Huskers Hit the Road to Face Jackrabbits

No. 11 Nebraska (1-0, 1-0) vs. South Dakota State (0-1)
Frost Arena • Brookings, S.D. • Sunday, Nov. 24 • 2 p.m. CT
Series History: Nebraska leads, 18-16-2
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 32-7, in Nov. 18, 2012, in Lincoln, Neb.
Twitter Feed: @HuskerWrestling 

The No. 11 Nebraska wrestling team (1-0, 1-0 Big Ten) heads to Brookings, S.D. for its first road dual of the season against South Dakota State at Frost Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.

The Huskers are making their second trip to South Dakota this season after appearing in the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 3. Three Huskers won individual titles at the tournament, including South Dakota natives Robert Kokesh (Wagner) and Collin Jensen (Mobridge). Kokesh is projected to start at 174 pounds this weekend and Jensen could see time at heavyweight against the Jackrabbits.

Head Coach Mark Manning, who is in his 14th season at Nebraska, is also a South Dakota native. Manning hails from Vermillion and will be going for his 200th career victory on Sunday afternoon.

Nebraska looks to continue its momentum from a 25-16 triumph over then-No. 19 Northwestern in the season-opening dual at the Devaney Center. Newcomers Colton McCrystal (133) and Anthony Abidin (141) along with redshirt freshman Tim Lambert (125) helped the Huskers jump out to an early 9-0 lead against the Wildcats before reigning All-Americans Kokesh (won by forfeit) and James Green (157) added bonus points to secure the victory. Redshirt freshman TJ Dudley (184) added a pin in his first dual for the Huskers.

Lambert, McCrystal and Abidin are all projected to start at their respective weight classes following close victories. Junior Jake Sueflohn (149) looks to rebound from back-to-back losses this weekend against South Dakota State’s Alex Kocer.

Green and Kokesh will start at 157 and 174 pounds, respectively, as Dudley has earned the spot at 184 pounds. Sophomore Austin Wilson is expected to start at 165 pounds following a loss against Northwestern.

Junior Spencer Johnson is projected to start for NU at 197 pounds after a third-place finish at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open last weekend. Johnson pinned four of his opponents in Ames, Iowa.

At heavyweight, Nebraska could start either Jensen or Nyle Bartling. Jensen is 4-0 this season and Bartling is 3-3.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with South Dakota State, 18-16-2. Last season the Huskers won eight matches against the Jackrabbits to post a 32-7 victory at the NU Coliseum. NU earned bonus points from Green, Kokesh, Skylar Galloway, Caleb Kolb and then-senior Josh Ihnen. Nebraska holds a 10-dual win streak over South Dakota State, dating back to 1982.

Sunday’s dual can be tracked on Twitter by following @HuskerWrestling. In addition, a recap with final results will be available on Huskers.com following the matchup.

Last Time Out: Huskers Down Wildcats in Dual Opener, 25-16
Nebraska’s newcomers provided narrow wins early and both returning All-Americans added bonus points to lead the No. 13 Huskers to a 25-16 season-opening victory over No. 19 Northwestern at the Devaney Center on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Nebraska (1-0, 1-0 Big Ten) never trailed the Wildcats during the dual as Tim Lambert (125) and Colton McCrystal (133) posted overtime wins in the first two matches. Lambert battled Northwestern’s Garrison White to extra time before earning a takedown in second overtime for an 8-6 triumph.

McCrystal, a true freshman, took down Dominick Malone in the closing seconds of the third period at 133 pounds to tie the score, 6-6. McCrystal earned an escape in overtime to notch a 7-6 victory in his first-ever collegiate match.

Newcomer Anthony Abidin (141) trailed the Wildcats’ Pat Greco 0-2 in the early going before dominating the rest of the way for a 7-2 win. Abidin improves to 5-1 on the season following his second-place showing at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 3.

The Huskers suffered their first loss of the dual at 149 pounds as No. 4 Jake Sueflohn fell to No. 9 Jason Tsirtsis by a 3-2 decision. The loss marks Sueflohn’s second of the season.

Nebraska responded at 157 pounds as No. 4 James Green defeated Ben Sullivan to give the Huskers a 13-3 lead before the halfway break. Green raced out to an early lead and never looked back in a 19-10 major decision.

At 165 pounds, Northwestern’s Pierce Harger (No. 11 in InterMat) defeated No. 20 Austin Wilson, 8-0, before No. 4 Robert Kokesh won by forfeit at 174 pounds.

Redshirt freshman TJ Dudley (184) earned the first dual start of his career and finished it in style with a pin over Jacob Berkowitz in 3:42. Dudley registered his third pin of the season for the Huskers.

