Three Lopers First, Three Lopers Third
Kearney. Neb. – The fifth-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team scored 110.50 points to place second at the Super Region VI Tournament Saturday night in Chadron. The Lopers qualified six for the NCAA Division II Championships March 10-11 in Cedar Rapids, Ia. A top-three finish in one of 10 weight classes is good for a trip to nationals. Not surprisingly, UNK's heavy hitters in the upper weights rolled to first place finishes. That trio consists of Kearney redshirt senior Lee Herrington (285 lbs.), Kansas redshirt senior Austin Eldredge (McPherson, Kan.) and Omaha redshirt junior Billy Higgins (184 lbs.). Higgins is ranked first nationally, Herrington second and Eldredge third. The rest of the Lopers had to fight their way through the consolation bracket and then win the third-place match to reach the City of Five seasons. They are Kearney redshirt junior Nick James (141 lbs.), New Jersey senior John Burger (149 lbs.) and St. Louis redshirt freshman Kaden Hart (165 lbs.).
Colorado true freshman Joey Airola (133 lbs.) lost his third-place match with South Carolina redshirt senior Hayden Prince (197 lbs.) medically forfeiting out of the tourney. He was trying to wrestle after a torn ACL suffered in January. Also ending their years tonight were Kearney redshirt senior Teontae Wilson (157 lbs.) and Kansas freshman Bishop Murray (133 lbs.). No. 7 Adams State won the team race (114.0 points) with Colorado Mesa third (101.0). ASU had five national qualifiers and Mesa four. Higgins had three tech falls, by a combined score of 59-12, to return to the NCAA's with Herrington having a much harder path to Gold. He needed a takedown with 10 seconds left in the semis to get past Taniela Feliciano-Takafua, 6-4, of Canada's Simon Fraser. Things were just as tough against hometown hero Mason Watt of Chadron. A second stall call on Watt with 14 seconds remaining gave Herrington a 3-2 win. Among the national tech fall leaders, Eldredge had two rare falls to start the tourney. After a major decision, he once again slipped past nationally-ranked Cade Lindsey of Fort Hays, 5-4. Riding time provided the winning margin after Lindsey was awarded a penalty point down the stretch. Coming off knee surgery, James shook off a first round loss and rolled to a third-place finish at 141 pounds. He won his last four matches by a combined tally of 52-18. Next, Burger is back in the NCAA's for a third time but his previous trips came as a Limestone (S.C.) Saint. Like James, he returned from a loss in strong fashion by taking his last two matches by a combined score of 25-3. Finally, Hart – coming back from his own January surgery – had three wins to advance. His 8-3 third-place win featured two takedowns and riding time in the third period. Pairings for the NCAA's will be released earlier next week.
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