Huskers Start Season with Wrestle-Offs

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln ? The 14th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will begin its 2007-08 campaign with its annual wrestle-offs on Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Devaney Center Track.

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The free event is the first chance for the Husker faithful to see this year’s wrestling squad. After finishing the 2006-07 season with a 10-7-1 dual mark, the Huskers finished 16th at the NCAA Championships, but NU returns several key grapplers and is ranked 14th in the Intermat preseason rankings this year.

 

Fans can pick up a free poster and schedule cards before meeting the Huskers and seeing the team in action. Two mats will have simultaneous action as 26 total matches are scheduled for the evening. The wrestle-offs will assist head coach Mark Manning in deciding the final starting lineup for NU.

 

The Huskers begin regular-season action with a dual against Wyoming on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. and will compete in the Cowboy Open the next day.

 

The 2007-08 season preview for the Husker media guide follows. The guide will be available next week for free online and for $5 at Husker Authentic (1-800-965-8674).

 

Season Preview

The 2007-08 Nebraska wrestling roster is filled with youth. Seven true freshmen join a squad that went 10-7-1 last season, including a 16th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Nine redshirt freshmen and nine sophomores are the bulk of the team, while eight juniors and one lone senior fill out the rest of the upperclassmen.

 

Looks can be deceiving, though.

 

The Huskers return nine wrestlers with experience at the NCAA Championships, including a national champion in 125-pound Paul Donahoe. A Davison, Mich., native, Donahoe highlighted last season with a 3-1 overtime win over No. 1 Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma in the national championship finals. The title run completed a 35-5 season for the junior.

 

“We have a lot of experience coming back,” eighth-year head coach Mark Manning said. “Having Paul Donahoe as a national champion as a sophomore bodes well for our program for the next couple years.”

 

Qualifiers Returning

Donahoe will be joined on the mat by three of the Huskers’ six NCAA qualifiers last season. Sophomore Jordan Burroughs split time between 141 and 149 pounds, but qualified at 149. Stephen Dwyer and Craig Brester, both sophomores, saw NCAA action at 165 and 197, respectively. Dwyer defeated Indiana’s Max Dean 7-5, while Brester recorded two wins. Brester had a 7-2 decision over Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan and recorded a 15-2 major decision over Old Dominion’s David Mendoza before being eliminated. Chris Oliver is back for his junior season after qualifying last year at 157 pounds while recording a 20-9 record.

 

“We have a lot of young guys that want to be on the top of the podium at the NCAA Championships,” Manning said. “We expect a lot, but we’re working hard for it.”

 

One known hard-worker is junior Robert Sanders. He steps down to 141 pounds this year to fill in the hole left by the graduated Dominick Moyer. Both wrestlers bring national experience back to the Huskers this season. Sanders qualified during the 2005-06 campaign, while Moyer finished his senior season at nationals, but will be back this year as a volunteer assistant coach.

 

A Year Off

Four key wrestlers take to the mat again after sitting out last season. Heavyweight Jon May is back for his senior year as a Husker. He was on his way to a stellar season with a 14-4 record before tearing his ACL last January. May notched a 1-2 record at the 2006 NCAA Championships.

 

Juniors Vince Jones and Brandon Browne return after sitting out last season. Jones made the national trip two years ago, finishing 3-2 at 184 pounds. Browne will compete for time at 174 after a 14-6 record during the 2005-06 season.

 

Sophomore Kenny Jordan rejoins the Huskers after a year in junior college. Jordan returns to Nebraska after a national championship season at 133 pounds at LincolnCommunity College in Illinois. In his lone year at Nebraska, Jordan went 11-0 in open tournament competition as a redshirt freshman.

 

Starting Lineup

The Huskers’ probable starting lineup includes five juniors, four sophomores and just one senior. Manning plans to redshirt all eight incoming freshmen, a luxury he hasn’t had in previous years because of injuries, but that doesn’t mean the starting spots are set.

“It’s about stepping up and proving yourself,” Manning said. “You should be counting on being an All-American because you have the resources to accomplish great things here.”

After having issues with injuries at 133 last season, the Huskers find themselves with a slew of young talent at the spot. Jordan will battle for the start with redshirt freshman Matt Vacanti, who steps up to the weight after finishing 17-2 in open tournament at 125 last year.

 

Nebraska has several choices to replace the graduated Moyer at 141, including junior Robert Sanders, junior Patrick Aleksanyan and redshirt freshman Curtis Salazar. A product of Blanding, Utah, Sanders added depth last season, finishing 17-12 at 149. Aleksanyan gained national experience two years ago, while Salazar racked up an impressive 18-9 record in open competition last season.

 

“Some positions are going to be a dogfight,” head assistant coach Mike Greenfield said. “Those young guys got a lot better last year.”

 

The return of May at heavyweight sets up a potential battle between sophomores Brester and Cameron Browne at 197. Browne finished 12-11 last season after splitting time at both weights, while Brester racked up a 19-7 record and a trip to nationals after being ranked as high as No. 8 during the season.

 

The graduation of Marc Harwood leaves another spot open at 174. Brandon Browne will contend for the start with redshirt freshman Alex Ward, who put up a 17-10 record in open tournaments, backing up Dwyer last season at 165.

 

Another Solid Schedule

The Huskers will have plenty of chances to test those spots as the team faces another rigorous schedule.  After finishing 16th at the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year, Nebraska will face the top three teams from 2007. Duals against No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Iowa State and No. 3 Missouri will test the strength of the team.

“We wrestle Minnesota there,” Manning said. “That is, and always will be, a great dual meet. It’s always an intense, heated battle. That’s great for our sport.”

 

Those tough duals will be topped with trips to several prestigious tournaments, including the National Duals, Jan. 12-13. The Huskers went 1-2 last year, with their one win coming against Michigan, 23-13. The Wolverines went on to finish sixth as a team at the NCAA Championships. Nebraska lost at the hands of Hofstra, but the Huskers have a chance for payback this year as they travel to Hofstra for a dual on Feb. 17.

 

The Huskers will make their annual trips to several top-notch open tournaments in the Cowboy Open on Nov. 10 and the Kaufman-Brand Open the next weekend, Nov. 17.

“The Kaufman-Brand Open is arguably one of the toughest tournaments of the year,” Manning said. “It’s an open tournament that is no walk in the park.”

 

Nebraska will head further west for the Las Vegas Invitational Nov. 30-Dec. 1. The Huskers return to the tournament after finishing fourth as a team last year, including a title by Donahoe at 125.

 

The Huskers will look to improve on their fourth-place conference finish last season, as OklahomaState hosts the Big 12 Championships on March 8. The NCAA Championships will be held March 20-22 in St. Louis.

 

“It’s all about what we do in March,” Manning said. “I think we have guys thinking and believing; now we just have to go out and do it.”