N EBRASKA W RESTLING Weekly Notes Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Preseason - Wrestle-Offs 2008-09 Schedule Date Opponent Time/Result Nov. 7 Wrestle-Offs ! 6 p.m. Starts Season with Wrestle-Offs Nov. 20 Tennessee-Chattanooga 7 p.m. Preseason: Nov. 22 at Kaufman-Brand Open @ 9 a.m. No. 6 Nebraska Wrestle-Offs Devaney Center Track • Lincoln, Neb. • Friday, Nov. 7 • 6 p.m. Nov. 28 Augustana (S.D.) 4 p.m. Last Year: Chris Oliver and Stephen Dwyer Notch 2-0 Marks at Wrestle-Offs Nov. 28 Oregon State 6 p.m. Dec. 5-6 at Las Vegas Invite # 11 a.m. Dec. 20 Kent State 2 p.m. The sixth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will host its annual wrestle-offs at 6 p.m. in the Devaney Center Track on Nov. 7. Dec. 21 Minnesota 2 p.m. The free event, held in conjunction with the Huskers’ Fall Coaches Clinic, will assist Head Coach Mark Manning in deciding NU’s Jan. 4 Northern Colorado Noon final starting lineup and gives Nebraska faithful their first chance to see this year’s wrestling squad. Jan. 4 Michigan 4 p.m. After NU finished the 2007-08 dual season with a 14-3 mark and No. 4 national ranking, the Huskers finished fourth at the Jan. 10-11 National Duals $ 9 a.m. NCAA Championships by crowning five All-Americans. The finish was the Huskers highest under Manning, who was also named Jan. 18 South Dakota State 2 p.m. the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year. Nebraska returns five starters this season, including four All-Americans, as the Huskers will Jan. 18 Maryland 4 p.m. look to build on a favorable home schedule with 12 home duals and the Big 12 Championships in the NU Coliseum this year. Jan. 23 Penn (Parents Night) 7 p.m. Fans can pick up a free poster and schedule cards at the wrestle-offs, before meeting the Huskers and seeing the team in Jan. 25 vs Virginia Tech 11 a.m. action. Two mats will have simultaneous action as more than 20 total matches are scheduled for the evening. NU begins regular- Jan. 25 at Central Michigan 1 p.m. season action with a dual against Tennessee Chattanooga at 7 p.m. in the NU Coliseum on Nov. 20. Jan. 31 at Missouri 2 p.m. The 2008-09 season preview from the Nebraska wrestling media guide follows. The guide will be available for free online Feb. 5 Oklahoma State (Alumni Night) 7 p.m. and for $5 at Husker Authentic (800) 965-8674 later this week. Feb. 8 at Oklahoma 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at North Carolina 11 a.m. Season Preview: Huskers Look Primed for Repeat Feb. 14 vs UNC Greensboro 1 p.m. Coming off one of the best seasons in its history, the 2008-09 Nebraska wrestling team brings a good blend of experienced Feb. 22 Iowa State (Senior Day) 2 p.m. leadership and young talent to the mat this year. March 7 Big 12 Championships % 11 a.m. Coach Mark Manning guided NU to new heights in his eighth year at the helm in 2007-08. The Huskers established themselves March 19-21 NCAA Championships & TBA as national-title contenders with a second-place finish at the NWCA National Duals by knocking off three ranked teams, including top-ranked Penn State. Nebraska used that momentum to beat Oklahoma State for just the third time in school history and -All times listed are Central nearly posted a perfect Big 12 regular-season record, falling only at Iowa State in the season finale. NU produced a 14-3 overall -All home duals in bold held at the NU Coliseum, unless dual record, its most wins since 2004-05, before finishing second at the Big 12 Championships. The Huskers racked up their otherwise noted most points ever at the conference tournament with 62.5, as three NU wrestlers earned conference crowns. - For ticket information call (800) 8-BIG-RED claimed Outstanding Wrestler-of-the-Meet honors, while Manning was voted the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Nebraska capped its !-Devaney Center Track season with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the team's highest finish since 1993, while five Huskers earned @-Sapp Fieldhouse, Omaha, Neb. All-America accolades. #-Las Vegas, Nev. The excitement surrounding the program comes from a solid core of five returning starters ready to take aim at the sport's $-Cedar Falls, Iowa highest collegiate prize. Nebraska returns four All-Americans among its five starters, while seven Huskers have qualified for the ^-Lincoln, Neb NCAA Championships. NU's four returning All-Americans are the most for Nebraska since 1995-96, and only one is a senior. In &-St. Louis, Mo. fact, the Huskers have just four seniors on the 34-man roster. NU also welcomes 14 freshmen into the mix this fall.

