Kearney, Neb. – The sixth-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team had 14 placers at the 13th Annual Younes Hospitality Open Saturday at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds.

This is the largest college tournament in the country as 800 wrestlers took to 18 mats and competed in "Elite" and "Amateur" brackets.

The Lopers had 12 placers in the Elite (two first, five second, two third, one fourth and two fifth) and two in the Amateur (fourth and sixth). The competition ranged from unattached wrestlers, junior colleges to and Division I schools.

Top-ranked heavyweight Crew Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) placed first by going 5-0 and is now a perfect 8-0 on the season. Pinning his first two opponents, he needed four third-period points to get past seventh-ranked Tyler Doyle of Colorado Mesa in the semifinals, 4-3. Each wrestler had a reversal to start the third with Howard escaping and then building up riding time. He then majored Wyoming's Sam Mitchell, 10-1, in the finals.

Next, third-ranked Zach Ourada (Omaha Skutt) met graduate newcomer Caleb Coyle (Millard South) met in the 125-finals. Ourada won 7-0 and out scored his competition 42-3 overall while Coyle had a 3-2 win the semis over Northern State's Sloan Johannsen.

Also finishing runner up was Minnesota redshirt freshman Cael Robb (157 lbs.), California junior Trenton Munoz (165 lbs.), Missouri junior and 10th-ranked Kaden Hart (174 lbs.) and North Carolina senior Jacobi Deal (185 lbs.). Robb started with two tech falls, Munoz had three bonus point victories, Hart two two decisions by a combined three points with Deal taking his semis match, 6-3, in sudden victory.

Finally, Iowa junior and third-ranked Jackson Kinsella (197 lbs.) and Colorado sophomore Joseph Airola (141 lbs.) were third with Aurora redshirt freshman Jack Allen (285 lbs.) fourth and Lincoln true freshman Sam Andres (197 lbs.) sixth in the Amateur bracket. Andres had four consecutive falls to bounce back from a second-round loss.  

The Lopers host Fort Hays State Northwest Tech (previously known as Northwest Kansas Tech) on Dec. 6 at Kearney High. The dual will start at 7:30 p.m.