Five Huskers Advance to Second Round

Oklahoma City, Okla. - Five Nebraska wrestlers, including three making their debut at nationals, won their first round matches at the NCAA Championships at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.  The Huskers sit in a tie for ninth in the team race with 11 points, six points behind current leader Oklahoma State.  All nine wrestlers will compete in the second session, which begins with consolation matches at 6 p.m. 

Paul Donahoe won his first career NCAA match by a 7-5 decision over Patrick Castillo of Northern Illinois.  The No. 10 seed at 125 pounds, Donahoe outscored Castillo 6-2 in the final period to take the match.  Donahoe took the lead for the first time in the match with a takedown with 1:10 to go, then grew his lead with a penalty point to make it 6-4.  Castillo gained a late escape, but with a 2:43 advantage in riding time, Donahoe defeated Castillo, 7-5.  Donahoe will face Jeremy Mendoza of Arizona State in the second round. 

In his NCAA debut, Patrick Aleksanyan pinned David Armstrong of Cleveland State with 48 seconds to go in the first period.  Aleksanyan gained control of the match early, with a takedown 20 seconds into the match.  After Armstrong earned a point with a release, Aleksanyan took Armstrong down again with 1:17 to go, then pinned him 29 seconds later.  Aleksanyan will face Wisconsin's Thomas Clum, the No. 3 seed at 133 pounds.

Robert Sanders came back from a 2-1 first-period deficit to defeat David Jauregui of West Virginia, 6-3, at 149 pounds.  Sanders tied the match at two with an escape nine seconds into the second period, then took a 4-2 lead with a takedown of Jauregui with 15 seconds to go in the period.  Jaregui would cut Sanders' lead to one with an escape six seconds into the third period, but Sanders clinched the dual with a takedown with 39 seconds to go in the match.  Sanders will take on Matt Storniolo of Oklahoma.

Jacob Klein began his fourth trip to nationals with a 7-5 win over Jim Bertulis of Bloomsburg.  Klein came back from a 5-2 deficit midway through the second period, earning an escape with 1:07 to go in the second period, then a takedown with 35 seconds left in the period to tie the match at five.  Bertulis chose to start the third period up, but Klein escaped 20 seconds into the final period to take a 6-5 lead, then received a point for his 1:19 advantage in riding time.  Klein will face Kurt Brenner of West Virginia in the second round.

B.J. Padden scored five unanswered points to defeat Matt Montiero of Cal Poly, 5-4.  Padden cracked the scoreboard with 13 seconds to go in the second period with a reversal.  After starting the third period down, Padden escaped 41 seconds into the third period, then took the lead for the first time in the match with a takedown with 19 seconds to go.  Padden will face Wisconsin's Dallas Herbst in the second round tonight. 

At 141 pounds, Dominick Moyer was defeated by fall by sixth-seeded Ryan Lang of Northwestern with 1:03 to go in the second period.  Lang took a 7-1 lead in the first period.  Moyer will face Steve Adamcsik of Rutgers in the consolation bracket. 

Marc Harwood was defeated by major decision at 165 pounds by West Virginia's Larry Hall, 11-3.  Hall took control of the dual by outscoring Harwood 6-2 in the second period.  Harwood will face Missouri's Matt Pell in the consolation bracket. 

In his NCAA Championships debut, Vince Jones lost to Kent State's Alex Camargo, 9-7, at 184 pounds.  Jones mounted an impressive comeback from an early 7-2 first-period deficit to draw within one with 1:55 to go in the match, but a takedown by Camargo with just over a minute to go in the match clinched the win for Camargo.  In the consolation bracket, Jones will take on Jesse Taylor of Cal State Fullerton.

At heavyweight, Jon May lost to Indiana's Dave Herman, 4-1.  Herman escaped in the second period, then added a three-point near fall after May started the third period down to clinch the win.  May will face Matt Burkholder of Slippery Rock in the consolation round. 

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS, SESSION ONE
Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Okla.
March 16, 2006
Attendance-15,694
125-Paul Donahoe (NU) by dec. over Patrick Castillo (Northern Illinois), 7-5
133-Patrick Aleksanyan (NU) by fall over David Armstrong (Cleveland State), 2:12
141-Ryan Lang (Northwestern) by fall over Dominick Moyer (NU), 3:57
149-Robert Sanders (NU) by dec. over David Jauregui (West Virginia), 6-3
165-Larry Hall (West Virginia) by major dec. over Marc Harwood (NU), 11-3
174-Jacob Klein (NU) by dec. over Jim Bertulis (Bloomsburg), 7-5
184-Alex Camargo (Kent State) by dec. over Vince Jones (NU), 9-7
197-B.J. Padden (NU) by dec. over Matt Montiero (Cal Poly), 5-4
HWT-Dave Herman (Indiana) by dec. over Jon May (NU), 4-1