Huskers Send Seven to NCAA Championships

National Championships: 
Nebraska (17-3-1) at 2009 NCAA Championships

Date: Thursday, March 19 - Saturday, March 21
Location: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Live Stats: Huskers.com (for Nebraska wrestlers)
Live Video: ESPN360.com for Friday and Saturday.
Television: ESPNU for Friday and Saturday. ESPN for finals.

Lincoln - Coming off one of the biggest tournament wins in its history, the Nebraska wrestling team will look to end its season with the same success at the 2009 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., on March 19-21. Two sessions will be contested in the Scottrade Center each day, with the semifinals on Friday and finals on Saturday.

The Huskers tied favorite Iowa State at 70 points for a share of the conference title at the Big 12 Championship on March 7. Four Huskers claimed individual titles, as the crown was NU’s first Big 12 wrestling title and first conference title since 1995. Jordan Burroughs (157), Brandon Browne (174), Vince Jones (184) and Craig Brester (197) went 2-0 on the day to win their respective weight classes, and Brester earned Outstanding Wrestler honors with his upset of top-ranked Jake Varner of Iowa State in the final. Stephen Dwyer (165) placed second while Tucker Lane (Hwt.) earned third to tally six NU wrestlers earning automatic qualifying positions. Robert Sanders (149) earned an at-large bid on March 11 to round out NU’s seven qualifiers for this weekend’s NCAA Championships.

Nebraska enters the national tournament as a favorite to finish in the top five, and predicted to finish second in WIN’s tournament power index. The Huskers will likely have five wrestlers seeded with Burroughs, Dwyer, Browne, Jones and Brester being ranked in the top 12 in their respective weight class. NU could also have a possible one seed in Brester at 197 pounds.

The ESPN family of networks will have extensive live coverage of Friday and Saturday’s action, with both days broadcast on ESPNU and online at ESPN360.com. Saturday’s finals will be on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. CT. Live results of Nebraska wrestlers, including recaps and updated brackets, will be available through Huskers.com.

Last Time Out: NU Ties for Big 12 Crown; Four Huskers Earn Titles
The fourth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team earned a co-championship at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship on March 7 in Lincoln, with four Huskers capturing individual titles. Nebraska finished the meet at the NU Coliseum with 70 points to tie No. 3 Iowa State. The crown was the first Big 12 Championship for Nebraska and the first conference wrestling crown for the Huskers since winning the 1995 Big Eight title. Missouri finished third with 55 points, followed by Oklahoma State with 40 points and Oklahoma at 38.5.

Nebraska entered the finals six points behind Iowa State, but went 4-1 in the championship round, while ISU won just two of seven championship bouts, resulting in the team tie. Juniors Jordan Burroughs (157) and Craig Brester (197), along with seniors Brandon Browne (174) and Vince Jones (184) captured individual titles for Nebraska.

The second-ranked Brester supplied the crucial points for Nebraska with a 4-3 decision over top-ranked Jake Varner of Iowa State. Brester scored a takedown with nine seconds remaining in the second period for a 3-1 lead. Varner tied the match with a third-period takedown before Brester scored an escape with 52 seconds left in the final period to supply the winning margin. The meeting was the third between the two conference rivals this season, with Varner winning the first two meetings. Brester’s performance earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors at the meet. He began the day with a dominant 15-5 major decision over Missouri’s Max Askren in the semifinals.

Burroughs earned his title with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Missouri’s Michael Chandler. The Tiger wrestler jumped to a 2-0 first-period lead, but Burroughs scored takedowns in the final 10 seconds of both the first and second periods to key the victory. The Sicklerville, N.J., native remained perfect on the season, improving to 30-0 with a pair of victories.

