The Nebraska wrestling team concludes its season at the NCAA Championships, Thursday through Saturday, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Nine Huskers will compete at the national tournament, including top-seeded Robert Kokesh at 174 pounds. Kokesh and three-time All-American James Green (157) will each be making their final appearance in a Husker singlet. Kokesh, a two-time All-American, is 33-0 this season heading into the NCAA Championships.
The ESPN family of networks will broadcast the tournament. All six sessions will be streamed on ESPN3, while the semifinals and finals will be shown on ESPN. Sessions I, II, III and V will be televised on ESPNU.
Nebraska’s NCAA Qualifiers
125: Tim Lambert
133: Eric Montoya
141: #9 Anthony Abidin
157: #4 James Green
165: Austin Wilson
174: #1 Robert Kokesh
184: #16 TJ Dudley
197: #15 Aaron Studebaker
HWT: Collin Jensen
Nine Husker wrestlers earned spots in the 2015 NCAA Championships when the field was announced on Wednesday.
Senior Robert Kokesh leads the team with the No. 1 seed at 174 pounds. Kokesh, a two-time All-American, is 33-0 this season after capturing the Big Ten title last weekend. He is one of five seeded wrestlers for Nebraska.
Three-time All-American James Green is the fourth seed at 157 pounds. The senior is looking to become the second wrestler in school history to capture All-America honors on four occasions. He is 30-4 this season after taking third place at the Big Ten Championships.
Anthony Abidin (No. 9 seed at 141), Aaron Studebaker (15th seed at 197) and TJ Dudley (16th seed at 184) are also seeded. Tim Lambert (125), Eric Montoya (133), Austin Wilson (165) and Collin Jensen (HWT) will also compete for the Huskers at the NCAA Championships.
The tournament begins on Thursday, March 19 at 11 a.m. (CT) and runs through Saturday, March 21 in St. Louis, Mo.
Nebraska’s NCAA Qualifiers
125: Tim Lambert
133: Eric Montoya
141: #9 Anthony Abidin
157: #4 James Green
165: Austin Wilson
174: #1 Robert Kokesh
184: #16 TJ Dudley
197: #15 Aaron Studebaker
HWT: Collin Jensen
Columbus, OHIO – Iowa and Ohio State won the 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships title on Sunday, tying for first place with a team score of 120.0. The Hawkeyes claimed their 35th championships title and first since 2010, while the Buckeyes won their third crown and first since 1951. Ohio State took home two individual titles, as Logan Stieber became the 14th wrestler to be crowned a four-time Big Ten Champion. This is the seventh time in conference history that there have been co-champions in wrestling, and first since 1932 between Illinois and Indiana.
Minnesota finished in third place with 108.0 points, while Michigan placed fourth (102.5) and Penn State (96.5) rounded out the top five.
Stieber was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Wrestler of the Championships. The senior becomes the first Wrestler of the Year in program history after claiming his fourth-straight Big Ten individual title. Stieber is the second Buckeye to be named Wrestler of the Championships, and first since Lance Palmer in 2010. Head Coach Tom Ryan took home Coach of the Year honors, while Illinois’ Isaiah Martinez was tabbed Freshman of the Year. Martinez becomes the first Illini to win the honor.
Ohio State’s Nathan Tomasello took home the 125-pound title. Tomasello, the No. 3 seed, earned a 3-2 decision over top-seeded Thomas Gilman of Iowa. At 133, top-seeded Chris Dardanes of Minnesota posted a 7-2 decision against Wisconsin No. 2 seed Ryan Taylor to win his first Big Ten title.
Stieber earned his fourth conference crown, as the No. 1 seed defeated sixth-seeded Josh Dziewa of Iowa (TF, 3:07) to claim the 141-pound title. The 149-pound crown went to No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis, who earned a 2-1 decision over Iowa No. 1 seed Brandon Sorensen, en route to his second-straight Big Ten title.
