Nine Husker
wrestlers earned preliminary seeds in their weight classes for this weekend's Big Ten
Championships after the conference announced them on Monday.
The
pre-seeds, as voted on by the conference's coaches, rank the top eight
wrestlers in five weight classes, along with 11 or 12 schools' starters in five
weight classes due to the Big Ten receiving eight or more NCAA Championships
qualifier allocations in those classes. Each team enters the championships with
a seeded wrestler in the 165-, 174- and 285-pound weight classes.
Sophomore
Robert Kokesh (174) and senior Josh Ihnen (184) each earned the No. 3 seed in
their weight classes as the highest-seeded Huskers. Kokesh leads Nebraska with
29 wins this season, which includes a 15-2 dual record. His only two losses on
the season came to the pair seeded ahead of him, Logan Storley of Minnesota and
Mike Evans of Iowa.
Ihnen is
21-4 this season with a 13-4 record in dual competition. The senior has racked
up two pins, six technical falls and four major decisions during the 2012-13
campaign. Ihnen is seeded behind Ed Ruth of Penn State and Kevin Steinhaus of
Minnesota, who each took him down this season.
Sophomores
Jake Sueflohn (149) and James Green (157) are seeded fourth in their respective
weight classes. Sueflohn is 20-4 with five major decisions and an 11-3 dual
record. Green is 18-3 with three technical falls and five major decisions. He
compiled an 11-2 dual mark with losses to Dylan Alton of Penn State (No. 3
seed) and Derek St. John of Iowa (No. 1 seed).
Senior
Ridge Kiley is the sixth seed at 141 pounds and has a 14-9 record in 2012-13. Redshirt
freshman Austin Wilson (165) and junior Shawn Nagel (133) are the No. 8 seeds
in their respective weight classes. Wilson is 24-10 with a 7-4 dual record that
included four technical falls and four major decisions. Nagel is 15-14 and
compiled a 6-10 dual mark this season.
Sophomore
Spencer Johnson (HWT) and junior Caleb Kolb (197) round out the seeded Huskers.
Johnson is the No. 9 seed with a 6-5 record and a 4-4 record in duals. Kolb is
the 11th seed after a 16-15 season and 7-10 dual mark.
The Big Ten
Championships start on Saturday and go through Sunday at Assembly Hall in
Champaign, Ill.
Husker Wrestlers in the Big Ten
Championships Pre-Seedings
133: #8 Shawn Nagel
141: #6 Ridge Kiley
149: #4 Jake Sueflohn
157: #4 James Green
165: #8 Austin Wilson
174: #3 Robert Kokesh
184: #3 Josh Ihnen
197: #11 Caleb Kolb
HWT: #9 Spencer Johnson
