Former Husker Vering Earns Spot on Olympic Team

Lincoln-Former Nebraska wrestler Brad Vering will represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after winning the 84 kg (185 lb) weight class at the Olympic Trials in Las Vegas on Sunday. Vering was one of five wrestlers with ties to Nebraska competing in the trials, and will be joined on the U.S. delegation by Justin Ruiz, a two-time All-American at Nebraska. Ruiz finished second at the trials and will be the alternate at 96 kg (211.5 lbs).

 

Vering, wrestling in the Greco-Roman division, had an impressive showing at the Thomas & Mack Center as he dominated Aaron Sieracki in the best-of-three finals series. He won the first match 1-1, 7-0 and captured the second match 6-0, 3-0 to sweep Sieracki. His final's victory came after he won his first two matches of the day without surrending a single point. He entered the trials as the No. 2 seed after losing to Brad Ahearn at the U.S. Nationals.

 

Vering will look to improve on his performance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, where he lost his only bout and did not place. He also announced he will retire from competition after the 2008 Olympics.

 

A native of Howells, Neb., Vering has made his mark on the international level after a standout career for the Huskers. He became the seventh national champion in Nebraska history in 2000, and finished his career fourth on NU's all-time career win chart with a mark of 124-26. He went on to earn several victories wrestling for the U.S., including a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships. The effort earned him the U.S. Olympic Committee's Wrestling Male Athlete of the Year.