No. 7 Huskers Set to Battle Hawkeyes

No. 7 Nebraska (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 2 Iowa (7-1, 2-0 Big Ten)
NU Coliseum (4,030)  I  Lincoln, Neb.  I  Friday, Jan. 13, 2012  I  7 p.m.
Series History: NU trails, 8-21-2
Last Meeting: NU lost, 33-3, on Jan. 9, 2010 in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Video: Big Ten Network (tape delay - 9 p.m. CT)
Live Stats: www.huskers.com
*Before the Huskers' dual, Nebraska high school programs Kearney and Madison will face off at 5 p.m.
* "Red Out" the Coliseum: Fans are encouraged to wear red on Friday as we try to "Red Out" the NU Coliseum. The first 100 students in attendance will receive a free red Nebraska wrestling T-shirt at the door. Students must show a valid student ID in order to receive a shirt.

Fresh off its home upset over No. 6 Ohio State last Friday, the No. 7 Nebraska wrestling team returns to action on Friday, Jan. 13, when it hosts the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes at the NU Coliseum at 7 p.m. The Huskers own a perfect 10-0 record on the season and are 1-0 in Big Ten duals, while Iowa enters the dual with a 7-1 mark and is 2-0 in conference matches. The Huskers are off to their best start in school history after winning their first 10 duals and will look to tie the school record for most consecutive dual wins in a season (11), which was set in 1982-83. Fans are encouraged to wear red on Friday as we try to "Red Out" the Coliseum. The first 100 students in attendance will receive a free red Nebraska wrestling T-shirt at the door. Students must show a valid student ID upon entry.

Like last Friday's dual, a match between two Nebraska high school programs will take place before the Huskers take the mat. Kearney High School and Madison High School will dual before the Huskers starting at 5 p.m. Tickets for the special event are $10 and can be bought at the door or by calling 1-800-8BIGRED.

Friday's match can be seen on the Big Ten Network on tape delay, beginning at 9 p.m. following the dual. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons will break down the action in the Huskers' first appearance on the Big Ten Network this season. Fans can also follow live stats for Friday's dual at Huskers.com.

Coming off its upset of over Ohio State last week, the Huskers catapulted seven spots to No. 7 in the latest NWCA poll, which was released on Tuesday, Jan. 10. In their win over the Buckeyes, the Huskers got several key victories throughout the lineup, including true freshman Jake Sueflohn's upset of No. 6 Hunter Stieber at 141 pounds. After giving up an early takedown, Sueflohn exploded with 10 unanswered points and won the match by major decision, 10-2, to set the tone for the rest of the dual.

Along with Sueflohn, the Huskers have received major contributions from three freshmen in the lineup. True freshman James Green leads the team in victories at 157 pounds with a 20-3 overall record and team-high seven major decisions. Redshirt freshman Robert Kokesh has been dominant at 165 pounds en route to his 18-2 overall record, with 14 of those victories coming in bonus-point fashion. At 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Brandon Wilbourn is 9-5 and has won five straight matches before falling in overtime to Cam Tessari of Ohio State.

Last Time Out: Huskers Upset No. 6 Ohio State
Behind a trio of bonus-point victories, the Nebraska wrestling team upset the Ohio State Buckeyes, 18-16, on Friday, Jan. 6, in its Big Ten opener. The Huskers won their school-record 10th straight dual to open the season, while giving the Buckeyes their first loss on the year to drop their record to 7-1.

Wrestling in front of 1,451 fans at the NU Coliseum, NU beat its first top 10 opponent since defeating No. 6 Missouri on Jan. 21, 2009. Nebraska got three key bonus-point wins on the night, including one from true freshman Jake Sueflohn (141), who upset No. 6 Hunter Stieber (OSU) by major decision, 10-2. After an early takedown by Stieber, No. 7 Sueflohn responded with 10 unanswered points, including a 3-point nearfall with 58 seconds left to put the Buckeye away.

Sueflohn has defeated five ranked opponents this season and owns an overall record of 16-3.

Senior Tucker Lane (Hwt) got the Huskers started with his dominating win over No. 17 Peter Capone to open the match. Lane gained a 3-1 advantage going into the third period and was able to keep Capone in the bottom position for final two minutes of action.

Following victories at 133 and 149 pounds for Ohio State, true freshman James Green (131) defeated Josh Demas (OSU) by decision, 7-4, to tie the team score at 10-10. No. 10 Green used two first period takedowns to pull away from Demas and collect his team-leading 20th victory. The Willingboro, N.J. native, has won eight consecutive matches for NU.

At 165 pounds, No. 3 Robert Kokesh gave the Huskers their biggest lead of the night with his 9-1 major decision victory over Derek Garcia (OSU). Kokesh owns an 18-2 overall record, and added to his bonus-point victory total which is now at 14.

No. 5 Nick Heflin (OSU) brought the Buckeyes back within one after defeating Tyler Koehn at 174 pounds. Koehn was able to get in on Heflin's legs on several early shot attempts, but couldn't convert. Heflin sealed the match with a takedown with 22 seconds remaining in the third period.

Following the loss, junior Josh Ihnen (184) put the match out of reach for OSU at 18-13 with his major decision victory over Craig Thomas (OSU). Ihnen was dominant during every period of the match en route to his 12-0 victory.

In the last match of the dual, OSU's Andrew Campolattano defeated NU's James Nakashima (197) by decision, 5-3, but it wasn't enough as the Huskers held on for the 18-16 win.

Ersland Facing Alma Mater
Nebraska assistant coach Tony Ersland will face off against his alma mater on Friday when the Huskers battle the Hawkeyes. Ersland was a four-time letterwinner for Iowa from 1994-1997 and was an NCAA qualifier his senior year. The sixth-year assistant coach helped the Hawkeyes to four consecutive national championships and Big Ten Championships during his time.

