Seven Huskers Head to NCAA Championships in Philadelphia

2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships 
Wells Fargo Center (17,366)  I Philadelphia, Pa. I Thursday-Saturday, March 17-19, 2011
Schedule: Thursday, March 17 (Session I at 10 a.m.; Session II at 5:30 p.m.) 
               Friday, March 18 (Session III at 9:30 a.m.; Session IV at 6 p.m.)
               Saturday, March 19 (Session V at 10 a.m.; Session VI at 6:30 p.m.)
Last Year: T-12th Place (39.5 pts.)
Television: ESPNU (Sessions III, IV, V); ESPN (Session VI)
Live Video: ESPN3.com (Sessions I, II, III, VI)

  The Nebraska wrestling program will be well represented this week with seven wrestlers competing at the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia, Pa. The national tournament kicks off Thursday, March 17 at 10 a.m., with first round action and runs through Saturday, March 19, with the finals beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Two sessions will be held each day of the tournament, with Session II beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Friday's schedule will include Session III at 9:30 a.m. and Session IV at 6 p.m. Before the finals on Saturday, consolation matches will start at 10 a .m. You can view Sessions III, IV and V on ESPNU, while Sessions I, II, III and VI will all be available on ESPN3.com The finals Session VI will be aired on ESPN.  
   The Huskers will send four repeat qualifiers to the tournament in Mike Koehnlein (141), All-American Jordan Burroughs (165), Josh Ihnen (184) and Tucker Lane (HWT), while David Klingsheim (125), Ridge Kiley (133) and Andy Johnson (197) are competing in their first NCAA Championship. All seven wrestlers earned an automatic berth into the tournament.
   The group is headlined by Burroughs, who is in pursuit of his second undefeated season and national title. The two-time All-American and recently crowned Big 12 champion enters the tournament with an unscathed 31-0 record and a 123-20-0 career mark, which places him fifth on the all-time wins list at NU. Earlier this season, the senior become only the 19th wrestler in school history to reach the 100-win plateau and was just the second Husker off all-time to win three Big 12 Championships. After winning the national title in 2008 at 157-pounds, Burroughs repeat national title hopes were put on hold last season after suffering a season-ending knee injury early in the year. The Sicklerville, N.J. native received a medical redshirt from the NCAA and returned this season looking to become the school's most decorated wrestler and first ever two-time national champion.
   With two previous trips to the NCAA tournament, Lane brings plenty of experience to Philadelphia at the heavyweight spot. The junior looks to improve from his previous two trips where he combined for a 3-4 record. This season, Lane takes a 25-7 record into the championships and is fresh off a third place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Lane will enter the tournament with hopes to become the first Nebraska heavyweight to earn All-American honors since Tolly Thompson finished third in 1997.
   Like Lane, Ihnen will try to build off the momentum he built in last year's NCAA tournament where he was one match away from becoming an All-American. The 2011 Big 12 runner-up at 184-pounds owns a 25-8 record and has defeated four nationally-ranked opponents this season. After an opening round loss to Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) last season, Ihnen reeled off three-straight wins over Mike Miller (Central Michigan), Thomas Spellman (Virginia Tech) and Zac Thomusseit (Pittsburgh), but fell to Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) to end his run.
   As a team, the Huskers finished the dual season with a 14-5 record and a 2-2 mark against Big 12 foes. NU enters the tournament ranked No. 12 according to InterMat's pre-tournament rankings released on March 8.

Husker History at the NCAA Championships
   Nebraska has finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships 18 times, including back-to-back fourth-place showings in 2008 and 2009. The program'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.
   Nine of NU's 18 top-10 finishes have come in the last 18 years, including three top-five finishes under head coach Mark Manning. The Huskers have 88 total All-Americans, including 10 national champions and 21 NCAA finalists. Last year, Nebraska added two All-American to the record books in Stephen Dwyer (174) and Craig Brester (197). Dwyer earned his second All-American honor with a fourth place finish, while Brester finished runner-up for the second-straight season to garner his third All-American honor. The Huskers were the co-host for the event at Qwest Center Omaha.

