Huskers Head South for Lone Star Duals

#16 Nebraska (6-2) vs. Utah Valley (1-0)
South Grand Prairie High School • Grand Prairie, Texas • Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 • 8 a.m.
Series History: First time meeting
Last Meeting: First time meeting
Live Stats:nwcaonline.com

#16 Nebraska (6-2) vs.  Stanford (4-5)
South Grand Prairie High School • Grand Prairie, Texas • Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 • 4 p.m.
Series History: NU leads, 1-0-0
Last Meeting: NU won, 39-9, on Jan. 4, 2003, in Grand Prairie, Texas
Live Stats:nwcaonline.com

#16 Nebraska (6-2) vs.  Brown (0-2)
South Grand Prairie High School • Grand Prairie, Texas • Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 • 6 p.m.
Series History: NU leads, 2-0-0
Last Meeting: NU won, 26-10, on Jan. 10, 2003, in Hampton, Va.
Live Stats:nwcaonline.com 
   The No. 16 Nebraska wrestling team returns to dual action this weekend when they travel to Grand Prairie, Texas, for a trio of matches at the Lone Star Duals. The Huskers, who enter the weekend with a 6-2 record, will take on Utah Valley, Stanford and Brown on Saturday, Jan. 15. NU will have an early start to its' day with the first match set to begin at 8 a.m. against Utah Valley. The Huskers will then get the afternoon off before taking on Stanford at 4 p.m., and finishing the day against Brown at 6 p.m.
   Nebraska enters the Lone Star Duals after an impressive showing at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill. The Huskers were led by senior Jordan Burroughs and sophomore Josh Ihnen, who both earned a spot in finals of their respective weight classes. Burroughs was able to capture the 165-pound title by upsetting No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) by a 10-7 decision, while Ihnen fell to No. 6 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin), 4-3, to take second place at 184-pounds. As a team, the Huskers earned 63 points, which was good enough for ninth place.
   The Huskers have not participated at the Lone Star Duals since the 2004-05 season, where they collected a 1-1-1 record. After falling to No. 3 Michigan, 27-12, to open the duals, NU bounced back to defeat No. 22 Navy, 21-12, and tie No. 15 Wisconsin, 19-19. The duals this season will feature 21 collegiate teams, including 13 at the Division I level. Fellow Big 12-foe Oklahoma will be taking part in the duals, along with future opponent Arizona State.
   The Huskers defeated Stanford, 39-9, on Jan. 4, 2003, in the school's only match against each other, while NU owns a 2-0 all-time mark over Brown, with their last victory coming in 2003 when they defeated the Bears, 26-10, in Hampton, Va. Saturday's match will mark the first ever meeting between Utah Valley and the Huskers.
   All three duals will take place at South Grand Prairie High School. Live stats for Saturday's matches will be available at www.nwcaonline.com.

Scouting the Utah Valley Wolverines
   The Utah Valley Wolverines enter this weekend's match against the Huskers with only one dual under their belt after defeating Northern Colorado, 25-13, on Jan. 7. The Wolverines have taken part in several national tournaments, including the Las Vegas Invitational where they earned a 21st-place finish. UVU also participated in the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C., where they finished in 17th-place.
   At the Las Vegas Invitational, the Wolverines were able to accumulate 27 team points and were led by senior Ben Kjar, who is the 14th-ranked wrestler at 125-pounds. Kjar was the only Wolverine to place after taking seventh, which marked the third time in his career he has found the podium at the prestigious tournament.
   The other ranked wrestler UVU will send to the mat is No. 14 Flint Ray. The junior is the returning 133-pound Western Wrestling Conference champion from a year ago and is the second of three returning NCAA qualifiers along with Kjar and Brad Darrington (174).
   Utah Valley is coached by Greg Williams, who is in his fifth season as head coach of the Wolverines.
Utah Valley Ranked Wrestlers
125- Ben Kjar, Sr., Centerville, Utah (14)
133- Flint Ray, Sr., Roy, Utah (14)

Husker History vs. Utah Valley
   Saturday's dual between the Huskers and Wolverines will mark the first time the two schools have met.