Nebraska's Proven Leadership Leading the way for Nebraska will be All-American Jordan Burroughs, who has established himself as a leader in the locker room with his striking improvements on the mat at 149 pounds. Burroughs worked his way to a 16-13 record as a freshman in the NU program, before dominating opponents for a 34-6 record as a sophomore. He demolished the Huskers' single-season dual Media Information takedown mark by notching 98 in 17 duals before breezing through the competition at the Big 12 Championships. Burroughs Wrestling Contact: Amil Anderson was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet after earning a technical fall and major decision to take the Email: [email protected] title. Burroughs was just as impressive at the NCAA Championships, finishing third with a 5-1 record by defeating four ranked Office Phone: (402) 472-7781 opponents to earn his first All-America honor. Burroughs continued his training through the summer by capturing a national title Cell Phone: (218) 371-6717 at the FILA Junior Nationals and took 10th at the FILA Junior World Championships last August. The junior's NCAA title chase this Fax: (402) 472-2005 season could play a major role in Nebraska's NCAA title hopes this season. Internet: Huskers.com

Nebraska Cornhuskers Probable Starters 08-09 07-08 Wt. Name Rank W-L Dual Pins TF MD Worth Noting 125 Andy Pokorny, RFr. NR/NR/NR 9-1 0-0 1 1 2 Battled through health issues during his freshman season to post 9-1 record 133 Patrick Aleksanyan, Sr. NR/NR/NR 8-7 2-1 2 0 3 Drops down one weight class after seeing spot duty at 141 pounds last season -or- Matt Vacanti, So. NR/NR/NR 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Sat out the 2007-08 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament 141 Curtis Salazar, So. NR/NR/NR 10-7 2-1 0 2 1 Picked up dual wins against South Dakota State and Wyoming in 2007-08 149 Jordan Burroughs, Jr. 3/3/3 34-6 14-3 1 8 12 Finished third at the 2008 NCAA Championships with a 5-1 record 157 Robert Sanders, Sr. NR/NR/NR 8-8 1-2 0 1 4 Moves up two weight classes after splitting time at 141 pounds last season -or- Chris Hacker, RFr. NR/NR/NR 15-5 0-0 6 1 0 Finished second at 149 in amatuer division at Kaufman-Brand Open last season 165 Stephen Dwyer, Jr. 5/6/6 32-10 12-3 1 1 8 Earned his first All-America honor with eighth-place finish at 2008 NCAA’s 174 Brandon Browne, Sr. 3/3/3 35-4 14-1 3 4 8 One of four returning All-Americans for the Huskers this fall 184 Vince Jones, Sr. 7/9/10 23-15 9-6 10 0 6 Was one second away from earning All-America accolades last season -or- Levi Wofford, Jr. NR/NR/NR 9-4 1-0 1 1 2 Scored a dramatic dual win to push NU past Lehigh last season 197 Craig Brester, Jr. 4/3/3 26-7 12-4 6 4 4 Finished fourth at the 2008 NCAA Championships for his first All-America honor HWT Tucker Lane, RFr. NR/NR/NR 27-3 0-0 7 0 3 Was named NU’s 2008 Redshirt of the Year

Head Coach: Mark Manning, 109-42-2, Ninth season at NU; 132-66-4, 11 seasons Head Assistant Coach: Mike Greenfield (seventh season) Assistant Coach: Tony Ersland (third season) Club Coaches: Travis and Trent Paulson (first season) Volunteer Assistant Coach: Dominick Moyer (second season) Strength and Conditioning Coach: Jason Mester (fourth season)

Rankings: InterMat/WIN Magazine/Amateur Wrestling News; InterMat as of Oct. 21, 2008; WIN Magazine as of Sept. 2, 2008; Amateur Wrestling News as of Oct. 1, 2008.