Caleb Kolb (197) and Nyle Bartling (HWT) fell in the final two matches of the dual, but the Huskers held on for a 25-16 victory. Kolb was edged by Alex Polizzi, 4-2, and Bartling was pinned by No. 2 Mike McMullan in 2:58.

Scouting the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
South Dakota State is 0-1 on the season following a 26-10 loss at home against Drexel on Nov. 9. The Jackrabbits also competed at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open last weekend and hosted the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 3.

149-pounder Alex Kocer leads the team in wins this season with 13. The only other Jackrabbit with double-digit victories is Joe Brewster (165) with 11. Those two are projected to start in addition to Ben Gillette (125), Brance Simms (133), Eric Orozco (141), Cody Pack (157), Trey Hable (197) and J.J. Everard (HWT). South Dakota State could start either John Nething II or Brady Ayers at 174 pounds. At 184 pounds, either Shea Nolan or Ben Schwery will represent the Jackrabbits.

South Dakota State is coached by Chris Bono, who is in his second season as head coach of the Jackrabbits. Bono holds a record of 5-13 at the school and a 44-30 record overall in more than four years as a head coach.

Manning One Win Shy of 200th Career Victory
Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning is one win shy of the 200th of his career after defeating Northwestern last weekend. Manning, who is in his 17th overall year as a head coach, holds a 199-95-5 record. He is in his 14th season at Nebraska, where he is 176-71-3. Prior to coaching the Huskers, Manning spent three seasons with Northern Iowa, compiling a 23-24-2 record with the Panthers.

Newcomers Look to Continue Momentum
Newcomers Anthony Abidin (141) and Colton McCrystal (133) each earned narrow victories in their first dual for Nebraska and are each projected to start this weekend at South Dakota State.

MCrystal, a true freshman, posted a 7-6 overtime win over Northwestern’s Dominick Malone in the second match of the dual. Abidin, a sophomore, took down Pat Greco by a 7-2 decision on Sunday. In addition, Abidin finished second at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 3.

In all, the Huskers added 11 newcomers in the offseason and have 13 returning letterwinners from last year.

Huskers in the Rankings
Nebraska has four wrestlers ranked in InterMat’s latest poll, released on Nov. 19. Juniors James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) each garnered the No. 4 ranking in their respective weight classes. Fellow junior Jake Sueflohn is sixth at 149 pounds and redshirt freshman Tim Lambert is 15th at 125 pounds.

The WIN Magazine rankings were released on Nov. 18 and feature four Huskers in its poll as well. Kokesh garnered the top ranking by a Husker with the No. 4 spot, while Green rounds out the top five at 157 pounds. Sueflohn is sixth and Austin Wilson is 14th at 165 pounds.

In the Amateur Wrestling News poll, released on Nov. 19, four Huskers achieved top-20 rankings. Green leads the way with a No. 3 ranking as Kokesh is fourth and Sueflohn is No. 7. Lambert is ranked 14th at 125 pounds.

As a team, Nebraska is ranked in the top 15 of the InterMat, WIN Magazine and USA Today/NWCA/Amateur Wrestling News Coaches rankings. The Huskers are ninth in the InterMat poll, ninth in WIN Magazine and 11th in the Coaches poll.

Huskers Sign Six Wrestlers for 2014-15
The Nebraska wrestling team announced the addition of six wrestlers on Wednesday, Nov. 20, who signed national letters of intent for the 2014-15 season.

“We are extremely excited to add these six young men,” Head Coach Mark Manning said. “They all possess a tremendous passion for our sport, and are focused to be champions on and off the mat. Our staff really put a lot of time and effort into recruiting these young men and we feel so positive about each one, and the success they will have through the culture of our program. They will represent Nebraska and our program in a first-class manner, and compete at high standards.”

Nick Bennett - Novi, Mich. (Detroit Catholic Central) – 149/157
Bennett is ranked 97th on InterMat’s Top-100 Recruits list and No. 15 in the country at 152 pounds. He placed third at the 2013 Super 32 Challenge and won the 145-pound title at the 2013 Grappler Fall Classic in Michigan. Before moving to Michigan, Bennett won two state titles at St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. After his final year at Detroit Catholic Central in Novi, Mich., Bennett is projected to wrestle at 149 or 157 pounds for Nebraska.

Derek White - Edmond, Okla. (Edmond North) – 197
White signs with the Huskers while finishing his career at Edmond North High School in Edmond, Okla. White has a career mark of 91-33 and holds the Edmond North school record for takedowns with 212 over the span of his career. A 2013 state champion and 2011 state runner-up, White is ranked fourth in the country at 195 pounds by InterMat and No. 77 overall. He finished third at the 2013 Junior National Freestyle Championships in Fargo, N.D., and earned runner-up honors at the 2013 Super 32 Challenge.

