Huskers Set Sights on New York City in 2015-16

The Nebraska wrestling team returns seven NCAA qualifiers from last season as the Huskers look to build off a top-10 finish at the national tournament.

TJ Dudley collected All-America honors for the first time in his career with an eighth-place finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships. The 184-pound junior went 31-11 last season, which included an 11-2 dual record and a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.

The Huskers also retain three grapplers who made it to the Round of 12 at last year’s NCAA Championships, Eric Montoya (133), Anthony Abidin (141) and Aaron Studebaker (197). Montoya went 21-15 in 2014-15 and finished eighth at the conference tournament. Abidin tallied a 33-6 mark, which included a perfect 15-0 dual record and a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Studebaker managed a 32-12 record and went 10-3 in dual competition. 

Senior Jake Sueflohn (149) returns to the NU lineup after missing the 2014-15 campaign with a torn ACL. Sueflohn, a three-time NCAA qualifier, holds a career record of 80-24, which includes a 37-8 mark in duals.

Additional NCAA qualifiers for Nebraska include Tim Lambert (125), Austin Wilson (165) and Collin Jensen (HWT). Lambert notched a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and went 26-12 overall as a sophomore in 2014-15. Wilson was 17-16 last season and finished seventh at the conference tournament. Jensen managed a 21-15 mark, which included a 10-5 dual record.

The Huskers look to replace departed seniors and 2015 All-Americans Robert Kokesh and James Green at 157 and 174 pounds, respectively. Tyler Berger, who redshirted last season, is projected to start at 157 pounds. Berger went 29-5 and placed in all six of his tournament appearances. He captured individual titles at the Cowboy Open, York College Open and Briar Cliff Open. At 174 pounds, junior Micah Barnes is projected to get the starting spot. Barnes made four dual appearances in 2014-15, going 2-2, while wrestling in five tournaments. He finished first at the Grand View Open and placed at two additional competitions.

Head Coach Mark Manning enters his 16th season at the helm of the NU wrestling program. He became the winningest coach in school history last season when he picked up his 200th win on Feb. 21, 2015.

Nebraska opens its 2015-16 campaign on Nov. 1 at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open in Brookings, S.D. On Nov. 6, the Huskers will host their annual Coaches Clinic/Intrasquad at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

NU will make its first dual appearance of the season at the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y., on Nov. 15. The Huskers are slated to wrestle against Lock Haven, Oregon State and Lehigh.

The first of six home duals at the Devaney Center is scheduled for Nov. 21 against Wyoming at 7 p.m. Last season, the Huskers defeated the Cowboys by a 22-13 margin in Laramie, Wyo.

Nebraska will pay its first of two visits to Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on Nov. 29 when the Huskers face Cornell and Princeton in the Grapple at the Garden. NU is making its first appearance in the event since 2012.

The Big Ten slate starts with a road trip to Maryland and Rutgers two weeks later. The Huskers battle the Terrapins on Dec. 11 in College Park, Md., before facing Rutgers the following day in Piscataway, N.J.

Nebraska’s final competition of 2015 will be in the 53rd Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill. NU’s last appearance at the tournament was 2012, when the Huskers tied for 15th.

The Huskers open 2016 with a chance to avenge last season’s only loss, as they head to Madison, Wis., for a showdown against Wisconsin on Jan. 8. NU returns home to host Minnesota two days later at the Devaney Center.

The following weekend, the Big Red hits the road for matches against Penn State and defending national champion Ohio State. NU faces the Nittany Lions, who finished sixth at last year’s NCAA Championships, on Jan. 15 in University Park. The Huskers wrestle the Buckeyes on Jan. 17 in Columbus, Ohio.

Nebraska will host four consecutive duals at the Devaney Center following the trip East, beginning with a Jan. 24 match against 2015 NCAA runner-up Iowa. On Feb. 5, the Huskers host Illinois before battling NC State on Feb. 6.

Nebraska’s final Big Ten dual is set for Feb. 12, when the Huskers host Northwestern at the Devaney Center. The following weekend is the NWCA National Duals. The top eight Big Ten schools will each host a non-Big Ten team in a 16-team field. The teams will be chosen by Feb. 14.

The Big Ten Championships are set for March 5-6 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Last season, the Huskers finished seventh with 59 points.

The NCAA Championships are set for March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. NU notched a ninth-place team finish in 2015. The Huskers seek to crown their first national champion since 2011, when Jordan Burroughs captured the 165-pound title. Nebraska has 11 national champions all time.