Athletes measure themselves on their ability to beat the best, and this weekend three Nebraska wrestlers will get that chance.
Seniors Stephen Dwyer, Jordan Burroughs and Craig Brester have been selected to compete in the 2009 NWCA All-Star Classic this weekend in Fullerton, Calif. The three selections marks the most participants Nebraska has ever sent to the prestigious event in a year.
"It's really a great honor for Stephen, Jordan and Craig to represent our program and represent themselves at an all-star match," NU coach Mark Manning. "They'll get the opportunity to showcase their talent and get out there and wrestle the best guys in their weight class."
Generally, the top wrestlers from each weight class are invited to compete, and Big 12 wrestlers will occupy nine of the event's 20 spots. No. 2 Iowa State and No. 8 Missouri will both also send three wrestlers to Fullerton.
Burroughs, the No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 157 pounds, will face No. 2 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg. The match will be Burroughs' second at the 157-pound weight division after he made his undefeated national championship run last season at 149 pounds.
Dwyer, the 7th-ranked wrestler in the nation at the 165-pound weight class, will have his work cut out for him as he faces No. 3 Chris Henrich from Virginia.
But undoubtedly the most anticipated match of the classic will be the rematch between NU's Brester and returning national champion Jake Varner.
Manning describes the bout as a battle of two hard-nose competitors in a match that the entire wrestling community can appreciate. Manning went as far as to compare their rivalry to that of Ali-Frazier.
"He is definitely the kid to beat at the weight class," Brester said. "Getting an extra chance to wrestle him at this all-star meet is a pretty sweet deal. Getting to wrestle that caliber of a guy just gets you excited; you've just got to get ready to wrestle."
In the 2008-09 season, the rivalry between the two titans began to heat up.
They met for the first time at the 2008 national duals when then-No. 2 ranked Varner stole a 10-3 victory over the then-No. 1 Brester.
They met again in the NU-ISU regular season dual when Varner again took the match, this time 3-2. Their third match came in the final round of the Big 12 Championships, when Brester finally got a win over Varner 4-3.
They met for the fourth and final time of the season in the finals of the national championships in St. Louis. Varner earned a 2-1 victory along with the national title.
"He's definitely got the series over me," Brester said. "He is definitely ahead, but I'm trying to even that up. I think I'm getting better every time I step out on that mat, and a guy that good isn't getting much better, so I think I'm making gains on him."
Aside from all the hype of the upcoming match, Brester still takes the time to be thankful for the all-star honor.
"It's great to have the honor to represent our school out there," Brester said. "It great to wrestle out there where a lot of people are watching and a lot of people are paying attention. There ain't no better feeling than wrestling a great guy on a big stage."
jaysloan@dailynebraskan.com
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