Nebraska

Loper Wrestling Win Second Straight, Sixth National Title

Published

4 weeks ago

March 15, 2026

Loper Wrestling Win Second Straight, Sixth National Title

Junior Otgonbayar Batsuuri won the 174-pound national title to help third-ranked Nebraska secure the 2026 NCAA Division II National Championship Saturday night in Sioux Falls.

UNK finished with 83.0 points while Wisconsin-Parkside (78.0), McKendree, Ill. (76.5) and league rival Central Oklahoma (76.0) were very close behind. The Lopers entered the finals with a 79.0-72.0 edge over UCO. To secure a second straight and a sixth overall national title, UNK needed to win one of three title matches or see the Bronchos lose one of two.

Now three-time national champion Gabe Johnson of UCO didn’t let that happen at 157 pounds as he won in overtime. Fifth seeded Trenton Munoz (Santa Clarita, Calif.) was up next and trying to pull off a third straight upset. Already beating the fourth and first seeds in the 165-lbs. class, he couldn’t get by now three-time champ David Hunsberger of Lander (S.C.). The second seeded Hunsberger recorded a takedown six seconds in to record a 9-4 win.

That pitted third seeded Batsuuri (Mongolia) vs. top-seeded Hunter Jump of UCO in the 174-lbs. finals. The two met during the regular season with Jump winning 1-0 in January and Batsuuri leading a February match 3-2 in the third period. However, Jump was about to score and then won via fall at 6:24. A two-time national champion at Fort Hays State Northwest Tech, Batsuuri didn’t let things linger this time as he tallied a takedown 17 seconds into the match. He was up 4-1 late in the third before tallying another takedown to win, 7-3.

Finally, graduate and second seeded heavyweight Crew Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) squared off with top seed Doran Crosby of Gannon (Pa.) in the tourney’s final match. A two-time NCAA Division I qualifier for Bucknell (Pa.), Crosby edged Howard in last year’s third place match, 4-2. He did it again with a takedown in sudden victory, 4-1, to cap a six-year career. Meanwhile, Howard leaves a storied career as a three-time All-American.

The Lopers had six All-Americans with this title race the closest since 2021 when St. Cloud State (107.0) nipped the Lopers (105.05) thanks to a win in the 285 lbs. match. Finally, head coach Dalton Jensen, part of UNK’s 2012 and 2013 title teams as a wrestler, was tabbed as the National Tournament Coach of the Year.

133 lbs. – 9th seed Zach Ourada (14-7) scored 2.5 team points

Prelim – Zachary Ourada won by decision over Drew Stanfield (Central Mo.) 17-8 (Dec 8-1)
Champ. Round 1 – #5 James Joplin (Lander, S.C.) won by decision over Zach Ourada (Dec 10-6)
Cons Rd 1 – Zach Ourada won by tech over Eli Carrington (Belmont Abbey, N.C.) (TF 6:00; 19-4)
Cons. Round 2 – #6 Jakob Romero (Adams State) won by decision over Zach Ourada (Dec 5-3)

141 lbs. – 5th seed Joseph Airola (26-6) placed 5th and scored 9.0 team points

165 lbs. – 5th seed Trenton Munoz (26-7) placed 2nd and scored 15.0 team points

Champ. Round 1 – Trenton Munoz won by decision over Kole Marko (Minnesota St.) (Dec 6-1)
Quarterfinal – Trenton Munoz won by decision over #4 Grant MacKay (Gannon, Pa.) (Dec 4-1)
Semifinal – Trenton Munoz won by decision over #1 Nolan Gessler (Tiffin, Ohio) (Dec 10-5)
1st Place Match – #2 David Hunsberger (Lander, S.C.) won by decision over Trenton Munoz (Dec 9-4)

174 lbs. – 3rd seed Otgonbayar Batsuuri (21-7) placed 1st scored 21.0 team points

Champ. Round 1 – Otgonbayar Batsuuri won by dec over Cole Ritter (Maryville, Mo.) (Dec 9-3)
Quarterfinal – Otgonbayar Batsuuri won by dec over #6 Emilio Arellano (Tiffin, Ohio) (Dec 14-10)
Semifinal – Otgonbayar Batsuuri won by fall over Kydyn Lima (San Francisco State) (Fall 4:04)
1st Place Match – Otgonbayar Batsuuri won by decision over #1 Hunter Jump (Central Okla.) (Dec 7-3)