Browne captured his second conference crown with a last-second 3-1 decision over Missouri’s Raymond Jordan. The wrestlers battled to a 1-1 tie, before Browne scored a takedown with three seconds remaining in the match to secure the title. Browne improved to 26-3 on the season with the win. Jones controlled throughout a 3-0 decision over Iowa State’s Jerome Ward in the 184-pound title. Jones scored a takedown near the end of the second period to take a 2-0 advantage, then added a third-period escape, while controlling the tempo to keep Ward off the scoreboard. Overall, the four Nebraska titlists scored five takedowns in the final 10 seconds of periods, including two by Burroughs and one each by Browne, Jones and Brester.

Junior Stephen Dwyer lost a narrow decision to top-seeed Nick Marable of Missouri in the 165-pound championship match. Dwyer and Marable completed regulation tied at 1-1, but Marable scored a takedown 30 seconds into overtime to post a 3-1 victory.

In addition to the five Huskers in the finals, a pair of Huskers wrestled their way to third-place finishes at the meet. Senior Robert Sanders fought back after a semifinal loss for a pair of victories in the consolation bracket. He earned the third-place medal with a 4-3 decision over Oklahoma State’s Luke Silver. At heavyweight, redshirt freshman Tucker Lane had an impressive day. After narrowly losing a semifinal match to top-ranked David Zabriskie of Iowa State in overtime, Lane rebounded with a 3-2 decision over No. 3 Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State.

Huskers Andy Pokorny (125) and Matt Vacanti (133) finished in fourth place at their weight class, while 141-pounder Curtis Salazar was fifth. The Big 12 Championships drew 5,717 fans to the Nebraska Coliseum, including 2,644 for the first session and 3,073 for the evening matches.

Scouting the NCAA Championships
Returning team champion Iowa looks to be the favorite to win the title again this March in St. Louis, as the Hawkeyes qualified nine wrestlers for the NCAA Championships, including five returning All-Americans. Iowa is led by returning national champion and Hodge Trophy winner Brent Metcalf at 149 pounds, but the Hawkeyes also have eight wrestlers ranked in the top seven of their respective weight class. The closest race at NCAAs may be the battle for second.

Iowa State, Nebraska and Cornell swapped the second through fourth dual rankings throughout the year. The Cyclones qualified a wrestler at all 10 weight classes, while Cornell earned nine berths. NU sends seven wrestlers to St. Louis, but could have three wrestlers seeded in the top three. Missouri is very tough at the upper weights also and could enter the battle for second with eight qualifiers.

The Big Ten might fill out the majority of the top 10 teams, with Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois all qualifying at least five wrestlers.

Last Year at the NCAAs: NU Finishes Fourth with Five All-Americans
Propelled by third-place finishes from Paul Donahoe and Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska wrapped up fourth place in the team race, finishing with five All-Americans and as the top Big 12 team at the 2008 NCAA Championships. NU’s finish was its highest since a third-place showing in 1993, and its most All-Americans since 1995. The Huskers have finished in the top 10 in the nation 11 times.

Donahoe and Burroughs both bounced back from losses in the semifinals with two wins to claim third place at 125 pounds and 149 pounds, respectively. Donahoe rebounded with a 5-3 win over Stanford’s Tanner Gardner to clinch a spot in the third-place match.

Burroughs, normally known for his takedowns, scored two reversals in his two consolation wins. He chose down in the second period against Harvard’s J.P. O’Connor and quickly notched the reversal to get on the board. Burroughs added a takedown in the third to take the 5-3 decision. In his third-place match, Burroughs did the same as he reversed Michigan’s Josh Churella in the second period to take a 2-0 lead. Burroughs added a late takedown to seal the 4-2 decision. He also finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, ending his season with a 34-6 mark while earning his first All-America honor.

Brandon Browne and Craig Brester also advanced into the third-place match with wins in the consolation bracket, but both lost to finish fourth. Browne defeated Central Michigan’s Brandon Sinnott with a 4-1 decision, but lost a 6-4 decision to Iowa’s Jay Borschel. Brester racked up a 9-2 decision over Wisconsin’s Jacob Herbst before losing to Maryland’s Hudson Taylor in overtime 7-5.

