Huskers Send Eight to NCAA Championships

National Championships: 
Nebraska (14-3) at 2008 NCAA Championships

Date: Thursday, March 20 - Saturday, March 22
Location: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Live Stats: Intermatwrestle.com
Television: ESPNU for Sessions III, IV and V. ESPN for Finals.

Lincoln - Eight Huskers will represent the No. 5 Nebraska wrestling team at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., from March 20-22. Juniors Paul Donahoe and Brandon Browne, along with sophomore Jordan Burroughs, earned automatic berths by winning their respective weights at the Big 12 Championships in Stillwater, Okla., on March 8. Burroughs also earned Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet honors by recording a technical fall and major decision in his two wins. Sophomores Craig Brester and Stephen Dwyer placed second to also automatically advance to nationals. Senior Jon May, junior Vince Jones and sophomore Kenny Jordan earned wild-card selections to the NCAA Championships in a vote of the conference coaches.

Nebraska placed five wrestlers in the finals of the Big 12 Championships, and three Huskers came away with first place, to help NU match its best-ever finish at the event with second place as a team. Nebraska’s three individual champions are the most since 1995 as NU finished with 62.5 team points, the most the Huskers have ever totalled since the start of the Big 12 in 1997.

The Huskers went 0-4 in their third-place matches as the team fell short of its goal of a conference championship, but the ultimate goal of a national championship is still within reach. Of Nebraska’s eight qualifiers, five return to the event for a second time, while Paul Donahoe is a three-time qualifier. Kenny Jordan and Brandon Browne make the trip for the first time, but Jordan was the national junior college champion last year, while Browne is a junior with three years of wrestling experience at NU.

In a year that has seen parity around the major conferences, Nebraska will be one of several teams with a chance to win the team title in St. Louis. Iowa State qualified a wrestler at all 10 weight classes and will be a formidable opponent, while last year’s champion Minnesota returns four All-Americans to the mat at nationals. Big 10 foes Iowa and Michigan also look to be in the hunt.

The Huskers are picked to finish fifth in the NWCA’s pre-tournament poll, as Nebraska will attempt to better their highest finish of third in 1993. Fans can catch live updates of all the action on Intermatwrestle.com, while ESPNU will broadcast sessions three, four and five live. ESPN will air Saturday night’s finals live, beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Last Time Out: Burroughs Leads NU to Second at Big 12 Championships
The Nebraska wrestling team claimed 62.5 points and second place at the 2008 Big 12 Championships, thanks in large part to the Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet performance of sophomore Jordan Burroughs. The Huskers earned three individual championships and two second-place finishes, but the spotlight shined brightest on Burroughs at the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.

Burroughs entered the tournament seeded first and lived up to his billing with two bonus-point victories on his way to the title. Burroughs earned 10 takedowns in his first match, a 24-9 technical fall over Oklahoma’s Will Rowe, and followed up with a 15-6 major decision over Iowa State’s Mitch Mueller. Burroughs was one of only two Huskers to score a bonus-point victory.

Two juniors joined Burroughs atop the awards stand as Paul Donahoe captured the title at 125 pounds and Brandon Browne earned first at 174 pounds. Donahoe gave up a takedown 30 seconds into his finals match against Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State, but held Shinn to two escapes the rest of the way to win 7-4 and earn his first Big 12 crown. Browne entered the third period of his finals match against Oklahoma State’s Brandon Mason down by two, but scored a takedown with nine seconds left to come from behind for the win.

Sophomores Stephen Dwyer and Craig Brester opened the day with upsets of higher seeds in their respective classes, but were unable to capitalize on the momentum as both lost their finals match to finish second. Dwyer dropped a tight 3-2 decision to Missouri’s Nick Marable while Missouri’s Max Askren defeated NU’s Craig Brester 8-3.

The five Husker wrestlers in the finals earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, while Jon May (285), Vince Jones (184) and Kenny Jordan (133) earned wild card selections to allow NU to send eight wrestlers to St. Louis.

Iowa State claimed the team title for a second consecutive year, but Nebraska’s 62.5 team points are the most the Huskers have ever accrued at the Big 12 Championships. NU matches its best finish ever as a team, as the Huskers also claimed runner-up honors in 2004 and went on to place fifth at the NCAA Championships. Nebraska’s three individual champions are the most since 1995.

Scouting the NCAA Championships
The University of Minnesota is the early favorite to take the team title in St. Louis. The Gophers claimed the top spot last year with five All-Americans, and four of them return to the Scottrade Center this season along with five other Gophers qualifiers. The season has seen close competition from several teams, though, as the Huskers will be one of several teams vying for the team championship.

