Quick start lifts Huskers over Jacks
Nebraska jumped out to an early 12-0 lead and held off South Dakota State down the stretch for a 22-17 wrestling dual victory in a matchup between ranked squads Sunday afternoon at Frost Arena.
The 16th-ranked Cornhuskers evened their dual record at 2-2 on the season, while SDSU dropped to 1-2. The Jackrabbits entered the matchup ranked 18th in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association poll.
Nebraska wasted little time in taking the early lead as ninth-ranked 125-pounder Liam Cronin notched a first-period pin over the Jackrabbits’ Tanner Jordan. Boo Dryden (133 pounds) and fifth-ranked Brock Hardy (141) followed with decisions to put the Cornhuskers up by a dozen three matches into the dual. Hardy’s win was a 7-5 sudden victory over 15th-ranked Clay Carlson.
Redshirt freshman Alek Martin put the Jackrabbits on the board with his first collegiate dual victory, pulling away in the third period for a 9-0 major decision over Dayne Morton.
In another bout between ranked wrestlers, Nebraska’s second-ranked Peyton Robb got the best of the third SDSU redshirt freshman in the lineup, 23rd-ranked Cael Swensen, 7-2, to close out the first half of the dual.
Tanner Cook breathed some wind back in the Jackrabbits’ sails as he continued his pinning prowess by sticking 13th-ranked Bubba Wilson in 29 seconds. The 11th-ranked Cook improved to 8-1 on the season with his sixth win by fall.
Nebraska put the dual out of reach with consecutive wins by Mikey Labriola and Lenny Pinto in two more matchups between ranked wrestlers. Labriola, ranked second at 174 pounds, posted a 4-0 decision over 16th-ranked Cade DeVos, while the 17th-ranked Pinto avenged a loss to No. 16 Cade King at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational two weeks ago by turning up the pressure in the third period for a 12-2 major decision.
SDSU salvaged the final two bouts of the dual as Tanner Sloan turned in another dominant performance in his 197-pound match against Silas Allred with a 12-0 major decision. At heavyweight, A.J. Nevills tallied a 9-3 sudden victory against Cale Davidson after notching a takedown and four-point near-fall about 20 seconds into overtime.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits resume competition by sending a contingent of wrestlers to the Soldier Salute Dec. 29-30 in Coralville, Iowa.
#16 Nebraska 22, #18 South Dakota State 17
125: #9 Liam Cronin (NEB) def. Tanner Jordan (SDSU), by fall 0:30
133: Boo Dryden (NEB) dec. Derrick Cardinal (SDSU), 4-1
141: #5 Brock Hardy (NEB) dec. #15 Clay Carlson (SDSU), 7-5 [SV-1]
149: Alek Martin (SDSU) major dec. Dayne Morton (NEB), 9-0
157: #2 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. #23 Cael Swensen (SDSU), 7-2
165: #11 Tanner Cook (SDSU) def. #13 Bubba Wilson (NEB), by fall 0:29
174: #2 Mikey Labriola (NEB) dec. #16 Cade DeVos (SDSU), 4-0
184: #17 Lenny Pinto (NEB) major dec. #16 Cade King (SDSU), 12-2
197: #17 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) major dec. #18 Silas Allred (NEB), 12-0
285: #12 A.J. Nevills (SDSU) dec. Cale Davidson (NEB), 9-3 [SV-1]
NOTES
- Nebraska leads the all-time series, 20-16-2, with the Cornhuskers having won the last 12 meetings
- Sunday’s dual marked the first between the two programs since the 2013-14 season
- Five of Cook’s six wins by fall this season have been recorded in less than a minute
- Sloan improved to 37-4 in career dual matches
- Attendance was 1,426
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