Kokesh Wins Second Straight Big Ten Title

Columbus, Ohio – Senior Robert Kokesh captured the 174-pound Big Ten title after a 7-3 decision over No. 2 seed Matt Brown of Penn State at St. John Arena on Sunday.

Kokesh, the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 174 pounds, earned a first-period takedown to take an early lead before a Brown escape. The Husker senior started the second stanza on top and gave up an escape before recording a takedown at the end of the period, which gave him a 4-2 lead. He escaped from the bottom position in the third before adding a takedown in earning his 33rd win of the season.

Three-time All-American James Green finished third at 157 pounds after winning two matches on Sunday. Green pinned fourth-seeded Brian Murphy of Michigan in 2:57 before notching an 8-2 decision over No. 6 seed Josh Demas of Ohio State.

The Huskers finished seventh as a team with 85.5 points. Ohio State and Iowa shared the team title with 120 points.

Additional Huskers to place include Anthony Abidin (fourth at 141), Tim Lambert (sixth at 125), TJ Dudley (sixth at 184), Austin Wilson (seventh at 165) and Eric Montoya (eighth at 133).

Aaron Studebaker (197) and Collin Jensen (HWT) also competed on Sunday, but their matches didn’t count toward the team score. Studebaker finished ninth, while Jensen took 10th place.

The Huskers finish their season March 19-21 at the NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Big Ten Championships
March 7-8, 2015
St. John Arena
Columbus, Ohio

125 pounds
First Round: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over Sean McCabe (RUT), 7-2
Quarterfinals: #5 Jordan Conaway (PSU) by dec. over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 7-4
Consolation Second Round: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over John Jimenez (WIS), 4-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by pin over Garrison White (NW), 0:27
Consolation Semifinals: #2 Jesse Delgado (ILL) by sudden victory-1 over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 6-4
Fifth-Place Match: #6 Conor Youtsey (MICH) by dec. over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 2-1

133 pounds
First Round: #8 Rossi Bruno (MICH) by dec. over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 5-3
Consolation First Round: #9 Eric Montoya (NEB) Bye
Consolation Second Round: #9 Eric Montoya (NEB) by dec. over #7 Danny Sabatello (PUR), 3-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #6 Zane Richards (ILL) by dec. over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 10-3
Seventh-Place Match: #8 Rossi Bruno (MICH) by pin over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 2:45

141 pounds
First Round: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over #14 Sean Brown (IND), 2:01
Quarterfinals: #6 Josh Dziewa (IOWA) by dec. over #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 3-1
Consolation Second Round: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over #4 Steven Rodrigues (ILL), 3:59
Consolation Quarterfinals: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by major dec. over #7 Jameson Oster (NW), 13-0
Consolation Semifinals: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by dec. over #5 Anthony Ashnault (RUT), 5-2
Third-Place Match: #2 Nick Dardanes (MINN) by dec. over #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 8-6

149 pounds
First Round: #7 Justin Arthur (NEB) by dec. over Ben Dorsay (MD), 5-4
Quarterfinals: #2 Jason Tsirtsis (NW) by dec. over #7 Justin Arthur (NEB), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: Nick Trimble (MSU) by dec. over #7 Justin Arthur (NEB), 5-2

157 pounds
First Round: #3 James Green (NEB) by pin over #14 Travis Curley (MSU), 4:27
Quarterfinals: #3 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #6 Josh Demas (OSU), 8-2
Semifinals: #2 Dylan Ness (MINN) by dec. over #3 James Green (NEB), 6-5
Consolation Semifinals: #3 James Green (NEB) by pin over #4 Brian Murphy (MICH), 2:57
Third-Place Match: #3 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #6 Josh Demas (OSU), 8-2

165 pounds
First Round: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by major dec. over #8 Nick Wanzek (MINN), 11-2
Quarterfinals: #1 Bo Jordan (OSU) by dec. over #9 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-1
Consolation Second Round: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over #7 Nick Moore (IOWA), 2-1
Consolation Quarterfinals: #5 Jackson Morse (ILL) by dec. over #9 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-0
Seventh-Place Match: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over #10 Pat Robinson (PUR), 4-0

174 pounds
First Round: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) Bye
Quarterfinals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by pin over #9 Taylor Massa (MICH), 0:15
Semifinals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over #4 Logan Storley (MINN), 2-1
Finals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over #2 Matt Brown (PSU), 7-3

184 pounds
First Round: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by major dec. over #11 Anthony Pafumi (RUT), 11-3
Quarterfinals: #3 Ricky Robertson (WIS) by tiebreaker-1 over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 10-9
Consolation Second Round: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over #12 Mitch Sliga (NW), 4-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over #7 Nikko Reyes (ILL), 7-3
Consolation Semifinals: #8 Matt McCutcheon (PSU) by major dec. over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 9-1
Fifth-Place Match: #3 Ricky Robertson (WIS) by dec. over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 4-3

197 pounds
First Round: #12 Hayden Hrymack (RUT) by dec. over #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 6-3
Consolation First Round: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over #13 Rob Fitzgerald (MD), 6-2
Consolation Second Round: #6 Max Huntley (MICH) by dec. over #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 7-4
*Ninth-Place Semifinal: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over #12 Hayden Hrymack (RUT), 6-2
*Ninth-Place Match: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by pin over #10 Nick McDiarmid (MSU), 4:32

Heavyweight
First Round: #6 Michael Kroells (MINN) by dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 8-4
Consolation First Round: #11 Collin Jensen (NEB) by dec. over #14 Tyler Kral (PUR), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: #5 Jimmy Lawson (PSU) by major dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 8-0
*Ninth-Place Semifinal: #11 Collin Jensen (NEB) by major dec. over #9 Nick Tavanello (OSU), 10-2
*Ninth-Place Match: #8 Billy Smith (RUT) by dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 5-2

*-matches don’t count toward team score