14TH-RANKED HUSKER WRESTLERS BLANK WYOMING, 37-0

Lincoln, Neb.--The Husker wrestling team, ranked 14th in the latest NWCA/Amateur Wrestling News poll, shut out Wyoming, 37-0, Sunday afternoon in front of 1, 013 spectators at the Devaney Sports Center. The victory raises Nebraska's dual mark to 2-1 for the season and is the 12th consecutive time the Huskers have defeated the Cowboys in dual competition.

Seventh-ranked Paul Gomez started Nebraska's scoring streak by pinning Chris Bouchard at the 4:04 mark to give the Huskers a 6-0 lead early. Gomez earned his fifth win of the year overall and second in dual competition, raising his record to 5-1 and 2-1.

In the 133-pound match-up, NU's Todd Beckerman (5-2, 2-1), ranked 18th in the nation, jumped out to an 8-1 lead against Wyoming's Chris Walker and never looked back, earning a 9-4 decision.

Husker senior Jose DeAnda dominated Kelly McConville in a 12-5 decision at 141 pounds to preserve an unblemished 8-0/3-0 record for the year. Ranked ninth in the nation at 141 pounds, DeAnda is one of three Huskers to have won all three dual matches this season.

Leading 17-1 in his match with the Cowboys' Mark Hamrick, Joe Henson (6-1, 2-0) built Nebraska's lead to 17 points with a technical fall victory at the 3:47 mark. Henson dominated early in the match and led 11-0 after the first period. Henson added six points in the second period, including one point for a riding time of 2:42, before earning the victory.

Nineteenth-ranked Bryan Snyder continued to put points up on the board for Nebraska with an 11-3 major decision over Matt Winninger in the 157-pound contest. With the win, Snyder moved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in dual action this season.

Even after a 15-minute intermission, the song remained the same, as Nebraska's Josh Henson (7-1, 2-1) earned an 11-6 decision over Brian Wood at 165 pounds to extend the Huskers' lead to 24-0 with four matches to go.

In what proved to be the most exciting match-up of the meet, 174-pound Husker Charles McTorry (4-3, 1-2) executed a takedown with just 10 seconds remaining in the third period of his match with Wyoming's Jeremy Sell for the go-ahead win. McTorry's takedown broke an 11-11 tie, and preserved a 13-11 victory for the Husker sophomore from Nashville, Tenn. Sell, a junior from Colstrip, Mont., led for most of the match, although the two athletes were tied on four occasions.

At 184 pounds, Nebraska's ninth-ranked Brad Vering (7-1, 3-0) had his hands full with Wyoming's Steve Schenk, who entered the meet with an 11-5 record overall and 2-0 mark in dual competition. Vering led throughout, but was threatened when Schenk earned an escape with 1:03 remaining in the third period to cut Vering's advantage to 4-3. Vering prevailed with a takedown with 24 seconds left in the match.

In the 197-pound contest, 16th-ranked Husker senior Scott Munson (6-2, 2-1) posted a 14-4 major decision over last year's Western Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, Craig Rumsey (9-6, 2-1), giving Nebraska a 34-0 lead.

J.R. Plienis (5-2, 3-0) won a hard-fought heavyweight match over former Husker Abe Boomer (13-7, 2-1), 5-3, to preserve a 37-0 shutout. Plienis, ranked 10th in the nation, used two takedowns in the second period after a scoreless first stanza to hand the 17th-ranked Boomer his first dual loss of the season.

"We've really been focusing on setting the tone of the match early," Nebraska Head Coach Tim Neumann said. "We want to make the match the way we want it to be--not just accepting the way it turns out. We were able to do that today."

Nebraska travels to Reno, Nev., for the Reno Challenge on Sunday, Dec. 20, to round out this year's competition. The Huskers will host South Dakota State on Jan. 7, 1999, and the Great Plains Open on Jan. 9.

No. 14 NEBRASKA 37, WYOMING 0 RUNNING SCORE
125--#7 Paul Gomez (5-1, 2-1), NU win by fall Chris Bouchard (3-9, 0-3), WYO 4:04
133--#18 Todd Beckerman (5-3, 2-1), NU dec. Chris Walker (7-8, 1-2), WYO 9-4
141--#9 Jose DeAnda (8-0, 3-0), NU dec. Kelly McConville (1-6, 0-2), WYO 12-5
149--Joe Henson (6-1, 2-0), NU tech. fall Mark Hamrick (9-6, 0-2), WYO 3:47 [17-1]
157--#19 Bryan Snyder (6-1, 2-1), NU maj. dec. Matt Winninger (3-6,1-2), WYO 11-3
165--Josh Henson (7-1, 2-1), NU dec. Brian Wood (8-7, 1-2), WYO 11-6
174--Charles McTorry (4-3, 1-2), NU dec. Jeremy Sell (5-8, 1-2), WYO 13-11
184--#9 Brad Vering (7-1, 3-0), NU dec. Steve Schenk (11-6, 2-1), WYO 6-3
197--#16 Scott Munson (6-2, 2-1), NU maj. dec. Craig Rumsey (9-6, 2-1), WYO 14-4
Hwt--#10 J.R. Plienis (5-2, 3-0), NU dec. #17 Abe Boomer (13-7, 2-1), WYO 5-3
Attendance: 1,013 ###