NU Ties for Big 12 Crown; Four Huskers Earn Titles

Lincoln ? The fourth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team earned a co-championship at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship on Saturday in Lincoln, with four Huskers capturing individual titles. Nebraska finished the meet at the NU Coliseum with 70 points to tie No. 3 Iowa State.

“Iowa State has a heck of a team,” Head Coach Mark Manning said. “They have 10 ranked wrestlers in the country and in this tournament, and it just shows the great spirit of our team. We just fought. Our wrestlers prepared well, that’s what I’m most proud of. They really prepare well and you just have to let it hang out.”

<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The crown was the first Big 12 Championship for Nebraska and the first conference wrestling crown for the Huskers since winning the 1995 Big Eight title. Iowa State’s tie for the title marked the third straight Big 12 crown for the Cyclones. The championship was also the first Big 12 title for a Nebraska men’s team in any sport since the Huskers shared the 2007 Big 12 indoor track and field title.

Missouri finished third with 55 points, followed by Oklahoma State with 40 points and Oklahoma at 38.5.

Nebraska entered the finals six points behind Iowa State, but went 4-1 in the championship round, while ISU won just two of seven championship bouts, resulting in the team tie. Juniors Jordan Burroughs (157) and Craig Brester (197), along with seniors Brandon Browne (174) and Vince Jones (184) captured individual titles for Nebraska. The titles for Burroughs and Browne marked the second straight Big 12 crowns for each. The four conference champions ties for the most in school history. NU also had four champions in 1949 and 1995.

“I talked to them individually,” Manning said. “I told all five of them to go out and win a championship for yourself. The team thing will take care of itself. This juncture of the year, it’s about them reaching their goals.”

The second-ranked Brester supplied the crucial points for Nebraska with a 4-3 decision over top-ranked Jake Varner of Iowa State. Brester scored a takedown with nine seconds remaining in the second period for a 3-1 lead. Varner tied the match with a third-period takedown before Brester scored an escape with 52 seconds left in the final period to supply the winning margin. The meeting was the third between the two conference rivals this season, with Varner winning the first two meetings.

Brester’s performance earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors at the meet. He began the day with a dominant 15-5 major decision over Missouri’s Max Askren in the semifinals. Brester’s honor marked the second straight year Nebraska captured OW honors after Burroughs won the award in 2008.

Burroughs earned his title with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Missouri’s Michael Chandler. The Tiger wrestler jumped to a 2-0 first-period lead, but Burroughs scored takedowns in the final 10 seconds of both the first and second periods to key the victory.

The Sicklerville, N.J., native remained perfect on the season, improving to 30-0 with a pair of victories on Saturday. Burroughs captured the 149-pound title last year as a sophomore and became the first Nebraska wrestler to win Big 12 titles at two different weights.

Browne captured his second conference crown with a last-second 3-1 decision over Missouri’s Raymond Jordan. The wrestlers battled to a 1-1 tie, before Browne scored a takedown with three seconds remaining in the match to secure the title. Browne improved to 26-3 on the season with the win.

Jones controlled throughout a 3-0 decision over Iowa State’s Jerome Ward in the 184-pound title. Jones scored a takedown near the end of the second period to take a 2-0 advantage, then added a third-period escape, while controlling the tempo to keep Ward off the scoreboard.

Overall, the four Nebraska titlists scored five takedowns in the final 10 seconds of periods, including two by Burroughs and one each by Browne, Jones and Brester.

“A lot of guys got big wins tonight,” Manning said. “Brandon [Browne] got that takedown and he gotten beaten by him earlier in the year. It really shows a lot. I thought the fans here kind of gave us an 11th man. A lot of credit goes to these fans that traveled a long way to support the Huskers. They made a big difference.”

Junior Stephen Dwyer lost a narrow decision to top-seeed Nick Marable of Missouri in the 165-pound championship match. Dwyer and Marable completed regulation tied at 1-1, but Marable scored a takedown 30 seconds into overtime to post a 3-1 victory.

In addition to the five Huskers in the finals, a pair of Huskers wrestled their way to third-place finishes at the meet. Senior Robert Sanders fought back after a semifinal loss for a pair of victories in the consolation bracket. He earned the third-place medal with a 4-3 decision over Oklahoma State’s Luke Silver.

