Lovett Secures All-American Honors, Six Huskers Advance to Round of 12

Detroit – Seven Nebraska wrestlers will grapple this evening, as Ridge Lovett earned All-American honors for Nebraska with a victory in Friday morning’s quarterfinals, and six Huskers will wrestle for the same accolade in the Round of 12. 

Lovett secured the 2022 All-American status as he pinned NC State’s #2 Tariq Wilson. Lovett trailed 2-1 after Period 1 before he scored four near fall points and recorded his third fall of the season with less than a minute to go in Period 2. The Husker moves on to Friday night’s semifinals to wrestle for a spot in the finals. 

#9 Mikey Labriola (174), #3 Eric Schultz (197) and #12 Christian Lance (HWT) also represented Nebraska in the championship quarterfinals but fell in their matches and moved to consolation. Labriola dropped his bout to Penn State’s top-ranked Carter Starocci by 6-1 decision. Schultz met Iowa’s #6 Jacob Warner in his quarterfinal match, falling by 2-0 decision, and Lance faced #4 Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State and lost by decision, 7-1. 

Three Huskers stayed alive in the consolation bracket as #19 Chad Red Jr. (141), #10 Peyton Robb (157) and #10 Taylor Venz (184) all won both of their matches to earn spots in Friday evening’s Round of 12. Red picked up a 7-5 decision over Iowa State’s #13 Ian Parker and a 7-6 decision over #21 Dylan Droegemueller of NDSU. Robb defeated Penn’s #24 Doug Zapf by decision, 3-2, and claimed a victory over #16 Brady Berge of Penn State, 8-3. Wrapping up competition for the Huskers was Venz who recorded a 10-0 major decision victory over #24 Caleb Hopkins of Campbell and a 3-2 decision of Missouri’s #17 Jeremiah Kent. 

Bubba Wilson (165) dropped his matchup in the second consolation round. Wilson tallied an escape in each of the three periods, but Bucknell’s #12 Zach Hartman prevailed and took the 13-3 major decision. He finishes the season 14-15 overall and 5-5 in dual competition. 

Session IV will begin at 7 p.m. (CT) with television coverage by ESPN and individual mat coverage on ESPN3. 

2022 NCAA Championships 

Detroit, Mich. | Little Caesar’s Arena  

Individual Results – Sessions I and II

141 pounds: #19 Chad Red Jr. (3-1)

First Round: #19 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) dec. #14 Dresden Simon (CMU), 6-5

Second Round: #3 Sebastian Rivera (RUT) dec. #19 Chad Red Jr. (NEB), SV-1 7-6

Cons. Second Round: #19 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) dec. #13 Ian Parker (ISU), 7-5

Cons. Third Round: #19 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) dec. #21 Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU), 7-6

149 pounds: #10 Ridge Lovett (3-0)

First Round: #10 Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. #23 Jaden Abas (STAN), 4-2

Second Round: #10 Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. #7 Joshua Heil (CAMP), 8-1

Quarterfinals: #10 Ridge Lovett (NEB) pinned #2 Tariq Wilson (NCST) (4:16)

157 pounds: #10 Peyton Robb (3-1)

First Round: #10 Peyton Robb (NEB) pinned #23 Markus Hatman (ARMY) (1:51)

Second Round: #7 Josh Humphreys (LEH) dec. #10 Peyton Robb (NEB), 8-5

Cons. Second Round: #10 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. #24 Doug Zapf (PENN), 3-2

Cons. Third Round: #10 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. #16 Brady Berge (PSU), 8-3

165 pounds: #27 Bubba Wilson (1-2) DNP

First Round: #6 Cameron Amine (MICH) dec. #27 Bubba Wilson (NEB), 3-1

Cons. First Round: #27 Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. #22 Rodrick Mosley (GW), 3-1

Cons. Second Round: #12 Zach Hartman (BUCK) maj. dec. #27 Bubba Wilson (NEB), 13-3

174 pounds: #9 Mikey Labriola (2-1) 

First Round: #9 Mikey Labriola (NEB) dec. #24 Joel Devine (ISU). 5-2

Second Round: #9 Mikey Labriola (NEB) dec. #25 Gerrit Nijenhuis (PUR), 3-2

Quarterfinals: #1 Carter Starocci (PSU) dec. #9 Mikey Labriola (NEB), 6-1

184 pounds: #10 Taylor Venz (3-1)

First Round: #10 Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. #23 Travis Stefanik (PRIN), 9-2

Second Round: #7 Kaleb Romero (OHST) dec. #10 Taylor Venz (NEB), 5-1

Cons. Second Round: #10 Taylor Venz (NEB) maj. dec. #24 Caleb Hopkins (CAMP), 10-0

Cons. Third Round: #10 Taylor Venz (NEB) dec. #17 Jeremiah Kent (MIZZOU), 3-2

197 pounds: #3 Eric Schultz (2-1)

First Round: #3 Eric Schultz (NEB) maj. dec. #30 Cole Urbas (PENN), 15-6

Second Round: #3 Eric Schultz (NEB) dec. #14 Greg Bulsak (RUT), 4-3

Quarterfinals: #6 Jacob Warner (IOWA) dec. #3 Eric Schultz (NEB), 2-0

285 pounds: #12 Christian Lance (2-1)

First Round: #12 Christian Lance (NEB) dec. #21 Tyrie Houghton (NCST), 3-2

Second Round: #12 Christian Lance (NEB) dec. #5 Wyatt Hendrickson (AF), 5-4

Quarterfinals: #4 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) dec. #12 Christian Lance (NEB), 7-1