Nebraska Starts Season with Wrestle-Offs

Preseason: No. 6 Nebraska Wrestle-Offs
Date: Friday, Nov. 7
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Devaney Center Track, Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln-The sixth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will host its annual wrestle-offs at 6 p.m. in the Devaney Center Track on Nov. 7. The free event, held in conjunction with the Huskers’ Fall Coaches Clinic, will assist Head Coach Mark Manning in deciding NU’s final starting lineup and gives Nebraska faithful their first chance to see this year’s wrestling squad.

After NU finished the 2007-08 dual season with a 14-3 mark and No. 4 national ranking, the Huskers finished fourth at the NCAA Championships by crowning five All-Americans. The finish was the Huskers highest under Manning, who was also named the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year. Nebraska returns five starters this season, including four All-Americans, as the Huskers will look to build on a favorable home schedule with 12 home duals and the Big 12 Championships in the NU Coliseum this year.

Fans can pick up a free poster and schedule cards at the wrestle-offs, before meeting the Huskers and seeing the team in action. Two mats will have simultaneous action as more than 20 total matches are scheduled for the evening. NU begins regular-season action with a dual against Tennessee Chattanooga at 7 p.m. in the NU Coliseum on Nov. 20.

The 2008-09 season preview from the Nebraska wrestling media guide follows. The guide will be available for free online and for $5 at Husker Authentic (800) 965-8674 later this week.

Season Preview: Huskers Look Primed for Repeat
Coming off one of the best seasons in its history, the 2008-09 Nebraska wrestling team brings a good blend of experienced leadership and young talent to the mat this year.

Coach Mark Manning guided NU to new heights in his eighth year at the helm in 2007-08. The Huskers established themselves as national-title contenders with a second-place finish at the NWCA National Duals by knocking off three ranked teams, including top-ranked Penn State. Nebraska used that momentum to beat Oklahoma State for just the third time in school history and nearly posted a perfect Big 12 regular-season record, falling only at Iowa State in the season finale. NU produced a 14-3 overall dual record, its most wins since 2004-05, before finishing second at the Big 12 Championships. The Huskers racked up their most points ever at the conference tournament with 62.5, as three NU wrestlers earned conference crowns. Jordan Burroughs claimed Outstanding Wrestler-of-the-Meet honors, while Manning was voted the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Nebraska capped its season with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the team's highest finish since 1993, while five Huskers earned All-America accolades.

The excitement surrounding the program comes from a solid core of five returning starters ready to take aim at the sport's highest collegiate prize. Nebraska returns four All-Americans among its five starters, while seven Huskers have qualified for the NCAA Championships. NU's four returning All-Americans are the most for Nebraska since 1995-96, and only one is a senior. In fact, the Huskers have just four seniors on the 34-man roster. NU also welcomes 14 freshmen into the mix this fall.

Nebraska's Proven Leadership
Leading the way for Nebraska will be All-American Jordan Burroughs, who has established himself as a leader in the locker room with his striking improvements on the mat at 149 pounds. Burroughs worked his way to a 16-13 record as a freshman in the NU program, before dominating opponents for a 34-6 record as a sophomore. He demolished the Huskers' single-season dual takedown mark by notching 98 in 17 duals before breezing through the competition at the Big 12 Championships. Burroughs was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet after earning a technical fall and major decision to take the title. Burroughs was just as impressive at the NCAA Championships, finishing third with a 5-1 record by defeating four ranked opponents to earn his first All-America honor. Burroughs continued his training through the summer by capturing a national title at the FILA Junior Nationals and took 10th at the FILA Junior World Championships last August. The junior's NCAA title chase this season could play a major role in Nebraska's NCAA title hopes this season.

All-American Brandon Browne also showed progression last season, after sitting out his sophomore year. Browne led the Huskers in wins (35) and dual wins (14) to tie him for 15th on Nebraska's top 20 single-season wins list. Browne opened the season with 13 straight wins, helping the Huskers to a third-place finish at the Las Vegas Invitational, and was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week after defeating No. 2 Brandon Mason in NU's dual win over Oklahoma State. Browne finished the season an impressive 7-0 against Big 12 opponents and went 12-4 versus ranked foes on the way to finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships for his first All-America honor. Browne will enter his senior season as one of the top-ranked wrestlers at 174 pounds and is yet another Husker with individual title hopes.

