Huskers Travel to Cliff Keen Invitational

32nd Annual Cliff Keen Invitational
Las Vegas Convention Center • Las Vegas, Nev. • Friday, Dec.6 - Saturday, Dec. 7 • 11 a.m.
Event Information: www.cklvwrestle.com
Results: www.escapesports.com
Live Video Streaming: www.flowrestling.org
Schedule of Events (all times central)
Friday, Dec. 6
11 a.m.: Pigtail Round, Round 1, Round 2, Consolation Pigtails and Consolation Round 1
8 p.m.: Quarterfinals and Consolation Round 2 & 3
Saturday, Dec. 7
11 a.m.: Consolation Round 4
Noon: Semifinals and Consolation Round 5, Consolation Semifinals, Consolation Finals (5th & 6th, 7th & 8th)
5 p.m.: Championship Finals (1st & 2nd, 3rd & 4th)

The No. 10 Nebraska wrestling team (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) makes its first of two trips to Nevada this month for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Friday’s action begins at 11 a.m. CT, with the pigtail round, followed by rounds 1 and 2 as well as the consolation pigtails and first round of consolation matches. The quarterfinals are set for 8 p.m., along with the second and third rounds of the consolation bracket.

Competitors return to the mat on Saturday at 11 a.m., for the fourth round of consolation matches. At noon, the semifinals and consolation round 5 will be contested, followed by the consolation semifinals and consolation finals for fifth and seventh place. The championship finals for first and third place are set for 5 p.m.

Event information can be found on the Cliff Keen Invitational website, while results will be available on Escape Sports’ website and live video streaming is on Flowrestling.

Last year, Robert Kokesh (174) and then-senior Josh Ihnen (184) won individual weight class titles to lead the Huskers to a fifth-place finish. Jake Sueflohn (third at 149), James Green (eighth at 157) and then-senior Ridge Kiley (seventh at 141) also placed for Nebraska.

The Huskers come to Las Vegas fresh off three dominating victories at the Stanford Duals on Saturday, Nov. 30. Nebraska outscored Utah Valley, then-No. 18 Stanford and CSU-Bakersfield by a combined score of 106-18. Tim Lambert (125), Anthony Abidin (141), Sueflohn, Green, Kokesh and TJ Dudley (184) each posted perfect 3-0 marks at the Stanford Duals.

All of them are expected to start this weekend in Las Vegas, along with Colton McCrystal (133), Austin Wilson (165), Spencer Johnson (197) and Collin Jensen (HWT).

Last Time Out: Huskers Sweep Stanford Duals
No. 10 Nebraska won all three of its matchups at the Stanford Duals on Saturday, Nov. 30, defeating Utah Valley, No. 18 Stanford and CSU-Bakersfield.

In the opening dual, the Huskers split the first four matches against Utah Valley before adding bonus points in five of the last six matches for a 36-6 victory.

The dual started at heavyweight, where Collin Jensen fell by sudden victory, 7-5, to Adam Fager. No. 15 Tim Lambert (125) came back to tie the score with his 11-5 decision over Bracken Nipko. At 133 pounds, Ben Morgan lost a 16-13 decision before Anthony Abidin notched a 12-7 decision at 141 pounds.

Nebraska’s scoring barrage started at 149 pounds when No. 5 Jake Sueflohn won a 12-1 major decision over Trevor Willson. James Green, the No. 4 wrestler in the country at 157 pounds, won by injury default and No. 20 Austin Wilson won a 16-0 technical fall over Utah Valley’s Logan Addis at 165 pounds.

No. 4 Robert Kokesh won by forfeit at 174 pounds to give NU a 27-6 lead heading to the final two matches. At 184 pounds, TJ Dudley pinned Ethan Smith in 5:52 before Caleb Kolb finished the match off with a 3-2 decision over the Wolverines’ Derek Thomas.

Against Stanford, Jensen fell in the opening match by decision before Lambert notched one of his own for the Huskers at 125 pounds. The Cardinal’s No. 3 Ryan Mango (133) pinned Colton McCrystal in 1:32, but Abidin responded for Nebraska at 141 pounds with a pin over Matt Garelli in 4:43.

Notched in a 9-9 tie, the Huskers won five of the last six matches en route to a 28-12 win over the Cardinal. Sueflohn and Green each notched major decisions before Wilson fell by a 4-1 decision to No. 15 Jim Wilson.