Stephen Dwyer lost a 10-7 decision to Iowa State’s Jon Reader to finish eighth. Reader earned a quick takedown and nearfall to take a 5-0 lead that Dwyer could not rebound from. Dwyer went 3-3 at the tournament, but improved his season record to 32-10. The showing is Dwyer’s first All-America honor.

Husker History at the NCAA Championships
Nebraska’s top finish at the NCAA Championships is third in 1993. 126-pound national champion Tony Purler led a six-man contingent of Husker All-Americans in 1993, including eventual Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner. The six All-Americans also set a record for most All-America honors by NU in one year. The 1993 team was the third of five teams in a seven-year period that finished in the top 10 at nationals.

The Huskers have 82 total All-Americans, including nine natioinal champions and 18 NCAA finalists. Nebraska has finished in the top 10 17 times in school history. Eight of NU’s 17 top-10 finishes have come in the last 16 years, including two top-five finishes under head coach Mark Manning.

Brester Named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week
Junior Craig Brester was selected as TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for March 3-9. Brester earned the honor after being named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Big 12 Championship and helping the Huskers earn a share of the title.

TheMat.com, the official site of USA Wrestling, selects an athlete of the week based on their performances within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the senior level.

On March 7, Brester notched wins over two top-four opponents to win the 197-pound weight class in impressive fashion. The Howells, Neb., native supplied crucial points for Nebraska with a 4-3 decision over top-ranked Jake Varner of Iowa State. Brester scored a takedown with nine seconds remaining in the second period for a 3-1 lead. Varner tied the match with a third-period takedown before Brester scored an escape with 52 seconds left in the final period to supply the winning margin.

Brester began the day with a dominant 15-4 major decision over Missouri’s Max Askren in the semifinals. Brester scored three takedowns in the first two periods to take a 9-3 lead, and poured it on with two nearfalls in the final period. The win was Brester’s first career bonus-point victory against Askren.

Big 12 Notables
Nebraska claimed several notable marks with their first Big 12 wrestling title on March 7. The four conference champions ties for the most in school history, as NU also had four champions in 1949 and 1995. Jordan Burroughs became the first Nebraska wrestler to win Big 12 titles at two different weights, after earning the 149-pound title last year as a sophomore and winning 157 this season. The championship was also the first Big 12 title for a Nebraska men’s team in any sport since the Huskers shared the 2007 Big 12 indoor track and field title.

Terrible Two’s
Two Huskers in particular have been a terror on Big 12 opponents over the last two years. Jordan Burroughs completed his second consecutive year undefeated in Big 12 action with his 157-pound title on March 7. Burroughs has gone 15-0 against conference foes over the last two years, while earning two Big 12 crowns. Brandon Browne also has back-to-back titles, earning the dinstinction at 174 pounds. He is 12-1 versus conference foes the last two years.

Craig Brester’s Outstanding Wrestler honors at this year’s Big 12 Championship also marked the second straight year a Husker has won the award, as Burroughs captured OW honors in 2008.

Entering at One
Several Nebraska wrestlers have a chance to earn high seeds at this year’s NCAA Championships, including a possible one seed for Craig Brester at 197 pounds. The last time a Husker claimed a one seed was Jason Powell at 125 pounds in 2004. Powell went on to win the title that year, capped by a 17-2 technical fall of Ilinois’ Kyle Ott in the final.

Totaling 30
Two Nebraska wrestlers have moved past the 30-win mark this season, with Vince Jones (184) leading the team with 31 victories and Jordan Burroughs (157) at 30. The five other NCAA qualifiers all have a chance to reach the 30-win platue. Craig Brester (197) has 29 victories, while Brandon Browne (174), Tucker Lane (Hwt), Robert Sanders (149) have each notched 26 victories. Stephen Dwyer (165) has 25 wins on the year. Last season, three Huskers (Burroughs, Dwyer and Browne) topped 30 wins on the season.