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All-American Brandon Browne also showed progression last season, after sitting out his sophomore year. Browne led the Huskers Husker Quick Facts in wins (35) and dual wins (14) to tie him for 15th on Nebraska's top 20 single-season wins list. Browne opened the season with General Information 13 straight wins, helping the Huskers to a third-place finish at the Las Vegas Invitational, and was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Location Lincoln, Neb. Week after defeating No. 2 Brandon Mason in NU's dual win over Oklahoma State. Browne finished the season an impressive 7-0 Population 248,744 against Big 12 opponents and went 12-4 versus ranked foes on the way to finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships for his Founded 1869 first All-America honor. Browne will enter his senior season as one of the top-ranked wrestlers at 174 pounds and is yet another Enrollment 22,000 Husker with individual title hopes. Nickname Cornhuskers or Huskers Juniors Craig Brester and Stephen Dwyer round out the Huskers' returning All-Americans. Brester, a native of Howells, Neb., Colors Scarlet and Cream went 5-2 at last year's NCAA Championships to earn fourth. Both losses came to wrestlers ranked in the top six at 197 pounds, Affiliation NCAA Division I including No. 1 Josh Glenn of American. Brester worked his way through a midseason knee injury to finish with a 26-7 overall Conference Big 12 record, including 14 bonus-point victories. Brester ended his season with 12 of his final 13 opponents ranked in the top 20 in Home Facility NU Coliseum (4,030) the nation, going 8-4 against them. A talented individual intellectually and athletically, Brester could earn All-America honors Chancellor Harvey S. Perlman, J.D. on the mat and in the classroom this season. Institutional Rep. Josephine Potuto, J.D. One of the most focused wrestlers on the team, Dwyer earned the 10th spot on the Husker sophomore wins list with his 32-10 Athletic Director record last season. He was the only NU wrestler to go 4-0 at the National Duals, racking up a 12-3 dual record. Wrestling in one Ticket Information (800) 8-BIG-RED of the toughest weights in the conference, Dwyer finished second at 165 pounds at the Big 12 Championships before claiming his first All-America accolade with his eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Dwyer's determination could be a driving Coaching Staff force in Nebraska's national championship aspirations in 2009. Head Coach Mark Manning Nebraska will also look for increased contributions from seniors Robert Sanders, Patrick Aleksanyan and Vince Jones. All three Alma Mater Nebraska-Omaha (1985) are locked in battles for a starting position, but all three have previously qualified for the NCAA Championships. Record at NU 109-42-2 (Eight Years) Career Record 132-66-4 (11 Years) Head Assistant Coach Mike Greenfield Talent in Tow Assistant Coach Tony Ersland Nebraska's impressive set of veterans will try to help acclimate 14 freshmen to the collegiate ranks this season. Jon Burns, a Strength and Conditioning Coach Jason Mester 141-pounder from Apex, N.C., leads the crop of new Huskers. Wrestling for Cardinal Gibbons High School, Burns closed his prep Club Coaches Travis and Trent Paulson career with a 178-5 career mark, including an astounding 128-0 record in his final two seasons. Burns won several prominent Volunteer Assistant Coach Dominick Moyer tournaments before being named the wrestler of the year by the National High School Coaches Association. The NHSCA also Office Secretary Ellen Shutts selected him as a two-time All-American. He was ranked the No. 3 wrestler at 145 pounds by InterMat and could see starting Office Phone (402) 472-9430 time at 141 pounds this season for the Huskers. Office Fax (402) 472-2272 A native of Pittsburg, Kan., Tyler Koehn had a standout prep career before joining the Huskers this fall. Koehn was a five-time All-American at the Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. He earned three top-eight finishes in freestyle and two in Greco- 2007-08 Season Roman, including a fourth-place finish in 2008. Koehn also earned a top-three finish at the state championships his final three years Dual Record 14-3 and won a state title his junior season under Coach Scott Rieck. Koehn is expected to wrestle at 157 pounds for Nebraska. Big 12 Record 3-1 Romero Cotton (Hutchinson) also brings Kansas roots to the Cornhuskers. Romero's high school credentials are eyecatching. Big 12 Championships 2nd, 62.5 points He was a 10-time state champion across three sports, and claimed