Nebraska Wrestling Team Will Host Its Annual Wrestle-Offs at 6 P.M
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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. Nebraska 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. Jordan Burroughs - 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. HUSKERS.COM 1 2008-09 NEBRASKA WRESTLING 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.