CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The seventh-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team has seen veterans Austin Eldredge and Billy Higgins advance to the semifinals of the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships in Cedar Rapids, Ia.
Action began today at 10 a.m. with the second session starting at 5 p.m. and wrapping up a little after 8 p.m. The semis begin Saturday at 10 a.m. as well as backside matches.
Defending national champions, the Lopers came in with six qualifiers and will have three All-Americans (top eight finish). Joining Eldredge (McPherson, Kan.) and Higgins (Omaha Skutt) on the award stand tomorrow will be veteran heavyweight Lee Herrington (Kearney H.S.).
Falling just short of AA status this time around was New Jersey senior John Burger (149 lbs.), Kearney redshirt junior Nick James (141 lbs.) and St. Louis redshirt freshman Kaden Hart (165 lbs.). Central Oklahoma (62.5) leads the team race over Lander, S.C. (56.0) and West Liberty, W.V. (38.5). UNK has tallied 29.0 points.
Now a three-time All-American, the third-seeded Eldredge was his usual self as he racked up the near fall points to record back-to-back 16-0 tech falls. He’ll face upstart James Penfold of Lake Erie (Ohio) in the semis. Penfold has already upset the second and seventh seeds. The other side of the bracket has gone to form with the one and four seeds advancing.
Higgins, moving to 21-0 vs. D2 foes, shut out his first-round foe but needed a takedown with 1:35 left to slip past Central Oklahoma’s Alex Kaufmann, 3-2. His next foe is fourth-seed Logan Hall of Lander. The second and third seeds, respectively, have advanced as well with Higgins repeating as an AA at this weight.
Herrington, seeded second, fell to Cale Gray of Indianapolis, 9-8, in the quarters. The back-and-forth match was decided when Gray recorded a takedown with 19 seconds left. Herrington came back to have his own late match heroics, using a takedown with five seconds left to beat La’Ron Parks of Notre Dame (Ohio), 3-1. He’ll next see sixth-seeded Darrell Mason from Minnesota State. He joins Eldredge as a three-time All-American.
James was trying to join them in that rare company but fell to sixth-ranked Nate Keim of UCO, 11-9, in a consolation match. Keim scored seven in the first period and then used a late reversal to win. Earlier, James majored Western Colorado’s Dean Noble, 23-10. At regionals, in his first match back since suffering an injury in early January, James lost to Noble.
Finally, both Burger and Hart lost to top four seeds in their respective weight classes.
141 lbs. – Nick James (20-6) went 2-2 and scored 4.0 team points
- Prelim – Jake Niffenegger (Mercyhurst, Pa.) 24-8 won in sudden victory-1 over Nick James (SV-1 6-4)
- Prelim – Nick James won by major decision over Dean Noble (Western Colorado) (MD 23-10)
- Cons. Round 1 – Nick James won by fall over Caleb Morris (Pitt-Johnstown) (Fall 5:33)
- Cons. Round 2 – 6th-seed Nate Keim (Central Oklahoma) won by decision over Nick James (Dec 11-9)
149 lbs. – John Burger (12-10) went 0-2
- Champ. Round 1 – 4th-seed Joey Bianchini (St. Cloud State) won by decision over John Burger (Dec 8-2)
- Cons. Round 1 – Phillip Sims (Quincy, Ill.) won by decision over John Burger (Dec 5-2)
165 lbs. – Kaden Hart (14-12) went 0-2
- Champ. Round 1 – 3rd-seed Chase Luensman (Upper Iowa) won by decision over Kaden Hart (Dec 7-2)
- Cons. Round 1 – Guy Deleonardis (Glenville State, W.V.) won by major decision over Kaden Hart (MD 14-4)
174 lbs. – 3rd-seed Austin Eldredge (26-4) is 2-0 and scored 11.0 team points
- Champ. Round 1 – Austin Eldredge won by tech fall over Zeke Waltz (McKendree, Ill.) (3:09; 16-0)
- Quarterfinal – Austin Eldredge won by tech fall over 6th-seed Cole Hernandez (Western Colorado) (1:46; 16-0)
184 lbs. – 1st-seed Billy Higgins (26-2) is 2-0 and scored 9.5 team points
- Champ. Round 1 – Billy Higgins won by tech fall over Clinton Morrisette (King, Tenn.) (5:35; 15-0)
- Quarterfinal – Billy Higgins won by decision over Alex Kauffman (Central Oklahoma) (Dec 3-2)
285 lbs. – 2nd-seed Lee Herrington (26-5) is 2-1 and scored 4.5 team points
- Champ. Round 1 – Lee Herrington won by decision over Luke Tweeton (Mary, N.D.) (Dec 2-1)
- Quarterfinal – Cale Gray (Indianapolis) won by decision over Lee Herrington (Dec 9-8)
- Cons. Round 2 – Lee Herrington won by decision over La`Ron Parks (Notre Dame, Ohio) (Dec 3-1)