The Gophers will be pushed by Iowa State, who qualified a wrestler at all 10 weights, including four Big 12 champions in Nick Fanthorpe (133), Nick Gallick (141), Cyler Sanderson (157) and Jake Varner (184). Big-10 rival Iowa qualified nine wrestlers, as did Central Michigan. Oklahoma State may have a say in the team title as the Cowboys send eight wrestlers to St. Louis.

Nebraska’s three Big 12 champions have a chance for redemption against several wrestlers at the NCAA Championships. Paul Donahoe may face long-time rival Jayson Ness of Minnesota, an opponent he defeated at the All-Star Classic in November, but lost to at the National Duals. All four wrestlers that have defeated Jordan Burroughs this season qualified, including Iowa’s Brent Metcalf, who bested Burroughs twice. Brandon Browne lost just twice this season to Iowa’s Jay Borschel and Illinois’ John Dergo, and Browne could see both in St. Louis.

Last Year at the NCAA Championships: Donahoe Captures National Title
The Nebraska wrestling team finished 16th, behind the national champion performance of Paul Donahoe, who became the ninth Nebraska wrestler to win the title. Donahoe, wrestling just 33 miles from his hometown of Davison, Mich., defeated Oklahoma’s Sam Hazewinkel in overtime, 3-1, in the finals at 125 pounds at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Huskers finished the team race with 34.5 team points as six Huskers qualified for the tournament.

After a scoreless first period, Hazewinkel took an early 1-0 lead over Donahoe 18 seconds into the second period with an escape. Donahoe tied the match with an escape 30 seconds into the third period, and the match remained tied at the end of three periods.

Donahoe scored a takedown in the sudden victory period to defeat Hazewinkel for the first time in his career. Hazewinkel had beaten Donahoe in their three previous meetings, including in the Big 12 finals, when Hazewinkel won by a 12-3 major decision.

Donahoe became the second NU national champion under Mark Manning and the second 125-pound national champion for the Huskers. Jason Powell, Nebraska’s last national champion, won the 125-pound title in 2004. Donahoe was also just the second Husker sophomore to win a national championship. Tolly Thompson, a three-time All-American and the school record-holder for most wins in a career, won the 1995 heavyweight national championship as a sophomore.

Dominick Moyer and Craig Brester both went 2-2 at the tournament, and Jordan Burroughs, Chris Oliver and Stephen Dwyer went 1-2 in their first career trips to the NCAA Championships.

Husker History at the NCAA Championships
Nebraska’s top finish at the NCAA Championships is third in 1993. 126-pound national champion Tony Purler led a six-man contingent of Husker All-Americans in 1993, including eventual Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner. The six All-Americans also set a record for most All-America honors by NU in one year. The 1993 team was the third of five teams in a seven-year period that finished in the top 10 at nationals.

The Huskers have 77 total All-Americans, including nine natioinal champions and 18 NCAA finalists. Nebraska has finished in the top 10 15 times in school history. Nine of NU’s 15 top-10 finishes have come in the last 18 years, including three top-10 finishes under head coach Mark Manning.

Big 12 Breakthrough
With their second-place team finish at the Big 12 Championships on March 8, the Huskers neared several records. Nebraska matched its best ever finish as a team, as NU also claimed runner-up honors in 2004 and went on to place fifth at the NCAA Championships.

Three Huskers claimed individual titles at the Big 12 Championships as Paul Donahoe (125), Jordan Burroughs (149) and Brandon Browne (174) finished the tournament a perfect 2-0. NU’s three individuals champions are the most since 1995. Donahoe, Burroughs and Browne all captured their first career Big 12 title.

Donahoe’s Defense
In his latest action, defending NCAA champion Paul Donahoe was one of eight Huskers to earn a berth to the national tournament at the Big 12 Championships on March 8. Donahoe finished 2-0 at the tournament to earn his first career Big 12 title. Donahoe opened with a narrow 2-1 decision over Iowa State’s Tyler Clark, and notched a 7-4 decision over Oklahoma State’s Tyler Shinn in the finals.

Donahoe is now 20-3 on the year, including 12-3 in duals. Donahoe is attempting to become the first Nebraska wrestler to repeat as a national champion.

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.

Burroughs Outstanding in the Big 12
National championships are always a goal in the Husker program, but wrestlers have to win in their own backyard before they can step on to the big stage. Sophomore Jordan Burroughs has exemplified that this year as he has a 29-5 record, but more importantly Burroughs claimed the 149-pound title at the Big 12 Championships on March 8 and improved his record against conference foes to an impressive 8-0. Burroughs was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet.

