Nebraska Set for Indiana Tri-Meet

The Nebraska wrestling team travels to Bloomington, Ind. this weekend for a tri-meet against Indiana and Michigan State on Saturday, Feb. 6. The Huskers will wrestle the Hoosiers at 1 p.m. CT and the Spartans at 3 p.m. CT, with all matches streamed live on BTN+ ($). 

Nebraska (4-1, 4-1 Big Ten) makes its way to Indiana following a thrilling 21-15 win over Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 31. Six Huskers won their individual matches in a dual that came down to the final bout with Christian Lance (285 pounds) earning a 4-2 decision in the first sudden victory period to secure the win. Peyton Robb (165 pounds) pinned Josh Otto in the first period to give the Huskers much needed bonus points and help spur the comeback. Eric Schultz (174 pounds) also adding a dominant victory with a 30-13 technical fall over Andrew Salemme. 

Saturday has the potential for five top-20 matchups, highlighted by the possibility of a top-5 meeting between No. 2 Eric Schulz and Michigan State’s No. 5 Cameron Caffey at 197 pounds. 

NU hits the road for the second time this season and the first time since Jan. 15. The Huskers look to earn their first victory on the road this season. 

Next up: The Husker’s next scheduled dual is against Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 21. The Huskers will take on the Illini in Urbana Champaign, Ill. for the final scheduled regular-season dual. 

#4 NEBRASKA’S PROJECTED LINEUP*

125: #9 Liam Cronin • Sr. • Orange, Calif. -OR- Jeremiah Reno • Fr. • Kansas City, Mo. 

133: Alex Thomsen • So. • Neola, Iowa -OR- Tucker Sjomeling • Jr. • Delano, Minn. -OR- Dominick Serrano • Fr. • Windsor, Colo.

141: #9 Chad Red Jr. • Sr. • Indianapolis, Ind. -OR- Jordan Kelber • So. • Valentine, Neb. 

149: Brock Hardy • Fr. • Brigham City, Utah -OR- Jevon Parrish • So. • Olathe, Kan. -OR- Ridge Lovett • So. • Post Falls, Idaho

157: Caleb Licking • Sr. • Norfolk, Neb.

165: #18 Peyton Robb • So. • Owatonna, Minn. -OR- Isaiah Alford • RFr. • Lincoln, Neb.

174: #4 Mikey Labriola • Jr. • Easton, Pa.

184: #11 Taylor Venz • Sr. • Farmington, Minn. -OR- Nathan Haas • Fr. • Norwalk, Calif. -OR- Brandyn Van Tassell • Fr. • Mapleton, Utah

197: #2 Eric Schultz • Sr. • Tinley Park, Ill.

285: #10 Christian Lance • Sr. • Nixa, Mo. -OR- Cale Davidson • Jr. • Wichita, Kan. 

*Team rankings according to TrackWrestling. Individual rankings according to InterMat

QUICK NOTES

• With his win over Andrew Salemme on Jan. 31, Eric Schultz has tied his longest regular season win streak of nine dual matches. 
• Taylor Venz (76) leads active Huskers in career wins. 
• Nebraska has outscored its opponents 111-70 through five duals this season. 
• Stat leaders among starters:
  

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

• 2020-21 Record: 1-2 (1-2 Big Ten)

  • Losses (2): Minnesota (6-28), Ohio State (9-24)
  • Wins (1): Maryland (42-0)

• Opened the season with a 42-0 win over Maryland at home. 
• Layne Malczewski (184 pounds) and Cameron Caffey (197 pounds) are undefeated through three duals this season. Both earned wins over ranked opponents against Ohio State on Jan. 29. 
• The Spartans finished the 2019-20 season 8-10 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. They placed 10th at the 2020 Big Ten Championships

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE SPARTANS

• The Huskers lead the all-time series against the Spartans, 9-8, with the first meeting dating back to 1940. 
• The two teams have met six times as Big Ten conference opponents and Nebraska owns a 6-0 record in those meetings. 
• The teams last met in January of last season as the Huskers defeated the Spartans 25-12 in Lincoln. 