Last Year at the NCAA Championships: Brester, Dwyer Earn All-American Honors
   The Huskers qualified five wrestlers for the tournament and finished in12th-place after earning 39.5 team points. The team finish marked the 11th time in the past 15 years that the Huskers have finished in the top 15. Craig Brester fell in the finals to Iowa State's Jake Varner, while Dwyer finished in fourth place to pick up his second All-American award.
   After a scoreless first period between Varner and Brester, Varner escaped for the first point of the match three seconds into the second, but could not extend the one-point lead. With 1 minute, 35 seconds left in the third period, Brester escaped to tie the match at 1-1, before Varner added a crucial takedown to take a 3-1 lead with 58 seconds left. Brester escaped, but a last-second takedown attempt was unsuccessful and resulted in Varner's final takedown of the match to extend the lead to 5-2.
   In four victories leading up to the semifinals, Brester was as impressive as any wrestler at the tournament.  He began the week with a pin and followed with three consecutive shutouts, including two major decisions.
   Dwyer ended the 2010 NCAA Championships with a 9-1 defeat at the hands of No. 3 Chris Henrich of Virginia. Dwyer trailed just 2-1 after the first period, but suffered from a pair of 2-point near falls in the second and third periods that resulted in his fifth loss of the season, all of which came to opponents ranked in the top 10, including four in the top five.
   Prior to the consolation final, Dwyer came out strong in Session III with a major decision victory over No. 10 Jordan Blanton of Illinois. Dwyer delivered the first takedown only eight seconds into the match, and then rode Blanton until he rolled his opponent over for a 3-point near fall as the first period ended. Dwyer added an escape in the second and earned another takedown in the third period to secure the major decision win, 9-0.
   Dwyer was extremely dominant in his four victories at the NCAA Championships, not allowing a single point in wins over Brad Darrington (Utah Valley), Dorian Henderson (Missouri), Jarion Beets (Northern Iowa) and Blanton (Illinois). The Husker fell to the consolation bracket after a hard-fought 3-2 loss against No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) in Session IV semifinals.

Last Time Out: Burroughs, Klingsheim Earn Big 12 Titles
   Senior Jordan Burroughs (165) became the second Husker off all-time to win three Big 12 Championships, while David Klingsheim (125) made an unprecedented run to a Big 12 title at 125 pounds to lead the Nebraska wrestling team at the 2011 Big 12 Championships in Ames, Iowa. Along with Burroughs and Klingsheim, sophomore Josh Ihnen finished runner-up at 184 pounds to help the Huskers to 46.5 team points and a fourth-place finish.
   Oklahoma State took the overall team title with 77 points, followed by Missouri (60 pts), Oklahoma (59.5pts. ) and Iowa State (21 pts.).
   Burroughs continued his storied career against the No. 2-seed Tyler Caldwell from Oklahoma in the finals. Caldwell and Burroughs met earlier this season, with Burroughs winning in a tight 7-3 battle. The finals match would bring much of the same as Burroughs defeated the No. 3 ranked 165-pounder in the country, 2-1.
   With the score tied at 0-0, Caldwell scored an escape just over ten seconds into the second period to take a 1-0 lead. That score held true until 1:05 remaining, when Burroughs was able to get a reversal on the edge of the mat to take a 2-1 lead. The Sicklerville, N.J. native was able to maintain the top position for the remainder of the match and hold on for the one-point decision.
   It was a magical day for Klingsheim, who became the first 125-pound Husker to win a Big 12 Championship since Paul Donahoe won the title in 2008, and is only the second No. 4 seed ever to win a title in any weight class at the Big 12 Championships. The Brentwood, Calif., native defeated two top 10 opponents on the day, including No. 7 Jon Morrison in the semifinals and No. 8 Jarrod Patterson in the finals.
   After a scoreless first period, Klingsheim was able to sustain the top position for the entire second period to accumulate two minutes in riding time. In the third period, it looked like Patterson was going to do the same while on top, but Klingsheim was able to get to his feet and earn a penalty point with just 20 seconds left in the match. Klingsheim then scored an escape with 16 seconds remaining and was able to hold off a late charge from Patterson for the title.
   Ihnen improved from his third-place finish at last year's Big 12 Championships to collect the runner-up spot at 184-pounds. With each wrestler earning an escape in the second and third periods, Ihnen and Perry went to the sudden-victory period tied at one. After a minute of no scoring, Perry was able to get a reversal on Ihnen in the first tiebreaker, which ended up being the deciding points in the match.
   The other Husker to earn a top three finish was Tucker Lane at the heavyweight spot. Lane fell in his first match to Nathan Fernandez, but responded with victories over Blake Rosholt (OSU) and Kyle Simonson (ISU).