At 157, No. 1 seed Martinez of Illinois claimed a 12-5 decision to defeat No. 2 seed Dylan Ness of Minnesota to win his first Big Ten crown. Wisconsin’s Isaac Jordan, a No. 2 seed at 165, posted a 3-2 decision over Ohio State’s Bo Jordan to win his first conference title.
Nebraska No. 1 seed Robert Kokesh claimed his second straight Big Ten title, taking the 174-pound championship with a 7-3 decision against Iowa No. 2 seed Matt Brown of Penn State to earn the crown. At 184, Michigan’s Domenic Abounader, a No. 2 seed, claimed a 7-6 decision over Brett Pfarr of Minnesota.
Penn State No. 2 seed Morgan McIntosh won the 197-pound Big Ten title, taking a 4-1 decision over top-seeded Kyle Snyder of Ohio State. Rounding out the group of individual Big Ten Champions was No. 3 seed Mike McMullan of Northwestern, who claimed a 4-3 decision over fourth-seeded Bobby Telford of Iowa.
The complete list of Big Ten individual awards and All-Big Ten honorees can be found below, while the full results are attached.
BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Wrestler of the Year: Logan Stieber, Ohio State
Freshman of the Year: Isaiah Martinez, Illinois
Coach of the Year: Tom Ryan, Ohio State
Wrestler of the Championships: Logan Stieber, Ohio State
2015 ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Isaiah Martinez, Illinois
Dominic Abounader, Michigan
Chris Dardanes, Minnesota
Robert Kokesh, Nebraska
Mike McMullan, Northwestern
Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern
Logan Stieber, Ohio State
Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State
Morgan McIntosh, Penn State
Isaac Jordan, Wisconsin
Columbus, Ohio – Senior Robert Kokesh captured the 174-pound Big Ten title after a 7-3 decision over No. 2 seed Matt Brown of Penn State at St. John Arena on Sunday.
Kokesh, the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 174 pounds, earned a first-period takedown to take an early lead before a Brown escape. The Husker senior started the second stanza on top and gave up an escape before recording a takedown at the end of the period, which gave him a 4-2 lead. He escaped from the bottom position in the third before adding a takedown in earning his 33rd win of the season.
Three-time All-American James Green finished third at 157 pounds after winning two matches on Sunday. Green pinned fourth-seeded Brian Murphy of Michigan in 2:57 before notching an 8-2 decision over No. 6 seed Josh Demas of Ohio State.
The Huskers finished seventh as a team with 85.5 points. Ohio State and Iowa shared the team title with 120 points.
Additional Huskers to place include Anthony Abidin (fourth at 141), Tim Lambert (sixth at 125), TJ Dudley (sixth at 184), Austin Wilson (seventh at 165) and Eric Montoya (eighth at 133).
Aaron Studebaker (197) and Collin Jensen (HWT) also competed on Sunday, but their matches didn’t count toward the team score. Studebaker finished ninth, while Jensen took 10th place.
