NU wrestlers weigh in on season start

It's been a long offseason for the Nebraska wrestling team, but competition is finally here.

The No. 8 Cornhuskers held their annual Wrestle-Offs Friday at the Devaney Center.

Aside from attempting to solidify his lineup, NU coach Mark Manning said the primary benefit of the Wrestle-Offs was simply a good taste of real competition.

"What they took is that they got to weigh in; they got to wrestle in front of a crowd," Manning said. "It's out in front of people, and you see a lot more when the lights are on, when it's all about you being out there rather than 30 guys out there just practicing. It's a big difference, and you see the true competitor."

Nebraska was led by returning national champion Jordan Burroughs, who won his only match of the night recording one of six pins against NU freshman Michael Klinginsmith.

"I felt real good. I was anxious to get the season started," Burroughs said. "I think it's a chance to introduce our team to the fans and it's also a good chance for the young guys to show what they have.

Junior college transfer Mike Koehnlein took full advantage of the opportunity to get his name out there. Koehnlein, a California native, impressed coaches by going undefeated in the Wrestle-Offs. Koehnlein recorded one pin and a 15-0 technical fall over NU freshman Frankie Odierno.

"He's a great kid, hard worker," Manning said of Koehnlein. "He puts a lot into the sport and he really wants it. Measured by that, he meets our standard."

But Koehnlein will still have his work cut out for him. He'll be competing for the first time as a Husker this Sunday against Wisconsin at 141 pounds, but Manning said he will still need to face NU junior Curtis Salazar before earning an outright starting spot.

All-American senior Craig Brester also competed well for the Nebraska veterans. Brester defeated junior Cameron Browne 16-0. The Howells, Nebraska native fell just short of a national title last season, posting a 5-1 record at the national tournament.

"Wrestle-offs are all about getting back into the season, remembering what it's all about and getting into the swing of things like making weight, feeling good and getting out there and competing," Brester said.

Fellow senior Stephen Dwyer and junior Alex Ward had equally impressive outings, both going 2-0. Dwyer posted a 22-8 major decision over redshirt freshman Ethan Studebaker, while Lane pinned redshirt freshman Alex Thomas in the first period.

At 165 pounds, Ward was one of the busiest Huskers at this year's Wrestle-Offs with three matches. Ward won all of his matches, including 19-4 tech fall over fellow junior James Nakashima.

With Wrestle-Offs out of the way, the Huskers will jump head first into regular season action as they host Wisconsin on Sunday.

"We're getting tired of beating up on each other in the practice room," Brester said. "We're real excited to finally get on the mat and wrestle some new faces. Wisconsin is a great team, they're always really tough. So it's going to be a great battle to start off the year."

jayb.sloan@dailynebraskan.com