Second-ranked Huskers Host Missouri

Dual 13: Nebraska (10-2) vs. Missouri (7-2-1)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 2
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: NU Coliseum, Lincoln, Neb.
Free Live Stats: Huskers.com
Free Live Video/Audio: Huskers.com
Television: NET1 - Time Warner Ch. 12; DirecTV and Dish Network, check local listings

Lincoln-The Husker wrestling squad will look to build on its recent momentum this Saturday against Missouri as Nebraska (10-2, 1-0 Big 12) hosts the Tigers (7-2-1, 0-0-1 Big 12) at 7 p.m. in the NU Coliseum. After a historic 22-13 win over No. 2 Oklahoma State on Jan. 20, the Huskers have moved up to No. 2 in the national polls heading into the heart of their Big 12 schedule. Nebraska celebrates Alumni Night against No. 11 Missouri as NU hopes to draw on some of that Husker tradition to top the Tigers.

In what has become an intense matchup, Saturday’s dual will be the seventh consecutive meeting with both teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Nebraska will look to avenge a 31-11 loss in Columbia last season against a talented Missouri squad. The Tigers notched six-straight dual wins to start the season, but had a disappointing 1-2 performance at the National Duals. MU rebounded to tie No. 2 Oklahoma State, 16-16, in their Big 12 opener as the Tigers come to Lincoln with a 7-2-1 overall record.

Husker fans can catch all the action on Nebraska Educational Television as Nebraska hits the airwaves. NET airs their first Husker dual of the season with Larry Punteney on the call and former Husker Tolly Thompson providing color commentary. Thompson was a three-time All American at NU and a national champion in 1995 at heavweight. Huskers.com will also provide free video with audio and live stats. As part of Dollar Days, admision is one dollar per person while Pepsi products and hot dogs are also one dollar.

Last Time Out: No. 3 Huskers Down No. 2 Cowboys 22-13
The No. 3 Nebraska wrestling team won six matches, including two bonus-point wins, en route to a 22-13 upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State in front of 2,496 fans at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Huskers’ win snapped a 15-dual losing streak to the Cowboys as the Huskers improved to 10-2 on the year.

Nebraska was led by junior Vince Jones and sophomore Jordan Burroughs, who both scored bonus-point wins. Jones pinned OSU’s Jack Jensen in 1:48 at 184 pounds to put the Huskers up 19-10 with two matches left. Jones earned his seventh pin of the year in high fashion to quiet the crowd. Jones took Jensen down halfway into the first period and caught him a cradle seconds later to earn the fall. Jones improved to 16-7 on the season and 8-2 in duals.

Burroughs scored 12 takedowns, including five in the first period, to score a 25-11 major decision over OSU’s Quinten Fuentes at 149 pounds. The win was Burroughs’ ninth major decision of the year, and he leads the Huskers in bonus-point wins.

Junior Paul Donahoe rebounded from a 2-2 weekend at National Duals with an 8-6 decision over OSU’s Tyler Shinn at 125 pounds. Donahoe was down 5-4 in the third period, but scored an escape and a takedown to earn the come-from-behind victory. Fellow junior Chris Oliver also went 2-2 last weekend and also earned a big win against the Cowboys. Oliver racked up 2:23 of riding time to win a close 3-2 decision over No. 15 Newly McSpadden at 157 pounds.

Junior Brandon Browne defeated second-ranked Brandon Mason at 174 to improve to 24-2, and Craig Brester won 6-3 over No. 20 Clayton Foster at 197 as the Huskers won three of the final four matches.

The Huskers’ last win against OSU came 39-12 in Stillwater in 1993. The victory was just Nebraska’s third all-time against the Cowboys.

Scouting Missouri (7-2-1, 0-0-1 Big 12)
The Tigers wrestled to a third-place team finish at last year’s NCAA Championships and return eight of those starters to this year’s squad. However, Missouri is not as deep as it has been in recent years as the Tigers currently sit at 7-2-1 and 0-0-1 in the Big 12. Missouri enters Saturday dual ranked No. 11 in the country with six wrestlers ranked in the top 16.