The Huskers finish their season March 19-21 at the NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Big Ten Championships March 7-8, 2015 St. John Arena Columbus, Ohio
125 pounds
First Round: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over Sean McCabe (RUT), 7-2
Quarterfinals: #5 Jordan Conaway (PSU) by dec. over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 7-4
Consolation Second Round: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over John Jimenez (WIS), 4-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by pin over Garrison White (NW), 0:27
Consolation Semifinals: #2 Jesse Delgado (ILL) by sudden victory-1 over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 6-4
Fifth-Place Match: #6 Conor Youtsey (MICH) by dec. over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 2-1
133 pounds
First Round: #8 Rossi Bruno (MICH) by dec. over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 5-3
Consolation First Round: #9 Eric Montoya (NEB) Bye
Consolation Second Round: #9 Eric Montoya (NEB) by dec. over #7 Danny Sabatello (PUR), 3-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #6 Zane Richards (ILL) by dec. over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 10-3
Seventh-Place Match: #8 Rossi Bruno (MICH) by pin over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 2:45
141 pounds
First Round: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over #14 Sean Brown (IND), 2:01
Quarterfinals: #6 Josh Dziewa (IOWA) by dec. over #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 3-1
Consolation Second Round: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over #4 Steven Rodrigues (ILL), 3:59
Consolation Quarterfinals: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by major dec. over #7 Jameson Oster (NW), 13-0
Consolation Semifinals: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by dec. over #5 Anthony Ashnault (RUT), 5-2
Third-Place Match: #2 Nick Dardanes (MINN) by dec. over #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 8-6
149 pounds
First Round: #7 Justin Arthur (NEB) by dec. over Ben Dorsay (MD), 5-4
Quarterfinals: #2 Jason Tsirtsis (NW) by dec. over #7 Justin Arthur (NEB), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: Nick Trimble (MSU) by dec. over #7 Justin Arthur (NEB), 5-2
157 pounds
First Round: #3 James Green (NEB) by pin over #14 Travis Curley (MSU), 4:27
Quarterfinals: #3 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #6 Josh Demas (OSU), 8-2
Semifinals: #2 Dylan Ness (MINN) by dec. over #3 James Green (NEB), 6-5
Consolation Semifinals: #3 James Green (NEB) by pin over #4 Brian Murphy (MICH), 2:57
Third-Place Match: #3 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #6 Josh Demas (OSU), 8-2
165 pounds
First Round: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by major dec. over #8 Nick Wanzek (MINN), 11-2
Quarterfinals: #1 Bo Jordan (OSU) by dec. over #9 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-1
Consolation Second Round: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over #7 Nick Moore (IOWA), 2-1
Consolation Quarterfinals: #5 Jackson Morse (ILL) by dec. over #9 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-0
Seventh-Place Match: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over #10 Pat Robinson (PUR), 4-0
174 pounds
First Round: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) Bye
Quarterfinals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by pin over #9 Taylor Massa (MICH), 0:15
Semifinals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over #4 Logan Storley (MINN), 2-1
Finals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over #2 Matt Brown (PSU), 7-3
184 pounds
First Round: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by major dec. over #11 Anthony Pafumi (RUT), 11-3
Quarterfinals: #3 Ricky Robertson (WIS) by tiebreaker-1 over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 10-9
Consolation Second Round: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over #12 Mitch Sliga (NW), 4-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over #7 Nikko Reyes (ILL), 7-3
Consolation Semifinals: #8 Matt McCutcheon (PSU) by major dec. over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 9-1
Fifth-Place Match: #3 Ricky Robertson (WIS) by dec. over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 4-3
197 pounds
First Round: #12 Hayden Hrymack (RUT) by dec. over #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 6-3
Consolation First Round: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over #13 Rob Fitzgerald (MD), 6-2
Consolation Second Round: #6 Max Huntley (MICH) by dec. over #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 7-4
*Ninth-Place Semifinal: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over #12 Hayden Hrymack (RUT), 6-2
*Ninth-Place Match: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by pin over #10 Nick McDiarmid (MSU), 4:32
Heavyweight
First Round: #6 Michael Kroells (MINN) by dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 8-4
Consolation First Round: #11 Collin Jensen (NEB) by dec. over #14 Tyler Kral (PUR), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: #5 Jimmy Lawson (PSU) by major dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 8-0
*Ninth-Place Semifinal: #11 Collin Jensen (NEB) by major dec. over #9 Nick Tavanello (OSU), 10-2
*Ninth-Place Match: #8 Billy Smith (RUT) by dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 5-2
Columbus, Ohio – Senior Robert Kokesh (174) won both of his matches on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s Big Ten Finals against Penn State’s Matt Brown.
Kokesh, the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 174 pounds, defeated fourth-seeded Logan Storley of Minnesota in the semifinals after his record-setting pin in Session I. Kokesh improves to 32-0 this season and climbs into second place on Nebraska’s career victories list with 137. He will go for his second consecutive conference title on Sunday during Session IV.
Three-time All-American James Green (157) also advanced to the semifinals, but fell by a 6-5 margin to No. 2 seed Dylan Ness of Minnesota. Green, who holds a 27-4 record this season, will battle fourth-seeded Brian Murphy of Michigan on Sunday for a spot in the third-place match.