Kokesh took down Stanford’s Zach Nevills at 174 pounds by an 18-3 technical fall before Dudley (184) and Spencer Johnson (197) closed out the match with decisions. Dudley defeated Thomas Kimbrell, 6-1, and Johnson defeated Michael Sojka, 6-3.

Nebraska dominated in its third dual of the day from start to finish against CSU-Bakersfield to post a 42-0 triumph over the Roadrunners.

Jensen and Lambert started the scoring for the Huskers by each notching major decisions. At 133 pounds, McCrystal won a 7-5 decision over Jose Mendoza.

Abidin (141) completed a 3-0 day with a major decision over CSU-Bakersfield’s Ian Nickell, 15-5. Sueflohn (149) and Green (157) also each capped perfect performances at the Stanford Duals with bonus points wins against the Roadrunners. Sueflohn won by technical fall over Dalton Kelley and Green won a major decision over Spencer Hill.

Wilson won a decision at 165 pounds before Kokesh (174) and Dudley (184) each pinned their opponents. Dudley registered two pins on Saturday and has three falls in four dual appearances this season. Kolb closed out the dual with a 10-3 decision over Reuben Franklin at 197 pounds.

All-Americans Continuing Success in 2013-14
Returning All-Americans Robert Kokesh (174) and James Green (157) have showed no signs of slowing down from last season and are each undefeated in 2013-14.

Kokesh takes a 10-0 mark into the Cliff Keen Invitational, following a dual season where he has achieved bonus points in all five appearances. In all, Kokesh has four pins, two technical falls and two major decisions on the year, helping his team-leading 29 dual points. The Wagner, S.D. native opened his season by winning the 174-pound title at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open in his home state.

Green is 8-0, with bonus points in every one of his wins this season. He has one pin, one technical fall and four major decisions this season. He is 4-0 in duals following his first-place showing at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 3.

Last season at the NCAA Championships, Kokesh finished third at 174 pounds and Green finished seventh at 157 pounds.

Manning Earns 200th Career Victory
Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning picked up his 200th career victory on Sunday, Nov. 24, when the Huskers took down South Dakota State, 36-6.

Manning, who is in his 17th season overall, earned the win in his home state of South Dakota. The Vermillion, S.D. native holds a career record of 203-95-5. Manning is 180-71-3 in his 14th season at Nebraska after compiling a 23-24-2 record in three seasons at Northern Iowa.

Huskers in the Rankings
Nebraska has seven wrestlers ranked in InterMat’s latest poll, released on Dec. 3. Juniors James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) each garnered the No. 4 ranking in their respective weight classes, while fellow junior Jake Sueflohn is sixth at 149 pounds. Redshirt freshman Tim Lambert jumped five spots to No. 10 at 125 pounds following a perfect 3-0 weekend in Stanford, Calif. Sophomore Austin Wilson moved up to 18th at 165 pounds, while Colton McCrystal and Anthony Abidin each made their first appearance in the rankings this season. McCrystal is 19th at 133 pounds and Abidin is No. 20 at 141 pounds.

The WIN Magazine rankings were released on Dec. 2 and feature four Huskers in its poll. Kokesh and Green are each fourth, while Sueflohn rounds out the top five at 149 pounds. Lambert is 13th at 125 pounds.

In the Amateur Wrestling News poll, released on Dec. 3, five Huskers achieved top-20 rankings. Green leads the way with a No. 3 ranking as Kokesh and Sueflohn are each fourth. Lambert is ranked 11th at 125 pounds and McCrystal is No. 15 at 133 pounds.

As a team, Nebraska is ranked in the top 10 of the InterMat, WIN Magazine and USA Today/NWCA/Amateur Wrestling News Coaches rankings. The Huskers are seventh in the InterMat poll, eighth in WIN Magazine and 10th 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 14 dual appearances this season, 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 this weekend as well as the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 22) and Big Ten Championships (March 8-9) during the season.

After taking down No. 17 Northwestern in the opening dual of the season and routing No. 18 Stanford last weekend, the Huskers will face five additional teams that are currently ranked in the USA Today/NWCA/AWN Poll, released on Dec. 3.

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. 3 Iowa (Jan. 18) during that stretch.

The Huskers conclude the dual season with four matches against top-25 opponents. NU hits the road on Jan. 24 to face No. 8 Ohio State before traveling to No. 19 Purdue (Jan. 26) and No. 7 Illinois (Feb. 1). Nebraska’s final home dual of the season is Feb. 7 against No. 20 Michigan. The regular season finale is Feb. 21 at 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.