The two starters the Tigers graduated played big roles as MU lost All-Americans Ben Askren and Matt Pell. The 174-pound weight class has been a struggle to fill with the national champion Askren gone. Several wrestlers have seen time, including Brock Wittmeyer and Joey Garrity. Wittmeyer gets the nod Saturday, but enters with an 0-4 record on the season. Sophomore Nicholas Marable has nicely filled the role of the departed Ben Askren at 165 pounds. Marable is currently ranked No. 2 after a 17-3 start to the season. Max Askren continues to terrorize the Big 12, much like his brother Ben. After winning the Big 12 title last year, Max, a sophomore, currently has a 16-2 record at 197 pounds. He is ranked No. 9.

As a team, the Tigers rolled off six straight duals wins to start the season and finished second at the Las Vegas Invitational as Missouri has hung around a No. 10 ranking all season. MU entered the National Duals as the seven seed, but losses to Iowa and Northwestern saw the Tigers make an early exit. In its only Big 12 action thus far, Missouri tied Oklahoma State, 16-16, on Jan. 19 in Columbia, Mo. In their latest action, the Tigers defeated No. 16 Cornell, 21-13, last Sunday in Columbia.

Husker History versus Missouri
The Nebraska wrestling team is 36-16-3 all-time against Missouri, which is the most wins the Huskers have against any one school. The two programs first met in the 1925-26 season as NU blanked the Tigers 29-0 in Lincoln. It has been Nebraska ever since.

The last six meetings between Nebraska and Missouri have seen both teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation, including a matchup of No. 3 and 4 four seasons ago. The fourth-ranked Huskers defeated the third-ranked Tigers 23-13 on Jan. 24, 2004, in Lincoln. In fact, NU sports an 11-2 record against Missouri in Lincoln since 1982.

In their last meeting, the 20th-ranked Huskers got early wins from Dominick Moyer and Chris Oliver, but second-ranked Missouri defeated the Huskers, 31-11, on Feb. 11, 2007, at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.

Moyer gave NU an early four-point lead by earning a major decision win at 141 pounds over Ashtin Primus, 15-2. Moyer took control of the match early with a takedown of Primus 40 seconds into the match. Moyer rode Primus for the rest of the period and earned a pair of three-point nearfalls.

Two matches later, Oliver would give Nebraska a 7-6 lead three matches into the dual with his 4-3 victory over Michael Chandler at 157 pounds. Oliver tied the match at 3-all with a takedown with four seconds remaining in the second period, then took the lead for good with an escape 48 seconds into the third period after starting the final stanza down.

Missouri won the next five duals in the match to build an 18-point lead with two matches remaining. At 174 pounds, Marc Harwood fell to top-ranked Ben Askren by major decision, 20-9. Harwood scored an escape and a takedown midway through the second period to draw within two at 8-6, but Askren would score five takedowns in the final three minutes to earn the major decision.

At 125 pounds, Paul Donahoe broke Missouri’s winning streak with a 19-7 major decision win over John Olanowski. Donahoe took control of the match in the second period. After notching six points in the first 38 seconds of the stanza, Donahoe would earn two more takedowns to build a 9-2 lead heading to the third period, in which he would score four more takedowns on his way to victory

Browne Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week
The Big 12 Conference announced Jan. 21 that Husker junior Brandon Browne has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for his performances in competitions from Jan. 14-20. Browne defeated second-ranked Brandon Mason of Oklahoma State 2-1 last Sunday as the Huskers topped the Cowboys 22-13 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Browne, a native of Plattsmouth, Neb., was ranked sixth at 174 pounds.

Browne felt out Mason in the first period until he capitalized on an opening and scored a takedown with eight seconds left. Mason chose down in the second and scored an escape 25 seconds in. Browne chose the neutral position in the third, but neither was able to score a point as Browne held on for the 2-1 decision. Browne’s win broke a 10-10 tie as the Huskers never relinquished the lead after Browne’s win.

At the time, Browne was 24-2 on the year, including 9-1 in duals. Browne had scored 35 dual points for NU while allowing just three. He was second on the squad in bonus-point wins with seven major decisions, four technical falls and two pins.

