Husker wrestlers rally to beat Rider

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday, Feb 16, 2008 - 09:24:57 pm CST

Sophomore Craig Brester scored a major decision to spark a late surge that carried the No. 2 Nebraska wrestling team to a 27-12 win against Rider on Saturday in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Brester, ranked seventh at 197 pounds, dominated No. 17 T.J. Morrison en route to a 9-1 victory that put the Huskers ahead 19-9 with three matches left in the dual.

Another major decision by heavyweight Jon May and a technical fall by Paul Donahoe at 125 pounds sealed a victory that improved the Huskers’ record to 13-2.

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Coach Mark Manning

But the late successes for NU belied the team’s sluggish start.

Nebraska trailed 6-5 after three matches, winning only at 149 pounds — sophomore Jordan Burroughs, from nearby Sicklerville, N.J., earned a 20-5 technical fall against 2007 All-American Don Fisch.

Stephen Dwyer won by major decision at 165 and Brandon Browne added a pinfall win at 174 to give the Huskers a 15-6 lead.

But No. 20 Doug Umbehauer of Rider edged NU’s ninth-ranked Vince Jones 3-2 at 184 to cut the Huskers’ lead to just six points heading into Brester’s match.

“We wrestled pretty well in some spots and some weights we were relaxed and didn’t wrestle the way we should have,” Husker coach Mark Manning said in a telephone interview. “We’re going to have to be better tomorrow.”

The Huskers move up the New Jersey Turnpike a few miles to face No. 16 Hofstra today in Hempstead, N.Y. The Pride earlier this season stunned perennial power Iowa State 19-18 and have five starters ranked 13th or higher.