Winning seven individual matches on the day, the Nebraska wrestling team closed the 2021 regular season with a 25-9 win over Illinois on Sunday in Champaign, Ill. The Huskers finish the conference-only slate 7-1, going undefeated in the last six duals of the regular season. 
 
The Huskers earned bonus points in three matches, picking up major decisions at 174 and 184 pounds and a technical fall in the 149-pound bout. 
 
Mikey Labriola and Eric Schultz finish the regular season undefeated in eight matches on the year while Liam Cronin and Chad Red Jr. went 6-1 on the year with their only losses coming against Iowa in the second dual of the season. 
 
Cronin got the day started with a 4-3 decision over Justin Cardani in the 133-pound match. Behind 1-2 in the final seconds of the second period, Cronin scored a takedown to tie the bout 3-3. The senior recorded another escape in the third period to take the match.
 
Chad Red Jr. (141 pounds) added another win for the Huskers against Dylan Duncan in a match that went down to the final seconds. Red Jr. scored a reversal and two near fall points in the last seconds of the bout, taking a 4-3 win for the Huskers. 
 
At 149 pounds, Ridge Lovett earned his second dual win of the season and first technical fall of the season with a 20-5 win over Danny Pucino. Lovett earned two four-point near falls, three takedowns, two escapes and a two-point near fall to take the match. 
 
Caleb Licking picked up his second consecutive win with a 10-4 decision over Luke Odom at 157 pounds. Licking held Odom scoreless through two periods while scoring two takedowns and building up his riding time. He added two more takedowns and an escape in the final period while recording over three minutes of riding time in the match to give him his third win of the season. 
 
Mikey Labriola earned his fourth major decision of the season in a 17-6 win over Trey Sizemore. The win is his 18th major decision of his career and brings his total match points to a team-high 105 for the 2021 campaign. 
 
Returning to the lineup at 184 pounds, Taylor Venz won a 12-1 major decision over No. 14 Zac Braunagel. He recorded four near fall points, three takedowns and added two more points from an escape and 1:45 of riding time for his second bonus point win of the season and first win over a ranked opponent this year.  
 
Eric Schultz earned the Huskers final win of the day, defeating Matt Wroblewski, 4-1, at 197 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Schultz earned an escape and a takedown in the second period and added a riding time point to earn his eighth win of the season. The Tinley Park, Ill. native's regular season dual win streak improves to 12 matches over two seasons. 
 
Tucker Sjomeling, Peyton Robb and Christian Lance each battled ranked opponents in their matches, but ultimately fell to the Illini. Sjomeling earned the start at 133 pounds, falling 8-10 to No. 14 Lucas Byrd. Peyton Robb met Danny Braunagel in the 165-pound match but fell by decision, 6-9. Christian Lance battled No. 10 Luke Luffman through more than two minutes of overtime but Luffman earned the deciding takedown to take the match, 4-2. 
 
The Huskers finished undefeated in extra matches on the day with Jeremiah Reno, Brock Hardy and Brandyn Van Tassell pinning their opponents while Alex Thomsen added a decision win for Nebraska. 
 
A post-season push comes next for the Huskers, who have just under two weeks before they hit the mat in State College, Pa. for the 2021 Big Ten Championships on March 6-7. 
 
#2 Nebraska 25, #11 Illinois 9
125: #9 Liam Cronin (NEB) dec. Justin Cardani (ILL), 4-3 (NEB 3, ILL 0)
133: #14 Lucas Bryd (ILL) dec. Tucker Sjomeling (NEB), 10-8 (NEB 3, ILL 3)
141: #7 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) #14 dec. Dylan Duncan (ILL), 4-3 (NEB 6, ILL 3)
149: Ridge Lovett (NEB) tech. fall Danny Pucino (ILL), 20-5 (NEB 11, ILL 3)
157: Caleb Licking (NEB) dec. Luke Odom (ILL), 10-4 (NEB 14, ILL 3)
165: #8 Danny Braunagel (ILL) dec. #18 Peyton Robb (NEB), 9-6 (NEB 14, ILL 6)
174: #2 Mikey Labriola (NEB) major dec. Trey Sizemore (ILL), 17-6 (NEB 18, ILL 6)
184: #16 Taylor Venz (NEB) major dec. #14 Zac Braunagel (ILL), 12-1 (NEB 22, ILL 6)
197: #1 Eric Schultz (NEB) dec. Matt Wroblewski (ILL), 4-1 (NEB 25, ILL 6)
285: #10 Luke Luffman (ILL) dec. #11 Christian Lance (NEB), 4-2 SV-1 (NEB 25, ILL 9)
 
