Huskers Look to Crown First Big Ten Champion

2014 Big Ten Championships
Kohl Center (17,230) • Madison, Wis. • Saturday, March 8 - Sunday, March 9
Tournament Central: www.uwbadgers.com/b1gwrestling
Video Streaming (subscription required): Big Ten Digital Network
TV: Big Ten Network
Twitter Feed: @HuskerWrestling (www.twitter.com/HuskerWrestling)
Live Results: TrackWrestling.com

Schedule of Events
Saturday, March 8
Session I - 10 a.m. (BTDN - subscription required)
Session II - 5 p.m. (BTDN - subscription required)

Sunday, March 9
Session III - 11 a.m. (BTDN - subscription required)
Session IV - 1 p.m. (BTN)
*All times central

Two weeks after making its final dual appearance of the season, Nebraska heads to Madison, Wis., for the Big Ten Championships on Saturday and Sunday at the Kohl Center.

NU will be making its second trip to Madison since Feb. 21 when the Huskers closed out their dual season with a win over the Badgers. The Huskers, who are in their third year as members of the conference, look to crown their first-ever Big Ten champion.

The Big Ten Championships start on Saturday with Session I at 10 a.m. CT. Session II is also slated for Saturday and will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday’s action consists of Session III, starting at 11 a.m., and the championship finals, which begin at 1 p.m. The first three sessions will be streamed on the Big Ten Digital Network and the finals will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Robert Kokesh (174) and Jake Sueflohn (149) each earned the No. 1 pre-seed in their respective weight class for the tournament. Sueflohn will be returning to his native state of Wisconsin for the tournament. He was a two-time state champion at Arrowhead in Watertown, Wis.

James Green will represent the No. 2 seed at 157 pounds, while 184-pounder TJ Dudley is projected to be the fourth seed.

Additional seeded Huskers include Tim Lambert (No. 6 at 125), Austin Wilson (No. 8 at 165), Shawn Nagel (No. 9 at 133), Collin Jensen (No. 9 at HWT) and Caleb Kolb (No. 10 at 197). Freshman 141-pounder Colton McCrystal will also be competing for the Huskers at the Big Ten Championships.

Last Time Out: Huskers Knock Off Badgers, 22-15
Four Huskers earned bonus-point victories to propel Nebraska (12-2, 6-2 Big Ten) to a 22-15 triumph over Wisconsin in front of 1,021 fans at UW Field House on Friday, Feb. 21.

The dual marks Nebraska’s last of the season as the Huskers completed a perfect record away from home (8-0). The two losses tie the fewest by Nebraska in a season under Head Coach Mark Manning, who is in his 14th season. In 2004-05, the Huskers went 19-2-1 under Manning.

Senior Shawn Nagel (133) started the scoring for NU with his first-period pin of Matt Cavallaris in the second bout of the night. Nagel’s fall came at 1:27 after the Huskers’ No. 11 Tim Lambert suffered a loss at 125 pounds to No. 9 Ryan Taylor.

No. 6 Jake Sueflohn (149) managed Nebraska’s other victory before the halfway point as he posted a 7-1 decision over Ryan Lubeck. Sueflohn, a junior, earned takedowns in each of the first two periods before tacking on a point for riding time at the end of the match. The victory marks Sueflohn’s 14th straight as he improved to 27-3 and completed the dual season with a 13-1 record.

No. 1 James Green suffered his first loss of the season after a 26-0 start to No. 7 Isaac Jordan at 157 pounds by a 3-1 margin in the second sudden victory period. However, the Huskers reeled off wins in the next three matches to build a 22-9 lead.

165-pounder Austin Wilson started NU’s scoring run in a dominating 12-0 major decision over Frank Cousins. After an early takedown for the Husker sophomore, he added a pair of three-point near falls in the opening stanza to build an 8-0 advantage. Wilson managed a takedown in the second period and earned one point for riding time in the third period.

