Huskers Continue Strong Weekend at Kaufman-Brand Open

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The 17th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team wrapped up a busy first week of action at the Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday night in Omaha.  No team scoring was kept, but of the 21 NU wrestlers that participated, 10 placed in the top six of their respective brackets.

 

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska competed against a talented field that includes Big 12 Conference foes IowaState and OklahomaState and a range of strong teams from around the region, including Division II defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha.

 

In the open division, three NU wrestlers placed.  In the 125-pound weight class, Paul Donahoe finished third, while 197-pounder B.J. Padden also earned a third-place finish, while 165-pound wrestler Marc Harwood finished sixth.

 

Donahoe started the tournament with a pair of pins before moving to the semifinals with an 11-6 win over Seth Wright of Northern Iowa.  In the consolation bracket, Donahoe defeated Nick Smith of Minnesota State-Mankato before beating Pat Castillo of Northern Illinois, 5-2, to earn third.

 

Padden was similarly strong early with wins by fall and technical fall in the first two rounds.  In a rematch of an overtime bout Friday night at the NU Coliseum, BoiseState’s Casey Phelps defeated Padden, 3-1, in overtime.  Padden pinned Heath Jolley of Central Oklahoma in his first match in the consolation bracket, then clinched third with a 9-3 win over Wyoming’s Sam Wendland.

 

At 165 pounds, Harwood overcame a first-round loss to Eric Luedke of Iowa to take sixth place.  Four straight wins in the consolation bracket earned Harwood his sixth-place finish.

 

Seven NU wrestlers placed in the 20-and-under Division, led by Kenny Jordan, who won the 133-pound weight class in his first collegiate competition.  Vince Jones and Levi Wofford finished second at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, while heavyweight Stefan Tighe finished third.  Craig Brester earned fourth place at 174 pounds, while 197-pound wrestler Cody Millard and 184-pound wrestler Casey Roberts each finished fifth.

 

Jordan clinched the championship at 133 pounds with his 4-2 win over Joey Slaton of Virginia Tech in the final.  On the day, Jordan was 6-0 including a win by fall in his first match against Skylair Lappe of ChadronState.

 

At 184 pounds, Jones started the day in even more dominant fashion by recording four straight wins by fall.  Duke Burk of Northern Illinois defeated Jones in the final, 3-1, to stop Jones just shy of the title.

 

Tighe won his first two matches of the day at heavyweight before falling to Northern Iowa’s Michael Zimmerly, 5-3, in the semifinal.  In the consolation bracket, Tighe rebounded to defeat Jordan Hein of Wisconsin, 3-2, and Chuck Robinson of Carson-Neumann, 5-2, to earn third. 

 

The Huskers are next in action on Saturday, Nov. 26 when they take on Wyoming in a 3 p.m. dual in Laramie, Wyo.

 

Results

125 Pounds, Open Division

Paul Donahoe (NU) by fall over Nate Evans (Luther), 1:18

Donahoe by fall over Trent Goodale (Iowa), 5:57

Donahoe by dec. over Seth Wright (Northern Iowa), 11-6

Donahoe by fall over Nick Smith (Minn. St.-Mankato), 3:24

Donahoe by dec. over Pat Castillo (Northern Illinois), 5-2

 

133 Pounds, Open Division

Mike Rowe (NU) by fall over Eric Sanders (ND State), 5:36

Nathan Morgan (OklahomaState) by dec. over Rowe, 8-4

Rowe by fall over Gabe Ruhkala (Iowa), 2:45

Rowe by fall over Justin Porter (Oklahoma St), 1:55

Rowe by dec. over Dan Hilario (Nebraska-Omaha), 3-0

Scott Jorgensen by dec. over Rowe, 4-1

 

Patrick Aleksanyan (NU) by major dec. over Gabe Ruhkala (Iowa), 14-3

Scott Jorgensen (BoiseState) by dec. over Aleksanyan, 5-2

Aleksanyan by major dec. over Eric Sanders (ND State), 13-5

Aleksanyan by dec. over Jesse Sundell (Iowa St.), 9-5

Tyson Shatto (Wyoming) by dec. over Aleksanyan, 12-5

 

141 Pounds, Open Division

Dominick Moyer (NU) by dec. over Jeff Rutledge (Nebraska-Kearney), 8-5

Moyer by dec. over C.J. Ettelson (Northern Iowa), 2-1

Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa) by dec. over Moyer, 9-4

Mitch Mueller (Iowa St.) by dec. over Moyer, 4-2

 

David Hoffman (Virginia Tech) by dec. over Gregg Romano (NU), 15-8

Matt True (UNK) by dec. over Romano, 3-2

 

165 Pounds, Open Division

Eric Luedke (Iowa) by dec. over Marc Harwood (NU), 6-3

Harwood by dec. over Evan Copeland (ASC), 7-4

Harwood by dec. over Scott Dorn (Wisconsin-LaCrosse), 6-2

Harwood by dec. over Nate Baker (Minn. State-Moorhead), 3-1

Harwood by dec. over Jeremy Larson (Minnesota), 6-2

Eric Luedke (Iowa) by medical forfeit over Harwood

 

174 Pounds, Open Division

Brandon Browne (NU) by dec. over Mike Casperson (Boise St.), 7-6

David Bertolino (Iowa St.) by dec. over Browne, 4-3

Browne by major dec. over Lon Welsh (Luther), 14-1

Grant Turner (Iowa St.) by dec. over Browne, 7-6

 

