NEBRASKA Weekly Notes: Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007

2006-07 Schedule Date Meet/Match Time/Score This Week in Husker Wrestling Nov. 11 Cowboy Open ! NTS Nov. 18 Kaufman-Brand Open @ NTS Conference Championships: Nov. 24 at Virginia Tech W, 34-9 No. 23/19 Nebraska (10-7-1) at 2007 Big 12 Championships Nov. 25 at Maryland W, 27-12 Hearnes Center•Columbia, Mo.•Saturday, March 3 Dec. 1-2 Invitational # 4th Last Year: Third Place, 52 pts, 9 NCAA qualifiers, one champion (Padden-197) Dec. 9 South Dakota State W, 32-9 TV: Tape-Delayed on FSN (channel 37 in Lincoln), Sunday, March 11, 12:30 p.m. Dec. 9 Northern Colorado W, 34-9 Dec. 16 Wyoming $ W, 34-10 Huskers Compete for Conference Title Dec. 16 Nebraska-Kearney $ W, 30-18 The 19th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will aim for the program’s seventh conference championship Jan. 5 Oregon State L, 15-21 at the 2007 Big 12 Championships at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. Thirty-eight wrestlers will Jan. 13-14 National Duals % qualify for the NCAA Championships, including the top-three finishers in each weight class and eight Jan. 13 vs. Hofstra L, 6-32 wild-card selections. Jan. 13 vs. Michigan W, 23-13 Last year, 197-pound Big 12 champion B.J. Padden led the way as nine Husker wrestlers earned bids Jan. 13 vs. L, 5-30 to nationals from the Big 12 Championships. Along with Padden, 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein reached Jan. 20 Iowa State L, 12-25 the finals, while Paul Donahoe (125), Patrick Aleksanyan (133), Dominick Moyer (141), Robert Sanders Jan. 28 at Missouri L, 11-31 (149) and Jon May (HWT) all earned third-place finishes. Marc Harwood (174) and Vince Jones (184) Feb. 1 State L, 13-21 finished fourth in their respective weight classes, but were awarded wild-card bids. Feb. 9 at Oklahoma W, 21-15 Nebraska’s nine qualifiers for the 2006 NCAA Championships were the most for NU since nine qualified Feb. 11 Minnesota L, 6-32 in 1996. Under seventh-year head coach Mark Manning, Nebraska has qualified at least six wrestlers Feb. 16 at Lehigh W, 27-15 every year for nationals. In the last three years, the Huskers have sent at least seven every year to Feb. 17 at Drexel W, 25-13 the NCAAs. Feb. 17 at Penn T, 17-17 March 3 Big 12 Championships ^ 11 a.m. March 15-17 NCAA Championships & TBA Last Time Out: Nebraska 25, Drexel 13; Nebraska 17, Penn 17, Feb. 17, 2007, All times central; All home duals in bold and The 19th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team defeated Drexel, 25-13, before finishing its regular held at the NU Coliseum; !-Laramie, Wyo.; season with a 17-17 tie against No. 20 Penn. The Huskers completed the regular season with a 10-7-1 @-Sapp Fieldhouse, Omaha, Neb.; #-Primm, record, marking the fifth straight season and the 17th in the last 18 years in which the Huskers have won Nev.; $-Nebraska Duals, Lincoln, Neb.; %- at least 10 duals. Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals, Cedar In the first dual, Nebraska won the last three matches to earn the dual win over the Dragons. With Falls, Iowa; ^-Columbia, Mo.; &-Auburn the Huskers trailing 13-12 through seven matches, Dominick Moyer earned a major decision win over Hills, Mich. Dave Gilio at 141 pounds, 12-4. Moyer outlasted Gilio, scoring four takedowns in the third period to build from a 3-0 lead in the first two periods. then defeated Mark Cartella at 149 pounds, 5-1. After a scoreless first period, Burroughs scored an escape and a takedown to take a 3-0 lead through two periods. The win gave Nebraska a 19-13 lead through nine matches. In the final match of the dual, Chris Oliver slammed the door on any hopes of a Drexel comeback bid with his of Ryan Hluschak at 157 pounds with 29 seconds remaining in the match. In the lone match Media Information in the dual featuring a pair of ranked wrestlers, Hluschak took a 4-1 lead after the first period and an Wrestling Contact: Nate Rohr 8-4 lead through the second. But after Hluschak scored an escape early in the third period, Oliver took E-mail: [email protected] him down with under one minute to go in the match, then pinned him moments later to clinch the dual Phone: (402) 472-0694 or (402) 520-0088 victory for NU. Fax: (402) 472-2005 Nebraska won three of the first five matches against Drexel to take a 12-9 lead through six matches. After a setback at 165 pounds, Marc Harwood, Levi Wofford and Craig Brester earned three consecutive NEBRASKA HUSKERS PROBABLE STARTERS Wt. Name Rank W-L Dual Pins TF MD Worth Noting 125 Paul Donahoe, So. 5/12/12 29-4 15-3 11/0 2 6 Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, Feb. 19, 2007 133 Mike Rowe, Fr. NR/NR/NR 12-5 4-3 2/2 0 2 Seventh-place finish, 2006 Las Vegas Invitational 141 Dominick Moyer, Sr. 9/6/7 25-6 13-3 2/0 1 8 7-5 and won four of last five vs. ranked opponents 149 Jordan Burroughs, Fr. NR/NR/NR 13-10 4-4 2/0 2 3 3-0, wins by MD and TF in last three matches of the year 157 Chris Oliver, So. 10/14/10 18-6 9-5 7/0 0 3 5-0, wins over three ranked opponents in last five matches 165 Stephen Dwyer, Fr. NR/NR/NR 16-10 7-9 2/2 1 5 Eight of last 11 opponents were ranked 174 Marc Harwood, Sr. NR/NR/NR 12-11 9-9 4/1 1 1 Wrestled at three weight classes during career at NU 184 Levi Wofford, Fr. NR/NR/NR 13-15 7-10 2/0 1 1 Won 12 of first 17 matches this season 197 Craig Brester, Fr. 13/10/11 16-4 14-2 2/1 3 5 Won 14 of his last 16 matches, 2 falls, 2 TF, 4 MD HWT Cameron Browne, Fr. NR/NR/NR 12-9 1-5 3/0 1 1 Defeated OU’s Farmer by fall on Feb. 9 Head Coach-Mark Manning, 95-39-2, 7th year at NU; 120-63-4, 10th year overall as head coach Head Assistant Coach: Mike Greenfield Assistant Coach: Tony Ersland Club Coach: Les Sigman Administrative Assistant: Jacob Klein Strength and Conditioning: Jason Mester Volunteer Asst. Coach: Sammie Henson Rankings given Amateur Wrestling News/WIN Magazine/Intermat; Amateur Wrestling News rankings as of Feb. 19, 2007; WIN Magazine rankings as of Feb. 26, 2007; Intermat Rankings as of Feb. 20, 2007 March 3, 2007 #19 Nebraska at 2007 Big 12 Championships NEBRASKA Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session One, 11 a.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session Two, 4 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. WRESTLING Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Final Matches, 7 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo.