At heavyweight, redshirt freshman Tucker Lane had an impressive day. After narrowly losing a semifinal match to top-seeded David Zabriskie of Iowa State in overtime, Lane rebounded with a 3-2 decision over No. 3 Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State.

Huskers Andy Pokorny (125) and Matt Vacanti (133) finished in fourth place at their weight class, while 141-pounder Curtis Salazar was fifth.

The Big 12 Championships drew 5,717 fans to the Nebraska Coliseum, including 2,644 for the first session and 3,073 for the evening matches.

Nebraska will now continue its postseason at the NCAA Championships, set for March 19-21 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Six Huskers are guaranteed a ticket to nationals, while Pokorny, Vacanti, Salazar and Sanders will wait until next Wednesday to learn if they receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA meet.

 

2009 Big 12 Championship

NU Coliseum, Lincoln, Neb.

March 7, 2009

 

Final Team Standings

T1. Nebraska ? 70
T1. Iowa State ? 70

3. Missouri ? 55

4. Oklahoma State ? 40

5. Oklahoma ? 38.5

 

Nebraska Results

125 Pounds

#5 Andy Pokorny (NU) by fall over #4 Troy Dolan (MU), 3:38

#1 Joey Fio (OU) by fall over #5 Andy Pokorny (NU), 1:25

#2 Obe Blanc (OSU) by major dec. over #5 Andy Pokorny (NU), 11-3
Andy Pokorny (NU) finishes fourth

133 Pounds
#4 Matt Vacanti (NU) by dec. over #5 Todd Schavrien (MU), 7-2

#1 Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) by dec. over #4 Matt Vacanti (NU), 5-3

#5 Todd Schavrien (MU) by dec. over #4 Matt Vacanti (NU), 3-2

#4 Matt Vacanti (NU) by dec. over #3 Brian Shelton (OU), 5-4 SV

Matt Vacanti (NU) finishes fourth

                                        

141 Pounds
#4 Seth Vernon (OU) by dec. over #5 Curtis Salazar (NU), 7-5 SV

#3 Jamal Parks (OSU) by dec. over #5 Curtis Salazar (NU), 5-3

Curtis Salazar (NU) finishes fifth

 

149 Pounds
#2 Mitch Mueller (ISU) by dec. over #3 Robert Sanders (NU), 10-4
#3 Robert Sanders (NU) by fall over #4 Andrew Sherry (MU), 1:33

#3 Robert Sanders (NU) by dec. over #5 Luke Silver (OSU), 4-3

Robert Sanders (NU) finishes third

 

157 Pounds

#1 Jordan Burroughs (NU) by major dec. over #4 Neil Erisman (OSU), 16-6

#1 Jordan Burroughs (NU) by dec. over #2 Michael Chandler (MU), 6-4

Jordan Burroughs (NU) finishes first

 

165 Pounds

#3 Stephen Dwyer (NU) by dec. over #2 Jon Reader (ISU), 7-3 SV

#1 Nick Marable (MU) by dec. over #3 Stephen Dwyer (NU), 3-1 SV

Stephen Dwyer (NU) finishes second

 

174 Pounds

#2 Brandon Browne (NU) by dec. over #3 Newly McSpadden (OSU), 3-2

#2 Brandon Browne (NU) by dec. over #1 Raymond Jordan (MU), 3-1
Brandon Browne (NU) finishes first

 

184 Pounds
#1 Vince Jones (NU) by major dec. over Chris McNeil (OSU), 9-1

#1 Vince Jones (NU) by dec. over #2 Jerome Ward (ISU), 3-0
Vince Jones (NU) finishes first

 

197 Pounds

#2 Craig Brester (NU) by major dec. over #3 Maxwell Askren (MU), 15-4

#2 Craig Brester (NU) by dec. over #1 Jake Varner (ISU), 4-3
Craig Brester (NU) finishes first

 

Heavyweight

#4 Tucker Lane (NU) by dec. over #5 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 7-3

#1 David Zabriskie (ISU) by dec. over #4 Tucker Lane (NU), 4-2 SV

#4 Tucker Lane (NU) by dec. over #3 Jared Rosholt (OSU), 3-2

Tucker Lane (NU) finishes third