B1G Recap: Schultz Grabs Second, Huskers Finish Seventh at Big Tens

Lincoln, Neb. — The Nebraska wrestling team finished seventh at the 2022 Big Ten Wrestling Championships with 75.5 points for the program’s 10th top-seven finish at the event. 

Nebraska was led by a second-place finish from Eric Schultz (197), and the Huskers clinched seven automatic bids to the NCAA Championships. 

In the Huskers’ lone championship match of the day, Schultz faced Penn State’s two-seed Max Dean, and the Nittany Lion scored first with a takedown in the opening three minutes. Schultz responded with a pair of escapes and the wrestlers were tied 2-2 to start Period 3. Dean then tallied an escape of his own and grabbed the riding time point to defeat Schultz by decision, 4-2. 

For the second time this year, Ridge Lovett defeated Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) in the consolation semifinals to wrestle for third place. Lovett forfeited the following match and finished fourth. 

Peyton Robb met two-seed Kaleb Young (Iowa) in the consolation semifinals where Young outlasted Robb and won by decision, 8-1. Robb then wrestled in the fifth-place match where he faced Kendall Coleman for the third time this season. Robb jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and secured the 8-0 victory by decision and the fifth-place finish. 

At 165, Bubba Wilson grabbed a fifth-place finish as his opponent Dean Hamiti of Wisconsin medically forfeited in the fifth-place match.

In a rematch of the Cliff Keen finals, Mikey Labriola faced Ohio State’s Ethan Smith, but this time Smith prevailed and grabbed the 4-2 sudden victory. Labriola went on to his fourth match of the day and finished fifth as his opponent medically forfeited. 

Taylor Venz fell to Illinois’ Zach Braunagel in the consolation semifinals and then wrestled Kyle Cochran in the fifth-place match. Venz scored first with a takedown and recorded another takedown and an escape to claim the victory and a fifth-place finish. 

At heavyweight, Christian Lance registered a 3-2 decision over Tate Orndorff in his fifth match of the weekend to finish seventh. 

Dominick Serrano faced Rutgers’ Joe Olivieri in the 9th-place semifinals where Olivieri grabbed the decision over Serrano. Serrano then wrestled in the 11th-place match where he fell to Kyle Burwick by decision, 6-5. 

Nebraska now sets its focus on the 2022 NCAA Championships, which will be held March 17-19 at the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Mich.

Big Ten Championships 

Pinnacle Bank Arena | Lincoln, Neb. 

March 5-6, 2022 

125 Pounds: No. 13 Jeremiah Reno (0-3) DNP

First Round: No. 4 Malik Heinselman (OSU) maj. dec. Jeremiah Reno (NEB), 10-4

Cons. First Round: No. 12 Jacob Moran (IND) dec. Jeremiah Reno (NEB), SV-1 13-11 

*Ninth-Place Quarterfinal: No. 12 Jacob Moran (IND) dec. Jeremiah Reno (NEB), 9-7

133 Pounds: No. 10 Dominick Serrano (1-4) 12th place

First Round: No. 7 Chris Cannon (NU) dec. Dominick Serrano (NEB), 7-3

Cons. First Round: Bye

Cons. Second Round: No. 9 Matt Ramos (PUR) dec. Dominick Serrano (NEB), 5-3

*Ninth-Place Quarterfinal: Dominick Serrano (NEB) maj. dec. No. 14 Dylan Koontz (OSU), 14-4

*Ninth-Place Semifinal: No. 8 Joe Olivieri (RUT) dec. Dominick Serrano (NEB), 5-3

*11th-Place Match: No. 11 Kyle Burwick (WIS) dec. Dominick Serrano (NEB), 6-5

141 Pounds: No. 4 Chad Red Jr. (1-2) DNP

First Round: No. 13 Cayden Rooks (UI) dec. Chad Red Jr. (NEB), 9-8

Cons. First Round: Chad Red Jr. (NEB) pinned No. 12 Matt Santos (MSU) (6:39)

Cons. Second Round: No. 11 Parker Filius (PUR) dec. Chad Red Jr. (NEB), SV-1 10-6