The Huskers are in seventh place as a team with 70.5 points. Ohio State leads the team race with 102.5 points, while Iowa (101) and Minnesota (86.5) round out the top three.
Tim Lambert (125), Anthony Abidin (141) and TJ Dudley (184) each managed a pair of victories in Session II to remain in contention for third place in their respective weight classes. Abidin won both of his consolation matches in bonus-point fashion with a pin and major decision. Lambert earned a first-period pin against Northwestern’s Garrison White in one of his wrestleback matches.
Eric Montoya (133) and Austin Wilson (165), who each started the second session in the consolation bracket, went 1-1 and will each wrestle for seventh place on Sunday.
Aaron Studebaker (197) and Collin Jensen (HWT) each won their ninth-place semifinal matches and will wrestle for that spot on Sunday. Justin Arthur (149) also competed for the Huskers and went 1-2 on Saturday.
Saturday’s action begins at noon (CT) with Session III, which will be streamed on BTN Plus. Session IV is set for 2 p.m., with the championship finals to be broadcasted live on the Big Ten Network.
Big Ten Championships March 7-8, 2015 St. John Arena Columbus, Ohio
125 pounds
First Round: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over Sean McCabe (RUT), 7-2
Quarterfinals: #5 Jordan Conaway (PSU) by dec. over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 7-4
Consolation Second Round: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over John Jimenez (WIS), 4-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by pin over Garrison White (NW), 0:27
133 pounds
First Round: #8 Rossi Bruno (MICH) by dec. over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 5-3
Consolation First Round: #9 Eric Montoya (NEB) Bye
Consolation Second Round: #9 Eric Montoya (NEB) by dec. over #7 Danny Sabatello (PUR), 3-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #6 Zane Richards (ILL) by dec. over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 10-3
141 pounds
First Round: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over #14 Sean Brown (IND), 2:01
Quarterfinals: #6 Josh Dziewa (IOWA) by dec. over #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 3-1
Consolation Second Round: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over #4 Steven Rodrigues (ILL), 3:59
Consolation Quarterfinals: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by major dec. over #7 Jameson Oster (NW), 13-0
149 pounds
First Round: #7 Justin Arthur (NEB) by dec. over Ben Dorsay (MD), 5-4
Quarterfinals: #2 Jason Tsirtsis (NW) by dec. over #7 Justin Arthur (NEB), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: Nick Trimble (MSU) by dec. over #7 Justin Arthur (NEB), 5-2
157 pounds
First Round: #3 James Green (NEB) by pin over #14 Travis Curley (MSU), 4:27
Quarterfinals: #3 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #6 Josh Demas (OSU), 8-2
Semifinals: #2 Dylan Ness (MINN) by dec. over #3 James Green (NEB), 6-5
165 pounds
First Round: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by major dec. over #8 Nick Wanzek (MINN), 11-2
Quarterfinals: #1 Bo Jordan (OSU) by dec. over #9 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-1
Consolation Second Round: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over #7 Nick Moore (IOWA), 2-1
Consolation Quarterfinals: #5 Jackson Morse (ILL) by dec. over #9 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-0
174 pounds
First Round: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) Bye
Quarterfinals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by pin over #9 Taylor Massa (MICH), 0:15
Semifinals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over #4 Logan Storley (MINN), 2-1
184 pounds
First Round: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by major dec. over #11 Anthony Pafumi (RUT), 11-3
Quarterfinals: #3 Ricky Robertson (WIS) by tiebreaker-1 over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 10-9
Consolation Second Round: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over #12 Mitch Sliga (NW), 4-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by dec. over #7 Nikko Reyes (ILL), 7-3
197 pounds
First Round: #12 Hayden Hrymack (RUT) by dec. over #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 6-3
Consolation First Round: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over #13 Rob Fitzgerald (MD), 6-2
Consolation Second Round: #6 Max Huntley (MICH) by dec. over #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 7-4
*Ninth-Place Semifinal: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over #12 Hayden Hrymack (RUT), 6-2
Heavyweight
First Round: #6 Michael Kroells (MINN) by dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 8-4
Consolation First Round: #11 Collin Jensen (NEB) by dec. over #14 Tyler Kral (PUR), 6-0
Consolation Second Round: #5 Jimmy Lawson (PSU) by major dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 8-0
*Ninth-Place Semifinal: #11 Collin Jensen (NEB) by major dec. over #9 Nick Tavanello (OSU), 10-2
Columbus, Ohio – All-Americans Robert Kokesh (174) and James Green (157) each advanced to the Big Ten Semifinals after Session I of the tournament on Saturday at St. John Arena.