Extra Matches
125: Jeremiah Reno (NEB) pinned Joshua Contreras (ILL), 6:57
133: Alex Thomsen (NEB) dec. We Rachal (ILL), 3-2
149: Brock Hardy (NEB) pinned Andrew Cohen (ILL), 4:58
197: Brandyn Van Tassell (NEB) pinned Isaiah Pettigrew (ILL), 2:39

Huskers Fall to Illinois, Michigan in Tri-Meet

Champaign, Ill. - The No. 3 Nebraska men's gymnastics team (1-3 Big Ten) fell to No. 7 Illinois (3-3, 2-3 Big Ten) and No. 2 Michigan (3-0, 2-0 Big Ten) in a Big Ten tri-meet Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Illinois. The Huskers finished with a 401.600 while the Fighting Illini scored a 405.550 and the Wolverines finished in first with a team score of 413.300. 

Despite the loss, the Huskers claimed one event title. Freshman Taylor Christopulos claimed the vault title for the third meet in a row with a score of 14.70. 

Rotation One
The Huskers started off on pommel horse where they had a team score of 66.30. Junior Evan Kriley led NU with a score of 13.85. Senior Mitch Tyndall scored a 13.35 while sophomore Khalil Jackson followed closely with 13.30. Sophomore Cooper Giles notched a 13.05. Junior Charlie Giles earned a 12.75. Freshman Yanni Chronopoulos rounded out the rotation with a 12.25. 

The Fighting Illini started on floor where they scored a 70.10. The Wolverines started on rings where they scored a 69.20. 

Rotation Two
NU competed on rings second where freshman Taylor Christopulos led the team with a score of a 13.10. Senior Evan Hymanson followed closely with a 12.90. Junior Dylan LeClair notched a 12.75. Sophomore Dylan Young earned a 12.45. Sophomore Moritz Mueller and freshman Yanni Chronopoulos rounded out the rotation with a 11.55 and 11.40, respectively. 

The Huskers went into the third rotation with a team score of 129.000. Michigan went into the third rotation leading the meet with a team score of 139.050 and Illinois in second with a team score of 136.400. 

Rotation Three
Nebraska moved to floor where senior Jake Bonnay led the team with a score of 14.55. Charlie Giles notched a 14.25. Sophomore Sam Phillips earned a 14.05 while Dylan Young scored a 13.70. Moritz Mueller followed with a 13.35. Taylor Christopulos finished the rotation with a 13.15. 

Illinois competed on rings where they scored a 67.25. Michigan competed on pommel horse where they scored a 67.60. 

Rotation Four
The Huskers continued to parallel bars where they had a team score of 64.10. Dylan LeClair led the Huskers with a 13.50. Dylan Young followed with a 13.05. Senior Griffin Kehler notched a 12.90 while Evan Hymanson finished with a 12.55. Junior Dillan King earned a 12.10. Mitch Tyndall finished the rotation with a 11.40. 

The Fighting Illini competed on vault where they took the lead with a 275.100. The Wolverines were on high bar and went into the fifth rotation with a score of 274.700. The Huskers went into the fifth rotation with a score of 263.150. 

Rotation Five
Evan Hymanson led the team on high bar with a career-high score of 13.95 during the fifth rotation. Dillan King followed with a season-high score of 13.45. Jake Bonnay earned a 13.35 while Sam Phillips notched a 13.05. Griffin Kehler finished with a 12.25. Taylor Christopulos finished the rotation earning a score of 11.40 after a fall. 

Nebraska went into the final rotation with a team score of 329.200 while Michigan had a 345.750 and Illinois had a 339.250. 

Rotation Six
NU finished on high bar where they had a season-high team score of 72.40. Taylor Christopulos led the Huskers with his third vault title of the season after notching a 14.70. Charlie Giles finished in second behind Christopulos for the second week in a row with a score of 14.65. Evan Kriley matched his career-high with a score of 14.55 while Dylan Young earned a new career-high with a score of 14.40. Khalil Jackson debuted his first collegiate vault with a score of 14.10. Dylan LeClair rounded out the impressive rotation with a score of 14.00. 

The Huskers finished with a team score of 401.600. 

The Fighting Illini came in second with a team score of 405.550. 