Juniors Craig Brester and Stephen Dwyer round out the Huskers' returning All-Americans. Brester, a native of Howells, Neb., went 5-2 at last year's NCAA Championships to earn fourth. Both losses came to wrestlers ranked in the top six at 197 pounds, including No. 1 Josh Glenn of American. Brester worked his way through a midseason knee injury to finish with a 26-7 overall record, including 14 bonus-point victories. Brester ended his season with 12 of his final 13 opponents ranked in the top 20 in the nation, going 8-4 against them. A talented individual intellectually and athletically, Brester could earn All-America honors on the mat and in the classroom this season.

One of the most focused wrestlers on the team, Dwyer earned the 10th spot on the Husker sophomore wins list with his 32-10 record last season. He was the only NU wrestler to go 4-0 at the National Duals, racking up a 12-3 dual record. Wrestling in one of the toughest weights in the conference, Dwyer finished second at 165 pounds at the Big 12 Championships before claiming his first All-America accolade with his eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Dwyer's determination could be a driving force in Nebraska's national championship aspirations in 2009.

Nebraska will also look for increased contributions from seniors Robert Sanders, Patrick Aleksanyan and Vince Jones. All three are locked in battles for a starting position, but all three have previously qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Talent in Tow
Nebraska's impressive set of veterans will try to help acclimate 14 freshmen to the collegiate ranks this season. Jon Burns, a 141-pounder from Apex, N.C., leads the crop of new Huskers. Wrestling for Cardinal Gibbons High School, Burns closed his prep career with a 178-5 career mark, including an astounding 128-0 record in his final two seasons. Burns won several prominent tournaments before being named the wrestler of the year by the National High School Coaches Association. The NHSCA also selected him as a two-time All-American. He was ranked the No. 3 wrestler at 145 pounds by InterMat and could see starting time at 141 pounds this season for the Huskers.

A native of Pittsburg, Kan., Tyler Koehn had a standout prep career before joining the Huskers this fall. Koehn was a five-time All-American at the Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. He earned three top-eight finishes in freestyle and two in Greco-Roman, including a fourth-place finish in 2008. Koehn also earned a top-three finish at the state championships his final three years and won a state title his junior season under Coach Scott Rieck. Koehn is expected to wrestle at 157 pounds for Nebraska.

Romero Cotton (Hutchinson) also brings Kansas roots to the Cornhuskers. Romero's high school credentials are eyecatching. He was a 10-time state champion across three sports, and claimed four state titles in wrestling with a 137-11 career record. Cotton amassed a 72-0 record over his final two seasons under Coach Mike Garcia, and was voted an all-state selection four times in wrestling. He added four more state titles in football from his running back position and was a two-time power lifting state champion. Cotton also claimed titles at the 2006 Cadet National Championships in freestyle and Greco-Roman to earn the No. 7 national ranking at 189 pounds, according to InterMat. Cotton is projected to wrestle at 184 pounds for NU.

The Huskers also continued to sign the best talent from the state, with Riley Essay and Hadley Cooksley joining the team this season. Wrestling for Alliance High School, Essay finished in the top five at the state championships all four years under Coach Dale Hall. Essay claimed fourth his freshman year before taking fifth his sophomore year and wrapped up his career with third-place showings as a junior and senior. Essay went 80-5 his final two seasons en route to a 134-21 career mark. He also set the single-season nearfall record with 134 during his senior season, while guiding Alliance to three top-10 finishes at the state tournament. Essay is expected to wrestle 133 pounds as a Husker.

Cooksley, an Alda native, was a three-sport athlete at Grand Island Northwest and wrestled under Coach Brian Sybrandts. Cooksley nearly completed a perfect season during his senior campaign, winning all of his matches except the state final to go 33-1 with 33 pins. He finished with a 118-17 record on the mat, including 89 pins. Cooksley also had an accomplished career on the football field, being selected to the Shrine Bowl and All-Star Classic his senior year. He plans to wrestle heavyweight at Nebraska.