Scouting the Stanford Cardinal
   The Stanford Cardinal will sport a 4-5 record when they arrive at the Lone Star Duals after defeating Menlo, 36-11, in their last dual match. Stanford boasts a talented line up which includes four nationally-ranked wrestlers, while three of those wrestlers are ranked inside the top ten.
   Leading the way for Stanford are Ryan Mango (125) and Nick Amuchastegui (174), who are both ranked at No. 6 at their respective weight classes. Amuchastegui owns a 19-1 overall record and has yet to lose a dual match going a perfect 9-0. The junior captured a third place finish at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30.
   Mango is second on the team in wins with a 15-3 record and a 7-1 mark in dual competition. In route to his fourth-place finish at the Midlands Championships, Mango defeated Nebraska sophomore David Klingsheim by fall.
   As a team, Stanford started the season by winning two out of its' first three matches of the year with victories over Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Fullerton. After dropping four-straight duals at the Northwest Duals in Albany, N.Y., the Cardinal have bounced back to defeat their last two opponents in Chattanooga and Menlo. Other ranked wrestlers for Stanford include No. 18 Justin Paulsen (133) and No. 10 Zack Giesen (197)
   Stanford is coached by Jason Borrelli, who is in his third season as the head coach.
Stanford Ranked Wrestlers
125- Ryan Mango, So., St. Louis, Mo. (6)
133- Justin Paulsen, Sr., Artesia, Calif. (18)
174- Nick Amuchastegui, Jr., Talent, Ore. (6)
197- Zack Giesen, Sr., Grants Pass, Ore. (10)

Husker History vs. Stanford
Saturday's match will mark the second time Stanford and Nebraska have faced off, while the Huskers took the first dual, 39-9, on Jan. 4, 2003, in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Scouting the Brown Bears
   The Brown Bears will be looking for their first dual win of the season at the Lone Star Duals after going 0-2 in their first two duals of the year. The Bears struggled against No. 11 Rutgers, falling by the score of 42-0. In its' second dual, Brown fell to Maryland, 38-15, but were able to collect three individual wins from Billy Watterson (125), Giuseppi Lanzi (149) and Brandon Viorrius (174) in the defeat.
   Brown is coached by Dave Amato, who is in 25th season and is the winningest wrestling coach in school history.

Husker History vs. Brown
   Saturday's match will mark the third time Brown and Nebraska have faced off, with the Huskers holding a 2-0 record over the Bears all-time. In their last dual, Nebraska defeated the Bears, 26-10, on Jan. 10, 2003, in Hampton Va.

Last Time Out: Burroughs, Ihnen Make Runs at Midlands Championships
   Senior Jordan Burroughs captured the 165-pound title at the 48th Annual Midlands Championship in Evanston, Ill., after upsetting the No. 1 wrestler in the country Andrew Howe (Wis.) by decision,10-7, on Thursday, Dec. 30. Also wrestling in the finals was No. 10 Josh Ihnen (184), but the sophomore couldn't pull off the upset falling to No. 6 Travis Rutt (Wis.), 4-3, to capture a second place finish.
   Burroughs, who entered the tournament as the 2nd-rated wrestler at 165-pounds, was named the Dan Gable Most Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament and improved his record to a perfect 18-0 on the season. Burroughs' victory snapped Howe's 48-match winning streak entering the finals. The senior advanced to the finals after defeating Chris Spangler (Iowa St.) in the semifinals.
   In the 184-pound semifinal match, No. 10 Ihnen upset No. 4 Grant Gambrall (Iowa) in the sudden-victory period to take the match, 4-2. Ihnen's tournament run came to an end in the finals against Rutt, who was able to hold off Ihnen for the 4-3 victory. Ihnen improved his season record to 16-4.
   Ridge Kiley (133) and James Nakashima (184) were both able to capture eighth place finishes for the Huskers.