The Wolverines took the meet title with a team score of 413.300. 

Up Next
The Huskers return to competition Saturday, March 6 at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Bob Devaney Sports Center against Ohio State for senior night. 

Huskers Play to a 0-0 Draw in Season Opener Against Minnesota

The Nebraska women's soccer team opened the 2020-21 season with a 0-0 tie against Minnesota on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. The all-time series between the teams remains tied at 7-7-2. 
 
Six Huskers, including Makinzie Short, Dakota Chan, Kathleen Aitchison, Ashley Zugay, Olivia Brown and Grace Brown, played the full 110 minutes while seventeen total players saw action for Nebraska. 
 
Chan led the Big Red with two shots on goal while Aitchison, Reagan Raabe and Eleanor Dale added shots on target for NU. 
 
After a late offensive push in the first half, Nebraska outshot the Gophers 3-2 in the last 45 minutes of regulation. The Huskers added two more shots in the first overtime period, but the Gophers held a 12-6 advantage in shots over NU in the game. 
 
In goal, Short came up big for the Huskers in her first career start and shutout. She shut down a one-on-one situation in the nineteenth minute and knocked a ball out of the air following a Minnesota corner kick late in the second overtime period to help the Huskers to the draw while adding two saves to her resume.  
 
Nebraska has now opened the season on the road for four straight seasons. The Huskers are 2-1-1 in those matches. 
 
The Huskers continue their road slate with a trip to East Lansing Thursday, Feb. 25 to take on Michigan State at noon (CT). 

Sprlak-Puk Captures Win, but Huskers Fall to Hoosiers

Albert Sprlak-Puk scored a singles victory over Indiana's Vikash Singh, but it was not enough as the Nebraska men's tennis team (0-2, 0-2 Big Ten) came up short on Sunday, falling to the Indiana Hoosiers (1-1, 1-1 Big Ten) by a final score of 1-6 at the Dillon Tennis Center.  

The match began with doubles play. At the No. 1 spot, the duo of Bennett Crane and Michael Andre topped William Gleason and Victor Moreno Lozano, 7-6 (4). At No. 2, Patrick Fletchall and Andrew Redding defeated Patrick Cacciatore and Sprlak-Puk, 6-4, to secure the doubles point for the Hoosiers.

In singles play, the Hoosiers won five of six matches. No. 48 Bennett Crane picked up a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Lozano at the No. 1 spot. At No. 2, Gleason squared off against Andrew Redding. Gleason won the first set 6-3 but Redding stormed back to win the second set 6-2 and then also took the third set 6-2. In a closely contested match, Sprlak-Puk got the win at the No. 3 spot against Vikash Singh, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. Michael Andre led wire-to-wire at No. 4, defeating Nic Wiedenhorn 6-3, 6-3. The No. 5 spot saw a tight match between Luka Vukovic and Shunya Maruyama, with Maruyama winning the first set, Vukovic taking the second, and Vukovic closing the match with a tiebreaker win played in lieu of a third set, 6-7 (2), 6-2, 11-9. Cacciatore and Patrick Fletchall battled at the No. 6 with Fletchall ending victorious, 6-2, 6-3.

Up next, the Huskers will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on their Big Ten border rival Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, February 28 at 3 p.m.

Tennis Match Results Indiana vs Nebraska Feb 21, 2021 at Sid Dillon Tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb.

Indiana 6, Nebraska 1

Singles competition

1. #48 Bennett Crane (IND) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 6-2, 6-4 2. Andrew Redding (IND) def. William Gleason (NEB) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
3. Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) def. Vikash Singh (IND) 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
4. Michael Andre (IND) def. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) 6-3, 6-3

5. Luka Vukovic (IND) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-7 (2), 6-2, 11-9 (11-9) 6. Patrick Fletchall (IND) def. Patrick Cacciatore (NEB) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Bennett Crane/Michael Andre (IND) def. William Gleason/Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 7-6 (4)
2. Patrick Fletchall/Andrew Redding (IND) def. Patrick Cacciatore/Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) 6-4
3. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) vs. William Piekarsky/Ilya Tiraspolsky (IND) 6-6, unfinished

Match Notes:
Indiana 1-1
Nebraska 0-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,4,1,2,3)

Husker Rifle Ready for NCAA Qualifier

Lincoln – The Nebraska rifle team faces its biggest test of the season Monday afternoon, as the Huskers travel to Murray, Ky., for the 2021 NCAA Qualifier.

