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Nine Husker wrestlers earned preliminary seeds in their weight classes for this weekend's Big Ten Championships after the conference announced them on Monday.
The pre-seeds, as voted on by the conference's coaches, rank the top eight wrestlers in five weight classes, along with 11 or 12 schools' starters in five weight classes due to the Big Ten receiving eight or more NCAA Championships qualifier allocations in those classes. Each team enters the championships with a seeded wrestler in the 165-, 174- and 285-pound weight classes.
Sophomore Robert Kokesh (174) and senior Josh Ihnen (184) each earned the No. 3 seed in their weight classes as the highest-seeded Huskers. Kokesh leads Nebraska with 29 wins this season, which includes a 15-2 dual record. His only two losses on the season came to the pair seeded ahead of him, Logan Storley of Minnesota and Mike Evans of Iowa.
Ihnen is 21-4 this season with a 13-4 record in dual competition. The senior has racked up two pins, six technical falls and four major decisions during the 2012-13 campaign. Ihnen is seeded behind Ed Ruth of Penn State and Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota, who each took him down this season.
Sophomores Jake Sueflohn (149) and James Green (157) are seeded fourth in their respective weight classes. Sueflohn is 20-4 with five major decisions and an 11-3 dual record. Green is 18-3 with three technical falls and five major decisions. He compiled an 11-2 dual mark with losses to Dylan Alton of Penn State (No. 3 seed) and Derek St. John of Iowa (No. 1 seed).
Senior Ridge Kiley is the sixth seed at 141 pounds and has a 14-9 record in 2012-13. Redshirt freshman Austin Wilson (165) and junior Shawn Nagel (133) are the No. 8 seeds in their respective weight classes. Wilson is 24-10 with a 7-4 dual record that included four technical falls and four major decisions. Nagel is 15-14 and compiled a 6-10 dual mark this season.
Sophomore Spencer Johnson (HWT) and junior Caleb Kolb (197) round out the seeded Huskers. Johnson is the No. 9 seed with a 6-5 record and a 4-4 record in duals. Kolb is the 11th seed after a 16-15 season and 7-10 dual mark.
The Big Ten Championships start on Saturday and go through Sunday at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill.
Husker Wrestlers in the Big Ten
Championships Pre-Seedings
133: #8 Shawn Nagel
141: #6 Ridge Kiley
149: #4 Jake Sueflohn
157: #4 James Green
165: #8 Austin Wilson
174: #3 Robert Kokesh
184: #3 Josh Ihnen
197: #11 Caleb Kolb
HWT: #9 Spencer Johnson