Wrestling_vs_Wisconsin_SB_7418

Honors & Awards

  • Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (Jan. 29)
  • NCAA All-American (4th, 184, 2018)
  • Five-Time NCAA Qualifier (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Nebraska Most Valuable Wrestler (2018)
  • Nebraska Lifter of the Year (2018)
  • NWCA All-Academic Team (2018)
  • Four-Time Academic All-Big Ten (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2016, 2018, 2019; Spring 2019, 2020, 2021)
  • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2018, 2019)
  • NWCA Scholar All-American (2020, 2021)
  • NWCA First Team All-America (2020) 

2021-22 (Senior)

NCAA Championships – DNP (3-2) – 184 pounds

  • Champ. Round 1 - Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 19-10 won by decision over Travis Stefanik (Princeton) 16-6 (Dec 9-2)
  • Champ. Round 2 - Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) 17-6 won by decision over Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 19-10 (Dec 5-1)
  • Cons. Round 2 - Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 19-10 won by major decision over Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) 18-6 (MD 10-0)
  • Cons. Round 3 - Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 19-10 won by decision over Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) 19-9 (Dec 3-2)
  • Cons. Round 4 - Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) 30-2 won by decision over Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 19-10 (Dec 7-5)

Big Ten Championships – 5th (3-2) – 184 pounds

  • Champ. Round 1 - Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 13-7 won by decision over Max Lyon (Purdue) 11-12 (Dec 6-2)
  • Quarterfinal - Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 13-7 won by decision over Abe Assad (Iowa) 11-7 (Dec 4-2)
  • Semifinal - Aaron Brooks (Penn State) 16-1 won by decision over Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 13-7 (Dec 7-2)
  • Cons. Semi - Zac Braunagel (Illinois) 15-7 won by decision over Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 13-7 (Dec 6-5)
  • 5th Place Match - Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 13-7 won by decision over Kyle Cochran (Maryland) 23-9 (Dec 6-3)

Regular Season - 184 pounds

  • 19-9 overall (6-4 dual record)
  • Bonus Points: Five pins, three technical falls, four major decisions 
  • Finished third at the Daktronics Open (Nov. 21) and second at the Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 4)

2020-21 (Senior)

NCAA Championships – DNP (2-2) – 184 pounds

  • First Round: #8 Taylor Venz (NEB) tech. fall #25 Matthew Waddell (CHAT), 19-0 (5:15)
  • Second Round: #8 Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. #9 Jeremiah Kent (MIZZ), 10-4
  • Quarterfinals: #1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) dec. #8 Taylor Venz (NEB), 9-4
  • Round of 12: #11 Dakota Geer (OKST) dec. #8 Taylor Venz (NEB), 8-2

Big Ten Championships – 2nd (3-1) – 184 pounds

  • First Round:  Taylor Venz (NEB) pinned No. 11 Kyle Cochran (MD), 3:41
  • Quarterfinals: Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. No. 3 Layne Malczewski (MSU), 13-6
  • Semifinals: Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. No. 2 Christopher Weiler (WIS), 10-3
  • Finals: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) dec. Taylor Venz (NEB), 10-5

Regular Season - 184 pounds

  • 4-2 overall (3-2 dual record)
  • Bonus Points: One pin, one technical fall, one major decision
  •  Won three matches in the Nebraska Triangular, defeating Northwestern’s Jon Halvorsen by 16-0 technical fall in 4:57 and Jack Jessen by fall in 1:57 and Maryland’s Kyle Cochran by 4-2 decision. 

2019-20 (Junior)

Big Ten Championships – 3rd (4-1) – 184 pounds

  • First Round: Taylor Venz (NEB) tech. fall #13 Jake Hinz (IND), 18-0  
  • Quarterfinals: Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. #5 Billy Janzer (RU), 9-3 
  • Semifinals: #1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) pinned Taylor Venz (NEB) (4:00)
  • Cons. Semifinals: Taylor Venz (NEB) pinned #6 Rocky Jordan (OSU) (3:37)
  • 3rd-Place Match: Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. #3 Abe Assad (Iowa), 6-4

Regular Season – 184 pounds

  • 16-8 overall record; 9-4 dual record
  • Bonus Points: Six pins, three technical falls, three major decisions
  • Runner-up finish at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic (Nov. 10) with a 2-1 record 
  • Fifth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 7) with 5-2 mark 
  • Seven regular season wins against Top-20 ranked competition 
  • Ended regular season on four-match winning streak 

2018-19 (Sophomore)

NCAA Championships – DNP (3-2) – 184 pounds

  • First Round: Defeated #24 Tanner Harvey (American) by decision, 7-4
  • Second Round: Lost to #8 Ryan Priesch (Lehigh) by decision, 4-3
  • Cons. Second Round: Defeated #7 Nick Reenan (NC State) by decision, 7-2
  • Cons. Third Round: Defeated #16 Corey Hazel (Lock Haven) by decision, 13-7
  • Cons. Round of 12: Lost to #3 Zach Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) by decision, 5-4