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Match to Air on Big Ten Network
   Nebraska's wrestling match against current No. 3 Wisconsin on Friday, Jan. 21, will be available to watch on the Big Ten Network. The dual will kick off from Madison, Wis., at 7 p.m. The match will mark the first live television appearance for the Huskers this season and will be a preview of what Husker fans can expect next year when NU moves to the Big Ten Conference.

Burroughs Claims Second Big 12 Wrestler of the Week Honor
  Jordan Burroughs was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week on Monday, Jan. 3, for the second time this season for his efforts at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill. Burroughs has been named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week four times in his career and twice this season after earning the award on Dec. 13.
   No.2 Burroughs won the 165-pound title of the Midlands Championships, improving his season record to 18-0. The senior defeated his first four opponents of the tournament by bonus points, including two technical fall victories over Luke Miller (Ohio Northern) and Robert Nash (Michigan State) to open the tournament. In the finals, Burroughs broke returning national champion and No. 1 Andrew Howe's (Wisconsin) 48-match winning streak to capture the title with a 10-7 decision. Burroughs was awarded the Dan Gable Most Outstanding Wrestler award for his efforts on the mat and was also the highest individual point scorer of the tournament. For the season, Burroughs has collected seven technical fall victories and five victories by pin.

Burroughs Looks to Cement Name in Record Books
   After becoming the 19th wrestler in program history to reach the 100-win mark earlier this season, Burroughs has his sights set on many of the school's all-time wrestling records after starting the season 18-0.
      - Moved to No. 10 on the all-time victories chart with 110.
      - Currently sits at No. 6 on the all-time winning percentage chart with a .846 clip and an 111-20-0 career record.
      - Needs eight dual victories to move into the top ten in career dual wins.
      - Currently at No. 9 in career dual winning percentage at .864.
      - Has accumulated 12 falls this season to move his career total to 35. Burroughs would need 12 more victories by technical fall or pin to move into the top 5 career falls list.

Johnson Making Most of Return to Huskers
   Senior Andy Johnson is making the most of his return to the Husker lineup after sitting out from competition in 2009-10. In his first three seasons as a Husker, Johnson accumulated just four dual wins and 22 victories overall.  This season, Johnson has started every dual at the 197-pound weight class and has earned a 5-3 record during the dual season, while claiming 16 victories overall. Johnson has defeated two top 20 opponents so far this season including No. 20 Brent Haynes (Missouri) and No. 14 Cody Magrum (Ohio State).

Huskers Announce Talented Signing Class
   Head Coach Mark Manning and the Husker wrestling program have announced the signings of four high school seniors who plan to enroll and compete at Nebraska beginning with the 2011-12 season.
   Three of the four signees are ranked in the InterMat Top 25, while the other is a two-time Nebraska Class C state champion. Three of the wrestlers have been crowned state champions at their respective high schools.

2010-11 Nebraska Wrestling Signees (bold weights indicate projected college division)
Austin Wilson, Hastings, Neb. (Hastings St. Cecilia) - 157/165
   Austin Wilson will enter his senior season at Hastings St. Cecilia looking to break the all-time career victories record in Nebraska state high school history. Wilson owns a 133-3 career record and would need 39 victories to break the record of 172. As a sophomore, Wilson finished the season with a perfect 47-0 record while only giving up one takedown and one reversal all season en route to the Class C state title at 130 pounds. In his junior season, the Hastings native was just as impressive, going 48-0 and only being scored on one time. Wilson's 48 victories as a junior broke an All-Class record for wins a season. Wilson is nationally-ranked as the No. 15 wrestler in his weight division according to WIN magazine. Wilson is set to wrestle at either the 157 or 165 pounds.