MICHIGAN STATE PROJECTED LINEUP

125: #13 Rayvon Foley RJr. • Ann Arbor, Mich. -OR- Tristan Lujan Fr. • Selma, Calif.
133: Jordan Hamdan RFr. • Hudson, Mich. -OR- Andrew Chambal Fr. • Davison, Mich. 
141: Jaden Eriquez RJr. • Tulare, Calif. -OR- Matt Santos RSr. • Saginaw, Mich. -OR- Jake Spiess RSr. • Delta, Ohio
149: Peyton Omania RFr. • Concord, Calif. -OR- Eddie Homrock Fr. • Fowlerville, Mich.
157: Chase Saldate Fr. • Gilroy, Calif. -OR- Nathan Atienza RJr. • Livonia, Mich.
165: Jake Tucker RSr. • Lowell, Ind. -OR- Caleb Fish Fr. • Eaton Rapids, Mich.
174: Drew Hughes RSr. • Lowell, Ind. -OR- Nate Jimenez RSo. • Elburn, Ill.
184: #16 Layne Malczewski RSo. • Macomb, Mich.
197: #5 Cam Caffey RJr. • Carbondale, Ill. -OR- Austen Malczewski RJr. • Washington, Mich.
285: Christian Rebottaro RSr. • Scotts Valley, Calif. -OR- Brad Wilton RJr. • Mason, Mich.

SCOUTING INDIANA

• 2020-21 Record: 1-3 (1-3 Big Ten)

  • Losses (3): Illinois (3-39), Michigan (6-32), Penn State (15-24)
  • Wins (1): Northwestern (18-16)

• The Hoosiers earned their first win of the season over Northwestern, 18-16, on Jan. 30. 
• DJ Washington (174 pounds) leads the Hoosiers with three dual wins on the season. He picked up his first win over a ranked opponent this season in a 10-9 decision over Penn State’s then-ranked No. 5 Carter Starocci. 
• Indiana finished the 2019-20 season 2-10 overall and 1-8 in conference duals. The team finished 13th at the 2020 Big Ten Championships. 

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE HOOSIERS

• The Huskers lead the all-time series against the Hoosiers, 16-5. 
• Nebraska has won the last 12 meetings in the series, dating back to 1989. 
• The teams last met on Feb. 9 of last season, with Nebraska earning a 35-6 win over the Hoosiers in Bloomington. 

INDIANA PROJECTED LINEUP
125: #17 Brock Hudkins Sr. • Danville, Ind. -OR- Jacob Moran Fr. • Portage, Ind.
133: Kyle Luigs RJr. • Evansville, Ind.
141: Cayden Rooks So. • Columbus, Ind.
149: #19 Graham Rooks RSo. • Columbus, Ind.
157: Matt Ortiz So. • Saint Charles, Ill.
165: Nick South So. • North Vernon, Ind.
174: #17 DJ Washington So. • Portage, Ind.
184: Drayton Harris Fr. • Gallatin, Mo.
197: Nick Willham So. • Greenwood, Ind.
285: Rudy Streck Jr. • Merrillville, Ind. -OR- Jacob Bullock So. • Cahokia, Ill.

SCHULTZ TIES DUAL WIN STREAK

With a win over Wisconsin’s Andrew Salemme on Jan. 31, Eric Schultz tied his longest regular season win streak of nine dual matches. The streak started last season when he defeated Purdue’s Jared Florell on Feb. 7, 2020. His previous streak of nine matches started Nov. 7, 2019 against Chadron State’s then-ranked No. 10 Wade French and ended with Michigan State’s Nick May on Jan. 26, 2020. Schultz is 5-0 on the season, including two wins over ranked opponents. 

LABRIOLA REMAINS UNBEATEN

After earning a 10-4 decision over Jared Krattiger, Mikey Labriola improved to 5-0 on the season, joining Eric Schultz as one of two Nebraska wrestlers who are undefeated this season. The junior has earned bonus points in three of his five matches on the year, including two major decision victories and one pin. 

HUSKERS IN THE RANKINGS

Ten Huskers have earned national rankings headed into this weekend’s tri-dual. Among those ranked, six fall in the top-10. Eric Schultz leads the Huskers with a No. 2 ranking by InterMat, FloWrestling and TrackWrestling at 197 pounds. Mikey Labriola remains at No. 4 at 174 pounds by InterMat and earns his highest ranking of third by FloWrestling. Chad Red Jr. holds on to his No. 9 ranking at 141 pounds and ranks as high as fifth by TrackWrestling. Liam Cronin (125) earned his first top-10 InterMat ranking of the season this week, coming in at No. 9. He ranks as high as sixth by FloWrestling and TrackWrestling. Taylor Venz (184) comes in at No. 9 by TrackWrestling. Closing out the top-10 rankings is Christian Lance, who made a seven-spot jump to No. 10 in the InterMat rankings this week. He ranks as high as eight by TrackWrestling. 

UNDEFEATED AT HOME

Sunday’s win over Wisconsin closed the Huskers’ 2021 regular season home schedule. Nebraska finished 4-0 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this season, including wins over the Badgers, Minnesota, Northwestern and Maryland. The team finished undefeated at home for the first time since the 2007-08 season during which NU also hosted four duals. 

