Donahoe, Brester Advance to Quarterfinals

Paul Donahoe and Craig Brester moved into the quarterfinals and four other Huskers won their first-round consolation matches Thursday night at the 2007 NCAA Championships at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  Nebraska currently tied for 16th with Michigan and Tennessee-Chatannooga with 14 team points.  Minnesota leads after the first day with 34 team points, followed by Missouri with 29.5 and Iowa State with 27.5.

 

Donahoe won his second match of the tournament at 125 pounds with a third-period pin of David Tomasette of Hofstra.  Donahoe scored an escape 30 seconds into the second period to take a 4-3 lead, then notched a takedown and a three-point nearfall later in the period to take a 9-3 lead into the final two minutes of the match.  Tomasette started the third period down and was pinned by Donahoe just 26 seconds into the final stanza.  Donahoe advances to the quarterfinals in the championship bracket and will face Tanner Gardner of Stanford tomorrow.

 

Brester moved into the quarterfinals at 197 pounds with a 7-2 win over two-time All-American Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan.  Brester sprinted to a 5-0 lead with a first-period takedown and three-point nearfall in the first minute of the match.  After a scoreless second period, Michalak would notch a takedown in the third period, but Brester would score an escape and another point for his riding time advantage to earn the five-point win.  Brester will face No. 2 seed Josh Glenn of American tomorrow morning.

 

Chris Oliver fell into the consolation bracket at 157 pounds after a 3-1 loss to Josh Zupancic of Stanford.  Oliver took a 1-0 lead with a second-period escape, but Zupancic scored an escape to tie the match 1-1, then won with a takedown in the third period.

 

Jordan Burroughs stayed alive in the 149-pound consolation bracket with an 8-2 win over Matthew Dunn of Columbia.  Burroughs took an early 5-1 lead and held on for his first career win at nationals. 

 

At 165 pounds, Stephen Dwyer picked up his first career NCAA Championships win in a dramatic 7-5 overtime win over Max Dean of Indiana.  With the match tied at five after regulation, Dwyer scored a takedown in the sudden-victory period to advance in the consolation bracket. 

 

Dominick Moyer also advanced in the consolation bracket with a win by forfeit over Daryl Cocozzo of Edinboro.  Moyer could wrestle up to four matches tomorrow in the consolation bracket at 141 pounds.

 

The second day of the 2007 NCAA Championships will begin at 10 a.m. at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich., with ESPNU broadcasting the quarterfinals live.

 

2007 NCAA Championships, Session II

Thursday, March 15, 2007

The Palace of Auburn Hills-Auburn Hills, Mich.

Nebraska Results

125-Paul Donahoe (NU) by fall over Dave Tomasette (Hofstra), 5:26

141-Dominick Moyer (NU) by forfeit over Daryl Cocozzo (Edinboro)

149-Jordan Burroughs (NU) by dec. over Matthew Dunn (Columbia), 8-2

157-Josh Zupancic (Stanford) by dec. over Chris Oliver (NU), 3-1

165-Stephen Dwyer (NU) by dec. over Max Dean (Indiana), 7-5 (SV1)

197-Craig Brester (NU) by dec. over Wynn Michalak (C. Michigan), 7-2