B.J. Wright Season 2002-03

NCAA Championships<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

2004-Wright narrowly missed All-America honors, losing in overtime to Travis Paulson of <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>IowaState, 5-3.  Paulson registered a takedown just as time expired in the first overtime period in consolation action. Wright entered his first national championship tournament as the No. 8 seed.  He started with a 9-7 win over Northern Iowa’s Nick Baima. In the second round, Wright needed only 2:44 to pin Matt Lebe from West Virginia.  Wright dropped to the consolation bracket after a 6-2 loss to top-seeded Alex Tirapelle of Illinois.  In his first consolation match, Wright fell to Paulson to end his season with a 2-2 mark at nationals.

 

Big 12 Championships

2005-Wright finished fourth to miss qualifying for the national tournament. He lost a 9-7 decision to Missouri's Brad Cieleski in the semifinals, but won a 4-3 overtime match over Oklahoma's Charles Jones to advance to the third-place match. Wright lost a 12-4 major decision to Iowa State's Trent Paulson to place fourth.

 

2004-Seeded fifth, Wright defeated IowaState’s Travis Paulson 3-2 in the third-place match to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships. In the pigtail match, Wright recorded a fall with one second to go in the match to beat Oklahoma’s Rafael Maturino. After losing to OklahomaState’s Johnny Hendricks 4-1, Wright defeated Paulson to go to nationals.

 

Career Notes

2005-Wright posted a 24-10 record, including 15-2 in duals, during his senior season. He posted 75 dual points, courtesy of 35 dual takedowns. He had six pins, two technical falls and two major decisions.

 

2004-Wright wrestled to a 21-11 mark in his first full season of varsity competition.  His season was highlighted by a five-match winning streak in January, including back-to-back wins over ranked opponents at the Virginia Duals.  Wright defeated No. 12 Brian Stith of ArizonaState 6-2 and No. 4 Derek Zinich of Lehigh 7-2 to cap a 4-0 trip to Hampton.

 

Wright picked up six wins by fall during his junior season, including three within the match's first minute.  Wright started the 2003-04 season with a pin of Kainoa Casco of PortlandState in 1:00.  At the Cliff Keen Invitational, he pinned Brad Harper of Purdue in 48 seconds, and at the Nebraska Duals, he defeated Jake Froscheiser of Nebraska-Kearney by fall in just 46 seconds.

 

2003-Wright went 34-5 wrestling in open tournaments for the Huskers. Wright recorded first-place finishes at the Harold Nichols, Nebraska-Kearney, Dana and MissouriValley opens. He also added a second-place finish at the Worthington Open. At the Kaufman-Brand Open, Wright nearly upset second-ranked Shane Roller of OklahomaState before falling, 3-2, in the semifinals. Of Wright’s 34 wins, 11 came by fall, with eight major decisions and one technical fall.

 

Before Nebraska-Wright came to Nebraska after helping Ricks Junior College to a second-place finish at the 2002 NJCAA Championships for Coach Bob Christensen.  A four-year letterwinner for Coach Rick Thompson, Wright was a two-time state champion at PaysonHigh School in Utah. Wright finished with a career record of 124-17 and was named an All-American and the athlete of the year in high school.

 

Personal-The son of Bill and Kathy Wright, B.J. was born on April 13, 1980.  B.J. has five older siblings and three younger ones. B.J. is married to the former Lani Harrington.  He is an accounting major.