Hockaday, Cochran Claim Open Event Titles at DWU Open

Nebraska wrestlers competed at two tournaments over the weekend, crowning a pair of champions at the DWU Open and picking up a 4-0 showing from Willmont Kai at the Warren Williamson Daktronics Invitational.

Jake Hockaday (141) and Lucas Cochran (184) each won individual titles for the Huskers in Mitchell, S.D., at the DWU Open on Saturday, Nov. 7. Hockaday took the 141-pound crown with an 18-3 technical fall over Dakota Wesleyan’s Ian Metz in 3:22. Cochran claimed the 184-pound title with a 9-1 major decision over Augustana’s Charlie Petit in the final.

Zaiyahn Ornelas reached the championship match at 125 pounds and finished as the runner-up. Nikolas Rotella placed third at 165, and Noah Bull took fourth at 157. At 184, Tad Forsyth finished fifth with a 4-3 decision over Fort Hays State’s Ernesto Duenez, giving Nebraska two of the top five spots in that weight class.

The Huskers wrestled round-robin pools against Minnesota, North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Buffalo, followed by placement bouts at the 2026 Warren Williams Daktronics Invitational in Brookings, S.D. on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Nebraska’s strongest results came at 149 pounds, where four Huskers combined for an 11-3 record. Willmont Kai led the group at 4-0. He opened with a 15-0 technical fall over NDSU’s Zytavius Williams, added a 14-8 decision over Buffalo’s Aaron Lanster and a medical forfeit win over SDSU’s Conlan Carlson, then closed with a 20-4 technical fall over NDSU’s Brayden Canoyer in the placement bout.

Davis Parrow went 3-1, pinning Canoyer in 2:20, picking up an 11-2 major decision over Williams and winning 8-1 over SDSU’s Zach Ballante. Nikade Zinkin and Scott Robertson each finished 2-1. Zinkin beat SDSU’s Tyson Peach 5-2 and narrowly beat Minnesota’s Dawson Johnson 7-6 in his placement bout. Robertson topped Johnson 2-1 and Peach 3-0, with his lone loss coming in a sudden-victory, 9-6, to SDSU’s Colin Dupill.

At 133, Elijah Collick went 2-2 with a 21-5 technical fall over NDSU’s Eli Schultz and a 9-4 win over Javier Berg, falling 11-10 to Minnesota’s Blake Beissel in a one-point match. Mason Petersen (157) pinned Buffalo’s Max Nevlin in 2:18. Abdi Unle (125), Nolan Fellers (165), Dez Gartrell (174) and Marco Christiansen (184) also competed at the invitational.

The No. 3 Huskers travel to Stillwater, Okla., on Friday, Nov. 13, for a 7 p.m. dual at No. 2 Oklahoma State.