Burroughs Looks to Become School's First Two-Time National Champion
   Already one of the most storied wrestlers in program history, senior Jordan Burroughs will look to solidify his status as the most successful Husker ever as he pursues his second undefeated and national championship season. Returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for the majority of last season, Burroughs has been nothing but sensational this year going 31-0 and defeating seven nationally-ranked opponents.
   Burroughs began the dual season with five-straight wins by either technical fall or pin, before notching a major decision over Patrick Martinez (Wyoming) to break the streak. Burroughs responded from that match with four more technical fall victories in a row, which helped him reach his season total of 18 falls. His 18 falls is tied for the ninth most falls recorded in a season by a Nebraska wrestler. Ranked at No. 2 at 165-pounds for the beginning of the season, Burroughs took over the top spot at the Midlands Championships after going 5-0, including a 10-7 victory over then-No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin). After that match, Burroughs finished the season by winning 11 of his last 13 matches in bonus-point fashion.
   The four-time NCAA qualifier finished third at the NCAA tournament as a sophomore at 149-pounds, before winning the national title in 2009 at 157-pounds. Burroughs looks to become the school's 13th three-time All-American in 2011.
   Along with becoming the school's 19th 100-win wrestler, Burroughs has cemented his name in many of the Husker record books.
     - Tied with Jason Kelber (1987-91) for No. 5 on the all-time victories chart with 123.
     - Currently sits at No. 6 on the all-time winning percentage chart with a .860 clip and a 123-20-0 career record.
     - Finished his dual career in a tie with Tolly Thompson and Brad Vering for No. 5 on the all-time dual victories list with 62.
     - Finished his dual career tied for No. 6 on career dual winning percentage list at .886.

Koehnlein, Ihnen and Lane Hope to Build of Past Experience
   Along with Burroughs, Mike Koehnlein (141), Josh Ihnen (184) and Tucker Lane (HWT) are all making return trips to the NCAA Tournament and are hoping to build on their past experiences.
   Koehnlein, a junior college transfer, qualified in his first season at the Division I level last year. At last year's tournament, Koehnlein was not able to tally a victory after falling to No. 12 Michael Mangrum (Oregan State) by technical fall in the first round and falling to Dalton Jensen (Iowa State), 9-5, in the consolation bracket. This season, the senior has accumulated 17 victories, with four of those coming against ranked opponents.
   As a freshman, Ihnen won three matches at the NCAA tournament after an opening round loss to Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming). Ihnen reeled off wins over Mike Miller (Central Michigan), Thomas Spellman (Virginia Tech) and Zac Thomusseit (Pittsburgh). Ihnen was knocked out of the tournament one match short of reaching All-American status by No. 3 Dustin Kilgore (Kent St.) by decision, 9-6.
   This season, Ihnen has a 25-8 record and a second place finish at the Big 12 Championships. The sophomore had a stellar season, which included a second place finish at the Midlands Championships where he defeated No. 4 Grant Gambrall (Iowa) in the semifinals, before falling to No. 6 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) by one point.
   Lane looks to end the Huskers drought of All-Americans at the heavyweight spot fot he Huskers as he enters the tournament for the third straight time. NU hasn't had an All-American at heavyweight since 1997 when Tolly Thompson finished third. Lane has a 25-7 record this season and is coming off a third place finish at the Big 12 Championships.
   As a freshman, Lane went 2-2 at the championships, recording victories over Ricardo Alcala (UC-Davis) and Justin Dobies (North Carolina). Last year, Lane opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over John Danilkowicz (Virginia), before dropping his next two matches to No. 4 Konrad Dudziak (Duke) and No. 7 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan)