Huskers Set to Host
After hosting just four home duals in 2007-08, Nebraska fans will have plenty of chances to catch the Huskers in action this year, as NU hosts 12 duals in the NU Coliseum and the Big 12 Championships. The 2008-09 schedule is not only filled with home matches, it is guaranteed to be one of the most challenging schedules in the nation. Nebraska faces eight teams at home that were ranked in the final top-25 dual rankings last season. The Huskers also travel to meet three ranked foes from a year ago.

The Huskers open on Nov. 20 against Tennessee-Chattanooga, which finished 2008 ranked No. 18, before hosting Kent State and Minnesota on Dec. 20 and 21. The Golden Flashes earned the No. 21 spot in last year’s final rankings, while Minnesota finished No. 8. Michigan, which finished at No. 11 last season, visits Lincoln on Jan. 4 and No. 22 Maryland faces Nebraska on Jan. 18 at the NU Coliseum. Penn comes to town for Parents Night on Jan. 23, while the Huskers' final two home duals promise to be passion-filled affairs. Big 12 rival and last year's No. 5 Oklahoma State faces Nebraska on Feb. 5, and No. 3 Iowa State ends NU's regular season on Feb. 22.

Nebraska travels to face No. 2 Central Michigan on Jan. 25 in Mount Pleasant, Mich., No. 12 Missouri on Jan. 31 in Columbia, Mo., and No. 14 Oklahoma on Feb. 8 in Norman, Okla. The Huskers will also journey to several tough tournaments again, including the Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 5-6, and National Duals, Jan. 10-11, where Nebraska finished second last year. NU also will travel its entire squad to the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha, on Nov. 22.

As an added bonus, Nebraska hosts the Big 12 Championships at the NU Coliseum on March 7. The Huskers host the conference tournament for just the second time since the inception of the Big 12 and the first time since 2000. NU finished fourth when it hosted the event in 2000, but is in the hunt for a team title this season after its second-place showing last season.

All of Nebraska’s competitions are in preparation for one goal, the 2009 NCAA Championships, which return to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. Competition for the three-day event is set to begin on March 19.

Season Notes: Huskers Set to Sign
The Nebraska wrestling squad will be the featured team at the Husker Autograph Zone as part of the Husker Nation Pavilion on Saturday. Starting at 11:30 a.m., fans can get an autograph card, schedule cards and team poster for the wrestlers to sign before the Kansas football game at 1:30 p.m. The nation’s premeir pregame party, the Husker Nation Pavilion provides free and fun activities for the whole family, while providing great food from a wide variety of vendors.

The Pavilion will feature inflatables and games each week, including the Football Quarterback Challenge, Soccer Kick-Out and the Baseball Big Swinger. New games will be featured each week throughout the season. The Husker Power Zone (football obstacle course) and a Basketball Shoot-Out will also be featured activities at the Pavilion. Face Painters, Hair Sprayers and a Balloon Clown will also be on hand to add to the fun.

Ranking the Returning
Nebraska welcomes back four All-Americans this season from the five Huskers that earned the honor last season. Jordan Burroughs, Craig Brester and Stephen Dwyer return for their junior seasons at 149, 197 and 165 pounds, respectively, while Brandon Browne wrestles his senior season at 174 pounds. NU’s four returning All-Americans are the most for Nebraska since 1995-96, when the Huskers welcomed back Brad Canoyer (118), Temoer Terry (150), Ryan Tobin (190) and Tolly Thompson (Hwt.).

Jordan’s Journeys
Jordan Burroughs had an extremely successful season last year, earning his first All-America honor with a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, but his achievements didn’t stop in March. Burroughs claimed 10th-place at the FILA World Championships in August, after winning the FILA Junior National Championships and World Team Trials.