Junior Robert Kokesh (174) completed a perfect 14-0 dual season with a commanding victory over No. 20 Scott Liegel, 16-1. Like Wilson, Kokesh built an 8-0 lead with an early takedown and two near falls in the first period. Kokesh added three more takedowns in the match before a point for riding time to earn his fifth technical fall of the season.

At 184 pounds, redshirt freshman TJ Dudley won by an 11-2 major decision over Dylan Iczkowski. Dudley earned two takedowns in the first period and added near fall points to take a 7-2 lead after the opening stanza. After riding out Iczkowski in a scoreless second period, Dudley escaped from the down position before a late takedown and riding time point.

In addition to Green and Lambert’s losses, the Huskers also fell at 141, 197 pounds and heavyweight. At 141 pounds, Colton McCrystal dropped a 5-0 decision to Jesse Thielke. Caleb Kolb (197) fell by an 8-3 margin to Timmy McCall, while heavyweight Collin Jensen lost a 5-2 decision to No. 10 Connor Medbery.

Husker History at the Big Ten Championships
Nebraska is set to make its third all-time appearance at the Big Ten Championships this weekend since joining the conference in 2011. Last season the Huskers finished seventh after taking eighth place in 2012. NU looks to crown its first-ever Big Ten champion after having three Huskers finish second: Jake Sueflohn (2013), James Green (2013) and Josh Ihnen (2012).

The Huskers have crowned 60 individual conference champions in all, with David Klingsheim and Jordan Burroughs accomplishing the feat most recently at the 2011 Big 12 Championships. Nebraska has won seven team conference titles, with the most recent occurring in 2009 at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb.

Nine Huskers Pre-Seeded for Big Ten Championships
Nine Huskers earned preliminary seeds for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships when the conference announced them on Monday, March 3.

Juniors Jake Sueflohn (149) and Robert Kokesh (174) lead the way for Nebraska, each garnering the No. 1 spot in their respective weight classes. At 157 pounds, fellow junior and two-time All-American James Green is the No. 2 seed.

TJ Dudley leads a trio of seeded redshirt freshmen, with the No. 4 spot at 184 pounds. Tim Lambert is the sixth seed at 125 pounds and heavyweight Collin Jensen is the ninth seed.

Sophomore Austin Wilson will be the No. 8 seed at 165 pounds for the tournament. Seniors Shawn Nagel (No. 9 seed at 133 pounds) and Caleb Kolb (No. 10 seed at 197 pounds) are also seeded for the Big Ten Championships.

Nebraska Pre-Seeds for Big Ten Championships
125: #6 Tim Lambert
133: #9 Shawn Nagel
149: #1 Jake Sueflohn
157: #2 James Green
165: #8 Austin Wilson
174: #1 Robert Kokesh
184: #4 TJ Dudley
197: #10 Caleb Kolb
HWT: #9 Collin Jensen

Seven Huskers in RPI, Coaches’ Panel Rankings
Seven Huskers earned spots on the NCAA’s latest Coaches’ Panel Rankings and RPI Rankings, released on Thursday, Feb. 27. It was the third set of coaches’ rankings and second set of RPI Rankings.

Junior 157-pounder James Green led the way with the No. 1 ranking at 157 pounds in both polls. Despite suffering his first loss of the season in his most recent outing, Green heads into the Big Ten Championships with 26 wins. The two-time All-American posted a 12-1 record in dual competition this season.

Fellow junior Robert Kokesh (174) also earned top-five spots in both sets of rankings. Kokesh is No. 3 in the Coaches’ Panel Rankings and fourth in the RPI Rankings. The reigning All-American rides a 15-match winning streak after completing the dual season with a perfect 14-0 record.

At 149 pounds, junior Jake Sueflohn managed the No. 4 spot from the coaches and earned the No. 7 ranking in the RPI. Sueflohn has a 14-match winning streak heading into the Big Ten Championships and sits at 27-3 overall this season.