First Time Qualifiers Look to Make a Splash
   The Husker will send three first-time qualifiers to the NCAA tournament in David Klingsheim (125), Ridge Kiley (133) and Andy Johnson (197). All three wrestlers earned an automatic bid at last week's Big 12 Championships and hope to make a splash in their first trip to the year end tournament.
   Johnson's return to the Huskers this season has given the Huskers a major boost at the back of their lineup. The senior, who began the season unranked, finished the year with a 26-11 record and is ranked at No. 16 according to InterMat. Before this season, Johnson had won 22 career wins in his first three season at NU. The Yankton, S.D. native defeated four nationally-ranked opponents this year.
   Klingsheim enters the tournament after an unprecedented run through the Big 12 Championship to automatically qualify. The sophomore went into the tournament with a 8-9 overall record, before reeling off three straight victories in route to the Big 12 Championship at 125 pounds. Klingsheim defeated two top 10 opponents on his way to the championship in No. 7 Jon Morrison (OSU) and No. 8 Jarrod Patterson (OU) to improve his season total to 11-9.
   After a redshirt freshman season that saw him record 21 victories, Kiley has matched that number so far this season with a 21-13 overall record. Kiley qualified for NCAA's by defeating Ben Cash (ISU) in his last match at the Big 12 Championships.

Opening Round Matches
   Jordan Burroughs, Josh Ihnen and Tucker Lane all earned national seeds for the NCAA Championships. Burroughs will begin the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed at the 165-pounds, while Josh Ihnen and Tucker Lane will start as the No. 10 and No. 11 seeds, respectively.
   Burroughs will open the tournament against Pittsburgh's Ethan Headlee, while Ihnen will face off against Matt Ryan from West Virginia. Lane takes on Buffalo's Brett Correll in the first round.
   Non-seeded wrestlers for NU include David Klingsheim, who will wrestle Sean Boyle from Michigan in the opening round, while Ridge Kiley will take on the No. 4 seed Tyler Graff from Wisconsin. Kiley and Graff met earlier in the season with Graff winning by a 15-3 decision. Mike Koehnlein will have tough task in the first round being matched up with No. 1 seed Kellen Russell from Michigan. Russell is 33-0 on the season. The final wrestler for the Huskers is senior Andy Johnson, who is set to take on Zachary Bennett from North Carolina in the opening round. Johnson defeated Bennett by a 10-4 decision when the two met earlier this season. If Johnson were to win, he would advance and most likely take on Cornell's Cam Simaz, who is the No. 1 overall seed at 197 pounds.

Non-Varsity Notes
   Freshman Robert Kokesh (165) was the non-varsity's top performer going 34-1 in open events, with his only loss coming to Jordan Burroughs by injury forfeit in the finals of the Harold Nichols Classic. Kokesh won every  other tournament he competed in, including the Kaufman/Brand Open, the Bob Smith Open, the UNK Loper Open, the Viking-Warrior Open, the Quality Hotel Open, the Brand Open and the Briar Cliff Open. Out of his 34 victories, 19 of them came by pin and eight of them came by major decision.
   A Yankton, S.D. native is the leading candidate to fill the void left by current senior Jordan Burroughs at 165- pounds.
   Another freshman to hit the 30 win mark as Spencer Johnson (184), who went 31-7 and won titles at the Bob Smith Open, the Quality Inn Open, and the Grand View Open.

