Huskers Surge Past Cowboys, 26-12

Lincoln, Neb. – Trailing Wyoming 9-12, the No. 8 Nebraska wrestling team (6-0) won the final five matches of the dual en route to a 26-12 triumph over the Cowboys at the Devaney Center on Friday night.

Ranked wrestlers Jake Sueflohn (149), James Green (157), Austin Wilson (165), Robert Kokesh (174) and TJ Dudley (184) all earned victories during the Huskers’ closing run.

No. 6 Sueflohn tied the dual at 12 following his 4-0 decision over Brandon Richardson. After a first-period takedown for the junior from Watertown, Wis., Sueflohn added a second-period escape before an additional point for riding time.

No. 4 Green improved to 19-0 on the season after notching a 5-1 decision over No. 20 Andy McCulley on Friday night. Following a scoreless first period, Green earned a reversal in the second period and tacked on a takedown in the third period with a point for riding time.

At 165 pounds, No. 14 Wilson struck first against Wyoming’s Dakota Friesth to take a 3-0 lead into the third period. Friesth responded with a takedown to cut the lead to 3-2 before a stalling penalty gave Wilson a 4-2 advantage. Wilson, a sophomore, earned a riding time point to win by a 5-2 margin.

No. 4 Kokesh dominated from start to finish in a 19-4 technical fall over the Cowboys’ Jace Jensen. Kokesh earned six takedowns in the match en route to his third technical fall of the season.

In the final match of the dual, No. 16 Dudley battled Benjamin Stroh back and forth before emerging with a 9-6 victory. Dudley trailed 0-2 in the first period before a last-second takedown gave him a 3-2 lead. The pair traded reversals in the second period before a late nearfall for Dudley. Nursing a 7-4 lead in the third period, Dudley chose down and earned a pair of escapes for the final result.

Nebraska collected victories in two of the first five matches, with Collin Jensen (HWT) and Colton McCrystal (133) adding points for the Huskers.

After Spencer Johnson (197) fell by a 4-3 decision in the opening match of the dual, Jensen responded with an 8-3 triumph over Leland Pfeifer. Jensen earned two takedowns in the first period and added a third in the final period before notching a riding time point at the finish.

No. 10 Tim Lambert (125) fell in a back-and-forth match against No. 8 Tyler Cox, 3-1, before McCrystal won by forfeit at 133 pounds. At 141 pounds, redshirt freshman Ben Morgan was pinned by Cole Mendenhall in 6:11.

The Huskers return to the Devaney Center next weekend for two duals. On Friday night, Nebraska hosts Big Ten foe Indiana at 7 p.m., before Saturday night’s showdown against Penn at 6 p.m. The Penn dual will be part of Nebraska’s “Tumble and Rumble” event with the women’s gymnastics team. Both matchups will be streamed on the Big Ten Digital Network.

No. 8 Nebraska 26, Wyoming 12
Bob Devaney Sports Center
Friday, Jan. 3, 2014
Attendance: 1,125

Official Results
197: Shane Woods (WYO) by dec. over Spencer Johnson (NEB), 4-3 (WYO 3, NEB 0)
HWT: Collin Jensen (NEB) by dec. over Leland Pfeifer (WYO), 8-3 (NEB 3, WYO 3)
125: #8 Tyler Cox (WYO) by sudden victory over #10 Tim Lambert (NEB), 3-1 (WYO 6, NEB 3)
133: Colton McCrystal (NEB) wins by forfeit (NEB 9, WYO 6)
141: Cole Mendenhall (WYO) by fall over Ben Morgan (NEB), 6:11 (WYO 12, NEB 9)
149: #6 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) by dec. over Brandon Richardson (WYO), 4-0 (NEB 12, WYO 12)
157: #4 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #20 Andy McCulley (WYO), 5-1 (NEB 15, WYO 12)
165: #14 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over Dakota Friesth (WYO), 5-2 (NEB 18, WYO 12)
174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by tech. fall over Jace Jensen (WYO), 19-4 (NEB 23, WYO 12)
184: #16 TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over Benjamin Stroh (WYO), 9-6 (NEB 26, WYO 12)