184 lbs. – 5th seed Kaden Hart (18-9) placed 6th and scored 9.5 team points

Champ. Round 1 – Kaden Hart won by decision over Oliver Byerly (West Liberty, W.V.) (Dec 2-1)
Quarterfinal – #4 Damon Ashworth (Central Mo.) won by decision over Kaden Hart (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 – Kaden Hart won by tech fall over Cole Casilio (Kutztown, Pa.) (TF 7:00; 15-0)
Cons. Round 3 – Kaden Hart won by decision over #1 Cole Glazier (St. Cloud State) (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Semi – #2 Keegan Gehlhausen (Chadron State) won by decision over Kaden Hart (Dec 6-4)
5th Place Match – Sullivan Ramos (Wisconsin-Parkside) won by decision over Kaden Hart (Dec 11-8)

197 lbs. – 4th seed Jackson Kinsella (21-8) placed 6th and scored 9.0 team points

Champ. Round 1 – Jackson Kinsella won by major decision over Ethan Farnell (Indianapolis) (MD 12-4)
Quarterfinal – #5 Logan Kvien (McKendree, Ill.) won by decision over Jackson Kinsella (Dec 1-0)
Cons. Round 2 – Jackson Kinsella won in sudden victory over Tyson Meyer (St. Cloud) (SV-1 4-1)
Cons. Round 3 – Jackson Kinsella won by decision over #9 Jeremiah Larson (Maryville, Mo.) (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Semi – #6 Mason Villwok (Chadron St.) won in tie breaker over Jackson Kinsella (TB-1 2-1)
5th Place Match – Joey Lyons (Gannon, Pa.) won in tie breaker – 1 over Jackson Kinsella (TB 1-1)

285 lbs. – 2nd seed Crew Howard (26-3) placed 2nd and scored 17.0 team points

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Nebraska

Nebraska basketball star Braden Frager returning for next season

Published

1 hour ago

April 10, 2026

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Nebraska basketball star Braden Frager returning for next season

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Nebraska

Belmont forward Orme commits to Nebraska

Published

13 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

Belmont forward Orme commits to Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Nebraska received its first commitment from the 2026 transfer portal on Thursday. Belmont forward Sam Orme gave his pledge to the Huskers.

Orme is a 6-foot-9 sophomore that emerged as a top portal target earlier in the week. Orme averaged 12.7 points while shooting 55.9 percent from the floor for the Bruins.

Orme joins Nebraska after the most successful season in program history. The Huskers won 28 games and advanced at the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Orme’s commitment comes on the same day that Braden Frager, the 2026 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, re-signed with the Huskers.

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Nebraska

Nebraska volleyball ready to open spring play against Iowa State

Published

1 day ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska volleyball ready to open spring play against Iowa State

Nebraska volleyball will play in three exhibition matches this spring. The Huskers will open the spring against Iowa State on April 11 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Cornhuskers are hitting the road for all three spring exhibition matches as the John Cook Arena at the Devaney Center has been under construction since late February. The facility is undergoing locker room upgrades and adding roughly 10,000 new seats with cupholders.

Last season, Nebraska finished the season 33-1 and No. 3 in the final AVCA poll. Iowa State ended the season 23-8 and lost to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Cyclones are coached by Christy Johnson-Lynch, who is entering her 22nd year as head volleyball coach. She also played and coached at Nebraska.

She was an All-American for the Huskers in 1994 and 1995. Johnson-Lynch was the starting setter for the 1995 team, which won the school’s first national volleyball championship.

This is the first spring season in which the Huskers will play three exhibition matches. Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly is excited about the potential to play against a different team and in a gym packed with Nebraska fans.

“Not only do we get to play against an opponent, but in front of fans and have that added pressure and a different vibe. I think that’s what this team needs. And when we’re ready for things, we need to continue to push them and not hold them back.”

Following Saturday’s match against Iowa State, the Huskers will play Creighton on Friday, April 17, at 7 p.m. at the D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha. Nebraska ends the spring season with an exhibition match against Northern Colorado on Saturday, April 25, at the Chicoine Center in Chadron, NE.

First serve on Saturday between the Huskers and Cyclones is at 1 p.m. CT from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The game can be seen on the Big Ten Network, and Cornhuskers Wire will have live updates.

LINK: How to watch Nebraska volleyball face Iowa State this Saturday

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