Six Huskers Earn Academic-All Big 12 Team
   The Big 12 Conference has announced its 2011 Academic All-Big 12 Wrestling Team, naming six Huskers to the squad, including a conference-leading five members who were named to the first-team. The six members who were named to the squad mark the highest total for a Nebraska team since 2004, when the Huskers placed seven on the team.
   For the second consecutive season, junior Tucker Lane claimed a first-team selection to lead Nebraska's honorees. A native of Redvale, Colo., Lane has been a leader for the Huskers on and off the mat, while pursuing a degree in communication studies. Sophomore Josh Ihnen joined Lane as the Huskers lone repeat member of the first team. Ihnen is finance major.
   Joining Lane and Ihnen on the first-team were Ross Grande, Tyler Koehn and James Nakashima. The honor marks the first time being named to the Academic All-Big 12 team for all three wrestlers. Grande, a sophomore from Palatine, Ill., is pursuing a degree in Nutrition, Exercise and Health Sciences/Dietetics, while Koehn is working towards a degree in business administration. Nakashima is majoring in political science.
   Andy Johnson was the lone Husker to claim a spot on the second-team. The Yankton, S.D., native is working towards a degree in Nutrition, Exercise and Health Sciences/Dietetics. 
   This year's Academic All-Big 12 squad consisted of 14 first team members combined with four on the second team.  First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
   To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

Huskers Place 16 on Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll
   The Nebraska wrestling team was well represented on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the fall 2010 semester as 16 student-athletes earned the academic award. The Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes who record a 3.0 GPA or higher each semester.
   Nebraska had a total of 358 honorees across its 23 varsity sports, including 43 student-athletes with perfect 4.0 GPAs. That group included two members of the Husker wrestling program in junior Tucker Lane and redshirt freshman Michael Klinginsmith.
   Other wrestlers to earn the award were Ross Grande, Chris Hacker, Ryne Harris, Josh Ihnen, Andy Johnson, Spencer Johnson, Tyler Koehn, Robert Kokesh, Caleb Kolb, Livingston Lukow, Shawn Nagel, James Nakashima, Chad Stroh and John Svododa.

Huskers Release 2011 Summer Camp Dates
   The Nebraska wrestling program has announced camp dates for the summer of 2011 on the days listed below. Camp information, including dates, costs and an application form, will be available before the end of January.
   The Husker staff will host three team camps and three specialized individual camps during the summer of 2011. Wrestlers in attendance will have a chance to learn from and compete with the Husker wrestling staff and team members. Head Coach Mark Manning will provide instruction at each camp as well as numerous guest instructors. To sign up for the 2011 wrestling camps, visit Huskers.com or call the Husker wrestling office at (402) 472-9430.

TEAM CAMPS:
   Team Camp I - June 26-30
   Team Camp II - July 10-14 
   Team Camp III - July 17-21

INDIVIDUAL CAMPS
   Technique Camp - July 14-17
   Intensive Camp - July 8-21
   Takedown Camp - July 7-10

Koehnlein Earns Big 12 Wrestler of the Week
   Senior Mike Koehnlein was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week on Monday, Feb. 7, for his performance in the Huskers' duals against Arizona State and No. 5 Oklahoma State. The award was Koehnlein's first Big 12 Wrestler of the Week award in his career, and was the third time this season a Husker earned the award after Jordan Burroughs earned the honor twice earlier in the year.
   Koehnlein, who went 2-0 in a pair of dual matches, began the weekend by pinning Carlos Castro (ASU) in 6:20 for his first pin of the season at 141-pounds. The senior's victory helped lead the No. 14 Huskers to a 35-8 victory over Arizona State.
   The West Minster, Calif.-native then upset No. 17 Josh Kindig (OSU) by decision, 10-4. Trailing 2-1 entering the second period, Koehnlein used two takedowns and an escape to take the lead at 7-4. Koehnlein then scored a two-point near fall in the final seconds of the match to extend his lead to 10-4 with the riding-time advantage. Koehnlein's victory marked the second nationally-ranked opponent he has defeated this season (No. 20 Kaleb Friedley, Northwestern).

Burroughs Brings in Big 12 Awards
   Senior Jordan Burroughs is one of two wrestlers in the Big 12 to receive Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors twice this season. Burroughs was honored on Dec. 13, 2010, and Jan. 3, 2011. Over his career, Burroughs has been named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week four times in his career.

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.

Next Year: Missouri Hosts NCAA Championships in St. Louis
   The University of Missouri and the St. Louis Sports Commission will host the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships from March 15-17, 2012. The event will be held in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center. It will be the second time the NCAA Wrestling Championships have taken place in St. Louis, having also been there in 2009.