Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team scored 53.5 points to finish eighth at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships Saturday night at the Health & Sports Center.

This marks the 10th straight year the Lopers have ended the year in the nation's top 10. Individually, UNK had four All-Americans in national runners up Dalton Jensen (141 lbs.) and T.J. Hepburn (149 lbs.), fourth place finisher Joey Wilson (165 lbs.) and fifth place finisher Ross Brunkhardt (184 lbs.). None are seniors.

Staving off game efforts from Augustana and St. Cloud State, the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks scored 102.0 points to win its third straight national title.

UNO had three qualify for the finals while runner up St. Cloud (90.5 points) had two. The Mavs secured the team title when senior Ryan Pankoke edged Wisconsin-Parkside's Luke Rynish 3-2 at 174 lbs. Also winning national titles for Omaha were seniors Mario Morgan (141 lbs.) and Aaron Denson (184 lbs.). UNO had three other All-Americans as well.

Besides the SCSU Huskies, Augie (81.5) was third, Upper Iowa fourth (66.0), Western State came in fifth (64.0), Newberry of South Carolina finished sixth (60.0) and Grand Canyon of Arizona came in seventh (58.0).

Earlier this year, Morgan edged Jensen (Missouri Valley, Ia.), 4-3, in Omaha. Coming from behind in most of his matches this weekend, Morgan didn't do this time recording two first period takedowns to build a 4-1 lead. In the final period, Morgan tacked on two more takedowns and two near fall points. Jensen ends his first season at UNK with a 30-5 mark.

A class later, Hepburn (East Hampton, Conn.) faced Nick Walpole of the U. of Indianapolis, a former starter for the Indiana Hoosiers who came in with an impressive 41-3 record.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the third period, Hepburn seemed to grab control of the match with a reversal. Hepburn eventually built up 55 seconds of riding time before Walpole escaped late to tie things at two. With the seconds ticking away, Walpole managed to fight off a counter from Hepburn and record a takedown as the buzzer sounded.

A third place finisher last winter, Hepburn finishes the year at 38-4.

This wasn't the only last second win in a national title match. At 165 lbs., Michael Lybarger of Findlay (Ohio) won 3-1 in the first sudden victory period, Denson held off a late charge of Western State's Charlie Pipher to win 6-4 and Northern State heavyweight Matt Meuleners scored a late takedown to win 4-3 over St. Cloud's Jacob Kahnke (29-2).

Western senior Donovan McMahill (32-0), the 197 lbs. national champ, was named the meet's Most Outstanding Wrestler while St. Cloud's Steve Costanzo earning Coach of the Years. Finally, Kutztown's John Paukovits (149 lbs.) won the Most Falls in a Least Amount of Time award (two in 3:24).