Undefeated Dual Season
Jordan Burroughs continued his assault on the Nebraska record book at the Huskers’ dual with Iowa State on Feb. 22. With a 12-3 major decision over the Cyclones’ Cyler Sanderson, Burroughs claimed a 19-0 dual record during the 2008-09 season. The mark tied him for fifth on NU’s top 20 season dual victories list and put him atop the top 10 season dual winning percentage list. Fourteen other Huskers have completed the dual season undefeated (10-match minimum), but Burroughs racked up the most wins.

Taking Down Records
With his two technical falls in NU dual wins over UNC Greensboro and North Carolina on Feb. 14, Jordan Burroughs set Nebraska’s single-season dual takedown record. Burroughs set the record last season with 98, but after racking up 21 against the Spartans and Tar Heels, the native of Sicklerville, N.J., moved to 114 this season. He picked up three more against Iowa State in the final dual of the season to finish with 117 dual takedowns in 2008-09.

Burroughs could also approach the career dual takedown record before his time is up at NU. The current record holder is Travis Pascoe, who posted 328 from 2001 to 2005. Pascoe earned 65, 93, 81 and 89 dual takedowns in his career. Burroughs had nine as a freshman, 98 as a sophomore and 117 this season for 224 total.

Undefeated Streak
Nebraska posted a 9-0-1 mark from Jan. 23 to Feb. 14, its longest unbeaten streak since notching the same mark to start the 1995-96 season. The Huskers went on to finish second in the Big 12 and fifth at NCAAs that season, with four NU wrestlers earning All-America accolades and two Big 12 titles.

Minus One?
Nebraska posted a 43 to -1 victory over UNC Greensboro on Feb. 14, and while a negative team score is fairly odd, it wasn’t the first time an NU opponent has gone under zero. The Huskers also beat Arizona State 37 to -1 on Jan. 10, 2004, at the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va., a tournament NU went on to win. Teams can be deducted team points for unsportsmanlike conduct by the wrestlers or coaches.

High-Pressure Huskers
Nebraska wrestled in some high-pressure situations during duals this year, but has performed well under pressure. The Huskers were 7-1-1 in duals decided in the final match, with their only loss coming to second-ranked Iowa State at the National Duals. In fact, NU won three Big 12 duals by a combined five points.

Facing the Ranked
Above 157 pounds, the Huskers’ starters have found a fair amount of success against ranked foes. Nebraska is 49-22 in those six weight classes against ranked opponents, including an impressive 10-0 mark by Jordan Burroughs against the top 10.

Measuring the Majors
Jordan Burroughs added to his long list of accolades on Jan. 25, as he notched his 10th major decision of the season and became the first known NU wrestler to post back-to-back seasons with at least 10 major decisions. Statistics are incomplete prior to the 1982 season. Burroughs notched 12 last season at 149 pounds and has earned 13 through 30 matches this year at 157.

Pinning Down Vince
Vince Jones collected his 11th pin of the season on Feb. 22. Jones is the first Nebraska wrestler since Tolly Thompson to record at least 10 pins in each season he competed. Jones posted 14 pins in 2005-06 as a true freshman, sat out his sophomore year and notched 10 last season. Thompson accomplished the same feat at heavyweight from 1994-97, racking up 53 total pins.

Fit to be Tied
NU’s 17-17 tie at Central Michigan on Jan. 25 was just the third tie in Head Coach Mark Manning’s 169 duals at Nebraska. Nebraska also knotted Penn at 17 on Feb. 17, 2007, in the final dual of the 2006-07 season and dualed Wisconsin to a 19-19 tie on Jan. 8, 2005, at the Lone Star Duals. All three of NU’s ties under Manning have come on the road.

Big Time at the Big Weights
Nebraska has posted an impressive mark so far this season in the upper weights. In 21 duals, Nebraska has a 102-22 record from 157 pounds to heavyweight, including three wrestlers holding at least 16 dual wins in that weight range. Below 157, Nebraska is 32-51.

