Huskers Head to Ames for Last Big 12 Championship

Hilton Coliseum (14,356) I Ames, Iowa I Saturday ,March 5, 2011 I 10 a.m. (First session); 7 p.m. (second session)
Last year: Fifth place (32 pts)
Big 12 Championship History: Five top 3 finishes in the last seven years, 2009 co-champion
Live Video: www.big12sports.com (morning/afternoon sessions-both mats)
Live Video: www.foxsportsmidwest.com (finals only)
Bracket Updates/Tournament Website: www.cyclones.com

   With regular season dual competition over, the No. 13 Nebraska wrestling team begins its run through the post-season tournament cycle when it travels to Ames, Iowa for the 2011 Big 12 Championships. In what will be the last Big 12 Championship the Huskers compete in, the tournament will play a large part in determining which Huskers will qualify for this month's NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Pa.
   The 2011 Big 12 Championship begins with the first round at 10 a.m., followed by semifinals at 11 a.m. The consolation and third place matches will start at 1 p.m., followed by the finals at 7 p.m. For the first time ever, fans can catch all the action from start to finish live on Big12sports.com, as they will stream the all matches leading up to the finals. The finals matches will also be streamed on FoxSportsMidwest.com. Iowa State - the host school for the 2011 Big 12 Championship - will have updated brackets and match play-by-play on Cyclones.com. You can follow the action throughout the day by following the Husker twitter page at www.twitter.com/HuskerWrestling .
   Nebraska's season has been highlighted by senior Jordan Burroughs, who is working towards becoming the first-ever two-time national champion in school history. The Sicklerville, N.J. native navigated his way through the regular season with perfect 29-0 record, while defeating six nationally-ranked opponents along the way. Earlier this season, Burroughs became the school's 19th wrestler of all-time to reach the 100 win plateau. Along with Burroughs, who earned an automatic qualifying spot at the NCAA Championships, this year's team has a solid chance to send numerous wrestlers to the national tournament. Three other Huskers are currently ranked in InterMat's most recent poll (No. 10 Josh Ihnen (184); No. 13 Andy Johnson (184); No. 13 Tucker Lane (HWT)), and have set themselves up to earn an at-large bid to the National Tournament later this month.
   Ihnen looks to build off a freshman season which saw him nab a third place finish at the Big 12 Championships after defeating Oklahoma's Erich Schmidtke in the consolation final of at last year's championships. The sophomore enters the tournament with a 24-7 overall mark and a 14-5 record in dual competition. Ihnen is coming off his second technical fall victory of othe season after he defeated Cole Shafer (Iowa State), 17-1, in the Huskers last regular season dual.
   Competing in his first Big 12 Championships, Johnson is hoping to make a big slash in his final season as a Husker. The Yankton, S.D. native claimed 5-1 record over Big 12 opponents this season, with his only loss coming at the hands of No. 3 Clayton Foster (OSU). Johnson's return to the Huskers this season has provided great depth at the back end of the lineup, where he has accumulated a 25-9 record and is tied for second on the team in dual victories with 14.
   After two consecutive third place finishes at the Big 12 tournament, Lane is aiming for his first championship at the heavyweight position. The two-time NCAA qualifier will be looking for his 75th career victory in the first round of the tournament after winning 23 matches so far this season. The junior is currently riding a three-dual winning streak and has defeated three ranked opponents this seasons.

Husker History at the Big 12 Championships
   Last season, the Huskers finished in fifth place (32 pts) for the first time in the Big 12 era. Prior to last year's finish, NU had never finished below fourth place and have finished in the top three spots five out of the past seven seasons.
   Nebraska picked up their first Big 12 Championship in school history in 2009, marking their first conference championship since winning the Big Eight crown in 1995. Four NU wrestlers were crowned champions that season in Vince Jones (184), Jordan Burroughs (157), Brandon Browne (174) and Craig Brester (197).
   Individually, Husker wrestlers have earned 58 conference championships over the years, including 18 since the Big 12 Conference was formed in 1997. The list of recent conference champions is led by four-time Big 12 champion Bryan Snyder at 157 pounds. The four-time All-American brought home the conference gold for Nebraska from 1999-2002. Last season, two-time All-American Stephen Dwyer was the lone Husker to earn a conference championship, doing so at 174-pounds.