four state titles in wrestling with a 137-11 career record. NCAA Championships 4th, 74 points Cotton amassed a 72-0 record over his final two seasons under Coach Mike Garcia, and was voted an all-state selection four times in wrestling. He added four more state titles in football from his running back position and was a two-time power lifting 2008-09 Season state champion. Cotton also claimed titles at the 2006 Cadet National Championships in freestyle and Greco-Roman to earn the Letterwinners Returning/Lost 14/9 No. 7 national ranking at 189 pounds, according to InterMat. Cotton is projected to wrestle at 184 pounds for NU. Starters Returning/Lost 5/5 The Huskers also continued to sign the best talent from the state, with Riley Essay and Hadley Cooksley joining the team NCAA Qualifiers Returning/Lost 7/4 this season. Wrestling for Alliance High School, Essay finished in the top five at the state championships all four years under All-Americans Returning/Lost 4/1 Coach Dale Hall. Essay claimed fourth his freshman year before taking fifth his sophomore year and wrapped up his career with Top Returners Jordan Burroughs, Jr., 149 third-place showings as a junior and senior. Essay went 80-5 his final two seasons en route to a 134-21 career mark. He also set Stephen Dwyer, Jr., 165 the single-season nearfall record with 134 during his senior season, while guiding Alliance to three top-10 finishes at the state Brandon Browne, Sr., 174 tournament. Essay is expected to wrestle 133 pounds as a Husker. Craig Brester, Jr., 197 Cooksley, an Alda native, was a three-sport athlete at Grand Island Northwest and wrestled under Coach Brian Sybrandts. Top Redshirts Tucker Lane, HWT Cooksley nearly completed a perfect season during his senior campaign, winning all of his matches except the state final to go Andy Pokorny, 125 33-1 with 33 pins. He finished with a 118-17 record on the mat, including 89 pins. Cooksley also had an accomplished career Chris Hacker, 157 on the football field, being selected to the Shrine Bowl and All-Star Classic his senior year. He plans to wrestle heavyweight at Top Newcomers Jon Burns, 141 Nebraska. Romero Cotton, 184 Tyler Koehn, 157 Huskers Set to Host Josh Ihnen, 184 After hosting just four home duals in 2007-08, Nebraska fans will have plenty of chances to catch the Huskers in action this year, as NU hosts 12 duals in the NU Coliseum and the Big 12 Championships. The 2008-09 schedule is not only filled with home Media Relations Information matches, it is guaranteed to be one of the most challenging schedules in the nation. Nebraska faces eight teams at home that Wrestling Contact Amil Anderson were ranked in the final top-25 dual rankings last season. The Huskers also travel to meet three ranked foes from a year ago. Office Phone (402) 472-7781 The Huskers open on Nov. 20 against Tennessee-Chattanooga, which finished 2008 ranked No. 18, before hosting Kent State Cell Phone (218) 371-6717 and Minnesota on Dec. 20 and 21. The Golden Flashes earned the No. 21 spot in last year’s final rankings, while Minnesota Fax (402) 472-2005 finished No. 8. Michigan, which finished at No. 11 last season, visits Lincoln on Jan. 4 and No. 22 Maryland faces Nebraska on E-mail [email protected] Jan. 18 at the NU Coliseum. Penn comes to town for Parents Night on Jan. 23, while the Huskers' final two home duals promise Internet Huskers.com to be passion-filled affairs. Big 12 rival and last year's No. 5 Oklahoma State faces Nebraska on Feb. 5, and No. 3 Iowa State ends NU's regular season on Feb. 22. Nebraska travels to face No. 2 Central Michigan on Jan. 25 in Mount Pleasant, Mich., No. 12 Missouri on Jan. 31 in Columbia, Mo., and No. 14 Oklahoma on Feb. 8 in Norman, Okla. The Huskers will also journey to several tough tournaments again, including the Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 5-6, and National Duals, Jan. 10-11, where Nebraska finished second last year. NU also will travel its entire squad to the Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha, on Nov. 22. As an added bonus, Nebraska hosts the Big 12 Championships at the NU Coliseum on March 7. The Huskers host the conference tournament for just the second time since the inception of the Big 12 and the first time since 2000. NU finished fourth when it hosted the event in 2000, but is in the hunt for a team title this season after its second-place showing last season. All of Nebraska’s competitions are in preparation for one goal, the 2009 NCAA Championships, which return to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. Competition for the three-day event is set to begin on March 19.

