Taylor Venz

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