Last Year at the Big 12 Championships: Dwyer Claims Big 12 Title
   Stephen Dwyer (174) earned the first conference title of his storied Husker career, while Craig Brester (197) finished runner-up to lead the Nebraska wrestling team at the 2010 Big 12 Championships. The Huskers finished the tournament with 32 points.
   Dwyer became the 18th Big 12 champion in school history and the third consecutive NU conference titlist at the 174-pound weight class following back-to-back first-place finishes by former Husker All-American Brandon Browne.
   The third time was the charm for Dwyer, who was coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes at the 2008 and 2009 Big 12 Championships. As a senior, Dwyer did not waste any time claiming top honors at 174 pounds, racing to a 4-1 first period lead on Oklahoma State's Mike Benefiel in the finals en route to a 9-5 decision. Dwyer notched his first takedown just 32 seconds into the match and accumulated nearly 2 minutes of riding time following his second takedown with 56 seconds remaining in the first period. Benefiel closed the gap to 5-4 with 1:26 left in the match, but Dwyer closed the door with his last takedown in the final minute. A native of Rockton, Ill., Dwyer won his semifinal match in a defensive 2-1 decision against Iowa State's Duke Burk.
   Brester battled top-seeded Jake Varner of Iowa State in the 197-pound finals, falling to the Cyclone by a 5-2 decision. The unanimous No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers in the nation entered the final period in a 2-2 deadlock, but with Varner's riding time advantage of more than 1 minute, Brester was forced to cut the Cyclone for an escape point. Trailing 3-2, Brester shot for a last-second single-leg takedown that Varner spun around for the match's final points.
   Nebraska won 4-of-8 first round matches to qualify six wrestlers for semifinals, as Brester and Dwyer earned first round byes.
   From there, a pair of underclassmen - Josh Ihnen (184) and Tucker Lane - each claimed third-place finishes in corresponding fashion by defeating the same opponent twice and only falling to the No. 1 seed in their respective weight classes.

Last Time Out: Huskers Defeat Cyclones on Senior Night
   Wrestling in dual competition for the last time as a member of the Big 12 Conference, the No. 13 Nebraska wrestling team took down the No. 17 Iowa State Cyclones, 21-14, in the Huskers last regular season dual. The win capped off a 14-5 regular season for NU and evened its' record in Big 12 duals to 2-2. The Huskers have won at least 14 duals in three of the past four seasons.
   Nebraska fell behind after the first dual when No. 1-ranked Jon Reader (ISU) stayed undefeated on the season by defeating Caleb Kolb (NU) by major decision, 16-4, at 174 pounds. The lead wouldn't last long for ISU as junior Josh Ihnen (NU) brought the Huskers back with his 17-1 technical fall victory over Cole Shafer (ISU). No. 10 Ihnen jumped on Shafer quickly, recording a takedown and two 2-point near falls in the first period and cruised to the dominating victory.
   Ihnen's victory was the start of five-straight for the Huskers as they extended their lead to 17-4. Johnson (NU) ended his home career as a Husker by defeating No. 14 Jerome Ward (ISU) by decision, 5-3, at 197 pounds. No. 13 Johnson extended his lead to 5-2 in the third period with a takedown with 1:39 remaining in the match, and was able to hold off a late charge from Ward as time expired for the victory.
   After Johnson's victory, junior Tucker Lane (NU) used a reversal in the second period to take control in his 3-0 decision victory over Kyle Simonson (ISU). The Huskers then got two key victories from David Klingsheim (NU) and Ridge Kiley (NU) at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively. Klingsheim was able to hold off a late shot attempt from Brandon Jones (ISU) for his 4-3 vwin, while Kiley used a reversal and gained the riding-time advantage in the third period for his victory over Ben Cash (ISU), 3-0.
   ISU was able to pull within three points of the Huskers by reeling off three straight victories of their own. No. 15 Chris Drouin (ISU) took down Koehnlein by major decision at 141 pounds, while Max Mayfield (ISU) defeated Ross Grande at 149 pounds, 8-4. The Huskers last loss came at 157, where Trent Weatherman (ISU) was able to score a takedown 37 seconds into the sudden victory period against Tyler Koehn (NU).
   Leading by only three points, the Huskers turned to Burroughs to put the match away and the senior didn't disappoint. Wrestling in this last home dual, Burroughs defeated Chris Spangler (ISU) by major decision, 22-8, to give him his fifth-straight bonus point victory. After a scoreless first period, the two-time All-American used eight takedowns in the final two periods to secure the match.