Season Notes: Huskers Set to Sign The Nebraska wrestling squad will be the featured team at the Husker Autograph Zone as part of the Husker Nation Pavilion on Saturday. Starting at 11:30 a.m., fans can get an autograph card, schedule cards and team poster for the wrestlers to sign before the Kansas football game at 1:30 p.m. The nation’s premeir pregame party, the Husker Nation Pavilion provides free and fun activities for the whole family, while providing great food from a wide variety of vendors. The Pavilion will feature inflatables and games each week, including the Football Quarterback Challenge, Soccer Kick-Out and the Big Swinger. New games will be featured each week throughout the season. The Husker Power Zone (football

 HUSKERS.COM 2008-09 NEBRASKA WRESTLING

obstacle course) and a Basketball Shoot-Out will also be featured activities at the Pavilion. Face Painters, Hair Sprayers and a National Rankings Balloon Clown will also be on hand to add to the fun. USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Ranking the Returning (released on Oct. 21) Nebraska welcomes back four All-Americans this season from the five Huskers that earned the honor last season. Jordan School Points Burroughs, Craig Brester and Stephen Dwyer return for their junior seasons at 149, 197 and 165 pounds, respectively, while 1. Iowa 275 Brandon Browne wrestles his senior season at 174 pounds. NU’s four returning All-Americans are the most for Nebraska since 2. Iowa State* 256 1995-96, when the Huskers welcomed back Brad Canoyer (118), Temoer Terry (150), Ryan Tobin (190) and Tolly Thompson 3. Cornell 253 (Hwt.). 4. Ohio State 247 5. Missouri* 231 Jordan’s Journeys 6. Nebraska 209 Jordan Burroughs had an extremely successful season last year, earning his first All-America honor with a third-place T7. Penn State 198 finish at the NCAA Championships, but his achievements didn’t stop in March. Burroughs claimed 10th-place at the FILA World T7. Oklahoma State* 198 Championships in August, after winning the FILA Junior National Championships and World Team Trials. 9. Illinois 193 Representing the U.S. for the first time in his career, Burroughs wrestled well at 66 kilograms (145.5 pounds) in the freestyle 10. Michigan* 181 division, but ran into some hard luck at the FILA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Burroughs lost his first set 3-1 against 11. Northwestern 160 Kazakhstan’s Olzhas Chingisbayev, but rebounded with two straight wins (2-0, 4-3) to earn the victory. Burroughs then defeated 12. Minnesota* 152 India’s Amit Kumar in two straight sets (2-1, 4-3) to advance and face Hungary’s Sandor Tozser. Burroughs lost the first set 13. Wisconsin 127 1-0 to the Hungarian, but tied him 1-1 in the second. Tozser claimed the set by scoring the last technical points and defeated 14. Boise State 126 Burroughs. 15. Edinboro 123 Burroughs still had a chance to wrestle in the consolation bracket if Tozser made it to the finals, but eventual champion 16. Indiana 110 Magomedmurad Gadjieu of Russia defeated Tozser in the semifinals to end Burroughs’ tournament. Nebraska Head Coach Mark 17. Maryland* 94 Manning also traveled with to Turkey as an assistant coach for the U.S. 18. Central Michigan* 90 Burroughs advanced to the world championships by winning the world team trials in Colorado Springs, Colo. in May. He 19. Old Dominion 58 defeated Michigan’s Kellen Russell in two consecutive sets in the finals to win the best-of-three series and claim a spot on the 20. Oklahoma* 49 U.S. world team. Burroughs automatically qualified for the finals at the world team trials by winning the FILA Junior National T21. Navy 36 Championships in April. T21. Penn* 36 23. Virginia 34 One and Only 24. Northern Iowa 33 The 2008-09 Nebraska wrestling roster features 34 student-athletes, but just 10 are natives of the Cornhusker state. Four 25. West Virginia 32 Huskers hail from the Omaha area, as Brandon and Cameron Browne are from Plattsmouth, Andy Pokorny is from Bennington and Matt Vacanti grew up in Papillion. Craig Brester spent his childhood in wrestling-powerhouse Howells and fellow junior Levi WIN Magazine Wofford is from Aurora. Hadley Cooksley and Riley Essay join the Huskers this season after wrapping up their high school careers (released on Sept. 2) in Alda and Alliance, respectively. Ethan Studebaker grew up just outside of Lincoln in Raymond, while Livingston Lukow is the School 07-08 Record only Husker on the roster from Lincoln. Lukow went to high school at Lincoln Christian. 1. Iowa (21-1) 2. Ohio State (19-4) From Teammates to Teammates 3. Iowa State* (16-4) Nebraska has 10 wrestlers on its 2008-09 roster that were also on the same high school squad at one point. Brothers 4. Cornell (9-5) Brandon and Cameron Browne wrestled together at Plattsmouth High School, as is the case with brothers Robert and Paul 5. Missouri* (9-4-1) Sanders at Blanding (Utah) High School. Alex Howard wrestled two years with Matt Vacanti at Papillion-LaVista High School 6. Oklahoma State* (16-3-1) before moving to Florida, while Jordan Burroughs and Vince Jones both spent their prep career at Winslow Township (N.J.) High 7. Illinois (13-4) School. Riley Essay joins the Huskers this season after wrestling with Peter Roto at Palatine High School. 8. Nebraska (14-3) 9. Penn State (14-5) Going Back to Texas 10. Michigan* (16-8) Freshman Austin Barnes, who joins the Huskers this season, is the first Husker to hail from Texas since Larry Thompson in 11. Minnesota* (14-6) 1984-85. Barnes attended Class 5A Rockwall High School where he helped Coach Brent Pohorsky to three top-10 team finishes 12. Northwestern (8-9) at the state championships. Barnes was a three-time district champion and went on to win the region and finish third in the 13. Boise State (11-2) state his senior year. Wrestling at 135 pounds, Barnes scored 16 points to earn his first all-state honor and lead Rockwall to a 14. Central Michigan* (16-2) ninth-place team finish. Barnes is expected to wrestle at 141 pounds for Nebraska and will likely redshirt his first year in the NU 15. Wisconsin (14-4-1) program. 16. Indiana (13-8) 17. Maryland* (15-4) 18. Edinboro (10-3) 19. West Virginia (8-5) 2009 Big 12 Wrestling Championships 20. Oklahoma* (13-5) Hosted by Nebraska 21. Penn* (12-5) March 7, 2009 - 11 a.m. 22. Old Dominion (17-3) NU Coliseum 23. Kent State* (14-5) Call (800) 8-BIG-RED for tickets or log on to Huskers.com. 24. Navy (6-4) 25. Northern Iowa (7-5-1) Nebraska hosts the conference tournament on March 7 for just the second time since the inception of the Big *-2008-09 Husker Opponent 12 and the first time since 2000. NU finished fourth when it hosted the event in 2000, but is in the hunt for a team title this season after its second-place showing last season. For tickets, call (800) 8-BIG-RED or log on Individual Champions to Huskers.com. 125 pounds: Paul Donahoe, Nebraska 2008 Big 12 Wrestling Championships 133 pounds: Nick Fanthorpe, Iowa State Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla. 141 pounds: Nick Gallick, Iowa State Final Team Standings 149 pounds: Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska* 1. Iowa State 75.5 157 pounds: Cyler Sanderson, Iowa State 2. Nebraska 62.5 165 pounds: Nick Marable, Missouri 3. Oklahoma State 52.5 174 pounds: Brandon Browne, Nebraska 4. Missouri 49.5 184 pounds: Jake Varner, Iowa State 5. Oklahoma 24 197 pounds: Max Askren, Missouri Hwt.: Jared Rosholt, Oklahoma State *-Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet

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Head Coach Mark Manning Four-Time Huskers With nearly 100 years of Matt Vacanti and Romero Cotton are the only Huskers that finished their prep career as four-time state champions in history, Nebraska wrestling wrestling. is one of the most storied Wrestling for Papillion-LaVista, Vacanti was the 13th four-time state champion in the history of Nebraska. He wrestled to a programs in the collegiate 128-1 career record under Coach Jeff Kupfer and was ranked third among the nation’s 140-pounders by InterMat during his senior wrestling ranks. Head Coach year. In his 35-0 junior season, Vacanti pinned all 35 opponents he faced, and was named the 2006 Dave Schultz Award winner Mark Manning has taken NU for the state of Nebraska. Vacanti and Patrick Aleksanyan will see starting time for the Huskers at 133 pounds this season. to new heights in his tenure Cotton was just as impressive, winning four state championships in wrestling, adding another four in football and claiming and has established himself two titles in power lifting. Wrestling for Coach Mike Garcia at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Kan., Cotton finished with as one of the top wrestling a 137-11 career record, rolling to a 72-0 mark over his final two seasons. Cotton was also the 2006 Cadet National champion in coaches in the nation. freestyle and Greco-Roman. He will likely redshirt his freshman year at 184 pounds, behind Vince Jones and Levi Wofford. The NU record book is a testament to Manning’s accomplishments in Lincoln. Cowboy Larry Lane’s Son In his eight years at the helm, he has coached 27 of Redshirt freshman Tucker Lane is almost following in his father’s footsteps. Tucker, like his dad Larry, is wrestling collegiately. Nebraska’s 82 All-Americans. He has led the Huskers He enters his second season in the Nebraska program as the projected starter at heavyweight, after being named NU’s 2008 to four top-eight finishes at the NCAA Championships, Redshirt of the Year. Larry spend his college years wrestling for the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., and was also compared to just eight for the 14 NU coaches before on the All-Army wrestling team. Tucker has yet to follow in one footstep though. Larry went on to wrestle professionally from 1973 him. He is the winningest coach in Husker history with to 1983 as “Red Dog Lane” and “Cowboy Larry Lane”. a dual-winning percentage of .719 and a record of 109- 42-2 at NU. He was the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year Battling Brothers after guiding Nebraska to a second-place finish at the Husker wrestling will once again be a family matter, as two sets of brothers are on the squad this season. For the third Big 12 Championships with its highest point total ever. consecutive year, two members of the Sanders and Browne family will share time on the mat. NU went on to finish fourth at the NCAA Championships Senior Robert Sanders, an NCAA qualifier at 149 pounds in 2005-06, will be joined on the mat by his younger brother Paul. with five Huskers earning All-America honors. Wrestling under their father, Bob, at San Juan High School in Blanding, Utah, Robert was a two-time state champion, while Paul Records go onto paper and into books and get tucked earned the honor three times. Robert steps up to 157 pounds after splitting starting time at 141 last season. Paul will wrestle away. More important to Manning is the fact that he has 149 pounds this year and will provide valuable backup behind All-American Jordan Burroughs. helped numerous young men grow into upstanding Senior Brandon Browne, a returning All-American at 174 pounds, is joined by his little brother, Cameron. Brandon was a adults by teaching them the correct principles of life. two-time state champion while wrestling at Plattsmouth High School in Plattsmouth, Neb., while Cameron also claimed the title Regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters, Manning during his senior year. Brandon put together a 35-4 season last year, en route to a Big 12 Championship and fourth-place finish does not always land the top recruit, but he usually finds at the NCAA Championships. Cameron returns to the mat this season, after redshirting last year. the correct wrestler for his program. He has a keen eye Since 1990, six pairs of brothers have lettered for NU, including the Buxtons (Jason, 1991-92; John 1990-93), the Coltvets (Jeff, for finding the athletes with the right work ethic and 1985-86, 1988-89; Rick, 1992-93), the DeAndas (Tony, 1995-96; dedication that he can develop. His recruiting and Jose, 1996-99), the Hensons (Joe, 1999-2000; Josh, 1999-2000), 2008-09 