Huskers Send Off Seniors vs. No. 9 Oklahoma

Nebraska (9-8, 0-1 Big 12) vs. #9 Oklahoma (12-2-1, 0-1-1 Big 12)
Devaney Center (13,595) • Lincoln, Neb. • Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 • 7:30 p.m.
Promotions: Pepsi Pack the House Night
($1 general admission tickets and $1 Pepsi drinks)
Senior Night (beginning at 7:20 p.m.)
Free pizza to first 200 UNL students, free T-shirts and
adidas sweatbands while supplies last
Series History: NU trails, 18-34-1
Last Meeting: NU won, 18-15, on Feb. 8, 2009 in Norman
Live Video: www.huskers.com (subscription required)
Live Stats: www.huskers.com

The Nebraska wrestling team (9-8, 0-1 Big 12) ends the home schedule against its eighth ranked opponent this season when the Huskers host No. 9 Oklahoma on "Pepsi Pack the House" night this Thursday at the Devaney Center at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets and 24-ounce Pepsi products are just $1 each, while UNL students will have a chance to receive free pizza, T-shirts and adidas sweatbands while supplies last.

Prior to the dual (approximately 7:20 p.m.), the Husker wrestling program will recognize its 2010 senior class of Craig Brester, Stephen Dwyer and Levi Wofford. The three-man group has been instrumental in Nebraska's notable success the past four years, helping the Huskers to 50 dual victories and a pair of top-two finishes at the Big 12 Championships, including last year's 2009 title. Combined, the three NU seniors have won 248 individual matches, led by Brester's 102-18 mark.

The Huskers and Sooners have seen their share of competitive battles in recent years, with Nebraska taking last year's matchup, 18-15, in Norman. Head Coach Mark Manning's squad has won the past three meetings after Oklahoma most recently defeated NU in the 2005-06 season. The 2009-10 Sooners are a talented squad with a 12-2-1 dual record, only dropping matches to No. 2 Iowa State and No. 11 Lehigh. Oklahoma brings a solid lineup to Lincoln with eight individuals in this week's InterMat rankings, headlined by third-ranked wrestlers Zach Bailey (141) and Kyle Terry (149).

Brester brings the Huskers into the last month of the regular season as the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds. The Howells, Neb., native recently became the 17th Husker in school history to reach the 100-win plateau after he defeated Oregon State's Chad Hanke by a 10-2 major decision on Jan. 24. Brester is the first 100-win club member since Travis Pascoe hit the century mark at the end of the 2004-05 season and finished with a 101-37 career record. Senior Stephen Dwyer (174) is also nearing 100 career wins, as he currently holds a 97-33 mark as a Husker. Nebraska has not had two Huskers reach 100 wins in the same season since 2000-01 when Bryan Snyder and Brad Vering both accomplished the feat.

Live stats will be available for free on Huskers.com, as well as live video with a subscription to Huskers NSide. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Nebraska Ticket Office at (800) 8-BIGRED, logging on to Huskers.com or at the Devaney Center box office on match day.

Senior Recaps
A former walk-on from Howells, Neb., Craig Brester has developed into one of the best wrestlers in school history. The senior is a member of Nebraska's 100-win club with an astounding 102-18 record during his career. Brester is a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier and two-time All-American. Last year, he propelled the Huskers to the Big 12 title with the 197-pound conference championship, while earning 'Outstanding Wrestler' of the tournament honors. He currently ranks sixth on Nebraska's all-time winning percentage list, but is moving up several charts this season with a perfect 23-0 record that includes 16 bonus-point victories. Brester is a mechanized systems management major and is a three-time selection to the first-team Academic All-Big 12 and NWCA All-Academic teams.

A three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, Stephen Dwyer has been a consistent force in the starting lineup throughout his career. In his second trip to nationals as a sophomore, the Rockton, Ill., native claimed 2008 All- America honors. Dwyer has won 75 percent of his matches as a Husker and is closing in on the 100-career win mark with 97 victories. This season, Dywer moved from 165 to 174 pounds, but has maintained top form with an impressive 19-3 record that includes eight pins. He is set to end his career with a fourth-straight NCAA Championship appearance next month. The two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection is a business administration major and has also been named to one NWCA All-Academic team.

