Huskers Head North for Pair of Duals

No. 16 Nebraska (5-0) vs. South Dakota State (3-2)
Frost Arena (6,500)  I  Brookings, S.D.  I  Saturday, Dec. 17  I  7 p.m.
Series History: NU leads, 16-13-2
Last Meeting: NU won, 36-6, on Nov. 27, 2010 in Lincoln, Neb.
Video: Huskers.com (subscription required)

No. 16 Nebraska (5-0) vs. North Dakota State (1-1)
Bison Sports Arena  I  Fargo, N.D.  I  Sunday, Dec. 18  I  1 p.m.
Series History: NU leads, 8-3-0
Last Meeting: NU won, 33-9, on Jan. 3, 2010 in Lincoln, Neb.
Video: Huskers.com (subscription required)

The No. 16 Nebraska wrestling team returns to action this weekend with a pair of road matches. The Huskers, who will bring a 5-0 record into this weekend's action, take on South Dakota State on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in Brookings, S.D. NU will then have a quick turnaround as they are set to take on the Bison of North Dakota State at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18 in Fargo, N.D.

Both matches can be viewed on Huskers.com, but an Huskers Nside subscription is required in order to view the duals.

Nebraska is fresh off its upset over No. 14 Wyoming on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the NU Coliseum, in what was its only home dual before the new year. No. 5 Robert Kokesh led the way for NU with his upset over then-No. 3 Shane Onufer. The Wagner, S.D., native won in dominant fashion over Onufer, shutting him out, 5-0. For his efforts against the Cowboys, Kokesh was honored by the Big Ten Conference with the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award, becoming the first Husker wrestler to earn a Big Ten individual award.

The Huskers' next two opponents recently faced off against each other, with North Dakota State coming out on top, 32-9. The Bison own a 1-1 record on the season after dropping their first dual to Minnesota, 29-9. NDSU is led by first year head coach Roger Kish. South Dakota State owns a 3-2 record this season and is coming off two straight victories over Northern State and Southwest Minnesota State.

The Huskers have found a spark in their lineup this season from several freshmen at key spots. Redshirt freshmen Brandon Wilbourn (149) and Kokesh, and true freshmen Jake Sueflohn (141) and James Green (157) have combined for a 13-5 dual record, while Green leads the team with 15 overall victories. With their performances so far this season, Sueflohn and Green have vaulted into the national rankings, with Sueflohn rising all the way to No. 11 and Green checking in at No. 14, according to InterMat.

This weekend's duals will kick off a four-daul road swing for the Huskers. After the two duals this weekend, NU will travel to Tempe, Ariz., for the ASU Duals where they will take on Boise State and Arizona State on Dec. 29.

Scouting the South Dakota State Jackrabbits

South Dakota State will enter Saturday's match riding a two-dual winning streak after defeating Northern State and Northwest Minnesota State on Dec. 9. The Jackrabbits own a 3-2 overall record and are led by 157 pounder Nick Flynn. Flynn leads SDSU in wins with 12 and is 4-1 in dual competition, collecting four major decisions and two technical falls along the way.

At 141 pounds, junior Dustin Walraven will provide a stiff challenge for the Huskers as he owns an  11-4 overall record, but has yet to drop a match in dual competition this season going 5-0. Aaron Pickrel will also lead the Jacks' with his 11-4 record so far this season at 125 pounds.

The Jackrabbits are coached by Jason Liles, who has posted a 144-134--5 record in his 18 seasons as head coach. Liles is the all-time wins leader at SDSU.

Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
NDSU has posted a 1-1 record so far this season and won its last dual against South Dakota State on Dec. 6. The Bison feature two nationally ranked wrestlers at 125 and 157 pounds. No. 16 Trent Sprenkle has won 14 matches so far this season at 125, but is listed with sophomore Phil Levine as the projected starters. No. 15 Steven Monk is the projected starter at 157 pounds and is 13-3 on the season. Monk faced off against projected NU starter James Green in the consolation final of the Las Vegas Invitational, with Green winning by decision, 7-6.

Heavyweight Evan Knutson is tied for the team lead in wins with 15 and is the only true freshman in the Bison lineup. At 174 pounds, Kurtis Julson has won 15 matches and has come out on top of each dual match this season.