Lane Garners Big 12 Honor
Nebraska heavyweight Tucker Lane was selected as the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced on Jan. 13. Lane, a redshirt freshman from Redvale, Colo., shared the weekly honor with Iowa State’s Jake Varner.

Lane was a key component in the Huskers fourth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals, finishing with a 3-1 record at the tournament. He posted an 8-5 decision over Ben Kuhar to give the Huskers a 19-18 victory over No. 20 Northwestern in the opening round, and followed with a 4-2 decision over Cameron Wade to solidify a come-from-behind 20-16 win versus No. 14 Penn State. Against No. 2 Iowa State, Lane scored an early takedown over No. 3 Dave Zabriskie and added a three-point nearfall in the second period to take a 7-6 victory and nearly lead the Huskers to an upset of the Cyclones.

At the time, Lane was 19-5 on the season, including 8-2 in duals, with three pins. It was his first career honor, and he was the second Husker to earn recognition from the Big 12 this season, after Jordan Burroughs earned the honor earlier in the season.

Ruling the Rankings
The Huskers finished fourth in the final NWCA dual rankings, after moving as high as third after winning the Las Vegas Inviational. Nebraska started the season ranked sixth in the nation and has been ranked in the top 25 ever since the NWCA and InterMat polls combined in 2004, including 23 straight polls in the top 10.

Bonus-Point Brester
Craig Brester has been a bonus-point machine for the Huskers this season. A junior from Howells, Neb., Brester has posted a 29-3 record, including 18-3 in duals. Twenty one of his 29 wins have come by bonus points, including eight pins, three technical falls and ten major decisions. Brester notched five pins in his first six matches, and has rolled from there. In early December, he went 5-0 at the Las Vegas Invitational to claim the title at 197 pounds. He started the tournament with a fall, posted his first technicall fall of the season in the second round, and finished with three straight major decisions.

Quickest Pin
The award for quickest pin so far this season goes to freshman Josh Ihnen at 184 pounds. Ihnen notched a 28-second fall of Morningside’s Joe Lockett at the UNK Loper Open on Dec. 13 to earn the honor. Ihnen has four pins on the year, while the Huskers as a whole have notched 88 so far.

The Pin King
Vince Jones, Nebraska’s resident pin king, is back at it again this season. He led the Huskers in falls with 12 in 2005-06 and accomplished the feat again with 10 in 2007-08. The senior is well on his way again this season with 11 pins in 35 matches, including three straight to start the year.

Jones has some competition this season from junior Craig Brester, the Huskers’ 197-pounder. Brester is 27-3 on the year with eight pins and three technical falls and nine major decisions. All of Brester’s falls have come in the first period, including one against No. 14 Andrew Anderson of Northern Iowa at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 22.

Best Start Since
The Huskers rushed to an 8-0 start to this season, before falling to No. 1 Iowa at National Duals. The mark was NU’s best start since 2004-05, a season in which Nebraska finished third at the Big 12 Championships and 19th at the NCAA Championships.

The Wrestler Formerly Known as Jordan
Nebraska’s Jordan Burroughs is quickly earning a new nickname - OW. The junior from Winslow Township, N.J. has claimed four Oustanding Wrestler honors at four tournaments. He started last season with an OW honor at the Cowboy Open. He posted a technical fall and major decision en route to being named the Outstanding Wrestler at last year’s Big 12 Championships, while also earning the title at the Kaufman-Brand Open with a 5-0 record on the day and a defeat of former NCAA champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota. Burroughs picked up his third OW honor in early December at the Las Vegas Invitational when he posted another five wins, including two over All-Americans and another against a former NCAA champion in Cornell’s Jorden Leen.

Topping Off National Duals
NU’s fourth-place finish at National Duals this season was the 11th time the Huskers have finished in the top five since the inception of the event in 1989. The Huskers improved their all-time record to 48-29 in the 16 appearances at National Duals.