A native of Aurora, Neb., Levi Wofford has helped his home state Huskers to notable success over the course of his career. The senior has started in dual matches during yearly improvement that included a solid 15-4 record last season with nine bonus-point victories. Wofford has competed at 184 pounds to Heavyweight, but has consistently seen success despite changing spots in the lineup. In his first season of varsity competition, Wofford led the Huskers to a victory over Virginia Tech with an upset over No. 9 Steve Borja. As a 2006 redshirt, he won two tournament titles en route to a 24-7 record with five pins and five major decisions. Levi is a communication studies major at Nebraska.

Scouting No. 9 Oklahoma
Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates is in his 17th season with the Sooners, leading his squad to a 226-94-12 record during that time. In 2006, Spates was named the NWCA Coach of the Year after leading Oklahoma to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, but the last three years have not been as successful, including last year's fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. However, the Sooners are one of college wrestling's most improved teams and have risen to a No. 9 national ranking with a 12-2-1 dual record.

The Sooners' opened the 2009-10 season with four straight wins before Oklahoma and Oklahoma State fought to a 16-16 tie in Bedlam. OU finished third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December and rattled off eight straight victories before a 21-12 loss to No. 2 Iowa State on Jan. 22 in Norman. Oklahoma has been off since that date and will come to Lincoln on 13 days rest.

Despite not returning any All-Americans and losing four starters, the OU lineup is strong from top to bottom. Eight Sooners are ranked in InterMat's top 20, led by third-ranked wrestlers Zack Bailey (141) and Kyle Terry (149). Terry holds the team's best record at 19-2 in his first season at 149 pounds. Last year at 141, he was crowned the Big 12 champion. Bailey moved into the 141-pound slot and has produced an 18-5 record. The junior qualified for the NCAA Championships as a freshman but suffered a season-ending injury last year.

Oklahoma's third and final wrestler ranked in the top 10 is sixth-ranked senior Eric Lapotsky, who could give NU's Craig Brester one of his toughest matches of the season. A two-time NCAA qualifier, Lapotsky is 18-4 overall with a loss to Brester (6-3 decision) at the Las Vegas Invitational in December.

Junior heavyweight Nathan Fernandez is ranked No. 12 with a team-leading 22 victories and seven losses. Fernandez and Nebraska's Tucker Lane also met at the Las Vegas Invitational when Lane came away with a 3-1 win.

Senior Shane Vernon (No. 12, 157), freshman Tyler Caldwell (No. 16, 165) junior Jeff James (No. 18, 174) and freshman Jarrod Patterson (No. 18, 125) are also ranked.

Oklahoma is the host school for the 2010 Big 12 Championships, held Saturday, March 6 at Norman's McCasland Field House.

Husker History versus the Sooners
The Sooners hold a 34-18-1 advantage over the Huskers all-time, but Nebraska is 5-2 against OU in the last seven meetings. The rivalry is has its history as the programs first met in 1926. The Sooners toped 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.

Last year's dual saw the fourth-ranked Huskers spot Oklahoma a 15-3 lead headed into intermission, but Nebraska claimed the final five matches of the night to earn an 18-15 dual win at No. 14 Oklahoma in Norman. NU stayed perfect in Big 12 action with a 3-0 mark and 15-2-1 overall, while the Sooners fell to 1-3 in the conference and 15-3 overall.

Tucker Lane started the dual with a win for the Huskers, defeating Nathan Fernandez, 3-1, at heavyweight. Lane, ranked No. 19 in the nation, exchanged escapes with No. 16 Fernandez, before earning the winning takedown with 38 seconds left in the match. OU captured the next four matches from 125 to 149, including a major decision and a tech fall, to take a 15-3 lead headed into the intermission.

