Kearney, Neb. – The top-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team had 13 placers, including four champions, and won 90 matches at the annual Younes Hospitality Open Saturday at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds.

This is one of the largest non-team scoring open tournaments in the country as over 600 wrestlers competed on 16 mats from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Schools came from Canada, Kentucky and all points in between.

UNK's nationally-ranked individuals rolled in the "Elite Division" as Kearney redshirt senior heavyweight Lee Herrington, Kansas redshirt junior 174-pounder Austin Eldredge, Kearney redshirt junior 141-pounder Nick James and Omaha junior 184-pounder Billy Higgins each placed first with South Carolina redshirt senior 197-pounder Hayden Prince third.

Also cracking the top five in the Elite was Iowa redshirt freshman heavyweight Crew Howard (third), Iowa redshirt freshman 157-pounder Briar Reisz (third), Bellevue redshirt freshman 141-pounder Daniel DeRosier (fourth), Missouri redshirt freshman 157-pounder Kaden Hart (fifth) and Colorado true freshman 133-punder Joey Airola (fifth). In the "Amateur Division", David City true freshman Tre Daro came in fourth at 197 pounds.

Herrington had three falls and two wins by decision, the second being a 3-1 tally over Nebraska's Austin Emerson in the finals. Eldredge, per usual, racked up the points to the tune of a 72-4 margin over his opponents. His day included three tech falls, a major and a 10-4 decision. Next, James out scored his foes by a 47-9 margin with Higgins, ranked number one at 184, getting past second-ranked Caden Steffen of Southwest Minnesota State by a 3-2 margin in the finals.

Finally in the Elite Bracket, fifth-ranked Prince fell to sixth-ranked Anderson Salisbury of Colorado Mines, 7-6, in the semis but bounced back to beat fourth-ranked Matt Kaylor of Mary (N.D.), 3-1, for third place, DeRosier upset seventh-ranked Grayston DeBlasi, 4-2, in the quarters, Reisz had two majors and Hart piced up three D2 wins.

Among other Lopers, Daro won five matches on the day, four by first period falls and one by a 15-0 tech, Howard had three wins over D2 competition, Hart and Kansas redshirt junior Wyatt Hayes reached the 157-pound fifth place match with Airola winning four times and losing one match in sudden victory.

UNK is now off until the weekend of Dec. 2-3 when select Lopers will be in Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invite with the rest of the squad in Crete for the Doane Open.