Redshirt freshman TJ Dudley is seventh in the RPI Rankings and eighth in the coaches’ poll at 184 pounds. Dudley made a big impact during his first season in the NU lineup, going 13-1 in duals and posting a 25-4 mark overall.

Tim Lambert (125), Austin Wilson (165) and Collin Jensen (HWT) also earned spots on both sets of rankings. Lambert is 12th in the Coaches’ Rankings and 29th in the RPI Rankings. Wilson earned the No. 13 spot in the RPI, while garnering the 20th ranking by the coaches. Jensen is 22nd by the coaches and 27th in the RPI.

In addition to the rankings, the NCAA also released the weight-by-weight allocations on Thursday. The Big Ten will have 74 spots in the national tournament, with heavyweight getting the most with nine. Eight Big Ten wrestlers will earn spots at 133, 157, 165 and 197 pounds, respectively.

At 125, 174 and 184 pounds, seven Big Ten grapplers will make it for each weight class, while six wrestlers each are projected to make it at 141 and 149 pounds.

NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings (Feb. 27)
125: #12 Tim Lambert
149: #4 Jake Sueflohn
157: #1 James Green
165: #20 Austin Wilson
174: #3 Robert Kokesh
184: #8 TJ Dudley
HWT: #22 Collin Jensen

Back Points - Individuals to Note
Robert Kokesh, 174 pounds, Jr., 29-1, Wagner, S.D.
• Robert Kokesh completed a perfect dual season with a 14-0 record, starting every match at 174 pounds. He is the first Husker to accomplish this feat since Jordan Burroughs in 2010-11.

• Kokesh has won 15 matches in a row, dating back to his 3-2 setback to No. 1 Andrew Howe of Oklahoma at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 7.

• Kokesh is three wins shy of the 100th of his collegiate career at Nebraska. The third-year starter holds a 97-12 career record, with 29 of those victories coming this season. He is seeking to become the 22nd member of Nebraska’s 100-win club, with Josh Ihnen most recently reaching the milestone last season.

• Kokesh is five wins shy of earning a spot on Nebraska’s Top 10 Season Wins by a Junior List.

• Kokesh is six wins shy of earning a spot on Nebraska’s Top 20 Season Victories List for the second consecutive season. He won 38 matches in 2012-13 en route to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

• Kokesh is on a pair of NCAA Awards Lists. He is sixth on the NCAA Division I Most Dominant List with 4.35 points. He is 10th on the technical fall list with five in 27:08.

• Kokesh has won a pair of tournaments this season, capturing the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open title on Nov. 3 and the Reno Tournament of Champions crown on Dec. 22. He finished second at the Cliff Keen Invitational, Dec. 6-7.

• Kokesh is near the top of the list in every statistical category for the Huskers this season. He leads the team in overall wins (29), dual wins (14) and dual points (67). He is tied for first in pins (8) and technical falls (5). Kokesh is second on the team in major decisions (8).

• Kokesh is a 2013 All-American, two-time NCAA Championships qualifier and has finished third at the Big Ten Championships on two occasions.

James Green, 157 pounds, Jr., 26-1, Willingboro, N.J.
• James Green held the No. 1 spot in the InterMat, TheOpenMat.com, WIN Magazine, Asics FloRankings and WrestlingReport polls for a four-week stretch following his victory over defending national champion Derek St. John of Iowa on Jan. 18. Green’s run came to an end following his loss to Wisconsin’s Isaac Jordan on Feb. 21.

• During the week of Green’s ascent to the top spot, he claimed a pair of national honors. Green won USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week on Jan. 21 and Flowrestling.com’s Brute Wrestler-of-the-Week Award on Jan. 20.

• Green was named to the Hodge Trophy’s Sensational Six List on Feb. 3, along with Oklahoma’s Andrew Howe (174), Edinboro’s Mitchell Port (141), Penn State’s Zain Retherford (141), Maryland’s Jimmy Sheptock (184) and Penn State’s David Taylor (165).