NDSU is coached by Roger Kish, who is in his first year as head coach of the Bison. Kish, a former two-time All-American at Minnesota, was hired as head coach after spending two season as an assistant coach for the Bison.

Huskers in the Rankings
After its upset over No. 14 Wyoming last weekend, NU catapulted five spots to No. 16 in the NWCA Coaches Poll, which was released on Tuesday, Dec. 13. The ranking is the highest so far for the Huskers as a team this year.

In the individual rankings, six Huskers are ranked at their respective weight classes, including three inside the top 10. Ranked Nebraska wrestlers include No. 17 Ridge Kiley (133), No. 11 Jake Sueflohn (141), No. 14 James Green (157), No. 5 Robert Kokesh (165), No. 10 Josh Ihnen (184) and No. 10 Tucker Lane (Hwt). All individual rankings are according to InterMat.

Kokesh Earns Big Ten Honor
Redshirt freshman Robert Kokesh became the first Nebraska wrestler to earn Big Ten Wrestler-of-the-Week honors this season, when the conference announced the award on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Kokesh was rewarded for efforts in Nebraska's 19-15 upset of No. 14 Wyoming at the NU Coliseum last Saturday night.

Kokesh extended the NU's lead over Wyoming to seven points with only two matches remaining with his 5-0 decesion over No. 3 Shane Onufer at 165 pounds. The win avenged a 6-2 loss that Kokesh suffered to Onufer earlier in the year at the UNK Open.

Kokesh owns a 13-2 overall record this season and is 5-0 in dual competition. Nine of Kokesh's 13 victories have been in bonus-point fashion with six pins, two major decisions and one technical fall, while defeating three ranked opponents.

Manning Wins No. 150 at Nebraska
Head Coach Mark Manning became only the second coach in school history to record 150 dual victories at Nebraska when the Huskers defeated Kent State on Nov. 12. Manning joins former coach Tim Neumann as the only other coach to reach the mark, with each coach doing so in their 12th season.

Manning has averaged over 13 dual victories per season at Nebraska en route to his 154-61-3 record, which is the best clip in school history. For his career, Manning owns a 177-85-5 record after spending three seasons at Northern Iowa.

Last Time Out: Huskers Upend 14th-Ranked Cowboys
Behind a pair of upsets over nationally ranked opponents the No. 21 Nebraska wrestling team improved to 5-0 on Saturday after taking down the No. 14 Wyoming Cowboys, 19-15, at the NU Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 11.

The win marked the first time the Huskers have started 5-0 in dual competition since 2008, and was the Huskers second victory over a nationally ranked opponent this season.

With the Huskers leading by only four points over the Cowboys with three matches remaining, No. 10 Kokesh extended NU's lead with a dominant 5-0 victory over No.3 Shane Onufer at 165 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Kokesh was able to ride Onufer for the entire second period to gain the riding time advantage. Kokesh added an escape, penalty point (fleeing the mat) and a takedown with five seconds remaining in the third period to put the match away. The Wagner, S.D., native avenged a 6-2 loss to Onufer on Nov. 19th at the Nebraska-Kearney Open.

Tucker Lane (Hwt) kicked off the dual with an 8-1 decision over LJ Helbig (WYO) to give NU a 3-0 advantage. Lane jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a takedown and 2-point nearfall in the first period. Lane has an 11-2 record after his win on Saturday night.

After two straight victories at 125 and 133 pounds for the Cowboys, the Huskers found themselves down by a score of 9-3. True freshman Jake Sueflohn (NU) won the first home match of his career to start the Husker comeback with an 11-2 major decision over McCade Ford (WYO), before redshirt freshman Brandon WIlbourn (149) defeated Brandon Richardson, 11-5, to give the Huskers the lead for good.

At 157 pounds, freshman  No. 16 James Green escaped from Dakota Friesth (WYO) with 1:25 remaining in the third period to win, 6-5. After Kokesh's win, Tyler Koehn (174) picked up the Huskers' second upset over a nationally ranked foe when he beat No. 18 Patrick Martinez (WYO), 6-3.

Wyoming was able to win the last two matches of the night, but couldn't overcome the 10-point lead NU had accumulated. No. 10 Josh Ihnen (NU) fell to No.3 Joe LeBlanc after giving up a takedown with under 30 seconds left in the dual. The loss drops Ihnen's season record to 9-2. The Cowboys' last win came at 197 pounds where No. 13 Alfonso Hernandez (WYO) took down James Nakashima, 4-2.