Kokesh, the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 174 pounds, recorded the quickest pin in the 101-year history of the Big Ten Championships with his 15-second fall of Michigan’s Taylor Massa in the quarterfinals. Kokesh received a bye in the first round. He will face fourth-seeded Logan Storley of Minnesota in Saturday night’s semifinals.
Green opened his day with a pin against Michigan State’s Travis Curley in 4:27 before notching an 8-2 decision over No. 6 seed Josh Demas of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Green, a three-time All-American, improves to 28-3 this season and extends his winning streak to 10 matches. He will battle No. 2 seed Dylan Ness of Minnesota in Session II.
James Green
Green and Kokesh, who each captured Big Ten titles last season, led the Huskers, who are in seventh place after the first session with 30 points. Iowa leads the team race with 65 points, while Minnesota (55) and Ohio State (48) round out the top three.
Tim Lambert (125), Anthony Abidin (141), Justin Arthur (149), Austin Wilson (165) and TJ Dudley (184) each won first-round matches, but fell in the quarterfinals. Abidin earned a pin, while Wilson and Dudley each won by major decision. All five wrestlers will wrestle in the consolation bracket during Session II tonight.
Eric Montoya (133), Aaron Studebaker (197) and Collin Jensen (HWT) each fell in the first round, but remain in contention in the consolation brackets.
Session II of the Big Ten Championships starts at 5 p.m. (CT) tonight. The matches will be streamed on BTN Plus.
Big Ten Championships March 7-8, 2015 St. John Arena Columbus, Ohio
125 pounds
First Round: #4 Tim Lambert (NEB) by dec. over Sean McCabe (RUT), 7-2
Quarterfinals: #5 Jordan Conaway (PSU) by dec. over #4 Tim Lambert (NEB), 7-4
133 pounds
First Round: #8 Rossi Bruno (MICH) by dec. over #9 Eric Montoya (NEB), 5-3
Consolation First Round: #9 Eric Montoya (NEB) Bye
141 pounds
First Round: #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by pin over #14 Sean Brown (IND), 2:01
Quarterfinals: #6 Josh Dziewa (IOWA) by dec. over #3 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 3-1
149 pounds
First Round: #7 Justin Arthur (NEB) by dec. over Ben Dorsay (MD), 5-4
Quarterfinals: #2 Jason Tsirtsis (NW) by dec. over #7 Justin Arthur (NEB), 6-0
157 pounds
First Round: #3 James Green (NEB) by pin over #14 Travis Curley (MSU), 4:27
Quarterfinals: #3 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #6 Josh Demas (OSU), 8-2
165 pounds
First Round: #9 Austin Wilson (NEB) by major dec. over #8 Nick Wanzek (MINN), 11-2
Quarterfinals: #1 Bo Jordan (OSU) by dec. over #9 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-1
174 pounds
First Round: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) Bye
Quarterfinals: #1 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by pin over #9 Taylor Massa (MICH), 0:15
184 pounds
First Round: #6 TJ Dudley (NEB) by major dec. over #11 Anthony Pafumi (RUT), 11-3
Quarterfinals: #3 Ricky Robertson (WIS) by tiebreaker-1 over #6 TJ Dudley (NEB), 10-9
197 pounds
First Round: #12 Hayden Hrymack (RUT) by dec. over #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 6-3
Consolation First Round: #5 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) by dec. over #13 Rob Fitzgerald (MD), 6-2
Heavyweight
First Round: #6 Michael Kroells (MINN) by dec. over #11 Collin Jensen (NEB), 8-4
Consolation First Round: #11 Collin Jensen (NEB) by dec. over #14 Tyler Kral (PUR), 6-0
The 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are set for this Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, at St. John Arena on the campus of Ohio State University. The event gets underway at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, with the preliminary, quarterfinal, semifinal and wresleback matches taking place in Session I and II. Consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches get underway at 1 p.m. on Sunday, while first-, third- and fifth-place matches begin at 3 p.m. BTN will provide live streaming coverage of Sessions I, II and III, while the championship rounds will be carried live on the network.
