Skip to main content
Nebraska
Join Now

3 Takes: Nebraska wrestling advances to the National Duals semifinal

by: Bobby Schneider6 hours agobschneider33
Nebraska wrestler LJ Araujo
Nebraska wrestler LJ Araujo celebrates after pinning Max Brignola in the National Duals Invitational. (Photo by Nebraska Athletics)

No. 2 Nebraska wrestling (3-0) advanced to the National Duals Invitational semifinal by taking down No. 7 Lehigh 35-7 and No. 10 Michigan 24-14 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday. The Huskers faced some upsets in each dual, but were able to remain alive for the $200,000 payout for the tournament winner.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN TODAY!

Here are three takeaways from Nebraska advancing to the semifinal round:

Taylor defeated, yet fights back

Defending 157-pound national champion Antrell Taylor being definitively beaten by Lehigh’s Logan Rozynski may have been the shock of the day. In fact, Rozynski’s 9-1 major decision handed Taylor his first loss since the Big Ten Championships last season.

Taylor, a junior, faced a seven-point deficit after the first period. His slow start made it an insurmountable deficit to overcome. It wasn’t the first time the two-time All-American had been pushed this season; he barely edged out Army’s Joe Antonio last week.

However, the Millard, Nebraska, native bounced back against Michigan. Taylor took out his aggression on Cameron Catrabone in the quarterfinal round to secure a 20-5 technical fall victory. Even national champs are bound to drop a bout – it’s what makes college wrestling must-see.

Araujo is the real deal

Here comes LJ Araujo. The 165-pound redshirt freshman continues to impress, making a statement in his lone match by pinning Lehigh’s No. 9-ranked Max Brignola.

Although Araujo is ranked No. 16 in the 165-pound division, his 5-0 start to the season is beyond impressive. Therefore, All-American-caliber accolades are definitely going to be in the cards for the Bismarck, N.D., native.

Head coach Mark Manning gave Araujo the quarterfinals off. Sophomore Dez Gartrell took over for him against the Wolverines’ Dylan Gilcher. Gartrell struggled, losing by a major decision 11-1.

Commanded opposition

While Taylor split his two bouts on the day, four other Nebraska All-Americans took care of business.

No. 2-ranked Brock Hardy pinned Carter Bailey in the third period to start his tournament. The 141-pound senior didn’t slow down in the quarterfinal dual, crushing Michigan’s Eren Sement 20-5 for a technical fall. Hardy’s 34-5 margin of victory showed exactly how hungry he is.

Meanwhile, Christopher Minto and AJ Ferrari also dominated their respective divisions. Minto controlled his first opponent, Zeke Dubler, for an 11-2 major decision, and edged out No. 11 Beau Mantanona 4-1 for a sudden victory in the 197-pound division.

Ferrrari scored a 19-4 tech-fall in the heavyweight division against Lehigh in the first round. With Michigan trailing by six entering the final bout, the No. 2-ranked pound-for-pounder then outlasted No. 4-ranked Taye Ghadiali 11-3 to secure the 24-14 Nebraska win.

Furthermore, Camden McDanel also played a significant hand on the mat. The 197-pound sophomore won his first bout 15-6, and outlasted Wolverine Hayden Waters in overtime to secure a 4-1 sudden victory.

These four Huskers combined to outscore their opposition 98-22. Manning sure has himself a deep lineup.

Other Results

***Sophomore 125-pounder Alan Koehler lost bout by a 4-3 decision to Lehigh’s Sheldon Seymour.

***Kael Lauridsen took the 125-pound slot against Michigan and lost to Diego Sotelo by a 5-2 decision.

***Redshirt freshman 133-pounder Omar Ayoub won his bout in the first round via 11-2 major decision over Mason Ziegler.

***Junior Jacob Van Dee (133) beat Gauge Botero 9-0 in the quarterfinal round.

***True freshman 149-pounder Nikade Zinkin won his first bout over Anthony Evanitsky by a 4-1 decision.

However, Zinkin lost 15-5 against No. 4-ranked Lachlan McNeil in the quarterfinal dual.

***Senior No. 6-ranked 184-pounder Silas Allred won by a 4-2 decision over Rylan Rogers. But Michigan’s No. 14-ranked Brock Mantanona upset Allred in a 10-8 decision.

Nebraska returns to action at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday, when it takes on No. 8 Ohio State in the semifinal round. If the Big Red advances to the championship, it will take place at 6 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN2.

Never miss breaking news or another HuskerOnline article again. Click HERE to sign up for our Daily and Breaking News Newsletters!

You may also like