May Leads Huskers into Senior Day Against OU

Dual 14: Nebraska (11-2) vs. Oklahoma (12-3)
Date: Sunday, Feb. 10
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: NU Coliseum, Lincoln, Neb.
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Video/Audio: Huskers.com

Lincoln-The No. 2 Huskers wrap up the home portion of their 2007-08 schedule with a 2 p.m. dual on Sunday with No. 18 Oklahoma at the NU Coliseum. Nebraska (11-2, 2-0 Big 12) will look to send its lone senior, Jon May, out with a win on Senior Day as the Huskers attempt to go undefeated at home against the Sooners (12-3, 0-2 Big 12).

NU faces its seventh consecutive ranked opponent in Oklahoma. The Huskers battled four teams in the top nine at the National Duals and then-No. 2 Oklahoma State on Jan. 20, before defeating No. 11 Missouri in the Coliseum on Feb. 2. Nebraska is 5-1 in that stretch with its one loss coming to top-ranked Iowa in the National Duals finals. The Huskers’ success has been in part to experienced leadership from upperclassmen such as May. The Husker coaching staff will honor May for his five years of dedication to the program in a predual ceremony. NU has will get some extra leadership on Sunday as head football coach Bo Pelini will join Manning as an honorary coach.

Nebraska faces the Sooners on Sunday and makes a trip to the East Coast to face Rider and No. 16 Hofstra before squaring off against No. 8 Iowa State in its final dual of the regular season. Wins against Oklahoma and Iowa State would put NU at a perfect 4-0 in the Big 12, a feat which Nebraska has never accomplished.

Husker fans can catch all of Nebraska’s dual with Oklahoma on Huskers.com. Free video, audio and live stats will be provided. As part of the Take 5 promotion, up to five fans can get into the dual for $10.

Last Time Out: Huskers Top Tigers 22-13
The second-ranked Nebraska wrestling team racked up three bonus-point wins and two sudden victories to propel the Huskers past No. 11 Missouri, 22-13, in front of 3,252 fans at the Coliseum on Feb. 2. Nebraska improved to 11-2 on the year and 2-0 in the Big 12, while the Tigers dropped to 7-3-1 and 0-1-1 in the conference.

Junior Paul Donahoe once again led the way for NU as he broke a 7-7 tie with his 19-3 technical-fall victory at 125 pounds over Missouri’s John Olanowski. Donahoe scored a three-point nearfall halfway into the first period as he went on to accumulate three nearfalls and five takedowns in the match. Donahoe improved to 14-4 in his career at home duals.

Clinching the match for the Huskers was sophomore Jordan Burroughs at 149 pounds. Burroughs’ 15-7 major decision put Nebraska up 22-7 with two matches left. Burroughs defeated No. 16 Josh Wagner with six takedowns. The major decision was Burroughs’ tenth of the year.

Rounding out the bonus-point wins for NU was junior Brandon Browne, who earned a 14-5 major decision over Brock Wittmeyer at 174 pounds. Browne earned three takedowns in the second period to cruise to the win as he leads the Huskers with 25 wins on the season.

The Huskers picked up two tight wins as both Kenny Jordan (133) and Mike Rowe (141) collected sudden victories. Jordan took a 1-1 tie into the extra period against Tyler McCormick before his takedown with 50 seconds left won the match 3-1. Rowe entered the extra stanza tied at two, but took just 17 seconds to beat Marcus Hoehn.

Senior Jon May scored one of the biggest upsets of the evening as he defeated No. 11 Mark Ellis, 3-2. May entered the third period up 1-0, but a quick escape by Ellis tied the match. May battled back with a takedown with 35 seconds left to earn the win.

Scouting Oklahoma (12-3, 0-2 Big 12)
The Sooners return five NCAA qualifiers from a squad that finished 21st as a team at last year’s championships as Oklahoma looks to close the gap in the Big 12. OU jumped out to an 11-1 start to the season, but is just 1-2 in its last three duals. The Sooners are 12-3 overall, including an 0-2 record in the conference with losses to Iowa State and Oklahoma State. OU currently has seven wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the country.

Oklahoma has leaned heavily on three seniors this season in Joel Flaggert at 197, Joshua Weitzel at 184 and Max Dean at 165. Flaggert is a two-time All American, including a fourth-place finish as a sophomore. Flaggert has captured third place at the Big 12 Championships for three consecutive years. He is currently 19-1 and 13-1 in duals to earn a No. 5 national ranking.