Penn State enters the championships looking for its fifth-straight Big Ten title, after earning crowns in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Last season, Penn State earned 140.5 team points, followed by Iowa and Minnesota with 135 and 118.5 points, respectively. Iowa leads all Big Ten schools with 34 team titles and 195 individual crowns.
Five wrestlers that took home Big Ten titles last season return to this year’s championships, with Illinois’ Jesse Delgado (125), Ohio State’s Logan Stieber (141), Northwestern’s Jason Tsirtsis (149) and Nebraska’s James Green (157) and Robert Kokesh (174) each earning crowns at last year’s event.
Six schools boast at least one top-seeded wrestler, with Iowa and Ohio State leading the way with three each. For Iowa, 125-pounder Thomas Gilman, 149-pounder Brandon Sorensen and 184-pounder Sam Brooks earned top billing in their weight classes, while Ohio State’s Logan Stieber (141), Bo Jordan (165) and Kyle Snyder (197) enter the championships as the top seed. The Illini’s Isaiah Martinez (157), Gophers’ Chris Dardanes (133), Huskers’ Robert Kokesh (174) and Badgers’ Connor Medbery (285) round out the group of top-ranked grapplers.
Ten Big Ten teams enter the championships ranked in the USA Today/NWCA/AWN Division I Coaches Poll, with conference squads claiming three of the top five spots. Iowa leads the way at No. 2, followed by No. 4 Minnesota, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 11 Nebraska, No. 12 Illinois, No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Wisconsin, No. 21 Rutgers and No. 23 Purdue.
CHAMPIONSHIPS INFORMATION
Date: March 7-8, 2015
Site: Ohio State University
St. John Arena
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (ET)
Saturday, March 7
9 a.m. – Doors open to the public
10 a.m. – Session I begins (first round, quarterfinals)
Fans clear arena at conclusion of Session I
5 p.m. – Doors open to the public
6 p.m. – Session II begins (semifinals, wrestlebacks)
Sunday, March 8
Noon – Doors open to the public
1 p.m. – Session III begins (consolation semifinals, seventh-place matches)
3 p.m. – Session IV begins (first-, third-, fifth-place matches)
TELEVISION COVERAGE
All four sessions will be broadcast live on BTN or streamed online. Sessions I, II and III wil be streamed on BTN Plus, while the championship, third-, and fifth-place matches will air live on BTN at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The Nebraska wrestling team heads to Columbus, Ohio over the weekend for the Big Ten Championships at St. John Arena.
The conference tournament begins on Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT) with the first session. Session II, also on Saturday, starts at 5 p.m. Sunday’s action commences with Session III at noon before Session IV, which begins at 2 p.m. Each of the first three sessions will be streamed on BTN Plus, with a subscription required to view the matches. The final session will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
Live scoring and brackets will be available on TrackWrestling.com. The action can also be followed on Twitter via @HuskerWrestling.
The Big Ten Championships are the final event for the Huskers before the NCAA Championships, set for March 19-21 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Five Huskers earned top-five pre-seeds for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships when the conference announced them on Monday.
Senior Robert Kokesh, a two-time All-American, leads Nebraska with the top spot at 174 pounds. Kokesh holds a perfect 30-0 record this season and is one of eight top contenders for the WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy.