wins for the Huskers to give NU a 9-6 lead. Harwood defeated Nick Kozar in the second tiebreaker #2 Iowa State (13-3) period, 4-3, at 174 pounds. The match was tied 1-1 through regulation and 2-2 through the first Starting Lineup round of tiebreaker periods. After a second scoreless sudden-victory period, both Harwood and Kozar 125-Nick Fanthorpe escaped in the tiebreaker period, but Harwood held a five-second advantage in riding time after the second tiebreaker period to earn the extra point and the victory. 133-Nick Gallick Wofford broke a personal eight-match losing streak with a 4-1 win over Brian Stouffer at 184 141-Mitch Mueller pounds. Wofford started the second period down and earned an escape and a takedown to build a 3-0 149-Cyler Sanderson lead early in the period. At 197 pounds, Brester edged Jon Oplinger, 4-2. Brester also took a 3-0 lead 157-Trent Paulson in the second period. After a setback at heavyweight, Paul Donahoe defeated Steve Mytych, 13-6. Donahoe led the 165-Travis Paulson match throughout, taking a 4-1 lead in the first period and a 9-5 lead after two periods. 174-Grant Turner A loss at 133 pounds gave Drexel a 13-12 lead before the Huskers won the last three matches to 184- earn the dual win. 197-Kurt Backes No. 20 Penn took an early 10-0 lead on Nebraska after winning the first three matches before Brester stopped the Quaker winning streak with his 14-5 major decision win over Jack Sullivan at 197 HWT-David Zabriskie pounds. The win was Brester’s third of the weekend and his 14th in his last 16 matches heading into the Big 12 Championships. A loss at heavyweight would build Penn’s lead to 13-4 halfway through the dual. Ranked Wrestlers Donahoe earned his third win of the weekend with an 8-2 win over Matt Eveleth at 125 pounds. Wrestler AWN WIN NWCA He has won six of his last seven matches since losing back-to-back matches in mid-January. At 133 125-Nick Fanthorpe 7 5 6 pounds, top-ranked Matt Valenti earned a major decision win to give Penn a 17-7 lead with three 133-Nick Gallick NR 14 20 matches remaining. Again, Nebraska got three consecutive wins to end the dual, starting with Moyer at 141 pounds. 141-Mitch Mueller 15 20 12 Moyer defeated Brett McCurdy, 5-2 to break the Quakers’ winning streak. Burroughs followed at 149 149-Cyler Sanderson 8 14 13 with his third win on the weekend and his second bonus-point triumph in a 19-7 major decision win 157-Trent Paulson 4 2 2 over Rob Hitschler. 165-Travis Paulson 3 3 3 Oliver tied the dual for the Huskers with a 4-1 win over Matt Dragon at 157 pounds. Oliver won three matches on the weekend. 174-Grant Turner NR NR 19 184-Jake Varner 6 6 6 Last Year at the Big 12 Championships: Nebraska-3rd, 52.0 pts, Nine NCAA Qualfiers 197-Kurt Backes 8 7 7 B.J. Padden became Nebraska’s first back-to-back Big 12 champion since Bryan Snyder in 2002 and HWT-David Zabriskie 11 11 15 nine Nebraska wrestlers earned bids to the 2006 NCAA Championships at the Big 12 Championships in Ames, Iowa. In the team race, Nebraska took third with 52 points, just a half point behind conference runner-up Oklahoma. Oklahoma State won the team championship with 80 points. Iowa State At a Glance Padden earned his second career conference championship with his 4-0 win over Location...... Ames, Iowa of Oklahoma State in the 197-pound finals. After a scoreless first period, Padden rode Rosholt for Founded...... 1858 the entire second period to take a 1:59 lead in the riding time advantage. Then in the third period, Enrollment...... 25,462 Padden scored a takedown and earned a extra point for his riding time advantage to earn his fourth point. Padden, who beat the defending national champion Rosholt all three times they faced each Colors...... Cardinal and Gold other in 2006, earned his second career All-America honor with a third-place finish at the NCAA Nickname...... Cyclones Championships. Home Facility...... Hilton Coliseum At 174 pounds, Jacob Klein fell in the final to top-ranked of Missouri, 17-6. Klein’s President.....Dr. Gregory L. Geoffroy second-place finish, however, was good enough for Klein to move on to the NCAA Championships Athletic Director...... Jamie Pollard for the fourth time in his career. Klein earned his second career All-America honor at the NCAA Head Coach...... Championships in 2006. Alma Mater...... Iowa State (2002) Paul Donahoe clinched first career bid to the NCAA Championships with his 10-7 win over Austin Record at ISU...... 13-3, 1st year DeVoe of Missouri in the third-place match at 125 pounds. Donahoe sprinted out to an 8-1 lead 50 seconds into the second period and cruised to the win from there. Donahoe earned his bid into the Career Record...... same third-place match with a 14-4 major decision win over Ben Hanisch of Iowa State. Donahoe finished Wrestling Office Phone...(515) 294-3372 2-2 at the NCAA Championships. Wrestling SID...... Amanda Dahl At 133 pounds, No. 4 seed Patrick Aleksanyan finished third after a 10-9 win over Jesse Sundell of SID Office Phone...... (515) 284-3372 Iowa State. Aleksanyan built a 6-2 lead in the first period and held on to qualify for his first trip to the SID Fax...... (515) 294-0558 NCAA Championships. Aleksanyan went 1-2 at nationals. SID E-Mail... [email protected] Dominick Moyer made his second career appearance at nationals after his 7-4 win over Oklahoma Internet Address...... cyclones.com State’s Ethan Kyle. Moyer, who finished second in the 2005 Big 12 Championships at 133 pounds. Earlier in the night session, Moyer dominated Missouri’s Chris McCormick in a 15-3 major decision ISU 25, NU 12, Jan. 20, 2007 victory. 