The Huskers will be the final team shooting on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. (central), as the winter weather pushed back some of the competition. The Huskers, who are sixth in the country in the latest rankings, are in good position to earn a second straight NCAA bid with a strong performance on Monday afternoon, but Nebraska rifle coach Rachel Martin knows that nothing is guaranteed with a postseason bid in the balance.

"Our three-score average from our regular season gives us a buffer, but not a lead over the teams sitting in 7th, 8th, and 9th," Martin said. This qualifier score will make up 50 percent of the total score used to determine which teams will advance to the NCAA Championships. Our athletes have the skill to do well this weekend," Martin said. "But as our match with Army showed us, they also must display the work ethic to secure a good team performance."

The Huskers are looking to rebound following the 4,689- 4,677 lost at Army West Point on Feb. 13. Prior to that match, NU had put together strong scores in matches against Air Force, Kentucky and North Carolina State over the previous month.

In the loss to Army West point, the Huskers received strong performances from Elena Flake and Cecelia Ossi in the air rifle, as the pair swept the top two spots. Flake, an All-American from 2020, put up her highest score of the season in the event with a 596, while Ossi's mark of 594 was her best mark of the season by a significant margin.  Senior Emily Cheramie continued her strong senior season, topping the Huskers with a fourth-place showing (581) in the smallbore.

The Huskers won't have to wait long to learn their postseason fate, as the National Championship selection show is set for Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. on NCAA.com.

Huskers Overpower Badgers 4-3

Madison, Wisc. The Nebraska women's tennis team found a 4-3 victory over Wisconsin on Sunday. This victory takes the team's record to 3-1 following a 4-3 victory over Minnesota on Friday afternoon. After securing the doubles point, Nebraska managed three singles wins over the Wisconsin Badgers for a final score of 4-3.


Doubles 
After their debut as a doubles team on Friday, Samantha Alicea and Kristina Novak triumphed over Wisconsin's Xinyu and Nastasya Semenovski by a score of 5-7. Also appearing this weekend as a new duo, Hayley Haakenstad and Chloe Kuckelman defeated Charmaine Seah and Ava Markham, 6-2. 
With the doubles point awarded to the Huskers, Claire Reifeis and Isabel Adrover Gallego finished their match against Antonela Stoica and Anna Makarova at 6-6.

Singles 
Wisconsin came back strong in the singles portion of the day with Wisconsin's Ava Markham defeat of Isa Adrover Gallego 1-6, 3-6. Claire Reifeis showed up for the Huskers, managing a 6-4, 6-1 sweep over Anna Makarova. After a hard-fought battle, Antonela Stoica took the singles point over Maja Makoric 2-6, 2-6.
With the match score tied at  2-2, Kristina Novak put the Huskers back in the lead with her defeat of Xinya Cai 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. To give the Huskers their final point needed for victory, Chloe Kuckelman clinched the win against Charmaine Seah 1-6, 6-2, 7-6. In the final match of the day,  Haylee Haakenstad fought hard against Nastasya Semenovski but ultimatley fell short, dropping the match 7-6, 6-7, 2-6. 



Up Next
The Huskers are back at home on February 26th to host Purdue at 1:00 pm (CT) and Indiana February 28th at 10:30 am (CT.)
 

Results

Singles
1. Kristina Novak (NEB) def. Xinyu Cai (WISC)  6-4, 1-6, 6-4
2.  Ava Markham(WISC)  def. Isabel Adrover Gallego (NEB) 1-6, 3-6
3.  Antonela Stoica (WISC) def. Maja Makoric (NEB) 2-6, 2-6 
4. Claire Reifeis (NEB) def. Anna Makarova(WISC) 6-4, 6-1
5. Chloe Kuckelman (NEB) def. Charmaine Seah (WISC) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6
6.  Nastasya Semenovski (WISC) def. Hayley Haakenstad (NEB) 7-6, 6-7, 2-6

Doubles 
1.  Samantha Alicea/Kristina Novak (NEB) def. Xinyu Cai/Nastasya Semenovski (WISC)7-5
2. Antonela Stoica/Anna Makarova (WISC) vs  Claire Reifeis/Isabel Adrover Gallego (NEB) 6-6 (unfinished)
3. Hayley Haakenstad/Chloe Kuckelman (NEB) man def. Charmaine Seah/Ava Markham (WISC)  6-2

Notes
Nebraska 3-1
Wisconsin 2-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (2,3,4,1,5,6