Huskers Open Season on East Coast with Four Duals

Nebraska (0-0) vs. Bucknell (0-0)
Davis Gym (1,100) I Lewisburg, Pa. I Thursday, Nov. 10 I 6 p.m.
Series History: NU leads, 3-0-1
Last Meeting: NU won, 19-16, on Nov. 27, 2010, in Lincoln, Neb.
Live Stats: http://www.trackwrestling.com/dualmeets/DualMeetDetail.jsp?dualMeetId=16077009
Video (subscription required): http://www.bucknellbison.com/allaccess/?media=252306

Wrestle for a Cure Duals
No. 24 Kent State (8 a.m.) I North Carolina (Noon) I Navy (2 p.m.)
Pa. Farm Show Complex and Expo Center (7,400) I Harrisburg, Pa. I Saturday, Nov. 12
Huskers Open Season on East Coast with Four Duals
The Nebraska wrestling team is set to begin its 2011-12 dual season on Thursday when they travel to Lewisburg, Pa., for the first of four duals during the weekend. The Huskers will take on the Bucknell Bison to open their season on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m., before making the trip to Harrisburg for three matches at the second annual Wrestle for a Cure Duals. NU will take on No. 24 Kent State in an early morning match up at 8 a.m., while facing off against North Carolina at Noon and Navy at 2 p.m. to conclude its weekend.

Live stats will be provided for the Huskers' dual against Bucknell at the link provided at the top of the page, while streaming video is offered, but a subscription is required in order to view the match.

The Wrestle for a Cure Duals, formally the Hershey Duals, includes 13 Division I wrestling teams and 28 teams overall from all levels of the wrestling ranks. The duals benefit Cystic Fibrosis, while combining the values, virtues and work ethic of wrestling to help improve the conditions and lives of others. The all day event features a total of 34 college duals.

The Huskers will work to build off a 14-5 season in 2010-11 and a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year. Nebraska welcomes back three NCAA qualifiers from last year's squad, led by fifth-year senior Tucker Lane. Lane, a four-year starter at heavyweight, won 27 matches last season and came up one match short of reaching All-America status. Lane has been a steady force throughout his career at Nebraska and needs only 22 matches to become the 20th member of the 100-win club at NU. Lane will start the season as the eighth-ranked wrestler at heavyweight, according to InterMat.

The Huskers also welcome back a pair of juniors who qualified for the NCAA Tournament in Josh Ihnen and Ridge Kiley. Ihnen, a two-time qualifier, will begin the season ranked No. 10 after winning 28 matches as a sophomore at 184 pounds. Kiley, who won the Nebraska Most Improved Wrestler award after last season, returns after winning his first-ever NCAA Tournament match at last year's championships and was one of the most productive Huskers in the lighter weight classes by winning 22 matches, including 11 in dual competition. Along with Lane and Ihnen, Kiley will also begin the season ranked, checking in at No. 17 at 133 pounds.

NU also returns several wrestlers who were major contributors in the lineup last season, including Shawn Nagel (125), Ross Grande (157) and Caleb Kolb (174). Kolb is ranked by both WIN magazine (17th) and Amateur Wrestling News (19th)

Scouting the Bucknell Bison
- Bucknell returns three starters from a team that went 7-11 in dual competition last year and finished in eighth-place in the EIWA.

- Bucknell's top returner is sophomore Stephen McPeek (174), who won 12 matches last season, while sophomore Alex Pellicciotti returns at 141 pounds after winning eight matches.

- The Bison are coached by Dan Wirnsberger, who is in his sixth season as head coach. Wirnsberger has won 51 duals in his time at Bucknell.

Scouting the Kent State Golden Flashes
- The Golden Flashes will begin the season ranked No. 24 in the NWCA preseason poll and feature two wrestlers, No. 4 Nic Bedelyon (125) and No. 14 Brendan Barlow (Hwt.), who are ranked by InterMat.

- Kent State concluded last season in a tie for first place in the Mid-American Conference and boasted a 14-6 overall dual record.

- The Golden Flashes are coached by Jim Andrassy, who is in his ninth season as head coach and is currently sitting on 99 career victories at Kent State.