133-Shaffer by dec. over Rowe, 9-6 Heavyweight Jon May headed to nationals on the strength of a third-place finish at the Big 12 141-#9 Moyer by dec. over #10 Mueller, 4-2 Championships. After a first-round overtime loss to Jake Hager, May pinned Sean Connole of Missouri 149-#16 Sanderson by dec. over Sanders, 12-8 with 34 seconds left in the first period to clinch a spot in the third-place match. May then defeated 157-#4 Paulson by dec. over Oliver, 9-3 Richard Schopf of Iowa State, 5-2, to earn his first career trip to nationals. May was 1-2 at NCAAs in 165-#3 Paulson by MD over Dwyer, 9-1 2006. 174-Harwood by fall over Turner, 4:06 The No. 5 seed entering the Big 12 Championships, Robert Sanders qualified for nationals with a 184-#6 Varner by MD over Wofford, 10-2 third-place finish. Sanders clinched third with his 6-3 win over Iowa State’s Jason Knipp. Sanders ran 197-#19 Brester by dec. over #5 Backes, 4-3 out to a 5-0 lead after two periods and was able to hold on from there. HWT-#18 Zabriskie by TF over Rice, 17-1; 5:41 Nebraska also received two of the conference’s eight wild card berths. 165-pound wrestler Marc 125-Fanthorpe by dec. over #9 Donahoe, 6-3 Harwood and 184-pound wrestler Vince Jones were awarded the wild-card spots, while Chris Oliver was named a second alternate for the wild-card bid. March 3, 2007 #19 Nebraska at 2007 Big 12 Championships NEBRASKA Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session One, 11 a.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session Two, 4 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. WRESTLING Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Final Matches, 7 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo.

Marc Harwood finished fourth at 165 pounds after losing 4-1 to Iowa State’s Travis Paulson. Harwood #3 Missouri (12-3) finished the day 1-2 and advanced to nationals. Starting Lineup Vince Jones also fell just short of third-place in a 6-2 loss to Oklahoma State’s Rusty Blackmon. 125-John Olanowski Jones clinched a bid in the third-place match with his 13-5 major decision victory over Oklahoma’s Justin Dyer. Jones earned a bonus point Nebraska with a strong finish. In the final 23 seconds, Jones 133-Tyler McCormick bolstered his lead to eight with a reversal and a three-point near fall. Jones went 3-2 in his first trip to 141-Ashtin Primus nationals as a true freshman. 149-Josh Wagner Chris Oliver’s bid for third place ended in a 6-5 loss to Oklahoma’s Will Rowe. The difference in the 157- match was Rowe’s 3:20 riding time advantage, gained by Rowe riding Oliver through the duration of the second period. In a fourth-place challenge match, Missouri’s Michael Chandler defeated Oliver by fall 165-Matt Pell with 45 seconds left in the first period. 174-Ben Askren 184-Raymond Jordan Scouting Iowa State 197-Max Askren Iowa State won its final eight duals including all four Big 12 duals to cap to 13-3 season under HWT-Mark Ellis first-year coach Cael Sanderson. The Cyclones earned the Midlands Tournament championship in mid- December and took third at the NWCA National Duals, losing only to top-ranked Minnesota in the semifinals. No. 2 ISU has five wrestlers ranked in the top 10, including second-ranked Trent Paulson Ranked Wrestlers (157) and third-ranked Travis Paulson (165). Wrestler AWN WIN NWCA 133-Tyler McCormick 6 6 5 Scouting Missouri 149-Josh Wagner 16 11 14 Missouri earned a 12-3 record and a No. 3 national ranking in dual competition this season. The Tigers finished second at the National Duals, losing only to No. 1 Minnesota in the finals. Mizzou 157-Michael Chandler 15 17 15 also finished second in dual competition in the , with its only blemish inleague 165-Matt Pell 6 7 7 competition being a 27-12 loss at home to Iowa State on Feb. 11. The Tigers have five wrestlers ranked 174-Ben Askren 1 1 1 in the top 10, led by 2006 NCAA Championships Outstanding Wrestler Ben Askren at 174 pounds. 184-Raymond Jordan 5 5 5 197-Max Askren 2 2 2 Scouting Oklahoma HWT-Mark Ellis 17 18 20 Oklahoma enters the Big 12 Championships with an 11-7 record, including back-to-back wins over Hofstra and Michigan State to close the season. Four Sooners are ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes, led by top-ranked Sam Hazewinkel at 125 pounds and second-ranked Matt Storniolo at 149 pounds. Also in the top 10 are fifth-ranked Joel Flaggert (197) and eighth-ranked Josh Missouri At a Glance Weitzel (174). Oklahoma was 0-5 in Big 12 duals, including a narrow 17-15 loss to Oklahoma State in Location...... Columbia, Mo. December. Founded...... 1839 Enrollment...... 27,003 Colors...... Old Gold and Black Scouting Oklahoma State No. 4 Oklahoma State completed the regular season with a 14-5 record, including a 3-2 Big 12 dual Nickname...... Tigers mark. The Cowboys will be well-rested entering the Big 12 Championships, having last wrestled on Home Facility...... Hearnes Center Mar. 11 in a 29-6 win over Oklahoma in Stillwater. While Oklahoma State lost six starters and three All- President...... Dr. Elson S. Floyd Americans from last year’s national championship squad, OSU enters the conference tournament with Athletic Director...... Mike Alden a strong lineup that includes three wrestlers ranked in the top 10, led by defending national champion Head Coach...... Brian Smith Johny Hendricks at 165 pounds. Alma Mater.....Michigan State (1990) Record at MU...... 110-56-1 (9 years) Nebraska’s History at the Conference Championships Career Record....112-64-2 (10 years) While Nebraska has not won a conference championship since securing the Big Eight crown in 1995, Wrestling Office Phone...