149 Pounds: No. 3 Ridge Lovett (3-1) 4th place

First Round:  Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. No. 14 Alec White (PUR), 8-1

Quarterfinals: Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. No. 6 Mike Van Brill (RUT), 2-0

Semifinals: No. 2 Austin Gomez (WIS) pinned Ridge Lovett (NEB) (0:20)

Cons. Semifinals: Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. No. 10 Michael Blockhus, 9-5

Third-place Match: No. 4 Max Murin (IOWA) dec. Ridge Lovett (NEB) MFF

157 Pounds: No. 5 Peyton Robb (3-2) 5th place

First Round:  Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. No. 12 Joseph Roberts (UI), 4-0

Quarterfinals: Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. No. 4 Kendall Coleman (PUR), SV-1 6-4

Semifinals: No. 1 Ryan Deakin (NU) dec. Peyton Robb (NEB), 5-3

Cons. Semifinals: No. 2 Kaleb Young (IOWA) dec. Peyton Robb (NEB), 8-1

Fifth-place Match: Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. No. 4 Kendall Coleman (PUR), 8-0 

165 Pounds: No. 8 Bubba Wilson (3-1) 6th place

First Round:  Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 9 Cael Carlson (MINN), 5-1

Quarterfinals: No. 1 Carson Kharchla (OSU) dec. Bubba Wilson (NEB), 7-2

Cons. Second Round: Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 7 Hayden Lohrey (PUR), 3-2

Cons. Quarterfinals: Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 5 Caleb Fish (MSU), 5-2

Fifth-place Match: No. 3 Dean Hamiti (WIS) dec. Bubba Wilson (NEB) MFF 

174 Pounds: No. 3 Mikey Labriola (3-1) 5th place

First Round:  Mikey Labriola (NEB) maj. dec. No. 14 Nate Jimenez (MSU), 15-5

Quarterfinals: Mikey Labriola (NEB) dec. Bailee O’Reilly (MINN), MFF (3:27)

Semifinals: No. 2 Logan Massa (MICH) dec. Mikey Labriola (NEB), 6-5

Fifth-place Match: Mikey Labriola (NEB) dec. No. 5 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) MFF

184 Pounds: No. 4 Taylor Venz (3-1) 5th place

First Round: Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. No. 13 Max Lyon (PUR), 6-2

Quarterfinals: Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. No. 1 Abe Assad (IOWA), 4-2 

Semifinals: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) dec. Taylor Venz (NEB), 7-2

Fifth-place Match: Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. No. 12 Zac Braunagel (ILL), 6-3

197 Pounds: No. 1 Eric Schultz (2-1) 2nd place 

First Round:  Bye

Quarterfinals: Eric Schultz (NEB) dec. Gavin Hoffman (OSU), 3-1

Semifinals: Eric Schultz (NEB) dec. No. 5 Patrick Brucki (MICH), 3-2

Finals: No. 2 Max Dean (PSU) dec. Eric Schultz (NEB), 4-2

285 Pounds: No. 6 Christian Lance (3-2) 7th place

First Round: Christian Lance (NEB) dec. No. 11 Michael Woulfe (PUR), 7-2

Quarterfinals: No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) dec. Christian Lance (NEB), 7-1

Cons. Second Round: Christian Lance (NEB) dec. No. 12 Boone McDermott (RUT), 7-4

Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 11 Luke Luffman (ILL) dec. Christian Lance (NEB), 4-2

Seventh-place Match: Christian Lance (NEB) dec. No. 8 Tate Orndorff (OSU), 3-2 

Team Scores (Points): 

1. Michigan (143.0)

2. Penn State (141.5)

3. Iowa (129.5)

4. Ohio State (91.5)

5. Northwestern (90.5)

6. Minnesota (78.5)

7. Nebraska (75.5)

8. Wisconsin (68.0)

9. Rutgers (41.0)

10. Purdue (36.5)

11. Illinois (34.5)

12. Michigan State (33.0)

13. Maryland (15.5) 

14. Indiana (4.0)