• Green has taken home three tournament titles this season, winning the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open (Nov. 3), Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7) and Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 22) crowns.

• Green went 12-1 in duals this season and boasts 26 wins overall. He has four pins, three technical falls and six major decisions.

• Green is eight wins away from making Nebraska’s Top 10 Season Wins by a Junior List.

• Green is a two-time All-American, finishing seventh in both 2012 and 2013. He took runner-up honors at the 2013 Big Ten Championships and finished fifth at the conference tournament in 2012. Green holds a career record of 85-16.

Jake Sueflohn, 149 pounds, Jr., 27-3, Watertown, Wis.
• Jake Sueflohn is 27-3 this season and completed the dual campaign with a 13-1 record. His 27 wins overall are second on the team, while his dual win total is tied for second. He leads the team in major decisions (9).In addition, Sueflohn has three pins and two technical falls.

• Sueflohn has won 14 straight matches since falling to No. 2 Kendric Maple of Oklahoma at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 7.

• Sueflohn earned the Reno Tournament of Champions title on Dec. 22. He earned runner-up finishes at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open (Nov. 3) and Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7).

• Sueflohn is seven wins away from making Nebraska’s Top 10 Season Wins by a Junior List.

• Sueflohn is a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier and fell one match short of All-America status in 2013. He finished second at the 2013 Big Ten Championships and fifth at the 2012 Big Ten Championships. He holds a career record of 76-21.

Austin Wilson, 165 pounds, So., 19-11, Hastings, Neb.
• Austin Wilson is four wins shy of the 50th of his collegiate career at Nebraska. He holds a career record of 46-25, with 19 of those wins coming this season.

• Wilson is tied for first on the team in technical falls (5). In addition, he has two pins and two major decisions.

• Wilson has a pair of top-five tournament finishes this season. He took runner-up honors at the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 22) and finished fifth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7).

• Wilson qualified for the NCAA Championships last season.

TJ Dudley, 184 pounds, RFr., 25-4, Irmo, S.C.
• TJ Dudley made a big impact during his first year in Nebraska’s lineup, going 13-1 in duals and compiled a 25-4 record overall. He has won five matches in a row heading into the Big Ten Championships.

• Dudley is three wins away from a spot on Nebraska’s Top 10 Season Wins by a Freshman.

• Dudley is tied for first on the team in pins (8). He holds second place alone in dual points (57) and is tied for second on the team in dual wins (13). In addition, he has seven major decisions, which is third-best on the team.

• Dudley has a pair of top-three tournament performances this season. He knocked off two ranked opponents at the Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 6-7) en route to a runner-up finish and took third at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open (Nov. 3).

Dual Season in Review
Nebraska finished the dual season with a 12-2 record, going 6-2 in the Big Ten. The Huskers were one win shy of a three-way tie for first in the conference.

The two losses tie the fewest by Nebraska in a season under Head Coach Mark Manning, who is in his 14th season. In 2004-05, the Huskers went 19-2-1 under Manning. Prior to the Manning Era, Nebraska’s most recent two-loss team was in 1961-62. The last time NU had one loss in a season was 1952-53.

The Huskers went 5-0 in true road duals and put together a perfect 3-0 record in neutral site matches. Nebraska finished its home season with a 4-2 mark, winning over Northwestern, Wyoming, Indiana and Penn at the Devaney Center. In addition, the Huskers went 6-2 against ranked opponents.

Trio of Redshirt Freshmen Making Impact
Redshirt freshmen TJ Dudley (184), Tim Lambert (125) and Collin Jensen (HWT) each earned spots in Nebraska’s lineup this season and completed the dual season with winning records.

The trio has combined to go 62-23, while compiling a 29-12 dual record. They have collectively earned five top-three tournament finishes.