(573) 884-9486 the Huskers have been in the thick of the conference title chase the last three years. NU has finished Wrestling SID...... Emily Gatewood in the top three the last three years, including a SID Office Phone...... (573) 884-8519 runner-up finish in 2004 and a pair of third-place NU at Big 12 Championships Under Manning finishes. Last year, Nebraska finished just one half- SID Fax...... (573) 882-4270 NCAA Big 12 point behind second-place Oklahoma. Year Place Pts. Qualfiiers Champions SID E-Mail.. [email protected] Individually, Husker wrestlers have earned 50 2001 4th 50.0 6 Powell, 125 Internet Address...... mutigers.com conference championships over the years, including Snyder, 157 10 since the Big 12 Conference was formed in 2002 4th 32.5 6 Snyder, 157 MU 31, NU 11, Jan. 28, 2007 1997. The list of recent conference champions is 2003 4th 39.5 6 none 141-#8 Moyer by MD over #17 Primus, 15-2 led by four-time Big 12 champion Bryan Snyder at 2004 2nd 55.5 8 none 149-#9 Wagner by fall over Sanders, 1:03 157 pounds. The four-time All-American brought 2005 3rd 47.5 7 Padden, 197 157-Oliver by dec. over #14 Chandler, 4-3 home the conference gold for Nebraska from 1999- 2006 3rd 52.0 9 Padden, 197 165-#7 Pell (MU) by MD over Dwyer, 12-2 2002, but was the last Husker to win a conference 174-#1 Askren by MD over Harwood, 20-9 championship until 197-pound wrestler B.J. Padden 184-#5 Jordan by MD over Wofford, 13-5 broke the NU drought with championships in 2005 and 2006. 197-#1 Askren by MD over #8 Brester, 11-3 HWT-Ellis by dec. over Browne, 10-5 125-#15 Donahoe by MD over Olanowski,19-7 Nine NU Wrestlers Named to Big 12 Honor Roll 133-#4 McCormick (MU) win by forfeit The Nebraska wrestling team had nine wrestlers named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, awarding those who achieved a 3.0 or higher grade-point average during the 2006 fall semester. The list was led by former Husker Matt Murray, who earned a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester. Murray, who was an All-American in 2004 and a two-year letterwinner for the Huskers before completing March 3, 2007 #19 Nebraska at 2007 Big 12 Championships NEBRASKA Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session One, 11 a.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session Two, 4 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. WRESTLING Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Final Matches, 7 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo.

his eligibility in the spring of 2005, also was a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 performer, a #7/14 Oklahoma (11-7) two-time NWCA All-Academic Team honoree and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. Starting Lineup Also included on the list were four NU wrestlers who have earned the honor multiple times, led 125-Sam Hazewinkel by Casey Roberts. An architecture major from Lincoln, Roberts has been named to the last five Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Rolls. Robert Sanders earned his fourth straight appearance on the Big 133-Henry Roman 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Sanders, a Blanding, native, is a nutrition, fitness and health 141-Kyle Terry promotion major. 149-Matt Storniolo Austin Baier and Rob Plambeck were honored for the third time in their respective careers. Baier 157-Will Rowe is a business administration major from Greenfield, Iowa, while Plambeck is a biological sciences major from Lincoln. Brady LaMar rounds out the list of multiple-time honorees as the finance major 165-Shane Siebert from Silver Lake, Kan., earned his second straight honor roll citation. 174-Josh Weitzel Three true freshmen, Casey Gubbels, Andy Johnson and Frank Jonas, earned honor roll status in 184-Josh Hinton their first semesters at Nebraska. 197-Joel Flaggert Nebraska had a total of 270 honorees through 23 sports, including 33 who had a 4.0 GPA. HWT-Brad Farmer Husker Wrestling Adds Rice to Roster After the season-ending injury to Jon May, Nebraska was left without a heavyweight on the roster Ranked Wrestlers just one month into the season. Enter Thomas Rice, a Lincoln East graduate who is a defensive end on the Husker football team. Rice joined the NU wrestling squad soon after the football team returned Wrestler AWN WIN NWCA from the Cotton Bowl, and made his debut as Husker wrestler with a 2-2 showing at the 2007 Dana 125-Sam Hazewinkel 1 1 1 College Open Jan. 6 in Blair, Neb. Rice made his dual debut for Nebraska at the National Duals, 149-Matt Storniolo 3 4 2 moving into a heavyweight spot in which the Huskers forfeited for five straight duals. 157-Will Rowe 17 15 11 A member of two state championship teams at Lincoln East and a high school All-American after a 165-Shane Siebert 17 19 18 sixth-place finish at the Greco Roman National Championships, Rice is not the first Husker heavyweight to come from the football ranks under head coach Mark Manning. Mitch Manstedt also participated in 174-Josh Weitzel 14 17 8 both sports during his time at Nebraska. A three-year starter, Manstedt joined the wrestling team his 197-Joel Flaggert 5 5 5 freshman year in mid-January 2001 after the football season, then wrestled full-time for the duration of his college career.