Big Ten Championships – 4th (3-2) – 184 pounds

  • First Round: Defeated Brendan Devine (Northwestern) by pinfall (1:52)
  • Quarterfinals: Defeated Mason Reinhardt (Wisconsin) by major decision, 14-0
  • Semifinals: Lost to #2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) by decision, 6-5
  • Consolation Semifinals: Defeated #12 Cash Wilcke (Iowa) by decision, 6-4
  • Third-Place Match: Lost to #8 Emery Parker (Illinois) by decision, 5-1

Regular Season – 184 pounds

  • 24-9 overall record; 13-4 dual record
  • 7-9 against top 20 opponents, 7-3 in Big Ten duals
  • Won eight matches by fall (team high), three by tech. fall and one by major decision
  • Went 5-1 on the way to a second place finish at the 2018 Cliff Keen Invitational
  • Pinned #2 Emery Parker of Illinois on Jan. 27
  • 8-2 in duals since 2019 began

2017-18 (Redshirt Freshman)
NCAA Championships – 4th (6-2) – 184 pounds

  • First Round: Defeated Chaz Polson (Wyoming) by technical fall, 17-1
  • Second Round: Lost to Chip Ness (North Carolina) by decision, 11-6
  • Cons. Second Round: Defeated Dylan Gabel (Northern Colorado) by technical fall, 19-1
  • Cons. Third Round: Defeated Mitch Bowman (Iowa) by major decision, 16-4
  • Cons. Fourth Found: Defeated #4 Pete Renda (NC State) by major decision, 11-3
  • Cons. Quarterfinals: Defeated Max Dean (Cornell) by decision, 11-6
  • Cons. Semifinals: Defeated #6 Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) by decision, 7-3
  • Third-Place Match: Lost to #10 Emery Parker (Illinois) by decision, 8-1

Big Ten Championships – 4th (3-2) – 184 pounds

  • Quarterfinals: Lost to #4 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) by decision, 6-4
  • Cons. Second Round: Defeated Norman Conley (Indiana) by major decision, 8-0
  • Cons. Quarterfinals: Defeated #10 Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin) by major decision, 11-1
  • Cons. Semifinals: Defeated #7 Emery Parker (Illinois) by decision, 9-4
  • Third-Place Match: Lost to #3 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) by decision, 7-3

Regular Season – 184 pounds

  • 29-9 record overall (10-4 in duals)
  • Bonus Points: seven pins, five technical falls and seven major decisions
  • Along with Chad Red Jr., became NU’s first freshman to earn All-America status since 2012
  • 2018 marked the first time two NU freshman earned All-America honors in the same season
  • Fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships was the highest by an NU freshman since Bryan Snyder placed fourth in 1999
  • Had 11 wins over ranked opponents; 19 of 29 wins were by bonus points to lead NU
  • Led NU starters in pins (7), technical falls (5), major decisions (7) and wins (29)
  • Won Daktronics Open with all four wins coming by bonus points (Nov. 5)
  • Finished third and picked up the most falls at the tournament with four at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 1-2)

2016-17 (Redshirt)
Regular Season – 184 pounds

  • 28-4 record overall
  • Bonus points: eight pins, seven technical falls and six major decisions
  • Won UNK Holiday Inn Open title (Nov. 19)
  • Won Bob Smith Open title (Dec. 3)
  • Won Hastings Cusatis Open title (Jan. 7)
  • Won Sioux City Dave Edmonds Open title (Feb. 4)
  • Finished second at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open (Nov. 13)
  • Placed second at the Doane Open (Dec. 10)
  • Took second at the Roger Denker Open (Jan. 22)
  • Placed fifth at the Daktronics Open (Nov. 6)
  • Competed at 84 kg at the USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle World Team Trials following the season

Before Nebraska

  • Wrestled at Farmington High School in Farmington, Minn., under Coaches Chad Olson and Henry Gerten
  • Won the AAA state title in 2013 and 2016
  • Finished third at state in 2015
  • Finished third at state in 2014
  • Won the 2015 Minnesota Junior State Freestyle title (170)
  • Runner-up at the Cliff Keen USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals
  • Finished third at the 2014 Air Force Minnesota Christmas Tournament (145)
  • Won the state folkstyle title as a freshman (106)
  • National Honor Society Letterwinner
  • Academic All-State

Personal

  • Born: Sept. 3, 1997
  • Parents: Jen and Al Venz
  • Brother: Parker
  • Bachelor's degree from Nebraska as a psychology major (May 2021)

Career Statistics

Year Overall Dual Pins TF MD NCAA Big Ten
2016-17* 28-4 0-0 8 7 6 -- --
2017-18 29-9 10-4 7 5 7 4th (6-2) 4th (3-2)
2018-19 24-9 13-4 8 3 1 DNP (3-2) 4th (3-2)
2019-20 20-8 9-4 6 3 3 -- 3rd (4-1)
2020-21 9-5 3-2 2 2 1 DNP (2-2) 2nd (3-1)
2021-22 19-9 6-4 5 3 5 DNP (3-2) 5th (3-2)
Career 101-40 41-18 28 16 16 14-8 16-8

*Redshirt season does not count in career totals