Colton Adams - Scottsbluff, Neb. (Scottsbluff) – 141
Adams enters his senior year at Scottsbluff High School in Nebraska having captured three consecutive Class B state titles. Last season, Adams capped a 53-1 season with the 132-pound crown after winning at 126 pounds as a sophomore with a 37-3 mark. He won the 112-pound title as a freshman at Scottsbluff. Adams is ranked 12th at 132 pounds by InterMat and 64th in the country. He finished third at the 2012 Walsh Ironman and took fourth at the 2013 Super 32 Challenge.

Dustin Williams - Gardner, Kan. (Gardner Edgerton) – 157/165
Williams is a three-time state placer with a 119-11 career record at Gardner Edgerton in Kansas. Last season Williams capped a perfect 43-0 season with his second state title. He won the Rocky Mountain Nationals and finished fifth at the 2013 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals at 160 pounds. Williams is projected to wrestle at 157 or 165 pounds at Nebraska.

Hayden Tuma - Boise, Idaho (Centennial) - 141
A senior at Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho, Tuma is ranked 11th in the country by InterMat and No. 3 at 138 pounds. Tuma has won three state titles and holds a career high school record of 125-4. He has won two Reno Tournament of Champions titles and is one of two current high school wrestlers in the nation to make the Greco-Roman World Team three years in a row.

Tyler Berger - Prineville, Ore. (Crook County) – 149/157
Berger is a three-time state champion at Crook County High School in Oregon and holds a career record of 150-3. Berger is ranked 44th by InterMat across all weight classes and 10th in the country at 152 pounds. He won the 148-pound title of the High School Elite Division at the 2013 Freak Show Tournament. Berger is projected to wrestle at either 149 or 157 pounds for the Huskers.

Huskers Show Depth at Wrestle-Offs
Nebraska held its annual Wrestle-Offs in conjunction with the Fall Coaches Clinic at the Devaney Center on Friday, Nov. 8.

Returning All-American Robert Kokesh (174) made one appearance, winning a 17-2 technical fall over McCoy Newberg. 2013 NCAA qualifiers Jake Sueflohn (149) and Caleb Kolb (197) also competed during Wrestle-Offs and each won both of their matches.

Sueflohn opened with a pin over Luis DeAnda in 2:47 before winning by injury default over newcomer Destin McCauley. Kolb battled Spencer Johnson to extra time twice on the night, winning by a 3-2 margin on both occasions.

At 184 pounds, Aaron Studebaker and TJ Dudley split their matches against each other. Studebaker won the first battle by a 4-2 decision, while Dudley won the second showdown, 6-5.

At 125 pounds, redshirt freshman Tim Lambert defeated Shawn Nagel twice, winning the first by pin in 4:52 and the second by technical fall, 18-0. At 133 pounds, Colton McCrystal put together a pair of victories. McCrystal took down Ben Morgan, 6-1, before defeating Eric Montoya, 7-4.

Micah Barnes (165) won both of his matches, defeating Brandon Wilbourn by injury default and outlasting Ian Ousley, 12-3. At 157 pounds, John Svoboda picked up a pair of wins. Svoboda opened with a 5-2 triumph over Ousley and added a 5-2 decision over Metzler.
The heavyweights battled once on Friday night, with Nyle Bartling notching an injury default victory over Collin Jensen.

At 141 pounds, Anthony Abidin pinned Adam Joseph in 1:27 following Joseph’s 5-3 decision over Tyrell Galloway.

Huskers Face Challenging Schedule
Nebraska will make its second of 14 dual appearances on Sunday, leading up to the NCAA Championships, March 20-22, in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Huskers will also compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7), Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 22) and Big Ten Championships (March 8-9) during the season.

After taking down No. 18 Northwestern in the opening dual of the season, the Huskers will face seven additional teams that are currently ranked in the USA Today/NWCA/AWN Poll, released on Nov. 19.

On Nov. 30, the Huskers will wrestle at the Stanford Duals against Utah Valley, Stanford and CSU-Bakersfield, starting at 1 p.m. Stanford is currently ranked 23rd in the Coaches Poll.

NU returns to Lincoln for a four-match home stand at the newly renovated Devaney Center starting on Jan. 3 against Wyoming at 7 p.m. The Huskers host Indiana (Jan. 10), Penn (Jan. 11) and No. 4 Iowa (Jan. 18) during that stretch.

The Huskers conclude the dual season with five consecutive matches against top-25 opponents. NU hits the road on Jan. 24 to face No. 9 Ohio State before traveling to No. 20 Purdue (Jan. 26) and No. 7 Illinois (Feb. 1). Nebraska’s final home dual of the season is Feb. 7 against No. 19 Michigan. The regular season finale is Feb. 21 at No. 24 Wisconsin.