Oklahoma At a Glance Huskers Continue Winning Tradition Location...... Norman, Okla. With its victory over Oklahoma on Feb. 9, the Nebraska wrestling team continued a streak of Founded...... 1890 29 years in which the Huskers have won at least eight duals. The streak dates back to the 1978-79 Enrollment...... 31,400 season, Bob Fehrs’ first as Nebraska’s head coach. In the 58 seasons of NU wrestling before the streak Colors...... Crimson and Cream started, the Huskers had only four seasons with eight or more dual wins, only 13 winning seasons and Nickname...... Sooners a record of 174-344-18 with a winning percentage of .341. In the 29 campaigns since, the Huskers Home Facility...McCasland Field House have had only three losing seasons and have earned a record of 389-160-10 with a winning percentage President...... David L. Boren of .705. With a pair of wins in the last weekend of the regular season, Nebraska earned double-figure wins for the fifth straight season and for the 18th time in 19 years. Athletic Director...... Joe Castiglione Head Coach...... Jack Spates Alma Mater...... Slippery Rock (1975) Experienced but Young Huskers Tackle the 2006-07 Season Record at OU... 184-83-11 (15 years) Nebraska was in a unique position entering the 2006-07 season. The Huskers returned Huskers Experience under Mark Manning Career Record....315-96-7 (18 years) eight starters and seven NCAA qualifiers Returning Returning NCAA Wrestling Office Phone...(405) 325-7345 from last year’s team, which ranked among Year Srs. Starters Qualifiers Record NCAA Wrestling SID...... Matt Montgomery the highest total in those two categories in 00-01 6 7 4 11-6 8th SID Office Phone...... (405) 325-8349 Mark Manning’s seven years as the Huskers’ 01-02 2 5 3 8-9 8th SID Fax...... (405) 325-7623 head coach. However, the two seniors on 02-03 3 6 4 16-7 13th 03-04 6 8 6 19-3 5th SID E-Mail...... [email protected] Nebraska’s roster matched the fewest that 04-05 9 8 7 19-2-1 19th Internet Address....soonersports.com Manning has had at NU. Both experience and youth have proven 05-06 4 5 3 12-5 16th valuable for Manning as Nebraska’s coach. 06-07 2 8 7 10-7-1 ----- When the Huskers had only two seniors in NU 21, OU 15, Feb. 9, 2007 2001-02, they rebounded from an 8-9 regular season to take eighth at the NCAA Championships, the 125-#13 Donahoe by fall over Roman, 2:31 program’s 14th top-10 finish. The two times that Nebraska returned eight starters (2004 and 2005), 133-Shelton by dec. over Aleksanyan, 8-2 the Huskers won 19 duals and, in 2004, took fifth at nationals. 141-#7 Moyer by dec. over Terry, 4-0 149-#3 Storniolo by dec. over Burroughs, 7-3 157-Oliver by dec. over #13 Rowe, 6-2 Three Accomplished Student-Athletes Join NU Wrestling 165-Dwyer by dec. over #16 Seibert, 4-1 Nebraska head wrestling coach Mark Manning announced the signing of three student-athletes 174-#8 Weitzel by dec. over Harwood, 7-1 during the early signing period that who join the Huskers for the 2007-08 academic year. The three 184-Hinton by dec. over Wofford, 5-3 signees, Andy Pokorny of Bennington, Neb., Tucker Lane of Nucla, Colo., and Chris Hacker of El Reno, 197-#5 Flaggert by dec. over #10 Brester, 7-4 Okla., represent Nebraska’s continued success in wrestling both on and off the mat. HWT-Browne by fall over Farmer, 1:21 Pokorny is a two-time state champion, winning last year’s class C crown at 112 pounds after winning in 2005 at 103. A 2006 Junior Freestyle All-American, Pokorny is the fourth-ranked 112- pound wrestler in the nation by Wrestling USA and is the 52nd ranked high school wrestler overall by Intermat. His accomplishments are not limited to the mat, however, as he is currently second in his class with at 3.935 GPA and a 30 on his ACT. March 3, 2007 #19 Nebraska at 2007 Big 12 Championships NEBRASKA Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session One, 11 a.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session Two, 4 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. WRESTLING Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Final Matches, 7 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo.

Lane also comes to Nebraska with glittering athletic and academic credentials. A two-time state #4 Oklahoma State (14-5) champion, Lane is the nation’s second-ranked 215-pound wrestler by Wrestling USA and is the 40th Starting Lineup ranked high school wrestler overall, according to Intermat, which has recognized him as a four-star 125-Tyler Shinn recruit. Lane also was a Junior Freestyle All-American in 2006. Like Pokorny, Lane is also accomplished in the classroom. He earned a 31 on his ACT and entered his senior year at Nucla High School with a 133-Coleman Scott 4.25 GPA, tops in his graduating class. 141-Nathan Morgan A four-time Cadet All-American and two-time Junior All-American, Hacker also joins the Huskers 149-B.J. Jackson with an impressive resume at both the state and national levels. Hacker captured the Class 4A 157-Newly McSpadden championships at 152 pounds last year, and is the No. 6 152-pounder according to Wrestling USA and is the 53rd-best high school wrestler in the nation, according to Intermat. Hacker also received 165-Johny Hendricks recruiting attention from Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Missouri, among others. 