Primed to Bring Home Serious Hardware

Wrestling 3/11/2021 8:58:00 AM

Primed to Bring Home Serious Hardware

Kearney, Neb. – The top-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team heads to St. Louis this weekend for the 2021 NCAA Division II Championships with the aim of having 10 good performances.

The two-day meet was moved from Birmingham, Ala., to St. Louis earlier this winter due to the on-going pandemic. As with all NCAA D2 Winter Championships this year, the field was cut by 25 percent with each student-athlete, coach and staff members going through a series of COVID tests before they can compete or even enter the venue. The meet is being held at the America's Center Convention Complex.

The schedule is one session Friday (noon-5p.m.), session two on Saturday afternoon (noon-5 p.m.; champ semis & consolation rounds through placing matches) and then finals Saturday night (7 p.m.-9:30 pm.). Live results are available as is a free video live stream (follow along with live stats to find the mat number the Loper is wrestling on; then go to the video stream)

UNK is the only school in the field with 10 qualifiers. Defending national champion St. Cloud State, Gannon (Pa.), nearby McKendree (Ill.), MIAA rival Central Oklahoma, and Pittsburg-Johnstown are some of the Lopers top competition and schools with more than six qualifiers.

While each bracket will be smaller than in normal years, a top eight finish is still good for All-American honors. Nine Lopers received a top eight seed when brackets were released last week; the one that didn't is basically seeded 10th.

If UNK can wrestle to seed and have nine All-Americans or sneak in a 10th for good measure, the program will win its four national team title. The Lopers brought home the "natty" in 2008 (108.5 points), 2012 (107.0 points), and 2013 (108.0 points). Kearney has had 18 straight top eight finishes at this meet including 10 in the top three.

Besides the fact the Loper contingent has five fifth-year seniors in the STL, the group has also combined for nine All-American honors.

Loper Lineup
125 lbs. – 4th-seed Josh Portillo (R-Sr., Clarion, Ia., 10-3)

133 lbs. – 3rd-seed Wesley Dawkins (R-Sr., Lincoln, Neb., 11-2)

141 lbs. – 7th-seed Nick James (R-Fr., Kearney, Neb., 13-1)

149 lbs. – 4th-seed Sam Turner (R-Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo., 8-3)

157 lbs. – 3rd-seed Jacob Wasser (R-Sr., Kintnersville, Pa., 9-1)

165 lbs. – 3rd-seed Matt Malcom (R-Sr., Glenwood, Ia., 11-1)

174 lbs. – 7th-seed Terrell Garraway (Jr., Lenexa, Kan., 10-3)

184 lbs. – 8th-seed Austin Eldredge (R-Jr., McPherson, Kan., 13-1)

197 lbs. – Joseph Reimers (R-Fr., Seward, Neb., 12-2)

285 lbs. – 8th-seed Lee Herrington (R-So., Kearney, Neb., 9-5)

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Players Mentioned

Wesley Dawkins: 133/141; Redshirt Junior

Terrell Garraway: 174/184; Sophomore

Lee Herrington: 285; Redshirt Freshman

Matt Malcom: 165; Redshirt Junior

Josh Portillo: 125; Redshirt Junior

Jacob Wasser: 157; Redshirt Junior

Joseph Reimers: 184; Freshman

Nick James: 141; Freshman

Austin Eldredge: 149; Redshirt Sophomore

Sam Turner: 149; Junior

Players Mentioned

Wesley Dawkins
: Redshirt Junior
: 133/141

Terrell Garraway
: Sophomore
: 174/184

Lee Herrington
: Redshirt Freshman
: 285

Matt Malcom
: Redshirt Junior
: 165

Josh Portillo
: Redshirt Junior
: 125

Jacob Wasser
: Redshirt Junior
: 157

Joseph Reimers
: Freshman
: 184

Nick James
: Freshman
: 141

Austin Eldredge
: Redshirt Sophomore
: 149

Sam Turner
: Junior
: 149