Nebraska
Loper Wrestling Win Second Straight, Sixth National Title
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