Nebraska Sends Six to Second Round

St. Louis, Mo.---The fourth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team saw six wrestlers advance to the second round of the 2005 NCAA Championships during the morning session at Savvis Center in St. Louis, Mo. As a team, the Huskers were 5-1 with 11th-seeded 197-pound wrestler B.J. Padden receiving a bye into the second round. Padden will face Casey Phelps of Boise State in Session Two, which is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night.

At 125 pounds, Matt Keller scored a takedown 39 seconds into his first-round match with Joe Kemmerer of UNC-Greensboro and held on to win, 2-1. The No. 10 seed at 125 pounds, Keller moves on to the second round to take on seventh-seeded Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State this evening. Hochstrasser defeated Keller twice in December earlier this season.

In his first career match at the NCAA Championships, 133-pound sophomore wrestler Dominick Moyer was a winner over Josh Keefe of Chattanooga, 2-1 in overtime. Moyer was the benificary of a technical violation called on Keefe as he rode Moyer in the second tiebreaker period. The call gave Moyer the advantage in riding time and the victory. This evening Moyer will face the No. 3 seed, Minnesota's Mack Reiter, who defeated Moyer, 6-3, on Jan. 4 in Lincoln.

Matt Murray began his second trip to nationals with a 9-3 win over Nate Gulosh of Navy at 141 pounds. Murray distanced himself from Gulosh with a takedown and a three-point near-fall in the last minute of the second period. Murray, the national runner-up at 141 pounds last year, is seeded sixth this year and will take on Michael Keefe of Chattanooga tonight.

At 149 pounds, Travis Shufelt was defeated by Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan, the No. 5 seed, 6-3. Tannenbaum never trailed in the match and scored a takedown in all three periods. Shufelt drops to the consolation bracket, where he will face Ron Doppelheuer of Edinboro in a pigtail match this evening.

With a reversal with ten seconds to go in his 165-pound match, No. 7 seed Jacob Klein defeated Arizona State's Patrick Pitsch, 5-3. Klein trailed 4-3 late in the match, but scored the reversal and earned a bonus point for his 1:37 advantage in riding time to earn the win. Matt Nagel of Minnesota in the evening session. On Jan. 4, Klein beat Nagel, 2-1 in overtime.

The No. 3 seed at 184 pounds, Travis Pascoe notched Nebraska's only bonus-point victory of the day with his 15-7 major decision victory. Pascoe took control of the match with three first-period takedowns and sealed the bonus point with a reversal and two takedowns in the third period. Pascoe will face Steve Borga of Virginia Tech tonight.

In the team race, defending national champion Oklahoma State is leading the way with 23.5 points.

125-Matt Keller (NU) by dec. over Joe Kemmerer (UNC-G), 2-1

133-Dominick Moyer (NU) by dec. over Josh Keefe (Chat), 2-1 (TB)

141-Matt Murray (NU) by dec. over Nate Gulosh (USNA), 9-3

149-Eric Tannenbaum (UM) by dec. over Travis Shufelt (NU), 6-3

165-Jacob Klein (NU) by dec. over Patrick Pitsch (ASU), 5-3

184-Travis Pascoe (NU) by major dec. over Charlie Pienaar (SRU), 15-7