss to Iowa. The Hawkeyes built a 12-point lead through the first three matches before 149-pound wrestler Robert Sanders gave the Huskers their first win of the dual in a 7-2 triumph over Alex Grunder of Iowa. Four straight Iowa wins gave the Hawkeyes a 24-3 lead with two matches to go. At 197 pounds, Brester won his third straight match of the day and his eighth straight match overall in a 10-5 win over Dan Erekson

You Can Count on Craig
Sophomore Craig Brester has established himself as a mainstay in the Husker lineup this season. Brester has competed in just 10 matches so far this season, but he has won all 10. More importantly he leads NU in one of the most important categories: dual points. With tough duals coming up against Missouri and Oklahoma State, Brester’s ability to score bonus-point victories may come in handy.

Brester leads the team with 30 dual points as he has established a 6-0 dual mark this season. Brester has two forfeits, but has dominated his opponents in his other four wins. No dual competitor has finished within 10 points of Brester. Against defending NCAA champion Minnesota, Brester won an 11-1 major decision over Justin Bronson. He followed that win a 19-2 technical fall of Dana’s Ross Milam, collected a 21-5 technical fall over Northern Colorado’s Patrick Carey and, most recently, earned a 17-4 major decision over Brice Arand.

Jordan’s Major Decision
Jordan Burroughs, another sophomore standout on the NU wrestling squad, has also begun to prove his worth this season, but in a different way. Burroughs leads the team in major decisions with eight and is tied for the team lead in technical falls at four, thanks in part to his signature quickness. Burroughs is one of the fastest grapplers on the team and has taken advantage of it. Burroughs’ strategy in most matches is to use that speed to earn takedown after takedown. In fact, his 48 takedowns on the year is more than double any other squad member. Burroughs’ strategy seems to be paying off as he is 19-3 on the year, including 6-1 in duals.

Donahoe’s Defense
In his latest action, defending NCAA champion Paul Donahoe earned two important road wins to continue his winning streak into 2008. Donahoe notched a 17-6 major decision over Northern Colorado’s Tony Mustari on Jan. 2. Facing a solid Pac-10 opponent, Donahoe won an 8-2 decision over Oregon State’s Jake Gonzales to improve to 5-0 in duals this season. He is now 8-0 overall with three pins and one major decision.

After an extended rest because of a tweaked knee, Donahoe returned to the mat against Dana College on Dec. 15. He pinned the Vikings’ Kevin Gray to improve to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in duals. Donahoe’s three dual victories have all come by fall, with the fastest in 1:29.

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 and did not wrestle against Minnesota and SDSU on Dec. 6 and 7.

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

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 is attempting to become the first wrestler to repeat as a national champion in Husker history.

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.

In his latest action, May collected two momentum-building wins to start 2008. He defeated his first ranked opponent of the season as he collected a 7-6 decision over No. 20 Reece Hopkin of Northern Colorado. May was down entering the final stanza but scored a takedown to earn the come-from-behind win. He continued his winning ways at Oregon State with a 4-2 decision over returning NCAA qualifier Travis Gardner. May is now 13-4 on the season, including an impressive 7-0 in duals.

Returning to Lincoln, May got a forfeit win against Dana College on Dec. 15. He currently leads the team in dual wins with a perfect 5-0 mark.

Wrestling just 80 miles from his hometown of Hutchinson, Minn., May defeated Minnesota’s 6-5 on Dec. 6 in Minneapolis. May kept his weekend perfect with a pin of South Dakota State’s Brady Punt in 5:17, his second pin of Punt on the year.

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.

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.

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.

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 sit out last season. Aleksanyan moves up to 141 after competing at 133 last season. 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. A minor injury temporarily sidelined him, as Salazar went 1-1 on Dec. 6 and 7. Salazar lost a 14-3 major decision to No. 2 Manuel Rivera of Minnesota, but claimed a 7-5 decision over South Dakota State’s Adam Everson the following day. The position may come down to which wrestler is healthiest as the long wrestling season moves along. Sanders will have to forfeit the starting position for a month while he recovers from knee surgery.

Aleksanyan made his first dual start this season against Dana College on Dec. 15. Aleksanyan came away with an 18-5 major-decision win. He went 1-1 last weekend against Northern Colorado and Oregon State as the race for the starting position may become even closer with Sanders getting healthy.

What Can Browne Do For You
Brandon Browne is off to arguably the best start of any Husker this season. After being ineligible last season, Browne looks to be back on the right track as he has raced out to a 20-1 start. Browne is second on the team in wins, trailing only freshman Tucker Lane’s 22. Browne’s wins have not been close for the most part. He is second on the team in major decisions with seven and leads the team with four technical falls.

More importantly, Browne has proven a reliable wrestler when it counts most with his 5-0 mark in duals. Browne recorded pins in both duals last weekend as he spent a total of 4:30 on the mat. Northern Colorado’s Ryan Johnson got pinned by Browne in 3:49 last Wednesday, while Oregon State’s Ben Harris lasted just 41 seconds on Friday.

Points for Plambeck
Rob Plambeck scored three points for Nebraska in the Huskers’ dual with South Dakota State on Dec. 7. Those points mean a lot more to Plambeck, though. The victory was the sophomore’s first career dual victory. Wrestling the Jackrabbits’ Martin Konechne, Plambeck trailed after the first period 3-2, but two takedowns and a riding-time advantage gave Plambeck the 8-3 decision. His win put Nebraska up 15-6.

Jordan Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Month
The Big 12 Conference announced Dec. 3 that Husker sophomore Kenny Jordan was 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 on Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

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 8-1 on the season with two pins, one technical fall and one major decision. He is ranked No. 13 in the country in the latest NWCA poll.

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 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.

Non-Varsity Notes
Freshman Tucker Lane went 4-0 to place first at the Dana Open last Saturday as six Husker wrestlers finished in the top six. The tournament win is Lane’s fourth of the season, and he has finished second and third in his two other appearances.

Lane opened the competition with a pin of Mark Skogrand in 2:57 and earned a 3-2 sudden victory in the second round over Tyler Perry. Lane beat out top-seeded Dom Bradley before earning an 8-3 decision over Matt Sixta in the finals. Lane, who is redshirting his first season in the NU program, has recorded five pins on the season and holds a 22-2 record.

Fellow freshman Andrew Pokorny made his debut at the Dana Open with a 5-1 record to finish third at 125. Pokorny, also redshirting this season, lost his only match of the day to top-seeded Cody Garcia of Nebraska-Omaha.

Sophomore Cameron Browne also finished third with a 4-1 record, while redshirt freshman Alex Ward captured second by going 3-1. Rounding out the Husker placers were Chris Hacker in fourth at 149 pounds and Paul Sanders in sixth at 157 pounds.

The non-varsity wrestlers wrap up their season at the Glen-Brand Open on Jan. 19 in Omaha.

Next up: Nebraska Duals OK State at Ford Center
The Huskers kick off their Big 12 schedule with a big-time dual against Oklahoma State on Jan. 20. The dual is part of the ESPNU Wrestling Invitational at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. ESPNU will air Nebraska’s dual against the Cowboys live while Oklahoma’s dual against Wisconsin will happen at the same time and also be aired live. Action is slated to begin at 6 p.m.