Lopers Beat Gannon & Newberry, Fall to Mary
Kearney, Neb. – The 2nd-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team went 2-1 on the first day of the 2023 NWCA Multi-Division National Duals in Louisville, Ky. The Lopers (5-1) got past Newberry College of South Carolina, 38-3, and 14th-ranked Gannon University of Pennsylvania, 24-13, but fell to 11th-ranked Mary (N.D.), 21-12. UNK faces ninth-ranked Upper Iowa Saturday at 8 a.m. Central with the winner wrestling for fifth place and the loser going for seventh. The other side of the bracket has 12th-ranked Indianapolis and fifth-ranked Lander (S.C.). To best the Newberry Wolves for a second straight year in this event, UNK used two falls, two tech falls and a major decision. Top-ranked Billy Higgins (184 lbs.) and reserve Crew Howard (285 lbs.) each had first-period falls with nationally-ranked Joey Airola (133 lbs.) and Austin Eldredge (174 lbs.) both recording 16-0 tech falls. Things were much tougher against the UM Marauders from Bismarck in the second round. Fourth-ranked Reece Barnhardt used a first-period takedown to edge the 11th-ranked Airola by a 3-1 score, third-ranked Max Bruss got past the second-ranked Eldredge, 7-4, thanks to three reversals with 12th-ranked Max Kaylor ahead of sixth-ranked Hayden Prince by a single point at 197 pounds before Price injury defaulted out of the match. UNK bounced back in a big way to down the Warriors from Erie. Second-ranked Nick James (141 lbs.) capped a 3-0 day with a 9-3 decision, top-ranked Lee Herrington (285 lbs.) had an 18-2 tech fall and Eldredge won a rare 1-0 match. Finally, redshirt freshman Bishop Murray (125 lbs.) had a fall in 1:08 with Higgins capping a perfect day with a 14-4 major.
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