Representing the U.S. for the first time in his career, Burroughs wrestled well at 66 kilograms (145.5 pounds) in the freestyle division, but ran into some hard luck at the FILA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Burroughs lost his first set 3-1 against Kazakhstan’s Olzhas Chingisbayev, but rebounded with two straight wins (2-0, 4-3) to earn the victory. Burroughs then defeated India’s Amit Kumar in two straight sets (2-1, 4-3) to advance and face Hungary’s Sandor Tozser. Burroughs lost the first set 1-0 to the Hungarian, but tied him 1-1 in the second. Tozser claimed the set by scoring the last technical points and defeated Burroughs.

Burroughs still had a chance to wrestle in the consolation bracket if Tozser made it to the finals, but eventual champion Magomedmurad Gadjieu of Russia defeated Tozser in the semifinals to end Burroughs’ tournament. Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning also traveled with to Turkey as an assistant coach for the U.S.

Burroughs advanced to the world championships by winning the world team trials in Colorado Springs, Colo. in May. He defeated Michigan’s Kellen Russell in two consecutive sets in the finals to win the best-of-three series and claim a spot on the U.S. world team. Burroughs automatically qualified for the finals at the world team trials by winning the FILA Junior National Championships in April.

One and Only
The 2008-09 Nebraska wrestling roster features 34 student-athletes, but just 10 are natives of the Cornhusker state. Four Huskers hail from the Omaha area, as Brandon and Cameron Browne are from Plattsmouth, Andy Pokorny is from Bennington and Matt Vacanti grew up in Papillion. Craig Brester spent his childhood in wrestling-powerhouse Howells and fellow junior Levi Wofford is from Aurora. Hadley Cooksley and Riley Essay join the Huskers this season after wrapping up their high school careers in Alda and Alliance, respectively. Ethan Studebaker grew up just outside of Lincoln in Raymond, while Livingston Lukow is the only Husker on the roster from Lincoln. Lukow went to high school at Lincoln Christian.

From Teammates to Teammates
Nebraska has 10 wrestlers on its 2008-09 roster that were also on the same high school squad at one point. Brothers Brandon and Cameron Browne wrestled together at Plattsmouth High School, as is the case with brothers Robert and Paul Sanders at Blanding (Utah) High School. Alex Howard wrestled two years with Matt Vacanti at Papillion-LaVista High School before moving to Florida, while Jordan Burroughs and Vince Jones both spent their prep career at Winslow Township (N.J.) High School. Riley Essay joins the Huskers this season after wrestling with Peter Roto at Palatine High School.

Going Back to Texas
Freshman Austin Barnes, who joins the Huskers this season, is the first Husker to hail from Texas since Larry Thompson in 1984-85. Barnes attended Class 5A Rockwall High School where he helped Coach Brent Pohorsky to three top-10 team finishes at the state championships. Barnes was a three-time district champion and went on to win the region and finish third in the state his senior year. Wrestling at 135 pounds, Barnes scored 16 points to earn his first all-state honor and lead Rockwall to a ninth-place team finish. Barnes is expected to wrestle at 141 pounds for Nebraska and will likely redshirt his first year in the NU program.

Four-Time Huskers
Matt Vacanti and Romero Cotton are the only Huskers that finished their prep career as four-time state champions in wrestling.

Wrestling for Papillion-LaVista, Vacanti was the 13th four-time state champion in the history of Nebraska. He wrestled to a 128-1 career record under Coach Jeff Kupfer and was ranked third among the nation’s 140-pounders by InterMat during his senior year. In his 35-0 junior season, Vacanti pinned all 35 opponents he faced, and was named the 2006 Dave Schultz Award winner for the state of Nebraska. Vacanti and Patrick Aleksanyan will see starting time for the Huskers at 133 pounds this season.

Cotton was just as impressive, winning four state championships in wrestling, adding another four in football and claiming two titles in power lifting. Wrestling for Coach Mike Garcia at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Kan., Cotton finished with a 137-11 career record, rolling to a 72-0 mark over his final two seasons. Cotton was also the 2006 Cadet National champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman. He will likely redshirt his freshman year at 184 pounds, behind Vince Jones and Levi Wofford.