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

Burroughs Looks to Become School's Second Three-Time Big 12 Champion
   As one of the most successful wrestlers in program history, senior Jordan Burroughs looks to add to his already full trophy case with his third Big 12 Championship title this weekend. If Burroughs were to win, he would become only the second wrestler in school history to be a three-time Big 12 Champion. Current Nebraska assistant coach Bryan Snyder was a Big 12 Champion for four consecutive years from 1999-2002.
   Along with becoming the school's 19th 100-win wrestler, Burroughs has cemented his name in many of the Husker record books.
       - Moved past Corey Olsen (1989-93) for No. 6 on the all-time victories chart with 121. He needs two more victories to tie Jason Kelber (1987-91) for fifth all-time.
       - Currently sits at No. 6 on the all-time winning percentage chart with a .858 clip and a 121-20-0 career record.
       - With his victory last weekend, he 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.
       - Has accumulated 18 falls this season to move his career total to 39. Burroughs would need 6 more victories by technical fall or pin to move into the top 5 career falls list at NU.
       - Burroughs' 18 falls this season is tied for the ninth most falls recorded in a season by a Nebraska wrestler.

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.

Where They Are Seeded
   The Huskers will enter the tournament with four wrestlers seeded in the top two spots of their respective weight classes, with Jordan Burroughs nabbing the Huskers lone No.1 seed at 165-pounds. Josh Ihnen (184), Andy Johnson (197) and Tucker Lane (HWT) will all start as the No. 2 seeds in their brackets.
   One of the toughest weight division will be at 165-pounds, where all five wrestlers are ranked inside the top 11 nationally, including No. 1 Burroughs and No. 3 Tyler Caldwell.
   Ridge Kiley (133) earned a No. 3 seed, while Caleb Kolb (174), Mike Koehnlein (141) and David Klingsheim (125) are seeded fourth. Ross Grande (149) and Tyler Koehn (157) will begin the season as five seeds.

Scouting the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys
   The No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys have defeated an impressive eight teams ranked inside the top 25 in route to their 15-2-1 record this season. The Cowboys began the season on a five-dual winning streak with victories over Minnesota, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Their first loss came at the hands of then-No. 12 Virginia Tech on Jan. 8, where they fell in a tight 18-16 battle.
   After the loss, OSU recorded wins over Iowa State and Northern Iowa, before losing their second dual of the season to then-No. 13 Missouri. Following their defeat, the Cowboys tied then-No. 10 Iowa, 15-15, before reeling off eight-straight victories to end the season.
   The Cowboys sport one of the deepest lineups in the country with a ranked wrestler at all ten weight classes.
   No. 1 Jordan Oliver leads the way for Oklahoma State at 133-pounds with a perfect 22-0 record on the season. Oliver has recorded an impressive six technical falls and eight pins this season. The Cowboys will send another undefeated wrestler to the mat in No. 3 Clayton Foster at 197-pounds. Foster has a 20-0 record and has defeated nine nationally-ranked wrestlers. Both Oliver and Foster will be the No. 1 seed in their respective weight classes, along with No. 7 Jon Morrison (125), No. 5 Jamal Parks (149), No. 11 Neil Erisman (157) and No. 9 Chris Perry (184), who will all begin the tournament as the No. 1 seed.
   Oklahoma State is coached by John Smith, who is in his 20th season as head coach of the Cowboys.