It was all Nebraska after the break, though, as Jordan Burroughs started the comeback at 157 pounds against Chad Terry. Burroughs was held scoreless through the first period and the majority of the second before earning his first takedown with under a minute left in the period. He added three more takedowns in the final period to pull away, 9-4, and now stands six takedowns short of breaking the dual takedown record (98) he set last season.

Stephen Dwyer posted a 4-0 decision over Ryan Smith at 165, by riding the Sooner out in the second period. Dwyer notched a quick escape in the final period and earned the only takedown of the match with 37 seconds left.

In the only matchup with two top-10 wrestlers, third-ranked Brandon Browne used a reversal in the second period to score the first points in his match with No. 7 Jeff James. The Sooner escaped so start the third to tie the match at two, but Browne posted two third-period takedowns to take the 6-3 win.

Vince Jones tied the dual at 15 with his 3-0 decision over No. 19 Pat Flynn at 184 pounds. For the second time in the past three duals, Jones rode his opponent the entire second period. An early reversal in the third period clinched the bout for Jones.

Last Time Out: Huskers Thump Northern Colorado, 37-9
Pins from senior Stephen Dywer (174) and sophomore Tucker Lane (285) propelled the Nebraska wrestling team (9-8) to nine victories as the Huskers easily defeated Northern Colorado, 37-9, in the non-conference finale Sunday afternoon at the NU Coliseum.

Dwyer picked up where he left off two days prior, pinning his second straight opponent with a fall in 1 minute, 43 seconds over Patrick Prentice. The senior controlled Prentice from the opening whistle with three near falls and a takedown in the first 68 seconds before nailing down his eighth pin of the season, including his sixth in the first period.

Lane followed Dwyer's lead with a quick pin of his own in 2 minutes, 4 seconds over Justin Tuell to give Nebraska a 27-3 lead after six matches. Due to injuries on both squads, only seven matches were contested. Northern Colorado forfeited two bouts (184 and 197), while Nebraska gave up six points at 149 pounds.

Freshman David Klingsheim (125) turned in possibly the most satisfying victory of the day when he defeated three-time NCAA qualifier Tony Mustari by a 6-1 decision. The two fought to a scoreless first period until Klingsheim produced a two-point near fall midway through the second frame and added four points in the final period to come away with his second straight dual win.

Following Klingsheim's win, freshman C.J. Napier (133) exploded with a five-point third period for a 10-2 major decision over Casey Cruz. Both Klingsheim and Napier have won back-to-back matches after each losing their previous four.

The lightweight duo also led four Husker newcomers to victories on Sunday. Redshirt freshman Tyler Koehn (157) opened the dual with a 10-3 decision over Rocco DePaolo, while junior college transfer Mike Koehnlein (141) capped the match in a 6-2 decision against Kenny Hashimoto.

Tickets Available for 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
The University of Nebraska and the Omaha Sports Commission have announced that a limited number of all-session tickets for the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are on sale now. The championships are being held March 18-20 at Qwest Center Omaha.

The all-session tickets are available at four different prices, ranging from $100-165. With large crowds expected at the event, fans are encouraged to purchase quickly.

Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster at its official Web site (www.ticketmaster.com) or by calling 800/745- 3000. Each Division I wrestling program was given an optional ticket allotment before public sale.

The Huskers are coming off back-to-back fourth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships. Three NU wrestlers are looking for a repeat appearance at the national meet, led by second-ranked 197-pound senior Craig Brester, a two-time All-American and 2009 runner-up. Senior Stephen Dwyer is aiming for his second All-America honor as the fourth-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds. Sophomore heavyweight Tucker Lane is seeking another qualification after competing at the 2009 NCAA Championships as a freshman.

The University of Nebraska and the Omaha Sports Commission are co-hosts for the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This spring will mark the fifth time the University of Nebraska has hosted an NCAA Championship at Qwest Center Omaha since it opened in 2003. The Huskers also hosted the 2005 Big 12 Wrestling Championships at Qwest Center Omaha.