Cowboy Larry Lane’s Son
Redshirt freshman Tucker Lane is almost following in his father’s footsteps. Tucker, like his dad Larry, is wrestling collegiately. He enters his second season in the Nebraska program as the projected starter at heavyweight, after being named NU’s 2008 Redshirt of the Year. Larry spend his college years wrestling for the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., and was also on the All-Army wrestling team. Tucker has yet to follow in one footstep though. Larry went on to wrestle professionally from 1973 to 1983 as "Red Dog Lane" and "Cowboy Larry Lane".

Battling Brothers
Husker wrestling will once again be a family matter, as two sets of brothers are on the squad this season. For the third consecutive year, two members of the Sanders and Browne family will share time on the mat.

Senior Robert Sanders, an NCAA qualifier at 149 pounds in 2005-06, will be joined on the mat by his younger brother Paul. Wrestling under their father, Bob, at San Juan High School in Blanding, Utah, Robert was a two-time state champion, while Paul earned the honor three times. Robert steps up to 157 pounds after splitting starting time at 141 last season. Paul will wrestle 149 pounds this year and will provide valuable backup behind All-American Jordan Burroughs.

Senior Brandon Browne, a returning All-American at 174 pounds, is joined by his little brother, Cameron. Brandon was a two-time state champion while wrestling at Plattsmouth High School in Plattsmouth, Neb., while Cameron also claimed the title during his senior year. Brandon put together a 35-4 season last year, en route to a Big 12 Championship and fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Cameron returns to the mat this season, after redshirting last year.

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
Nebraska has another busy redshirt schedule this season, participating in 10 competitions. Highlights of the schedule include wrestling at the Kaufman-Brand Open at the Sapp Fieldhouse on Nov. 17 and again on Jan. 17 as part of the Glen Brand Open. Nebraska’s redshirts will wrap up their season at the NWCA Open in Dubuque, Iowa, on Feb. 28.

The majority of the Nebraska’s 14 freshman this year will redshirt, but fans should keep tabs on several promising young wrestlers. Jon Burns will wrestle 141 pounds for NU and enters his first year in the program as a highly-touted recruit out of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C. Romero Cotton was a 10-time high school champion for Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Kan., and has a bright future for the Huskers at 184 pounds. Nebraska native Hadley Cooksley had a productive prep career for Grand Island Northwest in wrestling and football and will compete at heavyweight for NU.

Scherr Inducted Into Hall of Fame
Former Husker wrestler Jim Scherr was selected as a 2008 inductee into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. The current chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Scherr was honored during a banquet at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Oct. 28.

Scherr was a national champion for Nebraska at 177 pounds in 1984, along with his brother Bill, who captured the title at 190 pounds. Scherr also claimed the Big Eight title in 1984, and finished his Husker career as a two-time All-American after earning sixth-place at the 1982 NCAA Championships.

Scherr continued his wrestling career on the international stage after his time in Lincoln. He wrestled freestyle for the U.S. at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, while also claiming two silvers and a bronze medal at the FILA World Championships.

A native of Mobridge, S.D., Scherr has served as the CEO of the USOC since 2005 and is the first former Olympian to be named to the position. He helped guide the U.S. to its best performance ever in a non-domestic games last summer in Beijing.

The 2008 class includes ESPN’s College Football GameDay host Chris Fowler, who graduated from Palmer High in 1980, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb legend Leonard Vahsholtz, former Colorado College football coach Jerry Carle, University of Colorado basketball star Erin Scholz, ice hockey icon Art Berglund and the 1965 state prep baseball champions from Palmer High.

Next up: No. 6 NU Begins Season Against UTC
The sixth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will start its dual season at home for the first time since 2005 with a 7 p.m. match against Tennessee-Chattanooga at the NU Coliseum on Thursday, Nov. 20. The Mocs finished first in the Southern Conference last year and return four NCAA qualifiers and one All-American to this year’s squad. The Huskers will host 12 duals at the NU Coliseum this season and the Big 12 Championships on March 7.