NU’s Nakashima finds motivation to succeed in Division I wrestling

James Nakashima was down 5-4 against Wisconsin's Jackson Hein. But on the road, in the second tiebreak period of extra time, the Nebraska senior came back. A takedown gave him the lead. An escape shut the door.

Nakashima won the match 7-5.

It was just another day on the mat for Nakashima, who has seen four of his last five matches go to extra time. Of those, he triumphed in three. Even in victory, though, he critiques himself.

"I don't feel that I wrestled my best this weekend," Nakashima said. "I didn't wrestle the Wisconsin match the way I wanted to wrestle it, but it was important for me to get the win."

Nakashima, wrestling at 197 pounds for the Huskers, is now on a four-match winning streak since losing to Iowa's Grant Gambrall 3-1 – in extra time.

"It's important wins for me and I knew I had to go get them. Every single match, I grow," Nakashima said.

Three years ago, Nakashima was wrestling at Lincoln College in his home state of Illinois. He decided to make the move up to an NCAA Division I program after winning a junior college national championship at 174 pounds as a sophomore.

"That was the biggest win I've ever had in my life," he said. "That really gave me a lot of confidence to go on and really challenge myself at a high level, the Division I level."

Nakashima chose NU when he and his junior college coach attended the NCAA Championships in 2009.

"We talked about what would be one of the best schools to go to," Nakashima said, "and Nebraska had a really strong showing. I thought that would be a good program for me to jump into."

But making the transition from Lincoln College to Lincoln, Neb., and a higher level of competition proved to be difficult.

"Division I wrestling really is a crime. It's tough matches week in and week out," NU assistant coach Tony Ersland said.

Ersland said that one aspect of Nebraska wrestling Nakashima had to adjust to was the conditioning.

"We train very hard here at Nebraska," he said.

Perhaps that is a factor in Nakashima's ability to come out on top in long matches.

"Throughout my whole wrestling career, conditioning has always played a major factor," Nakashima said.

Then again, Nakashima hasn't been doing it all year. Before his current winning streak, he had amassed a record of 12-6 on the season. But Ersland said this is Nakashima's first season competing at 197 and collecting experience through the year has helped him learn more about the weight class.

"I think that's why you're seeing, maybe, a little bit more success from him as of late," Ersland said.

In Nakashima's first year with the Huskers, he wrestled in the 165-pound division. He said the difficulty in cutting weight from his previous class was magnified because he was away from home.

"That was a really tough year for me," Nakashima said. "Academically, it got harder. Wrestling Division I is a lot tougher than junior college. I was really hurting at that weight."

But rather than getting down on himself, Nakashima used the year to motivate himself.

"I could go two ways. I could go down or up. I decided to pass," he said. "During that season I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about my life, what I wanted to do with my life."

Redshirting last season helped Nakashima make the transition to the higher weight class. From there, Ersland said it is all about experience.

"Part of it's figuring out what he can and can't do in the weight class," Ersland said. "The wrestler's just a little bit different. The guy's a little more physical."

Now with that experience under his belt, Nakashima has more belief in his abilities.

"I feel real good at 197. I think it's an open weight class," he said. "The person that stays on track can really create their own destiny."

As for Nakashima's success in extra time matches, Ersland said confidence has worked wonders.

"I think James has the confidence that he's in shape and that he can finish matches out," Ersland said. "Once you've done it once or twice, I think you actually get more comfortable with the situation."

Nakashima wants his next victory to come a little more easily, though.

"I'm still hungry to get on the mat again so I can wrestle the way that I should," he said.

And a four-match streak is not enough. Nakashima wants more.

"I've always been a real confident wrestler," he said. "I definitely think that if I step on the mat and put it on the line that I can compete with anybody in the nation."

zachtegler@dailynebraskan.com