Redshirt Schedule the Malias (Joe, 2000-04; Ty, 2001) and the Verings (Brad, 1998- coaching abilities have allowed him to find success in a Nov. 15 Harold Nichols Open Fort Dodge, Iowa 2001; Russ, 1994). Among those wrestlers are three that attained short amount of time at both programs he has led. Nov. 22 Kaufman-Brand Open Omaha, Neb. All-America status, including three-time All-American and 2000 Manning’s coaching philosophy focuses on Nov. 29 Oklahoma Open Norman, Okla. national champion Brad Vering. Jose DeAnda and John Buxton also developing wrestlers to reach their potential. A wrestler Dec. 6 Fort Hays State Open Hays, Kan. earned All-America honors during their Husker careers. who brings a positive attitude and work ethic to the room Dec. 13 UNK Loper Open Kearney, Neb. In NU wrestling history, the most decorated pair of brothers are can use goal setting and responsibility to develop into Jan. 3 Dana Open Blair, Neb. the Scherrs. Bill and Jim Scherr each won a national championship an upstanding citizen that is committed to excellence. Jan. 17 Glen Brand Open Omaha, Neb. in 1984, Jim at 177 pounds, and Bill at 190. Jim earned a pair Manning works daily with the team on every detail in Jan. 31 Grand View Open Des Moines, Iowa of All-America honors during his career, while Bill was a three- and out of practice, while keeping in mind the best Feb. 7 Missouri Valley Open Marshall, Mo. time All-American. Both Bill and Jim are members of Nebraska’s long-term interests of his student-athletes. Known for Feb. 28 NWCA Open Dubuque, Iowa his fiery nature on the edge of the mat, Manning instills 100-win club. in his wrestlers a sense of determination and pride through his actions and demeanor. 2007-08 Final Statistics Manning’s Career Record Records Dual Pts. Dual TD Pins Year School Dual NCAA Wt. Name Overall Dual NU/Opp NU/Opp W/L TF MD QP 97-98 Northern Iowa 5-9 T-30th 125 Paul Donahoe 25-4 12-3 51/9 40/12 5/0 4 3 1:29 98-99 Northern Iowa 8-10 17th 133 Kenny Jordan 15-9 5-6 18/18 8/14 3/0 1 2 1:57 99-00 Northern Iowa 10-5-2 11th 141 Mike Rowe 9-7 3-5 9/18 6/8 2/1 1 2 1:40 00-01 Nebraska 11-6 8th 149 Jordan Burroughs 34-6 14-3 59/9 98/7 1/0 8 12 3:44 01-02 Nebraska 8-9 8th 157 Chris Oliver 16-11 6-8 24/27 14/38 3/1 2 4 1:08 02-03 Nebraska 16-7 13th 165 Stephen Dwyer 32-10 12-3 42/12 25/11 1/2 1 8 2:55 03-04 Nebraska 19-3 5th 174 Brandon Browne 35-4 14-1 54/3 39/9 3/0 4 8 0:41 04-05 Nebraska 19-2-1 T-19th 184 Vince Jones 23-15 9-6 47/19 25/16 10/0 0 6 0:29 05-06 Nebraska 12-5 16th 197 Craig Brester 26-7 12-4 50/13 34/11 6/0 4 4 0:47 06-07 Nebraska 10-7-1 16th HWT Jon May 20-13 12-5 43/15 27/7 2/5 0 2 1:10 07-08 Nebraska 14-3-0 4th Non-Starters Career 11 Years 132-66-4 125 Andy Pokorny 9-1 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/0 1 2 2:58 Coaching Accomplishments 133 Dustin Weitzel 1-4 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 0 0:00 • 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year 133 Brian Litch 7-7 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/3 0 2 0:00 • 132-66-4 Career Dual Record (11 seasons) 133 Peter Roto 2-12 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/1 1 0 0:00 • 109-42-2 Dual Record at NU (eight seasons) 133 Austin Baier 5-5 3-2 12/7 9/7 2/2 0 0 3:56 • Four Top-10 NCAA Finishes at Nebraska 141 Robert Sanders 8-8 1-2 4/7 4/11 0/0 1 4 0:00 • Coached 27 All-Americans as Head Coach 141 Patrick Aleksanyan 8-7 2-1 7/3 6/2 2/1 0 3 1:25 • Led Three Wrestlers to NCAA titles 141 Curtis Salazar 10-7 2-1 9/4 1/5 0/1 2 1 0:00 • Head Coach, U.S. Freestyle Team, 2001 World Championships 149 Chris Hacker 15-5 0-0 0/0 0/0 6/3 1 0 0:26 • Assistant Coach, U.S. Olympic Team, 2000, 1996 149 Jered Hensley 10-10 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/2 0 3 5:37 • National Development Coach, USA Wrestling, 1993 157 Brett Landrum 9-10 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/1 2 2 5:40 • Head Coach, U.S. Olympic Festival, 1991, 1993, 1995 157 Paul Sanders 8-11 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/2 0 1 4:45 Athletic Accomplishments 157 Rob Plambeck 5-9 1-1 3/3 6/5 1/1 0 0 3:44 • Silver Medal, 1989 Pan American Games 165 Cody Foust 9-10 0-0 0/0 0/0 2/2 0 0 0:23 • Two-Time NCAA Division II National 165 Frank Jonas 3-7 0-1 0/6 0/0 1/2 0 0 1:54 Champion, 150 pounds (1983, 1985) 174/184 Andy Johnson 11-6 3-1 13/3 16/3 2/0 0 3 2:06 • Three-Time All-American 174 Alex Ward 15-11 0-1 0/3 1/1 2/1 1 1 1:35 • Member NCAA Division II Hall of Fame 184 Levi Wofford 9-4 1-0 4/0 3/1 1/0 1 2 3:14 • 121-23 Career Record, Nebraska-Omaha 197 Cameron Browne 15-5 0-0 0/0 0/0 3/0 2 3 1:41 • Member U.S. Freestyle Team, 1986-89 HWT Tucker Lane 27-3 0-0 0/0 0/0 7/0 0 3 1:45