Burroughs met several conference foes in open tournaments early in the year. He bested Oklahoma’s Will Rowe 12-10 at the Kaufman Brand Open before defeating Missouri’s Josh Wagner, 8-3, at the Las Vegas Invitational. Burroughs started Big 12 action on a hot streak as his 25-11 major decision over Oklahoma State’s Quinten Fuentes help the Huskers upset the Cowboys. Burroughs notched two more wins over Wagner and Rowe in home duals as NU went 4-0 in the Coliseum this season. Burroughs added an 11-5 decision over Mitch Mueller of Iowa State on Feb. 24. Burroughs notched two bonus-point wins at the Big 12 Championships. Burroughs earned a 24-9 technical fall over Oklahoma’s Will Rowe and defeated Iowa State’s Mitch Mueller with a 15-6 major decision to win the title.

Burroughs’ wins have positioned him for a high seed in the NCAA Championships, which he can hopefully parlay into a run at a national championship.

Taking Down the Record Books
Burroughs is approaching the Husker record books in several categories, including wins by a sophomore, but the record he is really enjoying breaking was the single-season dual takedown mark. With his three takedowns of Iowa State’s Mitch Mueller on Feb. 24, Burroughs upped his dual takedowns to 98 and broke the previous record of 97. After wrestling in all 17 of Nebraska’s duals, Burroughs averaged nearly six takedowns per dual and was taken down just seven times. In comparison, Paul Donahoe was second on the team with 40 dual takedowns this season.

Bryan Snyder, who was a four time All-American for the Huskers from 1999-2002, held the previous record of 97. Snyder earned his takedowns in the 2000-01 season that saw him go 28-2, including 16-1 in duals, and place second at the NCAA Championships.

Jordan’s Major Decision
Burroughs also leads the team in major decisions with 12 and leads the team in technical falls at seven, 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 98 takedowns on the year is more than double any other squad member. Burroughs’ strategy seems to be paying off as he is 29-5 on the year, including 14-3 in duals.

What Can Browne Do For You
With his 2-0 performance at the Big 12 Championships, junior Brandon Browne inched closer to breaking into the Husker record books. Browne currently leads the Huskers in wins with his 31-2 record and finished 14-1 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 .939 winning percentage ties Gil Sanchez in 1982-1983 for ninth all-time. Matt Lindland in 1992-93 and Bill Scherr in 1983-84 hold the best season winning percentage at .973. Browne is attempting to become the 26th wrestler in Husker history to win at least 35 matches in a season.

Brester, Dwyer Named to Academic All-Big 12 Team
The Big 12 Conference has named Nebraska student-athletes Craig Brester and Stephen Dwyer to the 2008 Academic All-Big 12 wrestling teams, the league office announced March 4.

Brester, selected to the first team with 16 other wrestlers from the conference, earns the honor for the second time in his career. Dwyer was named to the second team with three other competitors. Brester and Dwyer are both sophomores, while Brester is a mechanized systems major and Dwyer is undeclared. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better grade-point average, and the second team has a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

Brester Garners Big 12 Wrestler of the Week Honors
The Big 12 Conference announced on Feb. 18 that Husker sophomore Craig Brester was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for his performances in competitions from Feb. 12-18. Brester defeated two ranked foes at 197 pounds as the Huskers topped Rider 27-12 and No. 16 Hofstra 25-10 on an East Coast trip. Brester, a native of Howells, Neb., was ranked No. 7 in the nation in his weight class at the time.

Brester notched a 9-1 major decision over 12th-ranked T.J. Morrison of Rider to spark NU to victories in three of the final four matches of a tight dual. Brester registered a takedown early in the first period and worked his way to a three-point nearfall to take a 5-0 lead after the opening stanza. An escape and another takedown in the second period put him up 8-1 and boosted him to a 9-1 final score.

Brester followed up with a 10-3 decision over No. 10 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra. Brester notched two nearfalls as he held Rovelli scoreless until the third period. The win was Brester’s third consecutive against a ranked opponent as he is 6-1 against ranked foes on the year.

At the time, Brester improved to 20-3 on the year, including 12-3 in duals. He had scored 50 dual points for NU while allowing just 10. Scoring 33 dual takedowns, he had been taken down just nine times. He had six pins, three technical falls and four major decisions.

Brester was also named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 20.

Catching the Cowboys
The Huskers’ topped Oklahoma State 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 improved 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.

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 29 wins, thanks in part to two separate eight-match winning streaks. He sports an 11-3 dual record and has earned 39 dual points for NU. He has nine bonus-point victories on the season.

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.