Rough Weather Keeps Huskers Home
The weather was unusually kind in Arizona last month, forcing a cancelation of Nebraska's Jan. 22 dual at Arizona. The Huskers were scheduled to fly out of Omaha, but the flight was called off due to Arizona experiencing one of its worst winter storms over the past two decades.

The two schools will not make up the match this season, but may explore options for a dual in 2010-11.

Brester Shining in Senior Season
Senior Craig Brester is solidifying his spot among the best wrestlers in school history, beginning his final season with a 23-0 record. Brester's start has the 197-pounder on the brink of climbing the record books, as he currently ranks No. 6 all-time in career win-loss percentage (.850) and recently became the 17th Husker ever to reach 100 wins (currently 102-18).

This season, Brester is winning by domination, pinning 10 opponents to go along with two technical falls and five major decisions. In addition to his 10 pins, he also leads the Huskers in wins (23), dual points (78) and has the second-fastest fall this season, pinning North Dakota State's Drew Ross in 41 seconds on Jan. 3.

In December, Brester was awarded for his outstanding performance as he was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week by the league office for matches Dec. 7-Dec. 13. It was the second Big 12 weekly award of his career, earning the honor after pinning Minnesota's Joe Nord (1:10) Dec. 10 in Minneapolis before defeating his fourth ranked opponent in a two-week stretch with an 8-2 decision over No. 9 Tyler Sorenson of South Dakota State on Dec. 12. The week before, Brester claimed the 2009 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational championship and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Sixteen of Brester's 23 victories in 2009-10 have come in bonus-point fashion. He has five wins over ranked opponents, including a 14-4 major decision last Friday night over No. 15 Brent Haynes of Missouri.

Currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at 197 pounds, Brester is a two-time All-American and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2009 Big 12 Championships.

Dwyer Nears Husker History
Senior Stephen Dywer is bidding to put his name in the Husker record books, as he is just three victories away from reaching the 100-win total in his NU career. The 174-pounder is 97-33 since joining the Huskers in 2006 and is off to a 19-3 start this season with his only losses coming to No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell), No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) and No. 9 Colby Covington.

Dwyer was a 2008 All-American at 165 pounds, where he wrestled his first three seasons. This year, he moved up to 174 pounds and has not skipped up a beat, rising has high as No. 3 in the national rankings. Dywer is 15-2 in duals and is second on the team in dual points behind Craig Brester with 68. Dywer has eight opponents this season, including back-to-back falls last week over No. 15 Dorian Henderson (Missouri) and Patrick Prentice (Northern Colorado). Six of Dwyer's pins have come in the first period. Prior to this season, the senior had just three falls in his entire career and none last season.

Howells, Neb., Boasts Two 100-Win Club Members
Although the small Nebraska community of Howells holds a population of just over 600 people, the town boasts two of Husker wrestling's 100-win club members in Brad Vering and Craig Brester.

Vering is one of Nebraska's 10 national champions, claiming the 2000 title at 197 pounds. He finished his career with an outstanding 124-26 record that included three All-America honors.

Brester is a two-time All-American and reached 100 wins following his victory over Oregon State's Chad Hanke last Sunday. His 102-18 record was built on a 34-4 mark last season, when the 197-pounder won the Big 12 title and finished second at the NCAA Championships.

The only other duo in Nebraska's 100-win club to hail from the same city is Bill and Jim Scherr (1981-84) of Mobridge, S.D.

Ihnen Ranked No. 25 in NCAA Coaches Rankings
Redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen is seeing positive signs from his first season of varsity competition, as he is ranked No. 25 at 184 pounds in the first of three NCAA coaches' panel rankings. The final rankings will be one of the criteria in the selection process for the 2010 NCAA Championship qualifiers.

Ihnen is 13-10 this season with a 9-8 dual record. Nine of his 10 losses are to ranked opponents, six of which are in the top 10. The Sheldon, Iowa native was Nebraska's top redshirt a year ago, producing a 24-5 record with 13 bonus-point victories.