Scouting the North Carolina Tar Heels
- North Carolina brings back six starters from a team that went 9-9-1 last season and finished fourth in the ACC.

- The Tar Heels return two NCAA qualifiers, but lost 2011 ACC Champion Zac Bennett (197). UNC will welcome back No. 18 Evan Henderson (141) and No. 18 Corey Mock (157).

- C.D. Mock is in his ninth season as head coach of the Tar Heels and has a 75-67-3 career mark at UNC. Mock has produced two ACC Championships while at UNC.

Scouting the Navy Midshipmen
- Last season, Navy went 5-3 in dual matches and 3-1 in the EIWA.

- Navy will bring back seven returning starters from last year's squad, led by No. 20 Aaron Kalil (125), who qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2011 after winning 29 matches. No. 11 Luke Rebertus (184) also returns after winning 31 matches last season and qualifying for the championships.

- Navy is led by Bruce Burnett, who begins his 12th season as head coach of the Midshipmen. Burnett has won 101 duals over his time as head coach.

Freshmen Shine at Warren Williams/Daktronics Open
The Nebraska wrestling team had 14 wrestlers compete at the Warren Williams/Daktronics Open on Sunday, Nov. 6, in Brookings, S.D., capturing one title and finding the award stand five times. The Huskers were led by three true freshmen who were seeing their first collegiate wrestling action.

James Green captured the 157-pound title after he cruised through his bracket, totaling four bonus-point victories. After a technical fall over Joseph Winkler (Iowa Central) in the first round, Green reeled off three straight major decisions, including a 19-5 win over Nick Flynn (South Dakota State) in the finals.

Hastings, Neb., native Austin Wilson won his first four matches, three by major decision, to reach the finals where he dropped a tight battle to Marcus Edgington (Augustana (SD)), 3-2, to take second place at 165. Fellow freshman Donny Longendyke went 3-2 at the tournament and finished in fifth place. Two of Longendyke's victories came by way of pin, including his fifth-place match triumph over Mike Roberts in 2:41.

Freshman Cory Brester dropped his first match of the tournament, but worked his way back through the consolation bracket and defeated Jayd Docken (Augustana (SD)), 3-1, to capture fifth place and finish the tournament 3-2 at 184.

Redshirt freshman Spencer Johnson won his first two matches of the tournament, but fell to Scott Schiller (Minnesota) to drop him to the consolation bracket. Johnson then won his final two bouts over Nick Mart (South Dakota State) and John Gusewelle (North Dakota State) to finish in third at 197.

Manning Going for Win No. 150 at Nebraska
Mark Manning will be in search of his 150th victory as head coach at Nebraska when the Huskers travel to Pennsylvania this weekend. Manning owns a 149-61-3 overall record in his 11 seasons at Nebraska, and he would become only the second coach in school history to win 150 duals. Tim Neumann is the only other coach to win 150 duals and also completed the feat in his 12th season as head coach.

Manning has averaged over 13 dual victories per season at Nebraska, which is the best clip in school history. For his career, Manning owns a 172-85-5 record after spending three seasons at Northern Iowa.

Huskers Gear Up for Season with Wrestle-Offs
The Huskers kicked off the 2011-12 campaign with their annual wrestle-offs on Friday, Nov. 4, at the Devaney Center. The Huskers welcomed over 200 coaches to the Devaney, as they held their annual coaches clinic in conjunction with the wrestle-offs.

All three of Nebraska's returning NCAA qualifiers recorded victories on the night in bonus-point fashion. Junior Ridge Kiley led off the duals with a pin over redshirt freshman Brandon Rubino in 2:22, while Josh Ihnen was dominant in his 16-1 technical fall victory over freshman Cory Brester at 184 pounds. Senior Tucker Lane took down freshman Donny Longendyke at heavyweight by pin in 1:57.

Robert Kokesh, who won 34 matches as a true freshman, won two matches in impressive fashion. Kokesh defeated Michael Klinginsmith by technical fall, 17-1, at 165 pounds, before beating Tyler Koehn by pin.

