HUSKER WRESTLING: Nebraska Finds Individual Success at Collegiate Classic
TROY, NY–(NU Athletics Nov. 10)–The Nebraska wrestling team had six individuals take first place in their respective weight-class pools at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic on Sunday. Overall, 15 Huskers traveled to Troy, N.Y., for the competition and in addition to the six first-place performances, six Nebraska grapplers recorded runner-up finishes.
Wrestlers from the fifth-ranked Huskers, No. 8 Arizona State, No. 10 Lehigh, No. 25 Old Dominion, No. 20 Oklahoma, Bloomsburg, Brown, Davidson, George Mason, Hofstra, Indiana, Lock Haven, Long Island, The Citadel and Utah Valley were placed into different pools (differentiated by letters) and then competed in a round-robin format and advanced based on their results.
Collin Purinton (149) took home the crown in the 149A pool. Purinton defeated George Mason’s Colton Diblasi and registered a technical fall against Big Ten foe Gerard Angelo of Rutgers before defeating Jimmy Hoffman of Lehigh 4-3 in the championship bout.
In the 157B pool, Peyton Robb (157) recorded two major decisions before pinning teammate Johnny Blankenship in the championship match.
#5 Isaiah White (165), fresh off a victory over the top-ranked Division II wrestler in his weight class at the Nebraska Duals on Thursday, defeated sixth-ranked Joshua Shields of Arizona State 7-1 to take first place in the 165A pool.
Dalton Peters (165) bounced back nicely from his narrow Nebraska Duals defeat by recording three pins and a 9-6 victory over Old Dominion’s Jacob Curling in the 165E championship match.
Eric Schultz (197) earned a closely-contested 3-2 decision in his first match of the day against Timothy Young of Old Dominion before pinning Davidson’s Connor Fenn and besting Rutgers’ Jordan Pagano 5-1 to take home the crown in the 197A pool.
The final first-place finisher for the Huskers was Christian Lance (285), who squared off against teammate David Jensen in the 285B final. Lance scored a takedown in overtime to earn the top spot.
Returning All-Americans #6 Chad Red Jr. (149), #3 Mikey Labriola (174) and #4 Taylor Venz (184) all advanced to the championship matches in the ‘A’ pool of their respective weight classes. Caleb Licking (149B), Johnny Blankenship (157B) and David Jensen (285B) also recorded runner-up finishes.
Next up for the Huskers is a trip to Brookings, S.D., for the Daktronics Open on Nov. 17.
Full individual results from the Journeymen Collegiate Classic are listed below.
Alex Thomsen (1-2) — 125A
Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) dec. Alex Thomsen (Nebraska), 7-3
Brock Hudkins (Indiana) dec. Alex Thomsen (Nebraska), 5-1
Alex Thomsen (Nebraska) pinned Christian Moody (Oklahoma), (0:59)
Zak Hensley (2-1) — 133B
Kyle Luigs (Indiana) dec. Zak Hensley (Nebraska), 7-4
Zak Hensley (Nebraska) dec. Jake Rotunda (The Citadel), 5-3
Zak Hensley (Nebraska) dec. Isaiah Delgado (Utah Valley), 4-0
Christian Miller (1-2) — 4th place, 141A
Christian Miller (Nebraska) pinned Alex Madrigal (George Mason), (4:46)
Dom Demas (Oklahoma) dec. Christian Miller (Nebraska), 13-10
Joe Aragona (Unattached-Rut) dec. Christian Miller (Nebraska), 4-1
#6 Chad Red Jr. (2-1) — 2nd place, 149A
Chad Red (Nebraska) pinned Yarhoski Aldiva (Old Dominion), (0:22)
Chad Red (Nebraska) dec. Joe Aragona (Unattached-Rut), 4-1
Dom Demas (Oklahoma) pinned Chad Red (Nebraska), 1:13
Collin Purinton (3-0) — 1st place, 149A
Collin Purinton (Nebraska) dec. Colston Diblasi (George Mason), 6-1
Collin Purinton (Nebraska) tech. fall Gerard Angelo (Rutgers), 17-1 (3:41)
Collin Purinton (Nebraska) dec. Jimmy Hoffman (Lehigh), 4-3
Caleb Licking (2-1) — 2nd place, 149B
Caleb Licking (Nebraska) dec. Kenan Carter (Old Dominion), 4-3
Caleb Licking (Nebraska) pinned Landon Knutzen (Utah Valley), (1:09)
Jacob Butler (Oklahoma) dec. Caleb Licking (Nebraska), 5-1
Peyton Robb (3-0) — 1st place, 157B
Peyton Robb (Nebraska) major dec. Jed Loveless (Utah Valley), 19-5
Peyton Robb (Nebraska) major dec. Nate Newberry (Bloomsburg), 9-1
Peyton Robb (Nebraska) pinned John Blankenship (Nebraska), 4:00
Johnny Blankenship (2-1) — 2nd place, 157B
John Blankenship (Nebraska) tech. fall Douglas Gudenburr (The Citadel), 16-1 (5:46)
John Blankenship (Nebraska) dec. Holden Heller (Hofstra), 12-5
Peyton Robb (Nebraska) pinned John Blankenship (Nebraska), (4:00)
#5 Isaiah White (3-0) — 1st place, 165A
Isaiah White (Nebraska) dec. Brian Meyer (Lehigh), 4-3
Isaiah White (Nebraska) major dec. Ricky Stamm (Hofstra), 13-4
Isaiah White (Nebraska) dec. Joshua Shields (Arizona State), 7-1
Dalton Peters (4-0) — 1st place, 165E
Dalton Peters (Nebraska) pinned Joe Sacco (Unattached-SHU), (2:07)
Dalton Peters (Nebraska) pinned Cole Burke (The Citadel), (2:32)
Dalton Peters (Nebraska) pinned Michael Parrish (Long Island), (1:25)
Dalton Peters (Nebraska) dec. Jacob Curling (Old Dominion), 9-6
#3 Mikey Labriola (3-1) — 2nd place, 174A
Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) major dec. Luke Drugac (Old Dominion), 12-4
Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) pinned Sage Heller (Hofstra), (3:25)
Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) major dec. Anthony Lombardo (George Mason), 15-5
Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) dec. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska), 4-1
#4 Taylor Venz (2-1) — 2nd place, 184A
Taylor Venz (Nebraska) major dec. Corey Hazel (Lock Haven), 12-3
Taylor Venz (Nebraska) pinned Chris Weiler (Lehigh), (1:32)
Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) dec. Taylor Venz (Nebraska), 8-7
Eric Schultz (3-0) — 1st place, 197A
Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. Timothy Young (Old Dominion), 3-2
Eric Schultz (Nebraska) pinned Conor Fenn (Davidson), (4:37)
Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. Jordan Pagano (Unattached-Rut), 5-1
David Jensen (2-1) — 2nd place, 285B
David Jensen (Nebraska) major dec. Zachary Kight-Ward (Hofstra), 9-0
David Jensen (Nebraska) dec. Victor Lacombe (Lehigh), 5-3 SV
Christian Lance (Nebraska) dec. David Jensen (Nebraska), 3-1 SV
Christian Lance (3-0) — 1st place, 285B
Christian Lance (Nebraska) dec. David Jensen (Nebraska), 3-1 SV
Christian Lance (Nebraska) tech. fall Michael Mcaleavey (The Citadel), 17-2
Christian Lance (Nebraska) MED FOR Christian Colucci (Unattached-Rut)