174-Brandon Mason 184-Jack Jensen Huskers Complete Tough Road to Postseason 197-Jared Shelton The Nebraska wrestling program has always dealt with a difficult schedule in the Big 12 Conference. HWT-Jared Rosholt But few years have seen one conference so thoroughly dominate the rankings. In both major polls, three of the top four teams in the nation are from the Big 12. After wrestling Iowa and Hofstra at the National Duals, the Huskers’ schedule included six of the top 10 teams in the nation. The Huskers, one Ranked Wrestlers of only three teams in the country to see five of the preseason top six in the nation on their schedule, wrestled eight of the top 10 teams in the nation during a month-long stretch. Eleven of Nebraska’s Wrestler AWN WIN NWCA last 12 dual opponents are ranked, including a stretch of 10 straight ranked dual opponents which 125-Tyler Shinn 18 15 14 concluded with the Huskers’ 27-15 win over Lehigh on Feb. 16. 133-Coleman Scott 4 4 4 141-Nathan Morgan 6 4 5 Non-Varsity Notes 157-Newly McSpadden 16 20 NR Eight Nebraska non-varsity wrestlers finished in the top four in their respective weight classes at the 165-Johny Hendricks 1 1 1 Open on Saturday, Jan. 20 in Omaha, 174-Brandon Mason 12 16 15 Neb. Matt Vacanti won the championship at 125 pounds, while Patrick Aleksanyan finished second 2006-07 Redshirt Open Schedule HWT-Jared Rosholt 12 14 16 at 133 and Andy Johnson took second at 174. Nov. 11 Cowboy Open Laramie, Wyo. Cody Foust (165) and Casey Roberts (184) earned Nov. 11 Open Fort Dodge, Iowa third-place finishes, while Austin Baier (141), Nov. 18 Kaufman-Brand Open Omaha, Neb. Oklahoma State At a Glance Casey Gubbels (149) and Rob Plambeck (157) Dec. 2 UNI Open Cedar Falls, Iowa Location...... Stillwater, Okla. took fourth in their respective weight classes. Dec. 9 UNK Loper Open Kearney, Neb. Founded...... 1890 The Brand Open is the last scheduled non-varsity Jan. 6 Dana College Open Blair, Neb. Enrollment...... 32,721 competition for NU wrestlers this season. Jan. 20 Glen Brand Open Omaha, Neb. Colors...... Orange and Black In the first weekend of the season, Vacanti was Nickname...... Cowboys the lone Husker to place at the Harold Nichols Open. Vacanti took third with a 5-3 win over Robert Home Facility....Gallagher-Iba Arena Struthers of Wartburg at 125 pounds. Baier advanced to the semifinals at 141 pounds before he was President...... Dr. David Schmidly defeated by Joey Slaton of Iowa. Meanwhile, a pair of true freshmen earned gold medals at the Cowboy Athletic Director...... Mike Holder Open in Laramie, Wyo. Curtis Salazar was 4-0 in a championship run in the amateur division at 149 Head Coach...... John Smith pounds, while Stephen Dwyer was 4-0 en route to the 165-pound amateur championship. Alma Mater... Oklahoma State (1988) At the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 18, the Huskers were led by Vacanti, who dominated the field Record at OSU....250-32-3 (16 years) on his way to the championship in the 125-pound amateur bracket. He won his first three matches Career Record...... same in the tournament by fall in a total of 7:12. Vacanti defeated Terrance Young of Iowa Central by Wrestling Office Phone...(405) 744-4541 decision, 3-1, before knocking off Oklahoma State’s Ben Ashmore, 3-2, in the finals. In addition to Wrestling SID...... Chris Matthews Vacanti’s title, a pair of Nebraska wrestlers earned third-place finishes in their respective amateur SID Office Phone...... (405) 744-3875 brackets, including Salazar at 149 pounds and Dwyer at 165 pounds. Jordan Burroughs took fourth at SID Fax...... (405) 744-7754 149 pounds, while Gubbels and Cameron Browne finished in fifth place at 141 and 197, respectively. SID E-Mail...... Alex Ward finished sixth at 165 pounds. On Dec. 2, Vacanti earned a third-place finish at 125 pounds .... [email protected] to lead the Huskers’ effort at the UNI Open. Salazar finished fourth at 149 pounds at the UNK Loper Internet Address...... okstate.com Open on Dec. 9 in Kearney, Neb. Five Nebraska wrestlers earned top-four finishes at the Dana College Open on Jan. 6 in Blair, Neb. The Huskers were led by Browne, who won the 197-pound championship. Baier (133) and Robert Sanders OSU 21, NU 13, Feb. 1, 2007 (149) finished third in their respective weight classes, while Derek Moyer (149) and Foust (165) earned fourth-place finishes. 165-#1 Hendricks by MD over Dwyer, 11-3 174-#16 Mason by dec. over Harwood, 3-0 184- Jensen by dec. over Wofford, 10-4 Next up: Nebraska at the NCAA Championships, March 15-17, Auburn Hills, Mich. 197-#9 Brester by MD over Shelton, 18-6 Wrestlers who finish in the top three in their respective weight class along with eight wild-card HWT-#18 Rosholt by MD over Rice, 12-3 selections will advance to the 2007 NCAA Championships at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., on March 125-#14 Donahoe by dec. over #15 Shinn, 8-5 15-17. Nebraska will look for the program’s 16th top-10 finish at nationals. The Huskers have finished 133-#5 Scott by MD over Aleksanyan, 10-0 in the top 20 each of the last eight years and 16 of the last 18, while at least two NU wrestlers have 141-#8 Moyer by dec. over Morgan, 5-3, SV1 earned All-America honors in each of the last eight years. For the first time since the 2002 NCAA 149-Burroughs by dec. over Jackson, 10-5 Championships in Albany, N.Y., the NCAA Championships will be held outside Big 12 country. After 157-McSpadden by dec. over Oliver, 5-3, SV1 a year in Kansas City, Mo., nationals were held in St. Louis, Mo., in 2004 and 2005 before moving to in 2006. March 3, 2007 #19 Nebraska at 2007 Big 12 Championships NEBRASKA Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session One, 11 a.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Session Two, 4 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo. WRESTLING Saturday-#19 NU at Big 12 Championships, Final Matches, 7 p.m., Hearnes Center, Columbia, Mo.