Jake Sueflohn, Hartland, Wis., (Arrowhead) - 141/149
   Jake Sueflohn has established himself as one of the best high school wrestlers in the country after winning the 2010 Wisconsin Division I state championship at 135 pounds. Sueflohn, a Harland, Wis. Native, is ranked as the No. 4 wrestler in the nation at the 140-pound weight division and is the No. 23 ranked recruit overall according to InterMat. As a freshman, Sueflohn finished third at the state championships at 119, while recording a 50-4 record. His sophomore season saw him finish in the runner-up spot at the 125-pound weight division going 38-5. Sueflohn owns a 146-12 career record. Sueflhon is slated to wrestle at either 141 or 149 pounds.

Donny Longendyke, White Bear Lake, Minn. (White Bear Lake) - HWT
   Donny Longendyke will enter his senior season as one of the most dominate heavyweights in the country after going 47-0 as a junior, while recording 39 pins en route to the Minnesota Class AAA state championship. In his sophomore season, Longendyke recorded a 39-2 mark and a second place finish at the state championships. Longendyke was the No. 2 rated heavyweight recruit in the country according to InterMat, and the No. 25 overall prospect in the country. This summer, Longendyke was most impressive at the USA Wrestling National Championships in Fargo, N.D., where he placed in all five events he entered and earned a spot in the finals twice. Longendyke will wrestle at the Heavyweight spot for the Huskers.

James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Willingboro) - 157
   James Green will join the Husker wrestling program after accumulating over 100 victories in his first three seasons at Willingboro (N.J.) High School. As a junior, Green finished his junior season with a 35-2 record and a second place finish at the state championships. Green is considered one of the top recruits in the country and is ranked as the No. 22 overall prospect by InterMat. The Willingboro, N.J. native is the 2nd-ranked wrestler at the 145-pound weight division by WIN magazine and checks in as the 4th-ranked wrestler in Intermat's individual rankings. Green is projected to be a 157-pound wrestler at Nebraska.

Four-Time All-American Snyder Returns as Assistant Coach
   The Nebraska wrestling team announced this offseason the return and addition of one of the most decorated student-athletes in program history, as Bryan Snyder was named an assistant coach for the Huskers Over the summer.
   The only four-time All-American and four-time conference champion in school history, Snyder comes back to the Husker wrestling program in its 100th anniversary season. The Easton, Pa., native spent last year as the head assistant coach at Arizona State and helped guide five Sun Devils to the 2010 NCAA Championships in Omaha. Snyder began his coaching experience as an assistant at Harvard in 2002-03, while returning to the Husker wrestling program as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05), as NU went 38-5-1 in duals and finished fifth at the 2004 NCAA Championships.
   As a wrestler, Snyder ranks No. 1 on Nebraska's all-time winning percentage chart (.925), compiling a 136-11 record from 1999-2002. He claimed All-America accolades and a Big 12 championship all four years, while finishing as the NCAA runner-up at 157 pounds in 2001 and 2002. He amassed over 30 wins per season three times, including his 43-3 record as a sophomore that stands as the second-best single-season mark in school history. A four-time NWCA All-Academic selection, Snyder was named the 2002 Nebraska Male Student-Athlete of the Year and graduated with a double major in Sociology and Communication Studies.

Brester, Brown Join NU Coaching Staff
   Two recent NU All-Americans will add further experience and knowledge to the Husker wrestling coaching staff as Nebraska announced the additions of volunteer assistant Brandon Browne and administrative assistant Craig Brester. Along with coach Bryan Snyder, the three new hires combined to win 87 percent of their matches and earn eight All-America honors during their Husker careers.
   Browne will be in his second year with the Huskers after serving as the team's club coach last year. A native of Plattsmouth, Neb., Browne won back-to-back Big 12 championships at 174 pounds in 2008 and 2009.
   Brester will be the most recent face on the NU staff and serve the role of administrative assistant. The Howells, Neb., native finished his career this past March with his second-straight NCAA runner-up finish at 197 pounds. Through four years, Brester produced a 109-21 record and ranks with the eight-best winning percentage (.838) in school history.