Scouting the No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners
   The No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners finished the regular season with a 13-2 overall record. The Sooners have a deep and talented lineup that features seven nationally-ranked wrestlers, including three which are ranked inside the top 10.
   OU began the season by winning its first five duals of the season with wins over Central Oklahoma, Buffalo, Arizona State, Oklahoma City and North Carolina State. Their first loss of the season came in their Big 12 opener against No. 2 Oklahoma State, 22-12. In that match, OU collected victories from No. 2 Tyler Caldwell, Matt Lester, No. 6 Zack Bailey and No. 7 Jarrod Patterson, but were unable to upend the powerful Cowboys. After the loss, the Sooners reeled off eight straight duals, before falling to Oklahoma State for the second time of the season in their last regular season dual.
   The Sooners are led by sophomore Tyler Caldwell, who is ranked at No. 3 at 165-pounds by InterMat. Caldwell has a team-leading 28 victories on the season and is 13-1 in dual competition with his lone loss coming to NU's Jordan Burroughs.  Also leading the way for OU are No. 8 Jarrod Patterson (125) and No. 6 Zack Bailey (141), who have a combined 26-3 dual record. Bailey will be the only Sooner to begin the tournament as a No. 1 seed at his weight class.
   OU is coached by Jack Spates, who is in his 18th and final season as the head coach for Oklahoma. Spates announced his retirement from coaching before the start of this season.

Scouting the No. 12 Missouri Tigers
   The No. 12 Missouri Tigers will enter the Big 12 Championships after finishing the regular season with a 15-9 overall record having defeated Iowa State in their last regular season dual. The Tigers body of work contains some wins over some highly ranked opponents including No. 13 Lehigh, No. 17 Central Michigan, No. 6 Boise State and No. 2 Oklahoma State.
   The Tigers are led by heavyweight Dom Bradley, who checks in at No. 5 nationally and accumulated 19 dual wins this season. Bradley will begin the tournament as the No. 1 seed at heavyweight. Missouri has another top 10 wrestler in Alan Waters at 125-pounds, who had a stellar freshman campaign. The No. 9-rated wrestler has won 36 matches overall this season and has collected a 20-3 record in dual action. Other ranked wrestlers for MU include No. 11 Todd Schavrien (141), No. 9 Zach Toal (165), No. 15 Mike Larson (184) and No. 15 Brent Haynes (197). Schavrien will be the only Tiger to start the tournamenta as a No. 2 seed, while Larson and Haynes both earned four seeds.
   Missouri is coached by Brian Smith, who is in his 13th season as head coach.

Scouting the No. 16 Iowa State Cylcones
   The No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones finished the season with a 9-10 overall record with their last loss coming at the hands of Nebraska in their final regular season dual. The Cyclones began the season with four-straight dual victories over Virginia Tech, Kent State, Boston University and Old Dominion, before falling at the hands of Iowa, 22-13, for their first loss of the season. ISU responded to the loss with an eighth place finish at the National Duals with wins over Northern Illinois and American.
   Iowa State features a talented lineup with four nationally-ranked wrestlers at their respective weights. Leading the way for ISU is Jon Reader at 174-pounds. Reader, who is ranked No. 1 nationally, sports a perfect 32-0 record on the season and will be the No. 1 seed in the 174-pound bracket. Other ranked wrestlers include No. 15 Chris Drouin (141), No. 7 Andrew Sorenson (165) and No. 14 Jerome Ward (197).
   Iowa State is coached by Kevin Jackson, who is in his second season as head coach of the Cyclones. In his first year as head coach, Jackson led ISU to a third place finish at the NCAA Championships.

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.