Huskers Surpass 11,000-Fan Mark for Home Duals
Nebraska had 11,958 fans in attendance this season over six duals as the Huskers made their return to the Devaney Center. Nebraska managed four duals of more than 1,000 fans, and surpassed the 2,500-fan plateau in each of its final three matchups. The highest attended dual this season was Jan. 18 against Iowa, where 3,946 fans showed up.

Juniors Lead Dual Season Win Total
The junior class led the Huskers in dual competition this season, winning 42 matches among six different wrestlers. The redshirt freshmen, who have had four different starters, have compiled 29 wins. The sophomores have accounted for 12 wins, while lone freshman starter Colton McCrystal has earned six victories. Three seniors have started and accumulated six wins.

Battle for Pin King
Robert Kokesh (174) and TJ Dudley (184) lead all Husker starters with eight pins each heading into the Big Ten Championships. In what has been a back-and-forth battle all season, Dudley managed the most recent fall when he pinned Ohio State’s Kenny Courts to tie the race at eight. Non-varsity member McCoy Newberg (174) also has eight pins this season. Spencer Johnson (197), Collin Jensen (HWT) and Aaron Studebaker (184) are all tied for fourth on the team with five pins apiece.

Huskers in the Rankings
Five Huskers are ranked in InterMat’s latest poll, released on March 4. James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) each garnered the No. 3 spot in their respective weight class, while fellow junior Jake Sueflohn (149) holds the No. 6 ranking. Redshirt freshmen TJ Dudley (ninth at 184) and Tim Lambert (11th at 125) are also ranked.

The WIN Magazine rankings were released on March 3 and feature five Huskers in its poll. Sueflohn and Green lead the way, each holding the No. 2 position in their respective weight class. Kokesh is third, Dudley is 12th and Lambert is No. 14.

In TheOpenMat.com’s poll, released on Feb. 25, six Huskers achieved top-20 rankings. Sueflohn is No. 2 at 149, while Green and Kokesh each hold the third spot. Dudley is ninth, Lambert is 13th and sophomore Austin Wilson is 20th at 165 pounds.

As a team, Nebraska is ranked 10th by InterMat, seventh in WIN Magazine and eighth in the USA Today/NWCA/Amateur Wrestling News Coaches rankings.

Fans Set Attendance School Record at Iowa Dual
The audience of 3,946 that showed up to the Devaney Center on Saturday, Jan. 18 set a record for largest home crowd in Nebraska wrestling’s dual history.

Nebraska Wrestling’s Largest Home Crowds
1. Iowa (2014) - 3,946
2. Iowa State (2001) - 3,574
3. Iowa (2012) - 3,526
4. Oklahoma State (2005) - 3,442
5. Missouri (2008) - 3,252

BTN, BTDN Giving Huskers Exposure
The Huskers made two dual appearances on the Big Ten Network this season, while appearing on the Big Ten Digital Network six times.

BTN broadcasted Nebraska’s home dual against Iowa on Jan. 18 as well as the Huskers’ road victory over Illinois on Feb. 1. BTDN streamed NU’s matchups against Wisconsin, Indiana, Wyoming, Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan. NU’s win over Penn on Jan. 11 was streamed on Huskers.com as part of the “Tumble N Rumble” event.

This weekend’s Big Ten Championships will also be on BTN and BTDN. Session I on Saturday starts at 10 a.m. CT 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 www.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.

Next Up: NCAA Championships
Nebraska concludes its 2013-14 campaign in two weeks at the NCAA Championships at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. The first session begins on Thursday, March 20, and the tournament runs through Saturday, March 22. The ESPN family of networks will provide the broadcast coverage for the NCAA Championships.

