Kansas City, Mo. – Seven Huskers advanced to the 2024 NCAA Championship quarterfinals after claiming victories in their respective second round matches on Thursday evening as the Nebraska wrestling team sits in sixth place with 21 points.
Eight qualifying Nebraska wrestlers remain alive as both quarterfinal and consolation matches will take place Friday morning starting at 11 a.m. (CT).
Second Round
In his second match of the day, No. 15 Caleb Smith (125) faced No. 2 Luke Stanich of Lehigh and was the first Husker to earn a spot in Friday morning’s quarterfinals. The pair was tied 1-1 after regulation and went on to sudden victory where Smith got the takedown for the 4-1 upset victory.
At 141, in the third match of the year between the two, No. 9 Brock Hardy met Michigan’s No. 8 Sergio Lemley. Hardy used two takedowns in the opening period to roll to the 10-4 decision and earn a spot in tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
The third Husker to advance in the winner’s bracket was top-seeded Ridge Lovett. The Post Falls, Idaho, native defeated Indiana’s No. 17 Graham Rooks by decision 11-4 to move on. Up next at 157, No. 8 Peyton Robb met No. 9 Will Lewan at 157. Robb used a big move in the second period to secure the 11-6 decision for his spot in the quarterfinals and earn his 100th career victory.
Redshirt freshman No. 8 Antrell Taylor (165), in his first career NCAA Championship, wrestled No. 9 Peyton Hall of West Virginia. Taylor got on top quickly and showed great defense in the final period to hang on for the 11-9 decision. Taylor will face top-seeded Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) in tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
No. 5 Lenny Pinto (184) became the sixth Husker to move on in the winner’s bracket as he used a takedown late in Period Three to top No. 12 Jaden Bullock of Michigan, 4-2. The eighth and final Husker to wrestle in the second round match was No. 10 Silas Allred as he met No. 26 Andy Smith of Virginia Tech. Allred scored a late takedown to earn the 4-2 decision and became the seventh Husker to advance to the quarterfinal match.
At 133, No. 14 redshirt freshman Jacob Van Dee met No. 3 Kai Orine of NC State. Van Dee kept the match close as the wrestlers were scoreless heading into the final period before Orine tallied the escape and riding time point for the 2-0 victory. Van Dee is still alive and will wrestle in the consolation tomorrow morning.
Cons. First Round
No. 29 Nash Hutmacher wrestled Cleveland State’s No. 20 Daniel Bucknavich in the Huskers’ lone consolation match of the day. The match went the distance, but Bucknavich got the takedown in overtime to earn the 5-2 victory.
First Round
In the opening round of the NCAA Championships, the Huskers saw eight of their nine wrestlers advance in the championship bracket. Smith (125), Van Dee (133), Hardy (141), Lovett (149), Robb (157), Taylor (165), Pinto (184) and Allred (197) all tallied victories in their first matches to qualify for the second round. Hutmacher battled, but fell and moved on to the consolation bracket.
NCAA Championships
T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Mo.
Sessions I – II
March 21, 2024
125: No. 15 Caleb Smith
First Round: No. 15 Smith dec. No. 15 Michael DeAugustino (MICH) 4-1 SV-1
Second Round: No. 15 Smith dec. No. 2 Luke Stanich (LEH) 4-1 SV-1
Quarterfinals: No. 15 Smith vs. No. 10 Eric Barnett (WIS)
133: No. 14 Jacob Van Dee
First Round: No. 14 Van Dee dec. No. 19 Julian Farber (UNI) 5-1
Second Round: No. 3 Kai Orine (NCST) dec. No. 14 Van Dee 2-0
Cons. Second Round: No. 14 Van Dee vs. No. 20 Tyler Wells (MINN)
141: No. 9 Brock Hardy
First Round: No. 9 Hardy tech. fall No. 24 Danny Pucino (ILL) 20-4 (6:35)
Second Round: No. 9 Hardy dec. No. 8 Sergio Lemley (MICH) 10-4
Quarterfinals: No. 9 Hardy vs. No. 1 Jesse Mendez (OHST)
149: No. 1 Ridge Lovett
First Round: No. 1 Lovett pinned No. 33 Michael Cetta (RUT) 1:30
Second Round: No. 1 Lovett dec. No. 17 Graham Rooks (IND) 11-4
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Lovett vs. No. 8 Casey Swiderski (ISU)
157: No. 8 Peyton Robb
First Round: No. 8 Robb dec. No. 25 Trevor Chumbley (NW) 1-0
Second Round: No. 8 Robb dec. No. 9 Will Lewan (MICH) 11-6
Quarterfinals: No. 8 Robb vs. No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU)
165: No. 8 Antrell Taylor
First Round: No. 8 Taylor major dec. No. 25 Holden Heller (PITT) 11-0
Second Round: No. 8 Taylor dec. No. 9 Peyton Hall (WVU) 11-9
Quarterfinals: No. 8 Taylor vs. No. 1 Keegan O’Toole (MIZZ)
184: No. 5 Lenny Pinto
First Round: No. 5 Pinto tech. fall No. 28 Caleb Hopkins (CAMP) 25-8 (7:00)
Second Round: No. 5 Pinto dec. No. 12 Jaden Bullock (MICH) 4-2
Quarterfinals: No. 5 Pinto vs. No. 4 Trey Munoz (ORST)
197: No. 10 Silas Allred
First Round: No. 10 Allred dec. No. 23 Luke Geog (OHST) 10-3
Second Round: No. 10 Allred dec. No. 26 Andy Smith (VT) 4-2
Quarterfinals: No. 10 Allred vs. No. 2 Trent Hidlay (NCST)
HWT: No. 29 Nash Hutmacher (0-2) DNP
First Round: No. 4 Cohlton Schultz (ASU) dec. No. 29 Hutmacher 10-3
Cons. First Round: No. 29 Hutmacher vs. No. 20 Daniel Bucknavich (CSU)