4-0 for National Duals
Two Huskers posted a perfect 4-0 record at National Duals, leading the Huskers to a fourth-place team finish. Jordan Burroughs was the most impressive, earning victories over three ranked foes and two All-Americans. The junior opened with a decision over No. 17 Jason Welch of Northwestern, before adding another decision against eighth-ranked Dan Vallimont of Penn State, an All-American last season. Burroughs added a 22-7 technical fall over Iowa’s Matt Ballweg and ended with a 12-4 major decision over No. 5 Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State, also an All-American last season.

Senior Brandon Browne also contributed four victories to the Huskers’ cause, winning all his matches by decision. He posted a 14-7 decision against Northwestern’s Robert Kellogg and defeated No. 14 Quentin Wright of Penn State, 3-1, on the first day. Browne got a measure of revenge with a 5-4 decison over No. 5 Jay Borschel of Iowa, who defeated him in the consolation finals of last year’s NCAA Championships, and capped the tournament with a 7-4 win over Iowa State’s Andrew Sorenson.

Burroughs Earns Second-Straight Big 12 Honor
The Huskers’ Jordan Burroughs was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced on Dec. 8. A native of Sicklerville, N.J., he earns the honor after being named the Big 12’s Wrestler of the Month on Dec. 1.

Burroughs won the individual title at 157 pounds to lead No. 6 Nebraska to the team crown at the 2008 Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 5-6. Burroughs, who was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, posted a perfect 5-0 record over the weekend.

The junior opened the tournament with two major decisions over Michigan’s Aaron Hynes (16-7) and North Dakota State’s Andrey Patselov (18-5) before wrapping up Friday’s competition with a 5-2 decision over Minnesota’s Tyler Safratowich. Burroughs was just as impressive on Saturday, posting decisions over two All-Americans. He earned a 3-2 victory over No. 5 J.P. O’Conner of Harvard in the semifinals, then moved on to claim a 10-8 win against the defending national champion and sixth-ranked Jordan Leen of Cornell in the finals.

Double Down in Vegas
The second time around was just as nice for the Huskers in Vegas, as Nebraska won the Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 6 for the second time in NU history.

Nebraska’s other first-place finish came in 2003, when the Huskers piled up 139.5 points en route to the crown. NU claimed three individual titles, while four other Huskers placed in the top eight. Top-ranked Jason Powell of Nebraska knocked off ninth-ranked Mark Moos of Michigan, 4-2, in the finals at 125 pounds, while No. 7 Travis Shufelt pinned Missouri’s Jeremy Spates in the third period at 149 to also finish first. Travis Pascoe rounded out the Huskers’ title winners at 184 pounds.

Burroughs Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Month
Nebraska’s Jordan Burroughs was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Month, the conference office announced on Dec. 1. The honor was the first of Burroughs’ career.

Burroughs, a junior from Sicklerville, N.J., was one of seven Huskers undefeated on the season at the time after he claimed two dual wins and an open tournament championship. An All-American last year at 149 pounds, Burroughs has moved to 157 pounds with relative ease this season. He opened with a 17-7 major decision over No. 19 Joey Knox in NU’s dual win over Chattanooga on Nov. 20, and followed with an impressive performance at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 22. Burroughs went 4-0 on the day and knocked off former NCAA champion and sixth-ranked Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, 6-4, in the finals to take the title. Burroughs, previously 0-3 in his career against Schlatter, was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Burroughs most recently earned an 18-7 major decision versus Oregon State’s Jon Brascetta in NU’s 34-8 dual win over the Beavers on Nov. 29. Burroughs stands at 6-0 on the season, including 2-0 in duals, with three major decisions and one pin. He has racked up 15 takedowns in his two dual appearances.