 HUSKERS.COM 2008-09 NEBRASKA WRESTLING

2007-08 Statstical Leaders Overall Wins Non-Varsity Notes 1. Brandon Browne-35 Nebraska has another busy redshirt schedule this season, participating in 10 competitions. Highlights of the schedule include 2. Jordan Burroughs-34 wrestling at the Kaufman-Brand Open at the Sapp Fieldhouse on Nov. 17 and again on Jan. 17 as part of the Glen Brand Open. 3. Stephen Dwyer-32 Nebraska’s redshirts will wrap up their season at the NWCA Open in Dubuque, Iowa, on Feb. 28. 4. Tucker Lane-27 The majority of the Nebraska’s 14 freshman this year will redshirt, but fans should keep tabs on several promising young 5. Craig Brester-26 wrestlers. Jon Burns will wrestle 141 pounds for NU and enters his first year in the program as a highly-touted recruit out of 6. Paul Donahoe-25 Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C. Romero Cotton was a 10-time high school champion for Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Kan., and has a bright future for the Huskers at 184 pounds. Nebraska native Hadley Cooksley had a productive Dual Wins prep career for Grand Island Northwest in wrestling and football and will compete at heavyweight for NU. T1. Jordan Burroughs-14 T1. Brandon Browne-14 Scherr Inducted Into Hall of Fame T3. Craig Brester-12 Former Husker wrestler Jim Scherr was selected as a 2008 inductee into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. The current T3. Jon May-12 chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Scherr was honored during a banquet at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, T3. Paul Donahoe-12 Colo., on Oct. 28. T3. Stephen Dwyer-12 Scherr was a national champion for Nebraska at 177 pounds in 1984, along with his brother Bill, who captured the title at 190 pounds. Scherr also claimed the Big Eight title in 1984, and finished his Husker career as a two-time All-American after Dual Points earning sixth-place at the 1982 NCAA Championships. 1. Jordan Burroughs-59 Scherr continued his wrestling career on the international stage after his time in Lincoln. He wrestled freestyle for the U.S. 2. Brandon Browne-54 at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, while also claiming two silvers and a bronze medal at the FILA World Championships. 3. Paul Donahoe-51 A native of Mobridge, S.D., Scherr has served as the CEO of the USOC since 2005 and is the first former Olympian to be named 4. Craig Brester-50 to the position. He helped guide the U.S. to its best performance ever in a non-domestic games last summer in Beijing. 5. Vince Jones-47 The 2008 class includes ESPN’s College Football GameDay host Chris Fowler, who graduated from Palmer High in 1980, Pikes 6. Jon May-43 Peak International Hill Climb legend Leonard Vahsholtz, former Colorado College football coach Jerry Carle, University of Colorado 7. Stephen Dwyer-42 basketball star Erin Scholz, icon Art Berglund and the 1965 state prep baseball champions from Palmer High.

Pins Next up: No. 6 NU Begins Season Against UTC 1. Vince Jones-10 The sixth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will start its dual season at home for the first time since 2005 with a 7 p.m. match 2. Tucker Lane-7 against Tennessee-Chattanooga at the NU Coliseum on Thursday, Nov. 20. The Mocs finished first in the Southern Conference last T3. Chris Hacker-6 year and return four NCAA qualifiers and one All-American to this year’s squad. The Huskers will host 12 duals at the NU Coliseum T3. Craig Brester-6 this season and the Big 12 Championships on March 7. 5. Paul Donahoe-5

Quickest Pin 1. Cody Foust-0:23 2. Chris Hacker-0:26 3. Vince Jones-0:29 4. Brandon Browne-0:41 5. Craig Brester-0:47

Technical Falls 1. Jordan Burroughs-8 T2. Brandon Browne-4 T2. Paul Donahoe-4 T2. Craig Brester-4 T5. Curtis Salazar-2

Major Decisions 1. Jordan Burroughs-12 T2. Brandon Browne-8 T2. Stephen Dwyer-8 4. Vince Jones-6 T5. Chris Oliver-4 T5. Craig Brester-4 T5. Robert Sanders-4 2008-09 Dual Lineup Breakdown

Date Opponent 125 133 141 149 157 165 174 184 197 Hwt. Nov. 20 Tennessee-Chattanooga ------Nov. 28 Augustana (S.D.) ------Nov. 28 Oregon State ------Dec. 20 Kent State ------Dec. 21 Minnesota ------Jan. 4 Northern Colorado ------Jan. 4 Michigan ------Jan. 18 South Dakota State ------Jan. 18 Maryland ------Jan. 23 Penn ------Jan. 25 Virginia Tech ------Jan. 25 Central Michigan ------Jan. 31 Missouri ------Feb. 5 Oklahoma State ------Feb. 8 Oklahoma ------Feb. 14 North Carolina ------Feb. 14 UNC Greensboro ------Feb. 22 Iowa State ------

-Home duals in BOLD.

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