Huskers Sign Five Wrestlers
Head Coach Mark Manning and the Husker wrestling program announced the signings of four high school seniors and one junior college athlete who plan to enroll and compete at Nebraska beginning with the 2012-13 season.

This year's class includes four wrestlers that have won state championships, and one wrestler that qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman in 2010-11. The signees also include Howells, Neb., native and three-time Nebraska state champion Eric Coufal. Two of the recruits are ranked inside the top 85 nationally, according to InterMat.

2011-12 Nebraska Wrestling Signees (bold weights indicate projected college division)
Eric Coufal, Howells, Neb. (Howells) - 125/133

Coufal is the next wrestler to sign a letter-of-intent with the Huskers, continuing a strong connection between the Nebraska wrestling program and Howells High School. Coufal will begin his senior season with hopes of becoming only the state's 17th four-time state champion. A member of the NWCA Class D Academic All-State team as a junior, Coufal won his third state championship in as many years by pinning Garrett Bowder in 5:20 in the state final to finish his season 49-0. As a freshman he won the 103-pound state championship, before winning the 112-pound Class D title his sophomore year to help him rack up 124 career wins to go with no losses. Coufal will project as a 125 or 133 pounder.

Frank Cagnina, Hillsdale, N.J. (Iowa Central CC/Lehigh/Queen of Peace) - 133
Cagnina will come to Nebraska from Iowa Central Community College after transferring from Lehigh following his true freshman season. Cagnina will bring a wealth of experience to the Huskers as he qualified for the NCAA tournament at 133 pounds in his only season with the Mountain Hawks in 2011. The Hillsdale, N.J., native finished his season with a 20-6 overall record and nine major decision victories.

Cagnina was a highly rated recruit coming out of Queen of Peace High School where he was a three-time state champion and owned a 162-4 career record. Cagnina won the 103-pound state title as a freshman, before winning state titles his junior and senior seasons at 125 and 130 pounds, respectively. Cagnina went 82-0 during his last two seasons in high school. Ranked second nationally in his weight class and No. 20 overall, Cagnina was a Super 32 finalist two times and captured the title in 2009.

Ben Morgan, Forest Lake, Minn. (Forest Lake) - 133
Morgan is a five-time state qualifier for Forest Lake High School and won the 2008 112-pound Class AAA state championship as an eighth grader to finish his year with a 44-3 record. The No. 84 overall recruit in the country according to InterMat, Morgan has racked up 196 career victories during his five year career, which included varsity seasons in seventh and eighth grade. In 2009, Morgan took third at the state meet at 119 pounds and has placed third in both 2010 and 2011 at 130 pounds to help him become the school's all-time wins leader. Morgan is the son of 1996 U.S. Olympic wrestler Gordy Morgan.

Tim Lambert, Forest Hills Mich. (Forest Hills Eastern) - 125
The No. 2 ranked wrestler at 120 pounds and No. 35 recruit nationally, Lambert has finished in the top five at the Michigan state wrestling tournament for three consecutive seasons. Lambert took home third place as a junior by going 61-1, after recording a second place finish as a sophomore. Lambert finished in fifth place as a freshman. This summer, Lambert made a strong showing at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., pinning Cory Clark from Iowa to take third place honors. Lambert owns the Michigan state high school record for most three-point near falls in a season with 125 in 2010-11, breaking his own record of 109 which he did in 2009-10. Lambert has a 178-5 overall record entering his senior season.

McCoy Newberg, Franklin, Tenn. (Independence) - 174/184
The first recruit to join the Husker program from the state of Tennessee since Matt Keller in 2002-03, Newberg is a two-time state placer at the DI Tennessee state wrestling championships, including a first-place finish his junior season at 160 pounds. Newberg finished his junior year with a 51-2 record and won the Most Outstanding Wrestler award in his division for his efforts on the mat. Newberg was dominant during his state championships season, recording 157 takedowns, 23 pins and 11 technical falls. As a sophomore, Newberg finished third at the state championships which helped him reach his 129 career win total. Newberg is a two-time NHSCA All-American, including a second place finish in 2009 as a freshman.

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.

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.