Session IV: Two Huskers Earn All-America Honors

Des Moines, Iowa – Robert Kokesh (174) fell in his semifinal match and James Green (157) clinched All-America honors at the NCAA Championships on Friday.

Kokesh and Green become Nebraska’s 92nd and 93rd All-Americans. In the team standings, the Huskers are in 15th place with 31.5 points. Penn State leads overall with 114.5 points.

No. 4-seed Kokesh trailed No. 1-seed Chris Perry of Oklahoma State 1-0 heading to the third period, but a reversal gave Kokesh a 2-1 lead before Perry’s escape. The lights at Wells Fargo Arena partially went out as the grapplers headed to overtime in a 2-2 tie. Perry took down the Husker sophomore in the extra period for a 4-2 victory.

Kokesh will face No. 3-seed Mike Evans of Iowa in the consolation semifinals on Saturday, with the winner battling for third place. Kokesh lost their meeting earlier this season in a 9-6 decision on Feb. 10 in Iowa City, Iowa. He is 36-4 in 2012-13.

Green, the No. 4-seed, avenged a loss from earlier this season to No. 8-seed Dylan Alton in the wrestleback bracket by a 14-4 major decision. With the win, the Husker sophomore earned back-to-back All-America honors. Last season he finished seventh as a true freshman. 

Green didn’t fare as well in his second match of the session, falling by pin to No. 12-seed Jedd Moore of Virginia at 6:15. Green is set to wrestle No. 5-seed James Fleming of Clarion in the seventh-place match on Saturday morning.

Josh Ihnen (184) and Jake Sueflohn (149) each fell one win short of All-America status. Ihnen, the eighth seed, lost a 5-2 decision to No. 6-seed Ryan Loder of Northern Iowa in the wrestleback bracket. Ihnen, an Iowa native, finishes his season with a 27-8 record and ends his Nebraska career with a 100-41 mark. Sueflohn, the No. 9-seed, fell by a 5-3 decision to Minnesota’s Dylan Ness, the No. 6-seed.

Session V begins Saturday on ESPNU with the wrestleback semifinals and third through eighth place medal rounds at 10 a.m. Session VI’s championship finals start at 7 p.m., and will be on ESPN.

NCAA Championships
March 21-23, 2013
Wells Fargo Arena
Des Moines, Iowa

Results
First Round
141: #10 Charles Cobb (PENN) by dec. over Ridge Kiley (NEB), 2-0
149: #9 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) by major dec. over Ronnie Garbinsky (PITT), 16-3
157: Kyle Bradley (MIZZ) by tiebreaker-2 over #4 James Green (NEB), 6-5
165: Zach Toal (MIZZ) by dec. over Austin Wilson (NEB), 6-2
174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by pin over Ian Korb (PENN), 4:08
184: #8 Josh Ihnen (NEB) by dec. over MacKain Stoll (NDSU), 6-0
197: #4 Alfonso Hernandez (WYO) by major dec. over Caleb Kolb (NEB), 15-5

Consolation Bracket Pigtail Round
165: Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over Mike Ottinger (CMU), 6-2

Championship Bracket Second Round
149: #9 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) by dec. over #8 Nick Brascetta (VT), 4-2
174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over Cody Walters (OHIO), 8-3
184: Max Thomusseit (PITT) by dec. over #8 Josh Ihnen (NEB), 3-1

Consolation Bracket First Round
141: Daniel Neff (LOCK) by dec. over Ridge Kiley (NEB), 8-5
157: #4 James Green (NEB) by tech. fall over Bobby Barnhisel (NAVY), 21-6
165: Austin Wilson (NEB) by pin over Mark Lewandowski (BUFF), 2:01
197: Caleb Kolb (NEB) by sudden victory over Alex Polizzi (NW), 3-1

Consolation Bracket Second Round
157: #4 James Green (NEB) by major dec. over Taylor Walsh (IND), 19-8
165: Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over Josh Condon (CHATT), 10-7
184: #8 Josh Ihnen (NEB) by dec. over Stephen Doty (Virginia), 7-5
197: Richard Perry (BLOOM) by dec. over Caleb Kolb (NEB), 7-3

Championship Bracket Quarterfinals
149: #1 Jordan Oliver (OKST) by major dec. over #9 Jake Sueflohn (NEB), 11-3
174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by major dec. over #5 Josh Asper (MD), 11-3

Consolation Bracket Third Round
157: #4 James Green (NEB) by pin over Tommy Churchard (PUR), 3:31
165: #5 Steven Monk (NDSU) by major dec. over Austin Wilson (NEB), 9-1
184: #8 Josh Ihnen (NEB) by dec. over Tony Dallago (ILL), 9-6

Consolation Bracket Fourth Round
149: #6 Dylan Ness (MINN) by dec. over #9 Jake Sueflohn (NEB), 5-3
157: #4 James Green (NEB) by major dec. over #8 Dylan Alton (PSU), 14-4
184: #6 Ryan Loder (UNI) by dec. over #8 Josh Ihnen (NEB), 5-2

Championship Bracket Semifinals
174: #1 Chris Perry (OKST) by sudden victory over #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB), 4-2

Consolation Bracket Quarterfinals
157: #12 Jedd Moore (Virginia) by pin over #4 James Green (NEB), 6:15