BTN, BTDN to Feature Huskers Nine Times
Nebraska will appear on the Big Ten Network twice during the 2013-14 season, while making seven appearances on the Big Ten Digital Network.

The Huskers’ first BTN coverage will occur on Saturday, Jan. 18 against Iowa at the Devaney Center at 4:30 p.m. CT. Nebraska will also be on BTN for its road dual in Champaign, Ill., against Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 1. The matchup starts at 4 p.m.

The first of Nebraska’s BTDN appearances is Friday, Jan. 3 against Wyoming. The dual starts at 7 p.m., at the Devaney Center. The Huskers’ other nonconference dual on BTDN is the Jan. 11 home matchup against Penn. The start time will be announced at a later date.

NU’s first of five inner-conference BTDN appearances is Friday, Jan. 10 as the Huskers host Indiana at 7 p.m. The Huskers’ home dual against Michigan on Friday, Feb. 7 will also be on BTDN, starting at 7 p.m.

Road appearances on BTDN include matchups with Ohio State (Jan. 24 at 6 p.m.), Purdue (Jan. 26 at noon) and Wisconsin (Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.).

The Big Ten has also announced times and coverage for the Big Ten Championships, March 8-9, in Madison, Wis. Session I on March 8 starts at 10 a.m., with a stream on BTDN. Session II on the same day begins at 5 p.m., on BTDN. Sunday’s Session III commences at 11 a.m., with the third-place matches slated for 1 p.m., on BTDN. BTN will broadcast the first-place matches at 1 p.m., on Sunday.

BTDN is available at http://video.btn.com/allaccess/ and requires a subscription. All dates and times of scheduled events are subject to change and can be found on www.BTN.com.
Any changes to Nebraska’s schedule during the season can be found on Huskers.com.

Burroughs Wins Second FILA World Title
Former Husker Jordan Burroughs added to his international wrestling legacy this fall by winning the 74-kg freestyle gold medal at the 2013 FILA World Championships on Sept. 18.

Burroughs captured his third consecutive world title with the win, which includes the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal in London, England, and the 2011 FILA World Championship. His crown marks the third FILA freestyle title won by a former Husker as Bill Scherr won at 90 kg in 1985.

In the gold medal match, Burroughs defeated Iran’s Essadollah Akbari by a 4-0 decision. Burroughs took a 1-0 lead late in the first period following a push out and extended the lead to 2-0 in the second period with an additional push out. With time winding down in the match, the Sicklerville, N.J. native took down Akbari to close out the match.

Burroughs opened the tournament with a 9-2 technical fall over Gamid Dzhalilov of Tajikistan before winning 7-0 over India’s Narsingh Yadav in the second round.

After the first round of the quarterfinals, Burroughs managed a 1-0 lead over Jabrayil Hassanov of Azerbaijan. The American struck quickly in the second period, however, and extended his lead to 7-0, which stood as the final score.

Burroughs faced Ali Shabanau of Belarus in the semifinals and trailed 0-1 before a double at the end of the first period gave him the lead. Burroughs expanded his lead as Shabanau received penalties for hitting Burroughs in the face. Burroughs held on to a 6-1 lead at the five-minute mark but Shabanau received his third caution and was ultimately disqualified.

Burroughs extended his international winning streak to 65 consecutive matches with his performance in Hungary. He was a two-time NCAA champion at Nebraska and won the Hodge Trophy in 2011.

Green Competes at World University Games
Nebraska All-American James Green went 1-1 representing the United States in freestyle wrestling at the 2013 World University Games at Ak Bars Wrestling Palace on July 11.

Green, a junior from Willingboro, N.J., defeated Finland’s Petteri Martikainen, 4-0, in his opening match in the 66 kg class. Martikainen finished fifth at the 2012 World University Championships.

Nebraska’s two-time All-American was then eliminated from medal contention in the round of eight with a loss to Kyrgyzstan’s Ulukman Mamatov.

Russia’s Magomed Kubanaliev defeated Armenia’s Devid Safaryan 3-1 to capture the gold medal at 66 kg.

Green was one of seven wrestlers from Big Ten schools competing on the 14-member USA Wrestling Team at the World University Games.

Green earned his place on the USA Wrestling World University Games Team by capturing the 66 kg/145.5-pound championship at 2013 ASICS University Freestyle Nationals in Akron, Ohio in late May.

Green was one of four U.S. wrestlers competing in freestyle at the World University Games, along with Ed Ruth (Penn State, 84kg), Nico Megaludis (Penn State, 55 kg) and Tyrell Fortune (Grand Canyon, 120 kg), who earned a bronze medal for the United States.