Three-time All-American James Green is the No. 3 seed at 157 pounds. Both Kokesh and Green captured Big Ten titles last season before earning top-four finishes at the NCAA Championships.
Additional Huskers in the top five include Anthony Abidin (No. 3 seed at 141 pounds), Tim Lambert (No. 4 at 125) and Aaron Studebaker (No. 5 at 197). TJ Dudley (No. 6 at 184), Justin Arthur (No. 7 at 149), Eric Montoya (No. 9 at 133), Austin Wilson (No. 9 at 165) and Collin Jensen (No. 10 at heavyweight) also garnered top-10 pre-seeds.
Nebraska finished the dual season with a 14-1 mark, which tied the school record for fewest dual losses in a season. NU posted an 8-1 record in Big Ten duals, which marked its best since joining the conference in 2011. The Huskers ended the season on a 10-match winning streak and also posted a 5-0 mark against ranked opponents.
The Big Ten Championships begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT) at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Session II is slated for a 5 p.m. start on Saturday. Sunday’s action will consist of Session III, which starts at noon, and Session IV, which is set for 2 p.m. The first three sessions will be streamed on BTN Plus (subscription required), and the final session will be broadcasted live on the Big Ten Network.
Nebraska Pre-Seeds for Big Ten Championships
125: #4 Tim Lambert
133: #9 Eric Montoya
141: #3 Anthony Abidin
149: #7 Justin Arthur
157: #3 James Green
165: #9 Austin Wilson
174: #1 Robert Kokesh
184: #6 TJ Dudley
197: #5 Aaron Studebaker
HWT: #10 Collin Jensen
Nine Husker wrestlers earned spots in this week’s RPI Rankings and Coaches Panel Rankings. The NCAA also announced its qualifier allocations for the NCAA Championships.
Senior Robert Kokesh (174) took the top spot in the Coaches Panel Rankings, and holds the No. 2 position in the RPI Rankings. Two other Huskers are in the top 10 in both sets of rankings: James Green (157) and Anthony Abidin (141). Green, a three-time All-American, is sixth in the RPI and third in the panel rankings. Abidin is eighth in both rankings.
2014 NCAA qualifier TJ Dudley is 11th in the RPI and 15th in the panel rankings at 184 pounds. Sophomore Tim Lambert (125), who also went to nationals last year, is 13th in both polls. At 149 pounds, Justin Arthur claimed the No. 19 spot in both rankings.
Sophomores Collin Jensen (HWT) and Eric Montoya (133) also achieved spots in both sets of rankings. Jensen is 17th in the RPI and 25th in the panel rankings. Montoya is 24th in both polls. Junior Austin Wilson (165) garnered the 24th spot in the RPI Rankings, while sophomore Aaron Studebaker (197) took the No. 15 position in the panel rankings.
The Big Ten has the most allocated qualifiers of any conference with 86. There are 12 spots at 133 pounds, while 174 and 184 pounds each have 10 spots. There are nine spots at 197 pounds and heavyweight, while eight spots are allocated for 141, 157 and 165 pounds. There are seven at 149 and five at 125.
The Huskers travel to Columbus, Ohio next weekend for the Big Ten Championships. The tournament’s first three sessions will be streamed on BTN Plus (subscription required) and the final session will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The NCAA Championships are set for March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo.
RPI Rankings (Feb. 26, 2015)
125: #13 Tim Lambert
133: #24 Eric Montoya
141: #8 Anthony Abidin
149: #19 Justin Arthur
157: #6 James Green
165: #24 Austin Wilson
174: #2 Robert Kokesh
184: #11 TJ Dudley
HWT: #17 Collin Jensen
NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings (Feb. 26, 2015)
125: #13 Tim Lambert
133: #24 Eric Montoya
141: #8 Anthony Abidin
149: #19 Justin Arthur
157: #3 James Green
174: #1 Robert Kokesh
184: #15 TJ Dudley
197: #15 Aaron Studebaker
HWT: #25 Collin Jensen
The Nebraska wrestling team concludes its season at the NCAA Championships, Thursday through Saturday, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