The Huskers feature two wrestlers on their roster from the state of Iowa in juniors Ridge Kiley and Josh Ihnen. Kiley is a native of Eagle Grove, Iowa, while Ihnen comes from Sheldon, Iowa.

Burroughs to be Presented Living the Dream Medal Fund Check
Former Husker and two-time national champion Jordan Burroughs will receive a $50,000 check during intermission of Friday's dual from the Living a Dream Medal Fund, which awards all USA wrestlers who earned a medal at last September's World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Burroughs became the first American world champion since 2006 after finishing his illustrious career at Nebraska.

Five Huskers Ranked Inside InterMat Top 10
The Nebraska wrestling team was well represented in the latest InterMat individual rankings, which were released Tuesday, Jan. 10. The Huskers have seven wrestlers ranked inside the top 20 at their respective weight classes, including five ranked inside the top 10.

The Huskers are led by No. 3 Robert Kokesh (165), who has a 18-2 overall record this season and is a perfect 10-0 in dual competition. True freshman Jake Sueflohn moved up to No. 6 in the rankings after his major decision win over Hunter Stieber (Ohio State), while James Green ranked at No. 10 for the second week in a row. Sueflohn, a Watertown, Wis., native, has won 16 matches this season, while Green leads the team in victories with 20.

Senior Tucker Lane (Hwt) is ranked at No. 9, while junior Josh Ihnen (184) is placed at No. 7. Lane has been a force at heavyweight, defeating six nationally ranked opponents to help him to his 16-2 overall record. Ihnen has won 14 matches this season and has taken down five ranked foes.

Junior Ridge Kiley (133) is ranked inside the top 20, checking in at No. 19, and junior Tyler Koehn cracked the rankings for the first time this season at No. 20.

Scouting the Iowa Hawkeyes
The No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes will travel to Lincoln after seeing its 84-dual winning streak snapped after falling to Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 7. The Hawkeyes have been the gold standard for college wrestling having won three out of the last four national championships as a team. Iowa owns a 7-1 dual record so far this season and are 2-0 in Big Ten duals, beating Illinois and Indiana earlier in the season. The Hawkeyes have won 48 consecutive matches on the road.

Iowa has seven ranked wrestlers in its projected lineup, highlighted by No. 2 Matt McDonough (125) and No. 3 Tony Ramos (133). Both wrestlers own a 17-1 overall record, while Ramos is coming off an upset of No. 1 Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State in his last match. No. 3 Montell Marion (141), a two-time All-American, will face off against Jake Sueflohn at 141 pounds, marking one of three potential top 10 match ups for the dual. Marion is 15-1 this season and 7-0 in dual competition.

Other ranked wrestlers for Iowa include No. 9 Mike Evans (165), No. 11 Ethen Lofthouse (174), No. 19 Grant Gambrall (197) and No. 8 Bobby Telford (Hwt).

Husker History vs. Iowa
The Huskers and Hawkeyes have faced off a total of 31 times in their histories, with Iowa holding a lead in the all-time record, 8-21-2. Iowa won the last match up between the two, 33-3, on Jan. 9, 2010, at the National Duals in Fullerton, Calif. Nebraska's last victory over the Hawkeyes came on Jan. 14, 2006, when NU won by a score of 24-13.

Huskers Look to Make History
After already setting the record for most consecutive wins to start a season with 10, the Huskers will look to tie the school record for most consecutive victories in a season with 11. The last time a Nebraska team won 11 straight duals was in 1982-83. The 82-83 team finished its season with a 17-3 overall dual record and was sixth at the NCAA Championships.

Kolb Returns to Lineup, Creates Competition at 174
Sophomore Caleb Kolb made his first appearance in the Husker lineup against Arizona State after starting all of one dual at 174 pounds last season. Kolb, who sat out the first half of the season with an injury, was dominant in his return, racking up 18 points in a major decision victory over Jacob Graham (ASU). Kolb will continue to battle junior Tyler Koehn for the starting spot at 174. Koehn has a 13-5 overall record this season.

Lane Six Victories Away from 100-Win Club
Senior heavyweight Tucker Lane is only six wins away from becoming the 20th wrestler in Nebraska history to win 100 matches during his career at Nebraska. Lane is a four-year starter at heavyweight for the Huskers, and has posted at least 23 victories in each of his first three seasons. The three-time NCAA qualifier won 28 matches during his redshirt freshman season, before winning 23 his sophomore year and 27 last season.

The latest Husker to join the 100-win club was two-time NCAA champion Jordan Burroughs, who did so in 2010-11.

Freshmen Making Mark
The Huskers have received a boost from four freshmen in the middle of the lineup to help propel the team to its 10-0 start. Redshirt freshmen Brandon Wilbourn (149) and Robert Kokesh (165), along with true freshman Jake Sueflohn (141) and James Green (157) have combined to capture 30 dual victories. Green leads the pack with 20 overall victories and has won seven duals by major decision. The Willingboro, N.J., is currently ranked at No. 10 by InterMat. Kokesh has been nearly perfect this season, only dropping two matches to en route to his 18-2 record and a No. 3 ranking. The Wagner, S.D., native has won 14 out of his 18 matches in bonus-point fashion, with seven pins, one technical fall and six major decisions. Sueflohn has won 16 matches this season and has a 9-1 dual record, while Wilbourn has won five out of his last six matches to improve his record to 9-5

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 on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Kokesh extended the NU's lead over Wyoming to seven points with only two matches remaining with his 5-0 decision 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.

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 159-61-3 record, which is the best clip in school history. For his career, Manning owns a 182-85-5 record after spending three seasons at Northern Iowa.

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 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.

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.