Head Coach Mark Manning 2006-07 Wrestling Statistics In seven seasons at Nebraska, head coach Records Dual Pts. Dual TD Pins Mark Manning has built the NU wrestling Wt. Name Overall Dual NU/Opp NU/Opp W/L TF MD QP program into one of the nation’s elite. 125 Paul Donahoe 29-4 15-3 63/9 44/10 11/0 2 6 1:04 During his tenure, Manning has coached 16 133 Mike Rowe 12-5 4-3 13/15 8/5 2/2 0 2 2:22 Huskers to All-America status as Nebraska 141 Dominick Moyer 25-6 13-3 55/10 14/8 2/0 1 8 1:40 has finished in the nation’s top 15 four 149 Robert Sanders 17-12 5-5 15/18 12/12 0/2 0 2 0:00 times and won 72 percent of its duals. The 157 Chris Oliver 18-6 9-5 38/16 7/11 7/0 0 3 2:39 Nebraska wrestling program continued to 165 Stephen Dwyer 16-10 7-9 27/35 22/14 2/2 1 5 1:09 grow under Manning in 2006, as the Huskers 165/174 Marc Harwood 12-11 9-9 35/29 16/14 4/1 1 1 :47 finished with a 12-5 dual record, a top-five 184 Levi Wofford 13-15 7-10 30/33 27/22 2/0 1 2 6:11 national dual ranking and a third-place finish 197 Craig Brester 16-4 14-2 56/7 34/6 2/1 3 5 :51 at National Duals. HWT Tom Rice 2-5 0-3 0/14 0/9 1/0 0 0 :53 Manning is regarded as one of the nation’s Non-Starters top recruiters. The ability to attract the 125 Matt Vacanti 17-2 0-0 0/0 0/0 5/0 0 1 1:54 nation’s top young talent allowed Manning 133 Patrick Aleksanyan 11-13 2-5 6/19 6/13 2/2 2 2 2:27 to resurrect the Northern Iowa program in 133 Austin Baier 16-8 0-0 0/0 0/0 2/0 0 2 2:26 just three short seasons at the school. He is 133 Peter Roto 0-6 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/1 0 0 0:00 utilizing the same skills to keep Nebraska 141/149 Jordan Burroughs 13-10 4-4 15/12 9/8 2/0 2 3 2:12 among the nation’s best on the mat and in 141 Cash Coolidge 1-2 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 0 0:00 the classroom. 141 Casey Gubbels 12-6 0-0 0/0 0/0 3/1 0 4 :31 Manning also has the personality and 141 Malcolm McGruder 1-4 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/1 0 1 0:00 leadership skills to build a program. He has 141 Jeff Slaughter 9-8 0-0 0/0 0/0 6/5 0 1 :20 assembled top-notch staffs at both of his 149 Peter Barger 2-8 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/4 0 0 :44 stops, including a Husker staff of two-time 149 Brady LaMar 2-6 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/2 0 0 0:00 All-American Mike Greenfield, three-time 149 Derek Moyer 19-10 0-0 0/0 0/0 6/2 1 3 :41 149 Curtis Salazar 18-9 0-0 0/0 0/0 4/1 0 2 :59 team national champion Tony Ersland, three- 149 Paul Sanders 3-8 0-0 0/0 0/0 0/1 0 0 0:00 time All-American Jason Mester, four-time 165 Cody Foust 14-11 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/1 0 1 1:09 Division II national champion Les Sigman 165 Andy Johnson 2-3 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/0 0 0 6:50 and two-time All-American Jacob Klein. 165 Frank Jonas 13-12 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/2 0 2 4:13 Together, Manning and his staff have an 165 Rob Plambeck 3-12 0-4 0/16 2/12 0/4 0 0 0:00 accomplished wrestling resume and possess 165 Alex Ward 17-10 0-0 0/0 0/0 3/2 1 3 1:08 the teaching skills to translate that success 174 Bobby Laraway 7-6 0-0 0/0 0/0 1/1 0 0 5:44 to Nebraska’s wrestlers. 174/184 Casey Roberts 9-12 0-3 0/13 1/10 3/2 1 0 :30 Manning’s Career Record 197/HWT Cameron Browne 12-9 1-5 6/15 2/3 3/0 1 1 1:21 Year School Record NCAA 197 Nick Schaefer 5-7 1-1 3/6 2/0 1/1 0 0 4:20 HWT Jon May 14-4 2-0 9/0 3/0 6/0 0 2 :26 97-98 Northern Iowa 5-9-0 T-30th 98-99 Northern Iowa 8-10-0 17th 99-00 Northern Iowa 10-5-2 11th 00-01 Nebraska 11-6-0 8th Statistical Leaders 01-02 Nebraska 8-9-0 8th Overall Wins Dual Points Pins 02-03 Nebraska 16-7-0 13th 1. Paul Donahoe-29 1. Paul Donahoe-63 1. Paul Donahoe-11 2. Chris Oliver-7 03-04 Nebraska 19-3-0 5th 2. Dominick Moyer-25 2. Craig Brester-56 T3. Jon May-6 04-05 Nebraska 19-2-1 19th 3. Derek Moyer-19 3. Dominick Moyer-55 T4. Curtis Salazar-18 4. Chris Oliver-38 T3. Jeff Slaughter-6 05-06 Nebraska 12-5-0 16th T3. Derek Moyer-6 T4. Chris Oliver-18 5. Marc Harwood-35 06-07 Nebraska 10-7-1 6. Matt Vacanti-5 Career (10 yrs) 120-63-4 T6. Robert Sanders-17 6. Levi Wofford-30 T7. Curtis Salazar-4 T6. Matt Vacanti-17 7. Stephen Dwyer-27 T7. Marc Harwood-4 as a Head Coach T6. Alex Ward-17 T8. Robert Sanders-15 T9. Four Tied-3 20 All-Americans T9. Austin Baier-16 T8. Jordan Burroughs-15 16 All-Americans at Nebraska T9. Stephen Dwyer-16 10. Mike Rowe-13 Technical Falls 6 NCAA Finalists T9. Craig Brester-16 1 NCAA Champion 1. Craig Brester-3 Dual Takedowns T2. Paul Donahoe-2 as an Assistant Coach Dual Wins 1. Paul Donahoe-44 T2. Patrick Aleksanyan-2 29 All-Americans 1. Paul Donahoe-15 2. Craig Brester-34 T2. Jordan Burroughs-2 9 NCAA Finalists 2. Craig Brester-14 3. Levi Wofford-27 T5. Eight Tied-1 3 NCAA Champions 3. Dominick Moyer-13 4. Stephen Dwyer-22 T4. Chris Oliver-9 