Weitzel is a two-time national qualifier and is currently 20-1, including 13-1 in duals. He is ranked No. 6. Dean transfered in from Indiana University after qualifying for nationals three times with the Hoosiers. He is off to a 17-4 start to his season with a 10-4 dual record.

Several Sooners have previous experience against the Huskers, including junior Will Rowe who faced Burroughs at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 17. Rowe lost a close 12-10 decision to Burroughs. Flaggert faced Husker Craig Brester in the semifinals of last years Big 12 Championships, as Brester prevailed with a 17-2 technical fall.

The Sooners face Missouri on Friday in Columbia, Mo., before traveling to Lincoln.

Husker History versus Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Sooners hold a 34-16-1 advantage over the Huskers all-time, but Nebraska is 3-1 against OU in the programs’ last four dual meetings, and edged Oklahoma by two points in last year’s Big 12 Championships. The rivalry is another one that has its history as the programs first met in 1926. The Sooners topped Nebraska 13.5-9.5 in lincoln. The most memorable encounter came on Feb. 12, 2005, as the No. 6 Huskers took on No. 8 Oklahoma in Norman. Dominick Moyer’s major decision at 133 proved to the difference as NU hung on for a 16-15 win. Nebraska went on to finish third at the Big 12 Championships that season.

Last year’s dual saw the Huskers earn a dramatic 21-15 win in Norman at the McCasland Field House. A win by fall by freshman heavyweight Cameron Browne in the final match of the night gave No. 21 Nebraska the win against No. 14 Oklahoma

With the dual tied at 15 after nine matches, Browne took down the Sooners’ Brad Farmer 53 seconds into the first period before pinning Farmer 28 seconds later to give Nebraska its first Big 12 dual victory of the season.

The Huskers sprinted to a 15-9 lead after winning four of the first six matches. Paul Donahoe got Nebraska out to a fast start with his pin of Henry Roman at 125 pounds. Donahoe built a 7-1 lead on the strength of two takedowns and a nearfall before pinning Roman with 29 seconds to go in the first period.

After a setback at 133 pounds, Dominick Moyer rebuilt Nebraska’s lead to six with a 4-0 win over Kyle Terry at 141 pounds. After 6:05 of scoreless wrestling, Moyer broke the tie with an escape, then added a takedown two seconds later to seal the win.

A loss at 149 pounds would again cut the Huskers’ lead to three at 9-6, but back-to-back wins from Chris Oliver and Stephen Dwyer would give Nebraska some breathing room. Oliver defeated Will Rowe at 157 pounds, 6-2. Rowe took a 2-0 lead with a takedown midway through the first period, but Oliver would take control of the match in a dominant second period in which he scored a takedown and a three-point nearfall.

Stephen Dwyer got back on the winning track with a 4-1 win over Shane Seibert at 165 pounds. Facing his seventh straight ranked opponent, Dwyer clinched his first victory over ranked opposition with a reversal with 57 seconds remaining that broke a 1-1 tie and gave Nebraska a 15-9 lead with four matches remaining.

Three straight Sooner victories would tie the dual at 15 before Browne earned a win by fall to seal the dual victory.

Pelini Prowling the Sideline
Head Coach Mark Manning has his fair share of wisdom on the mat, but a little more never hurts. Manning will be joined on the sideline by head football coach Bo Pelini for Sunday’s matchup with No. 18 Oklahoma as Pelini will be an honorary coach for the dual. Pelini was hired in December to lead the Huskers but has plenty of knowledge of the Nebraska way. Pelini was NU’s defensive coordinator and interim head coach for the Alamo Bowl in 2003, before finding his way to Lousiana State University and a national title last January.

Manning and Pelini will have a little extra motivation against the Sooners as both have previously worn the crimson and cream. Manning spent four years as an assistant under Jack Spates, while Pelini was Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator in 2004.

Pelini will be joined on the sideline by his son, Patrick.

Manning’s Mentor
Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning will face a familiar foe when he square’s off against Jack Spate’s Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday. Manning served as an assistant coach under Spates at Oklahoma for four seasons from 1993-97. While Manning was on the Sooner staff, OU finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships three times, including a seventh-place showing at the 1997 national meet. He assisted in coaching 14 Oklahoma All-Americans, five NCAA finalists and 1996 190-pound NCAA Champion John Kading. He also assisted in the recruitment of three top-five national recruiting classes while in Norman.

