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Wrestling

Brackets Released for 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The NCAA released brackets this evening for the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which will take place from March 19-21 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. This is the second season the NCAA has seeded each individual weight class 1-33, meaning all 10 Nebraska qualifiers received a seed. 

Junior Eric Schultz (197) had the highest seed among NU grapplers, receiving the No. 3 seed. The Tinley Park, Ill., native is 23-4 on the season and is coming off a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Schultz, making his third career NCAA Championships appearance, will face Cole Urbas (Penn) to begin the tournament. 

Senior Isaiah White (165) received the No. 5 seed following his third-place finish at last weekend's Big Ten Championships. The Chicago, Ill., native heads to Minneapolis with a 20-4 mark and won the 165-pound title at the Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this season. White finished fifth at last year's NCAA Championships. 

Juniors Taylor Venz (184) and Chad Red Jr. (141) received the No. 7 and No. 6 seeds, respectively. Both placed third at the Big Ten Championships and will be making their third career NCAA Championships appearances. Venz, a Farmington, Minn., native, is 20-8 this season and earned All-America honors when he placed fourth at the 2018 NCAA Championships. Red, a two-time All-American, is 19-7 on the year. 

Mikey Labriola (174) is back at the NCAA Championships one year after finishing in sixth place as a freshman. The sophomore from Easton, Pa., is seeded No. 10 and faces Dean Sherry (Rider) in the first round. 

David Jensen (HWT) rounds out the group of Huskers with previous NCAA Championships experience. Jensen is seeded No. 21 and will wrestle Josh Hokit (Fresno State) in Thursday's first round. The senior from Mobridge, S.D., will end his career wrestling at the NCAA Championships for a second time, having gone 1-2 at the 2019 NCAA Championships. 

A quartet of Huskers who received their seeds on Wednesday will be making their NCAA Championships debuts. Redshirt freshman Alex Thomsen (125) is seeded No. 29 and is set to battle Jack Mueller (Virginia) in the first round. Ridge Lovett (133), a true freshman from Post Falls, Idaho, earned a trip to Minneapolis with a last-second takedown in the seventh-place match at the Big Ten Championships and is set to take on Allan Hart (Missouri) as the No. 14 seed. 

Collin Purinton (149) earned a third-place finish as the No. 7 seed at the Big Ten Championshps and is seeded No. 9 for the NCAA Championships. He faces Russell Rohlfing (Cal State Bakersfield) in the first round. The tenth and final qualifier for the Huskers is redshirt freshman Peyton Robb (157). The Owatonna, Minn., native returns to his home state as the No. 13 seed, wrestling Jake Tucker (Michigan State) in the first round. 

The 2020 NCAA Championships will consist of six sessions beginning on Thursday, March 19  and will run through Saturday, March 21. All morning sessions will be televised by ESPNU while the evening sessions can be seen on ESPN. The session breakdown can be seen below. The full brackets are attached. 

Nebraska's NCAA Championships Lineup*
125: #29 Alex Thomsen RFr. • Neola, Iowa (13-15)  
133: #14 Ridge Lovett Fr. • Post Falls, Idaho (17-8)   
141: #6 Chad Red Jr. Jr. • Indianapolis, Ind. (19-7) 
149: #9 Collin Purinton Sr. • Banks, Ore. (18-9) 
157: #13 Peyton Robb RFr. • Owatonna, Minn. (20-6)
165: #5 Isaiah White Sr. • Chicago, Ill. (20-4)  
174: #10 Mikey Labriola So. • Easton, Pa. (20-10) 
184: #7 Taylor Venz Jr. • Farmington, Minn. (20-8)  
197: #3 Eric Schultz Jr. • Tinley Park, Ill. (23-4) 
285: #21 David Jensen Sr. • Mobridge, S.D. (17-6)
*The number next to each wrestler's name indicates their seeding.  

2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships Session Breakdown:
Thursday, March 19 
• Session I -- Pigtails & Opening rounds 
    • 11 a.m. - ESPNU
• Session II -- Second round & Consolation matches
    • 6 p.m. - ESPN 

Friday, March 20
• Session III -- Quarterfinals & Consolation matches  
    • 10 a.m. - ESPNU
• Session IV -- Semifinals & Consolation matches
    • 7 p.m. - ESPN

Saturday, March 21
• Session V -- Medal round matches 
    • 10 a.m. - ESPNU
• Session VI -- Championship finals
    • 6 p.m. - ESPN