Over the Half Century
The Huskers put a 50-0 defeat on the Augustana Vikings on Nov. 28 for Nebraska’s largest win in over 25 years. The Huskers have topped the 50-point mark just three times in their history. NU posted an all-time high 55 points in a shutout of the Colorado School of Mines on Jan. 22, 1983, after defeating Western New England College on Jan. 31, 1982, by a 50-0 margin. In their defense, Augustana and Colorado School of Mines are NCAA Division II teams, while Western New England is a member of Division III.

Sanders On The Move
Senior Robert Sanders made his season debut at 149 pounds against Minnesota on Dec. 21. A bit of a journeyman, Sanders has wrestled at three weight classes for the Huskers during his career. He qualified for the NCAA Championships at 149 pounds in 2006, but battled three other Huskers for the starting nod at 141 last season. Sanders started this season at 157, but dropped to 149 with the move up of Jordan Burroughs. Sanders made his debut a winning effort, as he secured a late reversal for the 7-5 victory against Minnesota’s Brian Peterson.

Ranking the Returning
Nebraska welcomes back four All-Americans this season from the contingent of five Huskers that earned the honor last season. Jordan Burroughs, Craig Brester and Stephen Dwyer return for their junior seasons at 157, 197 and 165 pounds, respectively, while Brandon Browne wrestles his senior season at 174 pounds. NU’s four returning All-Americans are the most for Nebraska since 1995-96, when the Huskers welcomed back Brad Canoyer (118), Temoer Terry (150), Ryan Tobin (190) and Tolly Thompson (Hwt.).

From Teammates to Teammates
Nebraska has eight wrestlers on its 2008-09 roster that were also on the same high school squad at one point. Brothers Brandon and Cameron Browne wrestled together at Plattsmouth High School, as is the case with brothers Robert and Paul Sanders at Blanding (Utah) High School. Jordan Burroughs and Vince Jones both spent their prep career at Winslow Township (N.J.) High School, while Ross Grande joins the Huskers this season after wrestling with Peter Roto at Palatine High School.

Cowboy Larry Lane’s Son
Redshirt freshman Tucker Lane is almost following in his father’s footsteps. Tucker, like his dad Larry, is wrestling collegiately. He enters his second season in the Nebraska program as the projected starter at heavyweight, after being named NU’s 2008 Redshirt of the Year. Larry spent his college years wrestling for the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., and was also on the All-Army wrestling team. Tucker has yet to follow in one footstep though. Larry went on to wrestle professionally from 1973 to 1983 as "Red Dog Lane" and "Cowboy Larry Lane".

Jordan’s Journeys
Jordan Burroughs had an extremely successful season last year, earning his first All-America honor with a third-place finish at 149 pounds at the NCAA Championships, but his achievements didn’t stop in March. Burroughs claimed 10th-place at the FILA World Championships in August, after winning the FILA Junior National Championships and World Team Trials.

Representing the U.S. for the first time in his career, Burroughs wrestled well at 66 kilograms (145.5 pounds) in the freestyle division, but ran into some hard luck at the FILA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Burroughs lost his first set 3-1 against Kazakhstan’s Olzhas Chingisbayev, but rebounded with two straight wins (2-0, 4-3) to earn the victory. Burroughs then defeated India’s Amit Kumar in two straight sets (2-1, 4-3) to advance and face Hungary’s Sandor Tozser. Burroughs lost the first set 1-0 to the Hungarian, but tied him 1-1 in the second. Tozser claimed the set by scoring the last technical points and defeated Burroughs.

Burroughs still had a chance to wrestle in the consolation bracket if Tozser made it to the finals, but eventual champion Magomedmurad Gadjieu of Russia defeated Tozser in the semifinals to end Burroughs’ tournament. Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning also traveled with to Turkey as an assistant coach for the U.S.

Burroughs advanced to the world championships by winning the world team trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., in May. He defeated Michigan’s Kellen Russell in two consecutive sets in the finals to win the best-of-three series and claim a spot on the U.S. world team. Burroughs automatically qualified for the finals at the world team trials by winning the FILA Junior National Championships in April.