Several true freshman recorded wins on the night, including James Green, Austin Wilson and Jake Sueflohn. Green, a Willingboro, N.J., native defeated fellow freshman Ian Ousley by technical fall at 157 pounds, while Sueflohn beat Luis DeAnda at 141 pounds by major decision. Wilson, the Nebraska high school state record holder for career wins, defeated Iver Sandoval by technical fall, 16-1, and closed the night off with a tight 2-0 victory over Michael Klinginsmith.

Shawn Nagel, NU's projected starter at 125 pounds, also recorded two victories. Nagel defeated Ryne Harris by decision, 4-0, and Christian Gallardo by pin in 2:51.

Manning Named FILA Freestyle Coach of the Year
After helping former Husker Jordan Burroughs become the first American to claim a World Championship since 2006, Nebraska Head Coach Marking Manning was named the international freestyle coach of the year for 2011, announced by FILA, the international wrestling federation, on Nov. 1. Manning was Burroughs' personal coach, as he made a meteoric rise through the international wrestling ranks and won his first World Championship in September.

Manning helped Burroughs capture the gold medal at 163 lbs./74 kg at this year's World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, after already winning the U.S. Open and U.S. Team Trials titles earlier this year. Before his success at the international level, Burroughs became the school's only two-time national champion after capturing the 165-pound national title in 2011 and earning the prestigious Hodge Trophy, given to the nation's most outstanding wrestler, under Manning's tutelage.

Manning has an impressive track record on the international level having been a part of numerous World Team coaching staffs. Along with being a member of the 2011 staff, Manning also helped coach the 2009 team that competed in Denmark and placed seventh and was also part of the staff in 2010. In 2001, Manning was named the Head Coach of the freestyle team, but could not travel with the team after the tournament was moved from New York to Bulgaria following the September 11th attacks because of his collegiate coaching responsibilities. Manning was an assistant coach on the U.S. Olympic Team staff in 1996 and 2000.

Challenging Schedule Awaits Huskers
Nebraska will face a challenging schedule in its first season as a member of the Big Ten Conference, facing off against six teams ranked inside the NWCA preseason top-25. Three of those six teams are ranked inside the top-5, including No. 1 and defending national champion Penn State, No. 2 Iowa and No. 4 Minnesota. The Huskers will host both Iowa (Jan. 13, 7 p.m.) and Penn State (Jan. 20, 7 p.m.) at the NU Coliseum this season, and will travel to Minneapolis to take on the Gophers in their last scheduled regular-season dual of the season on Feb. 5.

The Huskers will open the home portion of their schedule on Dec. 10 against No. 15 Wyoming at 7 p.m., and will also host Purdue on Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. Nebraska will participate in the National Duals this season, which has introduced a new format for the 2011-12 season. The National Duals have been broken up into four regional sites, with the winners of those sites advancing to the Final Four National Duals on Feb. 18-19. NU will travel to Stillwater, Okla., where they will match up with either Boise State, Ohio State, Wyoming, Oklahoma State or Chattanooga.

If the Huskers do not advance to the Final Four National Duals, a dual against Northern Iowa has been scheduled for Feb. 19, if neither team advances.

Big Ten Network, BTN.com to Feature NU
With its move to the Big Ten, the Nebraska wrestling program will get added exposure from the Big Ten Network this season. The Huskers will be featured seven times on BTN.com, while their home dual against Iowa on Jan. 13 will air on the Big Ten Network on tape delay at 9 p.m. BTN.com will stream NU's duals against Wyoming, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Penn State and Northern Iowa (if needed). BTN.com is a subscription-based offering, and can be purchased by visiting BTN.com

Huskers Move into Hendricks Training Complex
The Nebraska wrestling program experienced some major changes over the offseason when it moved into the new Hendricks Training Complex, which was opened in October. The new home for the wrestling and the men's and women's basketball programs, the Hendricks Training Complex is home to the Huskers' new wrestling room, which features four full-sized mats, more than doubling the size of the previous wrestling room at the Devaney Center. The $18.7 million complex also features a new 5,000-square foot weight room and is home to the Nebraska wrestling offices.