Wrestling

Liam Cronin

Weight125 lbs
ClassSenior
HometownOrange, Calif.

Honors & Awards

  • NCAA All-American (2023)
  • Fifth-place finish at 2023 NCAA Championships (March 18)
  • Second-place finish at 2023 Big Ten Championships (March 5)
  • NCAA Qualifier (2021, 2023)
  • Nebraska's Lifter of the Year (2022-23)
  • NCAA Wrestler of the Week (Jan. 17, 2023)
  • USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week (Jan. 17, 2023)
  • Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (Jan. 17, 2023)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Spring 2022)

2022-23 (Graduate)

NCAA Championships – 5th (4-2) – 125 pounds

  • First Round: No. 3 Cronin dec. No. 30 Antonio Lorenzo (POLY) 9-4
  • Second Round: No. 3 Cronin dec. No. 19 Braxton Brown (MD) 8-4
  • Quarterfinals: No. 3 Cronin dec. No. 27 Eddie Ventresca (VT) 3-1, SV-1
  • Semifinals: No. 2 Pat Glory (PRIN) dec. No. 3 Cronin 8-2
  • Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 8 Anthony Noto (LH) dec. No. 3 Cronin 3-1
  • Fifth-Place Match: No. 3 Cronin dec. No. 1 Spencer Lee (IOWA) MFF

Big Ten Championships – 2nd (2-1) – 125 pounds

  • First Round: Bye
  • Quarterfinals: No. 2 Cronin (NEB) dec. No. 7 Braxton Brown (MD) 11-7
  • Semifinals: No. 2 Cronin (NEB) dec. No. 6 Michael DeAugustino (NU) 2-1
  • Finals: No. 1 Spencer Lee (IOWA) dec. No. 2 Cronin (NEB), 8-2

Regular Season - 125 pounds

  • 24-6 record (11-2 dual record)
  • Bonus points: two pins, one technical fall, four major decisions 
  • Placed third at the Cliff Keen Invite

2021-22 (Medical Redshirt)

Regular Season - 125 pounds

  • 3-3 overall and dual record
  • Competed at the Daktronics Open (Nov. 21) before medically redshirting 

2020-21 (Senior)

NCAA Championships – DNP (1-2) – 125 pounds

  • First Round: #13 Liam Cronin (NEB) pinned Jake Ferri (KENT), 6:29
  • Second Round: #4 Drew Hildebrandt (CMU) dec. #13 Liam Cronin (NEB), 2-1
  • Cons. Second Round: #14 Jaret Lane (LEH) dec. #13 Liam Cronin (NEB), 13-12

Big Ten Championships – 9th (2-2) – 125 pounds

  • First Round:  BYE
  • Quarterfinals: No. 7 Devin Schroder (PUR) dec. Liam Cronin (NEB), 3-1 SV1
  • Cons. Second Round: No. 8 Michael DeAugustino (NW) dec. Liam Cronin (NEB), 4-1
  • 9th-Place Semifinals: Liam Cronin (NEB) dec. No. 13 Dylan Shawver (RUT), 9-5
  • 9th-Place Match: Liam Cronin (NEB) pinned No. 6 Eric Barnett (WIS), 2:02

Regular Season – 125 pounds

  • 7-1 overall and dual record
  • Bonus Points: One pin, one major decision
  • Defeated #14 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) by decision, 4-1, in his first match as a Husker on Jan. 8
  • Finished 2-1 on the season against ranked opponents
  • Closed the season on a 6 match win streak, defeating Wisconsin’s Ethan Rotondo in a 7-6 decision after scoring a last-second reversal to take the match.

Before Nebraska

  • Wrestled three seasons, including redshirt year, at Indiana, where he compiled 41 collegiate victories 
  • 2020 NCAA Qualifier 
  • Placed fifth at 2020 Big Ten Championships
  • 9-3 dual match record, including 6-3 in Big Ten dual matches as a junior
  • Compiled a 17-13 overall record as a sophomore in 2018-19 with two pins, four technical falls and two major decisions
  • Won seven of his final eight bouts and earned a first-place finish at the Purple Raider Open at the University of Mount Union (Ohio) to cap redshirt season in 2017-18. 
  • Made five appearances in the starting dual meet lineup in addition to seeing action at several open tournaments as a true freshman in 2016-17. 
  • U23 World Team Trials champion in 2019 (Greco-Roman),
  • Placed third at the 2018 U23 Nationals (Greco-Roman)
  • Finished runner-up at the United World Wrestling Junior Nationals in 2017 (Freestyle). 
  • Prior to enrolling at Indiana, Cronin wrestled four seasons under head coach Alan Clinton at Servite High School, where he set Servite records for single-season takedowns, career takedowns, bonus point wins, and winning percentage.
  • Cronin helped his team win four CIF team state championships during his prep years.
  • Became the first high school state finalist from Servite (a feat he accomplished in both 2015 and 2016)
  • Named the 2015 Wrestler of the Year by the Orange County Register. 
  • Seven-time Junior Fargo All-American, split between Freestyle and Greco-Roman
  • Won gold at the FILA Junior Greco World Cup
  • Named to the National High School Coaches Association All-America team in 2016. 

Personal

  • Born November 17, 1997
  • Parents: Shannon and Jeff Cronin
  • Brothers: Riley
  • Major: Child, Youth & Family Studies (Bachelor's Degree from Nebraska, May 2022)

Nebraska Career Statistics

Year Overall Dual Pins TF MD NCAA Big Ten
2016-17 (at IU) 7-13 0-5 2 2 1
2017-18 (at IU)* 8-5 0-0 1 2 1
2018-19 (at IU) 17-13 2-6 2 4 2
2019-20 (at IU) 17-13 9-3 2 1 3 5th (2-1)
2020-21  10-5 7-1 2 0 1 DNP (1-2) 9th (2-2)
2021-22*      3-3     1-0 3 0 0
2022-23 24-6 11-2 2 1 4 5th (4-2) 2nd (2-1)
Career 75-50 29-17 11 8 11 5-4 6-4