Husker Wrestling on Social Media
Nebraska wrestling can be followed on a variety of social media platforms for up-to-date team information as well as features on wrestlers:

• Twitter: @HuskerWrestling (www.twitter.com/HuskerWrestling)
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/NebraskaWrestling
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/HuskerWrestling
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/HuskerWrestling
• Flowrestling: www.flowrestling.org/user/NEwrestle

“Behind the Grind” is a weekly video blog that showcases the Nebraska wrestling program. Each week, photos from the Nebraska wrestling room will be tweeted to show behind-the-scenes footage of practice. Additionally, following practice a wrestler and/or coach will talk about Nebraska wrestling while also previewing the upcoming week. Fans are encouraged to tweet their questions for each coach and wrestler at @HuskerWrestling.

Three Huskers Earn Reno Titles
Jake Sueflohn (149), James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) each won their respective weight division titles to lead Nebraska to the team championship at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday, Dec. 22.

The Huskers finished with 159 points, which was 56 ahead of second-place Wyoming. North Carolina finished third with 97 points.

After Sueflohn took a first-round bye, he won back-to-back major decisions before capping his perfect day with three consecutive decisions. He won the championship match by a 7-1 margin over The Citadel’s Matt Frisch.

Green pinned three of his five opponents in Reno, while adding a technical fall and one decision. He took down Andy McCulley of Wyoming in the championship bout, 9-5. Green earned his third tournament title of the season after claiming the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open and Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational crowns as well.

Kokesh capped his performance with a 3-1 decision over Southern Oregon’s Brock Gutches in the finals. Kokesh added a decision in his opening bout, but earned two pins and two major decision in his other matches. His quickest pin came in the third round in a time of 1:02.

Tim Lambert (125) and Austin Wilson (165) each made it to the finals in their respective weight classes, but ultimately took runner-up honors. Lambert went 4-1 with a major decision before falling to Wyoming’s Tyler Cox in the finals by a 4-3 margin. Wilson opened with back-to-back technical falls before a major decision in the third round. He lost to Corey Mock of Tennessee-Chattanooga, 9-1, in the championship match.

At 141 pounds, Anthony Abidin earned a third-place finish, winning a 13-0 major decision over CSU-Bakersfield’s Ian Nickell in his final match. Abidin registered two pins on his way to the semifinals before falling by an 8-3 decision to Joey Ward. Abidin won two matches in the consolation bracket following his lone loss of the day.

Spencer Johnson (197) and Collin Jensen (HWT) each finished fifth. Johnson dropped a 3-1 decision to Reuben Franklin of CSU-Bakersfield in his first match of the day, but reeled off five consecutive victories before suffering his second loss. He defeated Upper Iowa’s Carl Broghammer by injury default in the fifth-place match.

Jensen pinned his first opponent, but lost in the second round. In the consolation bracket, he won five matches, two of which were by fall. His final victory was a pin in 5:37 over Wayne Purnell of West Virginia.

Colton McCrystal (133), Ben Morgan (133), Brandon Wilbourn (165), McCoy Newberg (174), TJ Dudley (184) and Aaron Studebaker (197) also competed at the Reno Tournament of Champions for the Huskers.

Green Captures Cliff Keen Crown
James Green won the 157-pound title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational to lead Nebraska to a second-place finish on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The Huskers’ 130.5-point total was 24 points behind team champion Oklahoma.

Green opened his day with a 7-5 sudden victory over Michigan’s Brian Murphy in the semifinals. In the finals, Green outlasted No. 12 Brian Realbuto of Cornell, 6-5, to capture the title.

Anthony Abidin (141), Jake Sueflohn (149), Robert Kokesh (174) and TJ Dudley (184) each advanced to the finals in their respective weight classes, but fell in the championship bout.
Abidin earned a medical forfeit win over Virginia Tech’s Devin Carter in the semifinals before losing to No. 1 Logan Stieber of Ohio State by a 16-1 technical fall. Sueflohn managed a 7-6 win over No. 7 Eric Grajales of Michigan, but fell by an 8-3 margin to No. 5 Kendric Maple of Oklahoma in the finals.

Kokesh won a 6-0 decision over No. 11 Stephen Doty of Virginia in the semifinals, but lost a 3-2 decision to No. 1 Andrew Howe of Oklahoma. Kokesh suffered his first loss of the season after a 14-0 start.