Non-Varsity Notes
Nebraska did not compete in non-varsity action last week, most recently participating in Glen Brand Open in Omaha on Jan. 16.

On the season, freshman Caleb Kolb (174) has been the non-varsity's top performer with a 27-5 overall record that includes tournament titles at the UNK Loper Open and Quality Hotel Open.Thirteen of Colb's 27 victories have come in bonus-point fashion, including eight major decision wins.

Freshman Kyle Waldo (125) has also reached 20 wins this season, as he holds a 21-5 record with four pins and four major decisions. Waldo also claimed first at the UNK Loper Open and Quality Hotel Open.

Burroughs to Sit Out Remainder of 2009-10 Season
Head Coach Mark Manning and the Nebraska wrestling program announced Dec. 21 that senior 157-pounder Jordan Burroughs will not be able to compete the rest of the 2009-10 season due to a left knee injury suffered Dec. 19 against Central Michigan. An MRI revealed Burroughs had a torn PCL and LCL and he underwent successful surgery on Jan. 2.

"Unfortunately, we have lost Jordan Burroughs for the season, but we're fortunate that we will seek a medical redshirt to get this year back," Manning said. "I believe he will qualify for that due to him not competing more than 30 percent of this season. With successful surgery and good rehab, he'll be back better than ever next year."

Burroughs ends his shortened 2009-10 season with a 7-1 record. The only loss came in his injured match to No. 13 Steve Brown of Central Michigan - a 3-2 overtime defeat. Prior to the setback, Burroughs had won 44 straight matches, including a perfect 38-0 junior season in 2008-09 that took the Sicklerville, N.J., native to the 157-pound national championship and his second straight All-America honor.

"You don't replace a young man like Jordan," Manning said. "On the other hand, it gives other guys on the team an opportunity to step up. It also gives our team great lessons in life that relate to athletics. It shows them you have to protect yourself and make the most of your opportunities because you are not promised anything. We'll move on from this and our team will be fine."

Manning Earns Win No. 150
With Nebraska's 26-17 victory over No. 11 Wisconson on Nov. 15 at the NU Coliseum, 10th-year head coach Mark Manning picked up the 150th dual win of his collegiate coaching career. Manning spent three seasons as Northern Iowa's head coach from 1997 to 2000, turning around a Panther program that went 5-9 in his first year to 10-5-2 and an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2000. At Nebraska, Manning is 135-53-3 with a 70.6 percent winning percentage that ranks No. 1 among the 15 head coaches in school history.

Huskers Launch Twitter Page
The Nebraska Wrestling program has launched a home on Twitter at "www.twitter.com/HuskerWrestling".

Follow everything surrounding the Huskers throughout the season with more news, notes and quotes on one of the world's fastest-growing social networks.

Huskers.com Features NU Wrestling Blog
Huskers.com has added the NU Wrestling Blog, another place to visit when looking to stay up-to-date and follow everything surrounding Husker wrestling. On the blog, you will find some interesting news, notes and tidbits surrounding the team as we go through the 2009-10 season.

The goal for the blog is to help fans and media stay in tune daily with what's going on with the Huskers and get inside the program. The blog will include anything that fans might find interesting, but maybe isn't newsworthy or lengthy enough for its own press release. You can expect all kinds of notes, learn about the upcoming opponents and hear what the coaches are saying throughout the season.

On match days, check out the blog for the latest updates as the Huskers get ready to take the mat.

In addition, there should be a lot of exciting news as the NCAA Championships get closer. This year's national meet takes place at Qwest Center Omaha from March 18-20 and is co-hosted by the University of Nebraska- Lincoln.

E-mail bgries@huskers.com if you have any questions or suggestions about the blog.

Next Up: Huskers Travel to No. 3 Oklahoma State
Nebraska winds down the 2009-10 regular season next week with a trip to Stillwater to face No. 3 Oklahoma on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. It will be the second-to-last dual, as the Huskers then travel to No. 2 Iowa State on Feb. 21. The Big 12 Championships take place March 6 in Norman, Okla.