Catching the Cowboys
The Huskers’ topped the Cowboys 22-13 on Jan. 20, which stopped a 15-dual losing streak to OSU, but the victory against OSU was the first for NU in 15 years. The win improves NU’s all-time record against the Cowboys to 3-48-1. The Huskers’ previous wins have come in 1993 in Stillwater, 39-12, and in 1922 in Lincoln, 36-11.

Movin On Up
The Huskers moved up to No. 2 in the latest NWCA poll with a 10-2 dual record on the season. The ranking is Nebraska’s highest since finishing the 2003-04 season ranked second. NU has never been ranked No. 1 in the NWCA poll, which was created in 2000.

Tumbling the Top Ranked
Nebraska knocked off No. 1 Penn State with a 19-13 win in the second round of the National Duals on Jan. 12 as the Huskers beat the top-ranked team in the nation for just the second time since 1991. NU’s other defeat of No. 1 also came in the National Duals. The Huskers topped No. 1 Iowa 24-20 on Jan. 23, 1993, as Lincoln hosted the National Duals. NU went on to finish third at the NCAA Championships that year.

Super Steve
Sophomore Stephen Dwyer’s performance at 165 pounds was a large part of the Huskers’ success at the National Duals. Dwyer was the only NU grappler to go 4-0 on the weekend as he led Nebraska to a second-place finish.

Dwyer started the tournament hot as he pinned Northwestern’s Dominic Marella in 2:55 after tweaking his ankle midway through the first period. He showed no sign of intimidation against top-ranked Penn State as he earned a 5-3 decision over the Nittany Lions’ Dave Rella. Dwyer started a Nebraska comeback with a 4-1 decision over Tyler Safratowich as the Huskers rallied to beat No. 6 Minnesota. He was one of only two Huskers to win against No. 2 Iowa in the finals with an 8-6 decision against Aaron Janssen.

Dwyer currently leads the Huskers with 24 wins, thanks in part to two separate eight-match winning streaks. He sports an 8-2 dual record and has earned 29 dual points for NU. He has eight bonus-point victories on the season.

Rowe’s Revealing
The rotating door that is the 141-pound weight class for the Huskers may have finally stopped. Head Coach Mark Manning revealed sophomore Mike Rowe against top-ranked Penn State at the National Duals. Rowe has not seen starting time since last year’s National Duals after struggling with his weight and sitting out the fall semester.

Rowe returned to the starting lineup this season to make his debut against Penn State’s Jake Strayer, who was ranked second in the country. Rowe jumped on Strayer early by earning the first takedown, but a collision between Strayer’s teeth and Rowe’s forehead in the second period slowed Rowe down. Rowe battled blood throughout the rest of the match, but scored a reversal with a minute left in the final period to retake the lead and win.

Rowe faced No. 4 Manuel Rivera of Minnesota in the semifinals. Rowe was neck-and-neck with Rivera through two periods, before Rivera scored a takedown and two-point nearfall in the final stanza to win 10-6. Rowe headed into the third period tied at three with Iowa’s Dan LeClere, but the Hawkeye scored a reversal to win 5-4.

Rowe notched a 1-2 mark at National Duals, but his performance against three wrestlers ranked in the top 11 in the nation may have earned him the starting nod.

Streaking Donahoe
Junior Paul Donahoe lost to No. 3 Jayson Ness of Minnesota 6-4 in overtime of the semifinals at the National Duals, but the loss stung a little more for Donahoe. The defeat ended a winning streak for Donahoe that stetched all the way back to March 3, 2007. Donahoe went a whopping 316 days between losses. Before the National Duals, Donahoe’s last defeat came against Oklahoma’s Sam Hazewinkel at the Big 12 Championships. Donahoe went on to avenge that loss in the finals of the NCAA Championships by defeating Hazewinkel and earning a national title. Donahoe’s 16-0 winning streak included a 5-0 mark at nationals and a win over Ness at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 19.

Donahoe’s Defense
In his latest action, defending NCAA champion Paul Donahoe returned to his winning ways with an 8-6 win over Oklahoma State’s Tyler Shinn. Donahoe helped lead the Huskers to 22-13 win over the Cowboys, NU’s first since 1993.