May Competes in Final Home Dual
Senior heavyweight Jon May will be honored during Senior Day ceremonies before Sunday’s dual against No. 18 Oklahoma, his final home dual as a Husker.

May has been instrumental in Nebraska’s climb to national prominence. The Huskers are 52-16-2 in his four years as a starter and have finish in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships for three consecutive years.

He has also had his share of personal success, including a 66-40 record as a starter with 16 pins and six major decisions. May went 17-4 with eight pins in his redshirt season, however those do not count toward his career totals.

The highlight of May’s career thus far was a third-place finish at the 2006 Big 12 Championships that qualified him for the NCAA Championships. After a first-round overtime loss to Jake Hager, May pinned Sean Connole of Missouri with 34 second left in the period to clinch a spot in the third-place match. May then defeated Richard Schopf of Iowa State, 5-2, to earn his first career trip to nationals.

May hails from Hutchinson, Minn., and will graduate this spring with a bachelors in history.

Brandon Approaching Records
With his 14-5 major decision over Missouri’s Brock Wittmeyer, junior Brandon Browne inched closer to breaking into the Husker record books. Browne currently leads the Huskers in wins with his 25-2 record and is 10-1 in duals. Browne is approaching the top 10 in season wins for a junior. Ryan Tobin is 10th with a 33-9 record in 1995-96, while Tolly Thompson is first with a 42-2 record in 1995-96. Browne is also nearing the top 10 season winning percentages. His .926 winning percentage trails Bryan Snyder’s .935 in 1999-2000. Matt Lindland in 1992-93 and Bill Scherr in 1983-84 hold the best season winning percentage at .973.

Browne Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week
The Big 12 Conference announced Jan. 21 that Husker junior Brandon Browne was 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 on Jan. 20 as the Huskers topped the Cowboys 22-13 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Browne, a native of Plattsmouth, Neb., was ranked sixth at 174 pounds at the time.

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 Jan. 29 NWCA poll with a 10-2 dual record on the season at the time. 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 is currently second on the Huskers with 24 wins, thanks in part to two separate eight-match winning streaks. He sports an 8-3 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 was the 141-pound weight class early in the season for the Huskers stopped in January. 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 helped lead the No. 2 Huskers to a 22-13 win over No. 11 Missouri at the NU Coliseum. Donahoe broke a 7-7 tie with his 19-3 technical-fall victory at 125 pounds over John Olanowski. Donahoe scored a three-point nearfall halfway into the first period as he went on to accumulate three nearfalls and five takedowns in the match. Donahoe improved to 14-4 in his career at home duals.

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 10 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 79 takedowns on the year is nearly triple any other squad members. Burroughs’ strategy seems to be paying off as he is 23-5 on the year, including 10-3 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 scored an upset in the Huskers’ 22-13 defeat of Missouri on Feb. 2. May entered the dual ranked No. 20 in the nation, but scored a 3-2 decision over No. 11 Mark Ellis. May entered the third period up 1-0, but a quick escape by Ellis tied the match. May battled back with a takedown with 35 seconds left to earn the win.

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 having one of the most impressive seasons of any Husker. After being ineligible last season, Browne looks to be back on the right track as he has raced out to a 25-2 start. Browne leads the Huskers in wins with 25 on the season. Browne’s wins have not been close for the most part. He is second on the team in major decisions with eight and second with four technical falls.

More importantly, Browne has proven a reliable wrestler when it counts most with his 10-1 mark in duals. Browne notched one of the Huskers’ three bonus-point wins against Missouri on Feb. 2. Browne earned a 14-5 major decision over Brock Wittmeyer at 174 pounds to put NU on the board first. Browne had three takedowns in the second period to cruise to the win.

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.

Next up: Huskers Head East for Hofstra and Rider
Nebraska hits the road for its final major trip of the season as the Huskers travel to the East Coast to face Rider and No. 16 Hofstra. NU faces Rider at noon on Feb. 16 in Lawrenceville, N.J., before squaring off against Hofstra at noon on Feb. 17 in Hempstead, N.Y. Nebraska will be looking to avenge a 32-6 loss to Hofstra at last year’s National Duals. Several Huskers will be making a return to their old stomping grounds as both Vince Jones and Jordan Burroughs grew up in Sicklerville, N.J. NU concludes the regular season in Ames, Iowa, against Iowa State on Feb. 24.