Dudley defeated No. 18 Benjamin Stroh of Wyoming in the semifinals, 18-9, before losing a 13-3 major decision to No. 12 Gabriel Dean of Cornell in the finals.

Austin Wilson (165) and Colton McCrystal (133) each started the day in the consolation bracket and managed top-eight finishes. After a decision and a pin for Wilson, he fell by a 4-2 margin to Northern Iowa’s Cooper Moore. In the fifth-place match, Wilson bounced back to win a 9-8 decision over Cornell’s Dylan Palacio.

McCrystal opened his day with a 5-2 decision over Rutgers’ Vincent Dellafave before being pinned by No. 18 Rosario Bruno of Michigan. In the seventh-place, McCrystal fell to Navy’s Colton Rasche, 8-5.

At heavyweight, Collin Jensen dropped his lone match of the day to No. 14 Ross Larson of Oklahoma by fall.

Tim Lambert (125) and Spencer Johnson (197) each lost their opening match on the first day to fall into the consolation bracket. Both picked up a win in the consolation bracket, but were ultimately eliminated.

Manning Earns 200th Career Victory
Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning picked up his 200th career dual 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 210-97-5. Manning is 187-73-3 in his 14th season at Nebraska after compiling a 23-24-2 record in three seasons at Northern Iowa.

Huskers Return to Devaney Center
Nebraska returned to the Devaney Center this season for all of its home duals after years of wrestling at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers opened their home dual season on Nov. 17 before hosting a four-dual home stand in January and finished their home calendar at the newly renovated 7,907-seat venue against Michigan on Feb. 7.

In addition to hosting duals, the Devaney Center and Hendricks Training Complex house the wrestling offices, locker room, weight room and wrestling room, all just steps from each other, providing an atmosphere conducive to elite training. The Hendricks Complex, which is inside the Devaney Center, includes a practice facility, coaches’ offices as well as strength and conditioning and athletic medicine areas.

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.

Three Huskers Win at Daktronics Open
Robert Kokesh (174), James Green (157) and Collin Jensen (HWT) each captured titles to open the season in the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open at Frost Arena on Sunday, Nov. 3.

Kokesh tore through the bracket at 174 pounds with two pins, one technical fall and two major decisions. The Wagner, S.D., native opened with a fall in 6:04 over Augustana College’s Drake Fanslau and added a pin in 2:06 in the semifinals against Michael Joseph of Minnesota. Kokesh completed his tournament run with a 13-3 major decision over Missouri’s Mike England in the finals.

Green took home the title at 157 pounds with a victory in the finals over Kyle Bradley of Missouri. Green added a pin, major decision and technical fall leading into the final match. His fall occurred in 1:49 in the quarterfinals against Northern Illinois’ Andrew Morse.

Jensen captured the heavyweight crown in South Dakota by winning four matches after a first-round bye. Jensen pinned his first opponent in 2:46 before a major decision in the quarterfinals. He won back-to-back decisions to cap his championship run, including a 7-3 victory over Devon Mellon of Missouri in the finals.

Tim Lambert (125), Anthony Abidin (141) and Jake Sueflohn (149) each made appearances in the finals but fell by decision to finish second. Lambert finished the day with four wins, including two by technical fall. Abidin achieved a pin in 1:08 and a technical fall as part of his four victories on Sunday. Sueflohn won five matches, earning two pins and two major decisions in the process.

Ben Morgan (133), TJ Dudley (184) and Spencer Johnson (197) each finished third in their respective weight classes. Dudley defeated fellow Husker Aaron Studebaker, 9-4, in the third-place match at 184 pounds.

Additional Husker placers include Brandon Wilbourn (fourth at 165), McCoy Newberg (fourth at 174), Shawn Nagel (fifth at 125) and Nyle Bartling (seventh at heavyweight).

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.