NEBRASKA TAKES DOWN WISCONSIN

The Nebraska wrestling team ended its 2021 home slate in dramatic fashion, winning the final two matches against Wisconsin to earn a 21-15 win on Sunday, Jan. 31 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. 

After going back-and-forth with the Badgers through the first four matches of the dual, Nebraska picked up much needed bonus points in the 165-pound match. Peyton Robb pinned Joshua Otto in 1:32 to put the Huskers within two of Wisconsin headed into the final matches of the dual.  

Mikey Labriola (174 pounds) followed with another win for Nebraska, defeating Jared Krattiger in a 10-4 decision to put NU back in the lead. 

After a close loss in the 184-pound match, Eric Schultz earned 30 match points for a technical fall win over Andrew Salemme, giving Nebraska a 18-15 advantage headed into the final match of the day. 

Christian Lance secured the victory for the Huskers with a 4-2 sudden victory decision over then-ranked No. 7 Trent Hillger. 

HUSKERS VICTORIOUS IN NEBRASKA TRIANGULAR

Seven Huskers finished undefeated on the day as the Nebraska wrestling team earned wins over Northwestern and Maryland on Jan. 23 at the Bob Devany Sport Center. 

In the first dual of the day, Nebraska topped the Wildcats 26-10. Earning bonus points for the Huskers were Liam Cronin (125), Mikey Labriola (174), Christian Lance (HWT) and Taylor Venz (184). Peyton Robb (165) and Lance picked up their first wins of the season in their respective matches. 

The Huskers won every bout against Maryland, taking the dual 36-0. Alex Thomsen (133) and Caleb Licking (157) both earned their first wins of the season while Cronin and Lance earned their first victories by fall in varsity matches on the year. 

    

HUSKERS FALL TO TOP-RANKED HAWKEYES

Mikey Labriola and Eric Schultz won their individual matches for the Huskers, but the No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team ultimately fell to No. 1 Iowa, 6-31, on Friday, Jan. 15 in Iowa City, Iowa. 

No. 4 Labriola put the Huskers (1-1, 1-1 Big Ten) on the board, earning a 7-4 decision over Patrick Kennedy in the 174-pound match. The junior landed his first shot, taking an early 2-0 lead that he would not surrender for the remainder of the match. Labriola scored three takedowns and an escape to pick up his second win of the season and second win over Iowa for his career. 

No. 2 Schultz earned himself a top-10 win and added to the Huskers’ team total with a 3-2 decision over No. 4 Jacob Warner. In his second win over Warner in as many years, Schultz scored the lone takedown late in the third period to come away victorious in the 197-pound match.

Prior to the dual, the teams wrestled six extra matches. Nebraska finished 5-1 in the extra bouts, with Tucker Sjomeling, Ridge Lovett, Jevon Parrish, Silas Allred and Cale Davidson picking up victories.

NEBRASKA TOPS MINNESOTA IN 2021 OPENER

The Nebraska wrestling team kicked off the 2020-21 season on a high note, defeating then-ranked No. 12 Minnesota 22-14 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Jan. 8. The Huskers wrestled in two top-20 matchups and won six bouts on their way to the first victory of the season.  

Liam Cronin started the night with a win for the Huskers at 125 pounds, defeating Patrick McKee by decision, 8-1. Cronin earned the upset victory in his first dual for Nebraska. 

Minnesota’s Boo Dryden put the Golden Gophers on the board, defeating Alex Thomsen in a 9-2 decision at 133 pounds. 

Nebraska won the next two matches as Chad Red Jr. (141 pounds) opened his senior season with a win over Marcos Polanco by decision, 4-1. Brock Hardy (149 pounds) started his Husker career off with a 9-2 decision win  over Michael Blockhus. 

Minnesota took the next two matches as Brayton Lee defeated Caleb Licking in a 10-5 decision at 157 pounds and Andrew Sparks won the 165 pound match against Peyton Robb by 7-6 decision. 

 Mikey Labriola (174 pounds) picked up the team’s first pin of the season, defeating Jake Allar by fall in 6:17. 

Rounding out the group of newcomers in the lineup for Nebraska, Nathan Haas won the 184-pound match against Owen Webster by decision, 5-2. 

Eric Schultz added bonus points for the Huskers, defeating Garret Joles at 197 pounds by major decision, 14-3. 

Closing out the night was a top-20 matchup as Minnesota’s top-ranked Gable Steveson wrestled Christian Lance at heavyweight. Lance ultimately fell to Steveson by 14-3 major decision.