5. Marc Harwood-16 Major Decisions on the International Level T4. Marc Harwood-9 6. Dominick Moyer-14 1. Dominick Moyer-8 Assistant Coach, 2000 Olympics T6. Stephen Dwyer-7 7. Robert Sanders-12 2. Paul Donahoe-6 Assistant Coach, 1996 Olympics T6. Levi Wofford-7 8. Jordan Burroughs-9 T3. Stephen Dwyer-5 Six-Time Assistant Coach, United 8. Robert Sanders-5 9. Mike Rowe-8 T3. Craig Brester-5 States World Team T9. Mike Rowe-4 10. Chris Oliver-7 5. Casey Gubbels-4 Three-time head coach, United T9. Jordan Burroughs-4 State Olympic Festival 2006-07 Nebraska Wrestling Roster Name Year Weight Hometown (Previous School) Weight-by-Weight Aleksanyan, Patrick..... So...... 133...... Santa Ana, Calif. (Calvary Chapel/Cal State Fullerton) Baier, Austin...... RFr...... 133...... Greenfield, Iowa (Nodaway Valley) 125 Pounds 165 Pounds Barger, Peter...... Fr...... 149...... Wauneta, Neb. (Wauneta-Palisade) Brester, Craig...... RFr...... 197...... Howells, Neb. (Howells) Paul Donahoe Stephen Dwyer Browne, Brandon...... So...... 174...... Plattsmouth, Neb. (Plattsmouth) Matt Vacanti Cody Foust Browne, Cameron...... Fr...... 197...... Plattsmouth, Neb. (Plattsmouth) Andy Johnson Burroughs, Jordan...... Fr...... 149...... Sicklerville, N.J. (Winslow Township) Coolidge, Cash...... So...... 141...... Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic) 133 Pounds Frank Jonas Donahoe, Paul...... So...... 125...... Davison, Mich. (Davison) Patrick Aleksanyan Rob Plambeck Dwyer, Stephen...... Fr...... 165...... South Beloit, Ill. (Hononegah) Austin Baier Alex Ward Foust, Cody...... So...... 165...... Choctaw, Okla. (Choctaw) Gubbels, Casey...... Fr...... 141...... Randolph, Neb. (Randolph) Malcolm McGruder Harwood, Marc...... Sr...... 165...... Lakefield, Minn. (Jackson County) Peter Roto 174 Pounds Johnson, Andy...... Fr...... 165...... Yankton, S.D. (Yankton) Mike Rowe Jonas, Frank...... Fr...... 165...... Wichita, Kan. (Kapaun-Mt. Carmel) Brandon Browne Jones, Vince...... So...... 184...... Sicklerville, N.J. (Winslow Township) Marc Harwood LaMar, Brady...... RFr...... 149...... Silver Lake, Kan. (Silver Lake) 141 Pounds Bobby Laraway Laraway, Bobby...... Fr...... 174...... Union, N.J. (St. Benedict's Prep) May, Jon...... Jr...... HWT...... Hutchinson, Minn. (Hutchinson) Cash Coolidge Casey Roberts McGruder, Malcolm..... Fr...... 133...... Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep) Casey Gubbels Moyer, Derek...... Fr...... 149...... Oskaloosa, Iowa (Oskaloosa) Dominick Moyer 184 Pounds Moyer, Dominick...... Sr...... 141...... Oskaloosa, Iowa (Oskaloosa) Oliver, Chris...... So...... 157...... Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep) Jeff Slaughter Vince Jones Plambeck, Rob...... RFr...... 165...... Lincoln, Neb. (Christian) Levi Wofford Rice, Tom...... Jr...... HWT...... Lincoln, Neb. (East) 149 Pounds Roberts, Casey...... So...... 174...... Lincoln, Neb. (East) Roto, Peter...... Fr...... 133...... Palantine, Ill. (Palantine) Peter Barger 197 Pounds Rowe, Mike...... RFr...... 133...... Huntington, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) Jordan Burroughs Craig Brester Salazar, Curtis...... Fr...... 149...... Greeley, Colo. (Valley) Brady LaMar Cameron Browne Sanders, Paul...... Fr...... 149...... Blanding, Utah (San Juan) Sanders, Robert...... So...... 149...... Blanding, Utah (San Juan) Derek Moyer Nick Schaefer Schaefer, Nick...... Fr...... 197...... Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic) Curtis Salazar Slaughter, Jeff...... Fr...... 141...... New Orleans, La. (Stillwater, Okla. HS) Paul Sanders Vacanti, Matt...... Fr...... 125...... Papillion, Neb. (Papillion-LaVista) Heavyweight Ward, Alex...... Fr...... 165...... Davidsonville, Md. (Mt. St. Joseph's Prep) Robert Sanders Jon May Wofford, Levi...... RFr. .... 184...... Aurora, Neb. (Aurora) Tom Rice 157 Pounds Coaching Staff Chris Oliver Head Coach: Mark Manning (Seventh Season) Assistant Coaches: Mike Greenfield (Fifth Season), Tony Ersland (First Season) Strength Coach: Jason Mester (Second Season) Volunteer Assistant Coach: Sammie Henson (First Season) Wrestlers listed alphabetically within Administrative Assistant: Jacob Klein (First Season) weight class not by depth Club Coach: Les Sigman (First Season) Student Assistant Coach: Matt Murray (First Season)

Huskers by Class

Seniors (2) Sophomores (9) Redshirt Freshmen (6) True Freshmen (17) Marc Harwood Patrick Aleksanyan Austin Baier Peter Barger Dominick Moyer Brandon Browne Craig Brester Cameron Browne Cash Coolidge Brady LaMar Jordan Burroughs Juniors (2) Paul Donahoe Rob Plambeck Stephen Dwyer Jon May Cody Foust Mike Rowe Casey Gubbels Tom Rice Vince Jones Levi Wofford Andy Johnson Chris Oliver Frank Jonas Casey Roberts Bobby Laraway Robert Sanders Malcolm McGruder Derek Moyer Peter Roto Curtis Salazar Paul Sanders Nick Schaefer Jeff Slaughter Matt Vacanti Alex Ward