Donahoe went 2-2 at the National Duals to help guide the Huskers to a second-place team finish. Donahoe defeated No. 4 Brandon Precin of Northwestern 4-3 in the opening round and notched a 13-4 major decision over No. 7 Mark McKnight and the top-ranked Nittany Lions. No. 3 Jayson Ness of Minnesota avenged an earlier defeat by Donahoe with a 6-4 win over Donahoe in overtime. Donahoe was then nipped 3-2 by No. 5 Charlie Falck of Iowa in the finals.

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.

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 nine and leads the team in technical falls at five, 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 73 takedowns on the year is nearly triple any other squad members. Burroughs’ strategy seems to be paying off as he is 22-5 on the year, including 9-3 in duals.

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 faced No. 7 Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State. May kept the match close through most of the match, but Rosholt scored a takedown early in the second. May earned a takedown of his own late in the third, but Rosholt held on for a 5-3 win.

May encountered some stiff competition at the National Duals. May lost a 4-1 decision to No. 1 Dustin Fox of Northwestern, before losing in overtime 3-1 to Penn State’s John Laboranti. May picked up a 5-1 decision over Minnesota’s Yura Malamura before losing another close decision 1-0 to No. 6 Matt Fields of Iowa.

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.

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 24-2 start. Browne is tied for the team lead in wins with sophomore Stephen Dwyer. Browne’s wins have not been close for the most part. He is second on the team in major decisions with seven and second with four technical falls.

More importantly, Browne has proven a reliable wrestler when it counts most with his 9-1 mark in duals. Browne scored an upset win over No. 2 Brandon Mason of Oklahoma State on Jan. 20. Browne notched a takedown with eight seconds left in the first period and rode Mason to a 2-1 win. Browne’s win helped the No. 3 Huskers upset the No. 2 Cowboys 22-13.

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.

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
Eight Huskers placed in the top six at the Brand Open as the non-varsity wrestlers wrapped up their season in Omaha on Jan. 17. Nebraska was led by freshman Andrew Pokorny, who went 4-0 to place first at 125 pounds.

Pokorny recorded three bonus-point wins in his four matches as he started the tournament with a 17-2 technical fall over Lindenwood’s Danny Morreala. Pokorny pinned Nebraska-Kearney’s Joel Torpy in 2:58 in the second round and advanced to the finals with a 14-4 major decision over Iowa’s JJ Krutsinger. Pokorny claimed the title with a 10-3 decision over Richey Zuniga of Lindenwood as he improved to 9-1 on the year. Pokorney finished in the top three in both of the tournaments he competed in this season.

Redshirt freshman Alex Ward lost his second round match at 165, but reeled off six consecutive wins to work his way through the consolation bracket and finish third. Ward lost a 7-6 decision to Andrew Soresnon of Iowa State, but avenged the loss by defeating Sorenson 15-10 to reach the consolation finals. Ward notched three bonus-point wins in the tournament, including a 2:54 pin of Tony Leon of Lindenwood. Ward finishes 15-11 on the season with two pins, one major decision and one technical fall.

Tucker Lane completed a standout freshman campaign by finishing third at the Brand Open. Lane lost in the opening round to Kyle Simonson, but won five consecutive matches to finish 5-1 at the tournament. Three of Lane’s final five wins were by bonus point, including two pins. Lane finishes 27-3 on the year with seven pins and three major decisions.

Sophomore Levi Wofford and redshirt freshman Andy Johnson both captured second at 184 and 174, respectively, while sophomore Cameron Browne went 3-2 to finish fourth at 197 pounds. Freshmen Brian Litch and Chris Hacker both notched sixth-place finishes.

Next up: Wrestlers Wrap Up Home Schedule
Husker faithful will get their last chance to see the Nebraska wrestling team in the Coliseum this season on Feb. 10 as the Huskers host Oklahoma for Senior Day at 2 p.m. at the Coliseum. NU will honor the lone senior on this year’s squad, Jon May. The Huskers will complete the home portion of their 2007-08 schedule against a Sooner team that is currently ranked 17th in the nation. Nebraska hits the road for an East Coast trip to face Rider and No. 12 Hofstra before wrapping up the regular season in Ames, Iowa, against Iowa State.