Huskers Gear Up for Regular Season at Wrestle-Offs

Lincoln - The eighth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team had its first taste of competition for the 2009-10 season, as the Huskers hosted the annual Wrestle-Offs at the Devaney Center on Friday evening. Nearly 200 high school coaches from across the region were in attendance, as the Wrestle-Offs were held in conjunction with the 2009 Fall Coaches Clinic.

Led by four returning national qualifiers, defending 157-pound national champion Jordan Burroughs dominated his only match of the night, pinning freshman Michael Klinginsmith (1:24).

A 2009 All-American, senior 197-pounder Craig Brester defeated junior Cameron Browne by technical fall, 16-0, while senior Stephen Dwyer (174 lbs) and sophomore Tucker Lane (HWT) each went 2-0. Dwyer won a major decision bout (22-8) over redshirt freshman Ethan Studebaker and defeated freshman Caleb Kolb by a 10-3 decision. Lane pinned redshirt freshman Alex Thomas and downed senior Levi Wofford (8-4 decision).

165-pound junior Alex Ward led the Huskers in victories, producing an undefeated 3-0 record with victories over freshman Jerad Gubbels (major dec., 10-2), junior James Nakashima (tech. fall, 19-4) and redshirt freshman Tyler Koehn (dec., 3-2).

Mike Koehnlein, a 141-pound junior college transfer from West Minster, Calif., dominated each of his matches, pinning freshman Matt Rasmussen (2:48) after he opened the night with a 15-0 technical fall victory over freshman Frankie Odierno. Koehnlein's pin was one of six at the Wrestle-Offs, joining falls by Burroughs, Lane, Gubbels, Odierno and redshirt freshman Chris Hacker.

Nebraska opens the 2009-10 regular season on Sunday, Nov. 15 at the NU Coliseum, when the Huskers host the Wisconsin Badgers at 1 p.m. Media guides will be available for purchase at the dual.

2009 Wrestle-Off Results
Mat 1
165 - Alex Ward vs. Jerad Gubbels
Ward by major dec. over Gubbels, 10-2

165 - James Nakashima vs. Tyler Koehn
Koehn by major dec. over Nakashima, 10-2

184 - Josh Ihnen vs. Cameron Browne
Ihnen by major dec. over Browne, 11-2

133- C.J. Napier vs. Ridge Kiley
Napier by dec. over Kiley, 3-1

141- Mike Koehnlein vs. Matt Rasmussen
Koehnline by fall over Rasmussen, 2:48

125 - Dalton Bullard vs. Kyle Waldo
Waldo by dec. over Bullard, 5-4

165 - Scott Kwiatkowski vs. Jerad Gubbels
Gubbels by fall over Kwiatkowski, 5:06

149 - Chris Hacker vs. Mike Klinginsmith
Hacker by fall over Klinginsmith, 1:57

133 - C.J. Napier vs. Ridge Kiley
Napier by dec. over Kiley, 4-2

165 - James Nakashima vs. Scott Kwiatkowski
Nakashima by dec. over Kwiatkowski, 7-6

133 - Frankie Odierno vs. Matt Rasmussen
Odierno by fall over Rasmussen, 0:39

Mat 2
141 - Mike Koehnlein vs. Frankie Odierno
Koehnlein by tech. fall, 15-0

165 - Ethan Studebaker vs. Caleb Kolb
Kolb by dec. over Studubaker, 6-1

HWT - Tucker Lane vs. Alex Thomas
Lane by fall over Thomas, 1:24

157 - Jordan Burroughs vs. Michael Klinginsmith
Burroughs by fall over Klinginsmith, 1:26

HWT - Levi Wofford vs. Alex Thomas
Wofford by major dec. over Thomas, 15-5

174 - Caleb Kolb vs. Stephen Dwyer
Dwyer by dec. over Kolb, 10-3

165 - James Nakashima vs. Alex Ward
Ward by tech. fall over Nakashima, 19-4

197 - Craig Brester vs. Cameron Browne
Brester by tech. fall over Browne, 16-0

174 - Stephen Dwyer vs. Ethan Studebaker
Dwyer by major dec. over Studebaker, 22-8

HWT - Tucker Lane vs. Levi Wofford
Lane by dec. over Wofford, 8-4

165 - Tyler Koehn vs. Alex Ward
Ward by dec. over Koehn, 3-2