184 Pounds, Open Division

Jason Lulloff (Wisconsin-LaCrosse) by dec. over Matt Farrell (NU), 1-0

Farrell by dec. over D’Andre Nunn (Northern Iowa), 11-4

Farrell by dec. over Dave Herrera (Northern Illinois), 8-2

K.C. Walsh (Boise St.) by dec. over Farrell, 12-5

 

197 Pounds, Open Division

B.J. Padden (NU) by fall over Justin Bronson (Minnesota), :54

Padden by technical fall over Derrick Hunsinger (Northern Illinois), 18-3

Casey Phelps (BoiseState) by dec. over Padden, 3-1 (SV1)

Padden by fall over Heath Jolley (Central Oklahoma), 5:20

Padden by dec. over Sam Wendland (Wyoming), 9-3

 

Heavyweight, Open Division

Jon May (NU) by dec. over Jason Still (Wyoming), 9-2

Josh Leadingfox (Central Oklahoma) by dec. over May, 3-1

May by dec. over Chris Tuchscherer (Minn. St.-Moorhead), 9-2

May by technical fall over Lawrence Bumphus (Independent), 18-3

Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma St.) by dec. over May, 2-0

 

125 Pounds, 20-and-Under Division

Tony Pretto (Northern Iowa) by dec. over Austin Baier (NU), 5-3 (SV1)

Baier by major decision over Scott Berens (LCC), 12-4

Baier by dec. over Kyle Reeve (Wisconsin), 4-0

Baier by major dec. over Micah Chrisinger (ChadronState), 11-3

Cory Fish (BoiseState) over Baier, 5-3

 

133 Pounds, 20-and-Under Division

Kenny Jordan (NU) by fall over Skylair Lappe (ChadronState), 1:35

Jordan by dec. over Kyle Anson (Northern Iowa), 7-1

Jordan by dec. over Shane Watts (LCC), 5-3

Jordan by dec. over Mike Long (Augustana), 5-4

Jordan by dec. over Daniel Dennis (Iowa), 3-0

Jordan by dec. over Joey Slaton (Virginia Tech), 4-2

 

141 Pounds, 20-and-Under Division

Brad Zurek (NU) by fall over Adam Hope (Dana), :27

Zurek by fall over Clinton Dale (Dana), 5:59

Brett Robbins (Northern Iowa) by fall over Zurek, 1:17

Adam Kurimsky (Iowa Central CC) by dec. over Zurek, 6-3

 

Sim Bribiesca (Nebraska-Omaha) by dec. over Brady LaMar (NU), 7-3

LaMar by dec. over Ben Marshall (Buena Vista), 7-0

LaMar by dec. over TobyTemple (Northern Iowa), 4-3

Josh Peterson (FortHaysState) by dec. over LaMar, 4-3

 

157 Pounds, 20-and-Under Division

Sean Curran (Iowa Central CC) by dec. over Rob Plambeck (NU), 13-6

Plambeck by major dec. over Matt Englebert (Neosho JC), 16-5

Plambeck by dec. over Thomas Kelley (LCC), 6-5

Plambeck by dec. over John Latham (Chadron St.), 8-6 (SV1)

Brady Nagel (Mary) by dec. over Plambeck, 11-4

 

174 Pounds, 20-and-Under Division

Craig Brester (NU) by major dec. over Blake Malloy (Fort Hays St.), 9-0

Brester by dec. over Clint Eakins (Northern Iowa), 5-0

Brester by major dec. over Jay Wood (Nebraska-Omaha), 14-1

Jay Borschell (Virginia Tech) by fall over Brester, 3:58

Brester by fall over Jacob Neuzil (Iowa), 0:55

Josh Chelf (Wisconsin-LaCrosse) by dec. over Brester, 5-3

 

184 Pounds, 20-and-Under Division

Casey Roberts (NU) by dec. over Rory Miller (Iowa Central CC), 2-1

Roberts by dec. over Dallas Mitchell (MWCTC), 2-0

Duke Burk (Northern Illinois) by dec. over Roberts, 5-1

A.J. Gregg (Luther) by dec. over Roberts, 7-2

Roberts by medical forfeit by Tom Nesseth (Augustana)

 

Vince Jones (NU) by fall over Brian Stueve (Buena Vista), 3:21

Jones by fall over Nathan Jones (CNC), 3:52

Jones by fall over A.J. Gregg (Luther), 3:14

Jones by fall over Tom Nesseth (Augustana), 3:53

Duke Burk by dec. over Jones, 3-1

 

197 Pounds, 20-and-Under Division

Cody Millard (NU) by major dec. over Tony Ponce (LCC), 12-3

Millard by dec. over Robert Panayi (Northern Illinois), 3-1 (SV1)

Jacob Marrs (Nebraska-Omaha) by major dec. over Millard, 8-0

Dan Erekson (Iowa) by major dec. over Millard, 11-2

Millard by dec. over Tim Winker (Wisconsin-LaCrosse), 4-3

 

Levi Wofford (NU) by fall over Blake Crow (Mankato St.), 1:30

Wofford by dec. over Elijah Martinez (LCC), 5-0

Wofford by dec. over Dan Erekson (Iowa), 6-4 (SV1)

Wofford by major dec. over Johny Laboranti (Virginia Tech), 13-3

Jacob Marrs (Nebraska-Omaha) by dec. over Wofford, 8-4

 

Heavyweight, 20-and-Under Division

Stefan Tighe (NU) by dec. over Jake Madrinich (Luther), 9-1

Tighe (NU) by dec. over Jacob Combs (Iowa Central CC), 3-2

Michael Zimmerly (Northern Iowa) by dec. over Tighe, 5-3

Tighe by dec. over Jordan Hein (Wisconsin), 3-2

Tighe by dec. over Chuck Robinson (CNC), 5-2